An Effective Church: Consecrateted, Gathered, Synoptic

Mick Turner

Richard Foster, author of that landmark book on the classical spiritual disciplines, entitled, Celebration of Discipline, shares how he was honored with the opportunity and privilege to go about teaching and sharing his knowledge of the spiritual disciplines. In a subsequent article entitled, “A Renewed People for Our Time” Foster describes some of the realities he discovered regarding areas of spiritual deficiency among sincere Christians.

 Briefly stated, Foster says that he saw three basic areas of spiritual deficiency and these were:

 People Were Trying Rather Than Training

People Were Scattered Rather Than Gathered

Vision of People Was Myopic Rather Than Synoptic

 I can say without reservation that over the years our work at LifeBrook International has borne out the validity of Foster’s assessment. We, too, have seen this trio of spiritual short falling and the subsequent litany of spiritual maladies that flow in its train. And like Foster, this has been an area of great frustration and disappointment.

 I saw these things and I can’t tell you how discouraging this was to me. These good people honest people, sincere people were like sheep without a shepherd. And it led me to a period where I stopped all speaking and all writing. When I entered this time I did not know if I would ever write or speak again. I actually thought I would not.

 Experience here at LifeBrook, especially in relation to intensive training in spiritual discipline, has revealed what I find at the core of the “trying rather than training” issue. People are initially well-meaning and the first fruits of their pursuits of spiritual disciplines tend to reward this initial burst of commitment with positive results. However, we have seen that many of these sincere seekers fail to understand the depth of our problem (Calvin would call it complete depravity, although I would not). As spiritual practice deepens our level of commitment must also take deeper root, otherwise we cannot bear up under the intensity of those unexpected hobgoblins that tend to rise up out of the dark silence of contemplation.

 In actuality, these encounters are not all that bad and, in fact, can be both constructive and healing. The problem is, it seems, is that most of the folks who take up this disciplined lifestyle are either ill-informed or ill-prepared for some of the things they will encounter along the Yellow Brick Road. Lions and Tigers and Bears – (Oh My!) – seem to be the least of our worries. John of the Cross termed one of the stages of the mystical life “the dark night of the soul” for good reason.

 Secondly, when a person is sincere about becoming a true spiritual aspirant rather than a pew warmer or pot luck patron, he or she is embarking upon a path that can be isolated and lonely. To emulate the lifestyle, the priorities, and the spiritual values of Jesus is not in keeping with mainstream American life, no matter what the Religious Right may tell you. To be like Jesus is to be weird, radical, and set apart.

 To be like Jesus is, well, to use the correct biblical term, to be holy.

 The following quotation by Houston Smith, although somewhat lengthy, is highly pertinent and illustrates vividly just how out of the box this business of Christ-following is:

 …we have heard Jesus’ teachings so often that their edges have been worn smooth, dulling their glaring subversiveness. If we could recover their original impact, we too would be startled. Their beauty would not paper over the fact that they are “hard sayings,” presenting a scheme of values so counter to the usual as to shake us like the seismic collision of tectonic plates…We are told that we are not to resist evil but to turn the other cheek. The world assumes that evil must be resisted by every means available. We are told to love our enemies and bless those who curse us. The world assumes that friends are to be loved and enemies hated. We are told that the sun rises on the just and the unjust alike. The world considers this to be indiscriminating; it would like to see dark clouds withholding sunshine from evil people. We are told that outcasts and harlots enter the kingdom of God before many who are perfunctorily righteous. Unfair, we protest; respectable people should head the procession. We are told that the gate to salvation is narrow. The world would prefer it to be wide. We are told to be as carefree as birds and flowers. The world counsels prudence. We are told that it is more difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom than for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye. The world honors wealth. We are told that the happy people are those who are meek, who weep, who are merciful and pure in heart. The world assumes that it is the rich, the powerful, and the wellborn who should be happy. In all, a wind of freedom blows through these teachings that frightens the world and makes us want to deflect their effect by postponement – not yet, not yet! H.G. Wells was evidently right: either there was something mad about this man, or our hearts are still too small for his message.

