Today’s post comes from my good friend Dan Roland.  Dan is serving on pastoral staff in Colorado.  Audrey (his wife) is an amazing musician and they have one energetic son.

I have been reading “Shadow of the Almighty” about Jim Elliot and I have had to consider my relationship with God and figure out whether or not I am in an intimate relationship with God (at the same time seriously trying not to compare my “spirituality” with what his journal entries and letters depict as his spirituality).  In the attempt to do this I came up with several questions.

1.  Do I truly desire intimacy with God or have I become content with all the trappings of my “cottage below”? – Is it enough to have a sufficient income, family, ministry and nice things?

2. Do I have beliefs or systems of knowledge (theology, interpretations, culture etc.) that prevent me from knowing God intimately? — Heb. 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. [NASB] – While the 2 elements that we must believe are simple (believing God’s existence and that any search for Him will be rewarded) many of us stop searching for God because we passed our academic tests and our ordination councils.  We have The Infinite God figured out and defined.  This error will not only prevent intimacy with God, but it will reduce our ability to meet individual needs by applying simplistic and overly general sin/proof text cures.

3.  Do I need to separate from all my “book learning” for a time in order to draw near to God? — Matt.14:23 After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.  Luke 5:16 But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. [NASB] — This is the ideal that we all should strive for.  Christ got away from the distracting elements (crowds, disciples, healing and discipling ministries etc.) in order to have intimacy with the Father.  If the distracting elements are physical, like Christ’s were, then get away somewhere desolate and solitary.  If the distractions are mental, then the same principle should apply.  Communion with the Father can and must re-align all of our human training and education.

4.  Personal devotional time

• Does my routine draw me to see God’s face or simply to a sense of spiritual accomplishment?
• How do I know the difference between my own imagination and the Holy Spirit? – (most take a trial and error method to know the difference – This should not be the case. – 2 Cor. 2:10-13)
• Is my daily conversation intermingled with the results of nearly constant meditation/conversation with God?

5.  Am I praying much? – This is probably the question that everything hinges upon. The life of faith is inseparably connected with prayer. “A little faith will bring a soul to heaven; Much faith will bring heaven to the soul” – Spurgeon.  1 Thess. 5:17 should not be explained away, it should be normal for all Christians. 1 Tim. 2:8 says men should “Pray every where”.  (There! – that will be my exegetical fudging for this blog.)

6.   Do I desire great and grand ministry, (my own kingdom), or the Great God and our Saviour? — Ps. 84:10 implies that God’s service is greater than anything the world can offer, but if we are already “serving the Lord” we must take heed to the often asked question of the disciples: “which of us is greatest.” Matt. 23:11 and John 13:1-20 teach principles that must rule whatever goals we have in ministry.

1 John 3:1-3 states that we are incredibly blessed to be called “sons of God.”  We could accomplish no greater work or act of ministry than to know our Father intimately.  May God grant us grace to desire nothing else but Him.

Rather than assume the Bible is our most influential book (and move on to “more interesting” titles), we should stop and consider what parts of the Bible have influenced us.  In my early Christian years, I was guided by specific phrases or verses, often memorised in AWANA, church or school.  For example:

• “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  (Ephesians 2:8-9) As a child, I learned that salvation was given by God’s grace, not obtained by my works.
• “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”  (John 10:27-28) As a young man, I found assurance in Christ’s promise to keep me secure.
• “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”  (Isaiah 40:6) As a young adult, this verse helped me to value God’s Word over other interests that would not last.

In my twenties, I began benefiting more from whole passages, i.e. from the Psalms and the Epistles.  I also read through the Bible multiple times, tackling books I had never read before.  Books like Isaiah and Ecclesiastes opened new insights into the rich glory of God and the poor state of my own soul.

With help from teachers, I began seeing the Bible as one story with various genres, all pointing to Jesus Christ as the hero.  No other book reveals Jesus like the Bible does.  The Scriptures are also the light by which we discern all other influential books (and movies and TV shows!).

So as a Christian, you should be able to point to specific Bible verses, passages or books which have affected you by increasing your understanding, or correcting your sinful thinking / unbelief, or showing the right way ahead.  Here’s a quick test to ask yourself: in the past week, what specific Bible text has influenced you?  If the only sound in your mind is crickets chirping, then it’s time to open the Bible.

Writing notes in your Bible is a great way to record its influence in your life.  Assuming your Bible has space for notes, you could write down a helpful explanation during a sermon, or write how the verse may apply to you.  Over time, your Bible will look like a personal travel map, showing landmarks in your journey through the Word.

