Lies the Devil Tells--The Devil is NOT real

Txs Vectorportal for image only

Here is my outline for tonight's talk at Four14.  I will add links to this post that seek to set you on a course of action whereby you can study and maybe come to some new conclusions.

Four14 Talk

October 6, 2011

Series: Lies the Devil Tells

Title: The Devil is not Real

Intro--

The devil is not real? 

• Quotes about the Devil
• Images of the Devil in culture
• ABC News Nightline Face-off intro
• ABC News Nightline Face-off view full show & background.

“Don’t get PUNKED by Satan”

• Usual Suspects clip on YouTube 
• Church Lady clip on Hulu

Know Satan’s strategies & schemes--

Two Strategies:

1. Idolatry (Isaiah 44:16-18 cf. I Cor 10:20)

2. Occultism (Deuteronomy 18:9-13)

Three Schemes (II Corinthians 2:11)

1. The world (Ephesians 2:1-3)

2. The flesh (Galatians 5:19-21)

3. The powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12)

How to Win—4 cheats to overcome Satan

1. Repent (Colossians 1:12-14)

2. Rely on God (James 4:7a)

3. Resist the Devil (James 4:7b)

• 13th Century rebuke of Satan by Thomas a Kempis, In Imitation of Christ
• Sample prayers to resist and to rearm

4. Rearm (Ephesians 6:13)

Who is Jesus and what difference does it make

photos from epsos.de & stefano mezzone
I enjoyed sharing at Four14 last night. I shared three things about who you are in Christ based on who Jesus is in the first two Gospels.

I presented them with "I am" statements.  I chose three from the many features of who you are in Christ.  Let me list them.

• I am a seeker (Matthew 6:33-34)--I can seek God.
• I am a follower (Matthew 28:16-20)--I can follow God.
• I am a servant (Mark 10:43-45)--I can serve sacrificially.

Because Jesus is King (book of Matthew), I can seek God's kingdom first.  Matthew 6:33 challenges me to consider making Christ the one I seek.  If Jesus is King, then I must seek Him.

Because Jesus is King, I can follow Him.  But I must follow Him with full devotion. I follow by obeying all that He commands (Matthew 28:20).  If Jesus is King, then I must follow Him.

Because Jesus is Servant (book of Mark), I can serve sacrificially.  I must serve like Jesus did.  I must strive to serve rather than be served (Mark 10:45).  If Jesus is Servant, then I must serve sacrificially.

A distorted view of Jesus will mess your life up.  One distortion of Jesus is seeing Him as a bossy temperamental supervisor.  Jesus is the benevolent monarch wanting you to seek Him and to follow Him.  Another distortion of Jesus is viewing Him as an all-powerful genie.  Jesus is the sacrificial servant who suffered to help everyone.  He wants you to serve like Him.

To clarify who Jesus claims to be, impacts who you are in Christ. Once you better understand who Jesus is and who you are in Christ, you remove the obstacle in discovering who God wants you to be and where you fit in this world.

I am still learning how to living out of my being rather than work out of my doing.  I praise God for the Bible to instruct and to correct me.  May I move toward seeking God daily, following Him completely, and serving Him sacrificially everyday.

Preparing a talk for Young Adults, Singles, Et.al.

I get to share at Four14 tomorrow night. I chose for my topic, "Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?" Lately, I have had trouble focusing the topic. I taught the lesson for Internationals as "Portraits of Jesus: Seeing Jesus in Four Pictures from the Gospels." 

But now I need to fashion a talk so that everyone who hears the talk will know that knowing who Jesus is doesn't clarify what you do or don't do, but crystallizes who you are.  I want all who hear my talk to have a different orientation.  I need them to hear, "Orient yourself NOT to what you do or don't do for Christ; but in who you are in Christ!"

In my own journey in the Lord, I need to continually rehearse who I am. As a pastor it's so easy to forget who I am and obsess over what I do or don't get done. It's more difficult to be.