 To truly follow such a renegade can be a lonely enterprise. No wonder Jesus told his potential followers to count the cost before investing.

 Finally, Foster’s observations regarding the myopic vision of many Christians is quite astute and based on the undeniable reality that many sincere Christians are raised in myopic traditions that see one aspect of the gospel message to the exclusion of others. The resultant lack of unity and commonality of purpose is obvious and pandemic. For too many years, charismatic, evangelical, incarnational, and social gospel traditions have come close to shunning each other, rather than utilizing their unique differences to augment and balance each others efforts in working to establish Christ’s kingdom here on earth.

 Fortunately, the winds of change are blowing and seem to be picking up velocity. On both individual and corporate levels, the Body of Christ is beginning to grasp the reality that if one truly desires a deeper walk with the Master, it is going to require major life changes and shifts in perspective. The 21^st Century church can no longer afford to offer up its traditional menu and hope to engage a culture that is far more sophisticated than it was just 20 years ago. Nor can the church put forth any variant of what J.I. Packer so wisely called “hot tub religion” and count on any degree of success except maybe among a few disillusioned prosperity gospel-teers.

No, any significant movement in the church that has a chance to succeed must begin with having potential adherents count the cost of what they are getting into. Only then can a realistic decision for Christ be made and only then can a genuine discipleship commence. We don’t need what many in South Florida call an “Everglades Christianity,” – which is 50 miles wide and an inch deep. Today, more than ever, we need a Consecrated Christianity, with educated rear ends warming the pews – educated in what it really means (and costs) to follow the Master.

 Further, these newly committed and consecrated Christ-followers must band together in commonality of purpose. It should no longer be necessary for a sincere Christian to walk an incarnational path of worship, love, and service while feeling like the Lone Ranger. It is time for consecrated Christians to gather together in oneness, unity, and shared mission. And with this commonality of purpose comes a sharing of vision – a synoptic vision that embraces and welcomes all aspects of the Christian faith. There is great unity in our diversity, if only we would lower our noses long enough to catch a glimpse of the brother and sister standing next to us.

 We are the church, the Bride of Christ – consecrated, gathered, and synoptic. If we truly work for, embrace, and ultimately manifest this vision for the church, nothing can stop us. And the Gates of Hell can’t stand against us.

 © L. D. Turner 2009/ All Rights Reserved

Christian Unity: Now More Than Ever

Mick Turner

Throughout his writings, the Apostle Paul went to great lengths in order the stress the importance of unity in the church. In fact, this whole concept of unity is central to the Christian faith and can be seen as one of many facets of our tradition that flows from the unity of Christ and the Father, so clearly illustrated in the great prayer of Jesus recorded in John 17. Paul saw the necessity of the church existing in a similar bond of unity and he discussed this in many places. For example:

 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all. (Ephesians 4:3-6)

 I specifically chose this verse for our focus because it not only points to the inherent unity of the Body of Christ as envisioned by the Apostle, but also points to an internal unity stemming from the fact that all Christians have the same God residing within them. This aspect of the faith’s unity is often ignored or, in extreme cases, even denied. Before getting into this important theme, however, let’s take a brief look at a few of the major points Paul is bringing to the fore in his letter to the Ephesians.

 We are told to keep ourselves united in Spirit and bound together in peace. The two key principles here are unity in Spirit and peace. The same Spirit that animates my personal spirit, brings life to your personal spirit as well. Elsewhere we are told that this Spirit is the same force that raised Christ from the dead. It is part of God’s great plan of restoration that the same blessed Spirit animates all of us. With that fact before our eyes, it is easy to see how we, as Christians, are to exist in unity and peace with one another.

 The problem is, we Christians seem to have a hard time following this command from the Master. Even worse, it seems many of us either ignore the command or worse still, rationalize it away with some theological pirouetting that would make Baryshnikov green with envy. I think it is high time we tried a different approach.

