Do You Need the Lord's Guidance?

 

                                            

                                             (Christmas at Michigan International Speedway)

If I knew what to do, what to say, and where to go during this pandemic, with its multitude of associated rabbit trails, I would not seek God for guidance. But I am seeking God for guidance, which indicates I am not always sure of what to do or say, and where to go.

How does one find the Shepherd's guidance? Dallas Willard counsels us this way.

1. Open yourself humbly to direction that may be contrary to your wants. 

2. Gain more experience with the way God's word comes to us.

3. Offer fervent but patient requests for guidance.

This is not some method, or technique, for getting an answer from God. This is about engaging, ongoingly, consistently, in a relationship with God. From the heart of the relationship we cry,

God, I am open to your leading, even if it takes me in unfamiliar ways.

God, teach me your ways.

God, lead me.

We see this in Daniel 10:12. 

Then [the man in the vision] continued, “Do not

be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set

your mind to gain understanding and to humble

yourself before your God, your words were heard,

and I have come in response to them.”

True Church Is the Kingdom of God Operating in Power and Action

(Maumee Bay State Park)

Dallas Willard's life continues to inspire me. I regularly read his material. More than that, I re-read it. I soak in it. I don't do that with many books.

Today I am reading from Gary Moon's Becoming Dallas Willard: The Formation of a Philosopher, Teacher, and Christ Follower. I have to take it slow. That's a good sign. To go deep, you must go slow. (Which is why, in our culture, shallow people are increasing.)  

Here's what I just read. Willard was teaching in his church on the book of Acts. His view of life was indebted to German philosopher Edmund Husserl's philosophical realism. We see it here. Moon writes:

"“Use your imagination,” Dallas exhorts, “If you can’t see these as real events, you’ll not get it. . . . Jesus brought the kingdom of God before people in a way they could not ignore; he made it present for them.” 

Acts was written, Dallas believed, to tell us that what happened while Jesus was on earth could continue to happen in reality after his life, death, resurrection, and ascension—the kingdom of God operating in power and action." (Moon, p. 165)

This is similar to what Craig Keener argues for in his Spirit Hermeneutics: Reading Scripture in Light of Pentecost. You will understand things like the book of Acts better if you have experienced the kind of things written about in the book of Acts.

The church, as seen in Acts, is the prototype. This is what I am going after. 

True Church is the kingdom of God operating in power and action.

***
Note: I feel connections with Dallas Willard, who was indebted to Husserl. In my doctoral work in philosophy at Northwestern University, I took two seminars on Husserl's phenomenology, taught by Prof. Samuel Todes. Todes was a philosophical giant. From the Wikipedia article:

"According to philosopher Piotr Hoffman, "Had [Todes' {doctoral} dissertation {at Harvard}] been published at the time it was written, it would have been recognized as one of the most valuable contributions to philosophy in the postwar period and as the most significant contribution to the field of existential phenomenology since the work of Merleau-Ponty." 

For any who know something about about philosophy, one of Todes's dissertation advisers was Willard Quine.

In retrospect, I see the hand of God was preparing me for reading Dallas Willard.

I Invite you to THE HEALING PLACE this Sunday Night!

 

Every summer, at our Holy Spirit Renewal Ministries Green Lake Conference, our leaders are praying for many who desire physical emotional, and spiritual healing.

Now, God has led us to do this using Zoom.

So, this Sunday, I will be joining Clay and Cheri Ford, Ross Lieuallen, Teri Nyberg, Norelle Lutke, and Eugene and Joy Purdy, to pray for those who would like to receive healing prayer.

If this is for you - here is the Zoom link - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83482640801

When you click on the link you will be in a "waiting room" by yourself. Bring a book to read while you are waiting. 🙂 When it is time to receive prayer I will place you in a breakout room hosted by two of our HSRM leaders, where you will share your requests, and receive healing prayers.

This is a great opportunity for all of us who desire more, and deeper, healing!