Thus, knowing who you are in Christ makes all the difference in your faith journey.  I know that it makes a great difference in mine.  So, as I work on the talk I need insight from you.

I wonder if you find it just as challenging to live in light of who you are in Christ rather than fixate on what you do for Christ.  Share your thoughts tonight. I may use representative comments in my talk tomorrow night.

Short term Missions Deployment

Three trips are taking place during Christmas and New Years:

• CAMBODIA: Linda Kline left December 17, returns December 31
• PERU: Jacoby Gessel, Holly Moomaw, & Sarah Roseler depart for Lima, PERU on Thu Dec 31
• BURKINA FASO: Andrew Simms goes to Ougadougau, BURKINA FASO on Fri Jan 1.

One ABF took time out of their class to send Andrew with a prayer of commissioning.  This is a short clip of a fifteen minute prayer time.  What a great God we serve who prompts His people to go make disciples of all nations!  

How to overcome bitterness

photo by aaron escobar

Cynicism and bitterness prevail in people's relationships. I noted this in a few lyrics in the Top Ten on ITunes yesterday.

Cynicsim in relationships from Coldplay, "Viva la Vida":

For some reason I can't explain

Once you go there was never

Never an honest word

And that was when I ruled the world.

It may be overstatement, but to think that there is no honesty sounds cynical to me.

Bitterness in a relationship from Rihanna, "Disturbia":

Faded pictures on the wall

It's like they talking to me

Disconnectin' your call

Your phone don't even ring

I gotta get out

Or figure this {omitted word} out

It's too close for comfort

She is considering, getting over a relationship. She has strong feelings about the other person. And it feels like it's okay to act this way. But is it the best for relationships.

I don't think so. I believe the Bible is the remedy. If you worry about small disputes turning into lonstanding misunderstandings or you've been burned in a relationship before and you feel cynical about any long-term friendship, then you need to dowload the podcast and hear what I shared last night at Four14. You can try to mend that broken relationship. There is something you can do.

Now if you are facing someone who is a chronic liar, who betrays you consistently, one who has a pattern of betraying you, or other relationship hurdles, then you need what I post here below. You may want to shut down. You may want to run away from it all. You may want to anonymously call Jerry Springer or an on-air help line. No mater how devastating a relationship has damaged you, there is hope.

You might ask. "What about the bitterness I feel from my recent friendship that is now strained? What do I do?"

I'm glad you asked. The Bible has a solution for dealing with bitterness.

Often when you do not forgive another or when the other does not repent, you dwell on the offense and begin to destroy yourself with bitterness. Remember, the other person does not cause your bitterness. You create it by wrong thinking. In order to deal with bitterness you must practice the following as a Christ-follower:

1. Recognize that God is in control of the situation (Phillippians 4:11-13)


2. Put off dwelling on thoughts that stimulate bitterness (Ephesians 4:31)


3. Put on kindness, compassion, and loving deeds for the other person (Ephesians 4:32)


4. Utilize the biblical think list (Philippians 4:8)

You may have to work hard at uprooting bitterness in your life. So ask a trusted friend to help you through the process. You can mend broken relationships even when bitterness has set in. Follow what the Bible says and live by uprooting bitterness and growing biblical action instead.

Online tips to filter into your relationships

photo by isapisa

Helpful online tips

How to fix a bad relationship in practical terms; it outlines tips for four areas of a person's season in life: spouse, parent, in-law, and neighborhood. Look at the troublesome neighbor tips--I think they are helpful to remember as you implement God's truth in real life.

How to repair relationship devastation delineates how to deal with dating relationships from an internal or personal level to an outward or interpersonal level. From a practical perspective, I think the tips provided are good but I still would take my lead from biblical principles. I wonder if you could connect any of the four points with the six rules for biblical communication.

How to prepare for marriage tips abound everywhere, but one that I googled that offers some things to consider when pondering marriage you can click on here. The three tips are worthy of contemplation no matter where you are at in your dating relationship.

