The Mind of God in You, The Mind of God in Society

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The Mind of God in You

What would a believing world look like where every person was in true unity with Christ and the Father?  I think that believers can universally agree that the church would be a much different body, if we consistently heard from the Father, and acted as Jesus did on earth and continues to do in heaven.  Of course, on this side of eternity, we are thoroughly challenged to live as Jesus did.  Not only do we have this mortal body, with the war of the flesh and spirit to content with, but we are also pressed in on every side by the wickedness of the day.  However, the Bible is a great place to start the journey towards Christ-likeness.  The Holy Spirit is faithful to guide us and patient as we grow.  And we are more than conquerors, through Him, who is the author and finisher of our faith.

 

The Mind of God in Society


Arguably, the mind of God to a society seems to be best represented through the public display of the Ten Commandments, a just government, and a faithful church.   I remember as a young man, that I had a Bible, which collected dust for years.  I never opened it .  I would look at it and at times treat it with superficial reverence.  But never did I consider it’s life changing power because I did not understand or know the One who inspired it.   And many others are in the same circumstance.  They go about life, trying every other option, when the best option has been available and ignored.  It has been right under our noses.

With that said, I realize that many are ignorant to biblical truth, both spiritual and practical.  So, from God’s perspective, societal sins need to be addressed.  One method He uses to confront it is to put His mind out there, so to speak, in the public sphere.  In fact, if He did not, then we would be much more challenged in coming to a conviction that we need Him.  Another fact is that the Bible and civil law have both historically underpinned our society.

The Mind of God in History

Even though American history records the injustice and hypocrisy towards minorities and the under privileged, a just moral code was still available for consideration.  What do you think the end would have been if some, like Abraham Lincoln, who believed the Ten Commandments, did not see this hypocrisy and work with others to abolish slavery?  What if Abraham Lincoln had become an unrestrained tyrant?  I really believe that a Holy and Just God, works against such injustice.  It is He that corrected the oppressive nightmare, He who continues to correct and heal it’s consequences, and He who works against those who wish to hypocritically gain political advantage by exploiting it for the profit of other ideologically godless agendas.  He wrote the Ten Commandments.  And He reveals to nations the better path.

The Mind of God Towards Atheism

And I ask today’s society, if there was no power to convict the sinner, then why do atheists fight the public display of the Ten Commandments so vehemently?  It can only be that the God-sized ideas of the Ten Commandments hold such influence, that the atheist conscience is confronted and a choice is required.  Just like Adam and Eve, after they ate of the forbidden fruit, so the atheist mind wishes to deny God and hide from Him.  This is evidenced by a Federal Judge, who recently suggests that the Ten Commandments be reduced to six.  This would effectively remove God but leave a human moral code that was less offensive.  Federal Judge Suggests Downsizing 10 Commandments

And what other horrible nightmares will grow to maturity and cause the hand of God to smite our nation or world, because it corporately creates a destructive abomination?  How many lives will such decisions destroy?  Are we naive enough to believe that a humanistic or atheist nation will stop when it removes the voice of God from government?  Of course not, because we know through history, that Communism, Nazism, and Socialism all worked to contain, mold, modify, disrupt, and destroy the church influence to society and replace it with the state controlled mindset that promised universal success.

The Mind of God Towards Humanism and The Theory of Evolution

World War 1 and 2 were both hugely influenced because of godlessness and humanism’s advance against the Mind of God to society.  The powers of European godless influence, and especially Germany’s wickedness towards the inhabitants of Africa, resulted in the people being treated as subhuman because of their skin color and culture.  However, the real error was to exploit them and classify them according to Darwinian evolutionary theory and this invited the judgment of God.  European atrocities towards North Africans occurred long before the slaughter of the Jews.  And England, France, Italy, and other nations were just as guilty as America was, though in a sense, World War 2 brought many nations to their senses, for a season.  In effect, however, is the result that science without God, and humanistic philosophy killed hundreds of millions of people in the 20th century, as it influenced people to disregard God’s values..

The Mind of God towards Wickedness

The world has never been without multiple wars going on at any given time because of man’s inherent wickedness.  And the judgments of God seem to always disrupt the affairs of men who are creating abominations.  There is no difference from the abominations created by Roman Emperors who extended their influence violently against the will of God for the nations and the church of their day, than the struggles of the 20th Century, or the final struggle we are all witnessing today?  Since we see today the advance and strengthening of homosexuality, atheism, secular humanism, evolution, Socialism, pagan spirituality, and a host of other destructive ideologies in our midst, how do we as a society or a world expect to escape the consequences?  Should we not learn from the mistakes in the 20th Century?  Sinners and all saints, we should be on our face before a Holy God. Humanity!  There should be an attitude of repentance, though many will not do so. Christian!  We would be wise to consider history and continually uphold the Mind of God to our society, as many are faithfully, so doing.

The Mind of God to America and the World Today

If you take the influence of a faithful church, the Ten Commandments, the true gospel of Jesus Christ, and a biblical world view from our society, then you have opposed your own well being.  The generations following will rise in a darkness the previous generation could not imagine and evil would escalate out of control.  In your hatred of righteousness, you have destroyed yourselves and have become another statistic.  This nightmarish scenario  is exactly the kind of tension we see in the world today, as it has gone much farther down the path towards judgments.  But thank God that there are still millions of strong Christians that God uses to influence our nation away from both godlessness, false religion, and counterfeit Christianity.  God help us sustain, even though the American Constitution has been compromised and the social change agents are destroying the minds of the ignorant masses through falsehood in all sectors of our society. And if this is too offensive, then recognize that this is a battle for people’s souls and eternal destiny.  So, in the name of Jesus Christ, the opinion of this writer is justified through Him. However, I must also vehemently say that were it not for His continuing mercy, I would be right there with them.  Nevertheless, woe to the world, when the influence of the faithful church is removed, for the destruction of many will exponentially increase and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

(Pause) – I must say that I am so very indebted to Him. We all are. (Selah – pause and ponder this.)

So, God says that NO, the voice of the Almighty will be heard.  No matter where the members of the world are at in this journey we call life, mankind must realize that the voice of God through the Ten Commandments is no different than the voice of the prophets in the Bible.  In fact, they came through His interaction with one of the greatest prophets whom God used….namely Moses.  And they were written by God’s own hand.  And God will not let us destroy ourselves without crying out in love that we turn back as a nation to Him. His Ten Commandments and the Bible remind us that there is danger and death when we depart from under the shadow of His wings.  Dire consequences occur not because He is unfair, but because His justice and holiness demands a penalty for sin and that darkness must flee from His presence.  There is no coexistence between light and darkness and no fellowship with Him where unrepentant sins reign.  And light prevails or the life is consumed with darkness.  In the end, there is no middle ground, though a nation of people have existed there for long periods of time.  In other words, riding the fence will get you nowhere.  In effect, if you are torn between two decisions, the force of the one you most desire will pull you the most strongly.  That is a very precarious place to be, if you are being pulled away from God.

