Formed By The Presence

 

The Quote:

"Our hearts need to come to the fixed conclusion that God is everywhere present - that He is more real than the things we may think of as "real" and is deeply and utterly committed to our transformation into the image of His beloved Son. Any Christianity that embraces a less-integrated worldview is rendered increasingly powerless. It is a Christianity whose God exists only in an abstract sense. Such a life is madness in the end. It cannot but be encumbered with doubt while fostering opinion and argument in the place of faith. The result is an intellectualized faith (however simple or sophisticated), always driven by culture, either in ignorant subservience or in whatever form its political masters direct for the "culture wars." What Christianity in its various secularized forms has not done and cannot do is to produce true culture. The production of culture is not the goal of the Christian faith, but a faith that is truly integrated and grounded in the God who is everywhere present cannot help but produce culture - for it produces a whole humanity. (1)

My Thoughts:

How we think about and interact with God determines how we live life. God is committed to our transformation into Christ-likeness. The things we speak and the actions we take come from our hearts. I hear very little about the awareness of God's omnipresence and our transformation into the image of His Son as the answer to our cultural meltdown. 

I fear many evangelicals have "kissed the ring" of political power to the detriment of the Gospel message. A secularized form of Christianity is weak and non-efective. 

Moral transformation only becomes a reality for those who - have been formed by the Presence of God. There is no division between the secular and sacred for those who acknowledge His presence. 

The Holy Spirit is here, among us now.

 God is not "the man upstairs" - He is ever present.

Scriptures For Meditation:

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. - Colossians 3:2-4 ESV 

 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2

"Where shall I go from your Spirit?

    Or where shall I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, you are there!

    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

If I take the wings of the morning

    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

 even there your hand shall lead me,

    and your right hand shall hold me." - Psalm 139: 7-10

"Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” - John 18:36

(1) Every Where Present, Stephen Freeman, pages 95-96.

How George Müller Started His Day

George Müller (born Johann Georg Ferdinand Müller, 27 September 1805 – 10 March 1898) was a Christian evangelist and the director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England. He was one of the founders of the Plymouth Brethren movement. 

He cared for 10,024 orphans during his lifetime and provided educational opportunities for the orphans to the point that he was even accused by some of raising the poor above their natural station in British life. He established 117 schools that offered Christian education to more than 120,000. - Wikipedia 

"While I was staying at Nailworth, it pleased the Lord to teach me a truth, irrespective of human instrumentality, as far as I know, the benefit of which I have not lost, though now...more than forty years have since passed away.

The point is this: I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how much I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. For I might seek to set the truth before the unconverted, I might seek to benefit believers, I might seek to relieve the distressed, I might in other ways seek to behave myself as it becomes a child of God in this world; and yet, not being happy in the Lord and not being nourished and strengthened in my inner man day by day, all this might not be attended to in a right spirit.

Before this time my practice had been, at least for ten years previously, as an habitual thing, to give myself to prayer, after having dressed the morning. Now I saw, that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God and to meditation on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed; and that thus, whilst meditation, my heart might be brought into experimental, communion with the Lord. I began therefore, to meditate on the New Testament, from the beginning, early in the morning.

The first thing I did, after having asked in a few words the Lord's blessing upon His precious Word, was to begin to meditate on the Word of God; searching, as it were, into every verse, to get blessing out of it; not for the sake of the public ministry of the Word; not for the sake of preaching on what I had meditated upon; but for the sake of obtaining food for my own soul. The result I have found to be almost invariably this, that after a very few minutes my soul has been led to confession, or to thanksgiving, or to intercession, or to supplication; so that though I did not, as it were, give to prayer but to meditation, yet it turned almost immediately more or less to prayer.

When thus I have been for awhile making confession, or intercession, or supplication, or have given thanks, I go on to the next words or verse, turning all, as I go on, into prayer for myself or others, as the Word may lead to it; but still continually keeping before me that food for my own soul is the object of meditation. The result of this is, that there is always a good deal of confession, thanksgiving, supplication, or intercession mingled with my meditation, and that my inner man almost invariably is even sensibly nourished and strengthened and that by breakfast time, with rare exceptions, I am in a peaceful if not happy state of heart. Thus also the Lord is pleased to communicate unto me that which, very soon after, I have found to become food for other believers, though it was not for the sake of the public ministry of the Word that I have myself to meditation, but for the profit of my own inner man.

The difference between my former practice and my present one is this. Formerly, when I rose, I began to pray as soon as possible, and generally spent all my time till breakfast in prayer, or almost all the time. At all events I almost invariably began with prayer… But what was the result? I often spent a quarter of an hour, or half an hour, or even an hour on my knees, before being conscious to myself of having derived comfort, encouragement, humbling of soul, etc.; and often after having suffered much from wandering of mind for the first ten minutes, or a quarter of an hour, or even half an hour, I only then began really to pray.

