tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67782040669977240892024-03-05T02:29:50.475-05:00The Relentless FightThe Relentless Fight blog exists to encourage, empower, and equip Christians for the great fight of faith.The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-59006569639804790262021-03-23T21:51:00.002-04:002021-04-16T07:42:11.593-04:00Book Review: Atomic Habits <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdm5D98r3l2oJ1ML1sPdfwQBzp2dxdVHY7jH1FXGthB-vabo-JLyl1TtXNynSx9S7IpZCvVNVd1Y3kXULbeBpQseIKdCQw5mdRMgzff9re9WIlCJaqprpyLRkwaHHFp1n0XFMuzJXaIsZ7/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1357" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdm5D98r3l2oJ1ML1sPdfwQBzp2dxdVHY7jH1FXGthB-vabo-JLyl1TtXNynSx9S7IpZCvVNVd1Y3kXULbeBpQseIKdCQw5mdRMgzff9re9WIlCJaqprpyLRkwaHHFp1n0XFMuzJXaIsZ7/w212-h320/91pR9wKJ3zL.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><i>"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:2 (ESV)</i><p></p><p><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299/">Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones</a> by James Clear is being highlighted here on The Relentless Fight because it could be used to equip you in the detailed practicals of sanctification. Mind you, it's a thoroughly secular book, there's no mention of the Bible or the gospel or repentance. And yet, just like a book on economics or medicine or architecture, it's a powerful tool when we redeem it through the lens of the Scriptures. When we start with the power of the gospel, and the goal of becoming like Christ, using these tools to create godly habits or stop sinful habits is not only effective, but glorifying to God. </p><p>The backbone of Atomic Habits is what James Clear calls <a href="https://jamesclear.com/three-steps-habit-change">The Habit Loop</a> (pages 46-52 from the book). He outlines this mental model with four parts to any habit (good or bad): </p><p><b>Cue ---> Craving ---> Response ---> Reward. </b></p><p>The cue is anything that prompts our desire, which leads to our action. Because the desire is fulfilled by the action, it feels satisfying, and reinforces the whole process. When this is repeated again and again, it becomes a habit, and is quickly ingrained in our lives. </p><p><br /></p><p>Here's a (sinful) example: You're feeling tired after a long week (cue), you want some rest and comfort (craving), so you look at porn (response), and experience <a href="https://thefreedomfight.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Making-disciples-in-a-porn-pandemic.pdf">a huge hit of dopamine</a> (reward). Do that a few weeks, and you've got a life-dominating habit that's extremely hard to break. James 1:14-15 says it like this, "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." Jesus warns about the trap that habitual sin brings in John 8:34, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin." Ben Stuart summarizes it well, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CK4IcI0lyGn/">"What you think about, will be what you care about. And what you care about, you will chase."</a> </p><p>But the same is true of good habits. Consider this (godly) example: You wake up in the morning (cue), you want to start the day focused on Christ (craving), so you read the Word and pray for 1 hour (response), and your joy in salvation is stirred once again (reward). Do that a few weeks, and you've got a life-transforming habit that will lead to a life of godliness and spiritual fruit. Psalm 1:2 speaks of the righteous man, "but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night."</p><p>By understanding this pattern of human behavior, we can get insight into <i>why </i>and <i>how </i>we act, and therefore choose wisely what we feed and what we starve. The Bible uses the language of <a href="https://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2012/07/put-off-put-on.html ">put off and put on</a>. Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3 call us to put off the old self with our sins (bad habits) and to put on the new man in Christ (good habits). </p><p><br /></p><p>From this simple four-stage model for habits, James Clear has created <a href="https://jamesclear.com/three-steps-habit-change">The Four Laws of Behavior Change</a> (page 53 from the book) which restates the four steps in these imperatives:</p><p><b>1. Make it obvious </b></p><p><b>2. Make it attractive </b></p><p><b>3. Make it easy </b></p><p><b>4. Make it satisfying. </b></p><p>In a sinful world, with sin dwelling in our hearts, and Satan's temptation, far too often sin is right in front of us (obvious), it looks great and we want it (attractive), it's almost effortless to do (easy), and in the moment it feels like it delivers on its promises (satisfying). That's why Romans 13:14 instructs us, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." <a href="https://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2013/10/make-no-provision-for-flesh.html">Cut off the supply chain!</a> Don't provide opportunity or resources for your sin. </p><p><br /></p><p>Taking this four-part model, applied to fighting sin, here is how to sabotage the process at each step: </p><p><b>1. Make Sin Avoidable:</b> What's the cue? Kill it. Is it a place? Stay away. Is it an app? Delete it. Do whatever you can to avoid even the awareness of temptation and sin. Make it hidden and turned off, locked up, as the old adage goes, "out of sight, out of mind." Proverbs 4:14-15 instructs us, "Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on." <a href="https://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2020/08/dont-underestimate-your-sin.html">Don't underestimate your sin</a>, thinking you'll be able to resist it. It's so much wiser to stop the fight before it starts. <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2012/11/flee.html ">Flee! </a></p><p><b>2. Make Sin Ugly:</b> Memorize Scripture that speaks of the dangers of sin, like Galatians 6:7-8a, "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption..." Think about the consequences. Remember the guilt and shame that will surely come after the fleeting pleasure of sin. John Owen advises in <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2015/06/of-mortification-of-sin-in-believers.html">The Mortification of Sin</a>, "Do you find your corruption to begin to entangle your thoughts? Rise up with all your strength against it, with no less indignation than if it had fully accomplished what it aims at." (page 110)</p><p><b>3. Make Sin Difficult:</b> Create obstacles that prevent you from acting out your sin. Get help from other Christians to interfere with your foolishness. Remove access by deleting apps, blocking websites, canceling subscriptions, and throwing things away. Be like Joseph in Genesis 39:10, "And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her."</p><p><b>4. Make Sin Painful:</b> If you do indeed sin, then what can you do <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzrIY56-Esk">after the failure</a> to repent and experience the pain of your sin? Sin always brings suffering, but often that suffering comes much later. What might be an immediate consequence? How can you introduce accountability? Paul Worcester gives one example <a href="https://faithoncampus.com/blog/whatever-it-takes-helping-your-students-and-yourself-gain-freedom-from-lust-and-porn/">here</a>, "I told my Dad that each time I gave into temptation I would give our Church $100!" </p><p><br /></p><p>That's putting off, the defensive fight. The Scripture likewise calls us to put on, <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-counter-attack.html">the offensive fight</a>. We must cultivate good habits like <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-is-relentless-fight.html">remembering the gospel</a>, and <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2017/07/relentless-prayer.html">relentless prayer</a>. Let's break down the four steps with an example of a good habit that many Christians struggle with... daily Bible reading:</p><p><b>1. Plan for the Bible</b>: Use the tool of "<a href="https://jamesclear.com/implementation-intentions">implementation intention</a>" by writing out, "I will [ACTION] at [TIME] in [LOCATION]." Which might look like, "I will read one chapter of the Bible at 8am everyday at my breakfast table." Ben Stuart says in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RaejuYkh-M">this video</a>, you need "a time, a place, and a plan." As leadership gurus, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." </p><p><b>2. Enjoy the Bible</b>: Do you like drinking coffee? Drink it while you read. Do you like going for a run? Listen to an audio Bible while you exercise. Do you like friends? Consider partnering up in the same Bible reading plan. But those are just earthly enjoyments. What about the spiritual benefits? Remind yourself of the mind-blowing rewards of the Scripture, like it says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." Do you want to be equipped? Doesn't that promise stir your desire to read the Word? </p><p><b>3. Make Bible reading EASY</b>: Buy a Bible that you <i>like </i>reading (translation, weight, margins, even the color of the cover). Put your Bible on your reading chair. Have your <a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/resolved-to-read-the-bible">reading plan</a> printed out and bookmarked on the next day's reading. Make the process as smooth as possible. If Satan is attacking you, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+5%3A8-9&version=ESV">trying to eat you</a>, do what you can to defend against him! Identify whatever obstacles you are feeling and do what you can to eliminate those barriers. That probably means putting your <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-review-12-ways-your-phone-is.html">smartphone</a> in another room to minimize distraction.</p><p><b>4. Make Bible reading fun</b>: Track your reading progress, perhaps with little x's on day squares on your reading plan (<a href="https://jamesclear.com/habit-tracker">habit tracking</a>). Eat a piece of candy for every chapter you finish. Reward yourself for streaks of 3 days in a row, 10 days in a row, or for finish lines like completing the Pentateuch. Spiritually, as you are increasingly <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+90%3A14&version=ESV">satisfied in the morning with the steadfast love of the Lord</a>, you will begin to love reading the Word simply for the Word itself. You will fall in love with the Author of the Word. You will be amazed at the simple fact: <a href="https://vimeo.com/130148742">God wrote a book</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p>You might think these are worldly strategies, and we should read the Bible for more godly reasons? Maybe you object to these as fleshly tricks, as mere <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=col+2%3A20-23&version=ESV">human precepts</a>? But as people have studied people for centuries, they've discovered some pretty common patterns regarding human behavior. If these things are true, and they really work... then why not harness their power to kill sin and nurture righteousness? Why not apply the biblical command of "put off, put on" with some practical steps? Why not leverage these insights for greater holiness and enjoyment of Christ? </p><p>That being said, your motivation for reading the Bible shouldn't be chocolate snacks, so let's land more firmly on those godly reasons. Let us <a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/im-bored-with-the-bible">pray that God gives us a craving for Him</a> like in Psalm 63:1, "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water." Let us pray that God empowers our obedience like in Colossians 1:10 to "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God..." Let us remember the superior joy found only in Jesus. Nothing satisfies like the Lord! Everything else is <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jer+2%3A12-13&version=ESV">a broken cistern</a>. Psalm 16:11 says, "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Let us fight to believe that <a href="https://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2013/03/jesus-is-better.html ">Jesus is Better!</a> </p><p>Love and faith will drive your activity of Bible reading, prayer, and walking with the Spirit. Love for Jesus drives obedience, as He says in John 14:15, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." If we believe that God is satisfying, that will drive our pursuit of him, as Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." </p><p>So let us fight to remember the gospel. Nothing else gives us joy like the <a href="https://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2016/10/what-is-gospel.html">gospel</a>! The only reason we are able to enjoy the presence of God is because of the reconciliation offered to us by the Cross of Christ. Leverage these laws of behavior change from <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299/">Atomic Habits</a> for your greater joy in Jesus! Get the book, read it, and apply it to your Christian life for God's glory. </p><p><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">All Scripture quotations are from the The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.