The Mind of God Concerning His Timing,  Justice, and Our Actions

So, our nation is in it’s darkest hour after it rejects God’s voice.  Not only in the public square, but most importantly, in the heart.  Don’t you see, that the heart of a nation is represented by it’s public stance and the people who are elected?  Unless, of course, a select minority robs the people and supports an agenda the masses do not really agree to.  In that case, then those who hold power are liars and deceivers.  We are not bound to follow them to destruction.  However, in this case, this still requires patience on the part of people, because in God’s justice, it is He that repays.  It is His to avenge in His own timing.  Furthermore, It is not honorable to be a white-washed wall on one side, and hide hypocrisy on the other.  Nor, is it acceptable to openly display a wall colored as the rainbow in defiance to a Holy God and the lifestyle He requires.  Please don’t mistake my intentions.  These are not mere political issues.  These are biblical issues completely on the basis that God has said so.  The very life of a nation and it’s people is determined over time based upon how we respond to the voice of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob……..and most importantly to Jesus Christ.  In the long run, He is in control.

The Mind of God For Such a Time as This

If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, please think about this.  Mature Christians know how the nations are going to respond and of their outcome.  We know that Christ will judge the nations, subdue all kingdoms, and rule in righteousness.  There never has been, nor will there ever be a King like Him.  Never.  So, though we know the outcome, there is still one remaining question, and I hope that the Love behind it burns in your heart and pricks your conscience.  And I hope it always consumes mine.  How will you respond and will you be a part of His kingdom?  It is time to accept His salvation, His rule, and His mind. Don’t keep pushing it into the back of your mind and please don’t take over a decade to decide.  That is a painful wilderness path that I am here to tell you is not a fruitful journey.

The Mind of God Through His Plan of Salvation for All Mankind

This Plan is listed below as a general guide.  It is very important to seek the scriptures concerning salvation.  If you like, you can follow this link TSOM Devotions for Plan of Salvation  for spiritual encouragement or contact me personally.

1.  All it takes, is a sincere acknowledgement of sin in your life.

2.   A turning from sin (a 180 degree departure and repentance).

3.  The acknowledgement that Jesus paid for your sins through his death on the cross   (past, present, and future through His mercy),

4.  That you accept His resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father in Heaven.

5.  He then sends you His Holy Spirit, who will seal you into Christ’s Kingdom and then help you work out your salvation as He lives out His life in you and through you, also filling your life with the blessing of the Holy Scriptures.

6.  He will influence you then to make a pubic acknowledgement of your faith in Him through water baptism and involvement in a spirit filled Christ-centered church for further spiritual growth.

7.  If you allow Him, God will faithfully place you around other imperfect Christians, and your seeds of faith will grow.

8.  And more importantly, His love will flood your soul because He cares for you even though the weight of the entire world is on His able shoulders.

Your destiny will be changed, regardless of the fact that hell and the world chaos seem to be advancing around you.

You, however, have entered into a binding covenant with Jesus and will be richly rewarded for eternity because you chose to believe Him.

 
In the hope of Christ,
Steve Clem

Encouragement to Ministers and God’s People

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I am challenged somewhat by my personal role of influence in life, as the Bible has said exactly what needs to be said.  And when I look around me, I see evidence of the many theologians, pastors, teachers, and Bible commentators who have searched out & expounded upon scriptural truth throughout the ages.  Today, there is an additional explosion of books on any subject and the internet has made it possible for us to gobble up huge amounts of information and become quickly informed on any Bible subject.  As a result, I often do a heart check and seek the Lord to make sure that I am in line with His will.

So, with these realities and the time constraints I face in life, I also catch myself questioning the value of my input and the uphill battle in developing Focus On Christ Ministries.  When there are so many voices and strong ministers of God’s grace who already hold vast influence, what is my purpose?  I often find that these questions pop up:  How am I really impacting people?  Am I even reaching anyone?  What am I saying that people haven’t already heard?  Are my motives right?  And, why do some people have doors open so they can devote all of their energies to the task and others find few open doors?  I look at some of the most influential leaders today and wonder how they made the transition.  I do get answers and I have found that these questions are all part of the necessary process of answering the call of God.  And for now, the current journey is this:  I find that I am so limited in time, that I have to choose between developing my own content, or just pointing people to other ministries that have been graced with resources and have already developed positive, wholesome material.   But, in my heart, I really want to create lasting material which contributes value to the whole and I await opportunities to move forward in a greater way when God decides I am ready.

Well, in order to give me balance and help me to find my place in the mix, God has also reminded me of these simple truths:

1.  Not everyone has read of, heard of, or met Christ.  This means that I can be instrumental if our paths cross, no matter how thick the soup we call life.

2.  People learn in different ways and they are at different stages in life.  We may make a connection because of meeting at the right time and place.

3.  God will use any ministry He chooses to use, regardless how great or small they are.  In scripture, God chooses the meek and lowly and resists the strong and proud.  This is why those in ministry are tested greatly.  We have to be molded so that we are ready to carefully handle something so valuable, that our Savior was willing to die for it, namely the things of God centered around His purposes and people’s redemption.  In other words, people are valuable to God and we grow to care for them as He does or we become the limiting influence in their lives.  And how great our need is for a Savior to bring us to a place where we can even attempt to influence people for Him.

4.  God will raise up or diminish any ministry, as He sees fit, and according to His purpose.  I am beginning to ponder the tactical and strategic genius that God has exhibited through His church.  We often see division in the body.  This is true.  However, since we know that there exists a spiritual war in the heavenly realms which plays out in the natural world…..isn’t it pure genius that the body exists in fault tolerance?  Just like the Internet was created to resist nuclear war, so also and in a vastly superior manner……the body of Christ is designed to resist covert and overt realities of war.  It cannot be destroyed because of the protecting power of Jesus Christ.  It will always exist in this age and continues to proliferate, in spite of the death of saints, apathy, sin, persecution, and inner struggles.  I mean, seriously, can anybody deny that the body of Christ has not been preserved throughout the centuries?  And look at the diverse manifestations of the body, Christ has  used.  In fact, we see that it lives and moves and grows where ever He breaths life into it.  History’s greatest internal and external foes have not stamped it out, though they gave their last breath spewing their hatred towards it and mankind.  God’s purposes throughout the Earth prevailed.   Even now!  It is the same today, in spite of all the enemy will do to use technology and the increase of knowledge to throw it out of alignment!  God has already spoken the outcome and compensated for the times.

5.  God will share His Glory with no man, woman, or agency,  and all ministries are destined to fall short of the glory of the Lord, as they are imperfect.  We have to be taken to a place of humility and under His authority.  This works to protect us from ourselves, as our natural nature is one which seeks our own glory and not that of others.  Scripture reveals the mistakes others have made in their service to God and man.  Our destiny is to give God the glory due to only Him.

