WHEN HE LIES HE SPEAKS HIS NATIVE LANGUAGE
FOR HE IS A LIAR
AND THE FATHER OF LIES
JOHN GIVES US REPEATED WARNINGS ABOUT OUR ENEMY
ABOUT THE SPIRIT OF THE ANTI-CHRIST.
WE MUST BE ALERT TO HIS LIES, AND THEN, AS REBECCA SAID
“SMACK HIM OVER THE HEAD WITH THE TRUTH!”
We often fail to be alert, to realize that we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with powers, with principalities, with the prince of darkness.
How clearly I remember a night when our boys were little and we had invited our new neighbors in Seattle over for dinner.
J. R. was looking at our guests and piped up, as only a child would:
“Do you guys love Jesus?”
The silence was awkward.
“Oh, oh — do you love the devil?”
We laughed, thankful for the comic relief. Then the man said:
“Well, little man, are those our only choices?”
I can’t remember how we recouped the moment, or if we did, but I do remember thinking, Yes — those are the only two camps. We’re either in the realm of darkness or the realm of light.
The spirit of the anti-Christ is everywhere. At the close of 1 John, he tells us “the whole world is is under the power of the evil one.” John gives us many “signs” to be alert to the spirit of the anti-Christ, and he also tells us the ultimate lie in 1 John 2:22 when he says:
Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?
Kenneth Wuest, in Word Studies of the New Testament, explains that the word Jesus means “Jehovah saves,” and Christ means “anointed one, Messiah.” Therefore this denial is a denial of who Jesus is and of the atoning work on the cross He came to accomplish.
Early in my speaking ministry I was asked to speak at a retreat in my state for women ministers from a mainline denomination that I knew to be very liberal in its theology. My book, The Friendships of Women, had just been released and I think the retreat coordinators felt that friendship would be a light and “safe” topic, one that would not delve into the atoning work of Christ or His literal resurrection, neither of which they embraced. I accepted the invitation and prayed and prepared earnestly. It seemed an opportunity to share the gospel and its power within the framework of friendship.
When I arrived Friday afternoon they welcomed me. A fire blazed in the dining room of the lodge and we sat at tables eating pizza and answering light get-acquainted questions the coordinators had put at our places. We were laughing. The ice was broken.
But I was only about fifteen minutes into my first talk when the ice returned. The talk began well when I opened with how my closest friends and I had had a heated argument right in the middle of my writing The Friendships of Women. I told them we were talking about how to be good mothers, a dangerous topic, and we disagreed. We were full of pride and not careful with our tongues. One by one my friends left in tears. The women were attentive.
The ice began to form when I told them how God led us to forgive one another. None of us wanted to, but when we got alone before God He reminded us of how much we had been forgiven, and of the price Christ paid on the cross for us. How could we not forgive one another?
Eyes began to avert and papers began to rustle. The temperature dropped. The gospel is either the fragrance of life if you embrace it, or the stench of death if you resist it.
Afterwards, the plan was for women to stay up and play games. The retreat coordinator approached me and told me I didn’t need to stay. She also told me firmly that she wanted me to stay with the topic of friendship.
I went back to my room, prayed, and called my husband, telling him of the icy response. He promised to pray for me the next morning while I spoke.
That next morning I spoke about the friendship of Ruth and Naomi. I felt compelled to also show them how hidden in the book of Ruth was Boaz, a Christ figure who paid a ransom for Ruth. I told them the gospel is everywhere, from Genesis to Revelation, and it also turns up in every biblical friendship. I thought if they could just see how it is woven everywhere, it would open their eyes. But they didn’t want to listen. They began to turn to one another, muting me with their whispers.
Afterwards, I sat at the book table, but only a few browsed, and no one bought books. At lunch I was ushered to a table where I sat alone. I decided to pick up my tray and join a group of women, but as soon as I did, their talking ceased. I asked them to tell me about themselves, but they didn’t. One woman asked me why I was so dressed up, since this was a camp. Another asked me icily where I had learned to speak. I wanted to cry, I wanted to run.
I went back to my room and called my husband again, this time in tears. He listened empathetically and he prayed for me. Before we hung up, he quoted Peter to me:
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the home that in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.
1 Peter 3:13-16
“I’ll pray for you while you are speaking, honey.”
In my final session, I opened with my testimony, thinking that even if they didn’t believe the Bible, that this might persuade them. I told them how selfish and spoiled I had been – how difficult I was as a wife, how frustrated as a mother. I couldn’t see that the problem was my sin. I didn’t understand that the hunger in my soul was for God. It wasn’t until my sister came and shared the gospel and the dramatic claims of Christ that I began to see and to fear the Lord, which the Bible says is the beginning of wisdom. And it wasn’t until I surrendered to Him that I had the power of transformation in my life.
It was very quiet. Many were looking at their shoes.
Then I turned to the topic of friendship again, using Mary and Elizabeth and their excitement over being part of God’s plan to bring the Savior into the world.
Afterwards the retreat coordinator expressed her disappointment to me. She told me again I had not stayed with the topic of friendship as requested. She also told me I had been insensitive to use only biblical women who struggled with infertility as my models, for many there struggled with infertility. Though I recognized that as a fiery dart from the enemy, it still tore at my heart.
Never was I so eager to leave a retreat. I packed up my unsold books, carried them to my car, and drove home weeping. I had experienced a fraction of the pain that many of the prophets experienced every day all through their lives, and I didn’t like it. As far as I could see, the retreat had been a bust. I wept for the women themselves, for the sheep they were leading astray, and for my failure to break through.
I was so eager to get to Steve, to let him hold me and help me process the weekend. He reminded me that I had been faithful, and that was all God asks. He reminded me the women had a vested interest in not believing, for it’s hard to admit you have been leading whole congregations astray. He also reminded me that I didn’t know what might happen — there might have been someone listening, and with God nothing was impossible. When Ezekiel was his most discouraged, God showed him a valley of dry bones that came to life!
Steve and I didn’t talk in terms of idolatry, though I see it clearly now. If they embraced the gospel, they could lose their jobs, they would have to admit they had done severe damage, and they would lose one another’s approval. For those women, every idol was threatened: comfort, approval, and security. And I am sure the enemy was there, for he had a lot to lose. He was whispering his ancient lies, that God would not be enough for them.
But it isn’t just unbelievers who are lured and blinded. It is a battle every Christian faces every day.
A DAILY BATTLE
The difference for us is that we are in a battle we cannot lose, though we certainly stumble and fall along the way. Rebecca has told us of her fears of giving up over-eating at night. She wasn’t sure she could handle the pain. She wasn’t sure God would be there for her. But when she did move out in faith, He was there. What happens, and you are going to see this, is that victory leads to victory, because we see the lie more quickly, and we trust God’s faithfulness as we remember His faithfulness in the past. For example, Rebecca shared last week that she had made a mistake at work and didn’t want to own it. But she saw her idol of approval and went and confessed to her boss. This time she wasn’t as vulnerable to the enemy, because God had been there for her with her comfort idol, so she was able to trust He would be there for her approval idol. She smacked the serpent over the head with the sledgehammer of truth and he went slithering out.
Likewise, I so appreciated Kim’s testimony last week, of how God is helping her look at her sin in a new way — not that she could lose her salvation, as her old church taught, but that it could keep her enslaved to idolatry, and she wants to be free. The truth can slam the enemy on the head, and that is what we must do!
Anne made herself vulnerable and prayed so honestly and vulnerably for the walls to come down in her marriage. I loved what she wrote near the end of the week about God pulling up the bitter root in her and her relying on the Spirit. She said she had HOPE.
Susan gave a wonderful testimony (which I will repeat in full in an upcoming post) of how seeing her idol is giving her more victory in the way she responds to her husband. Then others, including Joyce and Laura-dancer, encouraged by her vulnerability, shared they struggle in similar ways and asked for prayer.
Elizabeth saw a turning point with her daughter as she felt led to share the parable of the sower with her, and her daughter wept. Tears are such a sign of life! Though she says this will be a lifelong journey, she has HOPE.
Meg is experiencing victory with her besetting sin and praying she will care about the things the Father cares about.
Angela, though she is often laid low by Lyme’s disease, wrote of how she often is experiencing intimacy with the Lord in those times, seeing something new in Scripture, feeling flip flops in her heart. She shared a painful story of cruelty to her daughter, but also of responding in grace.
