Oh, I’d heard of him lots.

Seen him quoted in other books.

But I’d never read anything by him.

That is changing.

And I’m hooked.

Finally reading The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard.

Oh my word.

In light of yesterday’s post, I feel the need to quote him a bit.

See, the old me would have read that post and then panicked slightly.  I need to do more.  To serve more.  To make sure I don’t lose rewards.  (Okay, this is still a current struggle.)

But, as Foster points out, “Actually this reality is not something we can bring about by gritting our teeth and fortifying our will.  There are things for us to do, as we shall see, but they are more like getting in step with the Leader than blazing the trail for ourselves”  (Freedom of Simplicity, pg. 120).

It’s the internal transformation and walking in the Spirit that makes the difference.

Says Willard, “We have noted how he [Jesus] entered human history through the life of an ordinary family.  But then, as God’s flash point in reigniting eternal life among us, he inducts us into the eternal kind of life that flows through himself.  He does this first by bringing that life to bear upon our needs, and then by diffusing it throughout our deeds – deeds done with expectation that he and his Father will act with and in our actions” (Willard, pg. 27).

And here is the problem with an open-ended personality trying to tie up a series like this: I continually am picking up new books that shed important light on the topic.  I promise, though, this is the last one.  I need to work on the discipline of finishing.

So in an attempt to be public about this: Finishing a few points in Generous Justice.  A couple more topics in Money, Possessions and Eternity, a couple more thoughts from 7, and one main topic from Hybels’ The Power of a Whisper.  Probably with Willard and Foster quotes interspersed.

I know you didn’t need to know that.  I’m typing it for myself.

Do you struggle with finishing?  I like the ongoing act of learning and living.  Finishing is so…final.  But finish I must. 

Let me know any thoughts you have.  Help me soldier on!

“We’ve been deceived into thinking works is a dirty word.  Not true.  God condemns works done to earn salvation and works done to impress others.  But our Lord enthusiastically commends works done for the right reasons.  Immediately after saying our salvation is ‘not by works,’ Paul adds: ‘For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do’ (Eph 2:8-10).

God has a lifetime of good works for each of us to do.  Many of these works he intends to do with our money and possessions.  He will reward us according to whether or not we do them.  ‘God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them’ (Heb 6:10).  The verses that follow in Hebrews 6 tell us that if we are to inherit God’s promised blessings we must not become lazy but diligent in our God-given works.

God gives us eternal rewards for doing good works (Eph 6:8; Rom 2:6, 10), persevering under persecution (Luke 6:22-23), showing compassion to the needy (Luke 14:13-14), treating our enemies kindly (Luke 6:35), serving him faithfully (Rev. 11:18), denying ourselves  (Matt 16:24-27; Matt 19:29), enduring difficult circumstances while trusting in God (Heb. 10:34-36), and living a life of godliness (2 Peter 3:11-14).  And when we extend hospitality and give a meal to those too poor or incapacitated to pay us back, Christ promises, ‘you will be blessed.  Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous’ (Luke 14:14).

Crowns are a common symbol of ruling power, though they may symbolize other rewards as well.  Five crowns are mentioned in the New Testament:

1.  The Crown of Life – given for faithfulness to Christ in persecution or martyrdom (James 1:12; Rev 2:10).

2.  The Incorruptible Crown – given for determination, discipline, and victory in the Christian life (1 Cor 9:24-25).

3.  The Crown of Rejoicing – given for pouring oneself into others in evangelism and discipleship (1 Thess 2:19; Phil 4:1)

4.  The Crown of Glory – given for faithfully representing Christ in a position of spiritual leadership (1 Pet 5:1-4). 

5.  The Crown of Righteousness – given for joyfully purifying and readying oneself to meet Christ at his return (2 Tim 4:6-8).

There’s nothing in this list that suggests it is exhaustive.  There may be innumerable crowns and types of crowns and rewards unrelated to crowns.  But all are graciously given by the Lord Jesus in response to the faithful efforts of the believer.

These crowns bring glory to Christ as they are laid before his feet (Rev 4:10), showing that our rewards are given not merely for our recognition, but for God’s glory.  Although God’s glory is the highest reason for any action, Scripture sees no contradiction between God’s eternal glory and our eternal good.  On the contrary, glorifying God will always result in our greatest eternal good.  Likewise, pursuing our eternal good, as he commands us to do, will always glorify God.  False humility that says, ‘I want no reward,’ effectively means, ‘I want nothing to lay at Christ’s feet to bring him glory.’

We are to guard our crowns carefully (Rev 3:11).  Why?  Because we can be disqualified from receiving them (1 Cor 3:15).  They can be taken from us (Matt 25:28-29).  We can seek our rewards from men, thereby forfeiting them from God (Matt. 6:5-6).  John warns, ‘Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully’ (2 John 8). 