6.  The works that God inspires us to create will be part of the mix that influences a generation.  Many paintings, songs, writings, or other creative works have to be completed to finally realize the masterpiece.  Each of us has something to create which God works through us.   Life’s greatest masterpiece is accomplished by God, when we allow  Him to take our dirty lives and clean them up for His Glory.  All other masterpieces flow from this beginning.  God is a Master Artisan and we are His greatest work.  And even the angels are watching and desire to look into these things.

7.  I have been privileged by God to share His life and His Word and to learn things I did not know and could not possibly understand without Him.

In my own summary words, I am a Bible student, life-long learner, and a teacher.  As I am faithful to Him, God lifts me up, and my voice will influence someone as their life intersects mine.  It may be through written material, video/audio presentations, or personal encounters.  It may be through the simplest, mundane interactions that all people share at work or play, or through spiritual inspirations that are brought about by a move of the Holy Spirit.

And speaking of spiritual inspirations……God decided in the middle of the writing of this article to intervene.  I think that writers can understand my point here that the idea for an article, and the development of the article, sometimes evolves.  Yesterday morning, I decided to wait to post this until I returned from the WOC Men’s group.  I wanted to proof it before sending it to press, so to speak.  Well, at the meeting, Gary Pailer, our worship leader, lead us with a song he has written.  And the following chorus fit so well into the message of this post, that my spirit jumped.  The words revealed a connectivity we share in the body of Christ.  It is a wonderful truth to take these words to light, as we consider how we all fit into the grand scheme of Kingdom work and the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ:

We are the streetlights, We are the streetlights,

Shining heavens eyes,

We are the streetlights, We are the streetlights,

Candles in the night,

We are the streetlights, We are the streetlights,

Brighter than the dawn,

We are the streetlights, We are the streetlights,

Lanterns to the lost.

This chorus is very encouraging to me.   It helps me to see the purpose of the whole and not just my meager contributions.  There is a far bigger contribution which all Christians deliver when the body of Christ lives as it should.  The light in the darkness shines the brightest when we work together and are rightly unified in Christ.  We cannot possibly see all of the implications of our lives in Christ right now.  But, the world will see the implications when the church is removed and the darkest days of tribulation take hold upon the Earth.

I have often said that you never know the impact of one person’s life until they are no longer present on this earth.  When their influence dies, things change.  So, now, our lights must shine commensurate to the darkness and the times predicted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  We must leave our mark, so that people can still glean the work Christ has done through us, whether we simply follow the way of our fathers and are called home, or the snatching away of the saints occurs as scripture foretells.  For we cannot predict who God will use, even after death, or how He will use us to continue to influence those who are alive.  Some have, in fact, passed on…..yet their legacy continues to influence.  Does Charles Spurgeon, John Wesley, Walter Martin, Francis Schaeffer, or Chuck Colson ring a bell?  And were these men highly acclaimed more in life or in death?  I tend to think that people tend to honor great men more in death than in life.

We must all remember that to achieve greatness by today’s standards is not the goal, but that it is important  to continue on and use what time we do have to further God’s Kingdom.  And our reward is better than personal glory and our boundaries are in God’s hands.  Most importantly, we get to see God work through us as believers and change for the better.  What we get to experience is sometimes painful, but we also realize the  wonderful transforming process God provides.  That is the lesson, isn’t it?  He gets the Glory and we, as united Christians  get to take part in His Kingdom, both here now, and to a larger extent, during Christ’s later Millennial Reign.  We get to help people enter in as we will!  That is a wonderful reward and one day we will fully walk in the consequences of our decision to partake today.

Well, to bring these thoughts to a close, I must say that the future hope really inspires me…….one day, Christians will be given responsibility in Christ’s fully manifested Kingdom, which is based upon our faithfulness to His Kingdom today.  The truth is, in that day, people will once again sit at Christ’s feet and they will learn of Him and behold His glory FACE to FACE.  Now, we see imperfectly, but then we will see clearly.  I love God’s wisdom and I want to see His Kingdom in all of it’s glory, for the Glory of the Lord will fill the WHOLE earth, in splendor and majesty!

Sincerely and Because of His Passion,

Steve Clem

Focus on Christ Worldview and Politics

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Since the decision was made to start Focus On Christ Ministries over five months ago, there has been a deep conviction from within that I would not hide my political beliefs or allow my Christian voice to be silenced in either the religious or the secular community.  I recognize that if I take such a stance, that my voice should be tempered by the Living Spirit of God, as a misrepresentation of Him to others is not glorifying, and in certain circumstances this would make me subject to His discipline.

On our website, I have indicated that we promote Conservative Christianity and resist a number of other politically motivated ideologies.  While realizing this would not be a popular move, as some would see it as divisive,  I still felt it was important to make a stand.  As time has passed, and the Lord has been doing lots of work on the foundation of the ministry and my own development, I have come to realize much more about my convictions and what it means to be a born-again citizen in a predominantly godless society.  Because of the illumination the Lord has brought to me over the last few months, I feel the need to publicly communicate some important details of my growth.  After all, it is important that I not only understand my audience, but that my audience does not misunderstand me, this ministry, or what is promoted.

A few months ago, I joined the Tea Party Movement, with the firm commitment that I needed to seek out our Republican leadership and communicate my personal concerns.  I even wrote a letter to President Obama, mainly out of my frustration over liberal and socialist ideologies.  And previously over the last two years, I have also been on a search for the kind of unity that I felt was lacking in the body of Christ (or at least the corner of it where I existed).  At the time, I was struggling to understand the divisions in the body of Christ, as well as the proliferation of false teaching and liberal theology that was creeping into what were conservative strongholds.   This lead me down some rather unexpected paths.  I read everything I could get my hands on so that I could make meaning of what I was seeing in the natural.  Through this process, I then realized the impact that people’s political world views had been having on the church, it’s theology, planning, and direction.  At times, I even became a little over-zealous and felt the influence to become militant.  Yet, I can thank the Holy Spirit for re-directing me quite a few times and giving me some time outs and warnings through His word.  What a rewarding and difficult journey this has been. 

Now, God has planted us into an interdenominational fellowship which I hope will continue to work in us the unity in Christ we need to embrace.  I realize also, that unity in the body of Christ is a continual endeavor and requires perspective.  Notwithstanding, it is also clear that many in previous decades have also journeyed through what we have had to experience in the last three years since I asked Jesus to personally disciple me.  It was for our growth, and  I am really encouraged by the fact that I am now coming in contact with literature written by those who wrote of the clash of earlier American religious and political cultures.  Their perspectives are really beneficial.  I find that  there really is nothing new under the sun.  And one day, I believe that we will be better positioned to help people now and in the future who wake up and see the wolves approaching and know how to handle it.   Christ is still about the business of creating overcoming believers.  Strong leaders today can not only keep the wolves at bay, but can also provide perspective to those who are overwhelmed with a dose of reality that they are not prepared to handle.  I only wish that when I received my baptism by fire, that my pastor had been equipped to walk with us through our ordeal and that the environment had not become so emotionally charged.  I have forgiveness in my heart though, because in many respects, the church where I was an intern at was under siege and had been hit so many times by gross immorality, divorce, and failure of those in leadership, that the Senior Pastor was hanging on the edge of a limb.  His was a trial far greater than mine.  The church was going through some very unhealthy events and I had to seek answers elsewhere.  It became a journey of faith and I did not know where to get answers  or who to trust.  So much had been broken.  But, God is faithful and here we are, still desiring to continue on by faith.

