Living as a New Creation (Part Two)

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Mick Turner

(continued from Part One)

When we encounter our consistent difficulties in living out the Christian life as Christ intended, one of the reasons is our lack of understanding of who and what we are “in Christ.” It often saddens me to the core to hear genuinely sincere followers of the Christ speak of themselves as “miserable sinners” or “totally depraved humans.” We speak of humanity as if we were some sort of low-grade pond scum without merit or moral fiber. What’s worse is the reality that this stilted, sinful (yes, I said sinful) view of our station as human beings has been foisted upon the church not by its enemies or other faith systems, but instead, by many of its own leaders and teachers. I find this especially shameful.

As redeemed and spiritually reborn persons, our humanity is our crowning glory. Born from above, we have been restored to the pristine glory that God originally intended for us. God has done this for us through the being, the mission, the death, the resurrection, and the ascension of Christ. Further, he has provided everything we need in order to lead a godly life (see 2 Peter 1:3) and for us to not claim this renewed life and all that it implies is sacrilege in its most rebellious form. In essence, through Christ God has restored us to righteousness and this gift of right standing with the Father is eternal. What we have to grasp is the fact that we are right now, at this very moment, as pure and as righteous as we are ever going to be. We have to be because the Father’s unfathomable holiness could not tolerate our presence at his right hand, where scripture tells us we now reside with Christ. Andrew Farley, in his great little book entitled The Naked Gospel tells us:

We find it difficult to grasp the idea that God calls us righteous because we actually are righteous. It feels more humble to believe we’re filthy worms awaiting a future change into beautiful butterflies…………..Jesus stated it best. He said that our righteousness must surpass that of the Pharisees in order to enter the kingdom (Matthew 5:20). So if we Christians don’t claim to possess perfect righteousness, we are lowering God’s standard. We are watering down the gospel. We insinuate that Jesus can unite himself with sin. And we insult the perfection of God.

The point Farley is driving at is what Paul tells us time and again in Romans: we have to come to a point where we live the reality, not just believe it, that our old self has been crucified with Christ. It is dead and gone. From a spiritual perspective, this is the only possible reality. As Christians, we are now united with God through Christ and further, the Holy Spirit has taken up residence within us. On top of all this, we are also filled with Christ (see Ephesians 4:10). As hard as it may be for us to fathom, we are now the “Temple of God.” In the old temple in Jerusalem, God dwelled in the inner most room of the temple, called the Holy of Holies. Nothing impure or imperfect could enter there and even the High Priest only ventured in once each year.

Friends, we are now the Holy of Holies. We may not feel like it. We may not understand it. We may look at other followers of Christ and, knowing their shortcomings, find it hard to believe that they are the Temple of God, the very Holy of Holies. I guess that is one reason we are told that trusting our feelings is a tenuous, risky business. Scripture affirms that we are now the dwelling place of God and if God lives in us, our true being cannot be imperfect. That is why the old self had to die with Christ. Andrew Farley continues:

The risen Christ doesn’t join himself to filthy worms. The Holy Spirit doesn’t dwell in dirty sinners. Christ only unites himself with those who are like him in spirit. The Holy Spirit doesn’t reside in someone who remains even 1 percent flawed by sin. . . . . . . .But we have been perfectly cleansed. We have been made perfectly righteous at our core through spiritual surgery. This is the way we can enjoy even a moment of relationship with Jesus Christ.

As we look at all this, again, some of us may find it hard to believe, especially those of us who struggle with chronic, long-standing strongholds and negative emotions. We need, however, to not only believe it but live it. By that I mean we must base our thoughts, decisions, and actions upon this reality. We must come to view ourselves in precisely the same way God sees us: pure, holy, whole, and righteous.

(c) L.D. Turner 2012 / All Rights Reserved

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• Identity – Who does God say we are through Christ? (helpedbygrace.wordpress.com)

Wise Words for Today

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The man who sets his whole mind on the doing of each task as it is presented, who puts into it energy and intelligence, shutting out all else from his mind, and striving to do that one thing, no matter how small, completely and perfectly, detaching himself from all reward in his task – that man will every day be acquiring greater command over his mind, and will, by ever-ascending degrees, become at last a man of power…There is no way to strength and wisdom but by acting strongly and wisely in the present moment, and each present moment reveals its own task. The great man, the wise man, does small things greatly regarding nothing as “trivial” that is necessary. The weak man, the foolish man, does small things carelessly, and meanly, hankering the while after, some greater work for which, in his neglect and inability in small matters, he is ceaselessly advertising his incapacity. The man who least governs himself is always more ambitious to govern others.

James Allen

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Wise Words for Today

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Being “religious” connotes belonging to and practicing a religious tradition. Being “spiritual” suggests a personal commitment to a process of inner development that engages us in our totality. Religion, of course, is one way many people are spiritual. Often, when authentic faith embodies an individual’s spirituality, the religious and the spiritual will coincide. Still, not every religious person is spiritual (although they ought to be!), and not every spiritual person is religious……..”Spirituality is a way of life that affects and includes every moment of existence. It is at once a contemplative attitude, a disposition to a life of depth, and the search for ultimate meaning, direction, and belonging. The spiritual person is committed to growth as an essential, ongoing, life goal. To be spiritual requires us to stand on our own two feet while being nurtured and supported by our tradition, if we are fortunate enough to have one.