I scarcely ever suffer now in this way. For my heart being nourished by the truth, being brought into experimental fellowship with God, I speak to my Father, and to my Friend (vile though I am, and unworthy of it!) about the things that He has brought before me in His precious Word.

It often now astonished me that I did not sooner see this. In no book did I ever read about it. No public ministry ever brought the matter before me. No private intercourse with a brother stirred me up to this matter. And yet now, since God has taught me this point, it is as plain to me as anything, that the first thing the child of God has to do morning-by-morning is to obtain food for his inner man.

As the outward man is not fit for work for any length of time, except we take food, and as this is one of the first things we do in the morning, so it should be with the inner man. We should take food for that, as every one must allow. Now what is the food for the inner man; not prayer, but the Word of God; and here again not the simple reading of the Word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what we read, pondering over it, and applying it to our hearts....

I dwell so particularly on this point because of the immense spiritual profit and refreshment I am conscious of having derived from it myself, and I affectionately and solemnly beseech all my fellow-believers to ponder this matter. By the blessing of God I ascribe to this mode the help and strength which I have had from God to pass in peace through deeper trials in various ways than I had ever had before; and after having now above forty years tried this way, I can most fully, in the fear of God, commend it. How different when the soul is refreshed and made happy early in the morning, from what it is when, without spiritual preparation, the service, the trials and the temptations of the day come upon one!" 

GeorgeMuller.org - The George Muller Web Site

 

Daily Rhythms

 

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2 ESV)

(Transformed) “That word is used one time in all the gospels, namely, about Jesus on the mountain of transfiguration (the mountain of “transformation” — same word, metemorphōthē): “And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light” (Matthew 17:2; Mark 9:2). (1)

(rhythm – a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound.)

“Our core being is expressed in language that follows the rhythms of our life, inhalation, and exhalation. We cannot breathe out what we have not first breathed in. The breath that God breaths into us in daily Pentecost is breathed out in our prayers, ‘telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:11). – Eugene Peterson(1)

God has made a way through Jesus to enter his presence so that we can worship him and experience transformation by his power. Our minds are the daily target of the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Giving into negative thinking, uninformed by Scripture – is harmful to our souls. 

Departing from God’s way of renewing our minds – disturbs the rhythm and design he has for our lives. Practicing the presence of God must become a daily habit. 

Deep meditation and contemplation of Scripture bring life to our souls.

Idolatry is placing anything in the path between God and ourselves. Unnrenewed minds will focus on worldly success and mind-numbing entertainment. And slip into patterns of carnal thinking.

Life is about rhythms: The Sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening. The tide goes in and out. The planets revolve around the sun – seasons come and go. So it is vitally important to establish a daily rhythm in our prayer lives – like going to sleep at night and waking up each morning. I find it helpful to start the day and end it in prayer. 

The bottom line for me is: Will I allow idols that compete for my affection for God every day to disrupt my time with him?

We must guard ourselves against those things that seek to displace Jesus from the throne of our hearts. Our goal is to renew our minds daily.

(1) Eugene Peterson, Answering God, page 60.

The Weaned Soul - Spiritual Attention Deficit Disorder

 

“O Lord, my heart is not lifted;

my eyes are not raised too high;

I do not occupy myself with things

too great and too marvelous for me.

 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,

like a weaned child with its mother;

like a weaned child is my soul within me.” – Psalms 131:1-2

I believe many Christians (including myself) suffer from, Spiritual Attention Deficit Disorder. We have untamed souls (mind, will, and emotions) and are not free from the distractions of this world. 

Waiting upon the Lord is a lost art to many in our generation. The practices of silence and solitude have almost become extinct in our culture. We need God's presence to free us from the anxiety caused by a steady stream of information and images we internalize daily. 

 Busyness or religious activities do not produce spiritual growth. Some of these activities can become a substitute for God. The satisfaction a child has in the presence of his mother is what God offers us.

 "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. " - Psalm 16:11 ESV

The weaned soul is a God-saturated soul that has abstained from excessive preoccupation with this world. Our society is controlled by fear, lust, and greed.

The worldly mind is not focused on spiritual reality. 

The weaned soul is not easily distracted by things of lesser importance. It is unselfish and has learned the secret of contentment.

We need time alone with God while not neglecting active involvement with other believers.  

Try meditating on Scripture and while praying over passages, write down your thoughts. Having our souls weaned from the anxiety-filled information age is a process. We must be intentional about seeking the face of the Lord, which is his presence.

