A Nail is Driven Out by...

I came across this quote from Erasmus in Ann Voskamp's amazing book One Thousand Gifts - a must read.
"A nail is driven out by another nail. Habit is overcome by habit."

Striking....habit is truly overcome by habit....one habit pushing another out....one habit forcing another into recede.

That is something to ponder!

Think Biblically

I was listening to a Chuck Swindoll podcast tonight. He was preaching on Romans 12:1-2 - God has been challenging me with this passage lately - so I was anxious to hear his thoughts on the passage. He defines transformation as:
Transformation is a deliberate determination to think Biblically and act accordingly!
WOW - Lord, let me live that way!
He says that Romans 12:1-2 contains cooperative commands - it requires something of us and we must rely on the Holy Spirit to make it happen.

Renunciation and Reliance

I've been reading "The Discipline of Grace" by Jerry Bridges. I am really resonating and finding myself both convicted and encouraged by his thoughts on our daily need for the gospel of grace.
On page 50 he gives a definition of faith.
"Faith itself has no merit: in fact, by its nature, it is self emptying. It involves our complete renunciation of any confidence in our own righteousness and a relying entirely on the perfect righteousness and death of Jesus Christ."
Renunciation and reliance...that is an amazing definition of faith. He goes on to say that, "faith in Christ and a reliance on ourselves, even to the smallest degree, are mutually exclusive."
How does one live this out? A daily renouncing of my own goodness, that I have anything to offer and a relying entirely on Jesus Christ. I want to pursue that.

Hearing the Whispers of God

We spent the weekend just outside of Winter Park in the beautiful Rockies! It was our family retreat weekend with church and the theme for the weekend was "hearing the whispers of God" Here are a few meaningful quotes and insights.

Brother Lawrence - The Practice of the Presence of God
"There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God. Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it; yet I do not advise you do to do it from that motive. It is not the pleasure which we ought to seek in this exercise; but let us do it from a principle of love and because God would have us"

Thomas a Kempis
"When Jesus is near, all is well and nothing seems difficult. When He is absent, all is hard. When Jesus does not speak within, all other comfort is empty, but if He says only a word it brings great consolation."

Dallas Willard Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God
"God wants to bring us beyond the point where we need signs to discern His guiding hand....When Christ's abiding presence becomes our guide, then guidance becomes an almost unconscious response to the gently moving of His Holy Spirit within us."

Bill Hybels - from his teaching videos on this topic
"God is both transcendent and imminent."

The Cost of Non-Discipleship

I came across this quote from Dallas Willard (quoted in my Renovare devotional from Willard’s The Spirit of the Disciplines page 263) about the cost of non-discipleship. Wow - this really resonates!
The cost of nondiscipleship, on the other hand (as opposed to the cost of discipleship) is the life we sacrifice if we pursue our self-centered, narcissistic ways. As Dallas Willard puts it, “the cost of nondiscipleship is far greater – even when this [earthly] life alone is considered - than the price paid to walk with Jesus. Nondiscipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout by love, faith that sees everything in the light of God’s overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil. In short, it costs exactly that abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring (John 10:10)” The cost of nondiscipleship is the cost of not living our lives from Jesus, choosing this life of worldly insecurity instead of living the life of eternal security that begins the moment we submit ourselves to the life Jesus Christ has waiting for us……Nondiscipleship costs us “the life that really is life” (1 Tim. 6:19b)

Buy the Renovare Devotional here

Buy Dallas Willard's Spirit of the Disciplines here

Favorite Quotes

One of my favorite quotes is from Richard Baxter - a reformed pastor from the 17th century. He says...

"In necessary things, unity;
In doubtful things, liberty;
In ALL things, charity."

I think this is such a wonderful perspective and one which the modern day church needs to remember.

Andrew Murray

Murray says, "I am here by God's appointment, in His keeping, under His training, for His time"