Forgiveness, key to fixing a relationship

photo by psd

For this Four14 talk, I will not have much time to share about the key to restoring broken relationships--forgiveness.

Forgiveness far exceeds an apology. In fact, I believe the apology is an unbiblical substitute.

There is a stark contrast between "I was wrong, I seek your forgiveness" and "OK, I'm sorry." The biblical pattern of seeking forgiveness includes taking responsibility for your wrong actions. It also involves the other person by causing them to have to make a decision--to forgive or not forgive. You put the decision squarely "into their court."

The biblical practice of forgiveness is easily understood if you take a moment to think about it. The challenge is obeying, putting it into the practical life moments everyday.

Forgiveness is a commitment, not a feeling. If a person admits their wrong and seeks your forgiveness, then you are obligated to forgive them (Luke 17:3-4). If you say, "I will forgive you," you are making a commitment to the following : Key verse (Jeremiah 31:34b)

• Not dwelling on the offense in your own mind


• Not bringing it up to the other person


• Not bringing it up to anyone else.

When you must seek forgiveness (Matthew 5:23-24), then you say something like, "I was wrong. Will you forgive me?"

• The offended person has the choice to say yes or no.


• Regardless of his response, you have done your part in restoring the relationship and have thereby please God and folllowed His truth.

When someone is seeking your forgiveness (Matthew 18:15-20), then you forgive by:

• Saying, "I forgive you."


• Not dwelling on the offense in your own mind


• Not bringing it up to the other person


• Not bringing it up to anyone else.

This may read like it's too easy or way too complicated for you, but hang with me. God's prinicples can make a difference in your life. It has in mine.

But you might say, what about this, "Do you have to forget before you can forgive?" No.

Forgiving is an active process. It is the discipline of not calling the offense to your mind (i.e. not reminding yourself of it). It includes replacing the thought of the offense with biblical thinking each time the offense comes back to your mind. Forgetting is the passive process that occurs with time as you do not give in to the temptation to regurgitate and mull over the original offense.

Or you may overthink this by saying, "What if I have a wrong attitude (i.e. hatred, anger, lust, etc.) or bitterness or even a wrong thought toward another person? Should I go and seek forgiveness for that?

No. You should only go to him/her if he/she is aware of your sin through your actions. He/she must know of your offense (Matthew 5:23-24) before you need to go. Of course, it is necessary to seek God's forgiveness for any sinful attitude, thought, or action.

Forgiveness is the key to restoring a broken relationship. Its the first board placed in the bridge that can reunite and renew a relationship; yes, even one that is severely damaged. May God give you the courage to forgive and utilize this key in all your relationships.

I'm speaking at Four14 again--How to mend broken relationships

photo by priotography

Due to fortunate circumstances, I get the opportunity to share at Four14 again this Thursday, July 24 at 7pm. My aim for this message is how you can develop great relationships by learning to master the guidelines for restoring broken relationships.

In my talk this Thursday night, I will outline the guidelines for restoring broken or strained relationships. Being a Christ-follower does not exempt you from facing the necessity of restoring strained or broken relationships. But what some Christ-followers do not know is that there is a distinction between restoring broken relationships with fellow Christ-followers and with those who are not Christ-followers.

There is a difference. In fact, the Bible has some serious warnings about confronting people who are not Christ-followers. So, make a point to tell your friends and acquaintances to come or to hear it on the podcast if you or they aren't able to make it.

I'll also post a few bonus items on my blog as a follow-up. Please post a comment and let me know how God is working in your life. I hope to see you on Thursday.

Four14 "He who has Ears, let him hear"

photo by ben tubby
As I review my lesson today for tomorrow nights talk at Four14, I want to add material regarding biblical principles of listening.

Two principles stand out to me. First, let the other person speak without interruption. Read Proverbs 18:13. Second, make listening to the other and not speaking your priority. Read James 1:19; Proverbs 10:10 and 17:27.

