Discern Good Theology

So far in our study of Galatians 1, we have discovered that in order to stay focused on following Jesus, you need to:

1. Know God’s Voice

2.  Have Mentors and Let Them Speak Into Your Life.

Today, we discover that you also need to be discerning.

3.  Double Check What You Hear

Don’t blindly follow anyone. Everyone who isn’t God is fallible. If 20th and 21st Century living has taught us anything, it is that even the most connected, upright people can be royal screw ups.

Seriously, even double check yourself. Sometimes we can come up with really great theology because we went on a carb binge – then, when we bring it to the light of day and a good scripture reflection, we discover it is total rubbish.

Paul knew this. He said “But even is we… should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you.” Don’t forget to include yourself in the people whose doctrine you are double checking.

Where do you think bad theologies come from? Many of them come from (usually) wonderful people who love God, and experienced Him dramatically (either in a positive or negative situation), and want everyone else to do so as well. They then “discern” a theology based on their experience, thereby letting their experience speak to scripture, instead of letting scripture speak to their experience. We call this “experiential theology”.

When your focus become how you have experienced God, instead of God himself, you begin to miss God little by little until you have missed Him entirely.

So, spend time with God, listening to Him (reading His Word and praying), have mentors who speak into your life, and let scripture be your guide.

Rock Solid Mentor

It’s not easy to let people into your head. We don’t want people to tell us we’re wrong. Especially if our thinking is making life seem a little easier.

A mentor is an important part of keeping a balanced theology. Paul spent a long time getting to know God and listening to His voice. Then he went and found a mentor.

Paul didn’t just pick any mentor. He already had Barnabas (See Acts 9), but he deliberately looked for someone else. I don’t doubt that he trusted Barnabas, but Peter had personality traits that Barnabas didn’t have. Peter was also in Jesus’ inner circle. He had one more benefit to Paul that Barnabas didn’t have – he wasn’t in Paul’s inner circle. He hadn’t been influenced by Paul’s journey. Paul spent 15 days with Peter. He also saw James.

Who speaks into your life? What do you look for in a mentor? How do you know that they have centered theology?

How Well Do You Know God’s Voice?

This week, I’d like to start a more leisurely stroll through Galatians. Have you noticed how many people out there have a different idea how to follow God? In Galatians 1, Paul noticed too. He gave the Galatians some very good pointers on how to stay focused on Jesus and not be distracted by all the popular preachers and flavor of the month “best practices to powerful spirituality”.

Today: Know God’s Voice.

Paul knew God’s voice. There is really no substitute. If you don’t know if God is speaking to you, or if it is somebody else, you need to wait on God and ask Him.

I know that there are some times in life when God just seems to be silent. The best advice I have ever heard on this is “keep doing what God last told you, until you hear from Him again.”

What if God still isn’t talking? Is there something in your life that God told you to do or stop doing that you haven’t obeyed? This will stop His voice. You have to obey to keep the lines of communication open. The fruit of repentance is open lines of communication between you and God.

Paul spent time getting to know God. His first goal wasn’t “how to look like he belonged.” He was very good at belonging as a Jew, and he knew that following Jesus was different. So, instead of trying to fit into this new social network, he went immediately into Arabia. In fact, Paul’s whole argument in Galatians 1 is that his doctrine wasn’t formed by other Christians, but by getting to know God.

How well do you know God’s voice?

Things of Interest

I have a few sites to share with you.  Things that have caught my eye for one reason or another:

• From the publisher: You can become a part of the movement to reach the next generation.  Jesus…No Greater Love, the new Jesus movie, (http://www.newjesusmovie.com/) will be a word for word, verse by verse film adaption of the Gospel according to John. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation.    From me: They are looking for people to join their team and donate $10.  The Jesus Movie has been used as a successful ministry tool across the world.  According to UNESCO (the United Nations), the 26% of the adult population of the world is illiterate.  We also know that a large portion of the population learns best by both seeing and hearing.  The Jesus Movie has helped bring the Bible to these people.  The New Jesus Movie will help expand this reach.

• Waterbrook Press’s Livestream I like this new feature that Waterbrook press added to their website – an opportunity to view authors in interviews.  I do think it is a bit clunky, and I’ve been contemplating whether they’d be more successful in just releasing YouTube videos, but the original of each broadcast is a live feed, much like MMI’s weekly The SHOW (which isn’t near as clunky).

