Encountering the Glory of God

This Biblical account lets us in on an encounter with the most high God by a man who was already serving God. We see personal accounts written about and hear people pray for a divine encounter with our creator, and spiritual father but few would measure up to this one.

Encountering the God of Glory should do more than give us a spiritual buzz! When you read this passage you will see there are several elements that bring the prophet to a new place of humility and availability to God.

Isa 6:1-96: 1 Isaiah's Vision In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2 Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called out to another and said," Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." 4 And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. 5 Then I said," Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven." 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!" NASU

The Elements of this encounter are:
1. Isaiah seeking God and crying out to him in a time of great need for himself and God's people.
2. The encounter with God and His heavenly angels which seems to occur in the temple.
3. Isaiah's awareness of God, God's majesty and holiness.
4. Isaiah's honest appraisal of His condition and the people’s condition compared to God's
majesty and holiness.
5. God's mercy toward Isaiah demonstrated by the angels’ act which caused Isaiah to be
cleansed.
6. Once cleansed Isaiah is allowed to hear the heavenly conversation between the members of
the God head (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)
7. Isaiah responds to God's question, which he would not have felt qualified to do before this
encounter.

Today we live in the age of God's grace.
Rom 5:1717 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. NIV

We can come to Him freely and cry out abba father or my daddy. Because of the life death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we now are joint heirs with Christ and thus, His father is our father.

Gal 4:4-7 4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father ." 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. NIV
Rom 8:16-17 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. NIV

Scripture also says we have been grafted into the Vine (Israel) and thereby receive God's promises for those who serve Him by faith.

Rom 11:17-18 17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, NIV

The completed work of Jesus Christ and these resulting truths change how we interact with God today, and yet we would be wise to understand that He is still a holy and awesome God in whose presence we should not only rejoice in our freedom and His goodness toward us but also contemplate and be in awe struck wonder of His might and majesty!

Studying God's Word

Our Next area of Study in the Spiritual Disciplines is The Study of God's Word. Join us at The Passionate Participation in God Project http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=237088564302 starting 02/26/2010 for the 20 days of this study. Or go to http://www.abbasglory.com/ and click on the In God daily tab.

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Study
The intentional process of engaging the mind with the written and spoken Word of God and the world God has created in such a way that the mind takes on an order conforming to the order upon which it concentrates.

When God made his covenant with the Israelites, he established the books of the Law, which laid out in detail the way God’s people were to live. From that point forward, study became an important part of life with God. Now in addition to the Law, we have the other books of the Old Testament and the revelation in Jesus Christ. Scripture is an expansive gift that shows how God has been with us throughout history.
Accordingly, one of the best ways we can learn more about and grow closer to God is to study the written word. Scripture is the foundation of all of the disciplines. We know Jesus studied the Torah. Luke 2 tells us that Jesus went to the Temple as a young boy and spent time with the teachers there, asking questions. Indeed, he knew the Torah backwards and forwards, quoting from it time and time again. We too are well served by studying and, yes, even memorizing large pieces of Scripture.

For our purposes, study refers to an analytical process of learning as opposed to the more devotional practice of meditation. It is appropriate for the study to come first. Before we get to the devotional stage, in which we meditate upon what a certain passage means to us specifically, we must first seek to understand the passage. But this is not to say that study has no effect on us. Indeed, the opposite is true. What we study, what we concentrate on, becomes ingrained in us. Study transforms us from the inside out.

Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.—Psalm 111:2

Day 46 ~ Spiritual Practice: Learning from Scripture
Day 47 Directions for Living
Day 48 Obeying God’s Law
Day 49 One Teacher
Day 50 Knowledge of God
Day 51 Setting Our Hearts to Study
Day 52 Saturated with Scripture
Day 53 The People of the Book
Day 54 Eating God’s Word
Day 55 Treasuring God’s Word
Day 56 ~ Spiritual Practice: Discerning Our Teachers
Day 57 Delighting in the Law of the Lord
Day 58 True Teachers
Day 59 False Prophets
Day 60 Observing One Another
Day 61 Remember Jesus Christ
Day 62 Learning in Community
Day 63 Learning from Creation
Day 64 Studying God’s Ways
Day 65 Transformed into the Image of Jesus Christ

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This material is from the 'A Year With God' Devotional by Richard Foster, which is our text along with the Bible.

Artwork: Sword of the Spirit by Jeff Haynie

The Coming of the King and His Kingdom

The sermon outline which follows was part of my message at Hope Assembly of God a Ghanaian congregation in Aurora Colorado on December 16th of 2007.