 In John 17 Jesus addresses his Father on the eve of his crucifixion, asking above Father. He brackets this request with mention of the Father’s glory and his own glory that he had in oneness with the Father “before the world existed.” We can only imagine yet maybe never truly grasp the character of the oneness and unity that Jesus is speaking of. He is stating in no uncertain terms that he and the Father existed in perfect unity before the creation of the world. Further, throughout all his trials and tribulations while walking on earth, he and the Father maintained that unfathomable level of unity. He also makes it clear that he wants us to have the same type of unity with him that he had with the Father. Moreover, and this is vitally important to grasp, he wants and asked for something further.

 Later on, in 17:20-22, Jesus then asks a remarkable thing – something that is directly related to our unity as Christian brothers and sisters – and something that put the arguments I had heard at that evening’s gathering into stark, not to mention dark, relief. Listen to Jesus own words:

 I am praying not only for these disciples, but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one – as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. (NLT)

 Do you get the importance of what Jesus is asking of the Father? Do you really get it? He is asking that the Father to grant us the same kind of intimacy that existed between Jesus and his Father. Even more incredible is Jesus’ statement that he has given to us the same glory that the Father granted him.  And why did he do this? So we can be as one just as Jesus and the Father are one!

 Jesus also tells us that he is giving us this inexplicable level of glory so that the world will understand that God sent Jesus here. What does this all say to us as Christians in the 21^st Century in relation to unity in the Body of Christ? I know what it says to me. There is no tenable explanation or rationalization for disunity. Jesus, with both focus and clarity, expresses that it is his wish that we exist together with the same harmony and unity as he has with the Father.

 Does this mean that it is a sin to disagree with one another? No, I don’t think this passage is saying we cannot have differences. However, I do believe what Christ is telling us is that even though we may disagree at times, that disagreement can never be so extreme as to break our harmony and unity. The fact that we have hundreds, if not thousands, of denominations, sub-denominations, sects, and cults illustrates that we have not lived up to Jesus’ wishes in this regard.

 In this unity that the Lord so clearly wants us to exemplify lies perhaps the most profound and fundamental aspect of God’s character – love. We are to love one another enough to disagree in harmony and to place that harmony above insisting that someone march according to our particular drummer or sing our particular anthem. This is the essence of agape, the selfless love of God and of his Son, Jesus.

 Godly love exudes a pleasant fragrance, a delicate but undeniable scent of unity and oneness. And for what purpose are we to have this abiding oneness? After telling us that we are to exist in this heavenly unity so that the world will know that Jesus was sent by God, the Lord mentions an equally important reason. We are to exhibit a genuine, brotherly unity so that, in the words of Jesus:

 …the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. (John 17:23 NLT)

 Nothing further need be said.

 © L.D. Turner 2009/ All Rights Reserved

Wise Words for Today

The revolution of Jesus is in the firstplace and continuously a revolution of the human heart or spirit. It did not and does not proceed by means of the formation of social institutions and laws, the outer forms of our existence, intending that these would then impose a good order of life upon people who come under their power. Rather, his is a revolution of character, which proceeds by changing people from the inside through personal relationship to God in Christ and to one another. It is one that changes their ideas, beliefs, feelings, and habits of choice, as well as their bodily tendencies and social relations. It penetrates to the deepest layers of their soul.

Dallas Willard

(from Renovation of the Heart)

A Fascinating Web Site

Yesterday, while surfing about some links off one of my favorite web sites, I ran across a web site that caught my attention right away. When you see its title, you’ll easily see what I mean. The web site sports the name LiberalEvangelical.org. Those who know me will readily understand why I would be fascinated by such a site, based on the title alone. To say the least, most folks would claim that the words liberal and evangelical don’t go together, unless you’re talking about Tony Campolo.

Before going any further, here is the address:

http://liberalevangelical.org

Underneath the title, the site has the following subtitles:

“Empowerment for intentionally moderate Christians.”

“Resources for creatively inclusive congregations.”

In exploring the site, I was highly pleased. It is a well put together web site and indeed, in terms of evangelical sites, like a breath of fresh air. More traditional evangelicals, however, may be less than enamored. I showed the site to a good friend of mine, a Baptist and conservative evangelical. Once he got over the title, you could hear his harummppphhhhh for miles.

