Creating Out of Nothing
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Friday, 14 November 08 - 07:53 PM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Quotes |
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God creates out of nothing.
Therefore, until a man is nothing,
God can make nothing out of him.
- Martin Luther -
External Power
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Friday, 14 November 08 - 07:26 PM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Discipleship |
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It's at these times I feel extremely vulnerable, and it enforces on me the reality that I do not live by my own power, but on a power outside of myself. In a spiritual sense, this is true for all of us, but it's so easy to forget this as we "get on" with our lives.
How about you? Do you carry a real, tangible sense, that without utter dependency on God, your life would stop, dead? Or do you try and get on under your own power?
All the best for the Journey, Gavin
The Bridge
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Friday, 31 October 08 - 10:42 PM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Discipleship |
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Here´s something a little different:
Book: Revive Our Hearts Trilogy
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Friday, 31 October 08 - 10:04 PM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Resources |
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Nancy Leigh DeMoss has written a trilogy of books entitled, Brokenness, Surrender, and Holiness (now available in one volume). The first two subjects are not ones we often spend too much time thinking about, yet they are all subjects that have to do with the heart, a heart which is often in need of urgent restoration. She writes,
when it comes to spiritual matters, we all have a family history of "heart disease". We have to be willing to let him examine our hearts and diagnose that which we may be unable to see for ourselves. (34)
And having time to allow God to examine us is what these books are about.
The first book, Brokenness, looks at whether we are willing to yield our wills to God unconditionally. To emphasise her thesis, she quotes Martin Luther, "God creates out of nothing. Therefore, until a man becomes nothing, God can make nothing out of him." So how we become nothing is the key to a life that is pleasing to God. She deals with the meaning of brokenness, biblical examples, pride, the blessing of brokenness and the journey into brokenness.
The second book, Surrender, continues looking at the will and the supernatural battle that rages over it--hence the need to yield it to God alone. She emphasises the need for 100% commitment to God, quoting another famous author, "We must train men and women who will devote to the revolution, not merely spare evenings, but the whole of their lives." No, not a Christian author--but Lenin. Making a contrast with the Communists of the past, she quotes the ex-leader of the Communist party in the UK, Communists are "100 percenters in a world of 50 percenters". From there she discusses what it really means to be a living sacrifice, and more.
The third book, Holiness, looks at purity, the purity that God demands because that is who God is--which is a high calling when we live in a world where it is so tempting to compromise. But when we succumb--which often includes rationalising sin away as keeping in touch with real people--our witness to the character of God vanishes. Among other things, she writes about the meaning of holiness, the motivation for holiness, and the path of holiness. She uses a great quote from Pascal, "The serene beauty of a holy life is the most powerful influence in the world next to the power of God".
The books are worth a thoughtful read.
All the best for the Journey, Gavin.
Schooled by the Psalms
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Friday, 24 October 08 - 10:23 PM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Discipleship |
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Ben Patterson has written two interesting pieces on the Psalms in the Discipleship section of Christianity Today.
The first is called Schooled by the Psalms and is about how the Psalms relate to our prayer lives. He begins:
My sophomore year in college, my friends and I decided to spend two hours in prayer for the salvation of the unsaved high school students we were working with. We decided to meet at church, and the only free space that evening was a large janitor's closet that smelled strongly of detergent and disinfectant.
So we gathered in that closet to pour out our hearts to God. We prayed every which way we knew: we praised God and confessed our sins and lifted up the names of all the students we could think of. Then we praised and confessed and interceded some more. When I looked at my watch, just 15 minutes had passed! The next hour and 45 minutes of prayer were the longest and slowest I had ever experienced.
I came to pour out my heart to God and discovered there wasn't much to pour out . . .
For the rest of the article, click here.
The second is called Five Ways to Pray the Psalms. He suggests that we can:
- Say them outloud
- Festoon them
- Paraphrase them
- Learn them by heart
- Marinate in them
For more explanation, click here.
All the best for the Journey, Gavin.
Free Bible Study Software
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Friday, 24 October 08 - 09:08 PM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Resources |
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Downloadable Bible software for free can also be found by E-Sword, which includes Bibles in different languages. A great piece of free software, with many downloadable options. www.e-sword.net
Best wishes for the Journey, Gavin.
