Spiritual Vertigo

Often, even in the midst of discipleship our lives just don’t make sense.

We hear the preacher talking about the abundant life of Jesus as we live drawing on the flow of His riches in the Kingdom Amongst us, and we have the tendency to say, wake up and smell the thorns.

A rather severe case of spiritual vertigo.

It is in those times I find whether I really trust, or I just really talk about it.

But it is not whether we experience the bitterness of life that defines our discipleship, it is our response. 3 things to remember during these times.

1. God is here - even when life turns sour.

God is not far away, He is here. That was the gospel Jesus Christ preached.

Our Father in Heaven not far away in space and time…He is right here.

The answer is not going to heaven when we die, the answer is to live in His presence right now.

2.  Nothing too hard for God.

Because God holds everything together anyway. Nothing too hard for Him.

Col. 1:17 In Him all things hold together. See: Luke 1:37

Not to hard for Him to redeem even your sufferings if submitted to Him.

3. God is good.

1 John 1:5 This is the message of Jesus Christ…God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. NONE. Don’t believe anything bad about God.

Nahum 1:7 (You can’t have the God of Nahum 1 without verse 7)

   The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble,

   And He knows those who take refuge in Him.

I would paraphrase Nahum 1 like this:

Give up, the battle is over, He won, quit fighting because you can go home now. You can go home because God is good and you can take refuge in Him. We sing at Christmas the great lines from the prophet Daniel:
The Kingdoms of this world have become those of our God and of His Christ and He shall reign forever and ever and ever…

What is the next word? hallelujah.

- Pastor Brian

Thinking bigger...

The life God has for us here as we learn to trust Him is much richer than we have been led to believe.

God has called us to and will empower us to live a life of actual moral goodness that flows from inside the life of One committed to trusting Him and desirous of living in the conscious reality of the very presence of God.

We are today living the consequences of not thinking big enough regarding our life with Christ. It is not that we do not acknowledge our sinfulness, it is our failure to acknowledge our place in His life. We so easily forget that the plans He has for us are something so grand we can hardly begin to fathom. We are so busy bemoaning our lot in life we forget the position we hold in His life as we live eternity right now.

The reason for learning to trust Him is not just that it is good for us, though it is and not just that it will see us through the hurts of life as it will, but because we are involved in a world, indeed universe wide conspiracy where God is undermining the very evil structures that have dominated and existed in human history with the perpetual good of His people.

Overcoming evil is not just a personal effort we engage in, it will actually come about. That is God’s plan and the resurrection of Jesus is proof He will bring it about---and He has made us indispensable participants in this.

God is about making us into the kind of person who will be able to stand up to the rigors of an eternity that stretches before us in an endless life.

That takes training in this phase as we ‘reign in life through One Jesus Christ’-Romans 5:17

You can learn to live in the conscious reality of the presence of God. Don't let them tell you otherwise.

- Pastor Brian

CHOOSING TO DECIDE

Many of us have taken the step of realization that the teachings of Jesus constitute for us the best way to live. It is, actually, the only way to live. You can’t live this life any other way. But you say, lots of people are. No they aren’t, they are dead in transgressions and sin. (Check out: Romans 8:5-8; Ephesians 2:1; 3:5; Colossians 2:13)
And if there is anything we know about dead people-they aren’t alive!
How is that for profound?

To really flourish in discipleship-we have to honestly decide whether He can be trusted.
Is His teaching the best there is out there?
Is there someone else to turn to?
Do you have enough confidence in Jesus to declare that if there were a more significant body of knowledge out there or a more knowledgeable teacher, Jesus would be the first to tell us about it? There simply isn’t anyone.
Jesus has the best information on the most important topics of life. His early followers knew this and declared: In Him dwells all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col.2:3-4).

Why, for me it is almost humorous that people would suggest that someone has lived this life that is more intelligent, more brilliant than Jesus.

If you don’t believe that Jesus is The One with the best information on how to live life then you will always be looking for someone who DOES have the best information.
Perhaps yourself, a philosopher, writer or TV guru.