I almost waited to post Terri’s testimony below because she’s having a busy week — but when I reread it, and saw she has gone through the deep waters many of you are going through, I felt I should — for she could be a powerful mentor IN BOTH MARRIAGE AND MOTHERING. (Consider her wonderful daughter Stacy!)
So God is on the move!
SO TAKE THAT, YOU OLD DEVIL!
Because we are children of the light, let’s walk in the light. We are in a battle we cannot lose.
ICE-BREAKER AND REVIEW (Sunday-Monday)
(DOWNLOAD THE FREE SERMON NOW — YOU DON’T HAVE TO LISTEN TO IT YET, BUT YOU’LL HAVE IT READY IF YOU HAVE TIME. HERE’S THE LINK
1. What stood out to you from the above and why?
2. What stood out to you from Dee’s story of speaking to the women ministers? Why? (I’m thinking of using this in The Stonecutter so I want you to be honest, please.)
3. What do you learn from any of the testimonies that I quoted above or any other testimonies from the women on this blog who are seeing victory with the enemy?
4. Using an example of an idol in your life, what lie is the enemy likely to tell you? How can you be ready for him with the truth? Remember to get your sword ready.
BIBLE STUDY (MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)
I realize this could be a frightening study, but it can be a powerful prayer guide. Our only two offensive tools against the enemy are the Word and a prayer of faith — so combine them and find power! Last week I finally got around to reading Philip Yancey’s book on prayer and it has revitalized my prayer life, which is my area of accountability. The enemy hates prayer, especially prayer that uses God’s Word.
So let’s go after the father of lies.
5. What is the ultimate lie according to 1 John 2:22-23? If you have someone you love who believes this lie, pray for him or her, using 1 Timothy 2:25-26. Paul prays that “God will grant them repentance, leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”
6. John gives lots of red flags that let you know the spirit of the antichrist has a hold on someone. If you see these flags in yourself, then repent and move into the light. If you the flag in someone you love, pray for him. Find each flag:
A. 1 John 2:4
B. 1 John 2:9
C. 1 John 2:15
D. 1 John 2:19
E. 1 John 3:10
F. 1 John 4:2-3 (Keller discusses this so we’ll come back to it in the sermon part.)
G. 1 John 4:5
7. How does John encourage us in 1 John 4:4? Have you been able to slam the enemy with God’s truth this week? If so, share and encourage us!
8. Watch this video from the publisher of Kisses from Katie and find some ways she overcame the lies of the enemy with the truth: Link
SERMON (THURSDAY-FRIDAY)
9. WHAT COMMON LIE DOES KELLER TACKLE AND HOW DOES HE SLAM THE ENEMY WITH THE TRUTH?
10. KELLER TALKS ABOUT DENYING THAT CHRIST CAME IN THE FLESH. HE SAYS CHRISTIANITY, UNLIKE MANY OTHER RELIGIONS, DOES NOT TELL US TO ESCAPE THE FLESH BUT REFORM IT. GIVE AN EXAMPLE — CHOOSE SEX, FOOD, HALLOWEEN, OR WHATEVER YOU LIKE! (Some would say Halloween cannot be reformed for it was never from God, no Christian origins, but I think there are ways to overcome its spirit. I have an opinion on this and may share it if you are interested, but neither do I want to rabbit trail here.)
SATURDAY
11. HOW CAN YOU AFFIRM TERRI IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY?
12. WHAT’S YOUR TAKE-A-WAY AND WHY?
GETTING TO KNOW OUR BLOGGERS! TERRI!
I’ve been so glad to have Terri with us — I sensed her maturity right away, and felt a kindred spirit because of her prison ministry. I also was impressed with her daughter, and we have so many younger moms on this blog who could be blessed by her mentoring. This week she has two sisters with her, so she may not respond a lot til later. She had more pictures and I had trouble technically with them, but we might be able to get them on during the week. Note how she writes below that God has used her marriage to help her mature. What a good word!
Here’s Terri:
I was a teenager when God began speaking to me through the messages I heard at my youth group and church. God through the Holy Spirit convicted me of sin and I received the forgiveness of my sins and the assurance of eternal life. The support I received from my pastor and my youth leaders were instrumental in my spiritual formation.
I married my best friend who I met in church when I was 18. After he finished seminary, he served as a pastor, in for a total of 19 years in two churches. I loved being a pastor’s wife and having the opportunities to minister , especially to youth and to the women he brought into our lives.
My spiritual gifts are hospitality and helps/serving- and most of my life I have served as a youth leader in youth groups in the churches I have been in. On my day off you will find me in the kitchen cooking or baking –often with my grandkids, or in my vegetable garden. I love to have people into our home to share food, fellowship and games. Scrabble is a family favorite and Dawn and I have some friendly competition going on when we get together!
I have 2 sons and 2 daughters age 23-33 and two daughters in law, one son in law and 7 of the most precious grandchildren on earth—age 18 months-8 years / I work 4 days a week and Friday is Grandma day, and I watch the two grandkids that live with us.
Some of my greatest challenges in my life have been control and anger. My husband and I are polar opposite personalities. I have a pretty big personality and I am quite strong and opinionated. My idols have been affirmation and control, and God has often used my marriage to reveal areas of sin in my heart. I have been a slow learner but thankfully I have a godly devoted husband who loves me and even in the tough times, affirmed his covenant to God for a lifetime together. A lesser man would have left me years ago.
God has used these online Bible studies to challenge me and I jumped in at a time when I was not connected to a local church. The honesty of the women on the blog has been such a blessing to me and God has challenged me and keeps showing me how to walk closer to him. The most significant thing to me has been Speaking truth to my soul and dialoguing with God to work through an area of struggle instead of trying to legalistically conform to what I know is the truth. I want God to make it a change of heart not just a change of behavior.
This is Stacy and me
392 comments
This verse came to mind this morning..I had to google to get the reference as I forgot. Hebrews 5:14-“But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” -I see a deeper layer to this passage than I did before!
One thing I would like to know is how did everyone get there profile pictures posted? I would like to post mine but can’t figure that one out.
Another idol to battle besides temper is food. I have been working on fasting once a week and do go to a church where fasting is often asked of the people. Not a requirement but more of a suggestion as to draw closer to the Lord.
Thanks!
Laura — if you click on the picture on the home page where it says getting started, it will tell you how to post a picture. That would be great.
Just had to share thanks so much for praying about our situation. Full restoration took place this am. SO thankful. All is ok. Grace is truly the way among believers and it is beautiful. I am hoping to have another mother on my team to help now with aspergers and be educated about it and how awkward things can be. We all learned and grew from it. Praise His name!
That’s so great, Angela.
Angela, Yay!!! So glad to hear that!
Yay, Angela!
Praise God, Angela!
Just wanted to share a mini-victory..or at least the road to one I hope! Nothing new to any of you, I know we’ve all talked about this, it’s just hitting me a little deeper lately.
I think I am beginning to see how when I start to feel insecure about going into a certain group of women, or meeting with a certain (somewhat intimidating!) person…my insecurity is my flag that I am actually not HUMBLE in saying “I don’t belong amidst these people”, it is evidence that I am relying on myself to make myself worthy enough in my mind. And of course the approval idol is front and center, but the insecurity is because I’m expecting that approval to be based on ME. If I truly SEE myself as complete IN CHRIST, I should be able to walk right up to Tim Keller without insecurity! Respect, yes, but not this false humility…that is resting on Me instead of Christ in Me.I don’t know if that one made sense at all–trying to process out loud again 😉
sorry–I don’t think I worded this well, but dinner time now! I have GOT to get better about processing out loud on here ;0 praying for that!
Elizabeth, you are doing fine at processing out loud here! 🙂
sweet rebecca, you always offer me such a heaping dose of grace–thanks friend 😉
did you get the site:
http://thegospelcoalition.org/meaningofmarriage
Wow, it was great! I love Tim Keller’s wife, Kathy.