• One World Now is an after school program.  I’m still investigating this interesting program.  From what I can tell, it isn’t a ministry-based program.  However, that isn’t the focus of my interest.  My interest is the fact that someone saw a need – and went out and created a program to fix it.  From what I can tell, this is a dynamic program whose eventual goal is to build world unity by giving underprivileged kids the opportunity to study abroad. What intrigued me most about this program was that the morning before I discovered it, I watched a Muslim family cross in front of me on their way to school – three older boys and two little girls with their mom.  I wondered how different those girls’ lives will be growing up here in America vs. the life they would have led in the Middle East.  I was just pondering how our perceptions are changed by the cultures we interact with, and along comes this after-school program that is designed to do just that – broaden perspectives.  Now, if I could only get that creative.
  

How to Confront in Love

That knot builds in the pit of your stomach.

You avoid thinking about the problem for days.  Finally, you avoid the person all together.

God has made it obvious to you that there is a problem and you are the person He want to confront your friend/loved one about it.

How can you confront someone in love?  Personally, I think there are several good models.  I happen to be reading Galatians this morning, and found a model I thought I’d share:

1. Set a background – Paul spends the first 2 of six chapters setting up his confrontation.  A full third of the book.  He reminds them of his personal story.
2. Confront succinctly – Very briefly, Paul states his frustration.
   1. Lead with a question – the majority of Paul’s confrontation is in the form of a question – “Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?”
   2. Address the root – Paul spent the next chapter and a half assuring the Galatians that they were Children of Promise, and didn’t need to ‘earn their stripes.”  Interestingly, he doesn’t identify their feelings for them, he just addresses the root.
3. Show them your personal concern – Although Paul comes on strong in the beginning, he now lets them know he cares for them, is concerned for their well-being, that he loves them.
4. Remind them of your history – Paul reminds them of their shared history, of their personal relationship.
5. Provide a healed vision for the future – Paul then paints a vision for the future in chapters 5 & 6.  These chapters might say “this is what victorious living looks like.”

In short:

• Set the stage
• Confront
• Confirm  Relationship
• Show Vision for a Positive Future

Telling someone things they don’t want to hear is never easy.

How do you know when you have to confront someone in love?  When it is the most loving thing to do.

The Church of Facebook by Jesse Rice

Jesse Rice is the worship arts director at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church.  I think he missed his calling.

You may have noticed, the world is changing.  The way people interact is changing. We are moving faster, connecting virally, but this also changes the way we connect.  Years ago, we spent hours talking around a table, or while working on shared tasks.  Today, we text one another and set 30 minute coffee dates.

The Church of Facebook is a sociological study of the needs of people and the way they connect.  It is also a biblical study look at what makes us best as humans.

This book does not:

• teach you how to develop a church on Facebook
• answer all of the questions we have on how to be a connected, balanced person

It does:

• give the best analysis I have ever seen on human connectivity
• set forth the beginnings of a personal ethic on how to be a connected, balanced person

Rice is a great story teller.  Situations from history and the social sciences set the scene – like the building of the Millennium Bridge in England, the 47 year trek from dream to fruition of the Hubble space telescope, monkey research and the building of man-made islands off of Dubai.

The one thing I thought Rice failed to think through was the female brain and its impact on the development of social networking.

That said, I think this is an awesome study, and I highly recommend it to all college professors and to anyone who considers themselves a student of people.  Rice’s research is incredible and very thorough.

At the end of the book, Rice switches into devotional mode.  What was Jesus’ approach to connection? How can we be like Him and operate at the speed of … Facebook?  Rice looks at intentionality, humility and authenticity and shows us how to make it apart of our daily lives.

I think this is really a book for students, learners and/or teachers.  We will all be richer because of this study, but I think it is only the beginning.

You will find an interesting preview video here.

Here’s the book’s website.

You can buy the book here.

Obstacles Welcome by Ralph de la Vega

Obstacles Welcome is three books in one.

First, it is a biography.  Ralph de la Vega was born in Cuba before Castro’s regime.  Soon after Castro took over, De la Vega’s parents tried to leave the country with their two small children.  At the airport, they were stopped by officials, and only young Ralph was allowed to proceed to the United States.

For the next four years, he was raised by surrogate parents, and finally joined his parents when they were able to immigrate.  Overcoming a difficult start in the United States, de la Vega rose to become the President and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.