I want to hold the reader’s attention, so I will not dive further into some of the most painful memories.  Maybe that will be in a future book, or maybe it is best left alone.  However, it is important that I continue on the journey taken:  As I continue, my affiliation with the Tea Party movement, and watching the Occupy Movement revealed three things:  1)  The Right (Conservative) movement has a radical fringe that is not healthy for Christianity or our government.  Many elements from within this group hold mutually conservative views, yet are still fundamentally divided as to what would constitute a moral and righteous government.  In effect, not all Conservatives operate under biblical principles or are subject to Christ.  So, the left is able to exploit these weaknesses and we are seeing it playing out now.   2)  Capitalism does have it’s flaws and also needs to be under the influence of a Holy and Just God.  3)  The Occupy Movement has been used by the Radical Liberals to stir things up and those who are part of it gripe about some of the same things Conservatives do, but they draw decidedly different conclusions about how to resolve challenges.

Coming to these realizations caused me to back away from the Tea Party movement and forced me to realize that radical elements in any political movement can be detrimental to the cause.  Ultimately, I decided that putting all of my eggs into a political movement that was divided, even if it most represented my beliefs, would not solve anything.  I had to go deeper and reorient my thinking by continually seeking the truth from God.  This, of course, is a continual process.  Remarkably, I now hold a center-right political position, and fundamentally break from any conservative movement that is not subject to the law of Christ.  This means that a militant stance is inappropriate if we want to achieve truly Christian objectives.  Right wing conservatives who believe in the Constitution of the United States must also realize that it is an imperfect document and it does not trump the will of God.  In the natural, atheism, secular humanism, or liberalism  can seek the Constitutional protections of our government, so it is imperative that we leave justice to God.

I support and advocate the salvation of all men and think that the church is to be a place where Christ rules over any political ideology.  And that is exactly what He does, in the natural.  It is in the government, the church, the family, and the self, over which He has established authority that has been given to Him by God.  In fact, He even fights for His cause to this day, but it is sometimes hard for us to see, because He does so through the Holy Spirit and the man or woman of God with whom He chooses.  He can also work through our political leaders, if that is His choice.  Or He can withhold intervention until the times established by God have been fulfilled and He really manifests His control over all governments and people in all of His Glory which is not clearly seen by all today.  And yet, I still know that His direct intervention today is present, even though the world will never come to a place of unity on any subject, cause, or movement save for it’s resistance to Him.  I do not believe that man has the capacity to bring about the plans of God, without being in submission to Him.  And there is a cost to resisting Him, even if a person does not believe He exists.

So, the only question remaining is, “how can a center-right politically oriented Christian honor Christ, who also loves the liberal oriented person, without compromising very deeply held convictions?  Ultimately, I believe we can do so, while still maintaining the importance of holding to our Judeo-Christian values and keeping Christ-centered Christianity in the forefront of our nation’s mindset.  Even if many want to remove God from public view, we who honor Christ, will never bow to this.  However, we must be balanced in how we approach those who do not believe and present a gospel which is true to Christ’s compassion.  We need to maintain that He is the only way to the Father.  Since many on the left  are so adamant about stamping out Christ’s unique influence and gift to mankind and think we are here to subject them to a harsh system of absolute rules……we have our work cut out for us in order to reveal to them that Christ does not bring this yoke to them.  This is why I am so vigilant in using every resource to prosper the Christian influence and attempt to influence reforms in the body of Christ. 

Please note, that I stated in a Facebook post earlier, a view from Dr. Tony Evans, who says that God is the “Consummate Independent”, in political terms.  In other words, He is not of any political affiliation.  He is God.  So, with this in mind, I am not naive enough to think that God rejects a person based on their political beliefs.  He is able to bridge the gap, through Christ, and He calls people where they are at and then takes them on a journey to where they need to go.  My life is an example of this principle……..when I first became a Christian in 1987, I certainly did not hold to or understand political differences from within the body of Christ.  All I knew was that Jesus loved me, I was saved, and my life was forever changed.  As a matter of fact, one can look at my life as a Christian, and they will certainly find reason to condemn some of my choices through the years.  I have no reason to judge others.  Yet, at the same time, I can still maintain that the Christian must understand the times and speak truth into political and religious situations that lead society away from God.  Ultimately, one of the greatest testimonies I can give of Christ is how much He loved my soul as I have repented for my sins and let Him redirect my life……. years “after” He saved me.  This alone demonstrates the love He has for us in a most profound way.  And the truth is, we are all somewhere in a place of desperate need for our Savior to touch us and bring us down the road of life. 

I want to add that I thoroughly appreciate previous generations of the body of Christ who wished to preserve a biblically conservative viewpoint.  In doing so, they preserved something imperfect,  yet in it’s imperfection still contrasts those opposing views that society projects.  Concerning the wisdom of Christ, I see that nothing is lost in the political struggles we face as a nation.  One day, and to some who see now,  in a new age…….the glory, patience, and His pre-imminence is once again proven.   Our political struggles are masqueraded before society……….before our very eyes………and they prove humanity’s need for a Savior.  Satan does not only want to take Christianity  out of the picture……He also wants to use radical elements of political society to further obscure the truth Jesus has for any politically affiliated person.  The great and the small, the wise and the unwise……they do not escape apart from a firm commitment to Christ alone. 

I know in my heart of hearts that there will come a day when party affiliation no longer plays a role in the affairs of humanity.  In this age, it is very hard to see, because it does not exist.   I believe that there will be more suffering and tribulation before man is brought to that place.  In the meantime, I look forward to learning more about how Christ might make me a better Christian towards humanity, without bowing to the politics which I deeply believe oppose my Savior’s will.

Thanks for reading.  Comments are welcome.

Steve Clem

Excerpt from “Unlocking The Bible” by J. David Pawson

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Yes I thought I knew my Bible

Reading piecemeal, hit or miss

Now a part of John or Matthew

Then a hit of Genesis.

 

Certain chapters of Isaiah

Certain Psalms, the twenty-third.

First of Proverbs, twelfth of Romans

Yes, I thought I knew the Word.

 

But I found that thorough reading

Was a different thing to do

And the way was unfamiliar

When I read my Bible through.