The site has a poll in which you can vote. The statement says, “The liberal evangelical ideal of the radical moderate Christian is:

Just what I’ve been looking for. (45.2%)

Intriguing but need more information (35.5%)

Utter nonsense (8.1%)

Confusing; I don’t get it. (3.2%)

Personally, I hope more and more sites such as this one come on line, helping our faith regain and restore a healthy middle ground. The far right and the far left both have too many warts and the extremism that has characterized the Christian faith over the past thirty years has sent many well meaning seekers running headlong into other traditions.

Why not go have a look for yourself?

Live Your Divine Calling

Mick Turner

 I am always amazed when I hear people talking about a belief in the random nature of the universe; how everything sort evolved by accident or through some sort of cosmic game of pin the tail on the comet. From my perspective, this is an exercise in absurdity. Every aspect of the universe, not to mention our own bodies, are functioning in a highly intricate and perfectly balanced manner. To think this all happened by accident or chance is beyond the realm of reason.

 Considering all this, I just don’t have enough faith to be an atheist.

 The same principle applies to our lives.  God not only created the universe with a finely tuned balance and rhythm, he also planned our lives around a finely tuned purpose. God has a plan and, as an integral and intricate part of the plan, he created a unique plan for each of us.

 One of the greatest gifts of God to each of us is the placing of this divine plan for our lives deep within us. God has his generalized plan for humanity and a personal plan or mission for each of us. You, me, the butcher, baker, and even the candlestick maker have a divine purpose scripted on our hearts by the Creator and it is a plan just for us. More incredible is the fact that God has equipped us to carry that plan out and in so doing, help establish his kingdom right here on earth and bring great glory to his being. What a wonder! What a blessing! What a responsibility!

 It doesn’t matter who you are, where you have been, and what you have done. That divine purpose still exists inside you and with a little effort and a lot of faith, you can discover it. Start with prayer, asking God through the Holy Spirit to reveal his divine plan for your life. Be persistent in your asking; be vigilant in waiting for an answer; and be confident that the answer will come.

 Also, keep in mind that it is never too late to get started on the dreams God has for you. God created you to accomplish extraordinary things and no matter how old you are, how sinful you have been, or whatever afflictions you may suffer from, God can and will use you because that is one of the primary purposes you were created in the first place. Listen as Jim Graff speaks clearly to this issue:

 God uses ordinary people – with all their flaws and problems – to accomplish extraordinary dreams. You and I don’t have to wait until we have it all together, achieve a certain degree of fame, earn a specified amount of money, get a better job, or meet the right person. Instead, we can start today to embrace who we are and how God made us, knowing that he will use us. From this knowledge, wellsprings of confidence water our hearts. That confidence allows us to see our dreams and visions as God’s road maps to significant lives.

 A significant life – that is what God created you for. Make a consecrated commitment right now to lead a life of excellence in cooperation and divine partnership with the Holy Spirit. The life of excellence is what Jesus demonstrated for us and it is that same kind of life to which each of us is called. Sure, we may foul up things from time to time, but God is right there with us offering a hand to pick us up, dust us off, and send us on our divinely appointed way.

 As said earlier, it matters not where you have been. In fact, your past failures and problems may be part of your qualification for the task God has for you to perform. I worked for many years in the field of addiction prevention and treatment. The most effective professionals ministering to those suffering from addiction were those people who were former addicts themselves. It is this foundational philosophy upon which Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are built.

 If you think your past sin(s) prevents you from carrying out your purpose for God, you have been lied to by the Master of Deceit himself. Satan would like nothing more than for you to continue walking around half-alive, depressed, despondent, and spiritually paralyzed. That’s why that little voice tells you time and time again that there is no way God will ever use you.

 Listen my friend – God saved you and God will use you. He is not a God of wasted effort. God never does anything without a reason and a purpose. If you are saved, you are to be used. You are destined to be God’s instrument for something special. If you doubt what I am saying, go to Scripture and conduct a detailed study of Paul’s life.