"The Blind Spot of the Spiritual Formation Movement"
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Friday, 17 October 08 - 10:42 PM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Discipleship |
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by Craig Brian Larson.
"My Toyota Camry has served me well in my 40 minute commute to work, but after several close calls, I have discovered one downside: My car has a large blind spot.
I have had a similar experience with the spiritual formation movement, which I much appreciate. Books on spiritual formation speak my language. I'm a pastor who wants to see people grow into strong disciples of Jesus Christ. Disciplines of any sort appeal to me, and spiritual disciplines in particular. That's why as much as I respect those who have written on spiritual formation, I one day came to the realization that they have a blind spot: their view of preaching..."
If you want to read more of this opinion piece, the full article is at the Christianity Today website. http://www.ctlibrary.com/ct/2008/septemberweb-only/139-31.0.html
Best wishes for the Journey, Gavin.
Spiritual Formation & Leviticus
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Friday, 10 October 08 - 10:50 PM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Discipleship |
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I have been stuck in Leviticus for the last few weeks. The commentaries are heavy, the last one I bought was over a 1000 pages--for just comments on the first 16 chapters! But every commentator I have read has essentially said the same thing--Leviticus is about how we become holy in the context of God's desire for his people, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2) And the commentators have all agreed on how Leviticus explains the way to holiness--by reflecting God's character. Here's one quotation that I found especially helpful in the context of spiritual formation:
God declared that Israel had been selected to become His holy people; but this declaration was hardly sufficient to make Israel holy. In order to achieve a holiness of the kind associated with God and His acts, Israel would have to observe His laws and commandments. The way to holiness, in other words, was for Israelites, individually and collectively, to emulate God’s attributes. In theological terms this principle is known as imitatio dei, ‘the imitation of God’. (Baruch A. Levine, Leviticus, 256)
You may have thought that Leviticus is just a lot of boring details about sacrifices and how to get rid of sin, and many other religious rules, but as Roy Gane writes, Leviticus is
primarily about the Presence and character of God in relation to his people and only secondarily concerned with sin, which interferes with the divine-human relationship. (Leviticus, 32)
So if you are interested in spiritual formation, Leviticus--strange though it may seem at first--is a great place to start. For here God is explaining, in practical terms, the path of holiness. We might not be offering sacrifices today like Israel did, but the spiritual parallels for us are quite amazing, once you begin to dig in a little.
Best wishes for the Journey, Gavin.
God and the Economy
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Friday, 10 October 08 - 10:15 PM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Discipleship |
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The last weeks have been chaotic for us for another reason--the recent birth of our daughter (hence the failure to post recently--sorry!). As a brand new father, it has been a bit of a shock as for the first time in my life, I have begun to realise how much God has loved me without me realising. Our little girl, Kristíana Keren, has needed food like clockwork, to be dressed and changed, and cuddled. In spite of the long nights, every part of doing this for her has been a joy--and I mean that, a real joy.
Yet at the same time, I doubt she has any real conception of how we have loved her, and when she grows up, these months and early years will almost be as though they never happened. Love has been lavished on her, for which she has little understanding. I say this because it has also shocked me how much my parents must have loved me when I was born, how much sleep they lost, and how much non-stop work was required, for it has only been as I began to do this for my daughter, that I began to realise how much they must have done for me. I suppose it is only when you have children of your own that you begin to grasp the depth of your own parents love that has been hidden from you until that point.
And that brings me back to the economy. As the stock markets continue to move erratically, striking fear into the hearts of those who have their life savings bound up in stocks and bonds, and as we wonder where God is, and what will happen to us, I can't help but think back to the love of God that is so often hidden from us. For like Kristíana, we are probably quite ignorant of the incredible size of God's love for us. When I put Kristíana down on her bed, and leave the room to prepare her milk and wash her clothes, she doesn´t know. She cries because she thinks she is alone, when in reality, behind the scenes, she is being loved more than her little mind can comprehend.
Best wishes for the Journey, Gavin.
