A Few Quotes on Fruit and Fullness

“I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus.  Christmas is coming, but I’m not happy.  I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel.” ― Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Christmas 

Fruit by the Spirit.  The Christian should resemble a fruit-tree, not a Christmas tree!  For the gaudy decorations of a Christmas tree are only *tied* on, whereas fruit *grows* on a fruit-tree.  In other words, Christian holiness is not an artificial human accretion, but a natural process of fruit-bearing by the power of the Holy Spirit. –- John R.W. Stott

We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world.  We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education.  We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum.  -- A.W. Tower

Fruit and fullness.  For many years now I have recited to myself every day the ninefold fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, and have prayed for the fullness of the Spirit.  For the chief mark of the fullness of the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control.  As I meditate every day on these graces, on this fruit of the Spirit, I have noticed recently that the first is love and the last is temperance.  Now love is self-giving and temperance is self-control.  So holiness concerns what we do with ourselves.  It is seen in the mastery of self, and the giving of self.  -- John R.W. Stott

The only claim I make is that there is nothing original in these pages.  I present no revolutionary new ideas, no easy new way of salvation.  The road is still narrow (Matt. 7:14).  I do not have the gift of softening the sting of the Christian message, of making it seem light or easily borne or quickly assimilated into prevailing modern ideas.  -- Thomas Oden

A sign of authenticity.  Love is as much a sign of Christian authenticity as is righteousness.  -- John R. W. Stott
 

Study Finds that Mainline Protestant Churches that Focus on the Gospel and Prayer are Growing; Those that Don’t Are in Decline

VirtueOnline summarizes an important study published this week in the Canadian publication, MacLeans, demonstrating that fidelity to the Bible and historic Christian orthodoxy is a key factor in whether a "mainline" congregation grows or declines:

An academic survey study of 2,225 churchgoers in Ontario, Canada, conducted over five years by Wilfred Laurier University revealed that people interpreting the Bible literally "helps increase church attendance."

The research, published in the Canadian publication MacLeans, notes that:

Answers in accord with traditional Christian orthodoxy—basic articles of faith (the ancient Creeds), the authority of Scripture, God’s visible working in the world today, the exclusivity of Christianity (Jesus as the door to eternal life), the importance of daily prayer—were tightly bound to growing life in individual churches. As well, conservative churches had a lower mean age among attendees (53 to 63), emphasis on youth groups, the presence of young families, wide participation by congregants (not only on Sunday mornings) and a commitment to evangelism.

Thus the study finds conservative theology mixed with innovative worship approaches helps Protestant churches grow congregations.

Among the key findings of the survey are:  

• Only 50% of clergy from declining churches agreed it was "very important to encourage non-Christians to become Christians", compared to 100% of clergy from growing churches.
• 71% of clergy from growing churches read the Bible daily compared with 19% from declining churches.
• 46% of people attending growing churches read the Bible once a week compared with 26% from declining churches.
• 93% of clergy and 83% of worshippers from growing churches agreed with the statement "Jesus rose from the dead with a real flesh-and-blood body leaving behind an empty tomb". This compared with 67% of worshippers and 56% of clergy from declining churches.
• 100% of clergy and 90% of worshippers agreed that "God performs miracles in answer to prayers", compared with 80% of worshippers and 44% of clergy from declining churches.

Read the rest of the summary on VirtueOnline. Read the original article at MacLeans.

Max Lucado: My prediction for November 9

Some important words from Pastor Max Lucado:

We are really ready for this presidential election to be over.  We’re ready for an end to the rancor and tackiness.

Voters on both sides feel frustrated, even embarrassed by it all.  There is a visceral fear, an angst about the result.  What if so and so wins?  When we wake up to November 9, post-election, when the confetti is swept away and the election is finally over, what will we see?

I have a prediction.  I know exactly what November 9 will bring.  Another day of God’s perfect sovereignty.

He will still be in charge.  His throne will still be occupied.  He will still manage the affairs of the world.  Never before has His providence depended on a king, president, or ruler.  And it won’t on November 9, 2016.  “The LORD can control a king’s mind as he controls a river; he can direct it as he pleases” (Proverbs 21:1 NCV).

On one occasion the Lord turned the heart of the King of Assyria so that he aided them in the construction of the Temple.  On another occasion, he stirred the heart of Cyrus to release the Jews to return to Jerusalem.  Nebuchadnezzar was considered to be the mightiest king of his generation.  But God humbled and put him in “detention” for seven years.  “The kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations” (Psalms 22:28).

