Tag Archives: santification
With the publication of “Harlem Shake / Alma Mater Style” post yesterday it came to my attention that it was my 100th post here on ATW. While I was hoping my 100th would be a great successful and insightful post but it wasn’t. God definitely has a sense of humor; the irony of the fact that my 100th post was that of a viral craze proves just that! When I started ATW, it was all about stewarding my God-given gift, then it was about the numbers, then it became about finding myself…now it’s about expressing God and how I encounter Him in everyday life.
It has been over the past 100 posts that I have grown significantly as an individual. God has used this blog as one of His tools to do just that, to work the garden of my heart. It has shown me what really lies at my core, taking me on the journey to discover the scariest depth of who I really am. I have seen the limitations of my own ability and the exceeding abundance of God’s when I learn to trust in Him. ATW was simply a tool in the Lord’s hands in exposing the roots of my insecurities faith and fears. Ultimately helping me to grow in my trust in Him. Through it all, ATW became a vehicle for God, showing His faithfulness; showing me He is faithful beyond what I can comprehend.
I had a vision when starting this blog but I had no clue what to expect. Sixteen months and a hundred posts later God has blown my mind in what He has done and who He has revealed Himself as! I pray and invite God to continue whatever He is working in us here at ATW. Please continue telling your friends/followers to connect with what God is doing here at ATW. We will continue to seek God first, not only to dream BIG with God but #dreambigger encountering Him in everyday life!
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Have you ever been in a place in life where you realize that for all your efforts it seems like things have been in vain? Have you ever been frustrated at the things that never seem to change…only to find that it was you that wasn’t changing? If so, then you’re in good company, as I believe that everyone has been there at one point or another but I write to bring this encouragement to you. Change is more than possible it’s inevitable; but if you find yourself as the one who needs to do the changing take a minute and consider this:
“Often the change we focus on is external but the change that is needed is internal.”
We strive to change our hair, our clothes, our diet, our friends, our hobbies and anything in our lives that we place worth in. While there is a time for us to change (see Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) what has been, it’s far to easy to do these things and then stop there. There comes a point where that is no longer good enough and it fails to satisfy or be the change that we have been seeking. At that point what can we do when we have changed all that we can change? Usually, after all that hard work and effort, it is then that we begin to consider what God desires for us to change but I challenge you to look at that now instead of later.
The psalmist King David pointed out a powerful point in his song-prayer of repentance to God in Psalm 51. It is found simply hidden in verse 6: “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts…” I say hidden because many times we can speed over this line and never realize the power of this truth. In full honesty this is a verse that never leaves me alone. Ponder on that, take a moment…God desires truth in the inward parts…and in reality that is not our natural default. David in his prayer/song acknowledges that God wants us to be pure in our hearts, thoughts and motives (there’ll be more on that later…).
This is where the truth of this line resounds in me…for all my faults, no matter how I try to cover and dress them up at the end of the day if I am not 100% truthful then I am not pleasing God. Now don’t get me wrong I am not endorsing, promoting or teaching legalism but this truth of an inward truth only deepens my faith to depend on Him, His love and grace even more. For as the writer of Hebrews teaches “But without faith it is impossible to please Him…(verse 11:6a).”
In meditating on this verse (Psalm 51:6a) and seeing the areas that I fail in and have room for vast improvement , show me my inadequacy without God and strengthens my dependency upon His grace for it is sufficient for me (2 Cor. 12:9)! I pray that this post challenges you in the core of who you are and I encourage you to be intentional and invite the Great Teacher, the Holy Spirit in to continue the work within that He started in you (see Philippians 1:6). That’s been my prayer lately and I am challenged & strengthened for it! God bless guys!
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We just started Fall here and the weather is getting beautiful. The cool breeze is blowing. There is a fresh crispness to the air and it is just near perfect weather. In my opinion, Fall has to be the best season of all…some like it for the perfect weather…some for deer hunting…some for the deer meat that comes from hunting…and others for the change of leaves and the beautiful scenery. The only downside I can see to Fall is that it means that Winter is not far behind. Fall is meant to be the transitional season between Summer and Winter and here in NC it usually doesn’t last very long. You may have a week or two of fall-esque weather and it will get freezing cold (or just plain hot again).
Oddly enough, I remember the day very well that I learned this lesson for myself. I was in seventh grade and each day I rode the bus to school, walk down my neighborhood to the end of the road to catch the bus. I woke up late and decided to quickly throw on a pair of shorts and a shirt and ran out the door to catch the bus on time. Little did I know that Fall had took that sudden turn and gotten cold over night. I stood at the bus stop, the only guy in shorts, freezing and literally teeth shattering cold. I made the mistake of not being aware of the season I was living in. Had I paid attention to the news, had I known what was predicted in the weather I would’ve responded by wearing what was appropriately needed. As much as this is true in the physical, it is in the spiritual.
In life we face seasons of joy, sorrow, war, peace and tribulation and much more. The writer in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says it best: “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven…” In recognizing that the things that we face are for a season we become aware that there is a reason in God’s purpose and plan for our lives for them. We need not be ignorant of the season that He is permitting us to be in for they are opportunities to grow and draw closer in relationship with Him.