 

You who like to play at Bible

Dip and dabble here and there

Just before you kneel all weary

Yawning through a hurried prayer.

 

You who treat this crown of writings

As you treat no other book

Just a paragraph disjointed

Just a crude impatient look.

 

Try a worthier procedure

Try a broad and steady view;

You will kneel in awesome wonder

When you read the Bible through.

 

–Unknown Author

A Father’s Address To Our Political Leaders

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Everyone should read this . This man lost his child . The need for prayer in our country and in our schools is needed by all of us. I admire this speaker very much for doing what all of us need to do.

Subject: FW: Columbine Student’s father 12 years later…..

Columbine Student’s father 12 years later

Guess our national leaders didn’t expect this, hmm? On Thursday, arrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful.
They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness…

The following is a portion of the transcript:
“Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women.  We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence.  The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain.  Their blood cries out for answers.
“The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field.  The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain’s heart.
“In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA.  I am not a hunter.  I do not even own a gun.  I am not here to represent or defend the NRA – because I don’t believe that they are responsible for my daughter’s death.  Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended.  If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel’s murder I would be their strongest opponent.

I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy — it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies!  Much of the blame lies here in this room.  Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves.  I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.
> Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
> Your words are empty air.
> You’ve stripped away our heritage,
> You’ve outlawed simple prayer.
> Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
> And precious children die 
> You seek for answers everywhere,
> And ask the question “Why?”
> You regulate restrictive laws,
> Through legislative creed..
> And yet you fail to understand,
> That God is what we need!
“Men and women are three-part beings.  We all consist of body, mind, and spirit.  When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc.  Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation’s history.  Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries.  This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation?  We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence.  And when something as terrible as Columbine’s tragedy occurs — politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA.  They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties€¦ We do not need more restrictive laws.  Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors.  No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre.  The real villain lies within our own hearts.


“As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school.  I defy any law or politician to deny him that right!  I challenge every young person in America, and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools.  Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain.  Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him.  To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA — I give to you a sincere challenge…Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!


My daughter’s death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen again.

Darrell Scott

Do what the media did not — let the nation hear this man’s speech. Please send this out to everyone you can.

GOD BLESS

–

Gods peace and love to you ~ Pat

No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG – www.avg.com
Version: 10.0.1424 / Virus Database: 2113/4846 – Release Date: 03/02/12

–
Debbie Mathews

Lord, Set This Temple In Order

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Recently, I have been reading the Bible from beginning to end, along with the rest of our church.  It has been a few years since I have endeavored to do this, and it is proving to be a richly rewarding experience.  Having matured a little more in my faith in Christ, as one might expect, God quickens things with insight I did not have in my earlier years in the Lord.  Thank you, wonderful Holy Spirit!

In recent years, I have been looking  at the many facets of Christianity’s development in our postmodern society, as well as it’s history in the last two hundred years or so.  This has also lead me down the path of looking further into the early church fathers, the early church under the Apostles, and Judaism.  This has not been an easy experience, because I have had to look at not only the positive aspects of our faith, but also the elements of it that need reformation.  I have truly been seeking to find truth, with a sincere heart, as I have had to  work through many perplexities.  It has tested my faith to it’s limits, as this journey has many times revealed a need to learn to trust God even more.  After all, He is in control and  I do not have the capacity to solve every problem in the body of Christ.  I think that this is God’s job.  Maybe, it’s best if I just let Him work through me and others and then He’ll just fix what needs to be fixed in it’s proper time.

Most recently, I have been reading through the Pentateuch.  I have a pretty solid New Testament understanding and look at the Bible as the whole counsel of God.  It is His entire plan, from beginning to end.  All 66 books.  So, in reading the first five books of the Bible, and while having the insight I now have through Jesus Christ, the Apostles, creation theology, and biblical prophesy………..it is very encouraging for me to see just how powerfully God worked in Moses as He transitioned His covenant relationship towards mankind through each stage of development.  It is helping me to really understand so much on so many levels, and the mutual connectivity of both the Old and the New Covenants. 

Well, I mainly want to share with you here and now these nuggets.  We, as today’s Christians, are under the New Covenant, through the blood of Jesus Christ and His Atonement for our sins.  He provided for all people who believe in Him, a path towards redemption by His once, for all time, sacrifice.  He is our wonderful Savior…..Our Lord and Mighty God!  And one thing He did for us is to free us from many of the lawful ordinances of temple sacrifices, and other such now unnecessary observances that were part of the Old Covenant atonement requirement.  The New Testament books of Romans and Hebrews are two outstanding examples of texts which offer valuable insight as to exactly what changed when we transitioned from the Old Covenant under the law to the New Covenant in Christ.  Yet, as I read the Pentateuch, I am seeing a parallel between the heart of God revealed in these books, and the heart of God revealed in the New Testament.

And here is the parallel:  In both time periods, then and now, God’s desire has been and is  for  people to have fully devoted and circumcised hearts towards Him.  He wanted and wants people to long to be with Him.  What made Moses so special to both Judaism and Christianity is that he, being imperfect, uniquely spent a lot of time in communion with our perfect God.  This was also a pivotal period in God’s plan of redemption for mankind.    And I believe God, through Moses, offered a foreshadow of Christ and in a concealed Old Testament manner, foretold of  His coming.  This was later illuminated in the New Testament when Christ told His disciples that He had fulfilled all that was written in the Law of Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets concerning Himself.  The Jews of Jesus’ day, who were supposedly grounded in the Torah (first five books of the Bible), were also  claiming to follow Moses as they accused Jesus that His claims were false.  This meant that they really did not know scriptures or the heart of God, because Moses “believed” and they did not really believe in Christ.  Then, as in now, spiritual blindness still complicates things.  I see that society may have drastically changed over the last 3500 years or so, but man’s stumbling nature concerning God and His will has not.  God still wants to spend a lot of time with us, His children.  Yet, it has to be according to God’s plan and not man’s, regardless of where God’s plan is at.

So, this is really a positive thing that I want to convey to the truth seeker today.  It is that in Moses time and in Judaism which followed, a person who wanted to be devoted to God had to throw their heart into it.  They had to have determination to please God.  They really had to be deliberate in their endeavor to be holy as the Lord God is Holy.  It took a lot of effort to resist the unholy influences of their day as they observed the law.  If you wanted to succeed, your heart had to be totally committed, even if you stumbled.  Then, as in now, the same call exists in our New Covenant to be holy, as God is Holy.  And though we no longer are bound to observe the more than 600 laws which they observed, we really need to be just as deliberate if we want to honor God and resist all that our hedonistic world would do to separate us from our devotion towards Christ.