</span></i></p>The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-15260902647944325922021-02-15T21:43:00.002-05:002021-02-16T09:51:36.764-05:00The Reason Why You're Bored With the Bible <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are many reasons why you could be bored with the Bible. Maybe you have read the whole thing and already think you know what it says, so for you the repeat content is boring. Maybe you haven’t read much, but you’ve been in church enough times that you figure you know the basic gist… and it’s not something you want to hear more of. Maybe you just aren’t into books, and since the Bible is a book, therefore it’s boring. Maybe you’re into stories, and so all those Pauline epistles, poetry, and case laws in Deuteronomy… are boring! </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But I’d like to suggest one big reason why most people are bored with the Bible: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">because you are treating it like entertainment. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have you ever zoned out after reading a few sentences of the Bible? While you’re reading, are you tempted to pick up your phone to check your notifications for the 10th time? Do you regularly skip other things in order to play video games or watch that next show on Netflix? Have you ever binge-watched more than 3 episodes in a single sitting? Can you quote The Office better than you can quote Romans? </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Given the choice between reading an hour of the Bible, and playing an hour of video games… which would you more naturally choose? If someone looked at your schedule and calendar, what would they conclude you loved more: entertainment, or Jesus Christ? Let’s get crazy: Have you ever binge-read the Bible? Did you ever procrastinate on an assignment by reading the Bible? When you come to the end of a hard week, do you reward yourself with a long session of reading the Psalms? </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our minds and hearts have been shaped by entertainment. And because the Bible isn’t </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“pew pew pew, superhero, scene change, boom explosion, scene change, pew pew pew, scene change, music, wow great finish!”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> ...we just get easily bored and distracted. We are so used to the image, the screen, the movie, the 20-minute episode that ends on an emotionally engaging cliffhanger that when we come to the </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOhkldCSs04" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BOOK</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> it’s boring. The written Word is too slow. It doesn’t grip us. Our hearts respond with a yawn. </span><a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/fake-love-fake-war" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Virtual love and digital danger</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> seem more real to us than divine love and spiritual danger. We are so inundated with trivial (but titillating) entertainment that God's glory is obscured, as <a href="https://youtu.be/oG41ZVCcswY">earthly banality has replaced God's beauty.</a> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tony Reinke, in his incisive book </span><a href="https://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2019/05/book-review-competing-spectacles.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Competing Spectacles</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, explains this threat, "In sum, all my concerns are dwarfed by this one: boredom with Christ. In the digital age, monotony with Christ is the chief warning signal to alert us that the spectacles of this world are suffocating our hearts from the supreme Spectacle of the universe." (page 143) The classic sc-ifi book </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fahrenheit 451</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> sounds a similar warning that entertainment will shrivel our minds, stunt our relationships, make us parochial, and enslave us to its thrills. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let’s look at the offramp to this suffocation and slavery of entertainment: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The solution to your boredom is the gospel. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The </span><a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2016/10/what-is-gospel.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">gospel</span></a><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is the most binge-worthy drama in the whole world. The gospel is the good news that we were made by God, rebelled against Him, deserved death, but that God loved us too much and desired to show us mercy, so He sent Christ to die in our place, to rescue us from our slavery to sin and forgive us of all our guilt and rebellion. Now we are reconciled to God, made </span><a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2013/01/you-are-new-creation-in-christ.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">new creations</span></a><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and able to enjoy the infinite pleasures in His presence! THAT is good news. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And the good news doesn’t just go in one ear and out the other, leaving our lives unchanged and unaffected. Titus 2:11-12 says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age…” So God’s grace comes first, but then training come next. Grace motivates different habits. We renounce worldly passions, like binge-watching Disney+. We live self-controlled lives, not slaves to hours of video games.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So practically, if the Holy Spirit is convicting you as you’re reading this…. here are some steps to take:</span></span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Confess your sin to God.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Admit that your heart loves entertainment more than it loves Jesus. Be honest with God that you are </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">bored</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> with Him. Ouch. </span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Remember the gospel. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You are forgiven of all your sin! Oh what good news that is. And it’s only good news if we really are guilty like in step #1, if we really have sinned against God. If there’s no sin, there’s no need for Jesus to die. </span><a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2012/04/cross-is-for-failures.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The cross is for failures.</span></a></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Put off that which suffocates your joy in Jesus.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2013/10/make-no-provision-for-flesh.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make no provision for the flesh.</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Consider a fast from all entertainment (streaming shows, TV, video games, YouTube, movies, Fortnite, Minecraft, etc) for the 40 days of </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lent</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (this year it starts 2/17, and goes until Easter). Yes that’s crazy. Yes it will feel like death. You might think, “what in the world will I do instead of those things…” which leads to #4. </span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Put on that which cultivates joy in Jesus.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Read the Word, binge the Bible. </span><a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/im-bored-with-the-bible" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pray for God to help you not be bored of the Bible</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Then pray again. Pray with others. Prayer walk. Pray for </span><a href="https://joshuaproject.net/pray/unreachedoftheday" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">unreached people groups</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Pray for a friend. Listen to worship music, and sing along, loudly. Share the gospel with someone. Memorize a chapter of the Bible. Read a solid book about enjoying Jesus, like </span><a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/books/habits-of-grace" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Habits of Grace</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Serve others as you have been served by Jesus. </span><a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2014/09/when-i-dont-desire-god.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fight for joy in Christ.</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As you practice these things, I guarantee you it will not be as exciting and “pew pew pew” as entertainment, the same way that eating salad and beans isn’t as exciting as Pop Rocks and Mountain Dew. But </span><a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/books/desiring-god" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pursuing God will satisfy your soul</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and give you greater joy than a hundred years of entertainment. Psalm 4:7, “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.” Psalm 84:10a, “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere."</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God Himself is more satisfying than anything else, including all the best of today’s multi-million-dollar-budget entertainment. He’s the fountain of living waters, and everything else is just </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+2%3A12-13&version=ESV" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a broken cistern</span></a><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The real God of the Bible is far superior to the fake </span><a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2012/01/god-of-entertainment.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">god of entertainment</span></a><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Jesus really is </span><a href="https://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2013/03/jesus-is-better.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BETTER</span></a><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Enjoy Him, don’t settle! </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What if you were so happy in Jesus that today’s entertainment was boring to you?</span></span></p>The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-88333829893098436482020-08-24T14:40:00.000-04:002020-08-24T14:40:28.260-04:00Don't Underestimate Your Sin<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3BEgC-ZiBp4RErbZaE7s-Pg2zPSy0BxbBxUVHkHUAKZj1l2G1aquCVW_T83zRIPwhrvnSke4Xkv6SZm_bqYT6chKLc_OO1OTMoBmOxifvfC05lXjoScfdTxGWHFrZJJnbMbgC6F9QoLu/s1372/DON%2527T+UNDERESTIMATE+YOUR+SIN+2.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1096" data-original-width="1372" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3BEgC-ZiBp4RErbZaE7s-Pg2zPSy0BxbBxUVHkHUAKZj1l2G1aquCVW_T83zRIPwhrvnSke4Xkv6SZm_bqYT6chKLc_OO1OTMoBmOxifvfC05lXjoScfdTxGWHFrZJJnbMbgC6F9QoLu/w328-h262/DON%2527T+UNDERESTIMATE+YOUR+SIN+2.png" width="328" /></a></div><i>The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. - Proverbs 22:3</i><p></p><p>There is a critical miscalculation that we must not make in the fight of faith: underestimating our own sin. </p><p>Consider this military analogy: if you <u>under</u>estimate the enemy and <u>over</u>estimate your own strength, you will know an attack is coming, but do little to prepare for it. If your calculations were correct, you’ll be fine. But if your strength was not as great as you had thought, and the enemy was greater than you accounted for, you will suffer an incredible loss. To ensure victory, your army should do the opposite: <u>over</u>estimate the power of the enemy and <u>under</u>estimate your own strength. You will mount up a strong defense, prepare for a hard battle, call for reinforcements, and maybe even launch a counter-attack. The result? More likely you will enjoy victory, because you took the threat seriously and prepared accordingly. </p><p>In the fight of faith, we are tempted to underestimate our own sin. This miscalculation is the fruit of at least three underlying problems: </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Pride</b>: We overestimate our own strength. Proverbs 16:18 says, <i>“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”</i> We think we’ll be able to resist temptation when it comes, we think we’ll be clever, we think we will have the self-control to win in our own strength. </li><li><b>Deception</b>: Sin lies to us. Hebrews 3:13 says, <i>“But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”</i> We don’t recognize how our sin is destroying us until it is too late. Instead, we become blind and numb to our own depravity; sin creates its own protective blindspots. Sin deceives, and then it hardens. </li><li><b>Unbelief</b>: We underestimate our own sin because of a lack of faith in the gospel. Underneath pride and deception is the most dangerous problem: unbelief. We are prone to forget the gospel. When we forget the gospel our faith shrivels, and it leaves us vulnerable. This is the decisive failure that will result in ceasing the fight against sin and becoming complacent. We won't even show up for the fight. </li></ol><p>What is the solution to these underlying problems? How do we avoid underestimating our sin? </p><p>We must remember the gospel! Meditating on Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross will <b>humble </b>us by revealing our weakness and need of salvation; we could not save ourselves! The gospel brings a sharp wake-up call of <b>truth </b>to replace the deception that sin creates; sin is serious, Christ had to DIE for our sin! And the gospel stirs and strengthens our <b>faith </b>as we meditate on the object of our faith; Hebrews 12:1-2 calls us to set our eyes on Jesus as we run the race. </p><p>Faith in Christ’s salvation results in humility and gratitude. In that humility and the power of the gospel, you’ll be able to fight your sin. But you won’t fight lazily—you’ll fight strongly because you’ve rightly evaluated your sin, seeing it through the eyes of God’s holiness. In that gratitude, you’ll rejoice in what God has done for you in Christ. You’ll have a superior joy in Jesus that drowns out the fleeting pleasures of sin. Backed by the power of the Holy Spirit, you can put your sin to death. Romans 8:13 promises, <i>“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” </i></p><p>So practically here are some next steps:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Remember the gospel</b>: Do whatever is necessary to <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-is-relentless-fight.html">remind yourself of the gospel</a>. Your enemy is pride, deception, and unbelief! But the gospel will humble your heart, reorient your mind with truth, and strengthen your faith. Fight to remember the gospel. </li><li><b>Expect difficulty</b>: Don’t pridefully expect an easy fight. Rather, go into the fight against sin knowing that it will be hard, then you won’t be shocked when it is hard. Expect resistance, develop a <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2011/12/wartime-mentality.html">wartime mentality</a>! Prepare your mind for battle. <a href="https://bitly.com/15NXTRd">Expect a hard, long, bloody fight</a>. You must <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASU6kCbgxfs">make war!