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

If there is one gift I can have……….

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As to the attainment of knowledge and understanding, there is no end.  We are finite, God.  You are infinite.  What good is knowledge, if we do not have You?

Of the chasing after pleasure, success, knowledge, and tiresome labor, there is no end.  For week after week…we strive to achieve on paths we have not laid out.  Even if we claim to be the masters of our own destiny, there are many diversions, and the end is not in our hands completely.

If I could have any gift, it would be to trust You, Oh My God.  The ride is getting bumpy.  There are many concerns and things I cannot change.  Who has mastered the complexities of life, but You, Oh God?  Therefore,I will seek you so that I might retain life.

Fill me full of Christ Jesus and empower me by Your Holy Spirit, so that I might trust and rest in you.  Give me this gift and comfort me with the knowledge that I am in You and You are in me as we journey forward.  And help me to find others who hold similar values.

Thank You, Holy Spirit.

Your child,

Steve Clem

The Voice and The Trumpet

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I know why there were times Jesus marveled at the unbelief that He saw throughout His earthly ministry (Mark 6:6).  It was because the works that He did to glorify God, The Father, were remarkable indeed.  And yet, those who witnessed them were prone to interpreting them through a lens other than intended.  Then there were those who marveled at the works and experienced differing degrees of belief.  Some gave Him their whole heart and others believed quietly, not wanting to upset the balance they had achieved in their world (John 12:42-43).

If you look throughout the gospels, and study every time the word marvel is used in scripture, you will see how great the works were and exactly how they were interpreted by the masses.  And these works displayed not only the greatness of God, but the control of God over all things, in spite of Jesus being our suffering Savior in this season of His ministry.  Of course, for those deep thinkers reading this, it is hard to reconcile the fact that Jesus experienced both amazement at the unbelief because of such hardness, and at the same time He said that the words of Isaiah were fulfilled and some would be prevented from seeing the full truth because they rejected Him (John 12:37-41).  I believe that He was fully God and fully man, and through this perplexity, He could be amazed and still predict their unbelief.  I guess it reveals that He marveled at them because He believed in the Heavenly Father and in his human side, not being blind, marveled at their blindness in the face of such mighty moves of the Spirit on earth.   

In America, there are miracles that Jesus does for us everyday.  Yet some would say there are more miracles happening in third world countries.  I guess the point I should make is that Jesus Christ is still at work  everywhere (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25).  Everything that was in the heart of man in Jesus’ earthly ministry is also present in the world today.  And so, it is profound truth that His ministry and words are as true today as they were 2000 years ago.  In Him, we have everything we need to accomplish the works He has for us to accomplish (2nd Peter 1:3-4).  And those works center around belief in Him.  To the core.

I would like to focus on two miracles that have been recorded in the Bible.  The voice of God and the trumpet blasts.  Nothing could more quickly strike fear in the heart of man than these events being filtered through the lens of a darkened heart.  Even to the believer, they demand reverence and respect, for they represent to us the awesome power behind the royal Kingdom of Heaven, God Himself. 

In the voice of God, the Bible records both kindness and wrath.  His voice reflects compassion, justice, power, glory, and holiness.  And when it has been revealed, men react in different ways.  In Matthew 3:16-17, we see the glory and majesty of God through the Holy Spirit and the confirmation by God of Jesus Christ.  These words “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”, were heard by others.  The voice came from heaven.  And in John 12:28, we see the words of Jesus – “Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”  And furthermore, in verse 29, we see, “Therefore, the people who stood by and heard, said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”  And in verse 30, we see – Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.”  So, we note from scripture that in the pivotal moments of the ministry of Christ Jesus, that God Himself weighs in.  Who could possibly be in unbelief after they heard such a thundering voice from heaven.  Well, in effect, only men and women who have been blinded by the god of this age, the devil himself (2nd John 1:7).  For with every good thing, there is a counterfeit.  But Jesus is the illuminator, the light that reflects into the darkness, and guides our path to safety.

In the trumpet of God, we also see dramatic input from the very throne of God into the affairs of man.  In Exodus 19:16-19, we see “Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.  And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.  Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire.  Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.   And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.” 

This is not the only instance that God revealed Himself during the time of Moses and Israel while in the wilderness.  In fact, it happened often.  God does not do things in a small way when it comes to pivotal moments in His plans.  He makes it known, in it’s proper time.