I am going to watch the live simulcast at 6 p.m. central-my time. 🙂 Can’t wait. I plan to watch it here!
oops..I think it is going to be on the Gospel Coalition site. I don’t know why I thought Dee was live casting it here…I get how she posted it above now. duh. 🙂
5. What is the ultimate lie according to 1 John 2:22-23? If you have someone you love who believes this lie, pray for him or her, using 1 Timothy 2:25-26. Paul prays that “God will grant them repentance, leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”
That Jesus is not the Christ—this is the same lie that my sister Susan has believed—she is almost two years older than me, and when she was a senior in high school, and I was a relatively new believer, she wrote a letter to our oldest sister, who was in college. She asked my sister, What do you think about Jesus? My sister wrote back to her and said, I think he was a good man, but that is all. She embraced that as truth and has built a life that excludes Christ. My oldest sister since then came to know the Lord—I don’t think she remembers the letter, but I do because I was a snoopy kid then and I read her mail and then felt so guilty for doing so. She has been confronted with the truth by many of us but believes “that all roads lead to heaven”. I am praying the above verse as well as that God would remove the blinders on her eyes, because 2 Cor 4:4 says, “4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
6. John gives lots of red flags that let you know the spirit of the antichrist has a hold on someone. If you see these flags in yourself, then repent and move into the light. If you the flag in someone you love, pray for him. Find each flag:
A. 1 John 2:4 We say we love him but don’t obey him.
B. 1 John 2:9 says he is walking in the light but hates his brother or sister
C. 1 John 2:15 If we love the world–
D. 1 John 2:19 they seem to be believers but they walk away from Christ
E. 1 John 3:10 If we don’t do what is right or we don’t love our fellow believers
F. 1 John 4:2-3 Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.
IF YOU WATCHED THE LIVE SIMULCAST, WOULD LOVE TO HEAR COMMENTS OR TAKE-AWAYS
I so wish I had written notes–it was SO good! But I did order the book, I’m really excited!
I loved how much emphasis they put on friendship with your spouse–I so agree with that. Not to say we haven’t had our struggles, and still do, but I am blessed to say my husband has been my very best friend since I was 16.
Also they said when RC Sproul married them, he said it takes 15 years or so “to get the hang of it”. I love that.
One more point–they talked about how with our kids, when they are infants, we love them and get nothing in return, but we choose to love them. They applied this to marriage–choosing to love.
OOH, and the AZAR part–that we are helpmates, but not “assistants” or less than, it is a Hebrew word that is also used in the OT of God, as our Helper.
First off I love Keller’s wife-what a sweet, down to earth, godly lady. I loved how she teased him about the girl he dated once breaking up with him. 😉 There were some laugh out loud moments as well.
I wished I could have taken notes. My husband and I are going to re-watch it, if they recorded it somehow.
As far as idolatry goes, Tim said it is easy to love the affirmation and approval you get from your spouse-or to desire to be married because of getting that, rather than the point being in marriage you are to seek for that person’s best-help them, encourage them to grow in every area-spiritually, vocationally, talent-wise, etc..
The friendship/relationship is bottom line and sex is a by-product.
Also, he said if you are single and thinking about marrying outside your faith or with someone who is marginal then don’t do it, because you need someone who understands you. If Jesus is the center of your life and you marry someone where Jesus isn’t then they won’t understand you and there is this chasm. HOWEVER, if you have grown, or have become a new christian and find you are in that kind of a marriage now, stay and love them and pray. Kathy Keller talks about being called into certain types of suffering and this is one of them.
I loved the part about choosing to love even when you don’t feel like it. Feelings will come eventually. The same goes with sex. I love that he said marriage is a covenant-a commitment so you are free-er than if you didn’t have the covenant. You are free-er to be you warts and all, and it gives you the freedom to work things out because you know the other person is going to stay.
Tim said he has been about five different men since he has gotten married. He has gone through changes.
I LOVED what he said about holding hands, how it started out as electrifying when they held hands for the first time-that has changed, it isn’t the same at all. It was a bubbling brook about 2 feet deep, now it is more like a bubbling brook 2 miles deep. SO GOOD.
Another thing I picked up on was how different Tim and Kathy are. He is deep and contemplative and a gifted communicator, she is deep and contemplative too, yet they are different in how they express themselves. She likes to simmer more-yet you can see how deeply they love one another.
I liked the comment about being helpmates too.
I also liked how they discussed the topic of divorce. How we should try to reconcile if someone is unfaithful but if we can’t, we can’t and it is o.k. to divorce. There is also a form of unfaithfulness via backing away internally but being there physically. Like when a wife or husband says I will stay here and live, but I have my own bedroom, bank account, etc.. From my foggy memory-I recall Tim Keller building into this explanation using Israel’s idolatry and how God divorced them because of their idolatry so God has been divorced.
I also likened this example to our relationship with God in how we can be unfaithful via backing away internally and going to our idols.
What I liked was how real they were. It isn’t a ‘fix it’ book, you aren’t doing this, so do this and then this will happen-it is more of getting to the foundation and going from there. (Just like Dee’s stonecutter study!)
Anyway, sorry for my book- that is all I can recall for now. I will have to download Their book! 🙂
5. What is the ultimate lie according to 1 John 2:22-23? If you have someone you love who believes this lie, pray for him or her, using 1 Timothy 2:25-26. Paul prays that “God will grant them repentance, leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”
The ultimate lie is that Jesus is not Lord.
6. John gives lots of red flags that let you know the spirit of the antichrist has a hold on someone. If you see these flags in yourself, then repent and move into the light. If you the flag in someone you love, pray for him. Find each flag:
A. 1 John 2:4 if you know Jesus but you don’t follow His commands you are a liar.
B. 1 John 2:9 If you hate anyone you really don’t know Jesus.
C. 1 John 2:15 If you love worldly things, you don’t love Jesus. You can’t have two masters.
D. 1 John 2:19 if it is easy to leave the fold and be of the world then you are not of Jesus.
E. 1 John 3:10 When you are God’s child you show love.
F. 1 John 4:2-3 You know Jesus was here on earth as a man.
G. 1 John 4:5 You don’t have a Biblical view of things, only a worldly view.
Wow, unfortunately I can see myself in many of these things. It makes me sad. For example, I get so frustrated that my husband goes to bed early at night when I have so many things to do. I am working on college, a job, have kids with needs at home, oh yeah then there’s the house. I need his help but he comes home from work and thinks he is done for the day. He is a man who will help around the house, but on his terms. I got upset last night and he went to bed at 7:30! Please pray for me to be a more understanding person.
Oh, I forgot to mention we lost power for 2 days in this snowstorm last weekend so tensions are high. We don’t have a
generator and that means no water or electricity. It hasnt been too cold which is good. However we are all “set” with camping mode. I had the added pressure of having 2 papers due Monday night by midnight so I was not myself! I had to run around looking for internet all day! It was awful. I finally found a local library in another town to use. Please pray for those without power; there are many. I thank God for Thomas Edison, and who was the man to invent the hot water heater???!! Love him!
Meg I wondered how you made out in the storm?
Laura-Dancer
Thanks for asking.. we only got an inch, if that. But it all depended where you live! some people 15 minutes from us got 6 in.
Did you lose power? That was more our trouble than the snow.
Laura-dancer,
No we didnt lose power either.
I listened to part of the simulcast last night, and loved it. So much of what they said resonated with me. But ultimately I went to bed before it was over.
I just went back to the link http://thegospelcoalition.org/meaningofmarriage
and found out we can listen to it again–surprise for me, I thought it was only live, so maybe I can get the beginning which I missed and the end!
One of the things I really liked that he said, and I didn’t take notes either so maybe I will misquote him….
I so agree that it is better to marry a good friend than to make a friend out of a romantic relationship. My note, marriage is just plain hard no matter what, so if you start out as friends, you will always have that foundation.
I love the reminder that it is our vow to God and each other that is supposed to get us through the rough times.
And the very practical exhortation about sex within marriage, that my body does not belong to me, but to my husband and vice versa.
7. How does John encourage us in 1 John 4:4?
Greater is he who is in us than he that is in the world.
Have you been able to slam the enemy with God’s truth this week? If so, share and encourage us!
I have skimmed over your blogs this week, but honestly it has been so hectic here. I I appreciate the honesty that is on this blog—I really want to affirm many of you and hope I have a chance later to respond to some of you who wrote about intimacy in marriage—not from the standpoint of one who knows the answers, but from the standpoint of someone who has had her share of struggles.
