Streams in the Summer Desert Challenge

In Charles Spurgeon's Classic Devotional, Morning and Evening, this Morning's Devotional challenges us to a more contemplative life (U2's Unknown Caller issues a similar challenge!). Too often we read the Bible to tick off a "to do" so that we can think we are good little Christians. Too often we read the Bible intellectually for head knowledge rather than as an opportunity to listen to fresh WALTZ music.

The Waltz is a Three-Step Dance with Christ by the Power of the Holy Spirit that leads us to Spiritual Growth--Repent! Believe! Fight! Scripture is like a Holy Spirit REMIX every time we prayerfully approach Christ through it that presents us with fresh Waltz music.

U2 has some songs on their Medium, Rare and Remastered release that are "re-mixes." Old songs re-mixed to different styles of music. Same lyrics, different music. That's what we should expect from the Holy Spirit as we read Scripture...same lyrics, different music...different WALTZ music. Different sins exposed that we must REPENT of. Promises brought to light in fresh ways that we need to BELIEVE. Commands and prohibitions that have fresh application to our lives and circumstances which require us to FIGHT to obey.

We must read Scripture PERSONALLY. Read Scripture for APPLICATION more than for head KNOWLEDGE. Read Scripture as a conversation with God...a discipleship appointment with the Father. If you read the Bible and find yourself thinking, "I know this already. I've read this passage or heard it taught 100 times!", you are not reading the Bible for all its worth! Change your approach to Scripture and you will be more hungry and motivated to read it!

Let me give you the Streams in the Summer Desert Challenge. One of the greatest Psalms in the Bible, and certainly the longest Psalm in the Bible, is Psalm 119. It is made up of 22 stanzas of 8 verses each. It is made up of 22 stanzas because that is how many letters there are in the Hebrew alphabet.

Each line of each stanza begins with the same letter...in English it would be like each of the verses in stanza one, Psalm 119:1-8, beginning with the letter "A." Then stanza two, verses 9-16 would start each verse with the letter "B," etc. It was crafted this way was so it could be more easily memorized! Feeling like a light-weight right about now? 176 verses make up the Psalm...when is the last time you memorized 176 verses??

So, here's the Streams in the Desert Summer Challenge: Over the next 22 days, read one stanza of Psalm 119 CONTEMPLATIVELY! The entire Psalm is about the riches of reading, learning, meditating upon, obeying and applying God's Word. WALTZ through each stanza over the next 22 days. Ask God for a hunger for His Word. Cry out for a heart that would understand and apply His Word. Confess any lack of hunger or thirst for Scripture. Make the Psalmist's words YOUR words. Pray slowly and intentionally through each word in each line if that's what it takes...and watch your hunger and heart for Scripture be transformed by God's Spirit.

Eat well!

When God Speaks

I've been reading "The Spiritual Secrets of George Muller." He was an amazing man of prayer in the 1800's in England. He started an orphanage and only ever prayed for God's provision without ever asking people for anything. He is known for being a man of prayer, yet read what he said about the Bible: "When we pray to God, we speak to God; but when we read the Scriptures, God speaks to us; and THIS is what we so much need."

It is the Bible that is the living word of God and supernatural as it works in our hearts.

Here are two tools I would encourage you to consider. 1) A Bible reading plan that gets you in the OT, Gospels, Epistles and Psalms/Proverbs every day. 2) Waltzing in the Word--a plan for how to APPLY what you read.

http://www.navpress.com/product/9781576839744/The-Discipleship-Journal-Bible-Reading-Plan-Discipleship

WALTZING THROUGH THE WORD
Repent:
Is the Spirit exposing a heart attitude through the text that I need to repent of?

Is the Spirit exposing a wrong behavior through the passage that I must confess?

Is there something wrong that I’ve thought, said, done that is revealed in the text?

Is there something that I’ve left unsaid or undone that is revealed by the passage?

Is there some area of unbelief that is being pointed out by the Spirit?

Is there a heart-change and/or life-change God is calling me to make I’m resisting?

Is there a “fruit” sin exposed that is leading me to acknowledge a “root” sin in life?