</a> </li><li><b>Prepare in peacetime</b>: When you are not currently under temptation and attack, take the opportunity to prepare for war. <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2012/10/punch-satan-in-face.html">Memorize Scripture</a> that can be accessed and used in time of temptation, as the antidote of truth against the poison of lies. Cultivate <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-counter-attack.html">a superior affection</a> for Jesus. Research your <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-battlefield.html">battlefield</a>. Remove <a href="https://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2013/10/make-no-provision-for-flesh.html">access to sin</a>. Be ready for the fight so that <i>when</i> temptation comes, you can meet it with overwhelming firepower, and attain victory over your sin. </li><li><b>Call out for help</b>: If you rightly estimate the power of your sin, you will recognize your own insufficiency to fight it by yourself. First call out to God, He will come to your aid! <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2017/07/relentless-prayer.html">Pray relentlessly</a>. Establish accountability, <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2014/08/brothers-in-arms.html">ask for help</a> from others. If you know a particular weekend or evening is going to be a time of temptation, text a few Christian friends to ask them to pray for you and check in with you. And if help isn't available (or no one texts back), be prepared to <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2012/11/flee.html">flee</a> with a tactical retreat. </li></ol><p></p><p>Don’t underestimate your sin. It’s a deadly miscalculation. But also, never underestimate your Savior! Your temptation might be crushing and your sin might be devastating, but it is no match for the awesome power of His strength and grace. You cannot overestimate His power because you cannot measure infinity! He is MIGHTY to save. Jeremiah 20:11 says, <i>“But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten.”</i> And the opposite is also true, the eternal glory of the cross of Christ will never fade. Fight to remember the gospel! </p>The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-16439052928190060232020-03-23T19:53:00.003-04:002020-04-18T11:59:24.752-04:00Don’t Waste Your Coronavirus Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." - 2 Timothy 2:22</i><br />
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The advent of the Coronavirus pandemic has had major effects on our world. It has created incredible uncertainty and anxiety, and has resulted in closed workplaces and a new era of social distancing. (For the latest information on Coronavirus (COVID-19), <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus">please see the CDC website</a>.)<br />
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The <a href="https://bitly.com/rwQTCg">purpose of The Relentless Fight blog</a> from the beginning has been to encourage, empower, and equip Christians for the great fight of faith. There are so many good articles and responses about this season (for a sampling, visit <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/">The Gospel Coalition</a>) but here at TRF we wanted to focus on the fight of faith and the fight against sin.<br />
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You may be experiencing a big increase in time spent at home, uncertain of how long this season will last. Faced with this sudden openness in your schedule... what might happen? There really are two directions you can go with spending your time: wasting or investing.<br />
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<li><b>Wasting</b>: It will be very easy to waste this season. Through boredom and social isolation, there's increased temptation to turn to <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2012/01/god-of-entertainment.html">entertainment</a>, social media, video games, and various distractions. This Coronavirus season will reveal your heart. And one key place you'll see your heart displayed is in how you use your extra time. </li>
<li><b>Investing</b>: You have an incredible opportunity for spiritual investment during this season! Perhaps life has slowed down now more than ever before. How will you use that extra time? Heed this challenge: use this time at home for intense spiritual activity. </li>
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Here are some practical suggestions for how to spiritually invest in this season:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Bible</b>: There's only one book that God has written. That makes it worth reading! Read huge chunks of the Bible. Did you know it takes just 18 hours to read the whole New Testament? And the whole Bible takes about 74 hours (Crossway made a helpful <a href="https://www.crossway.org/articles/infographic-you-can-read-more-of-the-bible-than-you-think/">infographic</a> with time breakdowns). If you need some help getting started, check out this 6-min video by Ben Stuart on <a href="https://youtu.be/_RaejuYkh-M">Practical Helps for Bible Reading</a>. </li>
<li><b>Books</b>: What a fantastic time to read more solid books to invigorate your spiritual growth! You can read book reviews here on The Relentless Fight for these titles: <a href="https://bitly.com/1uPuTVM">When I Don't Desire God</a>, <a href="https://bitly.com/1XscZsg">Side by Side</a>, <a href="https://bitly.com/1Ip2Kyj">The Mortification of Sin</a>, <a href="https://bitly.com/2Ke2YQb">Competing Spectacles</a>, and <a href="https://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2012/08/precious-remedies-against-satans-devices.html">Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices</a>. </li>
<li><b>Learn</b>: If reading isn't your thing, there are so many ways to learn via audio and video teaching. Here's a few to start: <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/courses">TGC Courses</a>, <a href="https://bibleproject.com/">The Bible Project</a>, and <a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/labs">Look at the Book</a>. </li>
<li><b>Serve</b>: You can reach out to someone who is lonely and ask how you can pray for them and serve their practical needs. Philippians 2:1-4 calls us to consider others needs, not just our own. </li>
<li><b>Evangelize</b>: This Coronavirus and its many effects are shaking our world, and there may be unique opportunities as people open up with spiritual interest. <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/10-ways-evangelize-pandemic/">Here's a list of 10 ideas</a>. Pray for gospel opportunities! And when God gives them.... be bold and speak the Word of life! Who knows, the Lord may just use this to bring revival to our broken world. </li>
<li><b>Pray</b>: You might be facing extra anxiety and fear. That's understandable, these are wild times of uncertainty. Turn those worries into prayer! Pray for God's mercy in this pandemic. Pray for others who are affected. Pray for God to give you peace and increased faith in Christ. <a href="https://bitly.com/2vyFpHa">Pray relentlessly</a>. </li>
<li><b>Make Disciples</b>: Paul Worcester said it well in his open letter, <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/dear-college-students-the-mission-isnt-canceled/">Dear College Students: The Mission Isn't Canceled</a>. Jesus commanded us in Matthew 28 to make disciples of all nations. That mission is NOT canceled! Whether you're a senior student or a senior citizen...if you are a Christian, you have a purpose: Jesus commissions you to make disciples. And this coronavirus does not stop that mission. </li>
</ul>
You've probably heard the old adage, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!" Practically, it may help you to come up with a "Coronavirus Season Plan" to maximize your spiritual growth during this time. Get a piece of paper or open a new note on your phone and write down some answers to these three questions:<br />
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<li>What are your spiritual growth goals? </li>
<li>What are going to be some time-wasting distractions? </li>
<li>Who can you share this with for accountability and community help?</li>
</ol>
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<b>Here's the key question: </b><br />
<b><i>....Who do you want to be at the end of this Coronavirus season?</i> </b><br />
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And above all, remember the gospel. The gospel is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). As one pastor put it, we live "<a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/things-coronavirus-teach-us/">in the the grip of a pandemic outbreak called sin. What is your hope in the face of that virus?</a>" The answer is the gospel. Fight to remember the gospel! </div>
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PS: Author Andy Cimbala created a 3-min video <b>"How to Fight Temptation During Coronavirus Season"</b> with some recommended free resources from The Relentless Fight during this time, <a href="https://youtu.be/xY4rx7-S_LY">view it on YouTube here</a>:<br />
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The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-19609352094523236972019-09-09T20:31:00.001-04:002019-09-09T20:33:19.634-04:00YouTube Channel for The Relentless Fight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzUd3bRkczI6xJRM8yO-lFQ" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="735" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVU_r86Qwmi1luW7buw4W-vb1Ut_bb0sPudIbXrGoAA1y6gzOazN5peBOik6OkSX0hAHVq9VWc2PmddQhX5v7jkK4ze95zsdUx3SfG4oYWHbNmazcAL2D7XADrQwQTOenFRBb8CcpE9dDL/s320/trf+youtube+channel+screenshot+for+blog+post.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The Relentless Fight now has a YouTube channel! You can watch the videos and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzUd3bRkczI6xJRM8yO-lFQ">subscribe here</a>.<br />
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Hopefully these videos will be used by God to encourage, empower, and equip you for the great fight of faith.<br />
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As of publication today, the channel is starting with these four new videos:<br />
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<ol>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/U8t15ODkviA">The Relentless Fight: New Book Promo Video</a></li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/bTpWs8EqAbc">Why did you write this book?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/pzrIY56-Esk">What should I do right after a sinful failure?</a> <i>(based on the previous blog post <a href="https://bitly.com/10PBBRg">Right After the Failure</a>, featured as Appendix A in the <a href="https://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-book-is-launched.html">book</a>)</i></li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/oJYn9voLV5o">What’s the hope for the end of the fight?</a> <i>(based on the Conclusion: The End of the Fight from the <a href="https://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-book-is-launched.html">book</a>) </i></li>
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Watch, share, and enjoy! And don't forget to subscribe, hopefully for more videos in the future. </div>
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What videos would you like to see? What questions would you like to see answered on the channel? Comment below or on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/therelentlessfight/posts/2727018687330835?__xts__[0]=68.ARDcsQiR8pEujwCfn8sKX5X6eu-626Ck_0EOIDAxXn81Kk-3LAwMRzWjs_xWdr3nWBJ859-c5HkRjq4-V3dMUU3adeP7qA3iG0bTw6tifx15GK-D9o39bYJI-tlRAD-ScKcSy7xCFayKQ-IgPxtENbWLFOit0YtOROImYMQdymCnxxBoleApWqJ58a-NLELpExMjOqpzWHYsdNUisRpAMtCVaCazWK-Vs6Vc2c0tzrM29EqbrdTZAV3uff8ZhqxYO4iWz_5k0gqJw-WMOz9ziRGSYubBS3qNiDR8coDIIi18UrHxuXDP6lUOyAIRuPjtlwNSPqrDmSTkj72J74Lms7TWNQ&__tn__=-R">Facebook</a>. </div>
The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-77431809904350550732019-05-29T08:23:00.000-04:002019-05-29T08:23:46.774-04:00Book Review: Competing Spectacles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man." - Proverbs 27:20</i><br />