Wayne Teasdale

(from The Mystic Heart)

The Father’s Provision: Precious and Magnificent Promises

L.D. Turner

In a splendid passage tucked away in the second epistle of Peter we find a message of hope and guidance. The power of this passage of scripture is often overlooked, either through superficial reading or lack of reflection on what the leader of the band of apostles was actually trying to tell us. In a few short words, Peter gives us both a description of where our power to live the Christian life comes from and tells us in plain language the virtues stemming from such a life. Let’s take a look:

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in world by lust.

 

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or shortsighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.

 

Therefore, brethren, make certain about his calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble. For in this way entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. [2 Peter1: 2-11]

 

In the first section of this passage, Peter reminds us that grace and peace in our lives comes through knowledge of God and Christ. Then he makes an amazing statement. He tells us that Christ, through his divine power, has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness. He has already given us all we need to become whole in Christ and live a life of holiness.  All we have to do is, with empty hands and an open heart, reach out and receive it. Further, Peter goes on to tell us that through believing and appropriating the promises made by Christ, we may become partakers of the divine nature.

Do you really realize what this means? Do you see the profound reality that Peter is putting right before our eyes? We, even as limited, fallen, and broken humans, can partake of the nature of God Himself. When I truly reflect on this statement, I tremble in awe.

In the next section, Peter lists for us the virtues that grow out of living from this divine nature. They are:

Diligence

Faith

Moral Excellence

Knowledge

Self-control

Perseverance

Godliness

Brotherly Kindness

Love

 

Even superficial reflection will tell us how much better our lives, and our world, would be if we would but just make these principles and integral part of our daily lives. If we looked to these virtues as the guiding factors in determining how we lived, life would truly be filled with peace and grace.

In the third section, Peter asks us to be honest with ourselves. He asks us to deeply reflect on our calling, the fact that we are the chosen ones of Christ. Do we really want the kind of life Christ is offering us? Are we willing to make the necessary sacrifices? Are we willing to be led and formed into an image of godliness through the power of the Holy Spirit? If we answer in the affirmative, then we can be assured that we will not stumble. Does that mean life will be without problems? Emphatically no. Does that mean we will never have to struggle with our lower nature, the world, or ourselves? Of course not.

What Peter is saying here is that if we live our lives according to the nine virtues he outlines, we will never stumble, and we will never fall. We will ultimately succeed in growing to be more Christ-like in thought, word, and deed.

Let’s take a look at the same passage, this time from Eugene Peterson’s The Message:

 

Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you – your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.

 

So don’t lose a minute in building on what you have been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

 

So friends, confirm God’s invitation to you, his choice of you. Don’t put it off; do it now. Do this, and you’ll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved, and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

I think Peterson’s version drives Peter’s message home in a clear, concise manner. Whichever version you prefer, the point is the same. God, in his infinite grace and wisdom, has already provided everything we now need or ever will need in order to live a godly life. Through the successful mission of Christ, his life, his death, his resurrection, and his ascension, we are not only justified in the sight of a Holy God, we are also empowered to live as new creations, capable of far more than we can ever imagine. We can, indeed, walk in Christ’s victory and operate in this world as more than conquerors; we can truly become everything that God intended for us to be and carry out our mission of being Christ’s agents here on earth; agents in carrying forward the Father’s kingdom agenda.

In the words we often use  here at LifeBrook: God has provided for us all that we need in order to become the optimal versions of ourselves for the glory of God and the benefit of others.

 

As Paul so aptly put it, through the completed work of Christ we have been blessed “in the heavenly realm” and are capable of becoming “living epistles.” This is the true message of the gospel – indeed, good news.

(c) L.D. Turner 2010/ All Rights Reserved

A Few Reflections of Biblical Change

Mick Turner

Many of us assert that we want to grow spiritually. We tell God and others that we desire to be more Christ-like and chances are, we believe what we are saying. Yet I have found that in more than a few cases, people are not as desirous of spiritual growth as they claim. The reason for this can be found in one word: change.

 The fact of the matter is, many of us want to change and to grow, so long as it does not involve any pain, sacrifice, or drastic changes in our lives. We want to become more Christ-like, so long as we are not inconvenienced in any way. In some amazing way, myself included, we are experts at mental gymnastics. We are somehow able to twist things in our minds in such a way that, in the final analysis, we convince ourselves that we can hold on to outworn, unproductive, and self-destructive beliefs and behaviors and still increasingly become like Christ.

 We are, in a very real sense, cognitive contortionists.

 Have you ever seen a real contortionist? When I lived in China I saw several performances by Chinese acrobats, who are among the world’s best at this amazing art. In most programs, at least one contortionist was featured and these folks could twist their bodies into positions that most of us couldn’t even imagine, must less achieve.

 What this artist/athletes do with their bodies, we believers sometimes do with our thoughts. Just as they can twist their bodies into shapes that would make a pretzel jealous, we Christians can manipulate our thoughts around in such a way that seems to make the implausible sound reasonable. And one of the ways this occurs most often is with our thoughts about spiritual growth and change. We say we want the prize but deep down, we are less than willing to do what it takes to obtain our goals. Great contortionists that we are, we then manipulate our thoughts in such a clever way that we come to believe that we really do want to make the necessary changes.