I am posting it as an introduction to a study which I will be doing in the days ahead on:


The King and His Kingdom-What it Means to be a part of the Kingdom of God Today.
There is need of a fresh look in the Bible to examine how this concept, which seems so far from our current understanding of being a Christian or a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ, is meaningful today. I will also be reposting a few earlier articles about the Kingdom of God.

Christmas-The Coming of the King and His Kingdom
Introduction:
In a little more than a week we will celebrate the birth of Jesus our Savior and Messiah.
In order for us to be well prepared to celebrate the birth of Jesus we need to look once again into God’s Word of God and be reminded of who this Jesus is whose birth we celebrate.

He is not simply the reason for the season, but He is:
*Immanuel-God is with us.
*The Bright and Morning Star
*The Captain of the Lord's host
*The Alpha and Omega
*The Bread of Life

I. The Coming of the King and His Kingdom
A. The Coming of the King was not what we might have expected.
He Humbled Himself
1. Born as a child in a small town in a humble family.
2. He was born as a son to Joseph of Nazareth. Born in a manger, not a palace.
3. He emptied Himself of His divine authority and power. Php 2:5-8
4. He lived according to the Father’s authority and will Jn 17:1-26
5. He did His mighty miracles by the power of the Spirit Jn 1:32-34

B. The Coming of the Kingdom was not what others had expected.
hat Jesus began to do and teach
1. Repent the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Mt 3:2
2. He is the Son of David and he came to fulfill the law and the prophets MT 1. and Jn 1:45
3. He came to seek and save that which was lost Lk 19:10
4. He came to set the captives free and proclaim the time of restoration and Good news Lk 4:18
Once we have celebrated the Birth of Jesus we must look ahead to the coming year of 2008 and Seek to do all that Jesus Began to do and Teach.

II. Living Life in His Kingdom According to the King’s Plan
A. Living Life as the King would have us to Live it.
1. Seek First the Kingdom of God Mt 6:33
2. Do all that Jesus began to do and teach Acts 1:1
3. Remember you are In the world but not of it Jn 17:11-17
4. Jesus teaches us to pray the Kingdom prayer MT 6:9-14

B. Living Life as a member of the Kingdom
1. Empowered by His Spirit to be His witnesses Acts 1:2, 8
Without getting sidetracked about dates and times.
2. Doing the Work of the ministry Eph 4:12
Those things Jesus began to do and teach
With humility as Jesus did, by the Father’s authority, by the Spirit’s Power
3. Building up one another Eph 4:12
In brotherly love, honoring others before yourself, as the household of God.
4. Becoming mature, to the measure of the stature of Christ.
Through constantly submitting ourselves to Him and those God has placed over us.
By worship, prayer, the study of God’s Word, service to one another, giving of our time
and resources. Living life to please him above all others. Eph 4:12

If we will do these things Then We Will Hear Him say, Well Done my Good and faithful servant!
Copyright © 2007 Wayne Newcomb

Artwork: Manifold Majesty by Graham Braddock.
http://www.majesticartworks.com/

Praying Earnestly, 1 Samuel 1:1-20

Praying Earnestly, 1 Samuel 1:1-20

10 She, greatly distressed, prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. 11 She made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head."

12 Now it came about, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli was watching her mouth. 13 As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. 14 Then Eli said to her, "How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you." 15 But Hannah replied, "No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD. 16 "Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation." 17 Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him." 18 She said, " Let your maidservant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

19Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. 20 It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, " Because I have asked him of the LORD.

I will pray like Hannah prayed! Really, would you? Under what circumstances would you pray like she prayed? Hannah’s unrestrained honesty and transparency in prayer is almost scary to some of us. Yet, we often deny ourselves the joy of unburdening our hearts in private and in public because we will not go all out for God and what is on our hearts.

Do you need to practice honest transparent prayer? Start with the small things and practice complete honesty in fact and emotion with God in prayer.

This day 39 From my Passionate Participation in God Group on facebook bookhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=237088564302

The Kingdom Vision Taste Test

Ps 34:8 taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him. AMP

We talk a lot about Vision in the Church, in business and in politics today. When you are around people with a Kingdom vision they have the qualities of the King and that is why they are appealing to people.

People with a Kingdom Vision are focused on the giver of the Vision, they are full of faith that the Vision given by Him will come to pass, they have hope even when things do not look the way they had thought they would be, they have a positive influence on those around them that the King's Vision is within reach and as a result others believe in, and become a part of making the vision reality.

