5 Elements To Effective Prayer
How Do We Know
When God Really Answers?
Everyone prays but they don’t all get what they ask for. That isn’t because God doesn’t respond. He hears every prayer and like the father who takes joy in giving children what they want, He too looks for opportunities to grant our wish.
But, He’s not indulgent. Your every wish is not His command. Our prayers and His responses are tools that help us development sensibilities. Prayer changes “things” because it first of all changes us. The need never changes and God never changes. The person praying is the only variable.
His answers make things possible not convenient or easy. Prayer is part investigation, negotiation and activation. It was never intended to be a ceremony. Prayer at its most basic is conversation and the primary purpose is communication.
So, the question is what makes prayer effective? And the answer is: Read more
Love Wins – Faith vs Works vs Religion
“Love Wins” now has a Study Guide
Shouldn’t Faith Produce Works
Shouldn’t Religion Encourage It
In his book, Love Wins
A first reading might give that impression but once you get over the initial “whaaaat?”, and you’ve had a chance to investigate further you realize Rob said nothing of the kind.
In fact, he made it quite clear that salvation is strictly a unilateral proposition. God’s part only, no human part required, except of course, repentance and faith.
A couple of quotes to wet your appetite: Read more
Developing Character In This Life, Part 2
“Love Wins” now has a Study Guide
What Influences the Shaping of Character?
Good question and to answer it, following is a list of eight things that influence a person’s character but understand this. These things only influence character, they aren’t the final word on who you are or what you become. They combine to form the melting pot in which bad qualities are brought to the surface and hopefully replaced by the good. You are defined by your responses not fate.
I raise this issue because Rob Bell in Love Wins
Therefore, focusing more intently on developing character now – in this life – may be more important than convention suggests. A look at each influence can give us insight on what to expect and how to respond. The first item to consider is:
Divine Decree
Divine Decree, aka, God’s Will.
I hesitate to use the word “Decree” because it is associated with a predetermined, unbending, never changing plan formulated for and imposed on every individual but God’s will, though unchanging, does flex. God does have a plan for each person’s life but it is not detailed to the nth degree and isn’t comprised of every thing that happens to you.
God knows every time you stub your toe – actually before you stub it – but He doesn’t plan these things. They happen, we react, He uses them.
God’s will is firm but not imposed. It is perfect but our ability to follow it is not. His will is constant while we waiver back and forth as the following illustration shows. God’s will must be ratified by human choice. Each person chooses to leave it or pursue it but God doesn’t force it down your throat or manipulate you into following it. When we make plan-warping mistakes God is smart enough and powerful enough to work around it.
Although specific in many ways, God’s will is also general. That is, it applies to everyone in the same way. For example, every person is to love his or her neighbor equally and must cherish THEIR married partner only.
The important point to remember is: Read more
Love Wins – Developing Character In This Life
“Love Wins” now has a Study Guide
How Far One Descends
Doesn’t Matter
If Character Is The Cream
That Rises To The Top
In my last post I focused on character development in the next life, after death and my ideas were motivated by Rob Bell’s book, Love Wins
Conventional wisdom says death is the point at which all winning and losing is final. It’s a finish line not a transition, meaning, of course…
The saved will be transformed into a fully complete and finished state of absolute, never changing, never ending bliss.
And the unrepentant are fixed forever in a state of never ending corruption and condemnation. There is no turning back, looking up, moving forward or thinking again. It is over, finished and done, for everyone.
Love Wins
But post-death issues isn’t the subject of this article. Character development is.
Rob also emphasized the importance of building character in this life, so much so that some accuse him of teaching “salvation by works.”
Don’t believe it. The same people who twist Rob’s ideas about character, emphasize the development of character in their teachings also. The hypocrisy is, other than compiling long lists of things-not-allowed and projecting loads of shame on those who falter, they do very little to make a difference.
And, if death isn’t final and character will continue to develop in the next life then a good question to ask is, “Where will the after-life development begin?” The answer is obvious. It will start in the next life where you left off in this one. If you are 85% at death you’ll start there. If you’re only 25% you’ll start there, so the more you do now the less you will need to do later.
Rob’s ideas seem strange because popular teachings actually work against character development. Eternal security is a good example. Conservative theology teaches that salvation can’t be lost. Any character shortage at death won’t effect your eternal destiny. Your salvation is secure – eternal security. And, as I’ve already mentioned, these same schools of thought imply we will be upgraded to 100% perfection at the moment of death. If that is really true, why bother doing the hard work now?
If the good qualities I don’t develop in this life will be immediately added at death what real motivation is there to do anything other than hold on and wait? Read more
Love Wins – Character Development In The After Life
“Love Wins” now has a Study Guide
Will Character Development Cease
At The Moment of Death
Conventional theology says Christians will be completely transformed in the resurrection and this transformation will happen in a split second – in the twinkling or blink of an eye. Love Wins
There are, of course, several passages in the Bible that talk about transformation but before I share them, consider the following:
- What exactly do we think will transform?
Everything: body, soul and spirit? Or just a few things?
- To what extent will transformation take place?
Once transformed, will our bodies require or allow no more training? Will all physical skills development be unnecessary?
- Will transformation make us completely different people or just whole?
Do we lose our identities? If so, will we all look the same and think alike?
Or in other words:
Once transformed will we have nothing more to learn, no more development to experience? Will we suddenly have “ALL” knowledge? Will we suddenly have “All” power?
Obviously, we need to define what we mean by “complete” transformation. Does it mean we have arrived – no more learning, growth or development possible – or does it mean all hindrances to future growth and development are removed? Will we continue to grow in the after life or does it come to a halt when we reach heaven?
If we didn’t learn to ride horses before getting to heaven, will we take lessons once we arrive? Read more
Tim Pepper - Beautiful Frustration