Living Light

Stirring The Deep

Tag Archives: Spiritual Disciplines


by 2 Comments

Discipleship Of Christ

Discipleship Of Christ

 

Our beliefs determine everything. When our beliefs are transformed and remolded, we change. Our beliefs change when we deeply learn something new. It’s a depth of learning that reshapes our souls and thus our lives. This remolding is what God calls us to in seeking His truth, and not a head knowledge that affects little. When I speak of learning in this post, I’m speaking of a depth of learning that is really a remolding that makes us into new creations.

Galatians 1:11-12 But I make known to you, brethren that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

From God, we learn the deep truths of God that transform us. He is our Creator; He does the remolding. I didn’t experience transformable learning by hearing others talk about God. Others can point to the way to truth. They can talk of the truths of God, but the depth of knowing of those truths as we are intended to know them, can only come by being taught by the Holy Spirit. This transformable learning is why we were given the Holy Spirit.

1 John 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

Each one of God’s children is called to be a disciple of Christ, not others. Matthew 28:19 Jesus Christ is the Word of God. Thus, we each are to individually abide in the Word of God, the Bible, seeking the instruction of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, we are to support others in becoming disciples of Christ, not others.

Matthew 23:8, 10 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ

In the verse above the titles teacher and Rabbi denote authority and supremacy in the area of instruction. The Rabbi held an honorable place in the synagogue as he was seen as the expert in spiritual matters. When Jesus came He took the place of the teachers who held that authority as noted in the verse. Christ alone became The Teacher having preeminence in instruction about Him and His kingdom. Jesus came and made everything personal including instruction.

Yet, Paul tells us that God appoints teachers for the body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:28) However, this role doesn’t contain the authority of what Jesus spoke about in Matthew 23. If so the verses would be contradictory. Teachers among the brethren are simply that, our brethren. All they say is secondary and points to our Teacher’s words. Effective teachers help others discover the truth, for that is all they can really do. For a healthy family, our Father, God, should hold the role as the utmost Teacher in each one of our lives. This means we spend time daily talking and listening to HIM, not others, through His Word and prayer. It’s critical for the strength of His body, the true church, that each one of us builds our foundations on Him and not each other. This is also the only way we can test all spirits as we are instructed to. 1 John 4:1

What are the Roles of Others’ Words in our Lives?

Confirm what God has taught us.
Exhort to obey and seek God’s truth.
Support us in learning from God and trusting in Him, which is faith.
Encourage us in our relationship with God.
Clarify and enhance our learning from God.

These are the purposes for which I write. It isn’t to teach as we think of teaching. I don’t believe we can truly teach each other to the extent that brings true transformation. God is God. We are not. He is the one who works in us according to His good pleasure and will, not us. Phil 2:13 Thus, the role of a human teacher is to guide and point to the Teacher. They are facilitators, and not to take the place of the Holy Spirit in one’s life. Yet, this is what you see happening far too often.

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

I’ve been sitting at the feet of Christ, and not others, for 10 years. For the years before compared to the years after – there is no comparison. It was like I learned nothing before by relying on the instruction of others.  Initially, it took getting used to as it was quite the paradigm shift, because it’s ingrained in us that we learn from other humans. We are still learning from another, but it’s God. Learning from God Himself has been the reason for transformation in my life. The remolding has been extensive. What I’ve gained has far exceeded my expectations. It’s the type of learning that reaches to your very depths and brings powerful change in every dimension of your being. It’s about having the right balance of God first, then others in our lives.

Here is a critical truth most overlook; those taught by God are the ones who truly come to Christ, the truth. John 6:45 People can say Christ is their Lord, but only those taught by God truly come to Him. When they do, their lives testify to His presence. These abide in it the Word and live it. They become the bride God calls them to be. They have the mind of Christ. Christ’s spirit dwells within them. Their lives have power. They are freed from sin. They experience all things becoming new. These are the ones who have diligently sat at Christ’s feet as His disciples.

Few walk this path because it’s an individual commitment and pursuit, but for those who do they are the ones who become united to God in truth and spirit. Matthew 7:14, Matthew 22:14 Be aware of at whose feet you are sitting; your spiritual life depends on it. Put the crutches aside and abide in the pure Word of God seeking to be taught by Him. Be patient and in time your life will begin to bloom.

If you are interested in hearing more about the Holy Spirit as the Teacher in our lives, you can listen to my podcast: Holy Spirit as Our Teacher


by 11 Comments

Stir the Deep with Me: Lesson 7

Stir the Deep with Me: Lesson 7
Review and Mentoring Others

Other Related Videos
Introduction to Mentoring Program
Lesson 1: The Process of Quiet Time
Lesson 2: Coming as a Bride
Lesson 3: Holy Spirit as The Teacher
Lesson 4: Structure of the Word of God
Lesson 5: Perspectives for Being in the Word of God
Lesson 6: What to Expect?

In this video I briefly review what we’ve talked about over these past seven videos. Hope you were blessed as I was in putting this together. I also strongly encourage you to mentor someone else and in this video give some tips on it.

Bookmark and Share


by 5 Comments

Lost Art of Reflection

Lost Art of Reflection

 

Journaling = connecting and listening to your inner life.

In this busy world, who has time to sit down and reflect on life? Most people don’t. We obsess about things (now we were treated, worrying about the future, children, marriages, work and so on) as we busily try to get through the day, but that isn’t reflection. That obsessive mind talk is our soul creating mayhem because we haven’t given it time to truly process what is going on.