This comes not just from vision casting or sharing the King's vision but from the fruit or impact the Vision has on the vision bearer. When the Vision is fresh and alive it brings freshness and life. When the Vision is dim, contrived or is lacking in the vitality of the King it is hard for someone to follow it or the person bearing it. I have noticed that hope springs from vision and vision from faith or belief that what is not yet is what can be Hebrews 11:6.

Faith in the king and His Kingdom are the key to vision. There are a lot of people who live in fear and doubt and who are always looking for or are wandering around seeking someone or something to give them hope. They are in need of a healthy relationship with God. He is the giver of life, a life that flows continually to those who are in an ongoing relationship with Him.

Today, we are tempted to have a fast food version of our relationship with God, when what we really need is a time of restful feeding on the green grass of His Word and of drinking from the still water of His Spirit, of letting Him minister to us by talking with us and calling us by name, and of letting him rub His healing ointment into the hurts and bruises we receive from everyday life. When we do this and do it again and again we find the life, hope and vision that inspire others to see in us a glimpse of Him.

This glimpse of Him, what He is and wants to do, generates loyalty and passion for the Vision He has given us. People follow a vision when they can see hope and faith of the Kingdom alive in it, not when it is a part of the latest promotion or fashionable idea, which gets pounded endlessly into their information pathways.


Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast of restraint, are discouraged or wander without hope. But blessed is he who keeps God’s Word.

When they see Kingdom vision which has come from faith and hope alive in someone it gives them a reason to seek God for themselves and in the building of their relationship with God they gain faith, hope and His vision for them.

The Bible uses the imagery of trees bearing fruit as an outward demonstration of His life flowing through us to produce the fruit of the Spirit, which is the true mark of His life within. Jesus in John 15 speaks about the need for the branches to stay connected to the vine if they are to have His life which produces vision. When we have a healthy ongoing relationship with Him we make it possible for people to get a glimpse of Him. We have a choice; we can allow others to get a glimpse of the King which brings faith and leads to Kingdom vision or a glimpse of us without Him, which will lead the people to not have hope or a purpose and wander aimlessly.

Faith in the King is the key to vision. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of the things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,” NASB revised version.

Kingdom Vision does not cause us to be DRIVEN; instead it leads and inspires us. True Kingdom vision makes room for all who would agree with it. It does not need someone to constantly pound it into our heads and manipulate us into sacrifice so that some one else's vision of their kingdom can be realized. People will become a part of the Kings vision and freely participate in the cost of seeing God accomplish it when it carries the sweet aroma of a living sacrifice and not the stench of self and pride.

Kingdom Visions spring forth as children of the calling of the King in our lives. The more mature and healthy in Christ we are the more the birthed vision will demonstrate the Fathers heart and not our own!

Kingdom Taste Test
When someone taste of the vision you proclaim will they taste and see that the Lord is Good, or will they taste and see that bitter and impure water has been mixed with the river of life? Or will they see that Jesus has save the best for release in His season?

John 2:9-11 9 When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, 10 and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now."

In the midst of these troubling times we need to know the King and the precepts of His Kingdom. We learn these from His Word and our walk with Him. Therefore it is important that we walk by the Spirit of God.

Gal 5:16-26
16 But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).
17 For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.
18 But if you are guided (led) by the [Holy] Spirit, you are not subject to the Law.
19 Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency,
20 Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies),
21 Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness,
23 Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires.
25 If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]
26 Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another. AMP

Artwork by Graham Braddoct's Road to the Cross http://www.christian-artprints.com/

The Highest Kingdom Values

I. The highest values in the Kingdom start with every believer being equipped to have a life of Passionate Participation in God. To live in a passionate pursuit of knowing, experiencing and enjoying God and in bringing others along on the adventure.

A. This can be accomplished when our goal is to have the heart of the Father, the mind of Christ and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Ø The heart of the Father: Learning to know Him relationally and then being a source of building up and encouraging others to have the same type of relationship. In equipping, mending, nurturing, challenging, releasing, mentoring, inspiring, motivating and encouraging the people around me.

Ø The mind of Christ: Knowing the Word both written and living so that we can lay down our lives and do the will of the Father. In servant leaders who will be responsible and accountable to the team they are a part of. In dreaming and praying big while being faithful with those who are around you. In allowing, encouraging and supporting others to follow the calling and dreams in their life. In working hard to do my part and allowing God to do His.