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<a href="https://tonyreinke.com/">Tony Reinke</a> is a senior writer for <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/authors/tony-reinke">Desiring God</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tony-Reinke/e/B004R6BJ30/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1">several books</a>, and host of the popular <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ask-pastor-john">Ask Pastor John</a> podcast. He wrote a fantastic book two years ago called <a href="https://bitly.com/2ussNk5">12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You</a>. His latest book asks, "What images should I feed my eyes?"<br />
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<a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Competing-Spectacles-Treasuring-Christ-Media/dp/1433563797">Competing Spectacles: Treasuring Christ in the Media Age</a> is being highlighted here on The Relentless Fight because we need this clarion book. In our cultural soil of entertainment there grows an endless number of distractions from Jesus. We need to wake up to this insidious undertow, and fight to make Jesus our treasure. If we fail, we will be smothered not by the grossest explicit sins, but rather the deluge of high-quality, captivating, awe-inspiring ocular delights.<br />
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Here's a few highlights and ideas from the book:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>The Cross is the ultimate Spectacle</b>: Of all the spectacles across history, and of the thousands that vie for our attention right now, the ultimate and greatest spectacle is Christ on the Cross. It is the divine Spectacle, the centerpiece of the Bible and of human history, and in heaven we will all see Christ and give Him worship as the Spectacle of our eternal delights. <i>"Christ's glory is the spectacle of all other spectacles, and its power is most clearly seen in how it equips and motivates and animates our faithful obedience in all other areas of life."</i> (page 90) The glory of Christ is preeminent, it gives us the highest delight, but it also motivates our obedience. If we remember the gospel, we will keep fighting. </li>
<li><b>Focusing on Christ will be a fight</b>: The Spectacle of the Cross has many competitors for our attention. We will not be captivated with Christ as the default, and our attention will be ripped away with competing pleasures and delights. Therefore we must fight to <a href="https://bitly.com/UAfjv3">look at Jesus</a>! We should pray that God gives us faith to "see" the glories of the gospel. We must mount the <a href="https://bitly.com/1M79f9w">counter-attack</a> and fight to believe that <a href="https://bitly.com/ZDSA3n">Jesus is better</a>. <i>"Each of us must learn to preserve higher pleasures by revolting against lesser indulgences."</i> (page 122) Does Jesus interest you? If not, <a href="https://bitly.com/1uPuTVM">you must fight for joy</a>. We must fight <a href="https://bitly.com/VkwbFd">relentlessly</a> to remember the gospel, and <i>"the recelebration and rearticulation of the glory of Christ must be set before us, over and over, and fed to our souls day by day."</i> (page 91)</li>
<li><b>Practically, learn to say no to competing spectacles</b>: In this media age, perhaps repentance looks like <a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/know-when-to-walk-away">digital detox</a> and closing our eyes to the glories of entertainment. <i>"Attention is the new commodity of power; the viral spectacle is the product. Which means that when we ignore a spectacle, we unplug its power."</i> (page 126) When we give our attention to a thing, by default we must say no to a hundred other things. It's part of our limitation as humans, our attention is precious and can only be given to one thing at a time. To say yes to Christ means saying no again and again and again to hundreds of sparkling, attractive, shouting competitors. It will be a fight! Expect great difficulty. In Mark 4, Jesus tells a parable of thorny soil that chokes out the Word and makes it unfruitful. We live in an age of thorns; everywhere in our attention economy, our eyes are being bought and paid for. We are being marketed to and seduced and screamed at. When we hear the Word, it’s amidst the cacophony of louder noise of the cares of this world, and riches, and desires for other things (consumerism). So we can’t even hear Jesus anymore. He’s one voice, out of thousands. We must learn to say no to competing spectacles, so we can say yes to Jesus. What do you need to do differently this week, in order to hear Him? What event will you say no to, to say yes to church every Sunday? What entertainment will you say no to, in order to say yes to Bible study? What phone notifications and news stories and music will you have to say no to, in order to create the quiet and space in order to say yes to praying? How can you develop habits of saying no to competing spectacles? Perhaps you will fast from a certain viral movie or TV show that everyone is watching, and you want to watch too. This will strengthen the muscles of saying no. Perhaps you will delete the social media apps on your phone to limit your enticements. Maybe you'll delete your Netflix subscription. Do whatever it takes to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and <a href="https://bitly.com/17Dr7Bi">make no provision for the flesh</a>. </li>
</ul>
Reinke concludes with this key point, <i>"In sum, all my concerns are dwarfed by this one: boredom with Christ. In the digital age, monotony with Christ is the chief warning signal to alert us that the spectacles of this world are suffocating our hearts from the supreme Spectacle of the universe."</i> (page 143) Amen. If we forget the gospel, it will not be because we don't have access to Christ. But it's because our attention has been so diverted, so disintegrated, so fractured, that we have but slivers to give to Him and His Word. It's the thorny soil choking the Word so it proves unfruitful. And when we forget the gospel, we will stop fighting our sin. <i>"Soul boredom is a great threat, and when our souls become bored, we make peace with sin."</i> (page 144)<br />
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In summary, <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Competing-Spectacles-Treasuring-Christ-Media/dp/1433563797">Competing Spectacles: Treasuring Christ in the Media Age</a> is highly recommended because our culture is guilty of worshiping <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2012/01/god-of-entertainment.html">the god of entertainment</a>. This book wakes us up and shows us the exit ramp of repentance. May God help us fight to remember the gospel.<br />
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<i>Note: Crossway provided a free ebook copy in exchange for this honest review, as part of their <a href="https://www.crossway.org/blog-review">Blog Review Program</a>. Win/win! </i></div>
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The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-19103855212938978562019-03-11T21:02:00.000-04:002019-03-11T21:10:21.000-04:00The Book is Launched! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At long last, the book is published!<br />
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<a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Relentless-Fight-Power-Gospel-Against/dp/1793391580">The Relentless Fight: The Power of the Gospel in the Fight Against Sin</a> was launched one month ago on 2/11. It's available on paperback and Kindle ebook, published through <a href="https://kdp.amazon.com/">Amazon KDP</a>.<br />
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It is thrilling to see this project finally come to the finish line. The idea of the book is at least 9 years old. But it's been worth the wait! The response has been really good this first month, and we shall see what God does in this first year.<br />
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Here are some ideas you could do to help with the book launch:<br />
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<li>Post on social media about the book! Spread the word. Take a picture of the book yourself, or you could share these posts on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/therelentlessfight/photos/a.368239523208775/2371647162867991/?type=3&theater">Facebook </a>or <a href="https://twitter.com/ReFightBlog/status/1101300618550038528">Twitter</a>. </li>
<li>If a friend comes to mind that you think would be helped by the book, share about it personally with them. Word of mouth and a personal recommendation is so powerful!</li>
<li>Give the book as a gift to your pastor, a small group leader, a college ministry leader, or your mentor. If leaders emphasize the gospel as they are counseling others, how powerful will that be? </li>
<li>Read the book together and discuss it with your Sunday school class, community group, or accountability group. </li>
<li>Do you know someone who writes a Christian blog and might be interested in reviewing the book? Do you know someone who hosts a podcast and would like to do an interview? Consider making the connection, send a message via Facebook to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/therelentlessfight">The Relentless Fight</a>.</li>
</ul>
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But most importantly, would you please pray:<br />
<ul>
<li>Pray for God to be glorified through this little book.</li>
<li>Pray for God to bring people to new faith in Christ. And pray for greater affection for those who already know Jesus. </li>
<li>Pray for God to use the book as a means of sanctification in the lives of Christians. Pray for increased holiness and victory over sin. Pray for addictions and idolatries and strongholds to be broken. </li>
<li>Pray that God creates transformed lives that result in more glory and praise given to God! "...call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." Psalm 50:15 ESV</li>
</ul>
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Remember the Gospel,</div>
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The Relentless Fight<br />
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PS: As a thanks to the readers of this blog there's some special content just for you! Appendix D (not included in the book) contains videos and visual resources for remembering the gospel and fighting sin. <a href="https://bit.ly/2TDiH0t">Check out Appendix D here</a>.</div>
The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-69266164746549788102018-07-22T19:44:00.000-04:002018-07-22T19:44:15.006-04:00Book Review: Caring for One Another<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." - John 13:35 </i><br />
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<a href="https://www.ccef.org/about/people/ed-welch">Ed Welch</a> has been counseling for over 30 years, and is a faculty member with the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (<a href="https://www.ccef.org/">CCEF</a>). He has written numerous in-depth <a href="https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B001H6QS02?redirectedFromKindleDbs=true">books</a> on counseling issues, but more recently has been distilling his long tenure of wisdom into digestible books for the church. This recent publication is just such a one.<br />
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<a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Caring-One-Another-Meaningful-Relationships/dp/1433561093">Caring for One Another: 8 Ways to Cultivate Meaningful Relationships</a> is being highlighted here on The Relentless Fight because of it's focus on building solid community. In a previous post, <a href="https://bitly.com/1B9Rwce">Brothers in Arms</a>, we talked about the need to have close Christians in your life, to remind you of the gospel and to encourage you in the fight against sin. This book is your tactical map for how to operate day to day in that helpful community.<br />
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The book has many similar concepts to Ed Welch's other recent book, <a href="https://bitly.com/1XscZsg">Side by Side</a>, but with the benefit of being only half the length! This makes Caring for One Another a digestible quick-read that introduces you quickly to the practical applications of how to love others in community. It's the easiest introduction to the practicals of Christian community.<br />
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Some key highlights:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Humility</b>: You can't grow unless you admit you need help from God and others. Remember, you can't even become a Christian unless you admit you need Christ! The Christian life is radically characterized by humility. Welch writes, <i>"Humility simply acknowledges our many sins and limitations, and it responds with, 'I need Jesus, and I need other people.'" </i>and <i>"One way to put humility to work is this: Ask someone to pray for you."</i></li>
<li><b>Prayer = Care</b>: How do we care for one another? Primarily by listening, and responding in prayer. This frees us up from the pressure of having the right answer or requiring years of training. Just listen, and pray! That's actionable for every Christian, even children. And the Lord blesses this work, <i>"Apparently, the Lord is pleased to use ordinary people, through seemingly ordinary acts of love, to be the prime contributors to the maturing of his people."</i></li>