This world has moved far from God’s truth. With our self-wills running wild without the truth to guide us, we are creating all kinds of evil, madness, and out of control behaviors. And one is a busyness and lifestyle so consuming that we have no time to engage in the art of reflection; an art that brings harmony, centeredness, and truth to our lives. A life of reflection is a vital aspect of spiritual health.

The art of reflection is taking time to journal. Why journal? Because for most of us when we think without the guidance and focus of a pen or a keyboard our minds wander so that we can’t complete the thought we started with. Writing guides and grounds our thoughts. It puts a thought in a form we can grab a hold of and contemplate. Without the pen, we end up with a mind swarming with broken and uncompleted thoughts. Journaling allows a thorough reflection of what’s going on in our spirits and how the outside world, circumstances and people are affecting us and how we are affecting others. It allows us to process what is going on, to reflect and mediate on it. We start to see ourselves, others and situations from a clearer perspective – and when we dwell in the presence of God we see more inline with the truth. For Christians the act of reflection is extremely powerful because it isn’t just us trying to work out what is happening in our inner world, but we have the spirit of truth, the spirit of God, searching our depths and giving us the ability to see the truth.

In his book, “Ordering your Private world”, Gordon MacDonald realized how journaling helped him to come “to grips with an enormous part of his inner person that he had never been fully honest about.” I found this very true in my own life. There have been numerous times when I have sat down to write in my journal that I gained tremendous insights into myself and my situations. I thought an issue was about one thing and it ended up being about something else. Sometimes it amazes me what is truly going on in my soul, and I often wonder where I would be if I hadn’t taken the time to stop and reflect. I would probably still be trapped in my old ways of thinking and acting in a stupor and that means doing things I wish I hadn’t and creating a life I didn’t want. Once aware of the truth then we can act and respond in a way that fosters truth and life and not lies and death.

Journaling within the presence of God brings truth and thus freedom and true life to our lives. It is a time of quiet and focus which allows us to hear not only ourselves but the spirit of God dwelling in us shedding light, wisdom and truth into our souls.

If you don’t journal or haven’t in a long time, now is the time to start.


by 1 Comment

When First Things are First, then All Else Follows

When First Things are First

Then All Else Follows

Like many books on Christian growth and discipleship, Dallas Willard in The Great Omission, mentions various spiritual disciplines; prayer, fasting, silence, solitude, worship, scripture memorization, and proper fellowship. And if we do these, then they will aid us in being true disciples of Christ and conforming to His image.

As I thought about these disciplines, what came to mind were two things 1.) the verses that state the Word needs to be our foundation to each one of these acts and 2.) my own experience.

1 Corinthians 14:15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.

John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Proverbs 28:9 One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith (acting on His Word) 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 diligently seek Him.

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Luke 4:4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'” (during a 40 day fast)

The Word is to be our foundation to all we do because it is the originator of our understanding, trust, faith, and beliefs. Without it spiritual disciplines aren’t worth much, but with it they powerful beyond measure.

I have found this true in my own life. Despite my diligence in doing various spiritual disciplines, I was empty, in bondage, spiritually starving, powerless and wanting more. Frustrated, overwhelmed and tired, several years ago I put everything aside and did the one thing my Lord commands in Matthew 6:33. With His Word in first place, my spiritual life started to prosper. All else followed. Everything changed. Abiding in His Word is the key to everything else because then truth and faith in Him is infused into the depths of our soul.

When we put first things first, then everything else flows with purpose, depth and power. If we don’t, the rest is forced and ineffective, weak, and shallow.

Therefore, personally abiding in the Word is the cornerstone to our spiritual lives. We can’t own His truth by listening to someone else’s rendition of it. We have to engage, abide, and swim in it and look to the Spirit to write it in our minds and hearts. Why can’t we just listen to the preacher? Our abiding fosters intimacy with our Husband, His will for us. A personal engagement with the Word requires us to trust Him to teach and guide us through the intricacies of His words. That trust leads to the relationship He desires with us. When we come to God in His Word like we would our spouse; intimate, alone, consistent, and with a heart to know Him and be united to Him, then His truth will become ours. This is God’s design. Our beliefs will move in line with His truth and will, and everything will start to flow from that foundation.

Yet how often is abiding in His Word the last thing we do or have time for? Everything else comes first. Many churches overtly or covertly support that abiding is no big deal. Stop listening to them. Listen to God’s truth. He says His Word is the cornerstone of our lives. It is the cornerstone because our beliefs affect everything else.

All we do comes down to the beliefs we hold. Belief is the work that Christ gave us to do (John 6:29). It is work to believe because the world inundates us with its lies. Faith, our beliefs in motion, comes from hearing the Word, not interpretations, stories and someone else’s opinions, but hearing the pure Word taught to us by the Spirit. (John 14:26) Without faith in Him and the right beliefs, then our prayers, worship, acts of service, fasting, fellowship and all else is without truth. We are following the god of our minds which we, society and others have created. Yes, straightening out our beliefs and faith in Him takes time, but who are we cultivating faith in?

If we want to honor God and have our lives infused with His then we have to do things His way. His will is for us to abide in Him, the vine, the truth, the light, Christ, the Word. When we do He promises that all else will follow and all we do will be done in truth, spirit and power.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth

How different Christendom would be if each one of us abided in God’s Word as He instructs us. The Word is to be the cornerstone of our lives. Without the cornerstone the temple falls apart as we are witnessing.

What is the main act you do for your faith? Church, prayer, service? Whatever it is that is your foundation. Spiritual disciplines are very important, but if they are not established on a personal engagement of the Word of God then those acts lack power because they are based on something else and honoring someone else. What was designed to be first can’t and won’t take second place. Let’s put first things first and abide in The Word.