Understanding God’s sovereignty over the nations opens the door to peace.  When we realize that God influences the hearts of all rulers, we can then choose to pray for them rather than fret about them.  Rather than wring our hands we bend our knees, we select prayer over despair.

Jeremiah did this.  He was the prophet to Israel during one of her darkest periods of rebellion.  He was called “the weeping prophet” because he was one.  He wept at the condition of the people and the depravity of their faith.  He was so distraught that one of his books was entitled Lamentations.  But then he considered the work of God.  Note the intentionality of his words:

This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
The LORD’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
(Lam. 3:21-23)

Imitate Jeremiah.  Lift up your eyes.  Dare to believe that good things will happen.  Dare to believe that God was speaking to us when he said: “In everything God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28).

Many years ago, I spent a week visiting the interior of Brazil with a long-time missionary pilot.  He flew a circuit of remote towns in a small plane that threatened to come undone at the slightest gust of wind.  Wilbur and Orville had a sturdier aircraft.

I could not get comfortable.  I kept thinking that the plane was going to crash in some Brazilian jungle and I’d be gobbled up by piranhas or swallowed by an anaconda.

I kept shifting around, looking down, and gripping my seat.  (As if that would help.) Finally, the pilot had had enough of my squirming.  He looked at me and shouted over the airplane noise.  “We won’t face anything I can’t handle.  You might as well trust me to fly the plane.”

Is God saying the same to you? If so, make this your prayer:

Dear Lord,

You are perfect.  You could not be better than you are.

You are self-created.  You exist because you choose to exist.

You are self-sustaining.  No one helps you.  No one gives you strength.

You are self-governing.  Who can question your deeds?  Who dares advise you?

You are correct.  In every way.  In every choice.  You regret no decision.

You have never failed.  Never!  You cannot fail!  You are God!  You will accomplish your plan.

You are happy.  Eternally joyful.  Endlessly content.

You are the king, supreme ruler, absolute monarch, overlord, and rajah of all history.

An arch of your eyebrow and a million angels will pivot and salute.  Every throne is a footstool to yours.  Every crown is papier–mâché to yours.  No limitations, hesitations, questions, second thoughts, or backward glances.  You consult no clock.  You keep no calendar.  You report to no one.  You are in charge.

And I trust you.

Circle November 9 on your calendar and write upon it the words: Our good God rules the world.

------------
Pastor Lucado is correct.  It is important that we not lose sight of God's sovereignty.  He is in control.  But I also take another point from Lucado's teaching, which he may not have intended: I believe that we are, like the people of Jeremiah's day, a nation in rebellion and a nation under judgment; and that will remain true no matter who is President-elect on November 9.  So it is incumbent on Christians to pray for God's mercy on our nation and to work as never before to bring individuals to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
 

How should Christians respond to those who mock our faith?

Saturday Night Live has been mocking Christians for years.  A 2013 skit likened Jesus to a movie character who murders his enemies.  Another skit mocked Tim Tebow with a sweat-sock-wearing Jesus in the Denver Broncos' locker room.

Last Saturday, however, the show's parody of God's Not Dead 2 was especially horrific.  (For more, see Nick Pitts's Did a SNL Spoof Go Too Far and Mock God?)  In a culture where "pro-life" is "anti-women" and "biblical marriage" is "bigoted," it's no surprise that believers feel themselves marginalized and worse.

The number of Christians who believe we are facing growing intolerance in the U.S. has drastically increased in the last two years.  Sixty-three percent now believe we are increasingly being persecuted; sixty percent also believe religious liberty is on the decline.

As our culture continues its moral trajectory, how should followers of Jesus respond?  Here are five principles that I believe will serve us well as we engage our society:

One: Expect opposition.

In Acts 20 we read that Paul spent three months in Greece, where he wrote the book of Romans.  In the midst of such important ministry, however, "a plot was made against him by the Jews" (v. 3).  Persecution will not cease so long as we are a threat to the persecutor.  Biblical values will always be an affront to a world that is estranged from God, so we will inevitably encounter opposition.  We would be egotistical if we think what happened to Paul cannot happen to us.

Two: Respond with reason and integrity.