 The fact is, change is difficult for most of us. New behaviors, new ways of looking at life, and new ways of relating to others are all uncomfortable, especially until we get used to them. As a result, we often resist taking that big first step toward making positive changes, simply because our status quo is at least familiar.

 In many ways, this is like a dilemma I once faced involving something as seemingly unrelated to spiritual themes as an old softball glove.

 From the time I was five years old I have been an avid baseball fan. I played the sport throughout my school years and, once I became an adult, played competitive softball for many years.

 I normally played middle infield, either second base or shortstop. For many years I used the same softball glove. In fact, I used it so long that the strings kept breaking, all the padding was gone out of the pocket and the leather was cracked in several strategic places. Nevertheless I refused to buy a new glove, in spite of the frequent protestations of my teammates.

 The reason was simple. I was comfortable with this old glove. It molded to my hand perfectly over the years and it felt reassuring to put in on before I took the field. All too often, however, I would catch a hard line drive right in the pocket and my hand would sting, then remain numb for several minutes. Still, I wanted no part of a new glove.

 A new glove, as anyone who has played the sport knows, is a real pain for awhile. It feels funny, awkward and stiff. It is easy to make errors with a new glove, at least until it is broken in properly. No, my old glove was find thank you very much.

One day our third baseman wasn’t able to make the game and I played the so-called “hot corner.” Things went okay for the first two innings. Then, in the third inning the batter hit a hard liner right at me. I responded quickly and raised my glove, only to have the ball break right through the ancient webbing an hit me square in the forehead, knocking me out cold

Two days later I bought a new glove.

 My experience with my old softball glove is not unlike my experience with the behaviors that flow from my old self. No matter how much I try to take off the old and put on the new, the old keeps rearing its head and biting me. I suspect that I am not alone in this predicament.

Many of my old behaviors, like my old softball glove, may hurt me time and time again. But, they are comfortable in the sense that they are familiar and predictable. My old self resists change and it is here that we are vulnerable to our habitual responses to life, however unhealthy and painful they may be.

 It is like the old adage, “Better the devil you know, than the devil you don’t know.”

 God, however, does not operate by our rules. He has his own set of principles and by any measure, they are much better than ours. Yes, his way of growth involves frequent change but in the end, those very changes are the agents of our transformation. And, if you really think about it, spiritual growth implies change. To grow is to change.

When the Master walked the earth, he consistently put this principle of growth through change before those who would dare to be his disciple or follower. He consistently challenged people to leave behind old, outworn behaviors and paths of life and embrace the new, the radical, and the unknown.

 Jesus was a mold-breaker and to follow Jesus required a person to break his or her most cherished molds.

 It is no different for us today.

 Jesus walked by Simon and Andrew and called out to them. He did not say, “Stay right where you are, do what you have always done, and I will come back and make you better fishermen.”

 No, he called these two mariner brothers to take up the mantle of a great challenge – a challenge that eventually changed the entire world.

 “Follow me,” said the Master. “And I will make you fishers of men.”

 To the rich young ruler, Jesus issued another challenge. He did not say, “Go and make even more money and set an example as a great businessman.” No, the rich young man received one of Christ’s sacrificial callings:

 “Go and sell all that you have and give it to the poor. Come and follow me.”

 Such a demand was far beyond the young man’s willingness or capability. Yet please, don’t miss what Jesus asked of the young man. In one word, again – he demanded change.

 For the poor woman lying in the dirt, about to be stoned to death for her sin, Christ again called for change. After shaming the Pharisees with their arms full of stones, the Master’s last words to the woman were words requiring change:

 “Go and sin no more.”

 In exploring the pages of scripture, few characters were required to make more drastic changes that Saul, later to be known as Paul the Apostle. Raised in the bosom of the Hebrew faith, Saul was a Hebrew and then some. On a mission to wipe out the fledgling Christian community in Damascus, Saul encountered the great mold-breaker. Temporarily blinded, Saul’s life was turned completely upside down. It would have been completely expected had Jesus sent Saul into Damascus and, after restoring his sight, instructing Saul to stop persecuting the Christians. That would have been a significant change for Saul but, in light of the events on that road to Damascus, Saul most likely would have obeyed.

 Jesus, the mold-breaker, had something more shattering in mind.

 Saul became Paul, and after a period of training and pruning, became the greatest Apostle the Christian faith has every known, not to mention its greatest evangelist. On top of that, he authored much of the New Testament under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

 Paul’s transformation was radical to say the least. This great figure of the Christian faith changed and that change opened him up to great suffering – shipwrecks, snake bites, people trying to kill him, trials, incarceration many times over, and eventually death. Christ demanded Paul’s status quo be disrupted in a major way and it was. And Paul’s obedience to Christ’s calling on his life is a testament of true devotion and complete discipleship.

 So for me, my friend, and for you, the call on our lives is no different. The circumstances of God’s call on my life may involve one type of change and the call on your life may require another. One thing we can be sure of, however, is that both your calling and mine will involve one common element – change.

 Next time you feel God calling you to some area of service or sacrifice, think of these great biblical characters – people like Abraham, David, Peter, Andrew, the other disciples, the woman caught in adultery, and especially Paul. Change and suffering are an integral part of the spiritual journey for those of us with the audacity to call ourselves Christians. Change involves suffering but in many ways my friends, that suffering is redemptive.

 Life is always better when we embrace Christ’s change.