Enlarge Our Hearts

 

The Word:

I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame! I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart! (Psalm 119:31-32 ESV)

Reflection:

As finite human beings, we are limited creatures. It takes an infinite Holy God to enlarge our hearts. We can’t grasp God and all his fullness. We need God by his Spirit to open our hearts to reveal his thoughts and loving intentions he has for us – to us. This love surpasses human knowledge and understanding – it’s experiential.

When God enlarges our hearts, our response is spiritual hunger. This hunger can only be satisfied by God’s Word and his presence. To be a people of the Word and not a people of His Presence makes us merely spiritual consumers of knowledge – that doesn’t produce spiritual fruit in our lives.

American evangelicals have a right to hold conservative political views. For some, patriotism and politics have become the main focus – they hurt the cause of Christ. Progressive Christians seek to deconstruct the faith. Both sides use God to push their agendas. The lack of spiritual depth in American Christianity has become evident for the world to see.

America is morally bankrupt and divided to the point that reconciliation between the political right and left seems impossible. Just look at the anger and division on Facebook and Twitter.

Prayer and repentance is our only answer. Scripture teaches, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:7) Many of us (not all) have become spiritually anemic and lack internal spiritual transformation. Thankfully there are still Christians growing during these days and are bearing fruit for the Kingdom of God, but in most cases, we rarely hear their voices among all the political bickering.

Watch and Pray: Father, please enlarge our hearts so that we can have the capacity to love you and our neighbor as ourselves. Pour out your Spirit on your people so that we will run after your commandments with humble hearts and demonstrate the love of Jesus to a confused and conflicted culture. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Watch You Doctrine

 

The Word:

“Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” – 1 Timothy 4:16 NKJV

A Reflexion:

Ignorant and proud of it, right? My college English teacher would say that at the beginning of our class. I found that to be humorous every time he said it. But, ignorance of biblical doctrine (teaching) is not a laughing matter. Let me explain, many intelligent people have neglected to study the Bible in context. Some of the best workers for the kingdom are in this category. I’m not casting stones because I am a work in progress myself.

I have heard well-meaning Christians talk negatively about doctrine. They say that doctrine is not relevant to them – which is a doctrine itself!

You can love God, be an authentic believer, and quote a Scripture that is not the author’s intended meaning. (The only One who understands the Bible perfectly, is the Holy Spirit who inspired it.)

Questions:

We all have favorite verses, but do we understand them in light of the whole chapter? What do the previous verses mean leading up to the passage you are teaching? And what about the historical context and how to apply it today? These questions need answers.

Truth matters. Our teaching must be biblically sound to benefit those who listen to us.

God gave teachers to the Church for a reason. The Apostle Paul warned Timothy to pay close attention to his life and message. Paul warned Timothy about the danger of not persevering in the truth for his own sake and those he influenced. That truth applies today. Bad teaching will distort our understanding of God and hurt those he has given us the responsibility to teach.

A good watchman studies Scripture in context.

A spiritual person embraces both sound doctrine and the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Scriptures For Meditation:

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15 ESV

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” – John 4:24 ESV

“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.” – 1 Corinthians 14:1 ESV

Watch And Pray:

Father, we live in a world of deception. Deliver Your Church from anti-intellectualism and the fear of your supernatural power. Lord, you meant for our study of theology to turn into doxology (worship.) Your Word commands us to pursue supernatural gifts of the Spirit. Teach us reverence for Your Word and Your Spirit. Keep us from deception and help us worship You in Spirit and Truth. In Jesus’ name, amen.

The Renewed Mind

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:1-2 ESV 

When we come under the power of temptation, we must learn to rely on the Holy Spirit. The person with a renewed mind has hidden the Word of God in their heart (Psalm 119:11.) The transformation of our inner being is crucial in our battle with the world, the flesh, and the devil.

The un-renewed Christian mind falls back into old sin patterns that conform to the culture. Without day and night meditation on Scripture and the things above, we drift into sin and deception (Colossians 3:2.) And we become unfruitful and ineffective in God’s call on our lives.

Our thinking directs our actions and behavior. What we believe is critical as we live our lives before God. The mind focused on truth experiences the abundant life. The soul filled with the truth experiences incremental change.

Praying for the renewal of the inner being must become part of our daily prayer life. Praying Apostolic prayers will help in the process of discovering all that God has given us in Christ Jesus. Praying and obeying Scripture will bear fruit in our lives.