Goforth and Revival
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Friday, 19 September 08 - 11:29 PM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Resources |
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If you would like to read more on revival, this time from Jonathan Goforth who was a missionary to China, you can read two of his books online.
By My Spirit and When the Spirit's Fire Swept Korea
Best wishes for the Journey, Gavin.
Book: Experiencing Revival by Charles Finney
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Friday, 19 September 08 - 10:55 PM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Resources |
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One of my favourite books is a short volume by revivalist Charles Finney (1792-1875) called Experiencing Revival (Whitaker House). I thought I would read it again, and have decided to pass on some of the quotations that have impressed me as I go. If you have not read this book before, I would highly recommend it, for Finney plainly describes the conditions for a revived life and church.
From chapters 1-2
- Revival is renewed conviction of sin and repentance, followed by an intense desire to live in obedience to God. It is giving up one's will to God in deep humility. (12)
- If an elder or private member of the church finds his brethern cold toward him, there is only one way to restore their faith. It is by being revived himself and pouring out the splendor of Jesus from his life. (18)
- The fact is, Christians are more to blame for not being revived than sinners are for not being converted. (18)
- A church declining in this way cannot continue to exist without revival. If it received new members, they will, for the most part, be ungodly people. Without revivals, there usually will not even be as many people converted as die in a year. (18)
- A revival is near when Christians begin to confess their sins to one another. Usually they confess in a general, halfhearted manner. They may do it in eloquent language, but it means nothing. But when there is an honest breaking down and a pouring out of the heart in confession of sin, the floodgates will soon burst open, and salvation will flow everywhere. (21)
Some of Finney's works, including his lectures on revival, are available for free at www.gospeltruth.net/cgfworks.htm
All the best for the Journey, Gavin.
Curriculum: Growing Kids God's Way
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Sunday, 14 September 08 - 11:01 AM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Resources |
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My wife and I have been very impressed watching the DVD sessions of Growing Kids God's Way by Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo. It is a 17 session series on parenting, designed to be used with workbooks in a seminar format. They cover topics such as:
- How to help children internalize virtues and values and how to help them practically live out the character of God in their life.
- What parents do to foster insecure children and how they can fix the problems that might now exist.
- How to say "I love you" to your children and spouse in such a way that each member actually feels the full sensation of parental love.
- How fathers build or undermine their children's sense of trust and confidence in parental leadership and how to build family loyalty and identity.
- What is true character and how do you teach your children to love and prefer each other?
- You will learn how not to raise a moral robot" but a child with moral sensibility.
- Learn what true biblical discipline is and what are the principles of first time obedience.
- How to train right behavior into children so you will not have to spend unnecessary time correcting wrong behavior.
- How to successfully handle sibling conflict, temper tantrums, and the three sister sins: lying, cheating and stealing.
- How to instill that wonderful life-virtue of personal self-control and a sense of personal responsibility.
Their website includes lots of other parenting resources, but this is the only one we have looked at. They can be found at www.gfi.org.
All the best for the Journey, Gavin.
Book: Path to the Throne of God
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Friday, 05 September 08 - 08:35 PM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Resources |
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I am currently doing some study on a model of spiritual formation based on the Old Testament tabernacle. I came across an interesting book written on the spiritual applications of the tabernacle by Sarah Peck.
The book can be purchased on Amazon here. Or a free PDF copy can be found at Maranatha Media.
All the best for the Journey, Gavin.
Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care
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Tuesday, 02 September 08 - 08:46 PM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Resources |
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I have just found the following information on a recently launched academic journal for Spiritual Formation. The journal web page is http://wisdom.biola.edu/sfj/. The following is from their web page:
The Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care is a peer-reviewed journal published twice a year (beginning spring 2008) by the Talbot School of Theology's Institute for Spiritual Formation. The purpose of the journal is advancing the discussion of the theory and practice of Christian formation and soul care for the sake of the educational ministries of the church, Christian education and other para-church organizations through scholarly publications that are rooted in biblical exegesis, systematic theology, the history of Christian spirituality, philosophical analysis, psychological theory/research, spiritual theology, and Christian experience.