 Paul, formerly known as Saul, was there when Stephen was stoned to death. He even held the coats for the men who pelted the first Christian martyr. Saul was the most persistent and ardent persecutor of the early church. By the world’s way of reasoning, you would never expect that God would use Saul to spread the faith across the Mediterranean World. But that’s exactly what God did. God, thankfully, doesn’t necessarily think as the world thinks.

 If God can use Paul, he can surely use you.

(c) L.D. Turner 2009/All Rights Reserved

If Only We Were More Obedient:

In my scripture reading this morning I came across this passage in 1 Timothy and felt not only a tinge of sadness, but also a wave of despair over our lack of love and unity in the Body of Christ.

Again, I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant agruments that only starts fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. (1 Timothy 2: 23-25)

If only we were more obedient……

Blessings,

Mick

A God of Provision – A God of Purpose

Mick Turner

I am convinced that few of us truly understand our true potential as children of the Father of Lights, the Living God. By remaining ignorant of who and what we are, we end up limping through life rather than soaring. We end up settling for scraps from the table when we should, in fact, own the table and the house that it sits in.

 For many years I either failed to understand the blessings of the full gospel or I misunderstood it. Either way, I wasted a lot of time thinking I knew what I was talking about when, in fact, I didn’t. I would be greatly saddened if that happened to you and this, my friend, is one of the main catalysts that gave birth to Sacred Mind Ministries. God etched upon my heart the need for sound teaching and quality educational materials that would foster deeper awareness of the Christian’s true potential and identity “in Christ.” Further, I began to understand that the primary purpose of having this blessed gift of a new identity and new personal power in Christ is to assist in the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth. It is to this mission that we at SMM remain committed.

 Understanding our true identity is intimately connected with the realization of our divine potential. These issues are among the deeper things God, working through the Holy Spirit, wants to impart to us. All we need to receive these vital revelations is an open mind and a receptive heart. We don’t need to wait until we arrive in heaven to gain awareness of these gifts – in fact, by the time we get to heaven we will have already been utilizing our divine power here on earth for many years. Dr. Myles Munroe speaks clearly to these themes:

 God has prepared so many deep things about who we are. Our eyes can’t see them, nor can our minds conceive them, yet God is revealing them to us through His Spirit. God doesn’t want us to wait until heaven to know our full potential. He didn’t give birth to us so we can develop our potential in heaven…..God wants us to realize here on this planet who we are. That is His purpose in creating us. We need the Holy Spirit because eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, nor has it entered the minds of men who man really is. Only the Holy Spirit searches “the deep things of God.”…..God beckons you to take another step into a deeper, more relevant knowledge of your potential in Christ – Though you may have been saved for years. You need to take this step because you still don’t know who you are.

 You see, friends, most of us claiming to be followers of Christ are well intended but poorly equipped to make those intentions a reality in daily living. This statement is not intended to be a criticism of the modern church or a slap in the face of well-meaning Christians who are committed to bringing God’s kingdom out of the spiritual realm and making it manifest right here on earth. Instead, I say these words because they are true. Most of us do not have a clue as to what we can do to not only make our lives more fruitful and productive, but also to bring success to the calling that God has placed in each of our hearts.

 The good news is, however, that we serve a God of purpose and provision. The Father of Lights has a well-planned purpose for this world which involves redemption and restoration. He is proactive in redeeming what was lost in the Garden and, joined at the hip of this plan of redemption, is the reality of restoration. Each of us, and that includes you and me, are being redeemed for the purpose of restoring God’s will on earth as it is in heaven. We are being redeemed in order to bring about the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth.

 Please note that I use the word “redeemed” not just in the past tense, but in the sense of an ongoing process. We were indeed redeemed when we acknowledged and accepted Christ for who and what he was and is, but it doesn’t stop there. The process of redemption continues and goes deeper and deeper as our bodies, our minds, our wills, and our spirits, become properly aligned with those of the Master. In essence, we were given new life and a new identity at our second birth. Now each of us is in the process of growing into that life in increasing measure. The goal is that we have, as Paul so aptly puts it, the “full measure of Christ” within us.

