Living Intentionally

I love all you guys and gals! And for no particular reason, I just do.  Living intentionally is very important.  Our mindfulness, what we think about and how we think can easily be altered over time.  Altered if we don't always tend to think positively.  Which I don't always tend to think particularly positively, but I learn and I keep trying.  It's good to push up thoughts and questions in your mind like, how can I be loving right now?  How can I be helpful?  How can I care about someone?  Is there someone in my phone that could use a text of encouragement?  Some of you are really good at this, you're constantly lifting people up and encouraging others.  I love to see that.  Personally, I have some learning to do in that area.  I spent several years quite isolated from my peers, and a lot of this process of growth has been just learning to come out of my shell and help facilitate healthy friendships and family relations. 

Honestly, it's been exceedingly difficult for me.  I'm the kind of guy who walks around with a lot of fear in social situations.  That's slowly changing, but it's something I've dealt with my entire life.  A couple months of attempting to adjust my thinking isn't going to produce a complete and permanent adjustment.  Do you know what I mean?  These are deeply imbedded learned behavior.  And if you often happen to be an individual who's kind of a perfectionist, then it's easy to get frustrated with slow progress. 

Here's something I learned in recovery: I'm exactly where I'm suppose to be right at this exact moment.  I don't need to be exhausting myself during my down time constantly yearning for changes and growth.  This kind of growth develops over time.  Patience, right?  Long perseverance and endurance in this storm of life. 

The Spiritual Breaking Process & Intercession

I'd like to tell you a story.  Once upon a time, there was a stupid kid swimming in the ocean [This stupid kid was me].  The water was nice, so the kid swam out, curious and having fun. [Oh, experimentation!]  The water got deeper, it was salty and blue-green. [It was entirely possible that this ocean was 100 proof, the salt may have been amphetamine-related and the plankton definitely contained THC]  The stupid kid realized he was too far from shore [reality] and his feet couldn't touch.  Naturally he started treading water, but his energy gave out after a long time [Far too long]  His muscles shut down, his head dipped under water, and he started sinking. [ To rock bottom]  His lungs filled with water as he cried for help.  [Too bad he didn't have any friends] And at that moment, he gave up, and resigned to the fact, that he would never see the surface again.  At the last moment, he thought to lift his hand to the surface.  Though no one could see his hand..  In fact he knew for certain, there was no one nearby.  All the same, he lifted his hand [as so often we do, even though we expect no assistance]  At that moment, he blacked out.  And he woke up on the shore.  Coughing and sputtering, he looked up and saw the sun shining down.  He could have attributed his survival to his own rapid swimming.  But he knew the surface had been too far.  He could have claimed he gathered his might, and made it to the shore on his own power.  But he had not.  [In fact, he had given up]  But at that moment when he had given up, he had hoped after hope, just for a moment, that something could save him and lifted his hand to it [God, help me]  To his incredible surprise, a hand had pressed into his.  As the stupid boy lay on the sandy beach, he spotted a ladder reaching up into the sky.  It had seemed at that moment, that it might possibly be a good idea to climb those steps.  [There were twelve]  So he started climbing.  And to his surprise, as he reached the twelfth step, a new set of twelve would appear, reaching higher into the sky, and higher, and higher.  [And so living truly began]  The End.

I was talking to an acquaintance of mine, a guy by the name of Charlie, Pastor of Downtown Mission Church.  We were talking about the spiritual health of some mutual friends, and the topic came up of "God will never give you more than you can handle."  I'd heard the phrase many times before, and I had always fervently disagreed.  To my welcome surprise, Pastor Charlie said, "I think God tends to routinely give you more than you can handle."

And I'm a firm believer in just that.  It's nice to say "God will never give you more than you can handle."  But the truth is, at least for Charlie and I, it wasn't until we had far more than enough that we were willing to consider a drastic alteration in personal perception of the universe, specifically, the fact of an all loving, purely merciful God in charge of everything.  Very naturally, this mysterious God had given me far more than I could handle, for a very long, extended period of time until I could literally not take it anymore and I gave up and just rested on a factual and complete comprehension of how doomed I was.

Few will truly understand just how terrible the process of breaking someone is.  I'd akin it to boot camp, how the drill sargeants break the trainees and build them up from the ground.  However, this is only a small taste of the kind of death that occurs in a spiritual breaking process.  The process within boot camp is physical and more, mental.  However, the process of spiritual breaking is, indeed, spiritual, complete, and utter.  It is the snuffing out of hope completely.