Believe:
Is there some element of the work of Christ revealed in the text I must believe?

Is there a present value of the blood of Christ revealed that I must apply to my heart?

Is there a promise of God related to the gospel which I need to appropriate?

Is there a work of the Spirit revealed which I need to hope more fully in?

Is there a revelation of grace that I need to relish revealed by the text?

Is God’s love revealed to me in a fresh way that I need to rest in?

Is there a goodness, kindness or mercy of God that I need to thank Him for?

Is there a revelation of the law as my highest delight that I need to embrace?

Is there a prohibition that I need to acknowledge as a warning against a nightmare?


Fight:
After appropriating the power of the blood, is there a command that I need to obey?

After appropriating the power of the blood, is there a prohibition that I need to heed?

Is there a means of grace that I need to engage in?

Is there a ministry activity that I need to carry out?

Is there an act of love or mercy that I need to follow through on?

Is there a temptation that I need to struggle hard against to overcome?

Is there a battle wit h the world, the flesh or the devil I need to take more seriously?

Is there something revealed about my life for which I need to be held accountable?

Life in the Spirit

Reading this morning in Romans 8-9, I was reminded of Paul's teachings on the Person of the Holy Spirit. He intercedes for us. He helps us in our weaknesses. He is the Spirit of adoption by Whom we cry, "Abba!" He is the Spirit of life who sets us free. Do we emphasize the life in the Spirit as we ought in the Church today? I think not!

At Oak Mountain we emphasize the waltz (the dance with a partner involving 3 basic steps) ...which is really the paradigm of the Spirit-filled life. Walking in the Spirit involves regular, immediate acknowledgment, admission and confession of sin, along with an honest confession that we are as helpless to change our hearts in transformation as we were to renew our hearts at conversion.

Then the waltz leads us to believe afresh in Christ...to believe anew in our justified standing before God and our adopted status as beloved sons and daughters through our union with Christ. But the believe step also calls us to hope in the present, transforming power of the Blood of Christ for change at the particular point of our repentance. Christian growth is supernatural!

Then, expecting the promise of the gospel to be fulfilled in us, with new zeal and passion we engage in the Fight step of the waltz. Realizing because of the work of The Spirit, our wills are being renewed, we choose to say yes to righteousness and no to sin. This is the Spirit-filled life!

We must be careful...the Spirit-filled life is not merely due to the principle of the Waltz...it is primarily due to the Person of the Spirit. It is not DOCTRINE that changes us, but a Person! Waltzing is how we experience the Personal Presence of the Transforming Spirit.

We are not brains on a stick...we are people. Philosophy doesn't change us...even Waltz philosophy...a Person does...and that Person is the Holy Spirit of Christ!

The Gospel Pipeline--Waltzing in the Word--Fight

When followers of Christ read Scripture, we normally gravitate to a "practical application." What this means is that we often read Scripture only to look for what we must DO or NOT DO. We have already seen that reading Scripture should remind us, at least initially, of how we are failing to live as Jesus lived...the Repent Step. Then Scripture should lead us to fresh faith in Christ by giving us in ever fresh ways, the promises of the Gospel. As we Repent and Believe, Christ is applied to our hearts in a supernatural way and we are promised change...NOW, as a result of the promise of power and change, we are to FIGHT! It's not NIKE Christianity...Just Do It! Instead it is Gospel Christianity...in light of Repentance and Faith...NOW Do It! There are things we are to fight for and fight against, and we are to note these when we read Scripture...
Fight:
After appropriating the power of the blood, is there a command that I need to obey?

After appropriating the power of the blood, is there a prohibition that I need to heed?

Is there a means of grace that I need to engage in?

Is there a ministry activity that I need to carry out?

Is there an act of love or mercy that I need to follow through on?

Is there a temptation that I need to struggle hard against to overcome?

Is there a battle wit h the world, the flesh or the devil I need to take more seriously?

Is there something revealed about my life for which I need to be held accountable?