So, in wrapping things up, the key thing I would like the reader to comprehend is that God spoke through the ministry of Moses and the prophets, and God confirmed all that He did through them.  Moses believed God and looked toward the promises of God concerning the coming Christ.  In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus confirms that Moses and the prophets pointed to Him and we see confirmation by the Heavenly Father through all of their combined works.

The final voice and trumpet blast we will hear is, of course, at the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1st Thessalonians 4:16).  Here, we are told that Christ Himself will shout with the voice of an archangel and that there will be a mighty blast of the trumpet.  Simply based on the description of the trumpet blast in Exodus, this will be no small production.  I believe that it will be all consuming and unmistakable.  It must be received with childlike faith because the miraculous has a tendency to be scrutinized and questioned.  And we know that for many a crisis of faith will ensue.  Of the hour and the time I do not know, but you can bet that the enemy of humanity is already at work setting the stage to place doubt into people’s minds.  Looking back at all of the accounts in the book of Exodus, it is clear to me that unbelievers also experienced the miracle of the voice, glory, and trumpets of God.  And that did not stop their unbelief.  So also, I believe that today many will hear the voice and trumpet of our Savior and find it hard to take that leap of faith.  In addition, many Christians are speaking about and believing that the 2nd Coming of Christ is imminent.  And because of this, we see many in the world who mock and ridicule our faith.

Finally, look to some of the latest block buster science fiction movies of our day, where alien ships hover over major cities.  And what do they do to herald their presence?  They herald their arrival with what sounds to be a trumpet or synthetic sound of sorts.  Before you discount me as silly, at least consider that it’s funny that the writers have input the sound blasts in this fashion.  Of course, they may be unwitting participants or it’s just good science fiction, but I know the real adversary of Christ will use this as a deceptive ploy to influence others away from Christ.  And to prove that the enemy has already planted seeds of unbelief in our society, you have to recognize that some will think of other theories than what the Bible says will happen.  Some may think of it as technology at work, or the godless Mayan calendar myth, or yet a host of other godless theories born out of apocalyptic material.  Who knows and so why not use alien abduction as a post rapture ploy to deceive many?  But, when that moment comes and you hit your crisis of belief (whether now calling the name of Christ or not), just remember that many of our society will explain away the miracle of the returning Christ.  And there will also continue to be false Christ’s before hand.  And you cannot minimize the impact of some of these powerful alternative views because God has revealed that he is allowing them because of the stubbornness of those who love unrighteousness (2nd Thessalonians 2:8-12) .  So, like everything else in this life, you must have faith in Christ, or it’s merely academic as to your outcome.  He is coming back and He’s coming for His own.  And He will destroy the works of the antichrist.  (2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:11-21).

I look forward to hearing the trumpet blast of Christ because it represents the final hour for the unrighteousness that currently destroys lives  and means an end to the bodily separation of the Christian from Christ.  I am sad that many will choose the other path, which will bring them pain and destruction.  But God has already stated that He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish (2nd Peter 3:9).  God has indicated that this longsuffering means salvation, so the unsaved should take advantage of the offer while there is still time (2nd Peter 3:15).

As I have been stating for the last few years, whether a person understands end times theology or not, there is a very real truth in that we are all in our last days before death.  That means we have been given this time on earth to choose to believe or not.  We cannot predict when we die, but once we die, our works on earth stop.  Man’s works will be judged by what is written in the books (Revelation 20:12;15, Revelation 21:27).  Believers found to be in Christ have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  Your belief in Christ is the best thing you can work on while you have today (John 6:29).

In Christ,

Steve Clem

Real Spiritual Exercise

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Usually, when I think of flexing spiritual muscles, what comes to mind is prayer, exercising spiritual gifts, powerful preaching, or casting out demons.  But, I am amazed at how true spirituality also exists in the simple (or what some might view as mundane).  Just think of how important it is to exercise our spiritual mind through properly using God’s word.  Or how about the spiritual exercise of maintaining a pure walk before the Lord and man?

I remember when I was in my first year of studies as an intern, and how journaling helped me to connect with God and His word.  I remember how taking basic essentials from scripture and writing devotionals on them helped me to reconnect with the timeless truths that I had taken for granted through the years.  There were a lot of details I had missed in these essentials as a new believer, and when viewed some years later, I was amazed concerning their deep, rich meaning.

Now, as I am building the ministry that God has placed upon my heart, I have begun to give thought to and start the process of hammering out the detailed language of our essentially held beliefs.  And in so doing, I cannot forget the lessons that journaling my devotionals had taught me, which is that there is a lot of significance we take for granted in the language of the Bible and the faith we see through the lens of modern Christianity. 