For people like Charlie and I, we are greatly fortunate.  Why fortunate?  For two reasons, the first being the greater than the second.  The first reason being, that God, the creator, the master, the divine entity in control of EVERYTHING saw fit to humble a screw up like me to a point so low, that I could do nothing but turn myself over completely to his loving care.

Why was this such an extreme and unlikely cure?  Because I was so very, very, very stubborn and arrogant.  More so than I could have ever realized, or even do realize today.  I did not warrant such a long, drawn out journey to bottom, and up again.  I didn't deserve anything.  It was an act of unmitigated mercy.  And much more mercy than I would've shown someone else in the same situation.  And as much as I had forced my way to the bottom, God had been there guiding the process, ensuring I didn't step out in front of a car or fall off a bridge.

 And I was so very fortunate to receive such a specific experience-based prescription for my confused head.  Once again, why fortunate?  The second reason is, because such a process of pure agony, despair, and insanity has a way of making a permanent mark on the mind.  It clears the head.  More importantly, it allows for a depth of compassion for those in similar circumstances, and a depth of desire to help those in need, not by drawing them up with my own hand out of the salt water, but to remind them just who can pull them up and set them safely on shore: God.

Once when I was probably 12 or 13 my younger sister and I were swimming in a pool.  We were camping across the country with mom and dad.  We were playing and rough housing, swimming around being kids.  My sister and I didn't exactly get along well at that age.  We'd routinely play in the pool and get mad at each other and hold each other under the water.  I remember she was holding me under the water (thanks sis) and I didn't have much air when I went under, so I was scrambling and going crazy, trying to get to the top, but I couldn't.  It was so very scary.  So. Very. Scary.  I was terrified.  I couldn't get free though.  I just couldn't.  Realizing that my air was out, and I couldn't overpower her.. I gave up.  I surrendered to the inevitable.  I was doomed to a bubbly, chlorine water death.  And I went limp.  I just accepted my fate, I was going to drown.  There it was.  And naturally being a good sister, she spared me and let me up to the surface.  I equate that feeling, of surrender, to the feeling of being at rock bottom.  Total and utter acceptance of one fact: I'm never going to be OK again.  It was utter resignation to my own inability to reach the surface, to ever handle my desperate drug addicted, alcoholic, depressive, post traumatic stress, miserable, defeated, suicidal situation.

And then boom... God.  Naturally, the feeling of gratitude in retrospect is quite indescribable.  And the desire to serve such a loving and merciful being, insatiable.  Which is why I now study at Liberty University, to become a Pastor.  Not because I was saved, or because life is so great now.  But because a being, so incredibly loving, so incredibly caring, and so incredibly merciful, is one powerful word: Worthy.

 Utterly and completely worthy of my time, love, commitment, service, and praise. 

And if you can comprehend that... you can know a kind of love and fellowship, connection and union that is alien to humans who have not been there.  This is why it's so hard to convince an atheist or uninterested individual in the power of this one true God.  There is nothing, absolutely nothing like it in the secular world.  There is no frame of reference.  There is no way to comprehend it.  There is no way to intellectualize it or debate it.  There is no way to lay out foundational proof.  But once experienced first hand, there is an inevitable and inescapable conclusion of the mind:  God is real.  I cannot explain it or debate it to any individual who will not respond with an openness of possibility in the mind.  In fact scripture says the message will seem ridiculous to those who haven't received it.  I have found this to be true in my own experience previously, and in the eyes of my friends who I try to tell it to.

I've seen the most intellectual and intelligent individuals turn from every possibility of it, yet claim to be open minded!  So many minds will snap shut with the slightest mention of a God, or a man named Jesus Christ.  It is programmed in from outside influence.  And unfortunately breaching that perimeter is not possible for me to do on my own power.  But there is a power who can breach that perimeter.  That power is God, and as Christians we can plead to that power through a process called intercessory prayer.  We step between a friend and disaster, and fall at our knees before God, passionately pleading for God to open up a mind to the possibility of truth itself.  I can't, God can.  If you're reading this, and you're thinking of a friend who just can't hear the message, the good news, there is an answer: intercede on their behalf.  All we have to do is fold our hands and call out to God, and we are brought spiritually, right before his very throne! 

How cool is that?