But, if I have my confidence in Him then I am going to do whatever it takes to learn from Him how to live my life. I am going to learn His teachings, what His first intimate friends had to say about Him and what He taught about the God who stands back of the universe He created. I am going to believe there is nothing, there is no evil, no matter how difficult and heartbreaking that cannot be redeemed for good. I will consider nothing more important then being His student in life.

If I can’t believe these things about Jesus, I may profess that I desire to put into practice what He said, but I will be constantly prepared to do it some other way that seems at the moment more appealing. I will want to do good but I will always be prepared to do evil.
And guess what will then pop out when life comes at me at breakneck speed?

More Thoughts...Ephesians 5:7-17

Getting beyond justification…More thoughts from Ephesians 5:7-17.

Praise Him, yes, He forgave my sins through His awesome sacrifice, but His work for us on the cross becomes His work in us to teach us to be like Himself. Not Him of course, but like Him in our character. Being careful means learning from Him how to live my life as He would lead my life.

In the language of Lewis;
Being the sort of people who just wouldn’t live any other way.

We learn how to have His thoughts, His actions and responses to the evil day in which we actually live.
It is a life-long process, perhaps, we might say, an eternity long process.

One who does things to meet the grace of God in their life (disciplines of the spiritual life) will come to know the truth, the actuality and reality of His life in them and the action of the Kingdom of God with them.
In turn they will be enabled to walk free from the bondage of sin and enjoy a life of growing fullness in their knowledge of God.

That is the eternity He has set in the hearts of men and for which our now redeemed soul desperately longs. This is where we go together as His special people He has and is calling out of human history.

SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION

Why do I relentlessly speak of spiritual transformation of the individual into Christlikeness? Isn’t the issue salvation?

What is spiritual transformation and why is it necessary to discuss at length and integrate into almost every sermon and bible study?
Spiritual transformation is the process of both the formation of the human spirit and a formation by the Holy Spirit until it (the human spirit) has, to a substantial degree, the very character of Christ Jesus Himself.

Necessary? Unfortunately under our prevailing view of soteriology (the understanding of salvation), being saved has essentially nothing to do with such transformation.

Bluntly stated, the theological positions I am familiar with clearly insinuate that you can be right with God in ways that do not require transformation and in ways that do not routinely advance transformation.

Justification is seen as the entirety of salvation. If your sins are forgiven, you are justified and you will make the ‘cut’ after your death.
Salvation is complete when the transaction is complete-your account has been serviced in heaven by the transfer of merit from Christ.

What is the consequence naturally flowing from such theology?
If salvation is the same as justification (the forgiveness of sins and the assurance of the gates of splendor) then spiritual formation will not be seen as a natural part of it. Or even as a necessary part.

Could this account for the paucity of evidence that Jesus really does change lives as we so boldly proclaim? Could this be the cause of what is decried in evangelical circles as ‘nominal Christianity’?

Could it be that people in our churches do not have, to a substantial degree, the character of Christ-not in spite of the message we preach but precisely because of it?

Jesus spoke of a type of life entering the spirit of the individual human being. (John 3) This is the passage from ‘death’ to ‘life’ where real ‘life’ is a powerful presence in the individual with new life from above.
See: Ephesians 3:20 and 2 Timothy 2:1

Clearly a new, non-human activity becoming a part of our life.

Perhaps we have failed to stress regeneration in the individual human who has placed confidence in Jesus. The currents of Divine Life have begun to beat and pulsate in the individual. Is it not: "Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Col. 1:27)? Is it not: "He who began a good work in you will perfect it…" (Phil. 1:6)? Is it not: "God, who is at work in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Phil. 2:13)? Is it not: becoming "partakers of divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." (2 Peter 1:4)? Is it not: "Your life is hid with Christ in God." (Col. 3:3)?

Discipleship then becomes a natural progression for one who really does have confidence in Jesus as He really is. Moved by a gripping realization that Christ is the Annointed One. Maestro of the universe He created.