Moses warns, "You shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him" (Leviticus 19:17).  If we step out of God's will, even in the process of defending his word, we commit a sin.  It is never right to respond to hatred with hatred.  The spirit in which we respond to critics can be more important than what we say to them.  God wants us to "be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy" (v. 2).  The world sees God as it sees the people of God.

Three: Seek the leading of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit knows each human heart.  He therefore knows when we need to challenge critics and when we need to be gracious to them.  John the Baptist rebuked religious hypocrites, but he encouraged sincere seekers.  The Spirit will give us the insight and courage to do both.

Four: Look for divine redemption.

We often observe that God redeems all that he allows.  One way he redeems persecution is by using it to bless his people.  Jesus promised: "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account" (Matthew 5:11).  Those who pay a price to follow Jesus find his presence especially close and comforting.  The more we serve others, the more we grow in our own faith.  And, as you grow in unity with other followers of Jesus, you will experience a deeper understanding of God's unconditional love and affection for you.

Five: Stay committed to the call of Christ.

When opposition rose against Paul, the apostle did not stop doing what led to persecution.  He interpreted Satan's attack as endorsement of his ministry and its importance for the spread of the Gospel.  When our service for God causes us to experience opposition, we need to remain assured of God's call on our lives and remain faithful to what he calls us to do.  Jesus said, "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11-12).
 

Six Encounters with Jesus

From a talk by Fr. Robert S. Munday at the Grace 101 weekend.

THE RICH YOUNG MAN – Mark 10:17-22

Now here is someone who must have been considered a fine young man.  He was well respected.  He went to the Synagogue services every week, and probably attended the Adult Bible Study, too.  He had been living a good life.  He was searching sincerely to do God’s will.  He knew the commandments, and tried to live by them.  Jesus saw the goodness in him.  He was doing all right, as long as commitment to God did not cause him any financial hardship.

The Bible says that Jesus looked at him and loved him.  He must have been able to see inside that young man, into his soul.  It probably made that young man feel a little uncomfortable.  Jesus invited him to remove the one obstacle to his continued growth and relationship with God  – his excessive attachment to material things.

But when Jesus asked him to sell all that he had and give it to the poor, the young man couldn’t do it.  It was the one obstacle standing between him and God, but he wasn’t willing to give it up.

The story of that rich young man causes us to look at ourselves and ask how important our possessions and our money are to us.  What obstacles do WE have that keep us from giving ourselves totally to God?  Imagine that Jesus is looking at you intently, looking into your soul.  He knows our thoughts and our desires.  Ask yourself, “Why is it so hard to have the courage to trust God to provide for all our needs?”


MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS – Luke 1:26-38; John 19:26-27

The Blessed Virgin Mary lived in such physical closeness and loving intimacy with her divine Son as on one ever has or can hope to experience.  She carried him in her womb for nine months.  She nursed him.  She bathed him.  She clothed him.  She took care of him in His infancy.  She was with him, near him, and close to him physically and emotionally as only a loving mother can be close to the child she brought into the world.  Mary was always thinking of Jesus.

But how did Jesus regard the mother who bore him?  On the one hand, he cared for her to the very end.  On the Cross he looks down and seeing her standing there, “he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’  Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” (John 19:26-27)

On the other hand, at the wedding in Cana in Galilee, when Mary tells him they have run out of wine—obviously expecting him to do something, he replies “Woman, what does this have to do with me?  My hour has not yet come.” 

Or another occasion when he was teaching in a house full of people, they tell him, “‘Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.’ And he answered them, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers!’” (Mark 3:32–34).  In other words, followers, not family, have a saving relationship with Jesus. 

So we see the love of a caring and obedient Son, who loved his mother even to the end and thought of her care even while dying on the Cross.  But we also see the priority of Jesus’ radical obedience to his Father in Heaven.  And Mary knows and accepts this with the humility of the same young woman who said to the Angel a lifetime ago, “Be it unto me according to your word.”  Let it be done to me as you have said.


JUDAS ISCARIOT – John 12:4-6

Another person who encountered Jesus and even lived with him for the better part of three years is Judas Iscariot.  The very name Judas has come to be used to refer to anyone who is a traitor.  Judas is the “bad guy” of the Gospels.  But isn’t there a bit of Judas in each one of us?  A part of us that sometimes betrays Jesus?

When Jesus first called Judas to be one of his disciples, Judas was full of enthusiasm.  Judas was probably a Zealot.  The Zealots were Jews who advocated an armed revolt against the Romans in order to re-establish Israel as an independent nation with its own king. 