Renewal School of Ministry Courses, 2021 Winter/Spring Terms

 

 

 

Renewal School of Ministry Courses

2021 Winter/Spring Terms

January 10 to February 20, 2021

 All Classes start at 8 pm ET, 7 pm CT, 6 pm MT, 5 pm PT

 REGISTER HERE, 

         

Identity in Christ            Ross Lieuallen

Sunday January 10 for 6 consecutive Sundays ending Sunday February 14

 

The Presence Driven Church         John Piippo

Monday January 11 for 6 consecutive Mondays ending Monday February 15

 

Old Testament Survey                       Peter Conlin

Tuesday January 12 for 6 consecutive Tuesdays ending Tuesday February 16

 

Ministry through Power and Spiritual Gifts      Steve Dominquez 

Thursday January 14 for 6 consecutive Thursdays ending Thursday February 18

SEMINAR: "Demystifying Homosexuality: Questions and Answers"    

Phillip Lee, Date:  Saturday Jan 9,2021 at 9am-11am PT, 12noon-2pm ET

 

A seminar designed to help clear up the misconceptions many have today about homosexuality.

 

Why should sharing the Gospel to a gay person be approached differently than to anyone else? 

 

Scripturally-speaking: what do we know about homosexuality? 

 

Why doesn't God just go ‘Poof!’  and make it go away? 

 

Is just saying homosexuality is a sin good enough? Is there a difference between unwanted same-sex attraction versus stating, "I'm gay! “? 

 

Does it matter why the person  you love is homosexual? 

 

The seminar offers biblical and compassionate responses to homosexuality

 for parents, pastors, co-workers, a neighbor, or maybe just a good friend.

 

Philip's website is: https://hiswayout.com/  

Acquaint Thyself with God

 

                                                            (Tipp City, Ohio)

I recently read, in one of my devotional books, this quote from A. W. Tozer. A quote like this cases me to stop, and ponder. 

One thought I had was this. The atmosphere in America is secular. Godless. To combat this many of us, self included, are praying for awakening in churches. The Awakening centers on the earth-shattering presence of God. 

What is needed are encounters with God's manifest presence. Such encounters, experienced by people, overwhelm secularism. They change the cultural atmosphere. 

This is Church as an Awakening Center.

Years ago, Tozer wrote:

"When viewed from the perspective of eternity, the most critical need of this hour may well be that the church should be brought back from her long Babylonian captivity and the name of God be glorified in her again as of old. The matter is for each of us a personal one. Any forward step in the church must begin with the individual. 

What can we plain Christians do to bring back the departed glory? Is there some secret we must learn? Is there a formula for personal revival we can apply to the present situation, to our own situation? The answer to these questions is yes. 

Yet the answer may easily disappoint some persons, for it is anything but profound. It is simply the old and ever-new counsel: acquaint thyself with God. To regain her lost power the church must see heaven opened and have a transforming vision of God."

In Buechner, Frederick; Manning, Brennan; Nouwen, Henri; Peterson, Eugene H.; Smith, James K.; Tozer, A. W.; Willard, Dallas; Wright, N. T.. Faith That Matters (p. 357). HarperOne. Kindle Edition. Emphasis mine.

The Deepest Ministry We Have with Others

(Linda's footprint, next to mine)

Your worth is not the same as your usefulness. Your influence runs deeper than your advice-giving. (See "Giving Advice as a Form of Judgmentalism.")

Your character is not the same as your ability. (Relationships fail when they get this wrong.)

The people who have most influenced me were somebody. I think of them - their character, their Christlike attributes. Just knowing and being with them made a difference. In their presence, more was caught than was taught. Sometimes I catch myself imitating their behaviors.

Dallas Willard, writes Alan Padling, believed that "what God treasures in someone’s life is the person they become more than the work that they do. Dallas reminded us that the deepest ministry we have with others is who we are more than what we say or do." (In Eternal Living: Reflections on Dallas Willard's Teaching on Faith and Formation, Kindle Locations 2754-2755)


***

My two books are:

Leading the Presence-Driven Church

Praying: Reflections on 40 Years of Solitary Conversations with God.

I'm now working on...

How God Changes the Human Heart 

And, when all this settles, Linda and I intend on writing our book on Relationships.

I'm collecting data for a book I hope to publish - Technology and Spiritual Formation

Words Cannot Express Experiencing God's Presence

 

Tree, in my back yard

From my book Leading the Presence-Driven Church:

"Who can come close to capturing the reality of our God who infinitely transcends our puny cognitive capacities? 

... I am making a case for experience as a form of knowing that is in some ways superior to logical reasoning and theorizing. The pastoral implication is this: I must allow my people to experience God in ways that are biblical, yet unfamiliar to my intellectual capacities. 
No human cognitive box can contain the fullness of the Lord. With this, the caboose of feelings has become an engine of knowledge that drives us. 