What we do in this life is of eternal importance.  You and I will never have another chance to move the hand of God through prayer to heal a hurting soul, share Christ with one who can be saved from hell, care for the sick, give a cup of water to the thirsty, comfort the dying, invest money to help the helpless, rescue the unborn, further God’s kingdom, open our homes, and share our clothes and food with the poor and needy.

If we really believed that what we do with our money and possessions – and everything else – will have an irreversible effect on eternity…wouldn’t we live differently?”

Alcorn, Money, Possessions and Eternity, pgs. 118, 119, 121, 124, 125)

Woo hoo.

Beth Moore brought it this weekend.

The whole thing was a jolt to my soul.  Lots of time with women – silly and lighthearted as well as serious and heavy.  Yummy food, fun shopping, good coffee. 

What I love most about a conference like this is the extended time of worship in song and the Word.  I came asking for a word from Him.  He is so faithful.

We camped out mostly in Exodus 15, the Song of Moses.  This is right after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and the waters came crashing down on the Egyptians.  She backed us up to Exodus 14:13 where the Israelites look back and see the horses and chariots of Egypt coming back after them, and they are freaking out. 

Moses says, “Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.  The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (verses 13-14)

The next verse is so interesting. 

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me?  Tell the Israelites to move on.  Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground…'”

Translation?  “I didn’t tell you to stand still.  We are most certainly not going back.  I said to Move It.  We are going forward!  Move!”

She said we can be like that.  God has brought us out to take us somewhere and we’re standing still, “waiting on Him.”  We accuse God of not leading us and He’s going, “How many seas did I already part for you?  Move!”

Then she pointed out verse 19: “Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them.  The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel.”

She said sometimes it’s obvious God is leading you in a certain direction, so you follow.  But after you start moving that direction, suddenly you’re like, “Where’d you go, God?  I can’t feel you anymore.”  She said maybe that’s because He’s moved between you and your enemies, and is pushing you forward!

She pointed out that this spiritual life is harder than we ever thought, and if we are just sitting back, we’re going to get slaughtered.  If you are going to be victorious, you’ll be in a fight, sweating with some bruises.  But He’s so worth it.

It was such a kick in the pants.  I need to get moving in several areas of life and ministry.  But one that I’ve publicly committed to is wrapping up this series on here about simplicity of heart.  I have the time several days out of the week.  God has given me the lessons.  In His strength and endurance, I can move it!

(Oh, that’s probably not all I’ll say about the conference.  We camped out on Miriam’s life…she had some lessons to teach me and God had a word of rebuke for me as well.  I hope to share some more of that, too.)

The next little section that keeps tugging on me is the way Alcorn delves into the stewardship theme.  He challenges us to use the resources we’ve been given for eternal purposes.  It’s a tricky topic, one that seems personal.  But as Foster points out, “The Gospel demands more of us: it is obligatory upon us to help one another hammer out the shape of Christian simplicity in the midst of modern affluence.  We need to love each other enough to sense our mutual responsibility and accountability.  We are our brother’s and our sister’s keeper…Until we become specific, we have not spoken the word of truth that liberates (Foster, pgs 131 & 133).”

So, from Alcorn: “Scripture repeatedly states that all men, not just unbelievers, will be judged for their works (Proverbs 24:12; Ecclesiastes 12:14).  The Lord’s evaluation of the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 makes clear that he is watching us, evaluating us. To Christians, Jesus says, ‘I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds’ (Rev 2:23).

Scripture teaches that all believers in Christ will give an account of their lives to their Lord (Romans 14:10-12). We will be judged by him according to our works, both good and bad (2 Cor 5:10).  The result of this will be the gain or loss of eternal rewards (2 Cor 5:9-10; Rom 14:10-12).

‘If any man builds on this foundation [the foundation of Christ] using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light.  It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.  If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.’ (1 Cor 3:12-15)

Our works are what we have done with our resources – time, energy, talents, money, possessions.  The fire of God’s holiness will reveal the quality of these works, the eternal significance of what we’ve done with our God-given assets and opportunities.

Our sins are totally forgiven when we come to Christ, and we stand justified in him.  Nevertheless, Scripture speaks about a coming judgment of our works, not our sins…God is for us, not against us (Rom 8:31).  He has assured us we won’t face the Great White Throne Judgment.  He wants to commend us at the judgment seat of Christ.  He doesn’t want the works of our lifetime to go up in smoke.  He wants us to have eternal rewards – and he has given us every resource in Christ to live the godly life that will result in those eternal rewards (2 Peter 1:3).