Judas had high hopes for Jesus.  He probably hoped that Jesus would be the one to lead a revolution.  He never intended to separate himself from Jesus.  But Jesus didn’t “measure up” to Judas’ expectations – Jesus didn’t lead his people in an armed revolt against Rome.

Judas felt frustrated by Jesus, because Jesus wasn’t doing what Judas wanted him to do.  His frustration gradually turned him against Jesus, and his devotion to Jesus was replaced by greed, dishonesty and pride.  As a result, Judas was unable to see the truth about who Jesus really was.

Jesus tried to help Judas understand who he was and what he came to do.  Jesus washed Judas’ feet on Maundy Thursday along with the rest of the disciples.  He was willing to forgive him and cleanse him.   But Judas was like a man possessed. 

Try to picture the scene that night.  At that last supper, Jesus offers Judas a piece of bread, trying one more time to get Judas to look at him.  Can’t you see Judas as Jesus hands him the bread -- how he must have been afraid to look Jesus in the eye, and lowered his eyes out of guilt?

Jesus saw Judas a short time later in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Judas approached him and greeted him, saying, “Hail, Master!”  Then he kissed Jesus.  It wasn’t until that moment that Judas finally looked into Jesus’ eyes.  Jesus’ eyes were not filled with anger, but with pity.  He loved Judas.

Judas quickly turned away, but he had seen enough; and the horror of his actions soon led him to despair.  Judas’ tried to return the 30 pieces of silver he ad been paid to betray Jesus; and then, in his despair, he hanged himself.

Have we ever acted like Judas?  Have we been so blinded by our feelings of guilt or resentment that we let those feelings blind us to the truth about Jesus’ love and mercy?   Have we put our desires ahead of God’s desires?  Our priorities ahead of God’s priorities?  If we’re honest with ourselves, we realize that there is a little bit of Judas in each of us.

Nobody abandons God in a moment.  We gradually fall away.  We allow evils of various kinds to build barriers between God and us.  Judas’ barriers were dishonesty, greed, and pride.  Ours may be different.  But unless we confront these evils in our lives, they will eventually separate us from the joy God intends for us.  


MARY MAGDALENE – John 20:1-2

Except for the mother of Jesus, few women are more honored in the Bible than Mary Magdalene.  Although she is often identified with the unnamed sinful woman who anointed the feet of Jesus in Luke 7:36-50, most scholars today point out that there is no scriptural basis for confusing the two women.  Mary Magdalene, that is, one who comes from the town of Magdala, was the one from whom Christ cast out “seven demons” (Luke 8:2)—an indication, at the worst, of extreme demonic possession or, possibly, severe illness. 

Mary Magdalene was one of the many “who were assisting them” [Jesus and the Twelve].  She was one of those who stood by the cross of Jesus with Mary his mother.  And, of all the “official” witnesses that might have been chosen for the first awareness of the Resurrection, she was the one to whom that privilege was given.  She is known as the “Apostle to the Apostles.”

Mary Magdalene is a model for us of someone who, in coming to Christ has found healing, deliverance, freedom, and true, pure, holy love.  And out of that love becomes a model of devotion and contemplation of the greatness of Jesus.  What is it that we need to be delivered from?  Where do we need healing?  How can we open ourselves, like Mary, to encounter Jesus and be transformed by his redeeming love? 


SIMON PETER – Mark 14:27-31 

The next person for us to focus on is Simon Peter.  The name Peter means, “rock,” but, throughout his life with Jesus, he was more like an avalanche or rockslide!  Peter was always putting his foot in his mouth.  He spoke without thinking about what he was saying or how his words would sound.

Peter was a very genuine human being.  He was really dedicated to Jesus.  He felt like Jesus’ protector.  But he had one serious flaw: he was very independent and self-confident.

Peter trusted in his own efforts to live a godly life.  So he made rash statements like,
“Even if everyone else abandons you, Jesus, I will not.”  “I would even lay down my life for you.”

But when his boasting and self-reliance were put to the test in the, courtyard of the High Priest’s house, Peter crumbled.  He denied Jesus three times, just as Jesus had said he would, and then the rooster crowed.  When Peter realized what he had done, he began to weep bitter tears.

He had completely denied ever knowing Jesus.  He was ashamed of himself, afraid to face the other disciples.  If it hadn’t been for the fact that they had all run away, too, he might have never lived it down!

