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Warning against Legalism

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I love the foundation that Teri Lynne and Kathy have set for us this week as we start our  month focusing on spiritual disciplines. But before we go any further, I’d like to put a little disclaimer on being disciplined about the disciplines. I speak from experience on this issue and have really had to confess my sin and receive His grace to move forward. We must not let what we do (even when what we’re doing is good) become areas of legalism in our lives.

Let me give you a personal example. Prayer is a spiritual discipline. We are commanded to pray, we are given examples of prayer in Scripture, and we all know how important it is to spend time in prayer. So I pray. And I check it off my to-do list.

The Pharisees had a to-do list. A long one! Jesus spoke to them about their actions and their hearts in Mark 7. The Pharisees were upset that Jesus’ disciples were not following their traditions. Jesus answered them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me…. ‘” (Mark 7:6-7a). Like the Pharisees, I was doing what I was supposed to do, but my heart was far from God.

But I thought I was doing good. I was praying, right? Tim Keller writes in his excellent book, The Prodigal God,  “As long as you are trying to earn your salvation by controlling God through goodness, you will never be sure you have been good enough for him. You simply aren’t sure God love and delights in you” (63).

The temptation in adding the spiritual disciplines to your to-do list is that you focus so much on the fact that you are doing them, you forget why you are doing them.

So how do we avoid the temptation to become legalistic in this area? Paul sets a good example. He wrote, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ…. ” (Phil. 3:7-9, emphasis mine).

Paul combated the sins of pride and entitlement (root causes of legalism) with the power of the cross. Like Paul, my to-do list (or have-done list!) pales in comparison to the life of Christ. When I compare all my good deeds to His death on the cross, I am reminded of what a sinner I am. I’m also reminded of His grace and love. I must continue to preach the gospel to myself.

My prayer–Please God, continue to reveal to me my sinfulness and your holiness. Meet me there with your grace. Remind me that my motivation to practice the spiritual disciplines is to conform to the likeness of Your Son.

Why bother?

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Our culture has trained us to expect instant gratification and overwhelming results for minimal effort. Fast food. High speed internet. Movies on demand. “The Easy Button.” We can even “Jump-start” our weight loss. We don’t like to wait. We tend to avoid hard work and long-term investment.

So why bother with practicing the spiritual disciplines? The disciplines require long-term commitment and hard work, exactly those things we tend to avoid. What in the world would be worth the time, discipline, and self-denial?

Fulfilling our God-ordained purpose is the overarching reason for practicing the spiritual disciplines. Before God even saved us, He determined that we should be conformed to the likeness of Jesus (Romans 8:28-30). That is God’s ultimate goal for us – to be like Jesus. He wants to refine us, shape our character, mold us like clay in His divine hands. Only God can cause this spiritual growth and transformation.

Only God can make us godly. But He demands and works through our obedient cooperation. Paul told Timothy to “train yourself to be godly” (1 Tim 4:7) and commanded the Romans to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom 12:2). The author of Hebrews warns us to “make every effort… to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14). In his book Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster comments on this spiritual truth.

“God has given us the Disciplines of the spiritual life as a means of receiving his grace. The Disciplines allow us to place ourselves before God so that he can transform us… By themselves the Spiritual Disciplines can do nothing; they can only get us to the place where something can be done. They are God’s means of grace… God has ordained the Disciplines of the spiritual life as the means by which we place ourselves where he can bless us.” Pg. 7

In addition to Christ-likeness, genuine pursuit of the spiritual disciplines yields other personal and exciting benefits. Foster elaborates on several:

  1. Spiritual depth – Foster says that “superficiality is the curse of our age.” Even Christians today lean toward shallowness. The spiritual disciplines take us beyond ourselves and the selfishness of our lives and plunge us into spiritual depths previously unknown.
  2. Freedom – Scripture tells us that when we die to self, we also die to the sin that enslaves. Obeying God through commitment to the Disciplines liberates us from the weight of “self” and frees us to serve Him.
  3. Intimacy with God – Through the disciplines we can experience and know God in ways and at levels not otherwise possible. They are the means of relating to God. Like Moses on the Mountain, we will be positioned to meet with God face-to-face.
  4. Joy – We will sense God’s pleasure with our obedience. We will live in the glow of His presence. We will find fulfillment in God’s purpose for us.

Are you ready? The beginning of a new year is a great time to make a new commitment to fulfilling God’s purpose for you!

Has your attitude about spiritual disciplines changed? Share your experience with us today.

What ARE the disciplines?

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I have to confess something … until June 2001, I had never heard of “spiritual disciplines.”   I’m the wife, daughter, sister, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of pastors.  I went to church every Sunday and Wednesday of most of my life.  I attended a private Christian college.  I’d even taught Bible studies.  But until  June 2001, when my dad gave me Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, I’d not heard one word about spiritual disciplines.