 © L.D. Turner 2009/ All Rights Reserved

Wise Words for Today

You must get in your mind that the God who spoke the universe into existence also has spoken over you. The only reason His Word cannot manifest in your life, as He has spoken it, is that you have not fully accepted the reality of its power and who you are….You must remember at all times, GOD SAID YOU WERE CREATED IN HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS. It doesn’t matter what the world tries to tell you or convince you of, or the circumstances you may find yourself in. God’s powerful and endless Word has empowered you as a creation in His image and likeness. ..When you wake up to the fact that you’re royalty, you will alter your behavior and act differently. You will begin to walk in your rightful position in accordance with the authority that your Lord and King gives you. You must choose to be the person God calls you to be.

Bishop Jim Lowe

(from Achieving Your Divine Potential)

Just A Few Thoughts On Potential

Mick Turner

It seems that the word “potential” carries negative connotations in some circles these days. Some experts seem to think labeling a person with having potential is unfair and places undue and excessive expectations on a person. I suspect these pundits have reasons for saying such things, but I, for one, feel they are a bit off base with all of this.

 You see, I think that everyone has potential and not only that, it is a God-given and God-designed potential. Granted, singling out an individual and continually lamenting over how they fail to live up to their potential can be a negative thing. Sometimes this course of action ends up just frustrating the targeted individual more and makes them even less likely to seize their potential and move forward to a more productive life. I have found that rather than repeatedly pointing out where a person has failed to live up to their potential, it is more beneficial to assist the individual to find out what motivates them to make a firm and lasting commitment to becoming the best that they can be.

 Finding what internal mechanism will turn the key of motivation for an individual is not always an easy task and, when you get right down to it, only that person can actually discover his or her personal motivator. If I am working as a coach with a person, what I normally do is ask the individual to spend quiet time with the Creator, seeking answers and direction. I have found without fail that this works, not always overnight, but with amazing consistency. This stems from the reality that it was God who placed this potential inside of the person, equipped that person with all they ever need to realize that potential, and is more than willing to provide motivation and direction in pursuit of that potential.

 In my own case I have discovered that my “motivators” have changed over the years and sometimes change with amazing regularity. I have also found that this tends to keep me fresh in terms of my outlook and my overall approach to life. For example, a year or so back it dawned on me that whenever we fail to realize our God-given potential, we are not only hurting ourselves, and not only the world at large, but future generations as well. I had never thought of these issues from that angle before and, as I looked at my then three-year-old daughter I gained not only a new insight into the importance of realizing my potential, but a deeper sense of commitment and motivation.

 A few weeks later, as is often the case, I was reading Dr. Myles Munroe’s excellent book, Releasing Your Potential, and discovered several passages that spoke directly to the issues of potential and future generations. These words by Dr. Munroe only served to strengthen my commitment to being the optimal version of myself for the sake of others, especially future generations. Here’s what Myles Munroe shared:

 It is the awesome realization that if your potential is not released, it will affect this generation and all the generations of man yet to live. Even creation will testify against you. If you abort your potential, you will be robbing the world of the treasure you came to this planet to deliver. The fact that you were born is evidence that God knew earth needed the potential you are pregnant with. It is, therefore, imperative that you refuse to leave this planet without giving birth to those dreams, ideas, visions, and inventions you carry in the womb of your faith right now. /releasing 29/

 What lies behind you is history and what lies before you is future, but these are both tiny matters compared to what lies within you. You may not be able to change your past, and your future is yet unlived, but the present provides you with opportunities to maximize your life and the ability that lives within you. You must take responsibility for your ability….Are you living a stillbirth? Are you aborting your entire purpose for living? I encourage you to take responsibility right now for your ability. Determine to activate, release, and maximize your potential for the sake of the next generation. Leave your footprints in the sands of the history of your country. Live fully so you can die effectively. Let your life write the speech of your death and give your potential to the family of man for the glory of God. Remember “well done” is much better than “well said.” Don’t just talk about your potential dreams, visions, and ideas. Step out now and determine to do them. Dare to believe that you have already accomplished is but a minute percentage of what you can do.

 In closing, let me encourage you to spend time reflecting on the issue of your personal potential and take your reflections, your thoughts, and especially your questions to God in prayer and mediation. Discuss these themes with a trusted spiritual friend and/or mentor. And don’t forget to especially focus on what motivates you to get moving into proactive pursuit of your God-given potential.

 All in all, it will be time well spent.

 © L. Dwight Turner 2009/ All Rights Reserved

Further Reflections on Godly Goals

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*** This is an expanded and updated verion of an article posted on this site last June.

I am of the firm conviction that God desires that we live in a way that fosters our spiritual development, increases our capacity to serve others, and instills a consistent sense of hope and optimism for the future. I also am convinced that a primary component of such a mode of living is the establishment and fulfillment of godly goals.

 What is a godly goal? A godly goal is one that is first and foremost in line with biblical principles and leads us forward in pursuing the potential and the purpose that the Lord has for our lives. A godly goal acts almost like a magnet, pulling us toward itself, helping us to become more complete individuals possessing both confidence and a commitment to excellence. In short, godly goals enable us to become the optimal version of ourselves for the glory of God and the benefit of others.