Ø The empowerment of the Holy Spirit: Learning to live and breathe and flow in the Spirit. Allowing Him to manifest God’s character, gifts and power through the creative unfolding of God’s direction on a continual basis. In the unfolding, creative, and fresh work of God for every group of people. In the wonder of God's endless, creative and unique style of accomplishing His will among people.

B. The second value is to encourage, seek, teach and be available to the fresh move of God in our day. To allow and encourage freedom of expression and interaction with God. To provide guidance and instruction where valuable to the individual and the group in which God is working to encourage an atmosphere of community in which a believer may grow and experience God interacting with them without fear.

C. The third value is to provide a culture in which each person may come into the fullness of Christ through mending, equipping and being released into the work of the kingdom and the building up of each other in every dimension and aspect of our society.

Most of all: That we might all one day hear Him say, well done, you who have been a good and a faithful servant.

The Passionate Participation In God Adventure

Below is detailed info on the Passionate Participation in God Project /Adventure/Journey that will start Tuesday Jan 12, 2010. It offers a simple plan with additional options for those with more time to dig deeper.

This will make your personal transformation into the likeness of Jesus the Messiah a practical and realistic option for your daily life.

Our desire to see this maturing process which we all long for but seem never to find a simple and practical plan to follow up on in our own lives is available "inch by precious inch" if we will seek it in small bites on a daily basis.

One of the key aspects of Spiritual growth is that of biblical spiritual disciplines, without which we live soulish lives ungrounded in God's Word, and subject to the winds of doctrine which men proclaim as new or deep, but which lack the stability found in a firm relationship with God through His written and living Word. This daily devotional adventure will advance us in our growth.

Passionate participation in God Project/Adventure/journey Info
Start Date:01-12-2010
Objective: In A Year with God, will be transformed in your life with God, day by day. You will fulfill the promise of Ephesians 4:13Place: Wherever you can read the daily devotion.

Required material:
'A Year with God, Living Out the Spiritual Disciplines' by Richard Foster See ordering information below: A Year with God offers a daily practice designed to increase your personal connection with God through the exploration
of the 18 spiritual disciplines

Time required: Enough to do a daily devotional
Optional Items:
1. Online daily Community group interaction opportunity.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=237088564302

2. Daily Twitter bites to encourage your journey
3. Blog Articles: that will help you discover the King, His Kingdom and personally grow in measure and stature to the full measure of Jesus the Messiah. Eph 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Optional resources:
1. The Life with God Bible
In The Life with God Bible some of the most notable figures in Christian discipleship offer their insights to help
illuminate how the spiritual practices present in Scripture apply to our everyday lives and circumstances. This is the
resource for connecting Scripture and daily discipleship

2. Life With God:
Reading the Bible for Spiritual transformation.
Too often, our study of the Bible focuses on searching for specific information or some formula that will solve our pressing needs of the moment. But what if we approached the Bible differently, and instead of transforming the text to meet our needs, allowed it to transform us?


You can get these materials online at http://www.renovare.us/buyresources/product/

You can also contact Renovaré USA
8 Inverness Drive East, Suite 102, Englewood, CO, 80112
303-792-0152 - 303-792-0146 (fax) - www.renovare.us

Spiritual Formation

In the days, weeks and months ahead that will form 2010 I will seek to offer material that will make your personal transformation into the likeness of Jesus the Messiah a practical realistic option for your daily life. I will be framing this as 'The Passionate Participation in God Project/Adventure/Journey.'

My desire and hope is that we will discover the King, His Kingdom and personally grow in measure and stature to the full measure of Jesus the Messiah. Eph 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

This maturing process has been called discipleship, transformation, spiritual growth and spiritual formation.

To begin I will be using two primary books and the Life with God Bible, all of which are described in some detail at http://equipperstoolbox.blogspot.com/ I also will bring other materials and offer other books for our consideration during the coming year. Church history, and the Church today are full of materials that can assist us as we seek to grow into the full measure of Christ.

One of the key aspects of Spiritual growth is that of biblical spiritual disciplines, without which we live soulish lives ungrounded in God's Word, and subject to the winds of doctrine which men proclaim as new or deep, but which lack the stability found in a firm relationship with God through His written and living Word.

Although as a Charismatic/Pentecostal believer I will have different view of some of these areas and hope to add to them in a positive way Renovar' does a great job in the area of spiritual disciplines.

I have copied the materials below from the RENOVARÉ web site. http://www.renovare.us/ which offers many useful tools in the area of spiritual formation and growth.

What is spiritual formation? spir•i•tu•al (spĭr'ĭ-chōō-əl) adj.: Of, relating to, consisting of, or having the nature of spirit; not tangible or material.