I also have to confess that it took me awhile to read the book.  With countless references to people I’d never heard of like Teresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich, and Francois Fenelon, I honestly felt very stupid and even a little lacking.

But, one night, I began reading … really reading … and the second line of the first chapter says,

The classical Disciplines of the spiritual life call us to move beyond surface living and into the depths. (1)

I was hooked!  As the wife of a pastor and mother of a toddler, I needed to move to the depths … I was longing for it.  I read and underlined and re-read.  In fact, since that first reading the fall of 2001, I have read Celebration of Discipline at least once every year.

And what I found wasn’t trivial legalism or frustrating check lists.  I didn’t experience condemnation or guilt as I read.  Instead, I found centuries-old wisdom and examples of lives well lived for the cause of Christ.  As I poured over the pages and dug into the Word of God, I experienced freedom and peace and longing for more than I had experienced previously in my spiritual walk.

The disciplines are simply tools. Foster states, “The purpose of the Disciplines is liberation from the stifling slavery to self-interest and fear” (2).  As we pursue the depths of the disciple life, we find the disciplines as guides to those practices mentioned in Scripture such as fasting, prayer, worship and celebration.   Over the next few weeks we will explore the Inward Disciplines (meditation, prayer, fasting, and study), the Outward Disciplines (simplicity, submission, solitude, and service) and the Corporate Disciplines (confession, worship, guidance, and celebration).

As you join us for this month of Digging the Disciplines, we hope you will find this study challenging and inspiring.  Some of the disciplines will be familiar and some may not.  Some may be practices you have already learned and some may be challenges for you to pursue.  Regardless, our deepest longing is that as we dig into these ideas, we will all be drawn back to the Idea-Giver … the One who calls us His disciples and lovingly disciplines us and draws us near.

Will you join us?

Resolutions, Plans, and Goals

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“… discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” ~ 1 Timothy 4:7

As the new year begins, many will define resolutions, establish plans, and develop goals.  Perhaps your year will be focused on one word like Sandra’s or you will participate in an ongoing Bible study like the one Stephanie is leading on her blog.  Maybe you want to invest in your marriage by joining Julie for Marriage Mondays or you have sought a Bible study plan from the many resources Kathy has on her site.  Some of you may be like Kristi and relishing what you have learned in the past year and looking forward to how God will teach in the year ahead.

No matter what  your plans, resolutions, and goals for 2011, at Scripture Dig our desire is to encourage you in spiritual growth. We want to equip you to dig into the Word of God.  And we hope to empower you with confidence as you grow.

This month, we are focusing on the classical spiritual disciplines – those practices of believers that have stood through the centuries as tools for living a vibrant disciple’s life.

Whether you long for a more consistent quiet time, want to improve your prayer life, or seek greater fellowship with other believers – no matter what your spiritual goals and longings for the coming year – learning about and incorporating the disciplines into your life will be a worthy endeavor.

Join us for a month of Digging the Disciplines!!

Joseph- Forgotten Father

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Driving home one night last week I noticed a nativity scene in front of a church. Joseph had been blown over by the wind so you could really only see Mary and Jesus. No big deal, I thought to myself. It’s just Joseph. Then I got home and watched this video:



Joseph’s side of the story has never been so real to me. His love for Mary, his pain, his joy, and his devotion to his wife and son.

We don’t know a lot about the life of Joseph, but one characteristic that stands out in the verses that describe his life is his obedience.

  • He was obedient to take Mary as his wife after he heard the word of the Lord in a dream.
  • He was obedient to circumcise Jesus and present Him in in the temple, according to Jewish law.
  • He was obedient to take his family to Egypt to protect Jesus from Herod.
  • He was obedient to take his family back to Israel and settle in Nazareth.
  • He was obedient to take his family to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover each year.

Even though Joseph was not Jesus’ biological father, he was obedient to the call God placed on his life to raise Jesus as his own. As my family moves through the adoption process and hopes to have our new son home from Ethiopia by next Christmas, the story of Joseph touches me in new ways. May we all be obedient to raise the children God has blessed us with to honor Him!

What should I do with Jesus?

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Today I packed the nativity set in its boxes. The baby Jesus will spend the next eleven months safely tucked between chunks of Styrofoam. This polyresin infant has its place. I know just what to do with it and where to keep it.

But what should I do with the real baby Jesus?

Christmas is the time we celebrate His birth. The arrival of Immanuel. God with us. We celebrate the birth of Jesus during the Christmas season, but what are we to do with Jesus on December 26th?

Jesus was born in a stable more than 2,000 years ago for a specific purpose. (Check out my earlier post that details Jesus’ “I came…” statements.) In fact, Jesus’ name reveals His purpose. The name “Jesus” means “the Lord helps” or “the Lord saves.” Every person that has ever lived is in need of spiritual rescue.