This has been a challenging week for me, with my sister here. One of the challenges when my sisters (or other family) is here is that I want to spend as much time with them as possible and it is easy to neglect my husband. Having a houseful, and being busy from morning to night, makes it easy for me to go to bed way too late, hanging out with them—
Because sex is not a high need for me, I have to be very intentional about meeting my husband’s needs. When I am very busy, or very tired, of course it is easy to let it go. When that happens, it affects other parts of our relationship. So today, we had a small conflict, then later in the day, he said something that felt like a personal affront. Immediately, my defenses went up, and I realized that this is the way that satan works in our relationship–when all the conditions are just right ( or should I say just wrong), then small things become magnified. Thank God for the word that we have been studying and the sense of accountability here- The Lord spoke to me quickly and I was reminded of the above scripture and , and I was able to speak truth to my soul, and instead of being sharp back to him, I was able to share with him and it was resolved quickly.
7. How does John encourage us in 1 John 4:4? Have you been able to slam the enemy with God’s truth this week? If so, share and encourage us!
The One who is in me is greater than satan, period-end of story. This encourages me to the hilt! I just have to use His truth-to reflect and remember the Gospel and to apply it.
My husband and I have been slamming the enemy in our marriage. We have been called to suffering with two kids on the spectrum, and there are other things we have chosen like my husband working two jobs so that he can provide. satan would like for me to think-Rebecca, look at your situation-look how your husband is failing to meet your needs in this area, that area-he can’t because he is so consumed with providing-you might as well just give up on him. You can’t do a weekend away together, so just give up. satan is clearly calling me to my idols-comfort/security, control-telling me I should depend on my husband for that, not God.
Then God swept in and reminded me of His sacrificial love for me-how could I not love my brother, my husband-regardless of our circumstances. God encouraged me through Tim and Kathy Keller’s video cast last night of the deep friendship we do have and how we are on the right track in a lot of areas, yet I know there are other areas we need to grow in. God reminded me how good it was for me to come here on this blog to get to the foundation of my issue-and his fragrance has flowed onto my marriage. SO, I walk in the truth-and need to be alert so I can slam satan. Why? My husband and I are flawed in every way, we are sinners saved by His grace and there may be some rough seasons ahead. I want us to continue moving forward together in growth and part of that is fighting this battle with His truth.
just re-read my post and I need to make a correction to the first paragraph. I am your sister who not only has had her share of struggles, but who has struggles in the same area as some of you.
24 “‘“The LORD bless you
and keep you;
25 the LORD make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26 the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
Ladies
This is my prayer for myself this week, when you think of it can you pray this for me! Thanks!
Praying right now for you, Meg!
Thank you Susan!
9.that Jesus in not the only way to salvation. I was at the ped. yesterday and she is a nominal Muslim(her words) she shared with us that she feels like God just wants us to be moral and try our best to be good people.
I looked at Ellie nad she just smiled. later last night as we were reading Bible as a family i asked Ellie what she thought of this. We LOVE our DR. she is a very sweet person and I was wondering if Ellie had caught that what she said was lie… Ellie looked at me with her sweet smile and said “its only Jesus mom, He is the only way any of us can get into heaven, none of us can ever be “good enough” we talked about how that made us sad and how we could pray for her and her family to come to know Christ and how we may be a part of that process.
Please pray for the Heiter family, that they would have dreams of Jesus! this is how many muslims come to faith.
So glad for Ellie’s discernment and will pray with you!
I was finally able to figure out the rest of Terri’s pictures and get them on — so take note.
Loved reading Elizabeth, Rebecca’s, and Terri’s reactions to Tim and Kathy Keller on marriage. Terri showed how you can still listen.
I like how Tim Keller goes to the foundation instead of this being a how to book.
I thought of those of you married to unbelievers or lukewarm believers and how Kathy said it is a hard calling and we must pray for you.
I also found your reaction to her interesting. I kept feeling like she was being disrespectful, but he obviously loves her dearly and you do too!
Good point. I didn’t think of that, but it makes me wonder if breaking in while he was talking in regard to the gal breaking up with him was disrespectful to do. I do know it would have been with my husband as far as correcting him even though it is in jest-yet it was comforting in a way that they were ‘real’ in front of us. I did notice Keller fidgeting some times while she was talking-yet he showed abundant Grace. It kind of made me smile because sometimes with our different personalities and quirks as couples we do those things.
Funny you mentioned that Dee, I was thinking the same thing about the seemingly disrespectful, I was just so taken by his obvious love and respect towards her.
And here’s why I’m jumping on before I have to get on to work–I feel like I need to confess & ask for prayer. Watching this last night, and then my husband leaving before it was over to go check on a game…a bitter root began to grow in me. And old lie-tape began playing of “why am I the only one who cares about learning/growing in our marriage…why isn’t he towards me…more like Keller is towards his wife (I’m terrible I know!).” I tried to hide my thoughts, but I am the worst at that, so my husband pressed…as you can probably imagine, it didn’t go so well. I know better than to do this stuff. But then he brought up an area I’ve slacked on, I took offense–I guess my prayer is that I would be humble. Drop the pride, be obedient even though I have all my logical reasons why I’ve dropped the ball in this area. Sorry, this isn’t very clear, but I appreciate any prayers!
Thank you all!
praying Elizabeth! I could so see my husband doing the same thing!! He has adhd and does this often even in conversation and I am so tempted to feel those things or believe lies that I am the one caring, etc…not extending grace. I will pray for you in this. Please pray for me too. I try to remind myself how patient God is with me when I get distracted with other things but it is hard.
About the Keller book. I am so glad I got to watch the video after the event!! I love how a single person spoke too about it.
I did not like some talking about drawing a line in physical contact because I think it should be avoided all together. I have just been down a slippery slope. And I remember those scriptures in the song of soloman about not awaking love before it is time.
I think they did extend lots of grace toward one another. Kathy was not at all as I imagined her to be but in marriage usually people are opposites. Because of their personalities who knows if it was disrespect or not. As an example of submission it was not a good one. 🙂 But again I liked the grace toward one another.
I liked what she talked about too about being called to a really hard assignment. Very interesting stuff/The non live video is hard to watch because it kept pausing.
Thank you dear Angela! And I will pray for you too.
I love too how they talked about abrasion in marriage (conflict) also being a “polishing”. I have found that when I can pray through the conflict and stick with it, there is a polishing that comes, it just doesn’t feel so good on the journey to it!
Praying for your final days of anti-biotic too!
ha ha yes polishing does not feel good. 🙂 Thanks!!
Praying for you too, Angela and your marriage. Marriage is really hard. I kinda felt like that too, with the disrespect of Keller’s wife. He is such a awesome, holy man to me and she kinda showed her side, instead of being submitting.
Yes Joyce thank you! I do pray for you often. YOu are such a faithful prayer warrior and I praise God for you so much!
I’ll pray for you, Elizabeth. Your hurting honesty got to me. Blessings for your marriage.
Thank you dear Joyce, been thinking and praying for you too!
Thank you both Angela & Joyce for the prayers. There was definitely an area in my marriage I needed some “polishing” on yesterday, my husband isn’t always as gentle about it as I’d like, but he was right on this issue, and God redeemed it–yea!
OK, this is a little silly, but just saying this, I have re-watched a few times, and I kinda changed my mind on the disrespect. I mean, it’s not how I might act, but I think they sort of have this “dance”, and I could see how it works for them. Maybe that’s key, knowing our spouse enough, the whole love language thing, to know what feels like respect for them. I know my husband would be thrown off by all that correction/interruption and not feel honored, but I’ve seen other godly couples, like the Kellers, have this healthy banter…sorry, just thinking out loud 😉
ha ha… I have been pondering this with my husband because we have opportunities like this in small group. He talks a lot I mean ALOT. SO sometimes I am trying to discern when to jump in or if I really need too and sometimes he has corrected me and told me it was disrespectful. Well only once. But we do joke about him talking so much sometimes in front of others but it is our dance. I always as him to critique me if I was supportive, etc. And he asks me to critique him so I bet they were like that. YOu are right it is a sensitive dance. They have been married a long time and it is just evident they are comfortable. I guess only they can know. But it is so important how they reflect Christ and the church to the world (eph 5) so that is what I am working on as a portrait of marriage in public. Hope that makes sense.
3. What do you learn from any of the testimonies that I quoted above or any other testimonies from the women on this blog who are seeing victory with the enemy?
They are all great! One sentence that stood out to me was from Rebecca’s; as she confronted her comfort idol and the over-eating at night, “she wasn’t sure God would be there for her.” That states it for me; it’s an issue of do I really trust God will be there for me? And then, “But when she did move out in faith, He was there.” I think we need to take that step, or leap, of faith.