For those who have served Christ faithfully, the judgment seat will be a time of commendation and celebration.  He will reward us for acts of love that no one else even noticed.”  (Money, Possessions and Eternity, pgs 116, 117)

Truth, Lord.  Joyful and free and loving Truth.  Be bigger than my lack of follow through.  Be my Follow Through.  For Your glory and our good.

For the next several weeks, each person in our small group is picking one Biblical character and teaching about them.  I chose Priscilla.  I’ve been interested in her and her marriage since reading this book in 2006.  The way Wangerin describes them in relation to Paul’s ministry is fascinating.

She and her husband, Aquila, worked together as tentmakers.  They opened their home every place they lived (Corinth, Ephesus, Rome) to the church.  After sitting under Paul’s teaching for 18 months, they took aside a gifted preacher and more thoroughly explained the way of God to him (Acts 18:26).  And they even risked their necks to save Paul’s life (Romans 16:3-5). 

They seemed to be very loyal, have a deep love for Jesus, and were willing to sacrifice to make others and the church more successful. 

I love character studies.

Hmmm.  Still more.

I know with every strength there’s a weakness.

I know empathy and seeing the why behind someone’s actions is good.

But I don’t want to fall into the trap of justifying sin.  In myself or others.

The other day a friend was sharing a personal struggle.  Her perspective on this issue is Biblical, but not the norm.  So she finds herself wanting to feel understood in this area.  But then she said,

“But I don’t need anyone telling me it’s okay.”

“Because it’s sin?”

“Because it’s sin.”

I don’t want to give any impressions on here that I’m okay with what God is not okay with.  It doesn’t help me and it doesn’t help others.

The very real pride in my heart that rebels at spiritual correction is sin.

The desire to do whatever I want to do with no accountability is sin.

Not allowing others to lead me is sin.

Whatever the reason behind it.

Seeing shades of gray is a good thing.

But some things are black and white. 

To paraphrase Cloud and Townsend, “The bad news in life is even if you’re in a difficult situation that is not your fault, you still have to do the work.”

Please know I have wonderful accountability partners and leaders in my life.  I have people making sure I don’t let this issue get out of hand in my heart.  I want to hear challenges and rebukes and accept them without making pleasing the person giving them my motive in change.  Fine line for someone like me. 

Okay, I think that’s it for today.

Oops.  This post is the one I was referring to in the last post.

This post continues to come to my mind.  Therefore, I’ve been mulling it over. 

I wasn’t very honest in it.  It may seem like it was honest, but it was actually very reactive. 

If anything about our outreach ministry comes across – here or elsewhere – as self-righteous or condemning, I have gone off course.  If I ever share anything but grace, grace, and more grace, I am a hypocrite.  Yes, there is a need for Truth, too.  But the spirit in which it is shared – by me – has to be one of compassion and grace.  Or it is inauthentic.

When a young girl is victimized, it can set off certain reactions in her heart.  Ways to deal with the pain that are not God’s ways.  In one sense, her sexuality can cause her great shame and she can deny or try to hide it.  In another sense, because her sexuality was used against her, she can turn it into a way to feel powerful instead of a like a victim.  It becomes a sense of power – but a false one.  It is actually a lie.  When a woman is involved in the sex industry because she feels she is taking back power that had been taken from her, it is the worst kind of self-deception.  She is in bondage.

Even though no one on our team has been involved in the sex industry, there are ways in which I at least have done internally what they are externalizing.  Before in my life I have sought to both deny femininity and sexuality – and used it to not feel like a victim.  Therefore I feel very empathetic toward the struggle of women in the industry.

The problem comes when I assume others aren’t.  That they wouldn’t understand or they would judge.  It is just a reverse judgment.  I am just as guilty of prejudging and accusing motives.  This is wrong and I am sorry.  I am sorry publicly because I have been wrong publicly.

Lately I have fallen into some people pleasing tendencies.  I started blogging on here because I felt a very real pull from God to share some lessons.  I still feel that pull, but I have done it in ways that are inauthentic or done it on days when He wasn’t tugging on my heart to share but I shared anyway, in the desire to be consistent.  When I do that, instead of follow His gracious lead, I can get angry.  At myself for people pleasing instead of God pleasing.  I do not struggle with trying to earn God’s approval.  That is not my self-righteous struggle.  I struggle with wanting other believer’s approval.  To appear righteous before them.  That should not be my goal.

I will continue to share on here.  I think I’m supposed to.  It helps keep me honest.  And hopefully it speaks to someone else.  But I will do it as I feel led, when I know it will come across in the right spirit of gratitude.  The spirit that is most true in my heart toward all God has done for me.