Peter would later experience Jesus’ forgiveness.  It was after the resurrection, when Jesus appeared to the disciples while they were fishing on the Sea of Galilee.  They brought their boats to shore and ate breakfast with Jesus.  Then, the Gospel of John tells us:

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 

Peter had denied Jesus three times; and so now Jesus asks him three times, “Do you love me?” and tells Peter to take care of his sheep.  Jesus was telling Peter that he would now be the leader of this motley bunch of disciples, because Jesus knew that, despite his failings, Peter loved him with his whole being.  There were other disciples who might have had some other good leadership qualities, but Peter had learned not to rely on himself, but on Jesus.  And that’s what made the difference. 

How do we deal with the problem of self-confidence in our lives?  Does our direction come from Christ?  Are our thoughts, our feelings, our wills submitted to his?  Have we come to realize that our weakness is made perfect in his strength?  And do we trust him to deal with us in any way that he deems necessary?


JESUS AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN AT THE WELL – John 4:1-30

Because of her lowly status and her shame, the Samaritan woman goes to the well during the hottest point of the day to avoid the stares and wagging tongues of her fellow townspeople.  Most other people were taking siestas at this time; nobody in his or her right mind is out in the noonday sun.  The woman of Samaria knows this and seizes the opportunity to get water for her household without being bothered.

Jews didn’t normally travel on a Samaritan road, but Jesus chose to walk this way anyway.  He comes upon the well, where he meets the Samaritan woman and asks her for a drink of water.  The woman, who understands her low social status in the eyes of a Jew, is astonished that this pious Jew requests water from her. 

Jesus uses the water as a metaphor to teach this woman.  He speaks about the living water, which gives eternal life, divine grace, or God’s life within the soul.  The woman craves this type of water, because she wants to have eternal life.  But first Jesus has a lengthy but candid dialogue with her.  He makes her understand that she needs to confess her sins and receive this life-giving water.  Jesus reveals his supernatural character by telling her that he already knows she is living with a man who is not her husband.

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband.  What you have said is true!”  —John 4:16–18

The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ).  “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.”  —John 4:25–26

The Samaritan woman now realizes what it means to take freely of the water of life, which is the spiritual refreshment that comes into her soul after her encounter with Jesus.  Not only was she impressed that Jesus knew all her sins, but she was also given the opportunity to have those sins forgiven.  She believes he is truly the Messiah, the Anointed One.  She repents of her past misdeeds and goes back to tell her family, friends, and neighbors how she met Jesus and how he revealed his knowledge of her sins and his offer of live-giving water, which brings eternal life.  She went on to lead many conversions in this area through her zeal and love for God (John 4:39–42).

The Samaritan woman doesn’t appear again in scripture, but for centuries afterward, numerous spiritual writers, theologians, and scholars retold and pondered her encounter with Jesus.  Augustine (AD 354–430), for instance, uses the example of the woman at the well to describe the spiritual thirst the human heart has for goodness and truth and that thirst is never quenched until we are in the presence of God forever.

This particularly poignant and emotional story reveals a Christ whose forgiving love is greater than any wrong we can do, or any social disgrace we can suffer. 


CONCLUSION

We have looked at six people who experienced the power of encountering Jesus.  Now Jesus is looking our way -- what does he see in us?

What does he see in our hearts?  In our minds?  How do we react to his glance?  Do we let our own sin and stubbornness blind us to Jesus’ love?  Do we walk away with a sad heart, unwilling to give up what Jesus asks us to give up?  Or are we willing to admit our faults, and allow Jesus to reshape our lives?

Dare to look Christ in the eyes.  Open your heart and encounter him in a new way.  And dare to let Christ turn your life into a masterpiece. 

And now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Amen.
 

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" Celebrates 50 Years of Telling the True Meaning of Christmas

by Robert S. Munday+

When A Charlie Brown Christmas was first conceived in 1965, the show's producers were opposed to including Scripture in the movie, fearing that the reading would be too controversial.

 At issue was the speech by Linus, which sums up the real meaning of Christmas by quoting Luke 2:8-14:

⁸ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. ¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

The producers' reason for concern stemmed from the fact that, in the 1960s, less than nine percent of televised Christmas episodes contained any substantive references to religion.

But Peanuts creator Charles Shultz was adamant.  His goal for the special was to focus on the true meaning of Christmas.  And his purpose was accomplished.  For fifty years, A Charlie Brown Christmas has presented the birth of our Savior to the world.