The Bible says that each of us has sinned or chosen our own way over God’s perfect way. (See Romans 3:23.) The penalty for our sin is spiritual death or eternal separation from God. (See Romans 6:23.) But God loves us to too much to leave us with no hope, so He sent Jesus to provide a way of salvation. Jesus’ death on the cross provided payment for our sins. (See John 3:16.) If you’ve never received Jesus’ free gift of salvation then you’ve missed out on the real significance of Christmas.

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of a baby King. But let’s not leave Him in the manger. Let’s acknowledge His right to reign and rule in our lives every day of the year.

If you have never acknowledged your need for a Savior and given your life to Christ, do it now.

If you’ve received the eternal salvation that only Christ can give then bow your heart and knee to Him now. Thank Him for His coming. Thank Him for His death that provided payment for your sins.

He Will Go before Christ…

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We all dream big for our children. My husband Lee and I pray for our sons, and future children, every day. When will they come to know the Lord? What will their gifts and talents be? Will my sweet boys go to China to be missionaries or live near momma? Will they like my meatloaf or only ask for chocolate chip cookies when they come home to visit?

Elizabeth and Zacharias knew God’s purpose for their son even before he was born. Zacharias was told John would be the forerunner of Christ and that he would be filled with the Holy Spirit in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15).

When Mary visited her relative Elizabeth who was six months pregnant, the babe leaped in Elizabeth’s womb! (Luke 1:44). Even before he was born, John was unique. He would play a special role in God’s redemptive story.

John would turn many of the children of Israel back to the Lord their God. John’s ministry was closely intertwined with Jesus’. John baptized Jesus (Matthew 3). Andrew, one of Jesus’ disciples, had previously been part of John’s ministry. And when there was a dispute among John’s disciples, he told them, “[Christ] must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

What can we learn from the life of John?

Primarily, if we follow the Lord, we will also be different from the world. James 4:4 pointedly says, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself and enemy of God.”

We should strive to lead lives that imitate Christ in every action, decision, and relationship. Author Sally Clarkson writes, “Jesus’ work in a person’s life has always begun with a call to leave behind the goals, purposes, and distractions of this world and say yes to a whole new life, a new way of thinking. ”

John’s life and even the events that caused his death are evidence of a life lived with one purpose in mind–to point people to Christ. May we all live with that purpose in mind!

image: Fra Angelico: The Annunciation (via ArtBible)

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

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It happens every year. Christmas comes and goes and before you know it, we’re opening the page to a brand new year. But before we do, the Scripture Dig team wants to wish all of you fellow diggers a very Merry Christmas!

I thought it might be fun to share our favorite Christmas carols. I’ve linked a Youtube version of one of mine (as sung by Ce Ce Winans.) Please take a few minutes and worship the Lord as you listen to Ce  Ce sing, Oh Holy Night. I also love What Child Is This.

Now it’s YOUR TURN. What’s your favorite Christmas carol?

Songs of Trust

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Weeks ago we leaned over the edge of November’s gratitude to look into December, and we reflected on Mary’s Song of a Grateful Heart. When Mary erupted into her chorus of praise, she had just arrived at the home of her relatives, Elizabeth and Zechariah. The two were both from priestly lines of Israel, and while Elizabeth exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” Zechariah met Mary’s arrival in silence.

The aged priest Zechariah wasn’t pouting or fulfilling a vow; he was in a season of trust training. Though his visiting relative was a female, young, and pregnant, the two actually had a lot in common. Mary’s song appears in Luke 1:46-55, and Zechariah’s song appears in Luke 1:68-79.

Grounded in God’s Word

The angel Gabriel visited both of these kinfolk. First, he told childless old Zechariah his wife would conceive and bear a son with divine purpose. Next, Gabriel revealed to Mary she would bear the promised Messiah, Son of Almighty God. Though decades apart in age and distant in location, each was Grounded in God’s Word before they encountered the extraordinary. Mary revealed an understanding of God’s acts, character, and words spoken to her forefathers. Zechariah refers to Old Testament prophecies (See these shared by Kathy) and the fulfillment of God’s promises. Before they knew they would be a unique part of God’s plan, these two knew God’s truth.

Stretched to Trust

Zechariah didn’t experience the pregnancy stretch marks Mary must’ve, but because of his unbelief, the aged father-to-be was stricken with silence for the duration of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. He emerged from the temple stunned and silent. Imagine being Elizabeth when Zechariah got home from work that day! The silent months were not without purpose, though, as God took the righteous man (Luke 1:6) and kneaded trust into his heart and life. Likewise, Mary was also presented with a shock worthy message, but she was blessed for believing.  Since God became flesh, we know that Mary carried Jesus in her womb for 9 months, months in which she traveled to her relatives’ home and then to Jerusalem to be counted in the census. It wasn’t a cake walk for a young, first time mom, but the months were not wasted, as God prepared her heart for what was to come, kneading that same trust into her heart. Perhaps those months of trust training explain why we don’t read, “And lo, there was no room for them, and Mary had a meltdown on the streets of Bethlehem.” These two were grounded in God’s truth and had a strong sense of trust.