<li><b>Vulnerable Community</b>: It's so rare for Christians to talk openly about their sin, and respond with gospel encouragement and helping one another to fight our sin. Welch writes, <i>"Our goal is to contribute to a community in which it is increasingly natural to talk about sin and ask each other for help."</i> and <i>"Could you imagine a community in which we can confess our sins to one another, and we respond to such confessions and pleas with humility, gentleness, patience, and prayer?" </i> Yes, please! </li>
<li><b>Discussion-Ready</b>: There are small group discussion questions at the end of each of the 8 lessons. The short chapters are meant to be read aloud by the leader without needing to do additional preparation, with immediate discussion with the group. This makes it easy to use, right "out of the box"! </li>
</ul>
In summary, Caring for One Another is a short handbook on creating a Christian community of humility, prayer, and love. If every church applied this book, then the world would KNOW that we are disciples of Jesus (John 13:35). <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Caring-One-Another-Meaningful-Relationships/dp/1433561093">You can buy the book here</a>.<br />
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<i>Note: Crossway provided a free ebook copy in exchange for this honest review, as part of their <a href="https://www.crossway.org/blog-review/">Blog Review Program</a>. Win/win!</i></div>
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The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-32807462888176587692017-10-23T17:06:00.000-04:002017-10-23T17:07:13.040-04:00Book Review: How Does Sanctification Work? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." - Philippians 2:12b-13</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.ccef.org/about/people/david-powlison">David Powlison</a> is the executive director of the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (<a href="http://www.ccef.org/">CCEF</a>). He has written <a href="https://www.amazon.com/David-Powlison/e/B001JOTTKS">6 books and many more mini-books</a>. His priestly and pastoral style is refreshing in a caustic and frantic world.<br />
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<a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Does-Sanctification-Work-David-Powlison/dp/1433556103">How Does Sanctification Work?</a> is being highlighted here on The Relentless Fight because of its spot-on topic of sanctification and growth in faith. But the flavor is VERY different. Powlison is an author who is wary of pat answers, systems, and reductionism. He loves nuance. He exalts story. He won't give a formula. All in all, it's a good counterweight to The Relentless Fight, which often focuses on practical concrete steps and the formula motto, "Remember the Gospel, Keep Fighting".<br />
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Some key highlights:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>"Remember the gospel" is insufficient</b>: At first glance it seems Powlison disagrees with what's been written here on TRF, like in this post, "<a href="https://bitly.com/VkwbFd">What is the Relentless Fight?</a>" He says there is no pat answer, no one-size-fits-all solution to growth in the Christian life, that there is not one key to sanctification. And this is a helpful nuance! It IS insufficient to MERELY remember the gospel. There also must be <a href="https://bitly.com/1M79f9w">fighting for affection for Christ</a>, implementing <a href="https://bitly.com/1iw9LQ2">strategies and wisdom</a>, and help from <a href="https://bitly.com/1B9Rwce">accountable brothers in Christ</a>. And the diverse ways that God grows Christians cannot be reduced to a mere intellectual "remember the gospel" which instantly results in change. This is a helpful counterweight to the emphasis of The Relentless Fight. </li>
<li><b>Truth unbalanced and rebalanced</b>: This is the title for chapter 3, and was one of the most helpful points in the book. <i>“Here is a core premise: Ministry “unbalances” truth for the sake of relevance; theology “rebalances” truth for the sake of comprehensiveness."</i> This is profound! In personal ministry, you can't say everything that is true about God. You have limited time, and must carefully select the particular truth that is most useful in that moment. <i>"The task in any ministry moment is to choose, emphasize, and “unbalance” truth for the sake of relevant application to particular persons and situations. You can’t say everything all at once—and you shouldn’t try.”</i> Therefore the wise counselor needs to develop a diverse toolbelt, and the wisdom to select the best truth tool. <i>“In order to actually minister to people, you need wise selectivity, while bearing in mind the fullest possible repertoire of options from which to choose."</i></li>
<li><b>5 Factors for Change</b>: Though Powlison resists making formulas, he does identity five factors for change, to help provide structure for sanctification. Those 5 are: God changes you, truth changes you, suffering & struggle change you, wise people change you, and you change. <i>“This is how sanctification works. Your entire Christian life is a series of variations and permutations of this five-dimensional process."</i></li>
<li><b>Stories</b>: Powlison includes two chapters of his own story, and two examples of a man named Charles and a lady named Charlotte, to put flesh and bones to this nuanced view of how sanctification happens. </li>
</ul>
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In summary, How Does Sanctification Work? is a helpful nuance to the primary question that this blog is asking: how do I grow? <a href="https://www.crossway.org/books/how-does-sanctification-work-tpb/">You can buy the book here</a>.<br />
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<i>Note: Crossway provided a free ebook copy in exchange for this honest review, as part of their <a href="https://www.crossway.org/blog-review/home/">Blog Review Program</a>. Win/win!</i><br />
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The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-50680567461874848562017-08-04T17:34:00.000-04:002017-08-05T08:56:10.256-04:00Book Review: 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsPhk0JdLnKNrVTfqRZm8F5DX1ON3AkAWt2KYFUkMxD-g1dcU3clzVzrdTHSOf-vi4pLCIuzlkVHppBiNovsDwLu8KGWaPAnimmOO9jg5dy1ALYGt06AUbQ8WV694OdloMKIh5YR1yZaW/s1600/12+ways+phone+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsPhk0JdLnKNrVTfqRZm8F5DX1ON3AkAWt2KYFUkMxD-g1dcU3clzVzrdTHSOf-vi4pLCIuzlkVHppBiNovsDwLu8KGWaPAnimmOO9jg5dy1ALYGt06AUbQ8WV694OdloMKIh5YR1yZaW/s320/12+ways+phone+cover.jpg" width="207" /></a><i>"...but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful." - Mark 4:19</i><br />
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<a href="https://tonyreinke.com/">Tony Reinke</a> is a senior writer for <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/authors/tony-reinke">Desiring God</a>, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tony-Reinke/e/B004R6BJ30/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1">several books</a>, and host of the popular <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ask-pastor-john">Ask Pastor John</a> podcast. His latest book is about how our smartphones are affecting us.<br />
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<a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Ways-Your-Phone-Changing-You/dp/1433552434/">12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You</a> is being highlighted here on The Relentless Fight because almost every single reader of this blog uses a phone. You're probably reading this on your phone right now! This affects all of us. Do you realize how your phone is using you? Do you realize how it's changing you? Do you recognize the impact it's having on your spiritual life, even on your capacity to remember the gospel and keep fighting against sin? Do you realize that some of your sins are fueled and resourced BY your phone? This issue could not be more relevant in our technological age. The fight of faith can be undermined by a hundred swipes and a thousand notifications that dull and distract us from what truly matters.<br />
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But the problem is not the phone. The problem is the person using the phone: you and I have a heart full of sin, and an inclination to turn away from the Lord and focus on trivial things. That's why the phone is used for sin, both proactively and passively. The phone merely reveals and exposes the heart of the user. Therefore the solution isn't to ditch the phone, the solution is to redeem the heart of the user. And that requires the power of the gospel. When joy in Christ is at the center of a woman's heart, she will use her phone (and everything else) to fuel that joy. Holiness and love will be the overflow of that joy! Then the tool of the phone will be used for the glory of Christ and the good of others, instead of used as a tool for further sin and self-glory. Only the gospel is the effective solution! Then flowing out of that solution (to the real problem of the human heart) we can begin to craft a wise strategy of methods and boundaries for how we use our smartphones. So we must start with the gospel, then move to application: <i>Remember the gospel, and keep using your smartphone wisely. </i><br />
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Here's a few highlights and ideas from the book:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>God is not anti-technology</b>: God set up the trajectory of man to use tech so that <i>“the untilled garden would become a glorious city" </i>from Genesis 2 to Revelation 22. The question is how we USE technology. It's a tool, and can be used for good or evil. It can drive us to greater knowledge and worship of God, or it can distract us and blind us spiritually. The technology of paper and printing can be used to publish the Word of God, or to publish pornography. A knife can be used to cut up onions or to kill a man. How are you using your phone? What are its fruits in your life? </li>
<li><b>Distraction</b>: The smartphone is the pinnacle of distraction! Watch out. Consider in Mark 4 in the parable of the soils, the 3rd one is the “distracted soil”. This type of heart has so many distractions. God is squeezed in there next to a hundred other things vying for attention and time. Jesus spoke that parable 2000 years ago, and do we have more or less distractions today? Oh man... The phone presents unlimited distraction: games, texts, articles, videos, snaps, and perhaps even phone calls. <i>“God has given us the power of concentration in order for us to see and avoid what is false, fake, and transient—so that we may gaze directly at what is true, stable, and eternal. It is part of our creatureliness that we are easily distracted; it is part of our sinfulness that we are easily lured by what is vain and trivial.”</i> We must gaze at Christ and remember the gospel. We must <a href="https://bitly.com/2vyFpHa">be often in prayer</a>. But how can we do this with so much distraction? We must discipline ourselves to avoid distractions.</li>
<li><b>Behold Christ</b>: <a href="https://bitly.com/ZDSA3n">Jesus is better!</a> We become what we worship. If we behold Christ, we will become like Christ. If we behold the endless stream of what’s trending on Twitter, that will be what we become, that will begin to capture and inform our perspective, THAT will be what we think about. So what do we do? The first step is we have to behold Christ. Do you spend time beholding Christ? Or do you spend much more time beholding whatever banal or discouraging things are trending online? Wars and celebrity gossip and political gear-grinding and whatever hashtag campaign is SUPER INTENSE IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW but then gone tomorrow? Colossians 3:1-4, let us set our mind on things above, on CHRIST who is seated in heaven, and you can use your phone as a TOOL to help you behold Christ. Beholding Christ will make us delight in him, which will lead us to declare him. The alternative is to behold what’s trending, being forced to delight in banal and dark things, and inevitably declaring them in our retweets, comments, and shares. </li>
<li><b>Reading the Word</b>: One of the most powerful ways to behold Christ is to see Him presented in the Bible. Our attention and literacy is at stake when smartphones eat up all our time and focus. We just don't have the depth of mind or the attention span to be able to feast on the Word of God. Proverbs 27:7 says <i>"One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet." </i>We're too busy nibbling on the sickly-sweet candy of social media. So when we open up the Bible, we're just bloated and full of junk in our souls, so there's no hunger for the Bread of Life. We can't hear from God because our ears are deaf from the nonstop shouting of our timelines, texts, trends, and tweets.</li>
<li><b>Secret Sins</b>: <i>“Smartphones make it possible for users to help themselves to fresh forbidden fruit at any moment of any day, and thereby destroy themselves in secret.”</i> Our phones open up new doors to dark worlds, especially porn. Our phones become the gateway, supplier, and "drug dealer" for a whole host of our addictions: pornography, approval from people, our pride in always being in the know, control over our lives, comparison & jealousy, relationship idolatry, and in general <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2012/01/god-of-entertainment.html">the god of entertainment</a>. How is your phone <a href="https://bitly.com/17Dr7Bi">making provision for the flesh</a>? But maybe even worse, phones also offer a promised anonymity to shield our secret sins and keep them hidden. Richard Baxter spoke to the danger of this in the 17th century, <i>"Concealment is Satan's great advantage." </i>Open up to some <a href="https://bitly.com/1B9Rwce">brothers in arms</a>, and pull those secret sins out into the light. </li>