While the journal will be rooted in biblical and theological inquiry, the existential nature of Christian spirituality demands an interdisciplinary approach in which disciplines such as history, psychology, philosophy, literature, and sociology have a valuable contribution. The major intent of the editors is to place before the Christian community writing that will foster the field of spiritual formation and soul care as that has been understood and developed within historic Christianity.
The inaugural issue will include: Advancing the Discussion: Reflections on the Study of Christian Spiritual Life by Evan B. Howard; Spirit, Community, and Mission: A Biblical Theology for Spiritual Formation by Richard E. Averbeck; Resisting the Temptation of Moral Formation: Opening to Spiritual Formation in the Cross and the Spirit by John Coe; Spiritual Formation and the Warfare between the Flesh and the Human Spirit by Dallas Willard; and Seeking Historical Perspectives for Spiritual Direction and Soul Care Today by James M. Houston. Book reviews are included of The Rule of St. Benedict of Nursia, Short-Term Spiritual Guidance, Spirituality Old & New: Recovering Authentic Spiritual Life, The Jesus Way: A Conversation On The Ways That Jesus Is The Way, and Transforming Spirituality: Integrating Theology and Psychology.
Spiritual Formation Essays, Blogs etc
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Tuesday, 02 September 08 - 01:24 PM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Resources |
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I have just come across Bible.org which appears to be a useful site for all sorts of Bible study, but also for spiritual formation resources. I have just finished reading a couple of essays from there by Michael Burer on spiritual formation in the New Testament and on a biblical definition for spiritual formation that are worth checking out (he is Assistant Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary). There are also the blogs of Kenneth Boa (who wrote Conformed to His Image) and Bill Hull (who wrote The Complete Book of Discipleship), plus lots else.
Best wishes for the Journey, Gavin.
We are not alone
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Friday, 29 August 08 - 10:28 PM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Discipleship |
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An hour or so after her birth, I put her down on a hospital table to put on her first diaper. Immediately she began to cry. I talked to her and stroked her arms and immediately she stopped. I was quite shocked that, only a few hours old, she had such a capacity to sense aloneness, and equally, that she responded so quickly to my attempts of togetherness.
I immediately thought of the tabernacle in the Old Testament. The tabernacle was God's vehicle to show us that he wanted communion with us all, and that he was not, as some supposed, content to exist in the distance. So God said, "Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them." (Exodus 25:8) Indeed, when Jesus came as a baby, Matthew quotes Isaiah who foretold that he would be called Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23).
I suppose like my daughter's need to know I am right with her, we all yearn to be reminded that God does love us, and that he wants to be so very close by. And in a strange irony with the arrival of Kristíana, it is the birth of another baby, that affirms God's intention never to leave us alone.
All the very best for your Journey, Gavin
Burr Ridge Preaching
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Tuesday, 29 July 08 - 02:59 AM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Refiner's Fire |
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Best wishes, Gavin.
Article & Websites on Dependence
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Monday, 28 July 08 - 09:56 PM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Resources |
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About three years ago I wrote an article that, much to my surprise, the Review has just published. It is a very personal piece but it is also one of my favourites because of the things we can learn about dependence, or the lack of it--this time from Peter. I find that learning about dependence is so foundational to reflecting Jesus, because our whole growth and maturity in Christ rests on how fully we have given ourselves to depend on God.
The article is called, Learning Dependence on God--Again and can be found at: www.adventistreview.org/article.php?id=1989
On this same general subject, someone just gave me the website of a couple who have focused their minstry on the theme of dying to self. Their ministry is called Dying For Life, and their website is www.dyingforlife.com
Of course, don´t forget Dan Augsburger´s site which has lots of materials on dependence and dying to self at www.path2prayer.com.
Best wishes for the Journey, Gavin.
Latest Willow Creek Book and Navigator Website
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Saturday, 26 July 08 - 01:27 AM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Resources |
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I also found a website put up by the Navigators for discipleship resources. They are making quite a lot of audio material available, so it might be worth a look--www.discipleshiplibrary.com.
All the best for the journey, Gavin.
Hinsdale Church Speaking Appointment
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Friday, 18 July 08 - 07:03 PM (GMT) By Gavin Anthony in Refiner's Fire |
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Best wishes,
Gavin
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