Throughout the Psalms, there are times where the term “Selah’”, ends a particular chapter.  It’s meaning has been translated as “pause, and think of that”.  To me, when I see this, it invokes a sense of reverence towards God, where I am to meditate on the nugget of truth God wants to convey.  And as I contemplate the similar heart that God wants us to have, a circumcised heart, I see many good things from the Pentateuch which still thoroughly enrich my faith in Christ today.  There are too many to mention them all, however, the New Testament reveals that the law is holy.  I can certainly see this in many laws for civil justice then that are very healthy to follow today.  And I can also say, that now that Christians are under the New Covenant and we are now scripturally the temple of the Holy Spirit, we would be wise to consider not defiling God’s temple, which grieves Him.  We should become just as deliberate in remaining undefiled in these temples made by the Hand of God now as it took our “circumcised of the heart” forefathers to deliberately minister to God in the temple made by human hands then.  Of course, the New Testament does a great job of leading us in the right direction and there are many links from the New to the Old Testament which would shed much light on this subject.

If you are not a Christian yet, then that is the first step you should take.  I would like to talk to you about this next step.  If you are a Christian, then an excellent direction to further your personal study and devotional energy would be in these eight areas which I am studying with the WOC Smart Men’s group from the book “The Man God Uses”, by Henry and Tom Blackaby:

Qualities of Good Christian Character - 

1.  Holiness

2.  A Pure Heart

3.  A Contrite Heart

4.  Fear of God

5.  Faithfulness

6.  Obedience

7.  Seeks and Loves God

8.  Servant of the Lord

Well, Christianity needs Christ and the New Testament to have a full understanding of where we are at and where we are going.  Yet, also, we need the Old Testament to reveal just how wonderful our God is.  And I say, Selah, because as Christians, we would be wise to pause, and think of all that the wisdom of God has provided.  I cannot wait to see the next age to come.  How wonderful it will be to see Christ physically reign on earth for 1000 years.  If we think that the ministry of Moses was awesome, and then the first earthly Ministry of Christ was even more wonderful………….then think of how truly illuminating the next age will be as Christ Himself comes back in the fullness of His Glory and expands His ministry that is currently operating from both Heaven and from within believers in Him today.  God is not finished redeeming a people to Himself yet!  My mind and heart are filled with wonder and awe.  Selah!

Blessings,

Steve

Foundations Take Time to Build

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February has been a very challenging month, yet in the valleys, we grow the most.  As this is a bi-vocational ministry, there is a constant limitation of time and energy to move forward.  During times of exhaustion, I have been troubled, wondering whether the fruit of this ministry is really helping people.  At other times, I have checked my heart and pondered if I have somehow missed God.  And further still, I see that I have  to make some course corrections because of misperceptions.  I think that these are all normal experiences for Christians who take up the plow in the harvest of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Pressing through hard times can, in fact, become defining moments where resolve to continue is cemented into form.  With this kind of honest approach, and being steadfast while moving forward, one step at a time, inspiration will continue.  I accept that this foundation is going to take some time to build, but I know that God knows exactly what He is doing.  In the end, I am comforted that the foundation will endure, if I am patient to see it completed right the first time.

One thing that has troubled me has been in finding the right local body of believers and an accountability structure that will help me be a better Christian and Ministry Coordinator.  I have been seeking God for the best connection to the community of flesh and blood believers in our area for a long time, because I recognized that we all need a safe, extended family.  I maintain that building a ministry and putting your hand to the plow is important, yet it is often difficult to integrate into a local church, if you are perceived as a threat. Understandably, mutual trust is a very important value amongst Christians, and misunderstandings can easily develop.  It is very important that one does not exalt themselves or their ministry at the expense of being cooperative to those who have spiritual charge over them in the Lord.  And competition in the body of Christ can be utterly repulsive to God’s desire for biblical unity.  Also, at the heart of our faith, the enemy of Christ has undermined us at every turn, seeking to destroy the very fabric of our lives.  In reality, everyone talks of accountability, unity, and biblical integrity.  However, if people are honest about this, they have to admit that talking or writing about it and living it are very different things.  It seems that anywhere you bring people together for any purpose, it can be challenging because people are messy.  But, on the other hand, we can never, underestimate the interaction of other believers and the counsel of the righteous as we are sharpened by the Lord.

Finally, after a long journey, I can honestly say that it is refreshing to tell people who are visiting the Murfreesboro, TN area, that there is a men’s group based out of World Outreach Church, called Sincere Men After Real Truth (SMART….aka….The Smart Guys) that I have chosen to become accountable to in the Lord. Their ministry and World Outreach Church are built on another family’s foundation, as they follow the Lord Jesus Christ.  Not wanting to subvert or diminish their work in the Lord, I submit to them and look forward to seeing how God is going to use them to help me continue to develop not only as a Christian, but also as the Ministry Coordinator of Focus On Christ Ministries.  Now, before reading this, they do not know they are helping me with FOCM, but in an indirect way, that is exactly what they are doing through their ministry.  At World Outreach Church, it is the perfect place for me to face my giants and work through the issues confronting me at this stage of my Christian growth.  In addition, I am encouraged that Jessie and Johanna are also growing in this church.  Of course, no church is perfect, but I believe that this is where we are to plant in some healthy soil.

Now, because I write publicly and identify with this body of believers, it is important to note our ministry is not endorsed by World Outreach Church, nor are we seeking an endorsement from men.  It has to be said as I continue FOCM activity, that I do not desire to create a conflict of interest or struggle of purpose between us and WOC.   Though, I honestly hope the Lord will somehow use my brothers to encourage me in this ministry building journey, this is something that I would desire to be God-breathed.  I think that the WOC Smart Men’s leadership, it’s teaching format, and it’s relational approach to going through biblical material is a step in the right direction.  I have found it encouraging to learn that I share many commonalities with other men in this group.  I am also encouraged due to God’s interaction in our lives, as we integrate into this body and see more of His purposes.

All things in God’s timing, and I don’t want to limit God in the future.  After all, none of us can predict the future or see the full path laid before us.  But God can and I hope that I am able to find the exact format where FOCM can develop as an encouragement for those who are seeking Christian truth.  And, of course, this is the part of the ministry that seems to be under the most development.  At this time, I cannot even clearly see the full foundation and assumptions I made just a few months ago need modifications. 

To my friends on Facebook, or to travelers to Murfreesboro, TN…..If you looking for a solid body, come visit World Outreach Church.  If you are a local man seeking growth in Christ, then by all means, please check out the WOC Smart Men’s Fellowship in person or say hello on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/woc.smart or contact World Outreach Church at http://www.wochurch.org.

What Is Spiritual Discipline?

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My personal end of chapter notes and research from reading  the book, Disciplines Of A Godly Man, written by R. Kent Hughes. 

Introduction – Disciplines for Godliness

“We will never get anywhere in life without discipline, be it in the arts, business, athletics, or academics.  This is doubly so in spiritual matters.  In other areas, we may be able to claim some innate advantage.”