<li><b>Remember the Gospel</b>: <i>“All spiritual growth is rooted in remembering what Christ has done in me.”</i> This is a key concept! <a href="https://bitly.com/VkwbFd">And it is the foundation of The Relentless Fight</a>. In order to be motivated and empowered to fight, we need the power of the gospel. We must REMEMBER by faith. Reinke writes, <i>“To remember God is to satisfy the soul and to recalibrate our always-shifting perception of reality. But to forget God is to forsake God. This spiritual plague of forgetfulness is not physical forgetfulness or mental dementia. Spiritual forgetting is sin, a sin that plagues youth and infests every demographic.”</i> And he concludes, <i>“Remembering is one of the key spiritual disciplines we must guard with vigilance amid the mind-fragmenting and past-forgetting temptations of the digital age.”</i></li>
</ul>
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Our phones reflect back to us glimpses of our hearts. What we tap on shows what we love. What we gaze at is what we long for. Our smartphone habits expose our hearts. This can be devastating, as we see the dark depths of soul, but it can also be a springboard to the gospel. It shows our GREAT need for Jesus, because <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2012/04/cross-is-for-failures.html">the Cross is for failures</a>! Do your smartphone habits show that you are weak, sinful, prideful, and distracted from what really matters? Then there's good news for you!! Jesus came to help the weak, the sick, the broken. He came to DIE for you, to rescue you, and to bring you back to wholeness and give you new life in Him. Be encouraged. Your failures with your phone are not the last word. Jesus is GREATER, and His gospel gives POWER. You CAN change, because there are way more than 12 ways that JESUS is changing YOU! This is so encouraging!<br />
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In summary, <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Ways-Your-Phone-Changing-You/dp/1433552434/">12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You</a> is highly recommended for anyone who uses a phone. If you love Jesus, you are called to use your phone as a tool to stir your affections for Him. Resist the temptations to distraction, to anonymity, and to feasting your eyes on silly things rather than on Christ. If you're convicted as you read this review, and God is showing you that your smartphone habits need repentance, check out Tony Reinke's followup article: <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/know-when-to-walk-away">12 Steps to Digital Detox</a>. </div>
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<i>Note: Crossway provided a free ebook copy in exchange for this honest review, as part of their <a href="https://www.crossway.org/blog-review">Blog Review Program</a>. Win/win! </i></div>
The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-20066297759967675442017-07-18T12:24:00.000-04:002019-07-16T16:39:18.525-04:00Relentless Prayer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"...be constant in prayer." - Romans 12:12</i><br />
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Imagine having a special phone that gave you access to call the CEO of Amazon to ask for anything from the website, for free. Or imagine you're a soldier in war, and given a special radio that connects you to the general himself, to ask for intelligence or air support. Finally, imagine your significant other is on speed-dial, ready to pick up and listen when you're lonely, sad, or need encouragement.<br />
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Prayer is our gift from God, His invitation to talk with him and ask him for help. That's all prayer is: talking with God. But it's different than talking to yourself, talking to a friend, or talking to a robot. God has character and resources far better than anyone else. He is richer than Amazon, more powerful than a General, and more comforting than your greatest relationship. You get a direct line to ask for His help. What a privilege!<br />
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We have examples throughout Scripture of godly people praying: Moses in the wilderness, Hannah in 1 Samuel, David in the Psalms, the early church in Acts 1:14, Paul & Silas in prison in Acts 16:25. We see in Revelation 5:8 that God keeps our prayers before Him as incense in bowls. And perhaps most importantly, we see Jesus praying often (Mark 1:35, Luke 9:18, John 17, Matthew 26:36), and teaching His disciples to pray (Luke 11:1). Prayer is important!<br />
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God not only invites us to talk with him as often as we'd like, He actually commands us to engage in relentless prayer! Let's take a look at a few Scriptures:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Ephesians 6:18 </b><i>praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints</i></li>
<li><b>1 Thessalonians 5:17 </b><i>pray without ceasing</i></li>
<li><b>Romans 12:12 </b><i>Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.</i></li>
<li><b>Colossians 4:2 </b><i>Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.</i></li>
<li><b>Luke 18:1 </b><i>And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. </i></li>
</ul>
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So when should we pray? All the time. Consider each of these specific situations:<br />
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<ul>
<li><b>When tempted, pray</b>: When you are facing temptation, and vulnerable to giving in, call out for God's help! This is what Jesus commands us in Matthew 26:41, <i>"Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."</i> John Owen wrote a whole book on this one verse, called <u>Of Temptation</u>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Temptation-Redesign-John-Owen/dp/1433550083">found in this 3-part volume</a>. Jesus further instructs us to pray even BEFORE we face temptation, in Matthew 6:13, <i>"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."</i></li>
<li><b>When victorious, pray</b>: Did you make it through the temptation? Did you succeed? You must realize that you did not succeed on your own strength, that victory is from the Lord. Proverbs 21:31 says, <i>"The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord."</i> All victory is because of God's grace and provision. Therefore praise God, give thanks to Him. He gets the glory for victory. </li>
<li><b>When in trouble, pray</b>: Psalm 50:15, <i>"call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."</i> Are you in trouble? Do you have difficulty? Are you facing obstacles or challenges? Call upon the Lord! Ask Him. Speak with Him. He will deliver you for His glory and your rescue. </li>
<li><b>When you are glad, pray</b>: Pray with praise! Give thanks to God! That is the proper overflow of our joy and gladness. Consider these COMMANDS to praise God: Psalm 95:1, <i>"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!"</i> and Psalm 100:1-2, <i>"Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!"</i> and James 5:13b, <i>"Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise."</i></li>
<li><b>When in need, pray</b>: Jesus offers to provide us with whatever we need. John 14:14, <i>"If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it."</i> and John writes in 1 John 5:14, <i>"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us." </i>and Paul writes in Philippians 4:19, <i>"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."</i> How can God do this? Because in Him are limitless riches, and He owns <i>"the cattle on a thousand hills"</i> (Psalm 50:10). No need is too great for our great God who has no needs. Wow. </li>
<li><b>When you've failed, pray</b>: You've sinned. Should you run away from God? No, no! Come to Him. Jesus is the friend of sinners. Draw near to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). Pray to confess your sins. Pray to ask for God's forgiveness. Pray to ask for help in fighting. For more on this, check out <a href="https://bitly.com/10PBBRg">Right After the Failure</a>. </li>
<li><b>When you're opening up the Bible, pray</b>: If God's Spirit does not assist us in our Bible reading, the Living Word will remain merely black ink on a white page. We desperately need His help. Our hearts need to be inclined to the Lord (Psalm 119:36), our eyes need to be opened to see spiritual truth (Psalm 119:18). John Piper has an amazing prayer acronym called IOUS, and you can learn about it on this Ask Pastor John podcast episode titled: <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/i-m-bored-with-the-bible">I'm Bored with the Bible</a>. </li>
<li><b>When suffering, pray</b>: James 5:13a is crystal clear, <i>"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray."</i> And we have this encouraging promise from Psalm 34:18, <i>"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."</i> God has already drawn near! Pour out your heart to Him like water (Lamentations 2:19). The Psalms are filled with songs of lament, crying out to God in suffering. God cares. God knows. Speak to Him in your pain. </li>
<li><b>When you need to grow, pray</b>: We've already talked here on The Relentless Fight about how we should <a href="https://bitly.com/1nk9bIG">Pray for Discipline</a>. Ask God to grow you! Ask Him to train you. Ask for the conviction of the Holy Spirit about specific sins in your life. Ask for His help. </li>
<li><b>When the harvest is plentiful, pray</b>: Jesus knows that there are not enough workers in the mission of disciple-making, the need is greater than the supply. He calls us to ASK the Lord of the Harvest for more workers, <i>"therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."</i> (Matthew 9:38). Pray for God to raise up more disciple-makers! Pray for reinforcements! </li>
<li><b>When anxious, pray</b>: Anxiety is like a warning light on the dashboard of your heart. How should you respond? You should pray. Anxiety can therefore be a REMINDER to pray, woah! Philippians 4:6, <i>"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."</i> and 1 Peter 5:7, <i>"casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."</i> Don't worry, God cares for you. </li>
<li><b>When others need help, pray</b>: Don't just pray for yourself, pray for others! Are they suffering, tempted, victorious, glad, or anxious? Pray for them too! James 5:16 says, <i>"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."</i> All throughout Paul's letters we see him praying for his churches. We see in Luke 22:32 Jesus prays that Peter's faith would not fail when he is sifted like wheat by Satan. </li>
<li><b>When your prayers aren't answered, pray</b>: Sometimes we pray and pray, and we don't get the answer we want, or we seemingly get no answer. Paul had this experience in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, he asked the Lord three times to remove his thorn in the flesh, but God answered no. We see the Psalmists crying out, <i>"How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?"</i> (Psalm 13:1). This is certainly painful. But our response to this pain should ironically be... to pray. For more thoughts on this, check out <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/what-to-do-with-unanswered-prayer">this blog post</a>.</li>
<li><b>When __________, pray</b>: We've only scratched the surface of the situations where we are called to pray. No matter what you're experiencing, prayer is ALWAYS a good response. It's probably the wisest and best thing you can do. Pray. "<i>God can do more in five seconds than we can do in five hours or months or years. This is one reason the habit of prayer is wise. Sometimes we do not get the five-second breakthrough because we do not ask."</i> (<a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-god-can-do-in-five-seconds">John Piper article</a>)</li>
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Pray!! All the time, pray. In every situation, pray. Finally, a few more resources on prayer:<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/four-motivations-to-pray">Four Motivations to Pray</a> (Ask Pastor John Piper, sermon clip)</li>
<li><a href="https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/christian-living/call-to-prayer/">A Call to Prayer</a> (very small book by JC Ryle)</li>
<li><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Prayer-Experiencing-Awe-Intimacy-God/dp/0143108581">Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God</a> (longer book by Timothy Keller)</li>
<li>Or rather, don't read about prayer, just do it. Just pray. Pray. Pray right now. </li>
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Pray. Remember the Gospel. Pray. Keep Fighting. Pray. Prayer should soak all we think, say, and do. Why would we not? </div>
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Praying,</div>
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The Relentless Fight</div>
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The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-37145065301242305342016-10-31T12:52:00.001-04:002019-07-16T16:37:45.922-04:00What is the Gospel?<div>
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<i>"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures" - 1 Corinthians 15:3</i></div>
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The relentless fight that God calls us to is to remember the gospel. This is central. Strategies and tactics are great, but without the gospel we are toast. It is not primarily a fight against our sin, or to strive for holiness, but FIRST <a href="https://bitly.com/VkwbFd">a relentless fight to REMEMBER the gospel</a>, that Christ has already won the fight FOR US.<br />
