Diligence is a word you don't hear much any more. It is the opposite of negligence. According to Webster, diligence is "interested and persevering application; devoted and painstaking effort to accomplish what is undertaken."
Hark! Could that possibly be a defining characteristic of a godly man ---- at home, at work, in ministry?
Listen to an outstanding 37 minute message by Walt Henrichsen on the subject.
Message: http://turret2.discipleshiplibrary.com/C097.mp3
Listen with dual purpose:
(1) Intake -- How does this apply to me personally?
(2) Output -- How does this apply to my ministry?
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Week 11
2 Peter 2
1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. 3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.
Interesting chapter to end our Summit conversations. Perhaps we're just taking a break, and the freshness of this message will keep us mindful over the couple of months away.
It does serve to remind us that the Word is the undeniable champ at directing us and protecting us. Accept no substitute.
My sister does production for San Antonio's AT&T Center. She had a chance to see Benny Hinn last week and described a scenario that seems very much like the one Simeon Peter describes.
Mr. Hinn comes out one night and does some pretty good, insightful sound biblical teaching. He goes a couple of hours a second night, same thing. Then, near the end, he calls up folks who were "healed" during the course of his teaching. They testimonialize, then Mr. Hinn first waves his hand at folks, thus knocking them down which leads to his sprite-like dance where whole sections fall.
Now does the holy spirit have the power to do any of those things? Absolutely. Does Benny Hinn? Well, the behind the scenes view of many of the "healed" gathering and getting instructions prior to going on stage makes one incredulous. What isn't in doubt is the impact it had on non-believers that were also part of the production for the AT&T Center.
They laughed.
Haven't heard of Benny Hinn? Maybe you've heard of this influential sprititual leader.
And the way of the truth will be slandered.
1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. 3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.
Interesting chapter to end our Summit conversations. Perhaps we're just taking a break, and the freshness of this message will keep us mindful over the couple of months away.
It does serve to remind us that the Word is the undeniable champ at directing us and protecting us. Accept no substitute.
My sister does production for San Antonio's AT&T Center. She had a chance to see Benny Hinn last week and described a scenario that seems very much like the one Simeon Peter describes.
Mr. Hinn comes out one night and does some pretty good, insightful sound biblical teaching. He goes a couple of hours a second night, same thing. Then, near the end, he calls up folks who were "healed" during the course of his teaching. They testimonialize, then Mr. Hinn first waves his hand at folks, thus knocking them down which leads to his sprite-like dance where whole sections fall.
Now does the holy spirit have the power to do any of those things? Absolutely. Does Benny Hinn? Well, the behind the scenes view of many of the "healed" gathering and getting instructions prior to going on stage makes one incredulous. What isn't in doubt is the impact it had on non-believers that were also part of the production for the AT&T Center.
They laughed.
Haven't heard of Benny Hinn? Maybe you've heard of this influential sprititual leader.
And the way of the truth will be slandered.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Week 10
The flesh is a good servant and a bad master.
1 Peter 2:11- 15 is about separation by Christians from the world/worldliness. However, it's not a monastic separation. It's separation by our actions.
I'm somewhat fortunate in my ability to separate from the world. I've practically been trained in it.
But, as brother Tim pointed out so well, there's not a clean binary track that gets me in place. Retreating from the world is one thing. Linking to the kingdom of heaven is quite another.
One can be done by denying, not doing. The other? Sure, it means you resist temptation and sin. But the linkage to heaven most of all requires work. In the world and not of it.
Check out J. Vernon McGee.
1 Peter 2:11- 15 is about separation by Christians from the world/worldliness. However, it's not a monastic separation. It's separation by our actions.
I'm somewhat fortunate in my ability to separate from the world. I've practically been trained in it.
But, as brother Tim pointed out so well, there's not a clean binary track that gets me in place. Retreating from the world is one thing. Linking to the kingdom of heaven is quite another.
One can be done by denying, not doing. The other? Sure, it means you resist temptation and sin. But the linkage to heaven most of all requires work. In the world and not of it.
Check out J. Vernon McGee.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Week 9
So, is faith enough? What of works? Finally, the pay off for having the blog. Although I'll send you guys a detailed "how to" primer for posting comments, I kind of get the last word here. Insert maniacal laughter here.
It's tough for me to argue with my namesake that faith without good deeds is a dead faith. Are you saved if you accept Christ as your savior? Absolutely. Once saved, always saved? You bet. However, there's a commitment beyond saying words or believing.
James 2:19 (MSG)
Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That's just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?
I really need help understanding the concern here. What's the relevance of discussing if you need good works to be saved? Have faith and you'll love others as yourself. You'll take up your cross daily. You'll seek his righteousness and have things added. God's will will be done on Earth as in Heaven. Reverse any of those statements and they're nonsense. Same here.
Paul's - or someone very Pauline's - verification, not contradiction, comes in Ephesians 4:8 (NASB)
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God
The works don't save you. Even the love doesn't save you. It's the faith first. The works are part of the gift from God. Why do we look at them like a chore?
It's tough for me to argue with my namesake that faith without good deeds is a dead faith. Are you saved if you accept Christ as your savior? Absolutely. Once saved, always saved? You bet. However, there's a commitment beyond saying words or believing.
James 2:19 (MSG)
Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That's just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?
I really need help understanding the concern here. What's the relevance of discussing if you need good works to be saved? Have faith and you'll love others as yourself. You'll take up your cross daily. You'll seek his righteousness and have things added. God's will will be done on Earth as in Heaven. Reverse any of those statements and they're nonsense. Same here.
Paul's - or someone very Pauline's - verification, not contradiction, comes in Ephesians 4:8 (NASB)
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God
The works don't save you. Even the love doesn't save you. It's the faith first. The works are part of the gift from God. Why do we look at them like a chore?
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