In this postmodern world, I know that terms such as doctrine, orthodoxy, tradition, and religion are not popular.  And, many times, as viewed through a negative lens in history, for good reason.  However, there are always two sides to a coin.  I think it is important not to reject the whole because of past or current corruptions, as long as those corruptions are reforming.  Rather than denying the obvious problems within Christianity, I acknowledge them as real and in need of reform.  And I believe that that is what Christ is continually doing to His church, the body of believers.  As imperfect as the church is, Christ will not reject His own, and all things work together for the good of those who love Christ Jesus and are called according to His purposes.

For some time, as I have been wrestling with many issues confronting Christianity, I have come to the place where I realize that terms and definitions really do matter and it is important that Christians make a distinction, as long as they can justify these distinctions from scripture.   And furthermore, it is important not to mix Christian terms and definitions with ideas grounded in popular culture in order to reach the culture.  The postmodern culture is moving further from a Christian mindset, becoming inclusive to everything else.  The consequence of moving in this direction will have the opposite of the desired effect of the enlightenment that they are searching for.  In fact, the more the distinctive truths of Christianity are obscured from the postmodern mindset, the larger the delusion is amplified.  In this, spiritual blindness will increase in the world because humanity will only rely on human reason or false religion.  Once absolute truth has been universally abolished, man will finally have nailed the lid shut on redemption.  If the world rejects Christianity, then they have rejected the essential belief in God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  Eternal Salvation will disappear and the Atonement will become of no effect.  Once they embrace the idea of Christ, but deny His exclusivity as the only Savior of mankind, they have lost everything.  So it is important for Christians to maintain time tested and essential terms and definitions so truth is not lost when dealing with opposing ideas.  The world would like nothing more than for us to obscure the purity and truly spiritual nature of our profession. 

Jesus honors belief in His Person and what He said.  He is absolute.  The essentials I have listed here are worth dying for.  Isn’t it better that we hold these essentials of Christianity, it’s faithful doctrines, it’s best traditions, and it’s faithful witness high on the hill?  If we don’t, to please the culture, don’t we in effect deny our Savior through our silence?

The greatest spirituality anyone will ever attain is through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  Belief that he died for our sins, was crucified in our place, was raised from the dead, and ascended to the Father, are non-negotiable tenants of our faith.  The postmodern culture holds no such claim and needs the pure gospel just as every culture and generation has since Christ instituted the church.  They need pure gospel spiritual power and we have it as long as we remain true to Christ.

God Bless,

Steve Clem

Further Your Education

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If anyone is interested in furthering their Christian education, there are a group of scholars from Dallas Theological Seminary that are providing an entire Theology class on video at this address:  http://bible.org/article/theology-program .  The instructors have also provided hundreds of their PowerPoint slides.  It would not surprise me if there were over one hundred hours of instruction, all for free.

Based on my challenges with how many institutions of higher learning (seminaries) have lost their way, I have been skeptical about approaching what is offered “out there”.  However, after listening in to the first three videos in this series, I can say that the material is very helpful.  The classes are not boring, which is what most people might think at first.  If you are someone who wants to listen to material that makes you think, this is it.  It is highly relevant to Christianity today, our culture, evangelism, and so much more.  Obviously, I cannot speak for everything in this class, because I basically will have to discern as I go.  But what I’ve heard so far, I’d recommend. 

If you decide to go through the material and see there is something you’d like to discuss…….hit me up on Facebook or send me an email at steveclem@focusonchristministries.org.  I’d love to dialogue with you over it.

Forgiveness – Divine vs human way – Guest Writer, Pastor Finney Varkey

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Hello once again, from here at Focus on Christ Ministries. I am pleased to announce that we have a guest writer for this blog entry.

I would like to introduce to you, my friend, Pastor Finney Varkey. I have known him for approximately two years and we met while I was an intern in the ministry. Finney earned his Masters degree in English and then went for Biblical Studies, where he earned his Bachelors degree. After this, he went to serve the Lord for 5 years amongst students in Gujarat, which is in the Western part of India. Then the Lord guided him to Church Ministry. Now, in America, he has been involved as a Pastor over a small congregation in Franklin, TN. Most recently, Finney is awaiting God’s call in Maryland, where he has been planted.

From childhood, Finney has had one desire. To pastor, as His father did, and his father’s father before him. Serving the Lord is his passion and desire.

Most importantly, I personally trust his integrity, as he walks with the Lord, because I have seen it up close and personal. He bears real fruit in Christ.