Jeremiah, the weeping prophet constantly prayed for his country and his people.  He wept and pleaded with God constantly.  We are called to do the same.  So perhaps, with your brave and selfless intercession to the great and mighty Father of us all, your friend will be brought to a point of no return.  Perhaps they will be brought to a point of total surrender.  And then they will see and believe, that Jesus Christ is Lord, and they will finally know love and truth.

Intercession is a worthy task.  I had praying Grandmothers, constantly interceding on my behalf.  And now I'm OK.  That is noteworthy to me.  There are so many out there, who don't have people who care enough to intercede on their behalf.  Be the advocate of the lost before the throne of God!  For me I can do nothing else, because this gift of Christ within is so profound, I can't keep it to myself.  I have to give it away, because it is so wonderful.

It's an honor to have you reading my words.  Until next time, God be with you :)

Spiritual Gifts Analysis

Recently I took an analysis of my spiritual gifts.  I found the results so incredibly accurate I thought I'd share it with you guys, my dear friends and spiritual family.  I want to encourage you to take it yourself!  The results are really intriguing and might help you discover what areas of ministry are right for you!

Here is a link!

https://gifts.churchgrowth.org/spiritual-gifts-survey/

Just remember when your taking it, to answer completely honestly.  You are the only one who will see the results, and say for example if theres a question about giving to the poor, and you don't feel that strongly about giving to the poor, remember it's not that your a bad person, it's that your ministry is in a different area!  As long as you answer honestly, you'll get precise results on what area of ministry you're suited to.  :)

I'd like to share a paper I wrote on my results for one of my classes at Liberty University.  

Part 1: What are your top 2 spiritual gifts? Do you agree with the results? Why or why not? My two top gifts were “showing mercy” and “exhortation.” I completely agree with the results. I was surprised to see “showing mercy” as my number one spiritual gift. It's interesting that I've always been very empathetic with people, but with all the disappointments in my past I hardened that part of myself somewhat. I still try to reach out and help people who are in need. The quality of showing mercy involves being able to connect and comfort people. It means that I'm able to sympathize and empathize with people who may have problems that others would feel uncomfortable with. I find it easy to empathize with people on complex issues like drug addiction, sexual immorality, and alcoholism because I've been some of those places in my past. I know how easy it is to slip into a bad pattern of behavior, until it consumes everything you are. At the same time, I struggle with being judgmental. It's ironic because it's the characteristic I always despised the most in modern Christians. There are many character defects to be resolved from my past, but I consistently ask God to make me a more caring and loving person. After all the chaos I went through in my life, I think I tossed out a lot of my compassion because it hurt too bad. “Exhortation” as my second top spiritual gift made just as much sense at “showing mercy.” I'm the kind of person who has a strong burden of needing to know how to apply scripture. I can listen to a Pastor babble on all day about spiritual principles, but I need to know the exact practical application. I need to know how I can integrate a positive pattern into my thinking to allow for growth in love, humility, works, and faith. Having gained so much practical insight from twelve step programs, I feel like I have a wealth of wisdom on practical application of moral and spiritual principles. It quite literally flows out of me, and I want to give it away to everyone I meet.

Part 2: Specifically, how can you use your gifts at this time? How might you misuse your gifts? Be specific. There are many ways I can use my gifts today. Within my church people often come to me to “unload” whats going on in their life. I can often be there just to listen. I'm fairly quiet, but for some reason people will come up and be comfortable sharing their problems with me. I can also use my gift of showing mercy by asking my Pastor to send people with drug and alcohol problems to me. I can use the gift of “showing mercy” to care for them, and let them know they aren't alone. I can use my gift of exhortation to share with them the solution that I've found for these issues. My gifts are useful at Bible studies as well, and I could find some at other churches, as my church is fairly small. Outside of my church, I make use of my spiritual gifts by posting helpful and inspirational content on my Facebook account. I also write a blog called “A Lifestyle of Peace” and share practical ways of applying scripture to life. There are so ways my gifts can be misused as well. Being capable of earning trust quickly, and empathizing with people, I need to be careful that I'm mainly associating with and caring for males. I could easily fool myself into thinking I'm helping a female, and it could become unhealthy very quickly. I often let enthusiasm for exhortation get in the way of showing mercy, and I'll push a solution on someone who isn't ready or just needs a kind individual to be there. I often end up taking a lot of the emotional baggage of helping others with me after a long day, and that can be detrimental to my spiritual health.