Next time, we’ll discuss about other influential books.  But the Bible is always the best place to start.

I’ve been thinking this through over the last two weeks as several people brought it up in the comments here and here. Here are my thoughts.

1) The opposite of intentionality is not spontaneity. The opposite of intentionality is traditionalism.

Traditionalism does something because “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” Intentionality does something because it seems to be the best way to do it.

Intentionality may lead a person to spontaneous action at one moment and to stick to a carefully thought-out plan the next. It all depends on what he is deliberately trying to accomplish.

2) When spontaneous is defined as doing whatever, whenever, then it’s not spontaneity at all. It’s just recklessness.

Spontaneous could be defined as “unplanned.” But there is a big difference between “unplanned” and “whatever, whenever.” Being deliberate frees you to be spontaneous without being reckless (more on that under #4).

3) Deliberate living will express itself differently in different personalities.

Both the accountant and the explorer must be deliberate. But they must also be spontaneous if they are to be successful in their pursuits.

Just like any other aspect of Christian character, intentionality will look different in different people. Joy looks different in different people. Love looks different in different people. So, deliberate living looks different in different people.

4) Being deliberate need not hinder spontaneity. In reality, it’s usually the opposite.

The opposite of spontaneous is “planned.” A person who is living deliberately will always have a plan to get from point A to point B. But since he is living deliberately, when an  opportunity arises to get from A to B in a better way than he’d planned, he is free to be spontaneous and take the opportunity because he knows exactly where he is going and is focused on getting there.

If he is bound by traditionalism, he will be likely to miss the opportunity. It is intentionality itself that frees him to seize the moment and act spontaneously.

For instance, it was precisely because Jesus was living deliberately that he found himself alone, by a well, and prepared to strike up a spontaneous discussion with a woman who came by. It was all the deliberate moments preceding, that prepared Jesus to spontaneously seize the opportunity with this woman.^[1]

I hope these thoughts are helpful. Perhaps they need some adjustment. That’s what the meta is for. Fire away.

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^[1] Of course it’s not a perfect example. Since Jesus is God, it is debatable whether anything he did could be defined as spontaneous per se.

Since trying to lose some pounds, I quite enjoy watching it online (without the distraction of the ads, including those involving food).

There must be tens of thousands of people who (vicariously) watch the contestants try and do something about their weight problems.

The competition goes for a few months and the transformation in the contestants is nothing short of remarkable.

It is hard not to be moved with compassion and joy for those who lose 40-50% of their entire body weight after all their hard work.

In a controlled and focused environment and surrounded by the best trainers and gym equipment, healthy food and medical supervision, people who once thought they were hopelessly overweight are shedding anywhere from 3-10kgs per week! It is not always like that but these figures are pretty usual.

The contestants are seen warts (or should I say weights) and all. There are loads of tears and conflicts within themselves and with the other contestants as they battle their dietary demons. All in full view of a watching public!

Each week they submit to the ‘weigh in’ to see who will fall below the dreaded ‘yellow line’ and face elimination.

It seems to me that those contestants who have succeeded are the ones who have literally had to die to their old habits and ways.

Mild reform and some tinkering here and there just won’t do. As Jason would say, “These people are intentional.”

They have basically ‘repented’ of their previous lifestyle. They have become accountable to their trainers and families- even an entire nation. How do they back out now?

While the show is somewhat artificial (how many people can drop out of the game of life to lose weight this way?) and people are learning self-help techniques rather than dependence on God, there are still some valuable lessons we can learn.

God wants us to be the biggest losers!

Not so much in the physical realm but as we learn to deny self and follow Christ in our choices and direction of life.

Be under no illusion: while there is a life to live for Christ, there is also a death to die.

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. Luke 9:23-26

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:24-25

A Fundamentalist leader talks about where the movements fit in when it comes to the defence of the gospel and of our precious faith.

If you love the gospel, then I urge you to take the time today to read this.

• A missionary, David Hosaflook, addresses election and tears for the lost:

“To be biblical, your theology of election must never, ever dry your tears for the lost.”

• Comparison of the Epistemological Assumptions of Christianity & the “Modernisms.” Worth a look, though I cringe when I see world-views pitted against “Biblical Christianity” (as if Christian are not or should not be influenced by the prevailing world-view of their day). But that’s another post for another day. So check it out at Extreme Theology.

• Check this out. An atheist calls it like it is with Liberal theology:

“I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.” (Australian Pastors)

• Some good thoughts on prayer. “Dear God, I want to talk…” Sunergos Aletheia.