So, please welcome Finney, and we thank him for being our guest writer and sharing the word with us!

    Forgiveness- Divine vs human way

    By Pastor Finney Varkey

      Matthew 18:21-Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”

      Here it seems that Peter has an annoying “brother” with whom he is done with forgiving. Therefore he makes use of the opportunity when Jesus talks about “restoring a brother who sins against someone”(Vs15-20). It seems that only three chances are needed to be given to the one who sins. That is -

      Chance 1 – Privately talk to the one who sins.
      Chance 2 – If he does not agree, take two or three witnesses, and talk.
      Chance 3 – Again if, he does not still agree, tell the church.

      From then on, if he remains the same, consider him as an unbeliever and a tax collector.

      Peter might have thought that, he who has forgiven, I assume, seven times, will be totally in good standing in the eyes of the Lord. So he wanted to get approval (be justified) in this approach.

      Unfortunately, Peter did not understand the deeper meaning in the teachings of Jesus. Jesus did not teach it as a way to get rid of the people who sin against us. And it could be considered by all as a normal standard for dealing with people who sin against their brothers and could be abused.

      But, did Jesus want to make it a rule? I believe, not at all. If, it is taken as a rule, then it is applicable for us too. And then we would have been cut off from many of our brothers and from God Himself by that rule, because we all have needed to be forgiven in this life more than even seventy times seven. It is so easy to forget that part and make standards of practice that God never intended. Instead, Jesus wanted His disciples to go beyond that “rule” by revealing God’s grace goes so much farther.

      So, we see in scripture that Peter’s attitude to forgive “seven” times may possibly be a great standard for himself, and his knowledge of the Old Testament law might have given him an understanding that “seven” is the substitute to say “maximum” or “complete”.

      At Peter’s question, Jesus was indeed saying that, if “seven’ is your number for forgiving, then I in you and you in Me should make it “seventy times seven”. Forgiving seven times is indeed admirable, which shows that Peter is patient enough and has a good heart. But forgiving seventy times seven is the heart of Jesus Himself in Peter.

      In fact, there are two parts to the question. The first part of the question is, ”how many times a brother can sin against me”? Jesus read the heart of Peter, knew that his main intention was to indicate that he could do something great when he asked of forgiving seven times. But, Jesus did not answer that question. Instead, He indicated this: the Lord wants him and us to always note, how we should be doing rather than how others are doing in Christian life. In other words, our primary concern is in our own heart attitudes and walk with Jesus and our perseverance with others as the Lord does His work in them also.

      Again, it is to be noted that it is not mentioned in this passage, whether forgiving 70 times 7 is forever, for a year, or so on. So, if Peter would have asked the Lord whether it is enough to forgive 70 times 7, then the Lord would have said, yes, and it should be that many times EVERYDAY. If he would have asked the Lord whether forgiving 70 times 7 everyday would be enough, He would say, yes, but it should be that many times EVERY HOUR. If Peter grows in the Lord to forgive that many times every hour and then ask Jesus whether it is enough to forgive 70 times 7 every hour, He would surely say, yes, but from now on to do it EVERY MINUTE. If we are in the Lord, we can do better than all that we are now. There is no limit for growth in the Lord. We should yearn to grow till we reach to the image of Christ Jesus as the Lord in us. And this makes all the difference.

      Now the question to all of us is, should we stand with a rule, of Matthew 18:15-20, as the normal standard, or should we have a heart of Jesus? I hope you have already said “Jesus, I need your heart in me.”

Christmas Season Is Upon Us!

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Merry Christmas to all! I hope that this season brings the fruit of God’s Spirit to you in a very profound way.

What a busy time it is, preparing to meet family, and focusing on what matters most. Starting tomorrow, we are blessed with an unusual break during the holidays, where we can relax a little, and enjoy what the season brings. I thank You, Lord, for making this time available for a time such as this. I can remember previous years where the grind of life did not let up, even for the holidays. And how weary it was, indeed. So, we accept this gift from you, Jesus, and are exceedingly joyful over it.

Sharing my heart with you now, I want to say that I have this desire to write frequently and I also feel an audio sermon formulating. I should have both out sometime within the next week or so. Understandably, being a bi-vocational minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ is challenging, yet here at Focus on Christ Ministries, we have made some great strides. I am greatly anticipating each moment of continuing this life’s work. It burns within me!

For those who do support our efforts, thank you very much! We would love to hear from you. If you are local to our Murfreesboro community, we would like to connect and form our first Focus on Christ Network group, hopefully starting in January 2012.