4. Using an example of an idol in your life, what lie is the enemy likely to tell you? How can you be ready for him with the truth? Remember to get your sword ready.
Well, I have certainly become aware that my children are my idols; especially one of them who we are like “two peas in a pod”. My children have met my emotional needs for friendship (I don’t mean to say that I am a friend, not a parent, but that especially when the older two were young, we hung out together, did fun things together, they shared their feelings with me; we played games and went places together… and I still do these things with my 11 year old daughter), affection, love, companionship, for relationship.
The lie is that when they are all grown and gone, my life is “over”. I will be alone in an empty house and my life will have no meaning. I will have no one to give my love to anymore. (To tell you how deep this hits, I’m crying now just typing this)
I’m already experiencing the distance with my oldest who is in college. He’s so busy with soccer, classes, work, that we can go several days without talking. He’s learning to be independent, and that’s good. But because we go long periods without talking or even seeing each other, I feel distanced from him, like I don’t really know him very well anymore.
I guess the truth is that Jesus is my Friend Who will always be with me, and my meaning in life should come from Him. I am sure He must have things planned for me to do later in life. But it’s hard, b/c I think alot of our identity is found in the context of our relationships with family and friends. As my children grow and move out on their own, my identity, to me, seems to kind of shrink. I guess my sword isn’t very sharp.
5. What is the ultimate lie according to 1 John 2:22-23?
The ultimate lie is denying that Jesus is the Christ; it is also denying both the Father and the Son.
If you have someone you love who believes this lie, pray for him or her, using 1 Timothy 2:25-26.
Lord, May You grant repentance to my husband, and lead him to a knowledge of the truth, the truth about Jesus Christ. I pray that You will enable Jeff to come to his senses and that he will escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken him captive to do his will. Only the truth, The Truth, YOur Son, Jesus, can set him free.
I pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
6. John gives lots of red flags that let you know the spirit of the antichrist has a hold on someone. If you see these flags in yourself, repent and move into the light. If you see the flag in someone you love, pray for him. Find each flag:
A. 1 John 2:4 Disobedience to God’s Word and to His commands
B. 1 John 2:9 Hatred towards another person
C. 1 John 2:15 Love for worldly things
D. 1 John 2:19 Rejecting God and anything to do with Him
E. 1 John 3:10 Not doing what is right and not loving your brother
F. 1 John 4:2-3 Refusal to acknowledge Jesus Christ
G. 1 John 4:5 Teaching what is false
The areas that I can stray into the darkness are in obeying God – I wish I could say I always obey Him but I know I do not; I also can get caught up in distraction and love for worldly things – materialism, and failing to love in practical ways – showing love.
7. How does John encourage us in 1 John 4:4? Have you been able to slam the enemy with God’s truth this week? If so, share and encourage us!
John reminds us that living on the inside of us, we have the One Who is greater than the one (satan) who is in the world, and so, because of Him, we are overcomers. With His help, we can overcome even our besetting sins. He gives us discernment so we will not listen to lies and believe them.
This is a small thing, but the other night at work, I was drawing blood from a patient. I found myself thinking “I hope I get this the first time and do a good job so my patient will think well of me.” I began to be aware that this was my idol of wanting approval/affirmation from others. I felt convicted because my reason for doing a good job should not be to gain approval, which is self-focused, but for the benefit of the other person, which is other-focused. I also am working for Him, and my efforts should be to do my best for Him. I don’t really need the approval of my patients to feel good about myself; I already have God’s approval.
8. What a wonderful young woman! This mission work in Uganda is what God laid on her heart but she had to overcome the expectations of her parents and also of the world – working, unseen, unknown, and unrecognized in a third-world country is not something the world sees as worthwhile; it’s not becoming famous, rich, or powerful.
8. I have to write fast so I can take the boys to school, but WOW. Katie’s life is poured out onto others. I loved how she applied “love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul and love your neighbor as yourself.” She said it is simple, she doesn’t like to starve so she doesn’t want others to starve. I liked how she used this truth to answer the people who told her, it must be nice to know your calling. We are all commanded to love like this-this is a command to all of us-not just a special calling to some. So good, it is so beautiful to see someone so young, with such strong faith in the Lord.
How does John encourage us in 1 John 4:4? Have you been able to slam the enemy with God’s truth this week? If so, share and encourage us!
My friend was talking to another co-worker about meeting up for lunch, and my first thoughts were: I’ve been wanting to go out to lunch with her, why didn’t she ask me? She’s probably tired of being my friend and is looking for a better one. Then I started thinking, you’re such a jealous person and a whiner, you can’t stop caring about wanting to be #1, you’re not that great of a friend anyway. Those lying thoughts were quickly displaced by the truth that I started speaking to myself: Your approval and acceptance comes from God, He is always thinking of you, you need to repent of your approval and relational idols, allow God to push them off and put Himself up there in His rightful place. You aren’t a jealous person, but God is a jealous God and wants to be #1. You cannot control who your friend chooses to spend time with, but you can (with Christ’s strength within you) control how you respond. Let the Holy spirit guide you to being the kind of friend that is God honoring. I truly noticed the calming affect of the truth.
As a sidebar, they were discussing where to meet for a cookie exchange that I am part of, so I was responding to something that wasn’t even true, but God got the glory and victory anyway!!
Great story, great hammering on the head of the serpent, and an outcome that made me smile!
oh Dawn, this SO could have been my thought process–definitely relate! Thanks for sharing this–great example and testimony of victory!
Thank you all for the great comments on the Keller’s talk last evening. I really agree it takes 15 years. After about that many years our marriage got really good.
I have been pondering 1 John 2:15: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. This is the verse I felt most likely to need to repent of in question 5. I didn’t comment right away because I wanted to hear the Lord on this. This area of loving the world is an area I am weak in. I find myself desiring a big house with granite counter tops or a large fenced acreage with buildings. I share this b/c I want to be real with you and I believe in sharing it I take the first step to overcoming.
Praying for you all esp. Meg. 🙂
Praying that you would have discernment about this — and what this means. I do think we are free to enjoy beauty and material things if they are not an idol — but it is a hard line to draw.
Wednesday’s with Leigh sent me this in an e-mail and I wanted to share it.
God changes things. He changes us. When I forget that, my hope dies a little. But it needn’t. There’s enough evidence of turning in a single autumn afternoon to make me a believer for life. My God makes all things new. Sometimes the road to “new” runs through a sorrow that looks permanent, but is not. Sometimes the turning is a hard hairpin curve of repentance pure and simple; other times it is a gentle drift into deeper, more dependent love. Every time it is a gift–something to be treasured for its surprise, not dimmed by explanation.
Are you thinking of a change that is impossible? Think again. There is no turning that God cannot effect–no matter how unlikely it may seem. The tomb is empty. The ultimate turning has been executed, and its echoes never end. The only wonder is that we’ve embraced it once and still question, day by day, if He could do it all again. He can. He will. Watch expectantly for the lovely mystery of turning, and seeing, so believe. ~Leigh
This week I have been looking for a verse or anything to help me once again embrace hope that I can change or turn into His light and have permanent victory in the area of my eating. Outside my window the season is changing from fall to winter. The winds are howling this morning and as surely as change is happening outside, a transformation is going on within and I embrace and believe.
8. Watch this video from the publisher of Kisses from Katie and find some ways she overcame the lies of the enemy with the truth:
WOW! Thats all i can say! This really convicted me!
First her parents werent really on board with the whole thing but Then God said Choose me or choose your dad, and She chose God of course!
Then people were telling wow, its so great that you have planned out what you want to do in life. But she said No actually its right in the bible, We are to love the Lord our God and to love our neighbors.
Then she thought i dont want to be starving so why should i let other children be starving.
Jesus doenst ask us if we should care for the less fortunate he DEMANDS it. Wow!!
Wow, Meg, you really convicted me! Thanks, I needed that!
7. How does John encourage us in 1 John 4:4? Have you been able to slam the enemy with God’s truth this week? If so, share and encourage us!
John says I am from God and not of the world. He is in me and that is greater than the world.
I was feeling sorry for myself at one point after the long, grueling weekend without electricity and I caught myself and thought, “no, I will not go down that path because the devil wants me to.” it was basic, but meant a lot.
Terri, I love the new picture of you, your sisters and your mom! Beautiful ladies both inside and out. 🙂
Thanks, I know how I appreciate getting to know each of you through the pictures and the getting to know feature.
