In the current hectic environment, staying focused and on point is job ONE. Distraction is exactly that: dis -- traction; a loss of traction. Today, with so many areas calling for our attention and time, the ability to keep focused, and single-minded calls for an almost herculean effort.
In the Tuesday morning, NYSE Bible study, Vaughn mentioned spiritual unity, as referenced in Ephesians 4:2.
Eph 4:1-2 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
After the meeting, I took the time to give it a little more consideration. The verse mentions "the calling' and our response to it. According to this passage, the call requires that we comport ourselves with four qualities: humility, gentleness, patience and love.
It appears that when these four qualities are in operation, we are able to maintain or "preserve the unity of the spirit."
One way to understand these four qualities is to compare them to the antonym of the word.
For humility, the antonym would be pride. Pride is that emotional and intellectual force which intentionally pushes the other person back.
Gentleness' antonym is judgment; which takes place whenever the the blame game is played for the purpose of gaining an advantage.
Patience's antonym is reaction. Whenever we are reactive, we are paving the road toward rejection.
Love's antonym is hatred, which covenants to see the extinction of another.
The first three qualities center around what we need not to do, or to control. The fourth one is something that we must do, and it usually involves the first three.
These four qualities also represent for me the offensive line, to employ a football metaphor. The job of the offensive line is to protect the quarterback, who in this case is the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the one who calls the plays from out of the pocket, not the linemen. The 'pocket' from which the quarterback throws the ball is the heart of a man. If any of these linemen or character qualities fails to block its antonym or opponent, the quarterback gets sacked. When the quarterback gets sacked, we lose yardage, we waste the opportunity to move the ball forward, and what is worse, we risk losing the football.
As long as the quarterback is protected we stand the chance of scoring one for the Kingdom of God.
Scriptural Definitions of words and applications.
The new lexicon definition of excercise here.
"...exercise thyself [rather] unto godliness." 1 Timothy 4:7
Ex-Cer-Cise: Ex- out of, beyond; Cer- what we believe to be certain; Cise - cut across.
Thus excercise is going beyond and cutting through what we believe to be a certainty.
BOLD Ministry is sponsoring a The Fatherhood Series: Abraham, a Profile in Manhood. This will be a four-week series held @ St. Barts every Tuesday, from 12:45-1:30pm, starting July 7, 14, 21 and 28. Our guest facilitator is John Carr: a licensed LCSW and psychotherapist practicing in Greenwich Village. He is a graduate of Hunter College School of Social Work and the Blanton-Peale Institute where he completed his psychoanalytic training in Psychotherapy and Spirituality. John is expecting to have his first book published later 2010 which is a guide to the emotional and practical challenges of the first three years of fatherhood, published by Sterling Press. In addition to his private practice he is affiliated with the Soho Parenting Center and Everyday Parenting where he offers workshops specifically for dads. His workshops have been offered in both schools, churches and mental health agencies. He specializes in working with fathers who want to raise emotionally healthy children; manage their anger; take better care of themselves and improve their marriage. John lives in NYC with his wife and three children.
We can refresh our understanding as to Who the Holy Spirit is by the names used to refer to Him in Scripture.
Spirit of God
Spirit of Wisdom
Spirit of Counsel
Spirit of Might
Spirit of Knowledge
Spirit of Understanding
Spirit of Adoption Rom 8:15
Helper
Comforter
Spirit of Truth
Spirit of Life
Spirit of Christ
Spirit of Promise Eph 1:3
Spirit of Power
Spirit of Love
Spirit of Glory
Spirit of Prophecy Rev 19:10
ACCESS POINTS
Three gates or activities which give you access to the Kingdom of God are:
Faith: 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. Hbr 11:6
Obedience: Blessed [are] they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Rev 22:14. and
Thanksgiving: Enter into his gates with thanksgiving . Ps 100:4.
BLOCKAGES
There are also four blocks to Kingdom Access:
Vision - Bad Aim
Love of Money – Selling vs. Serving
Tradition – Old Tricks don’t create new solutions
Tribulation – Character gives you the horsepower when sweat isn’t enough
These four items point to: who we look to, what we love, what we do and finally what we are willing to endure. It is this fourth one which gets pretty tricky.