Watch and Pray:
Father, we present our bodies to you today. Reveal the mind of Christ to us as we diligently seek your face. Teach us to guard our hearts against all forms of evil thinking. Help us renew our minds in Scripture daily so that we can discern good and evil. Give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we may grow in our knowledge of you. Help us to become a people who glorify Your name. Amen

A Reflection On Psalm One

 

The Word:

1Blessed is the man (the person)
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law (instruction) of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish. – (Psalm 1 ESV)

A Reflection:

Psalm 1: 1-3 presents a picture of a person who lives under God’s blessing. The word blessed means happy. This happiness is not contingent on material blessing or what the world apart from God craves. Divine favor from God is a result of living life in his Kingdom. And finding pleasure reciting quietly (meditating) and obeying God’s Word. This type of meditation requires intense study and reflection. This approach to life produces soul prosperity and well-being.

It’s Kingdom living (Matthew 5-7.) Like a tree transplanted to a riverbank from its natural habitat. Its roots grow deep so that the tree is nourished and grows strong.

The contrast could not be starker between those who walk in obedience to God’s word and those that do not. By nature, we all gravitate to the advice of the world. We must protect our minds from ungodly influences. Internal change happens as we allow the Word and the Spirit to transform our thinking.

Those who do not delight in God’s ways go down a destructive path. They may seem to flourish for a season, but they bear no fruit.

Prayer: Father, help us avoid the path of those who reject your truth. Lord, give us a hunger and desire to delight in your word. And help us to obey you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

The Blessed Life

 

Blessed is the man

 who walks not in the counsel of the wicked\ nor stands in the way of sinners,

 nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

 and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree

 planted by streams of water

 that yields its fruit in its season,

 and its leaf does not wither.

 In all that he does, he prospers.

 The wicked are not so,

 but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

 nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

 but the way of the wicked will perish. - (Psalm 1 ESV)

What we meditate on shapes our minds, wills, and emotions. Our actions are determined by our thought-life. Meditating on God’s word day and night is foundational to the life of the disciple, and there is no Christianity without discipleship. Holy Scripture is “God-breathed.” God’s words have creative power – he spoke the world into existence. He raises those who are spiritually dead to life with His word. The inner life of a disciple is formed by the Word of God through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. 

The revelation of who God is causes us to get a glimpse of his transcendence. 

Meditating and contemplating the truth of God brings stability to our lives. Transformed thinking leads to a profound sense of joy and peace even in times of uncertainty. As New Testament believers we have the Spirit abiding in us at all times.

“I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:8 ESV)

This transformation of our inner person is the outcome of gazing at the beauty of Jesus, as revealed in the Gospel. King David was careful to use his sanctified imagination to “set the Lord always before him.” The Holman Christian Standard Bible says, “I keep the LORD in mind always. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:8)

King David ask God to create in him a clean heart. God’s creative activity in the human heart never ceases. And just as our Creator created the human race by breathing life into Adam, so he has created a new race called Christians, by giving us his Spirit. We are, spiritually speaking, a new creation in Christ, whom God has created out of the midst of fallen humanity.

God has given his children access to the blessed life – which means true happiness. A key component to spiritual growth is avoiding the counsel of the wicked, at all cost. And to avoid the talk and the reasoning of those who scoff at God and his people. This is an essential part of the Spirit-led life.

As we consistently engage God in prayer, and meditation on the Scripture – our souls will flourish and prosper. Listening to Hollywood, the media, politicians, and the talking heads of popular culture can lead us into spiritual depression. But, our attentiveness to God’s voice brings a deep sense of joy in a confused and negative world. “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20 NLT)

Having confidence in the nearness of God is the key to our enjoyment of him. So even when His presence is not felt – we still know that Jesus is with us. And that “he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) 

The goal of our lives is to be conformed to the image of Jesus.

Rooted In Good Soil

“Truth is a great fertilizer for the soul.” – Stuart McAlpine

If a tree is not planted in good soil and well-watered with the right nutrients, it will eventually wither and die. According to Stuart McAlpine, the picture we see in Psalm 1 is probably of a tree planted near an irrigation channel in Babylon, while the Jews were living in captivity. This is an interesting observation because even if we are planted in enemy territory, we can still flourish spiritually if we seek the Lord.

We are God’s trees and we must feed off the word of God if we are to prosper spiritually, like the man mentioned in Psalm 1. We must be intentional about our spiritual growth. This requires turning off the computer and television at times and tuning out all other distractions.

Eugene Peterson teaches that we must meditate on Scripture the same way a dog chews on a bone. This is a much more aggressive form of meditation than most of us have understood. This requires a day and night preoccupation with the truth.

 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6-7 ESV) 

 

….that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love… (Ephesians 3:16-17 ESV) 

Jesus Christ is the good soil that God has planted us in.