Well, God Bless and Have a wonderful season in Christ Jesus!

Steve

Politics In the Church???

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I am interested in hearing what people think about politics and the effect our political choices have on a common Christian faith. I know that this may make some feel uncomfortable because there is nothing more volatile than rants over religion and politics. However, this section of our blog is about opinions and perspectives and we don’t have to agree on everything political. Lord knows, that would be a miracle if we did. : )

So, to start, I will offer some opinions:

Politics In The Church???

Politics determines the heading of the ship. Whether they realize it or not, leaders, both in the church and outside the church, have political motivations which are driven by the carnal and the spiritual. To put it another way, many don’t even see themselves as political or spiritual, yet from within the framework of everyday internal or external politics, there are both spiritual and natural motivations behind decisions.

Speaking to Christians, as a Christian, I see politics as both necessity and challenge. I surmise that necessity would determine the scope and purpose of political decision making. And the challenge would be in how to apply power to action. Maybe politics can be a nasty business, but it exists in the church.

My view is that we must know where our leadership stands on both internal and external political issues because these stances reflect on their real worldview. Christ should be the primary influence behind all things political and spiritual. And average believers do need to know that those entrusted with their spiritual care have a healthy biblical worldview that has not been compromised by an inappropriate opposing worldview. And yet, many Christian leaders totally avoid the subject as being divisive and uncomfortable. Obviously, they must be wise and avoid traps and the bait of Satan to cause divisiveness. Yet, I believe that Christian leaders need to be better positioned to develop the whole person, instructing the believer in both the Christian worldview and opposing worldviews that war against our faith. Please note, that I did not say we are at war with people who hold differing opinions, as sometimes a different viewpoint can help us see a blind side of our character we had not considered, such as a propensity to become dogmatic or hypocritical.

Speaking to Christians and non-Christians alike, in human non-spiritual terms, I would consider myself to be a conservative and readily admit that I don’t politically have all of the answers for everyone in our society. Why? Because politics reflects and affects more than just a Christian worldview and I know that some will never cross over to my faith in Christ. To put it another way, politics affects everyone’s worldview, because each perspective is driven by people who want their worldview to be dominant, or at least included. So, I understand that when someone holds a different world view, that they would be resistant to, say, a dominant Christian worldview. That of course, does not mean that I would not still want to offer the “best” of my faith to others and influence my society for the best change that could ever happen. And, while offering Christ to our nation and a defense of my faith, I would also keep in mind that there are definite internal Christian issues that really need to be fixed in the body of Christ on this side of eternity. And, of course, all of these things I am doing., in spite of national rejection and opposition to my faith by the majority.

Well, let’s be truthful. The overall challenges in the body of Christ won’t really be resolved until the return of Christ, and “the Day” purges apostasy away, revealing the one’s who are, the pure Bride of Christ. And Christ has indicated to Christians what His plan is for eternity. So, in fact, He is the one who drives the political and spiritual decisions of the church, or the church becomes out of alignment. (Ephesians 5:23 – For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body).

In the interim, however, I do have the spiritual answer for our nation, which would heal many political perplexities and set things in a better direction…………if the heart and will of the people would turn to Christ. For you see…………..at the heart of our society, there occurs both a political and a spiritual battle for the souls of men, women, and children. If one takes an honest look and is granted the eyes to see and the ears to hear, then it is possible to look under the layers of the fabric that binds our land and see what only God can reveal. Our need as a people, whether so-called Christian or non-Christian is to be aligned with Christ Jesus and His purposes. Politics can be divisive because the “will” of the people is so diverse. Yet it is Christ and Christ alone who can truly heal a land and unite it’s people. Otherwise, a nation’s healing is incomplete, binding the wounds, but never really treating the root cause of the illness.

Well, I’m not so foolish that I expect the world to adopt anything I suggest. However, I hope that those who are in Christ will begin to see that unless they understand the political and spiritual nature of the battle, they will not see the subtle influence of anti-Christian political and spiritual forces which seek to undermine the Lord Jesus Christ’s will for His children and His church. Many of the these influences are sown in secrecy, even denying the Lord Jesus Christ, while having a semblance of earthly wisdom. They are grounded not only in the church but also come from secular society and are introduced either by design or through ignorance. Until Christ physically returns, the strongman is still going to hold territory. But, a unified Christian influence is going to snatch people out of dark territory and help bring them into the Lord’s influence. Remember, that Jesus said in Luke 11:23, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”

IMHO in Christ,

Steve Clem
Focus On Christ Ministries