There are a lot of people that look to Jesus, they even love Jesus and act upon that love, but when that love doesn’t produce the result or results that they want or need, do they still continue to look, love, and act the same way?
People in tribulation experience a contradiction when doing the right thing and the wrong thing happen. Tribulation often leaves confusion in its wake. One of the ways to cut through the debris is through story. Some may call it testimony, but the world calls it story.
In an article in Knowledge@Wharton, Peter Guber, former head of Columbia Pictures and later head of Sony Pictures. Guber oversaw the making of “The Way We Were”, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “A League of Their Own”, “A Few Good Men” and “Sleepless in Seattle,” discussed some of what he learned as a studio chief.
Guber believes that the best leaders lead with story. I actually don’t limit it to leaders, but include parents, teachers, business professionals, and especially Christians.
Everyone has a story. I would even venture to say that people don’t follow people, they follow the story behind the people. The bigger the story, the bigger the following. People are naturally attracted to power and wisdom.
The more uncertain the times, the greater the demand for wisdom and for power: actors need not apply.
The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They asked, "Where did he get all his wisdom and the power to perform such miracles? Mark 6:2
Guber said that “Uncertainty makes for a complicated business environment,” and tribulation represents those extraneous counter-currents that keep pushing us off course.
When technology, theology and theory appear not to work or apply, story is a language that can carry one through the 'high seas of life.' Stories are the universal language and science by which we are able to process the unfamiliar.
Dr. Tim Keller, senior pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian, defines wisdom as ‘knowing what to do when the rules don’t apply.’
As a child I hung upon the stories of my parents; especially the stories told to me by my mother of Jesus.
The Gospel was never a set of rules and regulations. The gospel is the ultimate story a man whose life transformed history.
Peter Guber quotes Winston Churchill saying that “success can be measured by moving from failure to failure with enthusiasm.” Guber believes that in order to lead and succeed, “you need to manage three inevitable ‘states’: fear, uncertainty and change.” He made a point about fear that everybody has it, but what you do with it determines your success. He asks “Does it catalyze you or paralyze you?” I was surprised he missed a forth state: tribulation.
The hardest part of believing in the storm of tribulation is that God is right there in the middle of it all. This goes back to our inherent subliminal erroneous theology that thinks that if things are going well, God must like what I am doing. Silence is a faulty barometer, especially in matters relating to God.
Tribulation often reveals the cracks in our character’s foundation. When tribulation comes, it will expose the true standards and rules in our lives. Tribulation will expose what we are willing to do, not to do or give up, in order to live on Prosperity Mountain.
In general, our country has been so blessed with success that withdrawal from success is actually exposing our addiction to it.
Dr. Spenser Johnson, author of Peaks and Valleys, believes that what do we do and what we learn in difficult, painful circumstances will determine how long we remain in the grip of the storm or depth of the valley. Here are some best practices to observe when in tribulation:
+ Keep Disciplined: it was when Peter stopped doing what Jesus told him to do, that he began to sink into the water.
+ Keep Focused: it was when Peter’s focus blurred, and looked away from Jesus that he began to drown. Guber said that “Uncertainty makes for a complicated business environment.” Complexity is part of every problem, so seek to streamline and focus. 2Cr 9:8 And God [is] able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all [things], may abound to every good work:
+ Keep the storm out of your boat.
+ Rely upon the power of kingdom grace. Romans 5:20b “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:”
+ God’s Life Preservers are His Promises: promises aren’t there for the good times. 2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
We hope to see you at BOLD this Tuesday, 12:45-1:30pm @ St. Barts, Small Chapel, 50th and Park Avenue.
When your hut is on fire...
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, 'God! How could you do this to me?'
Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! 'How did you know I was here?' asked the weary man of his rescuers. 'We saw your smoke signal,' they replied.
The Moral of This Story:
It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.
What does BOLD stand for? On the legal level the letters stand for Business Outreach Lord Directed. But Christine, one of my dear friends and intercessors wrote out what the letters can also represent:
Be still and know that I am God
Open your Spiritual eyes of understanding
Lean on me and follow the unction of Holy Spirit
Do not be afraid or discouraged; I am with you always.
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, even though he dies, will live." John 11:25
All that I could think was, that works for me. :)
We are meeting today @ 12:45pm in the small chapel @ St. Barts on 50th and Park Avenue in NYC.