Terri, you do have a beautiful family, thanks for sharing your pictures with us!
8. Watch this video from the publisher of Kisses from Katie and find some ways she overcame the lies of the enemy with the truth.
thank you for sharing the link of Katie– It is always so encouraging to see anyone with a deep passion for the Lord and for doing what God is calling them to do. May we all be so likeminded and obedient to our Lord and Savior. In big and small things…….
And she is so right, God didn’t ask us to feed the poor, visit those in prison, etc. he told us to do so.
Terri, Thanks for sharing your testimony. I’ve just reread it with the added pictures. Very nice! I appreciate the opportunity to read everyone’s testimony as a means to get to know each other better. I love your smile and your heart to know Christ better.
Thanks Diane– I agree, it is so nice to get to know everyone. I didn’t know when I started that the other studies had introduced people, and I tried to write down everyone’s names and what I learned about them. It was so hard to keep everyone straight.
I had a three day reprieve from company, as my sisters went to the beach for 3 days. Tomorrow they will come back and will be here til Sunday (Susan) and Monday (Dawn).
I have been thinking a lot and praying about our time with Susan, and I must say, I think I have fell into the trap of believing that since we have shared the truth with Susan more than once, that I shouldn’t be pushy and continue to bring it up. However, in these couple days she has been gone, I feel like the Lord wants me to get in a conversation with her about who she thinks Jesus is and what she thinks about eternity. She has been quite troubled about what we see in our parents aging and she worries about the day that they will no longer be here. We know we will see them again one day, and though we will miss them, it is a brief time. I got to thinking it may be harder for her, since she doesn’t have that assurance.
Anyway, if you would pray for me in this regard….I don’t want to be pushy, but would love to get in a dialogue with her. I am praying for open doors and an open heart. Please Lord……
Praying now for you dear Terri! Praying for wisdom for you, and softening and preparation of her heart.
Praying for you Terri!
Praying for you, Terri
On it!
Loved the video from “Kisses from Kate”. It answered a question I had in my heart about helping someone. He doesn’t ask, he demands it! Love that!
So I listened to the free Keller sermon on religions. It was an eye opener for sure! I always wondered if Christians were being arrogant about being the only path to God. It made me feel awkward. But he sure puts a new “spin” on that. As I recall, he says how presumptuous that man believe there IS more than one way to God. Hmmmmm I would live to discuss this if anyone has any thoughts. He was convincing, but I think I will go and listen again.
Laura-dancer! This is exciting for me to read from you. I am so thankful that you see this because I think it will profoundly impact you. I’m so glad you listened. And that you are going to listen again!
I can almost see you growing!!!!
9. Listening to Keller now. 🙂
Boys are up so I need to comment later, but OH this is good so far.
If there are those of you who have been regular for many months, plan to continue, and would like to send me a short testimony and description of what is important to you, and a few pictures (attach them to your e-mail), I will put you in a “Getting to Know our Bloggers” section sometime. Send to comments@deebrestin.com
9. WHAT COMMON LIE DOES KELLER TACKLE AND HOW DOES HE SLAM THE ENEMY WITH THE TRUTH?
Ok I am going to give this a shot, listened to it twice and am still not sure i understood it all.
Common Lie: All Religions are equal paths to God
SLam the enemy with the truth:
Origin of Jesus Salvation- Jesus is God
Purpose of Jesus’s Salvation
Method of Jesus’s Grace: Love God, Love other people.
He also points out that the Gospel humbles you.. wow i never thought of it that way!
Well, I hope that i was on the right track and at least i tried if this isnt the right answer!
Meg — you’ve got the lie exactly right and you are on the right track with the answer, but not quite there.
Sisters — can you help our little sister?
Meg — I hope I didn’t discourage you. Did the answers of some of the others help?
I was thinking about you last night and how far you’ve come! So proud of you.
Yes, The answer that Elizabeth gave helped alot! I remember hearing him say all these things but it was hard to get them all down.. He goes too fast for me! Maybe i will try to listen to it on my computer, so i can pause and go back.. its too hard when i listen on my i pod!
Meg, I was just thinking last night again how much it has blessed me, in my own spiritual walk, to see His work in you. Your perseverance, patience, your joy in Christ has really ministered to me.
I felt bad all night after posting my “answer” because I did it before seeing yours/Dee’s conversation, and I feared I jumped in too quick. I have felt Satan attack me a lot in this area lately of what I post on the blog…all that to say, thank you for you gracious response.
I am blessed to be your sister and praying for you!
Thanks Elizabeth! I am blessed to be your sister and praying for you as well! I was actually assuming that Dee wanted me to see what other people had posted on the sermon and try to understand it that way instead of people jumping in and giving me an answer. But not sure what she was thinking! Satan has really been getting at me too! I will pray for you in this area!
Sermon notes:
Everyone has a set of exclusive beliefs, every human will worship/revere something. Religion in the fullest sense is a set of answers to big questions: Why are we here?, What is right and wrong?
Religion says all paths lead to God. Religion is not meant for public discourse, it is exclusive, wants to escape the flesh, performance based salvation, superior to others, and generally does not believe in hell.
In Gospel Christianity we want to tell the world and make it public. It is all inclusive. It is unique by the origin-Jesus is come from somewhere else and made flesh. It’s purpose is to save the world, Christianity frees you to worship, it redeems and renews the flesh. The cross and resurrection holds out the promise of salvation like no other religion. It is unique because of the method of grace- Jesus poured out Himself to those who didn’t deserve it, loved people who despised Him, forgave people who abuse Him and sacrificially served people who opposed Him! ~THE GOSPEL!
The answer:
If I am moralistic I will be superior to the secularists, if I take secularism to my center I will feel superior to religious people BUT if I take the gospel to the center of my life I will humble myself, seek to serve people of other religions. I build my life on the Gospel.
Sisters lets transform religion by releasing this incredible force into our world!
I meant to say religion does not desire public discourse.
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=9ECCECNU
Ladies this story of this song is incredible the song writer wrote it after being healed from Chronic Lyme disease. It takes a greater meaning to me now. It is an incredible song that glorifies the name of Jesus by Natalie Grant whom I love. Hammer Down! 🙂 Just wanted to share.
I have 14 more days of antibiotic. Oh it is hard but I can do it in HIM! Still weak and feeling yucky in the stomach today but 14 days! He is carrying me. Sweet sweet Jesus. How I love thee. Called to suffer means closer intimacy.
However the temptation is to feel a burder still. A church family member who is my age died of cancer and the funeral is today. I want to be there for his wife. I want to cook food for them. I want to love on their small children. However I am unable to go. It makes me sad. I am tempted to feel self pity then I remember guess what while everyone else is doing I will be PRAYING> Hammer down! 🙂
Thanks for sharing that. Your suffering is transforming you into His image. Wow! You are a living example to us. Love, hugs and prayers coming your way.
I love it when Dr. Keller answers hard questions and I get to just listen and soak up all his hard work. About halfway through this sermon I got excited to hear how he was going to wrap it all up and he didn’t disappoint- he always takes us back to the Gospel. Isn’t that great? The gospel that transforms me! Makes me who I was meant to be! I wish I could give him a big hug for speaking the truth into my life and causing this joyful change. Thanks Dee too for without your personal sacrifice here I wouldn’t know truth. I would be running around trying to behave myself into heaven!
Terri
I love love love the pics of your family.You have such a precious family. I love your testimony too of God’s grace how it was important that in your youth that people invested in you. Then how your best friend was who you married and how you were opposites. How God has used it to change and shape you. God has an amazing plan in that. It is evident in your maturity. Thank you for sharing your life with us!
10. KELLER TALKS ABOUT DENYING THAT CHRIST CAME IN THE FLESH. HE SAYS CHRISTIANITY, UNLIKE MANY OTHER RELIGIONS, DOES NOT TELL US TO ESCAPE THE FLESH BUT REFORM IT. GIVE AN EXAMPLE — CHOOSE SEX, FOOD, HALLOWEEN, OR WHATEVER YOU LIKE!
My example is suffering. Christ came as flesh and His flesh suffered like no other therefore being our example. He could have escaped His flesh by calling ten thousand angels to destroy the world but He chose out of love to save it. We then see how to reform our suffering. Our own sweet Angela is suffering in her fleshly body but chooses to reform it by speaking truth to her soul saying, “Sweet sweet Jesus. How I love thee. Called to suffer means closer intimacy.” Instead of feeling sorry for herself when others are doing what she wants to be doing, she does what she can through prayer putting the hammer down on the devil. This is restoration.