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But what IS the gospel? What exactly is it that we are remembering? One pastor commented that the gospel is the great jewel of the Christian faith, and like every jewel it has many sides. There are many posts that could be done on each of these beautiful facets but let us focus in this post on the CORE of the gospel.<br />
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First, the word "Gospel" comes from the Greek word εὐαγγέλιον and means good news. The gospel is not good advice. It's not a bad announcement. It is the very good NEWS of what Christ has accomplished for us. And it is remarkably GOOD news!</div>
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Consider Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4,<br />
<i>1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,</i></div>
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Paul had already preached the gospel to those in Corinth, that is what birthed the church. Now he is writing a letter to REMIND them of that gospel again. They had received it, they are standing in it, and are being saved by it. BUT! He gives a call to hold fast this word of the gospel, and not to believe in vain. Our great danger is to give up, forget, and relinquish the gospel. It is so easy to replace it with our own efforts, or religious ritual, or worldly substitutes. The gospel should be the most obvious thing in the mind of a Christian, and yet Paul sees the need to restate the obvious. He goes on to state in verse 3 that the gospel is of FIRST importance. It is primary, central, #1, and nonnegotiable. </div>
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Let's focus in and unpack the 5 words that Paul uses to summarize the gospel in verse 3, "Christ died for our sins". These are the most amazing 5 words in the world! </div>
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<li><b>Christ</b>: The man who died is Christ, the Messiah, the incarnate Word of God. The second person of the Trinity, the One who commands the dead to be alive, who walks on water, and tells the wind to stop. This is Jesus of Nazareth. </li>
<li><b>Died</b>: This One, He died. Though He was innocent and undeserving of death, He was stripped naked, nailed to a Roman cross, and publicly executed as a common criminal. He was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. </li>
<li><b>For</b>: This death was FOR something. It was not in a vacuum. It had purpose, meaning, it was intentional. It was the <i>means </i>to something better, something outside of just the event. This death accomplished something.</li>
<li><b>Our</b>: Christ did not die for His sins, because He had no sin. Rather, He died for the sins of those who have trusted in Him. The sins are OUR sins, the ones that we have done. This is where things get so magnificent. Christ didn't have to die for His sins, and at the same time we should have died for our sins. And yet there's this incredible exchange.</li>
<li><b>Sins</b>: The reason why Christ had to die was for our SINS. We have all transgressed and broken God's law. We have rebelled against His authority. We are corrupt, wicked, evil, and oppose God in His righteousness. This is what Christ died for. We deserved death, but Christ was the one who took this death upon Himself, in our place, FOR OUR SINS. </li>
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Notice additionally that in verse 4 Christ was buried after death and RAISED back to life. The resurrection proves that God the Father was pleased with Christ's sacrifice on our behalf, and that He accomplished His mission! Paul also states in v3 and v4 that Christ's death and resurrection was "in accordance with the Scriptures", showing that God had predicted and planned from hundreds of years ago, recorded in the Old Testament, His plan of salvation through the death of Christ.<br />
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So this is the gospel: Christ died for our sins. Theologians call this "substitutionary atonement", meaning that Christ died in our place as our substitute, and that our sins were atoned for (paid for) by His death, satisfying the wrath of God. Therefore we are forgiven by God. This is the CORE of the gospel. But certainly there are many more facets and implications of the gospel! Here are just a few additional ways to describe the gospel, its implications, and some verses that explain the gospel:<br />
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<li><b>The 3 Circles Presentation</b>: <a href="https://vimeo.com/97258323">Watch this video</a> that teaches about God's good design, how we have lost that in our broken world, and how the gospel restores us back to God's design. </li>
<li><b>Falling Plates</b>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGlx11BxF24">Watch this video</a> about how God created you, loves you, and wants to rescue you through Jesus. </li>
<li><b>You are a New Creation</b>: For those in Christ, they become completely new. They are brought back to life and walk according to the Spirit. <a href="https://bitly.com/XfM9k5">Check out this blog post for more</a>. </li>
<li><b>Jesus Heals our Shame</b>: Jesus not only forgives our guilt, but He cleanses us of our shame. The shame of sins we have done, and the shame of sins done against us. <a href="https://bitly.com/SPJtMR">Check out this blog post for more</a>.</li>
<li><b>Romans 4:5</b>, <i>And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness</i></li>
<li><b>John 3:16</b>, <i>For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.</i></li>
<li><b>2 Corinthians 5:21</b>, <i>For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.</i></li>
<li><b>Titus 3:3-7</b>, <i>For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.</i></li>
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Yes! It is so good to hear the gospel. But we must do more than merely hear it. We must move beyond merely understanding it. Believe the gospel. Rejoice in the gospel! Remember the gospel. Share the gospel. Live out the implications of the gospel. Give thanks for the gospel. It is the most precious good news in history, and we give great praise to our Savior for His effective rescue, motivated by His great love for us. Thank you Jesus. </div>
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Remember the gospel! </div>
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The Relentless Fight<br />
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PS: For more on this, check out the great book by the same title, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-Gospel-9Marks-Greg-Gilbert/dp/1433515008">"What is the Gospel?" by Greg Gilbert</a>. </div>
The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-41130613564511760732016-05-23T14:57:00.002-04:002022-11-27T21:06:45.617-05:00Book Review: Side by Side<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.ccef.org/authors/ed-welch">Edward T. Welch</a> has been counseling and teaching for over 35 years and written a vast library of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Edward-T.-Welch/e/B001H6QS02">books</a> about anxiety, approval, depression, and shame. He knows relational ministry, as a long-time member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (<a href="http://www.ccef.org/">CCEF</a>).<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Side-Walking-Others-Wisdom-Love/dp/1433547112">Side by Side: Walking with Others in Wisdom and Love</a> is being highlighted here on The Relentless Fight because it's the perfect introduction to train regular Christians to be used powerfully by God to help one another. In the fight against sin, we need all the help we can get, and Side by Side gets practical in what loving accountability looks like. This book slows it down and makes it easy, giving practical steps in application of the <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2014/08/brothers-in-arms.html">Brothers in Arms</a> post. And as we've emphasized on TRF, we need to <a href="https://bitly.com/21EcCtB">Get to the Heart</a>, which Side by Side focuses on wisely.<br />
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Some key highlights:<br />
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<li><b>Brief</b>: One of the best features is its brevity. This book isn't likely to intimidate even a beginning reader or run-of-the-pew Christian. Clocking in at 160 pages, it distills meaty content down to bite-size chunks. </li>
<li><b>Simple & Doable</b>: The model of ministry is slowed down and explained well. For example, there's a whole chapter (5 pages) on just greeting people. Important, and doable! </li>
<li><b>Needy/Needed</b>: The main point is that we all are needy, and we all are needed. So we share our need, and hear about the needs of others, and then we pray together. Welch summarizes on page 84, <i>"Knowing others well enough to pray for them - that's help at its most basic and at its best." </i></li>
<li><b>Sin & Gospel</b>: It's not a watered-down book. Welch directly talks about sin, suffering, and the hope of the gospel. All of this combines together a patient focus on the heart, and a prayerful dependence on the Spirit. </li>
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In summary, Side by Side is a great introduction for folks interested in helping one another in the great fight of faith. It may not feature wartime metaphors like this blog, but the content is solid and will help you win the fight against sin and FOR faith. You can <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Side-Walking-Others-Wisdom-Love/dp/1433547112">buy the book on Amazon here</a>, or buy a few copies and go through it with some other friends from your church or fellowship to help create a culture of relational ministry. It comes with discussion questions at the end of each chapter, plus a <a href="https://www.ccef.org/resources/books/free-side-side-leader-s-guide">study guide and a leader's guide pdf</a> you can download online.</div>
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Side by Side,</div>
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The Relentless Fight</div>
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PS: Still not convinced? <a href="http://www.challies.com/book-reviews/side-by-side">Check out Tim Challies' review here</a>. </div>
The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-78568138775471674542016-03-21T18:51:00.000-04:002020-07-07T21:45:39.467-04:00Get to the Heart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." - Proverbs 4:23</i><br />
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People change from the heart. Therefore our ministry must move beyond behavior and action items, and get to the heart. We've talked on TRF about getting to our own hearts, in the post <a href="https://bitly.com/1zbeJpQ">Attack the Base</a>. But how do we help others with heart change?<br />
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First, what is the heart? The Bible describes the heart as the seat of our motivations and affections, and it's from the heart that our lives are lived. Jesus says in Mark 7:20-23 that it's from the heart that all our sin flows, since our hearts are filled with sin (Jeremiah 17:9). So the heart is more than just our emotions, it's also our beliefs, and what we love.<br />
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Why do we need to get to the heart? Because that's where true and lasting life change must take place. Our behavioral sins are on the surface, but the real source is the heart. As you're helping someone understand their sin and repent, if you just address the behavior, it's like using a weedwhacker on dandelions but only cutting off the flowers. The roots are still growing! We have to get to the heart to unearth the motivations. Jack Klumpenhower gives a great illustration in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Show-them-Jesus-Teaching-Gospel/dp/1939946395">Show Them Jesus</a>, the image of a shark swimming: only the fin is visible, while the rest of the shark's body is underneath the water. And so it is with our sin: the behavior is just the tip of the problem, the heart needs deeper exploration work. Another model to understand change from the heart is the <a href="https://www.ccef.org/book/how-people-change/">Three Trees model from CCEF</a>. Our behavior is the thorny tree of bad fruit, but our hearts are the root system feeding and producing the bad fruit. If we just replace bad fruit with good fruit, that's "fruit stapling", every religion and self-help program can do that! For gospel-change, we go deeper. Once the root changes to gospel-beliefs, then gospel-fruit starts to form.<br />
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Quick examples:<br />
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<li>Sally is struggling with looking at pornography. Behavior-change would just advise an internet filter or memorizing some verses. Heart change goes to the root: she's lonely, angry at God for not providing a husband, and looking at porn is her way of coping. She believes porn will give the comfort that God won't. </li>
<li>Edward is spending significant money on new technology and designer clothing. Behavior-change would give him tips on stewardship and help him form a budget. Heart change goes to the root: he loves the praise of man, and believes that he'll be accepted if he has the latest gear. </li>
<li>Martha talks excessively, often talking over others. Behavior-change would recommend memorizing James 1:19, or learning some good listening techniques. Heart change goes to the root: she is prideful and selfish, she believes that what she has to say is more important than what everyone else has to say. </li>