“But none of us can claim an innate spiritual advantage.  In reality, we are all equally disadvantaged.  None of us naturally seeks after God, none of us is inherently righteous, none of us instinctively does good (cf. Romans 3:9-18).  Therefore, as children of grace, our spiritual discipline is everything.”

-R. Kent Hughes

For those who endeavor, under Christ, to be godly men in all areas of their lives.

Page 14 – The Apostle Paul on Discipline

Paul told Timothy to ‘train yourself to be godly”.  (cf. 1 Timothy 4:7).  In the vernacular of today, the best way to put this is to exercise yourself for the purpose of godliness.

Notes:

Lacking spiritual discipline in your life will weaken it or destroy it.  We must remember this as we run the race set before us.  What gets in the way is sin, which can cause us to have no understanding, no pursuit of God, no virtue that lasts, no peace, and no fear of God.  Having no spiritual discipline can lead to deceit, cursing, bitterness, ruin, and misery that goes far beyond suffering for Christ.  Though it is true that we cannot elevate our stature before God by our own efforts, it is equally true that neglecting spiritual disciplines leaves us vulnerable in a way that God does not intend.

Page 14 Spiritual Sweat

We must rid ourselves of every possible encumbrance, every association, habit, and tendency which impedes godliness.  If we are to excel, we must strip ourselves to a lean, spiritual nakedness before God.  (“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us”.  Hebrews 12:1).

Notes: 

The author says that we train to exercise vigorously, in any way, either the mind or the body.  In my words, I would say we train hard so the mind and body are fit and useful for the purposes of God.  Mind and body work in unison.  One affects the other.  Godliness is a higher standard of living from God to us, but not an exercise towards spiritual pride.  We can individually tailor a workout regimen that increases our devotion in mind and body to Jesus through prayer, bible study, fasting, meditation, and having proper relationship with God and our fellow man.

Page 15 Why the Disciplines?

Why is there a challenge in today’s world and the church with professing Christians developing spiritual disciplines?  Primarily, the author states that it is because of fear of becoming legalistic and fear of succumbing to living by the law.   Or in my thinking,  it is works based and not faith based and can lead to meaningless ritual.

But the author states that real spiritual discipline is based on motivation.  Legalism is self-centered.  Discipline is God-centered.  The legalistic heart says, I will do this thing to gain merit from God.  The disciplined heart says I will do this thing because I love God and want to please Him. 

The author says that men are less inclined to be spiritually disciplined than women.  He also states that one of the issues is the pervasive male credo of self sufficiency and individualism and that this hampers men’s spiritual growth.  His conclusion is that men need to become more relational as they live out their biblical lives and develop spiritual discipline.

So, how do we define spiritual discipline? 

1.  The energy we expend towards godliness (author’s definition).

2.  Practices we willingly pursue in response to a God who created us, saved us, and guides us.  They draw us closer to God, deepen our understanding of who He is, and help make us into the men and women He desires us to be. Source reference:  Spiritual Discipline 

3.  Practices which are biblically based.  For instance, developing a discipline of meditation and spirituality through so called “Christian” yoga goes far beyond scripture.  Disciplines cannot be blended or based on paganism in any form.  There must remain a distinction and no compromise through the development of hybrid spirituality and a redefinition by our culture as to  what scriptural discipline is.  True spiritual discipline has to be based on the whole counsel of scripture alone.  (These are my thoughts).

What are some examples of spiritual disciplines?

1.  Prayer, bible study, fasting, meditation.

2.  The author has developed his disciplines in other areas, as well.

     a.  Relationships – Purity, marriage, fatherhood, and   friendship.

     b.  Soul – Mind, devotion, prayer, worship.

     c.  Character – Integrity, tongue, work, perseverance.

     d.  Ministry – church, leadership, giving, witness, ministry

     e.  Grace

Notes:

Since I have not finished the book yet, I look forward to  reading in more detail,  the disciplines the author values.  The reason I bought this book, in the first place, is because I want to learn more, develop the discipline of my mind, and stand in Christ, even though the church is being subtly manipulated through the intellectual works of those who do not necessarily hold to the essentials of Christianity.  While these influencers  are enjoying the benefits of free-market financial gain through works offered to the church, I think that many Christians are unaware of the dangers we face if we do not discern if an author is operating outside of the essentials of our faith.  And, as one can imagine, I want to honor Christ.  I do not want to cross the line and question a person’s motives.  However, the standard we must pursue before we take a perspective onto our personal stage of truth, is whether it is biblical.  As I pursue God, I do not want to run the race in vain and align myself with anyone who is bent on following a false gospel.

So far, this book has been a blessing, as it is positively impacting my life.  I doubt that I will want to pursue everything the author pursues in his training, yet he at least, is offering more options for me to consider as I pursue my own training.

Will developing spiritual disciplines cost us something?  Yes!

1.  You will have to humble yourself and rethink your plan.

2.  You will have to spend more time in intentional training.

3.  You will have to sweat when it becomes tougher to walk the walk.

4.  You will have to recognize hindrances and let go of them.

5.  You will have to allow God to remain on the throne of your heart.

6.  You will have to develop a consistent lifestyle of discipline.

Christian Minds

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Recently, I have been very hungry for Christian books that help me to sharpen my critical thinking skills, build my faith, and help me to deal with the effects of diversity in  the body of Christ, and our postmodern/emerging culture. 

As a maturing Christian, I especially want to understand what is hitting the body of Christ through extra-biblical material.  There are many good books out there, yet I  have been struggling as I often wonder what kind of influence the diversity of  material  has on Christian leadership.  In what I consider good material, there is no concern.  In what I consider poor material, I am very concerned, if it falls beyond essential orthodoxy, exists in a gray area where my understanding is less solidified, or is outright destructive.  This is true, especially, in that not all of the material available in Christian thought is coming from those who are saved and a part of the body of Christ.  In many instances, with just a little digging, it is readily apparent that  the leading minds from the  fields of leadership, psychology, science, and religion are also writing and influencing the evangelical community of believers.  And many believers are not even aware that this offers the enemy of Christ a vector against His people.

As Bible believing Christians, we hold the sacred scriptures dear to our hearts.  They, along with a relationship with Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, are fundamental to our faith.  I believe that it is healthy to read extra-biblical material that does not contradict the Bible and cause the destruction of the faith of many.  Over time, as I have grappled with the influence of some of these materials, it has become very obvious that many of them are not spiritually edifying.  I guess that only the inspired scriptures can fulfill my expectations, however, it is good when I do find a book that offers inspiration.