I encourage you, as I am learning this as well, to not just ask God “why?” but ask Him what He desires for you to learn in this season you are in. As I like to say, “any change in ones life always demands a response.” I ask you today, as you go through these seasons of your life whether they be for the good or bad, easy or hard, at the end of the day the biggest question is: how will you respond?
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In the last post I shared a question that has been stirring in me: “…are you willing to pay the price to live a life that abides [in Christ]?” Before we can honestly answer that question for ourselves we must first look at what the word abide means. Forgive me but you are about to read the beginnings of how my mind works in studying something but I promise it’s not as bad as it seems…I hope.
Abide means: ”to remain, abide a) in reference to place: to sojourn, tarry, not to depart, to continue to be present, to be held, kept, continually b) in reference to time: to continue to be, not to perish, to last, endure, c) in reference to state or condition: to remain as one, not to become another or different, to wait for, await one.“
Simply put it means “to remain” that right there will speak volumes in reference to Christ. Upon accepting Christ we are placed in Him (see Ephesians 2) but to abide in Him is a choice we all must choose. Though He may never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrew 13:5) it is entirely up to us if we choose to stay and abide in Him…if we choose not too then Jesus makes it clear the result of that choice. In John 15:6 Jesus says, “ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.“
Now that we see what it means let’s tackle the first question that arises…what does this life of abiding in Christ look like? A life that abides in Christ is one that is unshakable in faith regardless of circumstances; no matter what hell is going on around them a person abiding can rest in the fact that God is still God and He is working a plan for their own good (see Romans 8:28). It believes the Word of God (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17) over the opinion of one’s culture, friends and even family. A person abiding guards their heart (see Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 15:16-20) and watches what they listen hear and take part in and let their mind settle on (see Philippians 4:8-9, 2 Corinthians 10:5). A person abiding is firm in their identity and purpose (see 1 Peter 2:9, Ephesians 2, John 17, 2 Corinthians 5:20 etc).
If you haven’t begun to connect the dots this is a small taste of how we as Christians are called to live…we were made to abide in Christ (see John 17:3). There have been far better men to write and go in depth in this subject but my goal is to bring a foundational overview to get you thinking…so now that we know what abide means and a glimpse of what it looks like come back for the next post where we will discuss the price of abiding in Christ.
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In the last post (Lost Art pt 1) we spoke on making sure holiness didn’t become a lost art in our lives. I must admit I wrote the post more for myself than anyone else; I wrote it from the place of rekindled desire for holiness as it has been an ongoing issue in my life and here lately it has come center stage evermore. It started when God dropped this on my heart a while ago:
“You can have an opinion of holiness but never live it out, but if you surrender then you will experience true life!”
After hearing this statement it provoked some searching of my own heart to see where I really stood in this area. It has provoked some greater detail in areas I had ignored or overlooked previously and it has left me better off in those areas. In fact God has really aligned me to help me continue to grow in these areas of my life. One book that has shaped my opinion, outside of the Bible, on the art of holiness was “Celebration of Discipline” by Dr. Richard J. Foster; I highly recommend it. In helping to reinforce this in my life, I recently found out I will be teaching a class off of the book in the new semester of DSOM. God has been working this deep in my life and I would be remiss to not share it with you! If you would like to learn more on the art of holiness check out the book: ”Celebration of Discipline” by Dr. Richard J. Foster and it will change you in your walk with God!
At the end of the day holiness is a heart issue and no matter my opinions I can’t pass my own convictions without passing my heart and experiences with them but this is not quite the platform for that for the lack of space and time. I encourage you, in the words of Damon Thompson, instead of seeing how close you can get to sin and be good, I challenge you to run as far as you can the other way to see how much of heaven you can walk in.
Lost art is only lost until it is found. The Church (universally) is redefining what holiness means and looks like for us as individuals and communities then together as a whole; so don’t miss this time and let God work and redefine you. Holiness in my opinion is the lifestyle of Jesus expressed in our life for He is holy. He now lives in us and we are no longer lost, we are found so let’s live like it!
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Lately, in the past month or so, I have noticed a disturbing trend and it’s time I speak up and write my mind on it. In full discretion, am I suggesting that I am an authority on this subject or have it mastered in my own life? No way! I’m not even close to the standard I wish to develop in my life but I am working on it.