"He has given to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by desire (lust).” 2 Peter 1:4

This brings fully before us a picture of scriptural salvation as leading a life that is caught up in what God is doing in human history, today. It is a life in which "God works all things together for good to those who love him and are absorbed into his purposes." (Rom. 8:28) It is "resurrection life": a life already beyond death. (John 8:51-52 & 11:25-26; Col. 3:1-4).

The emphasis must be bringing before people the truth of regeneration and discipleship so that we actually do learn to do all that He has taught us.
Where spiritual transformation into Christlikeness is essential to the condition of ‘being saved’ as a natural development.

Then we will be caught up in His perpetual world revolution He set afoot with His coming, His life and His resurrection.

An addendum to your assignment:

Understand that what you are undertaking is a discipline. It does not in itself make you righteous or obedient. But we are not trying to be obedient anyway. We are not trying to be righteous. All hope in that direction has been abandoned. We are undertaking to do what is in our power which will enable God to do in us what we cannot do by direct effort. (If you don't like the word enable, substitute allow or permit!)

You will not merit God's favor by practicing a discipline. We do not stand on merit. Merit is not the issue. Life is the issue-a life beyond our merit.

We have come to Him because we desire His kind of life. An eternal kind which means an interactive one with a Trinitarian God. Loving Him, cohabitation with Him and obedience are inseparable parts of our new life from above into which our regeneration naturally develops.

Consider Jesus consoling words to His first followers: "If you abide in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32)

One who does things to meet the grace of God in their life will come to know the truth, the actuality and reality of His life in them and the action of the Kingdom of God with them. In turn they will be enabled to live free from the bondage of sin and enjoy a life of growing fullness in their knowledge of God.

Our disciplines in this direction, as with our obedience is sloppy and inadequate as we begin our apprenticeship to Him, but remember, you aren't aiming at obedience. You aren't trying to obey. You are becoming the kind of person who would obey. The particular place of your life as a disciple is precisely obedience where you are.

Actually leading a life caught up now in the Kingdom of the Heavens in which God eternally reigns. No wonder we are the light of the world as we live in the midst of a broken and ruined humanity a real life-a life found in companionship with Christ and His Kingdom.

Jesus was right, 'A city set on a hill cannot be hidden'.

-Brian

(p.s. Brian's assignment was laid out for us in his January 4th message notes available this week on our website: www.donnellybiblechurch.com
-The Tech Dept :) )

2010

Looking out from the birth pangs of a new decade where shall we go? Has Jesus' directive to His people changed? Is the Great Commission relevant? What are we to be about?

How is Jesus to continue His perpetual world revolution-an insurrection from the failed ways of the world-with one such as me? A mere human.

I am human, yes, thank God. There was a time I did not exist-there will, now, never be a time where I do not exist because of the decisive, initiatory action of God who is still about His purpose in this universe and is still interested in the indispensable role I play in His conspiracy, throughout forever.

In His revolution, He intends to overcome the darkness, the evil and the power of this world in the place that I am with the light that I am. The person I am becoming, the light of the world.

This happens by the relentless desire to actually be His disciple, His student in life where He will be my teacher. And I will learn. I will intend to learn and I will consider nothing more important, more necessary in my life than following Him.

Where does it begin? It begins with a clear-eyed vision of the nature of God. Ephesians 5:1. Not just that God loves me but that He Himself is love. The vision that actually permeates the landscape of the scriptures. His basic nature is love. God is love. That is the last word on things.

The vision of God's goodness has to be at the root of our transition to easy obedience. This has to come before our will is transformed. Before our desires change. We must not work at the level of our desires, that is working at the level of flesh.

We begin with a vision-the vision from the scriptures that God Himself is Love. The last word in every one of my circumstances. Which means that if I trust Him, He will not betray me-will stand up for me and loves doing so because that is His nature.

No wonder one cannot please God without confidence in Him.
See: Hebrews 11:6
Let the insurrection begin with me.

-Brian