 Usually you can easily discern whether or not a person has goals in his or her life. A person with clear cut, reasonable, and obtainable goals will demonstrate a sense of direction in life. He will not be seen wandering willy-nilly about in life, going four steps in one direction, then three steps in another. No, an individual with godly goals will know where he is headed, what it is going to take to get there, and will have formulated an energy-efficient plan to arrive at his stated aim.

 Recognizing that time and energy is a priceless commodity in today’s hectic world, a person with godly goals wastes neither.

 Another quality seen in people with clearly established goals that are biblical and directed toward divine purpose is a sense of excitement. If a person has such a goal, she is usually passionate about it and approaches each day with optimistic excitement, realizing that the day before her will provide opportunities to move closer to the achievement of her goal. It is this very passion that fuels consistent motivation, especially during those times when events may be running counter to plans and expectations.

 When I think of the sense of excitement and passion that comes from having clearly defined and obtainable goals in life, my friend Dale comes to mind. Dale is a person who seems to have a boundless supply of energy. Far from manic, Dale’s level of energy is high but it is also focused. In all the years I have known Dale, I don’t think I have ever heard him complain of being tired, overly stressed, or burned out. This is remarkable, considering the pace that Dale often operates at. I once interviewed Dale for an article I was writing for medical students in their first year of studies. In that interview, I asked Dale what was the source of his seemingly unlimited store of energy and stamina. At first he told me that he always approached each day with a sense of meaning and purpose in his life and that God had clearly given him that meaning and that purpose. However, he didn’t stop there.

  “Having a God-given meaning and purpose for life is essential,” continued my friend. “But what really motivates me and fills me with positive energy is having clear-cut goals that I am working toward each day. Meaning, purpose, mission…those are all important but they are also abstract. I am the kind of person that needs something I can get my hands around to get me excited. Having those short-term, achievable goals gives me that.”

 In short, having goals that are not only clearly defined, but that are also attainable provide us with several important components of a meaningful life. First, they give us direction and purpose. Knowing what we are shooting for allows us to be efficient with our personal energy. Instead of running in five directions at once, we move in a straight line toward our destination. Second, goals give us a sense of excitement and passion in life. We can wake up each day knowing that we are consistently moving toward the achievement of something that is important to us.

 Charles Stanley speaks clearly to the fundamental principle that Christians should keep before them when setting goals in life, whether long-term or short-term, great or small:

 Every other goal must be placed under this priority goal – to know Christ and to be conformed to His likeness. If you have set for yourself a goal that is not in line with this priority goal, God will not help you accomplish it because He didn’t encourage you to set it. If a goal cannot be placed under this supreme goal of knowing Christ and being formed to His character, that goal is contrary to God’s purposes for your life, and God will oppose you in your attempts to achieve it.

 The setting of godly goals should not be such a difficult process, yet many of us make it more complicated than it actually is. A Christian goal, as mentioned earlier by Charles Stanley, is based on the reality that each of us called to be conformed by the Holy Spirit into an increasingly likeness of Jesus Christ. With that matrix as a workable backdrop, we can say that we are to have goals that place us in a receptive position whereby the Holy Spirit can do the work on us that He wants to do. Charles Stanley lists the following generalized Christian goals:

• To walk in the Spirit daily
• To experience the same kind of awesome Holy Spirit power that Jesus Christ experienced
• To serve God in the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s guidance and power
• To maximize my full potential
• To use all of my talents and abilities in the way God created them to be used
• To fulfill God’s purpose for my life
• To experience and enjoy life to its fullest
• To have a feeling of deep and abiding satisfaction that I have fulfilled God’s goals for my life

 

Returning to a theme mentioned in the initial paragraphs, as Christians we can only expect these positive results from godly goals – goals that are biblical and in line with God’s overall purpose for life. The significance of setting biblical goals should be obvious. By pursuing godly goals we are making every effort to become the optimal version of ourselves. We are, in summation, working toward not only our specific goals in life, but we are also moving toward becoming the best that we can be, all for the glory of God. Here are just a few of the spiritual benefits of working with biblical, godly goals:

 We will consistently walk according to the Spirit rather than the flesh.

 We will make steady progress toward realizing our God-given potential.

 e will utilize our spiritual gifts in effective, Spirit-directed ways.

 We will expend our personal energy in an efficient manner.

 We will be a vital part of the process of establishing God’s kingdom on earth.

 We will experience life to its fullest and enjoy life more.

 We will become increasingly optimistic.

 Pursuing godly goals that are aligned with biblical principles is the task set before each and every one of us as Christians. Many say that setting and achieving goals is important in life. No doubt this is true, but I think it goes much farther than that. I think setting and realizing godly goals is a mandate for followers of Christ.

 Why do I say this? It is simple, really. God has given each of us a unique and vital purpose in life. In order to meet that purpose, I believe it is critical that we become the optimal version of ourselves. If we are to become the best that we can be, we have to set goals and achieve those goals. That way, we not only improve ourselves (with the help of the Holy Spirit), but we also glorify God by becoming all that we can be. Further, we grow into a position where we can be useful servants, working toward making life better for others while, at the same time, bringing God’s kingdom into concrete realization here in this world.

One other aspect of Christian goal setting and personal development should be mentioned and it has to do with the necessity of “stretching” ourselves. Basically, our goals should be ones that force us to grow by increasingly taking steps out of our comfort zones. For example, when I taught English in China I often told my students that they should always seek out conversation partners for practicing English that were slightly better than they were. The reason for this should be obvious. If a student practiced with someone who was at their same level or below, they would never be forced to improve. However, if they consistently practiced with a partner who had skills that were slightly above theirs, they would repeatedly be forced to expand their own skills. Granted, practicing with someone far beyond their language skills was not recommended. However, regular practice with a partner who was only slightly better was a sure way to improve their own skills.