I have found such a book, and I would like to share it with you.  It is called, Disciplines of a Godly Man, by R. Kent Hughes.  You can take a sneak peak at Amazon here:

Disciplines of a Godly Man (10th Anniversary Edition with Complete Study Guide)

I have had to wait for the opportunity to purchase the written book, however, I was able to download the audio book from the Linebaugh Public Library system and have been listening to it every night.  I am amazed at how enriching it has been to preview this classic work prior to purchasing.  I only have seven days to complete it, but  through the Microsoft Windows installed proprietary software Linebaugh named “Overdrive”, I can also hear many more books or check this one out again later.  I would highly recommend this as a way to enrich yourself spiritually and intellectually with works that will build your faith.   The link to the Public Library is here:

READS (Regional eBook and Audio Download System)

Well, I don’t want to spoil this book for you, if you decide to look into it.  However, I will say, applying lessons learned in this book will  help you grow in your devotion to the Lord.  However, there is also a word of caution that I would share, as with any other extra-biblical work.  That is, to listen to the Holy Spirit, as you cover the material.  Be a discerner.  Test everything against the word of God. 

The initial points I can make about this classic work is that it has been thoroughly researched.  I believe that it is good for the mind and brings me inspiration concerning man’s spiritual development.  Many sources from across the spectrum of Christian traditions have also been quoted in this work and  I think it reflects the diversity of the body of Christ.  However, I also found that quotes come from those outside the body of Christ and the author added  them as he saw fit. 

In the case of quotes from non-Christians, I would recommend being a soft skeptic concerning their influence upon the body of Christ and yourselves.  It is important that when this author quotes, from say, “Dallas Willard”, that this may not mean he holds all views of Dallas, just a particular quotation.  Because I wanted to understand R. Kent Hughes definition of spiritual formation, I dug a little deeper.  Upon researching who Dallas is, I discovered that his view concerning Jesus Christ as not being the only way to the Father,  is not consistent with “essential” Christian orthodox beliefs.   You may hear Dallas Willard’s views here in the video link on this webpage:   Is Dallas Willard a Christian? 

Now, In the preceding link, I listened to an interview process where Dallas described his beliefs in his own words.  So, my opinions here are not based on 2nd hand information.  If he is a Christian, then he should be very clear that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father and Salvation comes through no other.  He should not embrace the desire to please the world and deny Christ.  At best, I think that  Dallas Willard’s influence to spiritual formation should be held in check by the astute Christian theologian or believer until such influence is brought under the Lordship of Christ.  And yet, Dallas Willard’s contribution to the field of psychology can still be appreciated.  In addition, taking an opinion from someone who is a psychologist and who is using the process of spiritual formation from all religious traditions of the world (as Dallas Willard does) may open one up to an influence that could add more things that a Christian would not want added to their spiritual development (or formation of becoming more Christ-like).  In this case, the Christian world view of what it means to be a devoted follower of Christ would hold more influence than the influence from those outside the body of Christ.   Psychology apart from belief in the person of Christ, and such belief apart from God’s view promotes distortions. 

Think of  mind science (metaphysics) on one hand, and monastic/ascetic religious traditions on the other.   Spiritual transformation within a community that is decidedly not sanctioned by scripture in both of these approaches will produce a false gospel.  In these cases, they might also promote an overly mystical view of spiritual transformation that the Bible would not condone.  So, as for myself, I have decided to take a rather conservative path to spiritual formation and reject what is predominantly promoted by influencers of Christian Socialism,  Emergent Church ,  Eastern Orthodoxy, monastic Roman Catholicism, and world religions that deny Christ as clearly defined in the Bible.  Spiritual transformation is being defined far more broadly than what the Bible promotes.  What ever happened to the term spiritual development and simply calling our becoming more Christ-like as sanctification?  Have the knowledge guru’s expanded Christian definitions beyond what is wholesome?   

So, the reader does not think that I am unfair, I state that this book is a masterpiece.  In my opinion, it will help you grow in Christ if you apply many of the truths R. Kent Hughes teaches.  It is well written, well thought out, and offers someone like myself the opportunity to sharpen my critical thinking skills.  It offers numerous references and challenges me to not just accept all things held within it’s pages as truth, but to test those things against the word of God.  Through the Holy Spirit, It offers perspective and helps me connect the dots I need to connect and discard the one’s I should not connect.

Let me leave you with some final questions and thoughts that I believe will help you as you feed your mind and grow in your Christianity.  What is hitting the body of Christ through the literature on Christian bookshelves?  Is it biblical, or is it culturally driven?  Are the influences of those who are masters in their fields feeding us with biblical perspective, or have they succumbed to ecumenism, pluralism, or a host of other falsehoods?  Are we as Christians endeavoring to grow both mentally and spiritually?  Are our leaders prepared to help us wade through the vast amounts of information we face as the body of Christ is assaulted by works inspired by the world operating  against the church?   Many things introduced through intellectual works will work to subtly influence our conformity to this world system and help the denial of the sacred truths unique to our faith in Christ.  These are some of the questions that every Christian should be asking themselves when they read extra-biblical material that comes from secular and non-secular sources.

Within the many traditions of Christian thought, a Christian must exercise a discerning mind.  The enemy of our souls is assaulting the church by using  every single avenue available.  Through the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual path, the enemy will continue this strategy until the end, so that your growth in Christ is subverted.  Armed with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you should be asking the Holy Spirit about everything that does not make sense or is confusing before you take it into your soul as truth.  Primarily, the Holy Scriptures are so very vital to your spiritual development. 

In Christ,

Steve Clem

Christianity: Our Essential Needs

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I am a believer in Christ.  I hold to the essential beliefs of my Christian faith and endeavor to hold a testimony of love (which I admit needs to go far beyond where it is now), a testimony of my lips (free from corruption), and a testimony of my life (exhibiting Christ and defeating the work of the enemy or personal hypocrisy).

Since it is obvious that we all fall short, it is also sometimes painfully obvious that we need, as believers, someone who can help us make it to the end of the journey.  So, I hold the belief that I need more than just a statement of faith.  I need the Holy Spirit and the mercy of Christ to reveal to me just how far love goes for us and who we are in Him.  I need something far beyond anything I can accomplish through my own efforts, and my relationship with Christ fulfills that need.

We as believers desperately need faith, hope, and love.  Faith in Jesus, Hope for an eternal future, and Love for the brethren.  We need God to hold us, sustain us, and to compel us to keep stepping forward.  We need the body of Christ and godly leaders who have matured before us to help us mature.  We need to help others, even when we are not mature completely ourselves.  We need to stand.

We are Christians.  We are weak so that He (Christ) is strong.  We need leaders who not only guard the flock relationally, but also intellectually, and spiritually.  There are many bridges and vectors the enemy uses to assault the body of Christ.  We need to know the godly leaders entrusted to care for us have our backs.  They need to know we have theirs.  We need trust and to be trusted.  We need unity.  And that can only be attained through something supernatural, because of wayward human nature and our diversity.

We need to continually embrace what Christ considers true Christianity, avoid what is not, and endeavor to grow deeper into this faith we call Christianity.  It is not going away, for the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.  And when we see Christ face to face, we will rejoice because the imperfect will be finally removed and all we will then very clearly see is the Perfect. 

In Christ,

Steve Clem