We are all spiritual beings. We have physical bodies, but our lives are largely driven by an unseen part of us. There is an immaterial center in us that shapes the way we see the world and ourselves, directs the choices we make, and guides our actions. Our spirit is the most important part of who we are. And yet we rarely spend time developing our inner life. That's what spiritual formation is all about.

Spiritual Formation is a process, but it is also a journey through which we open our hearts to a deeper connection with God. We are not bystanders in our spiritual lives, we are active participants with God, who is ever inviting us into relationship with him.

Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (Jn. 10:10). We at Renovaré believe that such abundant life is possible here and now, because Jesus showed us the way to it. As we take on the life of Jesus – become like him – we experience a richness in life and faith that is truly renewed day by day (Col. 3:10).

Why is spiritual formation important?

If you are weary of some sleepy form of devotion, probably God is as weary of it as you are.~ Frank Laubach

Closeness with God brings us true freedom and fullness (Jn. 8:36, Col. 2:9-10). Yet many people—Christians included—find their lives fall short of the kind Jesus promised and proclaimed. If God is present with us, why is there so little joy, power, energy, and peace in our lives?

We keep trying: to find happiness, to experience God, to fill the emptiness. And that’s the problem. Trying just tires us out, distracts us from what’s important, and discourages us when we fail.

We are eternal beings, but have lost sight of eternal living. We spend time, energy, and money on our physical needs, but neglect our souls. Our misplaced efforts leave us feeling powerless and detached from God.

That’s not how God intended it to be. We are meant to be in relationship with God and others in a way that is dynamic, whole, and fresh every day (Jn. 17:24, 2 Cor. 4:16)—relationship that extends beyond church services into every facet of our lives.

Spiritual formation helps us reclaim our relationship with God as it was meant to be. It’s not trying – it’s training in eternal living, determined discipleship to Jesus Christ, and the way we discover the renewable source of spiritual energy we’ve been looking for (2 Cor. 4:16).

Living Like Jesus:
Renovaré’s Balanced Vision for Spiritual Formation Nothing less than life in the steps of Christ is adequate to the human soul or the needs of our world. ~Dallas Willard, The Great Omission

Jesus gave us a complete picture of God, and demonstrated how we can experience vitality and fullness in our life with God (Col. 2:9, Jn. 10:10). The historical Church (Christians), despite its divisions and differences, has upheld the core characteristics of Christ’s life through what we now call traditions.

Taken together, these traditions help us envision a balanced spiritual life. They serve as a guide to help us take on the life of Jesus—to become like Jesus ourselves—and as a result to be transformed from the inside out.

Prayer-Filled Life: Our heart’s steady attention on God
Virtuous Life: Responding with integrity
Spirit-Empowered Life: Fueling our lives from the presence and power of God
Compassionate Life: Extending compassion in every sphere of life
Word-Centered Life: Living the life-giving message
Sacramental Life: Encountering the invisible God in the visible world

Practicing Like Jesus:

Renovaré’s Practical Strategy for Spiritual Formation Practices such as reading Scripture and praying are important—not because they prove how spiritual we are—but because God can use them to lead us into life. ~John Ortberg, The Life You’ve Always Wanted

Jesus is the way to life—and not just life after death, but life here and now. When he said, “Follow me,” he meant it. In all he did and taught, Jesus conveyed that our spiritual life takes place in our physical reality as well as in the heart. If we believe what he said about the spiritual life, it only makes sense we should do what he did.

The practices of Jesus have been recognized for centuries as the core activities of the spiritual life. In the same way a runner is equipped to compete in a marathon by the discipline of physical training, so training through spiritual disciplines frees us to live each day with the “easy yoke” and “light burden” Jesus spoke of (Matt. 11:30).

Disciplines do not earn us favor with God or measure spiritual success. They are exercises which equip us to live fully and freely in the present reality of God—and God works with us, giving us grace as we learn and grow.

Meditation Prayer Fasting Study Simplicity Solitude
Submission Service Confession Worship Guidance Celebration

Accomplishing God's Will

The Truths we proclaim in the process of accomplishing God's will must line up with God's ways not the wisdom of the day or hour.
This applies in the following four strategic areas; Fulfillment of our calling, Leadership principles must guide, Covenant with many people, Moving with the opportunity:

1. Fulfillment of our calling: If we have a calling, gifts and anointing and if we seek God about something that is within the realm of our calling the idea that we have as a result will be His perfect plan, in scope, timing, place or relationship.
Truth: If we have not sought (inquired of) the Lord diligently and truly heard from Him we will march into battle with a plan that may have worked elsewhere or seem good to us but is not God's plan for the hour or the circumstance we face. Israel at AI. Joshua 7 and 8.