I find this skill of listening to be so difficult. I discover that while someone is talking, I am beginning to think about what I want to say rather than actively listening to what the person is saying. I am guilty of poor listening. But I thank God that I can learn new habits that will improve my relationships.

I googled for a helpful place to visit for more practical ideas for active listening, and I found a blog post by David Gray who lists the ten commandments of active listening. His suggestions help to flesh out what the biblical principles of listening look like in real life. I especially like the "use follow trails" tip. I did not like the first commandment, "empty your mind." I'd rather keep a sound mind instead. Anyways, please let me know how implementing the rules apply to your life--good or bad.

Questions to ask before you open your mouth

photo by patrick dentler

I am teaching at Four14 this Thursday so I am providing some bonus material here on my blog addressing how to cultivate great relationships by implementing six principles of biblical communication into your life.

The first principle is speak the truth in love. In Ephesians 4:15, the phrase, "speak the truth in love," stands as a command. It is in the imperative tense. Speak! So silence and clamming up are not options for the Christ-follower. It is unbiblical to keep things locked up inside you. No one can read your mind (read I Corinthians 2:11). So, your responsibility as a Christ-follower is to speak truth lovingly. But first, it is to speak--don't clam up.

Since the Christ-followere is to speak. Here are the questions to ask before you speak:

• Is what I would like to say true? (Ephesians 4:25)



• Is what I would like to say profitable? (Ephesians 4:29)



• Is this the proper time to say it, or should I wait? (Proverbs 15:23, 28)



• Is my attitude right? (Ephesians 4:31-32)



• Am I saying this in the right way? (Proverbs 15:1)



• Is what I would like to say necessary for the good of the other? (Ephesians 4:29)



• Is what I would like to say pleasing to God? (Psalm 19:14)

Please check out the Bible verses after each question to read how the question emerges from the Biblical data. Before you speak, ask yourself these questions. Your communication will be greatly improved if you implement these into your relationship skill set.

You will discover great relationships as you work these into your life. You will have to work hard at it. Great relationships are not formulaic, but dynamic. So work hard at implemting these biblical principles into your life. Share what you are trying to do with your life-group or a trusted friend so that you can leverage accountability and glean from the support of others.

Please let me know of an incident or incidents in which you had an opportunity to use one of the rules. Share what happened, what you did, and how you applied (or should have applied) one or more of the rules. Be sure to state which rule or rules were applicable.

Good communication equals great relationships

photo by lorri37

In my short time on earth (forty-three years) I am still learning to communicate better. I feel that I am a novice at communication sometimes. Then I feel like I am an expert at other times. I do know that I am on the journey to developing better communication skills to develop great relationships.

The bible provides great insight into how I can have great relationships. I don't want to merely cope or to only survive in relationships. I want to experience and to enhance relationships from good to great ones.

This week I get to teach at Four14. I sat in on a session a few weeks ago to check things out. I was impressed by the numbers of people who attended. I praise God for a growing community of believers in Christ who want to follow hard after Jesus and who desire deep, loving relationships.

So on Thursday, July 3, I get to share about how to develop great relationships by applying six principles of biblical communication. I hope the young adults who attend will capture and implement these principles and grow into great relationships for the rest of their lives. It'll take hard work, persistence, forgiveness, etc. But great relationships can grow from good relationships. I can't wait to share and to follow up on what God is going to do in their lives.

One of the things I'll share about is the truth that you can only pursue great relationships from your side of the equation alone. It is not wrong to desire a great relationship. This is a good and biblical desire, but you can only pursue it as a goal on your side of the relationship. Otherwise, your gola would include changing the other person. Changing people is only the perogative of God alone. Romans 12:18 says, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with all people." You can try to manipulate others or coerce them but you will only become frustrated. You can only control your side of the relationship--as far as it depends on you.

I intend to post a couple of items regarding biblical communication in the month of July on my blog as a follow-up and may include them on the Four14 website or resource them for use at Four14.