The second theme of the book is the strongest.  If you have read John Maxwell or Jim Collins, you will find Obstacles Welcome a book of applied leadership.  Where Maxwell and Collins focus on theory, de la Vega sets up his theory, but explains it with story after story from every level of his career.

The third focus of the book is personal leadership development.  It is easy to know how to do things, but often we have mental blocks that keep us from moving forward.  De la Vega works to help us remove those blocks and go to the next level.

I found this book both delightful and frustrating.  The first couple of chapters are choppy. It would almost have been easier if he had left out his early years. After that, the book is really fun and helpful.  Some of us learn from other people’s stories.  This book fills an important hole in the world of leadership training.

You can learn more about it at the Thomas Nelson web site.

You can buy it at Amazon.com.

Deeply Rooted Part 4

Jeremiah 17:7 says:

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.”

In a quick review, in order to be deeply rooted, on needs to:

• be teachable,
• not have the habits of sinners,
• make sure you get your counsel from godly people
• make time for God
• consider His approach throughout your day

Today we add:

• Put your Hope in Him
• Put your Trust in Him
• Walk in Confidence
  

We looked at the physical and the mental.  Today we look at the emotional.  Where do you get your emotional strength?  Where do you take your stand?

When Israel had enemies facing them down, they had to make a decision.  Who would they trust in?  Would they trust in God, or would they run to Egypt and ask for help from the ones who had all the horses and chariots?  The outcome of this decision showed whom they really trusted.  They ‘put their trust’ in the source that they thought would save them.  (See 2 Kings 18 for more of this exciting story)

“hope”, “trust”, and “confidence” are often found together.

First, you discipline your emotions and direct them to God and not any place else, placing your hope in Him.

Then, you make the decision to put your trust in Him, cutting off other options – this usually means that you choose to stop trying to do things on your own, but you trust God for His answers to your situation.

Last, you walk in confidence.   This is an act of faith most of the time.  Think about Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego.  They said to the king – we won’t bow down, God can save us, but even if He doesn’t we will still worship Him only.  They put their Hope in God, they Trusted Him, and then they walked in the Confidence of that decision.

Wisdom Hunter by Randall Arthur

Pastor Jason Faircloth was a pastor who had it all – the ginormous church, perfect house, and all the answers, but his family was a mess – his life was out of control and he didn’t even know it.

When life fell apart on him, he was forced into a season of searching and Randall Arthur does a fabulous job of walking us through an honest deconstruction and reconstruction of one’s faith, call to ministry and the faithfulness of God through it all.

I LOVED this book.  This book was first published in 1991.  The author was apparently ostracized by his denomination when they found out about it.  I can’t figure out why.  It is a completely honest look at the ‘dark night of the soul’ that so many of us walk through – regardless of what started our journey.

When I picked up this book, I was reading two other books, but I put them both aside and read this one in one weekend.  This book is terrific – not just for entertainment, but for its look at real life and real faith.

Thank you to Arthur for his honest writing.  I strongly suggest you take the time to read this book.

You can buy it from Random House or Amazon.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Deeply Rooted Part 3

Psalm 1:2 says:

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

Yesterday, we saw that the first part of being deeply rooted had to do with our actions.  Today, the language is primary having to do with our mind.

What do you delight in?

When the day is said and done, what is the first thing you look forward to doing?

I was watching “The Devil Wears Prada” the other night, and there was a telling line:  “the person whose calls you always take?  That’s the relationship you are in.”  Wow!  This hit me on so many levels.  First, how many times do I put my family on ignore?  Second, how many times do I put God on “ignore”?  Not because I want to ignore either of them, but because I’m sure they will all be there “later”.

I have found that in a world that rewards sacrifice, I have a tendency to sacrifice the things that are not sacrificable – my relationships with my family and my relationship with God.

“What do you delight in?”  May not be the right question today.  It may be “what do you make time for?”

Second, what do you think about day and night?  We measure everything against a matrix.  Our matrix is either a worldly standard of what ’should be’, and emotional standard of what is ’safe’, or God’s standard of ‘this is similar to x,y,z in the Bible, and this was God’s answer.’  We need to be bold enough to look outside the box for God’s answers in light of who He is.

So our second step to deep roots is:

• Make time for God
• Consider His approach throughout your day.