Gospel Pipeline--Waltzing in the Word--Believe

Whenever we read the word, we should hear the Waltz Music. The Scriptures should lead us to repent, but if we only see our sin, we can become discouraged and defeated. The Scriptures should lead us to see our sin only long enough to despair of our own righteousness and ability so that we look afresh to Christ for hope and peace. Therefore, when we read the Word, we should be aware of all there is in the text that points to fresh faith in Christ. Here are some questions I've learned to ask of the passage I'm reading:

Believe:
Is there some element of the work of Christ revealed in the text I must believe?

Is there a “present value” of the blood of Christ revealed that I must apply to my heart?

Is there a promise of God related to the gospel that I need to appropriate?

Is there a work of the Spirit revealed which I need to hope more fully in?

Is there a revelation of grace that I need to relish revealed by the text?

Is God’s love revealed to me in a fresh way that I need to rest in?

Is there a goodness, kindness or mercy of God that I need to thank Him for?

Is there a revelation of the law as my highest delight that I need to embrace?

Is there a prohibition that I need to acknowledge as a warning keeping me from my
worst nightmare?

The Gospel Pipeline--Waltzing in the Word

If Scripture is the clearest sound of Waltz music, how do we dance as we read? We ask questions of the text according to each of the Three Steps. When it comes to the Repent Step of the Waltz, these questions have been helpful to me:

Is the Spirit exposing a heart attitude through the text that I need to repent of?

Is the Spirit exposing a wrong behavior through the passage that I must confess?

Is there something wrong that I’ve thought, said, done that is revealed in the text?

Is there something that I’ve left unsaid or undone that is revealed by the passage?

Is there some area of unbelief that is being pointed out by the Spirit?

Is there a heart-change and/or life-change God is calling me to make I’m resisting?

Is there a “fruit” sin exposed that is leading me to acknowledge a “root” sin in life?

The Gospel Pipeline--Waltz Music

So, if the Christian life is a waltz and the three step spiritual dance with Christ transforms us, how does it work? Easy, you need to listen to the music (Doobie Brothers, August Rush...I know some of you will get that; if you don't, no worries, has nothing to do with this blog entry really). Waltz music is playing all around us all the time! The most obvious source of waltz music is Scripture. Every passage exposes our need for Christ. Instead of reading Scripture and immediate thinking of ways you need to "get busy," think of ways the passage is exposing your fallenness and sin. That may sound depressing, but its not! Our joy comes from seeing Christ as our Savior and Deliverer and experiencing His love and power...that happens when Scripture reveals our sin and points us back to our Hope in Christ. You'll also begin to notice that every passage tends to emphasize one element of the waltz, but to properly interpret and apply the passage, all three steps of the waltz must be kept in mind. You'll be surprised, however, how often all three steps of the waltz are in the immediate context of every Bible passage. But waltz music is heard in every Bible Study, every Sunday morning...and through all of life...every relationship, every circumstance. Our need for Christ and the call to repentance and faith is revealed all day, every day. That's the waltz music that leads us to Repent, Believe and Fight. We wake up each morning and we waltz to the music until we hit the pillow at night...and we find ourselves progressively changed by grace!

The Gospel Pipeline--The Waltz

So, all Christians dance...some do the Bunny Hop, some the Texas Two-Step, but those dances are incomplete renditions of the Christ-centered life. The Dance with Christ that leads to spiritual transformation is a Waltz. What is a waltz? You've heard Tchaikovsky or seen a ballroom waltz scene on the big screen...a waltz is a three-step dance. One, two, three; one, two, three; one, two, three. Spiritual transformation occurs as we waltz with Christ. Step One--Repent. Christian growth begins with repentance: admitting our sin and acknowledging we are as helpless to change ourselves apart from Christ as we are to save ourselves from sin apart from Christ. But the waltz is never just a one step dance, so waltzing doesn't end with us admitting our sin and helplessness. That would be depressing! Repentance leads to fresh faith in Christ, so Step Two of the Waltz is Believe. There are two elements here: appreciate and appropriate. First, as you acknowledge sin, appreciate your justified standing with God. You are right with God because of your union with Christ and His righteousness, not because you are perfectly obedient in your life. Second, trust the power of the blood of Christ to be applied to your life at your point of repentance and to change you the same way you trusted the blood of Christ to save you at your conversion. But thus far we simply have a Texas Two-Step, so Step Three of the Waltz is to Fight! There are vices to put off and virtues to put on. We are not lifeless sticks flowing down the current just waiting passively to be carried away. Trusting in Christ afresh unites us with the life-giving energy of His Spirit and we are to step out in dependence and say yes to righteousness and no to sin. Then, as we move out and then blow it again, the waltz music starts all over...Repent, Believe, Fight...1,2,3; 1,2,3; 1,2,3; We waltz with Christ who teaches better and better this dance of growth. We also waltz in the Ballroom of the Church and we encourage one another to grow. One last thing...we are all heavy-footed in one of the steps because of temperament, background, baggage, parenting, experiences, etc. To really grow in a balanced way, we must know where we are heavy-footed in the Waltz and make sure we become more proficient in the other two elements of the waltz. Happy Waltzing!