 We are given this new life, this new status, and this new power for the primary purpose of continuing the incarnation that we saw so vividly in the life of Jesus. The Master announced the coming of the kingdom and then proceeded to go about the work of making it manifest in this world. And hear this, he charged us with the task of carrying on where he left off. Furthermore, he sent the Holy Spirit to live in us, empower us, and guide us forward in that holy process. God not only has given us a calling and a purpose, he has provided the power we need to meet that purpose and make it a living reality.

 In 2 Peter 1:4 we are told that God has put us in a position where we can share in his divine nature. No, that doesn’t mean he has made us Gods, or even little gods as some have suggested. It does mean, however, that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead now resides in each of us. The Father of Lights, as stated earlier, is not only a God of purpose, but also a God of provision, enabling us to meet the challenges of doing those things that he has called us to do. Friends, if you can understand that principle, make it yours through faith, and take action based on it, you can succeed at any God-directed, God-ordained calling.

Renewal: A Personal Note and Prayer

Mick Turner

I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you a prayer that I have been using to start my day for the past five weeks or so. It is a prayer that I composed, based on the principles of praying the scriptures, and it has brought much clarity and passion into my life – not to mention reassurance of my ongoing renewal and restoration in the image of Christ. The prayer, a simple one really, is as follows. The Spirit has put it on my heart that someone needs to see this so it will eventually show up on “Wellsprings and Wineskins” as well……

  Today is indeed the first day of the rest of my life –

Today is a day of resurrection, renewal, and restoration and I greet this day with enthusiasm, confidence, and passion.

 This confident passion arises from my acceptance that in Christ I am a new creation and that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 Today I know that the old indeed is passing away and that the new has been born. I am a being of light and love, committed to my spiritual growth, service to others, and becoming the optimal version of myself.

 Today I declare, along with the Great Apostle, that with the power of the Holy Spirit, I am forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press forward into the future toward the goal and the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

 In Christ most blessed name,

 Amen

(c) L.D. Turner 2009/All Rights Reserved

Reflections on Faith, Hope, and the Christian Journey

Mick Turner

“Faith” is one of those terms that get thrown around quite often in spiritual circles, especially Christian circles. The fact that faith gets talked about so much points to something extremely critical: whatever it is, faith is at the core of the Christian spiritual journey. We can see the centrality of faith in many ways, not the least of which is the fact that the whole undertaking of living as a Christian is often called a walk of faith.

 The problem is, there seems to be a great deal of confusion out there about what faith is and what faith is not. Some see faith as synonymous with hope, while others see faith as pretty much the same thing as belief. Yet others, especially those of the Word of Faith movement, see faith as a physical substance, a kind of energy which can be molded and directed to respond to our wishes and desires. With all of these options out there, it is easy to see how Christians in general and new believers in particular can come up gasping for air whenever they get caught in the whirlpool of a discussion on faith.

 I have found, however, that discussions of faith do not have to be so perplexing and, whenever I find a writer who puts forward teachings about “faith” in a straightforward and understandable manner, I feel obliged to share those teachings. Erwin Raphael McManus is one such writer. Recently, while noting several key passages in his book Wide Awake I reread some of his ideas of faith in general and the connection between faith, hope, and positive expectation in particular. As these three concepts are part of such a tightly interwoven pattern, I want to share with you in some detail a few of his passages on these critical themes, starting with:

 A life of faith is a life of expectation. The book of Hebrews gives us snapshots of individuals who lived a life of expectation, internalized optimism, and refused to give up. We are called to emulate the lives of women and men who kept leaning into their future. Through their stories, we are given clues about how we can begin to expect more and live bigger than ourselves…..

 McManus describes the Faith Hall of Fame from the 11^th Chapter of Hebrews as folks who:

 Lived lives of expectation

 Possessed an internalized optimism

 Refused to give up (tenacity)

 Without elaborating too much on this from a personal perspective, suffice to say that I have found that this trio of character traits are essential to an effective Christian life. As Christians we have every right to be radically optimistic, based on the scriptural revelation of the God we serve. This optimism is more than fleeting, but instead, is internalized and forms part of the bedrock of our Christian worldview. It is this internalized worldview that forms the matrix through which we filter and interpret the events in our lives.