2. Leadership principles must guide: We say we should use leadership principles to accomplish the call He has given but without inquiring of the Lord we will be trapped into ungodly results. Look at King Hezekiah's father Ahaz who did what seemed right according to the leadership principles of the day. 2 Chronicles.
Truth: Leadership principles must be based on the foundational truth of the Word made Rhema for the hour and tested by prayer and humbling ourselves before God until we hear the sure Word of the Lord. All that Ahaz did had to be undone by his Godly son.

3. Covenant with many people: We say we should be in relationship with all who will be helpful to our mission or calling.
Truth: If we have not sought (inquired of) the Lord diligently and truly heard from Him we will make covenant with people we should not be in covenant with. Gibeon in Joshua 9.

4. Moving with the opportunity: We think we must be willing to move or stand still as the opportunity seems right.
Truth: When Israel was in the wilderness they had the pillar of cloud by day and the fire by night. They stayed still (encamped) when it was still but were always to be dressed and ready to move as the Lord commanded at the trumpets sound. We must move or wait based on the Lord's leadership not opportunity. Paul was seeking to go one way where there seemed to be opportunity and God directed Him in a vision and by His Spirit to go to Macedonia. Acts 16:6-12.

3rd Reply From Jim Richards

The third reply from Jim Richards author of Anatomy of a Miracle

Wayne,

I am thankful for your response. I understand your deep concerns and respect your desire to hold to the truth.

I led hundreds of hippies to Jesus, because I spoke their language. I have gone into many cultures and gained audience because I learned what they valued and expressed truth in language that made sense to them. I once led a Jehovah’s Witness to Jesus using his bible. I have led many Chinese to Jesus using the words of Lao Tzu to gain their respect and communicate on their level. In fact, I have had the door opened to me by some of the most respected Chinese leaders in the community to share Jesus with Buddhist priests. In our health clinic, I introduced numbers of new Agers to Jesus, because I could talk their language and showed respect for their beliefs even when they knew I disagreed strongly with those beliefs. The list could go on and the point could be lost.

As a student of the word, hopefully you are a student of history and current trends. The church is losing ground daily. You are correct when you have concerns about believes defecting to New Age and other cults, it is happening at an alarming rate. Approximately 5000 evangelical churches are closing their doors every year. Among the many issues facing the church today is our lack of relevance, the failure to live (model) what the Bible teaches, and an unwillingness to communicate in a way that connects with the very people we attempt to reach. It like fishing without bait. It seems that much of the church is more comfortable letting millions slip into eternity without Jesus than we are stepping beyond our comfort zones. We can’t keep doing what isn’t working, what hasn’t worked for a long time and abandon the world Jesus died for.

I have no intention of ever departing from Biblical truth, or Jesus as my Lord. Truth is absolute, but the application and expression of truth is dynamic. I have and will spend my life reaching beyond the walls of the church to a world without Jesus. In The Anatomy of a Miracle I have used the language, the terminology and even the scientific data that is being used to denounce the miraculous and turn people away from God. I have taken the very language that others have used to disprove and have pointed people back to God the Creator of all things. And if the statistics hold true 86% of the people who buy one of my books buys another within 30 days. They will hear a very clear and very bold message of the cross, faith righteousness, the Lordship of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. In so doing the door is opened to me to millions of people that otherwise would not listen. And for millions of believers, the miraculous, will be conceptualized in language that makes sense to them, and facilitates faith coming alive in their heart. They will turn to God and true faith in the Lord Jesus. Their intellect will no longer lead them from the miraculous, but to it.

Will I be misunderstood and vilified for this? Yes, by some! Is there a risk of people misunderstanding the goal? Yes! Did I calculate this risk? Most certainly! Will the risk I run and the price be worth it? Only time will tell. So far, it looks as if I will do what I have set out to do. Both of the previously mentioned things are happening! And reaching the lost and strengthening the body has what I have been effectively doing for a very long time.

When I am back in Denver, or should our paths cross, if you desire to visit face to face I will more than gladly do so, with no predetermined animosity or agenda, other than open communication. Sometimes words on a page, fail to communicate as effectively as the words being spoken for our own ears to hear and eyes to see.

Thank you for your time and willingness to communicate.

Sincerely,
Jim Richards