The Gospel Pipeline--The Waltz--Texas-Two Steppers

As we consider paradigms of Christian growth and life-change in the Church, Texas Two-Steppers are folk who seem to reduce the Christian life down to a couple emphases. The most typical Texas Two Step is Confess and Recommit, or Repent and Try Harder. When we are going through our day and we fail, fall into sin, blow it, then confess it and double your efforts to avoid such a failure in the future. Obviously there is some truth to this perspective, but think of this: what is distinctively Christian about such a Two-Step? Where is Christ and the power of the Spirit in such a paradigm? How is that Two-Step any different from other religion's approaches? Other Texas Two-Steppers reduce the Christian life to Repent and Believe or Confess your sin and trust God for change. Now, in some ways, of all the "dances" we've considered, this is closest to the Biblical paradigm...yet it is still incomplete. There is no question we are called to confess our sin and to repent of our sin. There is also no question that we are to look to Christ in full faith to transform us. But there are many commands in Scripture and many encouragements to work out our salvation and to strive for holiness and put off vices and put on virtue. So, the Texas Two-Step is also an inadequate view of Christian life change. We need to learn how to WALTZ!

Gospel Pipeline and the Waltz--Bunny Hoppers

All Christians Dance! When it comes to a paradigm of Christian growth, all Christians are engaged in a spiritual dance.  Some Christians do the Bunny Hop...a one-step dance.  They seem to reduce the Christian life to a singular element.  Some Bunny Hoppers emphasize striving with all their might..."Try harder!" might be their cry. Other Bunny Hoppers might focus on recommitment.  Others may think the key to spiritual growth in confession or repentance.  Still other Bunny Hoppers might focus on surrender...their cry might be "Let go, let God." Perhaps you are a Bunny Hopper.  There are some elements of Biblical truth to these variations of the Bunny Hop...but none of them present the complete Biblical paradigm of spiritual change. Next time we'll look at those of us who do the Texas Two-Step...

The Waltz and New Year's Resolutions

As I think about New Year's resolutions, I'm reminded that I've never met anyone in all my years of ministry, who had an intimate walk with God, who did not pursue God through a personal devotional life. Most followers of Christ know this, intuitively as well as Biblically. What is missing in many peoples' lives is not the awareness of the need, but a plan. As I've said before, when it comes to a devotional life, if you fail to plan then plan to fail. I could say with as much conviction as above, I've never met anyone who did not have a plan that was able to maintain a consistent devotional life. There are many plans out there. The ESV Study Bible site offers several. Here is the link--http://www.esv.org/biblereadingplans. Check it out, and by God's grace, resolve to maintain a consistent devotional life in 2009...waltz your way there. Dance your way there...REPENT over your coldness toward the Lord and your propensity to be distracted away from devotions. BELIEVE God loves you the same whether you have a devotion or not, BELIEVE that God's love for you is consistent and constant based on your union with Christ...Yet also BELIEVE God for the grace to transform your desires so that you delight in spending time with Him and truly miss Him when you don't spend a devotional period with Him each day. Then FIGHT the good fight by making every effort to maintain your devotions...make your plan, work your plan, stick to your plan...and when you fail, WALTZ ALL OVER AGAIN!!