9. WHAT COMMON LIE DOES KELLER TACKLE AND HOW DOES HE SLAM THE ENEMY WITH THE TRUTH?
(Forgive my all caps at times, I just got so excited by this message, so that’s my emotion speaking!)
Lie-All religion leads to God.
I loved this: “the only way you can know no one else has all the Truth is if you assume you have the Truth”. So how do we know?
1.Origin: Jesus IS God. He is not just a human being, as all other religions have, He CAME. God came, in the flesh, in Jesus.
2. Purpose: God came in the flesh—therefore, the purpose of salvation is NOT to escape the world, but to renew and redeem it!
3. Method of Grace: All other religions say that in order to be saved, we must perform the good works. The GOSPEL says, Christ came NOT because we were good enough, not because we loved God, but because HE loved us, while we are sinners. Jesus did not come primarily to teach us how to live. He is our SAVIOR—Who lived the life we should have lived, died the death we should have died, IN OUR PLACE. Christ pays the penalty so that us “non-performers” can be saved! Love it!!
10. KELLER TALKS ABOUT DENYING THAT CHRIST CAME IN THE FLESH. HE SAYS CHRISTIANITY, UNLIKE MANY OTHER RELIGIONS, DOES NOT TELL US TO ESCAPE THE FLESH BUT REFORM IT. GIVE AN EXAMPLE — CHOOSE SEX, FOOD, HALLOWEEN, OR WHATEVER YOU LIKE!
I had written my answer, giving sex as my example…but realized it was too hard for me to answer without giving more detail than I’m comfortable with online! So, I’m changing my answer to something that’s been on my heart–women friendships—hope I can make some sense!
I have always been the type who tends towards one or two close friends. Somewhere in my high school/college years, I had lots of hurt in those friendships, like most of us do, I’m sure. But I realized how I became a little jaded, distant. When I finished high school, my 4 closest friends were my (future) husband, and 3 other guy friends we shared. In college, I lived in all girl dorms, a sorority house, (I even grew up in a family of all girls!)…and while on the surface I had a lot of friends, inside, I really didn’t trust them. I felt like most women were gossipy, catty…I hate to say all this, but I really did not trust them. Once I got married, I thought, this is my best friend, so I don’t need anyone else. I sort of stopped trying to ever get beneath the surface with other women. Lots of surface friendships, even in Bible study.
But God. He brought my first mentor into my life when I was in my twenties. I learned to trust her, but it wasn’t until the last 6 or so years, that my heart has really changed. God has shown me the beauty of women friendships. I have been blessed with women I can call at 3am and give a prayer request to, ones I can trust with the most difficult things, ones I can laugh with, cry with, and talk about mom struggles with. I’ve gone too long, I’m sorry, but you all are a part of this too. I see the redeemed beauty of women friendship here, and I am so thankful.
I was thinking today about the Keller’s simulcast. Kathy did seem a little different than I expected. I was surprised by some of her comments especially the one about the old girlfriend that ‘he broke up with’. He was very graceful toward her and I think the whole dynamic made one of their points in the book. Marriage is not as much about making them happy as making them holy. I have often wondered at the humility that I sense in Tim. He is a highly respected man in so many circles. Pride and ego are a very real danger for him I think. I have watched it happen. I held out hope because in Francine Rivers’ book ‘And The Shofar Blew’ the pastor did come back from it, but I don’t know that I have ever seen it happen in real life. Anyway, what I am thinking is that this may be a godly dynamic in their relationship. She holds his feet on the ground and he allows her to.
Anne, I was thinking today-‘Grace’ all the way around in this. 🙂
I have had exactly the same thoughts Anne about their marriage. God has His ways.
Keller tells a story on his preaching CD’s about early on he asked her what percentage of his sermons were good — and she said about 1 in 7 — something pretty low anyhow. But then she told him that the ones that impacted her was when he got to Christ and her heart burned — and that changed his style of preaching — and aren’t we all glad!
Yes we are! Her honesty did help us. So did his listening to her.
I am looking forward to listening to Tim Keller again tomorrow morning uninterrupted! It is so hard when i get interrupted because with his sermons I need to be following and thinking through it and just letting it marinate. I am Almost done with my notes, but man is this good.
Amen!
1. What stood out to you from the above and why? I should not be amazed but I am, that God spoke to me last week about the war in my oldest son’s heart between the Spirit of God and the spirit of antichrist. I have been asking for leading as to how pray for him. Then I find teaching on just that here, this week! I must pray earnestly for this.
2. I already answered.
3. All of the testimonies were so encouraging and I am really glad you shared them all at once like that. I think the one that stood out to me the most is Angela’s because of the way she sees her suffering as a path to greater intimacy with the Lord. It helps to see a benefit in suffering.
4. The lie is that I am less than nothing if someone does not approve of me. You may wonder how a person can be less than nothing but if you listen to that lying serpent you will feel it. The gospel is the truth that will hammer that lie. I am valuable to God, so valuable that Jesus died for me. I remember that and then I look at myself through Jesus’ eyes and ask myself have I pleased or displeased Him. Very often the thing that brings disapproval here is what brings His approval and the opposite is also true.
The Gospel is the truth that will hammer that lie!
Yes — it is true approval on earth is often the opposite…
So good.
So true about 4, Anne. The lie is I am nothing. That is what Satan wants us to believe. The truth is we are cherished and of great worth to God. God approval is so different than the world’s. We have to keep our eyes on him.
5. The ultimate lie is that Jesus is not the Messiah. No one who denies the Son can have the Father. This is the seduction of some of the denominations that sterilize the gospel. It is no longer personal but a religious rite by which they are saved. I will never forget a conversation years ago between my sister-in-law and her friend. My sister-in-law said that she thought it was deplorable the way some churches told children they were sinners and needed Jesus to save them. Her friend was so wise and said that she thought it was important to teach children the gospel…
11. HOW CAN YOU AFFIRM TERRI IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY?
Terri,
I’m just going to start of with my honest thought. As I read through your testimony and looked at your pictures, I prayed I would meet you face to face someday. I would love to go through a day with you and learn more from you. I am so drawn to your wisdom, your humility, your heart. I remember months ago, reading along in your dialogue with Stacy and I was moved to tears—just the way you both love and respected each other so much. You inspire me as a mother, a sister, a wife. I thank God for the example of living out Gospel love you are, and for bringing you here to this blog.
Praying His continued blessings upon you!
Thank you for posting the address of the talk. I hope everyone will read the book or at least listen. I was impressed that the young lady monitor liked the book and found things to apply to her life as a single woman. The thing I kinda knew but never really put into words was what he said about sex in marriage being for the other person not for yourself. It’s easy to see how this advise could change the atmosphere of the marriage bed. I am definitely putting this on my list to read.
Fridays are the day I pray for each of you. I pray for you other times too, but this is my assigned day for you.
I keep it in my prayer journal. Sometimes I pray prayers right here, other times what I pray is between me and the Lord. I can tell you I am filled with thanksgiving to Him for the growth that I see, for the love that I see, and for the wisdom I see. We are also in a spiritual battle and that is another reason to be diligent in prayer. I am praying for marriages, for children, and for overcoming power.
I love My Utmost for His Highest and today is amazing. This is what stood out to me and I am praying we will each live it out:
“When a truth of God is brought home to your soul, never allow it to pass without acting on it internally in your will…the weakest saint who transacts business with Jesus Christ is liberated the second he acts and God’s Almighty power is available on his behalf”
I’m going through each of your names, and sometimes your children as well, and praying this for you — that when a truth comes to you from God, though you will not want to, you will act on it internally (Chambers says in ink and in blood) and experience liberation.
Please agree with me on this prayer for you and your loved ones and for me and my loved ones!
Dee
Dee, you don’t know how this encouraged me. THANK YOU! Yes I will pray for you and for your loved ones in this way as well.