Ok. I’m down to mostly video clips. Here’s one worth watching.

1. How does your personal experience influence your methodology? Many of you referenced personal spiritual growth as a result of the altar call.  You also perceived times when the altar call was more man’s pleading than the Spirit’s leading.  Experience is both valuable and myopic.  We cannot distill the two effects (King Solomon). We can remain humble & teachable allowing our own experiences to mature with Scriptural clarity, providential opportunities and relationships.  I love Jude’s admonition: “keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.  And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.”
2. What’s the correlation between frequency and effectiveness? In most contexts, you would agree that greater frequency leads to more effectiveness.  Don Bradman improved his hand-eye coordination using a stump and golf ball.  Master teachers improve their ability to teach by teaching more often.  So why do we argue that greater frequency in church methodology reduces effectiveness?  If this is your position, how do you keep other methods from becoming overused?  Here’s a couple for you: Should we have announcements after formal worship begins?  Should we have services built around communion (instead of communion bolted onto the service)?
3. How much emotion is too much emotion? Phillip Brooks defined preaching as “truth through personality.”  The passionate communication of God’s Word is endorsed (Jeremiah 20:9) and witnessed (take your pick) throughout Scripture.  The danger lies in emotion divorced from Scriptural truth.
4. How does moderation improve church methodology? This question is the flipside of the frequency/effectiveness debate.   Moderation can improve method by allowing more time for refinement (for example – special music in church services).  Many of you noted that moderation enhances reception.  I concur.

Can you think of additional factors that influence methodology (denominational preference, hermeneutics, etc)?

We marvelled at God’s providence in preserving His church, and in blessing them with a man who is equipped with the Word and called to Gospel ministry.

At the same time, I wonder how many other Australian congregations are without pastors?  I have not yet found statistics on this, but we’ve met others from regional areas who have not had a pastor for years.  In these cases, either there is no suitable church or their church is unable to support a pastor.  Believers resort to downloading sermons or holding worship services at home.  These are sincere Christians without an under-shepherd.

One reason I work in Sydney is because of the influx of people here.  But how can we help the regional areas and churches without pastors?  Perhaps it’s an opportunity for the return of itinerant preachers.

To be deliberate is to always move forward with the destination in mind.

Perhaps the most striking picture of the deliberate Christ is found in Luke 9:51:

“He set his face to go to Jerusalem.”

This is at least six months before his crucifixion, and yet Jesus Christ—the deliberate Christ—is moving forward with the destination in mind.

That kid knows where he’s going

Even twenty years earlier, we find young Jesus on his first visit to Jerusalem where his simple rationale is this:

“I must be about My Father’s business.”

This was the pattern of Jesus’ life. He knew exactly why he came, and everything he did, he did with the destination in mind.

He selected his disciples with the destination in mind.

He graciously tolerated and patiently taught his ever so slow-learning students with the destination in mind.

He sacrificed the comforts of a bed, a home, and a family with the destination in mind.

He spoke to passing strangers with the destination in mind.^[1]

Jesus Christ lived deliberately. He was intentional. He was proactive.

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Eternal purposes

Yet we can trace the intentionality of Christ much further back than his time as a human on this planet. Peter tells us that Jesus “was foreordained before the foundation of the world”^[2] for this same purpose. And Paul takes it a step further when he points out that it was God the Father’s “eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord”!^[3]

I would suggest based on these truths that intentionality is part of the very nature of God. Indeed, that it is God’s eternal intentionality that has rescued us from our hopeless blindness and restored us to our eternal purpose—to glorify him and enjoy him forever!

Being deliberate is not something for those who are so inclined. It is the overriding pattern of our Saviour’s life, and as such, it is a Christian duty.

Every believer is responsible to conduct himself deliberately.

^[1] John 4:6ff.
^[2] 1 Peter 1:20.
^[3] Ephesians 3:11.

We then heard 3 strong Bible messages (about an hour long each sermon) on personal holiness interspersed with breaks, lunch, songs, etc. It was a great day.

I tried to talk some kids out of coming as I thought it might have been too much given where they are currently at spiritually. It was almost like ‘Will ye also go away?‘

Bible preaching is worth listening to for intensive and extended periods.

While not every Saturday but certainly a couple of  times a year. We think nothing surfing the net, watching tele- for hours on end. Ad infinitem. So let’s get excited about gathering around the Book that should mean everything to us!

Young people can sit through demanding Bible preaching without the best stories and funniest jokes. We just need to develop their appetite for it.

Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, ….. 2 Timothy 4:2-3