Shultz combined a passion for excellence with a passion for God.  And if you and I are to have an impact on our culture for Christ, both are essential.

In 1 Chronicles 5 we read that "the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had valiant men who carried shield and sword, and drew the bow, expert in war" (v. 18).  But then we learn that "they cried out to God in the battle, and he granted their urgent plea because they trusted in him" (v. 20).

Psalm 149 amplifies our theme: "Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds.  Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands" (vs. 5-6).  Note the combination of praise and preparation.

Scripture declares that you and I are "more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).  The road to victorious living has ditches on both sides.  One is the sin of presumption, being content with less than our best and assuming that God will compensate for our willful shortcomings.  The other is the sin of self-reliance, depending on our capacities more than on God's power.

How do we avoid both ditches?  By adopting this simple credo: As I work, God works.   As I do my best in God's power for God's glory, my Lord uses me to do more than I could ever do myself.

A wise mentor once told me, "The Holy Spirit has a strange affinity for the trained mind."  The more prepared we are, the more usable we become.  Conversely, the more usable we are, the more prepared we become.

The secret is being "in Christ," a phrase we find 165 times in the letters of Paul.  To be "in Christ" means to be submitted to his Spirit, yielded to his Lordship, giving our best for his glory.

The great Chinese Bible teacher, Watchman Nee, once said:

"Outside of Christ, I am only a sinner, but in Christ, I am saved.  Outside of Christ, I am empty; in Christ, I am full.  Outside of Christ, I am weak; in Christ, I am strong.  Outside of Christ, I cannot; in Christ, I am more than able.  Outside of Christ, I have been defeated; in Christ, I am already victorious.  How meaningful are the words, 'in Christ.'"

Are you "in Christ" today?
 

The Inevitability of the Anglican Church in North America

The inevitability of the Anglican Church in North America
With Parallels Soon to Come in Other Liberal Provinces

By Bishop Bill Atwood
www.americananglican.org

January 29, 2015

The historic shorthand of Anglicanism is the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral.  It began in the hearts of faithful Episcopal Bishops (remember the days when that was the norm?) who had a righteous desire for unity of faith.  This was not a sloppy kind of gathering under a golf umbrella with a logo.  They desired the kind of unity that Jesus spoke of in "His High Priestly Prayer."  It is unity that comes from shared belief in which essentials are fully owned and diversity flows like amalgam to strengthen the ability to transmit the essentials of the faith.  Unity in Christ surrenders nothing of the power of the Cross to redeem and restore or of the Word to convict, convert, nurture, and sanctify.  It neither waters down the work of the Holy Spirit nor seeks to supplant Him with vague semi-spiritual fables that ooze through the world like some sort of electric tapioca pudding.  The unity that these Bishops sought was based on shared belief in essentials.  They realized that there were some things that were necessary in order to enter into full communion with other Christian bodies.  They compiled four elements that were necessary for that kind of unity.  The principles were:

As inherent parts of this sacred deposit, and therefore as essential to the restoration of unity among the divided branches of Christendom, we account the following, to wit:
1. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the revealed Word of God.
2. The Nicene Creed as the sufficient statement of the Christian Faith.
3. The two Sacraments,--Baptism and the Supper of the Lord,--ministered with unfailing use of Christ's words of institution and of the elements ordained by Him.
4. The Historic Episcopate, locally adapted in the methods of its administration to the varying needs of the nations and peoples called of God into the unity of His Church.

In today's cultures which have forgotten the shared assumptions of Christian language, the power of these statements may be missed.  For example, the phrase "the revealed Word of God," is not just a title.  To the authors it meant that the Bible holds the place of ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice.

To say that the Nicene Creed is a "sufficient statement of the Christian Faith," does not mean to say that the Creed plumbs the depths of the theological riches of the faith or that it reveals the fullness of what Christians believe, rather it lists those things which cannot be denied without forfeiting salvation.

In "liberal" Provinces like The Episcopal Church (TEC) and Anglican Church of Canada (and others like Brazil, Wales, Scotland, Mexico, and more!) if they were not already part of Anglican institutional life, no responsible Anglican body would enter into a new relationship of Communion with them.  This is not to say that they have gotten everything wrong.  Getting everything wrong would require far more energy and commitment than the leaders in these provinces have been willing expend so far.  Suffice it to say, however, that none of the elements of the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral are unstained by the unbiblical practices and beliefs of the liberal agenda.  They kind of get grandfathered into being included in ongoing Communion life even though they are hacking away at the ark of faith using giant theological chain saws to separate themselves from saving faith.  The Good News, however, is that in each of those Provinces, there are "7,000 who have not bowed their knee to Baal."  Those faithful will never embrace the Cross-less faith that offers cheap affirmation rather than redemption.