Part 3: What were your 2 lowest scoring gifts? Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not? My two lowest scores were “giving” and “serving.” I completely agree with these results. I don't really feel my ministry is in the giving of physical goods or money. It's just not what I'm good at, and it's not what I'm called to do. God didn't give me a strong burden for that sort of ministry. Of course I love the idea of giving to the poor, but there are others will have to fulfill that ministry. Serving is also something I'm not particularly good at. It really comes down to that my focus and drive just aren't in these two particular gifts. There is nothing wrong with that either. Each is called to a specific ministry, mine relates strongly to “showing mercy” and “exhortation.”

Part 4: What impact does this knowledge have on your involvement in ministry? The information on my two strongest spiritual gifts, as well as my third strongest gift deeply impact my involvement in future ministry. First off, I've started to give more serious consideration to church counseling. After years of poor experiences with secular counseling, I had written off the entire possibility, but now I may need to consider it more seriously. I have extremely ambitious goals for ministry, so it would be humbling for me to work one on one with individuals. The gift of “showing mercy” gives me an incredible amount of compassion and identification with people. As I've practiced sermon writing, I've found a quality of deeply personal, and encouraging material come through in my writing. I feel that is a message that is deeply needed in the church today. People have been yelled at about upholding quality Biblical principles for too many years, without anyone telling them how to gain that kind of standard in their life. My second gift of “exhortation” with also greatly assist me in giving sermons, as I can first empathize and connect with the audience on deeply personal issues, then encourage the audience, followed by showing them exactly how to make practical changes in their daily lives. My third highly placed gift was “shepherding” which means I might fit well into a long term congregational setting. I have high ambitions about reaching individuals across the entire planet, which comes out in my blog which reaches several different countries. I dream of strings of churches across the entire planet with practical application and high emphasis on 12 step Biblical principles in assisting with living a daily quality Christian life. As long as I remain desperately humble in this endeavor, and ensure all the money gained is redistributed to the needy, I can then avoid a “mega church” situation. I believe there can be a broad, large ministry that is also compassionate, humble, and generous to those most in need.

Academic Paper: Methods of Evangelism

Part ONE - Evangelistic Method #1

The four spiritual laws is a style of evangelism developed by Bill Bright. The style can be found in the pamphlet Have You Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws? It was an attempt by Bright to display the truth simply, so it could be shared with many. It is the method used by Campus Crusade for Christ. It departed from previous methods in that the approach first spoke of God's love for humanity, instead of focusing on man's sinful nature. Bright first published the method in 1957. The method has been highly successful in creating disciples. The method breaks down the message of the Bible into four basic spiritual laws. The laws are listed as follows: "1. God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life. (John 3:16, John 10:10). 2. Man is sinful and separated from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life. (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23). 3. Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin. Through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life. (Romans 5:8, 1 Corinthians 15:3-6, John 14:6). 4. We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives. (John 1:12, Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:1-8, Revelation 3:20)."

There are many advantages to the method of the four spiritual laws. The method simplifies the gospel to the basics, making it very easy for anyone to share the gospel. It has a powerful way of taking a simple believer and turning them into an evangelist. The method is highly useful in bringing the gospel to foreign countries as well, where there may be little or no knowledge of the Bible. The method allows for talking to total strangers about the gospel, and having a clear cut method of conversion.

There are some disadvantages to the method of the four spiritual laws. The method may over-simplify the message of the gospel. The method tends to focus on the love of God, which is a good thing, but many other approaches focus first on the individual being a sinner needing repentance. The method allows for a quick conversion method, but isn't particularly strong in building relationships with non-believers. It also seems to suggest that one can be saved through the saying of a prayer, which is unbiblical. This could lead to people believing they have been saved, when they actually have not been saved. The four spiritual laws is a great method for quick conversion, but lacks relational qualities and depth of true Biblical disciple-making.

Part TWO ­– Evangelistic Method #2

Lifestyle evangelism is a method of evangelism that focuses on living a beautiful life. It is suggested that God is made known through the beauty of his holiness. The example of a life lived in communion with God then draws people to the beauty of holiness and allows for conversion. God builds his own character into believers, and puts those believers on display to non-believers. A lifestyle of peace emerges from believers and creates curiousity in non-believers. Evangelism isn't something Christians ought to do for a short time and stop, it's a way of existing. The method focuses on building relationships with neighbors, rather than seeing people as projects. The method compares evangelism with playing beautiful music for others to hear. It recommends having strong integrity, a caring nature, and a helpful attitude. It recommends becoming slaves to non-believers and assisting them and loving them. Through this kindness, the beauty of a connection to God is revealed to secularists. As the integrity of the believer is perceived by the non-believer, they are more and more interested in what the believer has to say as well. This is the opportunity to share the message of the gospel. The method suggests that believers can often look down on those still consumed by the world, but should more pity them, and consider them victims of the evil one. Non-believers should be seen as blind ones who need the help of believers who have been awakened.