God is very tricky.  He has used the tug toward women stuck in bondage to continue to show me areas of my heart that are still a daily battle of my own bondage.  Places I still need to take down the wallpaper of lies in my mind and re-wallpaper with Truth from His Word.  It is a continuation of the freedom journey He and I began 12 years ago.  I think that’s good.

He is also tricky in dealing with my prejudices and trust issues toward people in churches.  The very people I feared would judge and condemn have been so incredibly gracious and generous toward this ministry.  Every time someone offers to help or supports the outreach, I feel so humbled and grateful.  Maybe that’s taking it too personal, but all I know is it has been God’s way of whispering to my heart of His love and the love He desires His Body to show the world.

“Whom have I in heaven but you?  And earth has nothing I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart my fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Psalm 73:25 & 26

Sometimes I have a really hard time separating truth from lies.  I know when I have a general spirit of condemnation it isn’t from my Father.  So I haven’t wanted to share too much about that on here.

I’ve been studying David in 2 Samuel, but today she had us look at Psalm 139.  Particularly, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (verses 23 & 24)

“If I allow God to halt sin before it takes one step out of the mind into word or deed, the only person hurt will be me.  Once sin progresses from the mind to the mouth and deeds, we’ve involved others, and the repercussions and chastisements escalate.”

And that’s when it finally hit me: when my sin of pride bleeds out in my words on here, it affects others who would read it. 

Of course!  It seems so obvious, but I wasn’t clear what I was needing to be confessing or apologizing for.  It was all very muddy in my brain.

So please know, anyone reading this, that I am so sorry my sin would affect or hurt you.  I want this to be a place where God is given glory.  I think I may always struggle with that line between being authentic without glorifying sin.  I know I passed that line in several posts the last few weeks and it is wrong. 

If I’ve completely missed the mark and am needing to confess something else (or something more) please pray for me to know specifically what it is.  And due to my own particular struggles with feelings of guilt, feel free to ask that I would fight that fight well in my mind to not believe lies. 

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 

– 1 John 1:8&9

Thanks for reading this. 

“Service is a reward, not a punishment.  This idea is foreign to people who dislike their work and only put up with it until retirement.  We think that faithful work should be rewarded by a vacation for the rest of our lives.  But God offers us something very different: more work, more responsibilities, increased opportunities, along with greater abilities, resources, wisdom and empowerment.  We will have sharp minds, strong bodies, clear purpose, and unabated joy.  The more we serve Christ now, the greater our capacity will be to serve him in Heaven.

Dallas Willard suggests, ‘Perhaps it would be a good exercise for each of us to ask ourselves: Really, how many cities could I now govern under God?  If, for example, Baltimore or Liverpool were turned over to me, with power to do what I want with it, how would things turn out?  An honest answer to this question might do much to prepare us for our eternal future in this universe.’

Will everyone be given the opportunity to rule in the new universe?  The apostle Paul said that eternal rewards are available ‘not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing’ (2 Tim 4:8).  The word all is encouraging.  ‘The Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free’ (Eph 6:8).  The word everyone is again encouraging.  It won’t be just a select few rewarded with positions of leadership.

Should we be excited that God will reward us by making us rulers in His Kingdom?  Absolutely.  Jesus said, ‘Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven’ (Matt 5:12).

God will choose who reigns as kings, and I think some great surprises are in store for us.  Christ gives us clues in Scripture as to the type of person he will choose: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven…Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth…Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ (Matt 5:3, 5, 10).  ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.  Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time’ (1 Pet 5:5-6).

Look around you to see the meek and the humble.  They may include street sweepers, locksmith’s assistants, bus drivers…

I once gave one of my books to a delightful hotel bellman.  I discovered he was a committed Christian.  He said he’d been praying for our group, which was holding a conference at the hotel.  Later, I gave him a little gift, a rough wooden cross.  He seemed stunned, overwhelmed. 

With tears in his eyes he said, ‘You didn’t need to do that.  I’m only a bellman.’ 

The moment he said it, I realized that this brother had spent his life serving.  It will likely be someone like him that I’ll have the privilege of serving under in God’s Kingdom.  He was ‘only a bellman’ who spoke warmth and love, who served, who quietly prayed in the background for the success of a conference in his hotel.  I saw Jesus in that bellman, and there was no ‘only’ about him.

Who will be kings of the New Earth?  I think that bellman will be one of him.

And I’ll be honored to carry his bags.”

– Alcorn, Heaven, pgs. 234-235

Praise the LORD, O my soul.

O LORD my God, You are very great;

You are clothed with splendor and majesty.

You wrap Yourself in light as with a garment;

You stretch out the heavens like a tent

And lay the beams of Your upper chambers on their waters.

You make the clouds Your chariot

And ride on the wings of the wind.

You make winds Your messengers,

Flames of fire Your servants.

Psalm 104:1-4