 There is an old saying: “Never rest on your laurels.” Basically, this means that we should never be satisfied with what we have accomplished. Reaching a goal is satisfying, but we shouldn’t allow this to be the final act in the play. We must continually press forward toward new goals that will allow us to manifest the best version of ourselves. Also, it is important to keep in mind that we should never focus our mental energy on what it is we think we cannot do. Rather, we should believe in ourselves and always refuse to let what we cannot do interfere with what we can do. By focusing on doing what we can do, and doing it better, we make progress. Moreover, we facilitate our continuing spiritual development by challenging ourselves to reach higher. Both personal experience and deep study has taught me that the optimal method for moving beyond where we are is by “stretching ourselves.” By this I mean it is highly advantageous for us if we encourage ourselves to move beyond what we are now capable of, even if only to a small degree. 

For example, I enjoy playing table tennis. I am far from a great player, but I can achieve some degree of success when I am at the top of my game. (Of course, I played much better when I was younger and my reflexes were quicker.) Early on, I discovered I could not improve my play by competing against players who I could easily defeat. By the same token, I could not get any better by playing against opponents who were my equal. If I wanted to improve, I had to play against competitors who were more skillful than I was. I soon discovered that if I took on players whose skills were slightly above mine, my play gradually but consistently improved. The same is true in terms of realizing our potential in any endeavor. If we want to improve at something, we have to challenge ourselves; we have to stretch ourselves to get to the next level.

 Interestingly, we begin this process with the setting of sound, biblical goals.  And, it is the continual setting of these godly goals that carries the whole mission forward. In this sense, biblical goals are both a means and an end.

 © L. Dwight Turner 2009/All Rights Reserved

From Potential to Glory: Our Journey Into Excellence

Mick Turner

At Sacred Mind Ministries and LifeBrook International we have a corporate mission to provide programs and materials that assist individuals and organizations to become the optimal version of themselves for the benefit of others. This has been our mission since the founding of our ministry and we have never wavered in our pursuit of creating opportunities for people to grasp a real sense of who and what they are, what their God-given potential is, and that to which they are called. Once this happens, we feel a person is then ready to find a vital, living personal vision and, when this vision is fully realized, to walk in the full harvest of their personal glory.

 

Let’s take a little time a look at the how this flow normally takes place. Briefly, we can say that our growth into Christ-like character and into the optional version of ourselves moves through five interrelated phases.

 

• Acknowledging and accepting our new identity “in Christ.”
• Understanding our “Seed Potential.”
• Discovering our “Call to Purpose”
• Living with “Vital Vision.”
• Our “Harvest of Glory.”

 

Our New Identity in Christ

 

It begins with the acknowledgement that we are not functioning anywhere near our true potential and, at least initially, this stems from the fact that we believers have little idea of who and what we are “in Christ.” For many reason, the church has jettisoned the vital half of the gospel, choosing instead to focus on the blood and forgiveness at the expense of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

 

It is as if you own a house with an exquisite, one-of-a-kind door. You fell in love with door and worship it so much that you never cross the threshold and go inside the house, which is even more beautiful. Likewise, many Christian become so immersed in Christ’s atoning work on the Cross and the cleansing of his blood they never grasp why he did this in the first place. He didn’t go through what he did so we could live life half-way, filled with doubt, inadequacy, and spiritual instability. Christ did not die just to get us into heaven my friend; he died in order to get heaven into us. Christ rose, met the disciples, breathed the Holy Spirit into them, gave them a Great Commission, and ascended into heaven, thus making the Pentecost possible.

 

In light of these realities, our first task is to understand and accept just what Christ accomplished with his death, resurrection, and ascension. We have a new identity and in the words of Paul, the old has passed away and the new has come. We are new creations in Christ and what’s more amazing, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

 

Until we grasp the character and the ramifications of our new identity, we will only grow in fits and starts, if at all. It’s time to walk on through the door, grand as it is, and see what blessings have been placed inside.

 

Understanding Our Seed Potential

 

God has placed a potential on the inside of each of us and I am convinced this occurred before we were ever born. This seed has the fulfillment of our calling, purpose, and vision in its core, just as an acorn has a mighty oak hidden within its fibers. God-given potential is like a seed and, with the proper environment, that seed can develop, grow, and manifest those things hidden within its hull.

 

You potential is like a seed and, until you allow that seed to grow, your dream will remain just that – a dream. God gave you this potential and, with the right environment, that seed potential will grow and develop into something quite magnificent. Dr. Myles Munroe speaks of these issues cogently:

 

“The entire creation possesses this principle of potential. Everything has the natural instinct to release its ability. The plant and animal kingdoms abound with evidences of this fact. The Creator designed everything with this principle of potential, which can be simplified to the concept of a seed. The biblical document states that God created everything with ‘seed in it according to their kinds’ (Genesis 1:12). In essence, hidden within everything is the potential to fulfill itself and produce much more than we see.”