In a presence-driven church it is important to spotlight peoples’ experiences with God. Make a place for them to share their God-encounters. Invite them to share their stories. As much as I love logic and theorizing, I have rarely been overwhelmed by logical rules of inference such as *modus ponens. But stories of my peoples’ experiences with God fill me with joy, move me to tears, and create hope and expectation." (p. 16)

*Modus ponens is the logical claim of inference that goes like this:
1. If p, then q.
2. p.
3. Therefore, q.

Not Just Nice Words, A Blessing Is an Impartation

                                                              (Art by Gary Wilson)

"We know that God is present everywhere, 
but he is not manifest everywhere."

Dallas Willard

Living in Christ's Presence: 

Final Words on Heaven and the Kingdom of God

The omnipresent God is able to localize his omnipresence. God can show up in a tabernacle in the wilderness, in the Temple on Mount Zion, on an ancient, dusty road to Emmaus, in your church building's sanctuary, and in your living room. 

God often manifests himself through words. Through the words of Scripture, through words of knowledge and wisdom spoken in the body of Christ, and through Spirit-inspired blessings, given to people. 

Near the end of his life my father blessed me with his words. What a great gift this not only was, but is to me! A blessing is an impartation, an empowerment.

This is the purpose of biblical blessings; viz., that God shows up and accomplishes the blessing in the person being blessed. It's not just nice, warm words that are sweet to hear. When, e.g., I bless someone with peace, I expect the Spirit to bestow peace upon the person. In the words of blessing there is a great doing. 

In Numbers 6:24-26 we hear the great Aaronic blessing:

“The Lord bless you and keep you;

25 

The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

26 

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.”’

This is more than a slogan on a poster. A Hebraic blessing is an "speech act." That is, it does something. (See J. L. Austin, How to Do Things With Words.) 

The words “The Lord bless you” mean "“God bring good constantly into your life.” “The Lord bless you and keep you.” That means “God protect you. God build around you his safekeeping. The blood of Jesus and the Spirit of Christ be over you and keep you.”" (Willard, op. cit., p. 165)

A blessing accomplishes enduring things. Willard writes:

"The invocation, the blessing, is designed to project that presence of God in a manifest way to the person you are talking to. “The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Peace comes in the presence of God, in having God’s shining face over you and in having him looking to you." (Ib., pp. 166-167)

***
My two books are:

Praying: Reflections on 40 Years of Solitary Conversations with God

Leading the Presence-Driven Church

7 Things God Lovingly Hates

                                     (Monroe sunset, from our church parking lot. 12/3/20)

God is love. 

In his essence. God is love. 

Which means, God cannot not-love. 

All God's acts and emotions and choices are to be interpreted through the lens of the love of God.

Even God's hatred is loving. For it is a great thing to hate what is evil. To not hate what is evil is to be unloving. 

For example, Linda and I know of a child who was raped, several times, by a relative. I hated that. In my hatred, I did not sin. But I hated the relative's sin, and what it did (and still is doing) to that child. 

Love hates what is evil.

Here are some examples of God's loving hatred of evil, from Proverbs chapter 6. (From The Passion translation.)

1. Putting others down while considering yourself superior.
2. Spreading lies and rumors.
3. Spilling the blood of the innocent.
4. Plotting evil in your heart toward another.
5. Gloating over doing what’s plainly wrong. 
6. Spouting lies in false testimony.
7. Stirring up strife between friends. 

Here are 7 things God hates, 7 things that are despicable to God. (Prov. 6:16; 19)

What sense does love make if love does not hate evil?

This Is the Day the Lord Has Made

 

                                              (Grand Haven, Michigan)

Often, when I sign my name to a letter, I add these words: "Blessings to you on this day that the Lord has made!"

Here is the verse.

This is the day the LORD has made; 

We will rejoice and be glad in it. 

PSALM 118:24

Frederick Buechner beautifully expands on this verse. He writes:  

[This day, that the Lord has made,] "is the point to which all your yesterdays have been leading since the hour of your birth. It is the point from which all your tomorrows will proceed until the hour of your death. If you were aware of how precious it is, you could hardly live through it. Unless you are aware of how precious it is, you can hardly be said to be living at all. 

“This is the day which the Lord has made,” says Psalm 118. “Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Or weep and be sad in it for that matter. The point is to see it for what it is, because it will be gone before you know it. If you waste it, it is your life that you’re wasting. If you look the other way, it may be the moment you’ve been waiting for always that you’re missing." 

(In Faith That Matters, p. 354)