Praise Song

Maybe it was a family trait, or maybe it’s just evidence of God’s work in a yielded heart.  Despite carrying the burden of extraordinary futures, along with challenges of silence and unwed pregnancy, both Zechariah and Mary exploded in songs of praise after their angelic encounters. We don’t read a chorus of complaint or even a refrain of reluctance. We read a song of praise.  Mary expresses hers when she arrives at the home or Zechariah and Elizabeth, and Zechariah expresses his when his voice is restored at John’s birth and naming. It’s as if they couldn’t wait to rejoice and to tell us why.

Mary: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for …”

Zechariah: “Blessed by the Lord God of Israel, for …”

 

They weren’t super human. Though they had been scripture digging before the announcements, each had questions about the revelations. Zechariah wanted to know, “How shall I know this?”  Mary asked, “How can this be…?” Wisdom from being Grounded in God’s Word prepared them to believe.  The Stretching of their Trust prepared them for their future, and their Praise Songs worshiped God for His faithfulness.

When trust grows, it produces praise.

  • If God wanted to use you in an extraordinary way, would you be grounded in His Word and ready?
  • God may be stretching you right now through difficult circumstances. Is your trust growing?
  • Look back on God’s acts in your life this year. Ask Him for opportunities to share a song of praise for His mighty deeds.

Lights, Trees, and Glittery Things

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Left over. Rejected. Unchosen. Some trees at the grocery store parking lot will not be adorned or adored; they will simply stand at a tilt in the quiet lot on Christmas morning.  What makes some trees significant and other meaningless? A tree is just a tree, unless we make it something more.

This time of year there’s little shortage of lights, trees, and glittery things. To be “significant” something has to be important or have meaning.  Those who celebrate the birth of Jesus during this season may find themselves asking if what they do to deck the halls can be significant. Anyone can hang a string of lights, trim a tree, or bring in the bling, but can these things be significant in this season?


Lights … December 25th was set aside for celebrating the Feast of the Unconquered Sun during the Roman period, and others have worshiped the light of our solar system throughout history. Light has long been significant to men for various reasons; people make light significant because of the meaning we attach to it.

We know the glory of the Lord shone around the heavenly host announcing the arrival of the Baby King. A beacon star led magi to worship the Light of the World.  Light is a beautiful part of the story of our redemption, and it deserves a “spotlight” in celebrating the coming of the Light into the darkness.

Trees … Trees have been spiritually significant to mankind, including Hindus, Buddhists, and Druids, but why is a tree significant to a follower of Jesus?  Do we need a tree in our celebration?  After all, the tree itself is not our salvation.  Is it significant?

Matthew 1:1-17 tells us of the family tree that grew with divine intention to prepare the way for the rightful King of Kings. Some people refer to this as the Jesse Tree. Jesse’s descendant, Jesus, grew to be the One who gave His life for His kingdom, offering Himself on an unforgiving tree a cross shape.  The coming of the Heavenly King to the lowly earth gives us the gift of one day enjoying the Tree of Life.  A tree is a beautiful part of the telling of our story.

Glittery Things …We need look no further than our own culture to see that mankind has always been enamored by things that glitter. Reports this holiday season say luxury jewelery sales have increased by almost 3% … even in a bad economy.  People love things that sparkle and shine. Satan has always capitalized on this weakness of ours, tempting us with the lust of our eyes.  Does it mean all that glitters is essentially rotten?

Scripture describes heaven and its hosts as beautiful, and a glittering home awaits those who follow the Babe in the manger. Gold was presented to the small Jesus, because it’s a worthy of a King.

 

We can be surrounded by lights, trees, and glittery things that have no significance. Just as any girl can wear a white dress in a wedding, only a bride with a pure heart gives her wedding dress its significance. The decking of the halls?  If we just do what everyone else does, our decor won’t mean anything more than that around us. Anyone can be common; anyone can decorate for Christmas, but if done thoughtfully, it can reflect the significance of our Jesus’ birth.

 

God created lights and trees and glittery things. Let’s not be common. Let’s use what He’s made and talk about them and enjoy them in honor of their Creator and our King Jesus! One day even the kings of earth will bring their precious things to honor Jesus in the Holy Jerusalem. The glory of God will illuminate it in a way our small lights now can only suggest.

Revelation 21:24

The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.

As we celebrate the coming of Jesus this Christmas, let’s use the lights, trees, and glittery things to celebrate the Babe that came and what is still to come!

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