 

It is vital that every person understand that we are responsible for developing the potential stored within us. We must deepen our contact with our divine potential and do all that we can to nurture, feed, and actualize our true mission and purpose. Further, we must recognize that as we move forward in developing our optimal potential, we can never afford to stop. In essence, when we travel the spiritual journey, we are either moving forward or backward. There is truly no place to stand on the spiritual path.

 

Our journey of discovering and developing our divine potential must begin with a commitment to excellence – an agreement with our Creator that we will walk in cooperation with the Spirit to become the best version of ourselves.

 

 Necessarily, this commitment will involve personal challenges and, at times, a degree of personal discomfort. Spiritual growth involves change and change always requires stepping out of our comfort zone. Still, the process of realizing and manifesting our divine potential is one of the greatest adventures we will ever undertake.

 

Discovering Our Call To Purpose

 

Three terms that are often heard when discussing our “purpose” in life are purpose, mission, and calling. These words often used interchangeably and can mean basically the same thing. I think the confusion comes in when an author or speaker uses these three expressions to mean different things. With that thought in mind, whenever I use these words, I take them to mean basically the same thing. Our mission, our purpose, and our calling refer to our God-given reason for being here on this planet at this time. In addition, I firmly believe that God has a highly specific calling for each of us that has three primary aspects:

 

• It is personal and specific to us;
• It is related to our spiritual gifts
• The realization and actualization of this mission is a major part of our spiritual formation and helps grow into the optimal version of ourselves.

 

In the next section we will talk about vision and it is important to understand how mission and vision are different. Our mission or purpose is far more general than our vision. Basically, you can say our vision is the specific way in which we will realize our mission.

 

We can say that your mission is your life calling, your reason for being here. It is not so much specific activities as it is the reason you perform those activities. Your mission gives your life meaning and gives you positive motivation to get out of bed each morning and, in positive faith, face the challenges that may come your way. Your true mission is a major motivator, something you enjoy doing, and something for which you have passion and enthusiasm.

 

Living With Vital Vision

 

As mentioned earlier, vision is intimately related to purpose but more specific. Put simply, vision is the method whereby you see yourself living out your mission to completion. Living with vital vision involves every area of your life and how those aspects of your life related to your personal mission. Your vision involves your family, friends, associates, and especially your choice of career. Ideally, all of these things come together in a harmonious orbit around the specific vision you develop for carrying forward your mission.

 

Arriving at your vision is a process, not an event. It requires much planning, organization, and flexibility. Most significantly, developing your vision involves deep, focused, and above all, consistent prayer. You cannot expect to discover what God wants you to do and the best way to do it without communing with Him on a regular basis. Pray that the Holy Spirit walks with you, guiding you, and challenging you to move forward with your vision, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone. More than anywhere else in the process of growth into excellence, the phase of vital vision may require you to think out of the box.

 

A simple way to look at the relationship of vision and mission is as follows. Let’s suppose that three friends all have a mission to provide convenient, quality, fast-food to busy workers. One may decide to open a Burger King franchise, another a Pizza Hut. The third may have a vision of a Taco Bell. You see, the mission of quality fast-food is the same; the vision of each friend is different. I realize this example is overly simplistic, but I do think it serves our purposes of demonstrating how a vision is a specific plan for carrying forward a more general mission or calling.

 

Your Harvest of Glory

 

Your God-given potential began as a seed planted in you by the Creator before your birth. Further, he not only planted this great potential within you but also gave you all the talent you needed to discover this potential and, in concert with the Holy Spirit, connect your potential to a divine personal purpose – a call to a specific mission that was yours to carry forward. Once discovered, this mission hopefully gave you sufficient passion and motivation to develop and carry out a specific personal vision that allowed your talents and gifts to blossom and your personal vision to become a vital, living reality.

 

By realizing the manifestation of your mission you necessarily had to hone and develop your God-given talents and gifts and, in so doing, became more and more the optimal version of yourself. Now, walking in your personal excellence, creativity, and commitment, you are harvesting your personal glory.

 

We can see hints of this process in the Master’s great prayer in the 17^th Chapter of John’s gospel when he expresses that as he is glorified, the Father is glorified. And the reality is my friends, when we walk in our excellence – when we manifest and live as the optimal version of who we are, we glorify the Master.

 

As you see, we move from our seed potential to walking in our manifest glory. We do this not to glorify ourselves, but to glorify our Master, our Father in heaven, and the Holy Spirit that has dwelled within us, walked along side us, empowered us, and made all this possible. When we come to walk in our personal glory, we are then able to be of true, selfless benefit to others while bringing glory to God.

 

This is our true aim and our ultimate calling – to be all that we can be; to give glory to our Creator; and to serve others with love. In the final analysis, we can ask for no greater destiny than this.

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

Discovering Divinity in the Woods and Sky

Mick Turner

A vital aspect of connecting with the Divine Source is to recognize that God reveals himself through the created world and does so with great power and clarity. I tend to view the natural order as Sacred Scripture, for that is exactly what it is. In our technologically advanced society we have become quite removed from the intricate choreography that is evident in the dance of creation. Whenever we allow ourselves to get away from our usual fast-paced, stress-driven lifestyles and force ourselves to slow the pace down to a reasonable level, the Spirit can and does speak to us through things like trees, rivers, flowers, boulders, and even bugs. We, however, have to have eyes to see and ears to hear if we want to establish, maintain, and especially deepen our contact with God through nature. Mark Scandrette, in his great book entitled, Soul Graffiti, tells us:

 

In the hurried and technological society in which we live, we may have to be more intentional about practices that help us recognize the goodness of God revealed in creation. Many of us live and work in contexts that are divorced from the rhythms of the natural world. We have lost our connection to the soil, our food sources, and the skill of making things with our hands. We rarely notice the rising or the setting of the sun. We gulp food without tasting. We rarely pause to look at the flowers or into the eyes of a child. Our pace of life affects our capacity to appreciate the goodness of the bounty that surrounds us. The demands of a hurried life and the dominance of technology cloud our awareness. Slowing down and learning to pay attention to the moment may be a path to affirming God’s essential goodness and presence.