As critical elements of the faith have been rejected, those false teachings are like a hole below the waterline of a ship.  Most of the hull may be intact, but if there is a hole that lies below the waterline, the entire vessel is under assault.  The sinking liberal ships give rise to the inevitable emergence of Biblically faithful churches.  The increasing pull of their heretical practice pulls farther and farther away from the ship of faith, and ultimately to perdition.  At some point, those whose allegiance is to the historic faith find that their bonds with orthodoxy are stronger than institutional ones and there is a separation from the institution of which they were a part.  That is what happened in the US and in Canada, and it is likely to happen other places as well where similar dynamics exist.  But there is more...

C. S. Lewis said in the Chronicles of Narnia, "Aslan is on the prowl."  By that he meant that the Lion Aslan (the Christ figure) was on the move to manifest the Kingdom of God, overwhelming sin, evil, and rebellion.  In that same way, the Holy Spirit is moving all over the world in a great simultaneous call that thousands and thousands are answering.

Not long ago, I spoke with a Christian from Germany.  He was blissfully unaware of Anglicanism but he was active in a new church plant.  It was filled with new converts among the twenty to thirty somethings.  I asked him to tell me about the church.  He described several distinctive characteristics.

1. The people in the church fully accept the Word of God as authoritative.
2. They are open to the present work of the Holy Spirit and His gifts.
3. They have a desire to connect with historic worship (citing liturgical prayers and music like the Monastery at Taize as well as new things).
4. They seek Apostolic order.
5. They had a revelation that Baptism and Communion are "supernatural acts" and are more than memorials that serve as testimonies.

What is fascinating is that a few weeks later, I spoke with a Christian from Cambodia.  I asked him to describe his church.  He cited essentially the same principles.  From Argentina, despite rampant inflation and horrific corruption, I heard from a convert how new Christians are coming to life with the same heartbeat.  All over the world, in thousands of places, the Holy Spirit is "spontaneously" calling people to new life with this pattern.

In addition to the faithful in the Church who refuse to surrender the Faith, there are thousands of new fellowships emerging which all reflect this Holy Spirit DNA.  It is remarkable that it is so coincidental with Historic Anglicanism.  Where the institutional church is departing from its roots, then new work is breaking out.  It is a winsome face for the Body of Christ and disenchanted and disheartened people are finding hope.  

What may have been true in generations past that the momentum of Christendom was enough to gather sufficient people to fuel the future of the institution, now, there is a demand for more life.  Not superficial showmanship, but substantive, challenging, discipleship that takes faith so seriously, it is not shaken by the violent assaults of Boko Haram and ISIS, or the terrible persecution of intolerance that seeks to eliminate Christian faith.  No external assault can overwhelm what Christ is doing in the Power of the Holy Spirit.

To those "liberal" Anglican Provinces who seek to demand a fruitful future because they are "franchise owners" in their region, the Lord is very clearly saying, "Fooey."  He is no more inclined to remain linked with the faithless now than He was when Israel needed to be dragged to Babylon in order to be disciplined into faithfulness.

Certainly not every Christian in those liberally leaning cultures which are abandoning their Christian roots at breakneck speed will wind up in an Anglican Church tomorrow.  But the ones who do not join re-aligning Anglican congregations will enter churches that look more like a living Anglican Church than a vapid institutional one that only has the musty remnants of Anglican aroma.  We are not only part of a globally growing, spiritually powerful Anglicanism, we are living in a time where the Lord is shaping a great deal of new life in a way that looks a lot like healthy Anglicanism.

"Liberal" Provinces, can you not see the signs?  The earliest sign of new life in the Spring is the budding almond.  Blooming even in the midst of snow, this early promise assures us that Winter is not forever, but Spring will surely come.  And what comes, like Aslan's footprints melting the snow and ice into Spring, looks a great deal like what it means to be one of these new congregations.  It also looks amazingly Anglican.  He that hath an ear, let him hear.

Bishop Bill Atwood is Bishop of the ACNA International Diocese and an American Anglican Council contributing author.