There are many advantages to lifestyle evangelism. Lifestyle evangelism is a great way to set a good example of what a good Christian life looks like. Lifestyle evangelism is a way for non-believers to see the example of what Christianity does in the life of the believer, and be drawn to it. The method makes evangelism a lifestyle, and it focuses on building relationships daily. This is advantageous because it puts believers on a life-long mission for living well and caring for others. An example of good integrity and character is often more powerful than a thousand words.

There are some disadvantages to lifestyle evangelism as well. The focus is on drawing people to ask about Christ based on the quality and integrity of life of believers. However many may not equate Jesus Christ to the life of a saved individual, and thus never ask about it. The method is very relational, which is a good thing, but it excludes the possibility of approaching strangers and directly talking to them about the gospel. The method of lifestyle evangelism is more of a slow and steady approach, but lacks a powerful push to change an unsaved community.

Part THREE – Evangelistic Method #3

Dr. D. James Kennedy created Evangelism Explosion in 1962. Evangelism explosion is a method known for it's two key questions: "Have you come to the place in your spiritual life where you can say you know for certain that if you were to die today you would go to heaven?" And "Suppose that you were to die today and stand before God and he were to say to you, "Why should I let you into my heaven?" what would you say?" The questions are considered "diagnostic questions" and help to start a conversation on faith. Once the non-believer has answered both questions, the evangelist is encouraged to share on topics of grace, truth, and faith. The material used for this form of evangelism has been translated into seventy languages. It's considered a very practical method of evangelism.

There are some key advantages to evangelism explosion. It's a very simple and straight forward way to start a conversation on faith. It's easy to learn and practical to apply. Evangelism explosion is simple and easy to learn. It's also biblically sound.

There are some disadvantages to evangelism explosion. Evangelism explosion has often been criticized as being non-relational. Developing a relationship with non-believers and ministering to them is vital in the process of creating disciples. Evangelism explosion has often been associated with far-right southern Baptist churches, which often brings a stigma with it. Unfortunately evangelism explosion can come as very non-personal and "button-holing" to non-believers.

Part FOUR – Application of These Methods to Your Own Life

The method I chose that best suits me is lifestyle evangelism. Evangelism to me is a lifestyle. If I'm not living it, then it's only happening when there are specific events for it at my church or with friends. That's just not good enough for me. I need to be consistently living a lifestyle of evangelism. In modern society, especially in the United States people have heard it. People have been scammed and lied to in every way possible. Unfortunately the church has faded away in the United States, and it's been teaching false doctrine on a condemning, hateful God whom I do not know. I know a loving God personal to me. Unfortunately words alone just don't move people like they used to. People need to see my life as an example of what being a Christian is. When people see me being uncharactically kind to strangers, and helping out in the community, that moves them. Words alone don't move people much anymore. But when people see me walking down the street with a smile on my face, they start to really consider what being a Christian means. I've found many of my friends have seen the way my life turned around when I accepted Christ, and that makes them curious. I'm then able to talk to them about God and the Bible, and share it lovingly. I don't need to force it on them, but they see my life change and they want to know more. Lifestyle evangelism is the best way to approach people in my life. Most the people I'm friends with are intellectuals. They can run circles around most people attempting door to door or evangelism explosion methods. They don't want more talk, they want to see the benefits of being a Christian. They want to see physical walking evidence of a change in the heart and mind, that only a divine connection could bring. When that example is in front of them everyday, happier than he ever was, caring and becoming less and less selfish, that hits people in a spot they can't ignore.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aedrich, J. (1983). Lifestyle evangelism: Winning through winsomeness. Christianity Today, 27.001, 12-14.

Kellogg, J. (2012). The Four Spiritual Laws: An Analysis of Campus Crusade's Method of Evangelism. Liberty University Senior Honors Papers, 271, 1-32.

Lawton, K. (1997). Evangelism explosion retools its approach. Christianity Today, 41.3, 58.