With that being said, I understand that when it comes to the topic of holiness and personal integrity people’s opinions differ based on interpretation and culture of what one believes. However, as Christians, holiness and personal integrity has become a loose and in some circles a taboo topic that to God is a central focus. Why? We are called to “be holy as He is holy (see 1 Peter 1:16).” Why? Because God has said in 1 Peter 2:9-10, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;…” Here God is saying that we are all, as believers, are (not will be in heaven or might be but ARE now) set apart for special purpose, unique, uncommon so we can give praise and glory to God. To give this a bit more foundational back bone check out Leviticus 20:26, where God says to His people: “And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.“
If we fail to focus on the areas of holiness and personal integrity in our own lives then we fail to live up to the standard by which we will be judged, which is The Word of God. If we fail in this area how then can we lead others as God has called us to as His people? The answer is we can’t. This is especially true for leaders/teachers who will be judged doubly (see
James 3:1); though we too easily seem to forget this. The American Church has been rocked by scandal after scandal of men and women of God who fell morally in the areas of personal holiness and integrity. I’m sure you’ve seen the headlines and remember some yourself so there is no need to name names but these cases have proven the need for a refocus on these areas in all of our lives. If we fail to learn the lessons of these leaders then we will continue to deepen the moral decay that is plaguing the Church instead of becoming holy, pure and spotless as God desires for His Church to be. We must remember that we are not our own; we were purchased at a great price and can no longer live as though we can choose the standards in our lives (
1 Cor. 6:20).
That is one reason why I love the leaders that I have been placed under at Covenant Love Church. They have upheld a strict standard not just for the leaders, but in the church as a whole, we live as how we preach and we preach the standard of the Word. Jesus has called us to be “the salt and light of the earth (see Matthew 5:13-16)”, we cannot be hidden, like a city on a hill, so we seek to live a life that glorifies our God and points all men to Him.
“As Christians, we can never allow holiness & personal integrity to be a lost art in our lives.”
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Have you ever had a theme in your life that kept coming up? Maybe it was a friend needing some help or encouragement in a area? Perhaps your pastor went on a rabbit trail on the same subject and you sat back knowing it was confirmation for that friend? Have you ever had the same subject then smack you in the face a little later in your life? I don’t know about you but I sure have; in fact I’ve been getting smacked hard with the same issue for about a month now.
For me, the issue has been trusting God. It started Memorial Day weekend when a friend first came to me and we talked on the subject…then came the rabbit trails & nuggets of truth in class & sermons…all good stuff the Holy Ghost was teaching me along the way…then it hit me. Hard. It took me having an accident at work, last Friday, where I fell and fractured my left wrist. It was then where I was forced to trust God and now I see that all that wasn’t for everyone else but for me, preparing me. I knew I needed to grow in the area and I wasn’t quite sure why till I experienced this minor crisis. I didn’t realize it till God revealed this over the weekend but I had subtlety began trusting my leaders & pastors more than I trusted Him. The whole time I thought it was for someone else it was for me and I was oblivious. He knew what was up ahead and was working to plant within me that which I now need.
I was oblivious that God was preparing me to strengthen me through this. James 1:2-4 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” I literally had to fall into this trial and it hurt but I trust and know that God has healed my wrist and I trust that in any other area that I may lack because of this that He is faithful to me, to supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus my Lord (see Philippians 4:19).
God will permit testing to come in to purify us but we can learn the easy way or extend it, thus making it all much harder than it has to be. I challenge you to take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you if there are any areas that you have been oblivious to His leading in and take initiative in it!
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Admittedly I have never listened to Michael Jackson’s song but in the past couple of days the chorus of Man in the Mirror has been stuck in my head because that’s what I am beginning to see with clarity. In continuing the Growing Pains Series, a chronicle of my final year at Destiny School of Ministry, I feel it is only appopriate to call this post Man in the Mirror.
This past week in class Pastor Quinton (@PQSelf) taught us candidly as always but there was one part of the week that God seemed to throw up the proverbial mirror on my life saying “hey you are full of this thing and it’s got to go son.” God is so graceful when He brings the dark corners of our hearts to life; God didn’t attack me with my sin but He waited till I was ready to deal with it and brought it to my attention.
For me, this time, that area is entitlement. While our generation is full of the entitlement disease and even in the Church I’d almost dare to say it’s worse. I will admit I had a wrong perspective on what it was; entitlement is not just say “hey I want what I earned” but it also shows up in saying “why does that person have this job? They’re not as qualified as me” or even yet bring it to the Church here: “do they not see my anointing? Why do people not honor me?”
Entitlement is a plague that needs to be eradicated from my life; I never knew it was as big as a problem in my own heart as it really is. I choose this day to serve God and not my own interests I will walk humbly before the Lord (Micah 6:8) recognizing that everything I have is a blessing from God. For “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17). I know God has accepted me not for anything I have done or can do (Ephesians 2:8-9) so to quote a man of God “If I wasn’t doing jack to earn God’s love when I was a sinner what makes me think I have to earn it now?” The man I see is not all that pretty but with the Lord’s help I am starting with the man in the mirror: me.
The moments our hearts are exposed before the Lord is not always easy but if we allow ourselves to be open and honest with God and those around us the end result will be worth the pain of “Holy Ghost Surgery” in our life!
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It has been over the past 100 posts that I have grown significantly as an individual. God has used this blog as one of His tools to do just that, to work the garden of my heart. It has shown me what really lies at my core, taking me on the journey to discover the scariest depth of who I really am. I have seen the limitations of my own ability and the exceeding abundance of God’s when I learn to trust in Him. ATW was simply a tool in the Lord’s hands in exposing the roots of my insecurities faith and fears. Ultimately helping me to grow in my trust in Him. Through it all, ATW became a vehicle for God, showing His faithfulness; showing me He is faithful beyond what I can comprehend.