 What I am saying here is this: we serve a God of integrity who has made promises to us that he cannot break. Further, he has demonstrated to us that he intends our greatest good to unfold and, from this, we can be both radically optimistic and expect good things to happen in our lives. When bad things happen, we can still remain optimistic and expect the best, because, again, God has promised this and will not lie to us. In fact he cannot lie to us. Thus, we can be very tenacious in pursuit of godly goals because we know deep in our hearts that:

 …..God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose

 At its core and depth, the Christian life is about living for something much greater than ourselves. It is not only about self-transcendence, although that is part of it, it is more about the death of self and rebirth into a much larger story than the petty dramas in which we lived before. We see this in the stories of the heroes of faith that we meet in Hebrews 11. The vital background of their lives is encapsulated in these words of scripture:

 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.

 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what was seen was not made out of what was visible.

 Speaking of the ancient faith of these biblical figures, McManus goes on to say:

 A life of expectation is the result of living in the dynamic tension that exists between faith and hope. When you begin to live a life that integrates faith and hope, you begin to internalize optimism. Faith, we are told, is the substance of things hoped for. There is an interconnection between faith and hope.

 As stated earlier, faith seems to be a somewhat nebulous commodity when it comes to definition. Yet it is this very faith that God has placed at the center of his plans of salvation, reconnection, resurrection, and restoration. According to scripture, faith is the dynamic catalyst for conversion, salvation, and even sanctification. Paul understood this clearly, as did most of the early church fathers, and most certainly Martin Luther and the reformers of the 16^th Century.

 Why is it that we have grown so confused about the centerpiece of God’s plans to restore this world to its proper alignment with his will and purpose? I think one reason for this is that more than a few teachers try to make “faith” fit their own agenda. They should know better and to tell you the truth, most of them do know better. Perhaps these “teachers and prophets” have yet to die to their own schemes and get on board God’s plan. Thus, we are bombarded in the Christian media and from the pulpit with concepts of faith that miss the mark. McManus continues:

 We find that faith is different from what we oftentimes thought. Faith isn’t so much about having a big idea. Faith isn’t about how much belief you can muster up. Faith isn’t like spiritual childbirth, where you experience the pain of labor. It is not about trying to create the future by believing it will be so. Faith is not the Christian version of a wish. It is not about speaking something into reality. Faith is different. Faith is about substance. It’s about knowing what has not happened will certainly happen. Not because you will make it happen but because God has promised it will be so. It is a conviction about things unseen. It is the promise of a better world, a better future – a better you.

 As you can see, the concept of faith espoused here by McManus is far different that much of what we see and hear today. Faith is not so much dependent upon who we are, but who God is. Faith is not so much concerned with what we say, or believe, or speak….it is more about what God has said and done. I firmly believe that God has already provided all that we can ever need to live the kind of holy, godly life to which we are called. I firmly believe that I can do exactly what God say I can do – again – not so much because of who I am, but because of who He is.

It is for these reasons that I can trust God and begin to lean into the future with confidence and even boldness, knowing that God has provided for my journey in ways both great and small. Returning to McManus:

 Faith is about conviction, while hope is about confidence. Faith grounds us in the certainty of God’s faithfulness, and hope pulls us into the mystery of God’s future.

 Think about it.

 © L.D. Turner 2009/All Rights Reserved

Wise Words for Today

Prayer is a real, living power. It is not a vague ideal, a bartering system, or a quick fix to material gain or an easy life. It is the song that enables our souls to blossom and release their magic, an alchemical force by which we can transmute our basic selves into the gold of our higher natures. Prayer, said with a pure heart and motive, is that “energy” called love in its higher octaves. Within us is limitless potential, which most of us only glimpse. Prayer is one of the most powerful keys to unlock this radiant inner power and strength, this Divine Spark within and throughout all life……. Through prayer we can consciously use the universal life forces that flow freely through the universe to bring miracles into our lives and to the world around us.

 Chrissie and Gary Blaze

(from Power Prayer)