 

I believe attentiveness is truly a spiritual discipline, just like meditation, solitude, prayer, fasting, celebration, and all the others. Mindfulness, so much a central part of Buddhism, is basically unheard of in Christian circles. St. Francis and Brother Lawrence seem to come closer than most, but both of these saints have long since passed on. As followers of Christ, we should be ever grateful to God for revealing himself to us through the scriptures of nature and further, we should express thankfulness for those contemporary voices that are now speaking of the significance of these matters. Keep this pair of words before you my friends:

 

Mindfulness and the Discipline of Noticing

 

The more mindful we are of what is happening around us, the more sensitive we will become to what Erwin Raphael McManus calls “divine moments.” The more we practice “noticing,” the more we will know about the God we worship and follow.

 

As mentioned earlier, our contemporary environment, especially in the cities and suburbs, removes us from the natural rhythms of life and the natural world. As a result, we often miss divine messages that come our way. Rarely do we take the time to “consider the birds of the air or the lilies of the field.” It is our loss but it is something that can be regained. Further, God is able to speak to us through the created world in spite of our hectic schedules and artificial lifestyles. Wayne Teasdale, a contemporary Catholic mystic, speaks of these divine moments and their importance to our spiritual formation.

 

Most of us can probably point to such moments in the inner geography of our development, moments in which the universe, the earth, or the natural world have communicated to us something of their numinous quality. Such experiences are common; everyone has them sooner or later whether we realize it or not.

 

Although we are conceptually unaware of it at the time, natural mysticism is often our first true and valid experience of the divine side of things. I personally believe we have this capacity as a necessary part of our natural endowment at birth. As children, we are able to “see” things more directly and more clearly, rather than filtering our raw experience through a maze of conceptual explanations. In a very real sense, we can see the world through “eyes of radical wonder.” Unfortunately, our culture soon educates this blessed talent out of us before we are ten years of age. As a result, our world becomes less magical and equally less real. We end up inhabiting a world consisting of the interpretations of experience rather than the experience itself. All of this happens in the name of something called “our own good.”

 

Fortunately, this trend has been changing over the past two decades as people become more aware of the sacred nature of creation and the fact that humankind is an integral part of created order. This new, healthier view of things is increasingly based on the realization that all of the natural world is like on giant hologram in which all the parts are interconnected and contain a perfect image of the whole. Along with advances in ecological studies, biology, and quantum physics, this paradigm shift is seen as part of the emerging Interspiritual Age. Teasdale continues:

 

The Interspiritual Age is witnessing a new flowering of natural mysticism and natural contemplation. It welcomes natural mysticism’s role in a universal understanding of mysticism itself. It realizes that natural mysticism is an important part of spirituality, and that spirituality – indeed, interspirituality – would be incomplete without the inclusion of mystical wisdom that comes to us through the natural world and the cosmos.

 

There have always been those who sensed a special kinship with the natural world and those of us who have been fortunate enough to have encountered one of these blessed saints should be forever grateful. I have had the privilege of knowing several such individuals and benefited greatly from their presence in my life in general and from their teaching in particular. I wrote of two of these special people on the LifeBrook International blog. One was my grandfather and another was “Old Ben,” a Native American man who lived near my childhood home. Both taught me a great reverence for the created order and each, in his own way, imparted a special sense that allowed me to hear the heartbeat of God in the Pine and Palmetto woods of Southwest Florida and in the forests, streams, and mountains of Northeast Alabama.

 

Always an avid reader, another influence on my nature mysticism was Jewish scholar and author Abraham Heschel. Heschel’s writings showed me the importance of experiencing a sense of “awe” and “radical amazement” when encountering God’s handiwork in the natural world. I recommend Heschel’s work highly.

 

My favorite writer in this genre, however, is without question Annie Dillard. Reading A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek was an epiphany for me. I have read it five times now, and still find nuances I had not seen before. Dillard has that rare ability to describe nature with a prose style all her own and, at the same time, share her faith in an unobtrusive and inoffensive way.

 

And of course, any mention of influential writers in this area has to include Thomas Berry, a farmer, a mystic, and an environmentalist of the first degree. Another is John Muir, whose descriptions and work in the Redwood forests of Northern California are classic.

 

As the near future unfolds, I will gradually be writing more about the importance of the mysticism of nature and the concepts of mindfulness and the “Discipline of Noticing.” During my quiet time over the past month or so, I have felt a gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit to take up this project. I have found that if I ignore these leadings of the Spirit, after awhile they are not so gentle. Further, if I even then refuse to follow, sadly, they disappear.

 

I have no intention of letting that happen.

 

© L.D. Turner 2009/All Rights Reserved.