God is doing this in my life this week after watching Katie’s video and listening to Keller. I haven’t been under a lot of teaching about restoration of the new heaven and new Earth or me being an agent of peace-to care about what God cares about here. The Holy Spirit has laid this heavily on my heart and I want to act on it. To put into action desiring what He desires-via His power within me empowering me, so here it is:
I don’t have time with my family to minister to the poor, orphans, and widows yet it is a command not an option-and I can’t explain it but even in the midst of this craziness I want to with every fiber of my being-This is from God, not from me. We have an opportunity to do family game nights with the homeless families at the City Union Mission here in Kansas City. So we have signed up. Haven’t picked a night yet due to the interruption of having pneumonia but my husband has desired to do this with the boys for a long time. Pray we follow through and that I am reminded once again of this truth of God’s desire for restoration in the lives of these homeless families.
So exciting. I think your husband is so wise to seize this way to minister together as a family!
Dee, thank you so much for praying for us and our loved ones. I have sensed from the beginning a strong prayer support from this study. This is also a point of accountability for me. I start out strong but am easily distracted. What does ink and blood mean?
This morning I read the 2nd to last chapter of The Pursuit of God. It is about the beatitudes and explains how the opposite of these teachings describe the culture we are steeped in. That is why they seem almost foreign and impossible at first (for they did seem that way to me). It is so good and a huge step for me as I move away from the idol of approval. I can see more of how bound I was. How wonderful freedom from this looks!
I am still thinking about what you said about a business transaction with God when He reveals something to me. I do think that I am still making these changes a matter of willpower rather than making it a transaction with God through prayer and giving it over to Him. I mean asking Him to remove it.
Thank you for this Dee, it is encourages me too and I will continue join you in prayer for all of us. I have the Utmost desktop calendar and had just flipped to today’s reading too!
I so often feel like the weakest saint, but to remember that to respond to the truth, the Light He shines on my heart, empowers me with His strength to do it…I see His grace in that, that He equips us to do what He calls us to, if we do not let His voice pass without response. Oh, how I need that prayer, daily.
ANNE: I PONDERED HIS “INK AND BLOOD” TOO — HE WAS STRESSING INTERNAL CHANGE, SO I THINK HE MEANT WHEN WE WRITE IT DOWN, (INK) HOWEVER WE DO IT, IT HELPS US HOLD THE TRUTH, AND WHEN WE COMMIT TO SACRIFICING AS CHRIST DID (BLOOD) THAT A CHANGE BEGINS TO HAPPEN.
ELIZABETH: FUN TO KNOW YOU WERE READING TODAY’S UTMOST TOO.
This is so encouraging that you are praying for us, Dee. My brother, who didn’t want to talk to me a week ago, sent an email yesterday expressing concern when he heard that my husband was not feeling well. That has given me hope that God is working.
Lord, I agree with Dee in prayer concerning all the women on this blog and pray also for Dee and her loved ones. Thank you Lord that we are in Your hands and nothing is too hard for You. Make us into Your image,set free and worthy to worship You as You deserve, and fit for Your service.
thank you Dee. this week when I was getting discuraged in my marriage I remembered that you and the others were praying were me and it gave me such peace and hope, it helped me keep quite and take things to God and Love Paul the way He loves Paul…no strings attached. I am so grateful to have Godly woman praying for me!!
I’m praying, Cyndi!
Thank you for praying for me/us Dee. It means so much.
Dee, you are a gift from God…..thank you. Even today I was telling a new friend about something I learned in your summer Bible study! It’s so funny how God works. She is a new teacher at my school and I am her mentor. I asked her to go running with me and SHE brought up religion! Next thing I know she is saying all the things Keller says “they” will say! How there are many paths to God, etc. I couldn’t believe it! I told her it is presumptuous for us to think that and Jesus is flesh however he represents a spiritual God, unlike other religions!!! Oh my goodness. I was amazed. She said she hadn’t been going to church because they were hypocritical. I told her we must have fellowship. It was exciting 🙂
Another weird thing….I always tell my daughter Sarah I love her, but she never says it back anymore. Tonight on the phone she did 🙂 your prayers must be working! I will pray for you and your lovely family.
Laura-Dancer
I also have a hard time telling my mom that I love her as well, she is not a believer but still i shouldnt be having a hard time yet i do!
9. WHAT COMMON LIE DOES KELLER TACKLE AND HOW DOES HE SLAM THE ENEMY WITH THE TRUTH?
I will try not to write a book. This is by far one of Keller’s best..WELL..it is in the TOP 10 but I have run out of top tens now. 🙂
That Christianity isn’t the one ‘true religion’, there are others that lead to salvation which are works/righteousness based. He slams the enemy with the Gospel. He slams the enemy with Gospel action-when we care about what God cares about which is restoration of the world-being agents of peace-caring about making this world better for those in it, then as we do that, we SLAM the enemy as well. That is my take. We can apply scripture to our thought life which is the beginning-a huge hammer over satan’s head, it is when we love others-pour our lives out to others like Katie does in the video-like Jesus did for us on the cross that will swing a HUGE hammer on top satan’s head and crush him.
Keller said other religions lead to superiority and oppression, Christianity leads to being humble-even thinking those who disagree are better than you, and to being agents of peace. Keller puts it this way: “because the Gospel says you are not saved because you are wise or good or virtuious,performing the truth, you are saved because Jesus performs the truth. You can’t get salvation unless you admit you are not better than anyone else-you are a sinner and need grace and therefore the Gospel leads you to expect that the people who don’t agree are better-wiser, disciplined, kinder, etc.. Every other system of thought leads you to think you are better than others. The Gospel humbles you before the people who don’t agree with you-no other system does that.” No other religion leads to humility and being agents of peace and restoration-they lead to superiority and oppression.
10. KELLER TALKS ABOUT DENYING THAT CHRIST CAME IN THE FLESH. HE SAYS CHRISTIANITY, UNLIKE MANY OTHER RELIGIONS, DOES NOT TELL US TO ESCAPE THE FLESH BUT REFORM IT. GIVE AN EXAMPLE — CHOOSE SEX, FOOD, HALLOWEEN, OR WHATEVER YOU LIKE! (Some would say Halloween cannot be reformed for it was never from God, no Christian origins, but I think there are ways to overcome its spirit. I have an opinion on this and may share it if you are interested, but neither do I want to rabbit trail here.)
To reform the flesh in the area offffff…Let’s see, I could choose all of them, but I will choose food. 🙂 My flesh desired food to be the ultimate-as if food was on the cross and sacrificed for me so I should give myself to it whether I over-ate or starved myself. It can go either way, I think.
Food became the ultimate in my life because I was deceived to believe it will cure my woes-bring me immediate happiness, soothe my pain. Yet when I applied the Gospel to my woes, happiness and pain- I saw that Jesus threw off all his comfort-emptied himself of glory-was in pain-hungry-even separated from God-how uncomfortable and painful was that?!? And he did it so that he could be my comfort and fill me up with Him-so he could truly satisfy my need for comfort-and do it in full, permanent-not temporarily like food did. How could I not take those steps to turn to Him? How could I not flee from my comfort idol and from the near sin of over-eating-and turn to my glorious savior whose restoration is complete and whole. Then God restored food to it’s rightful place in my life. It became a blessing. Now I can enjoy it as coming from the hand of God and be thankful for it.
Thank you, Rebecca. I am happy you chose food. I like gaining wisdom from you in this area. God is at work in this area in my life and someone must be praying for me here b/c I have had what I would call a phenomenal week of victory over this idol. Praise Him, for it is only Him!
I am feeling so blessed today, the verse that i had you ladies pray for me this week, my friend sent me a birthday card, with the same exact verses on them! God loves me soooo much!
Meg, How exciting! I see the Lord showing himself to you over and over. 🙂 Isn’t it amazing when you see He loves you so much he gave up Himself-His glory, so he could have you! That blows me away. Meg, He has made you such a precious sister to boot.
Meg–is today your birthday, then?
Yes it is 🙂
Oh sweet friend! Did I miss that above somewhere?! Either way, Happy Birthday!!!
Oh I will be praying this day is filled with joy–that you will be overwhelmed by His love for you!
no you didnt miss it above 🙂 and Thank you!
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MEG — MAY THIS BE A YEAR OF SWEET INTIMACY WITH HIM!
Thank you!
I missed it too!! Happy Birthday Meg! Hope today is a precious as you are-and I second that you would have a sweet year of intimacy with Him.
Happy Birthday Meg! You are such a blessing to us!
Happy birthday, Meg. Amen to Dee’s prayer for a year of sweet intimacy with Him!
Thank you Ladies for the birthday wishes!
My internet has been down for 3 days, so the only comment that I have time to make now is: HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY, MEG!
thanks Dawn!