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How do we get to the heart with others? You need to ask more questions. Getting to the heart requires digging, and questions are your shovels! Ask, "<i>What do you really desire and WANT in this situation? What are you afraid of? Why do you respond this way? What does this behavior give you?" </i>If the person is already aware of the heart, you can be more direct with asking, <i>"What's going on in your heart? <a href="https://bitly.com/v2t80j">What lies are you believing?</a>" </i>Caution: Be gentle as you get to the heart, you want to be kind to the person. Also be patient, getting to the heart is not a simple one-question process. It may take longer than expected, but it's worth it.<br />
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As you uncover the heart, you shift to the gospel: <i>"How does Christ give you those things you desire? <a href="https://bitly.com/ZDSA3n">How is Jesus better?</a> How does the Gospel intersect with what you've shared? What would it look like to believe and live the gospel in this situation?" </i>This is critical. We aren't aiming for merely heart awareness. We're aiming for heart CHANGE. And change comes about through the powerful gospel! Titus 2:11-14 says, <i>"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." </i>Our goal is transformation, not just information.<br />
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In summary: True change comes from the heart. Our sin results from not just wrong thinking or wrong behavior but wrong LOVING. We get to the heart by unearthing the motivations, fears, and desires of those we're discipling, and then point them to the superior delight in Christ, through the gospel. This results in sustainable life change for God's glory.<br />
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Get to the heart,<br />
The Relentless FightThe Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-25056124932698502082015-10-05T20:41:00.000-04:002019-07-16T16:32:19.951-04:00Just DO IT!<div>
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<i>"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." - James 4:17</i><br />
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The Lord is always calling us to take the next step of obedience and growth. Sometimes we KNOW what to do, and we even FEEL God pushing us to it, but we still don't do it.<br />
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Have you ever thought, "I just need to read a good book on this topic, THEN I can do it." Or felt like, "I just need to spend a week in prayer, THEN I can do it." Or maybe "I should talk with a few mentors first to make sure I'm on the right page, THEN I can do it." What's going on here? It's helpful to identify three different areas of application: Head, heart, hands. Head is what we know, our theology. Heart is our emotions and feelings. Hands is our practical doing. Each are important, and if we miss one of them, the other two are unbalanced. (To learn more, check out <a href="http://www.knowableword.com/2013/02/22/how-to-apply-the-bible-summary/">this Knowable Word post</a>)</div>
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What we'll focus on in this blog post is the hands, the doing. Sometimes we don't need to learn more. We don't need to read more. We don't need to pray for God to change our hearts more. We don't need to wait until we are more excited about it. God has spoken clearly in His Word! We know the truth! He has provided us with a new heart and new affections! Our job now is swift obedience. To hesitate is to disobey. </div>
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So if the Lord has convicted you of a path of obedience, and you know what it is... <b>just do it!</b> Don't sit around contemplating it further. Get out there and make it happen! What are some examples? Perhaps you know you should confront a brother who is in sin. Perhaps you have been convicted about your paltry time in the Word and know you should step it up. Maybe God has been poking you about a sin pattern that needs repentance and change. Or maybe you've been building a great relationship with your nonChristian friends but you just haven't brought up Jesus yet. </div>
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Why are we slow to do it? Why is our obedience sluggish? There are plenty of obstacles, and the first step is to identify them. What's holding you back? Admit it. Then when it's clear, you can process it through with the truth of God's word. Most of the time it's simply fear and risk. If we bring up Jesus to an old high school friend it could estrange the relationship. If we start up a Bible study in our community there's a risk of the unknown. If we start a new initiative by faith, there's a risk it could fail. If we repent of our favorite sin, we fear God might not come through with healing and joy. </div>
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So practically: write a list of the things you know you should be doing but aren't. And then DO THEM. </div>
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Here's the great part! When you obey, you begin to see God's amazing work happen right in front of you, through your faith-motivated action. This is incredibly exciting. We see our lives change, we see God's kingdom advance, we see Him move and act through us. </div>
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But what if our hearts and minds aren't on board? What if we still want to learn more first, or what if we just don't have the kind of desire and motivation that we wish we had? Here's the secret: sometimes the very act of doing it, of faithful obedience, is enough to change our hearts and minds and set us on a new trajectory. A previous blog post addressed this in the realm of Bible reading, sometimes if you don't have a desire for the Bible you just have to <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2013/05/force-feed-yourself-word.html">force feed yourself the Word</a>. </div>
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We do often fail in this. We are guilty of James 4:17, we know the good we ought to do, but we do not do it. But the gospel forgive us, and then enables us to move to action. We know that even our failure to obey is one of the sins that Christ covers with His blood, we are completely forgiven! And when we see how Jesus didn't feel like going to the cross but went anyway, as an awesome example of faithfulness and love, that helps us to follow in His footsteps. So remember the gospel, and FIGHT. </div>
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Just do it!</div>
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The Relentless Fight</div>
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PS: Francis Chan uses the illustration of telling his daughter "Go clean your room". Check out this 2 minute video: </div>
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PPS: Two secular examples of the "just do it" mentality. The first is from The Art of Manliness about how acting like a man will make you feel like one:</div>
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And finally, a classic exhortation of the "just do it" mindset, from Shia Labeouf:</div>
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<br />The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-89758850821560509162015-07-27T14:37:00.002-04:002020-05-20T15:16:59.602-04:00Indicative THEN Imperative<div>
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<i>Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. - Galatians 5:25</i><br />
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Have you ever read a passage of Scripture, felt convicted you should repent, but then immediately felt crushed by how difficult it was and despaired that you would ever change? Have you ever felt like you needed to clean your life up just a bit more before the Lord would really love you? Today let's explore a fundamental distinctive of the gospel, by taking a look at two technical grammar concepts.<br />
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In English grammar, the INDICATIVE is a statement of being. "The car is red." The IMPERATIVE is a statement of command, "Paint the car red." And the distinction between these two grammar concepts is one of the most glorious and empowering truths of Christianity, and it stands in contrast to culture & religion. <i><b>The indicative comes first, then the imperative.</b></i> Meaning, who you are comes before what you should do. Being, then doing. Identity, then activity. And it's dangerous to put it the other way around! Let's look at some Scripture to back this up:<br />
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<li><b>1 John 3:1-3</b> <i>"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure."</i><br />We are loved children (indicative), and then purify ourselves (imperative). </li>
<li><b>Ephesians 4:1</b> <i>As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.</i><br />You have received a calling (indicative), now live a life worthy of it (imperative). </li>
<li><b>Colossians 3:1-5</b> <i>Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature...</i><br />You have been raised with Christ, your life is now hidden with Him (indicative), so then, put to death what is earthly (imperative). </li>
<li><b>Galatians 5:24-25</b> <i>Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.</i><br />Living by the Spirit, then keeping in step. Indicative, then imperative. </li>
<li><b>1 Corinthians 5:7-8</b> <i>Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. </i><br />Wow! This is one of the most clear of all the Scriptures. We're presented first with the imperative: get rid of the old yeast! But it's backed up by the indicative: you really are a new batch! Wow. Paul is essentially saying, "BE who you ARE". And what's the power of this? The gospel: Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed in our place. That's what makes us new. </li>
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Usually in our meritocratic culture, the imperative comes first, and then the indicative is earned. Example: You do well on a test, and then you get a good grade. Or, you campaign well for a leadership spot, and then you get the title and position. It actually works just the same in religion: You work hard and obey all the rules, and then god awards you with the good place at the table. But the gospel is precisely the opposite! The NEW indicative (who you are) comes first and EMPOWERS the imperative (what you should do). Being, then doing! By grace we are adopted as sons, THEN called to live as sons. By grace we are forgiven of all sin, and THEN told to start living free of sin. Tim Lane and Paul Tripp summarize it well in <a href="http://amzn.com/1934885533">How People Change</a>, page 187, <i>"When rightly understood, God’s love will propel you toward holiness and growth in grace. The order is essential: I am a new creation, accepted, adopted, and free; therefore I want to please God. We do not say: I will try to please God so that I may become a new creation, make myself acceptable, and hope that God adopts me and sets me free."</i></div>
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So, when you feel burdened by the call to change, the call to repentance, the call to a new life, remember who you are. You are <a href="https://bitly.com/XfM9k5">a new creation</a>, you are free from sin, you are alive by the Spirit. Now live like that. It isn't a crushing burden, it's an empowering reminder! You don't have to keep going back to the dirty dungeon of your sin. You've been liberated, so now walk in the freedom of a loved child. This is the great and fundamental difference between the gospel and religion! Remember this gospel, and THEN keep fighting.<br />
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Be who you are,<br />
The Relentless Fight</div>
The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-15968162252924290512015-06-29T22:19:00.000-04:002017-08-04T09:12:47.481-04:00Book Review: Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. - Romans 8:13</i><br />
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John Owen was a prolific Puritan author in the 1600's, producing over the course of his life a library of <a href="https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/collected-workssets/the-works-of-john-owen-17/">works that fill over 15 volumes</a>. But out of all his writing, there is one that has risen to the top again and again, instructing new generations of Christians on the bloody subject of sin-killing. Even today this work remains just as needed and insightful as ever. Its full title for the 1656 publication was <i>"Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers: The Necessity, Nature, and Means of it. With a resolution of sundry cases of conscience, thereunto belonging"</i><br />
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<i>Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers</i> is being highlighted here on The Relentless Fight because it is a classic text on WHY to kill sin, and HOW to kill sin. The book is a short treatise, roughly 100 pages, based on an exposition and meditation of Romans 8:13 which reads, <i>"For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."</i> In the language of 1656, to "mortify" meant to put to death. Therefore "mortification of sin" was the killing of sin.<br />
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Justin Taylor summarizes the structure of the book in the edited compilation of 3 of Owen's works called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Temptation-Redesign-John-Owen/dp/1433550083">Overcoming Sin & Temptation</a>. He identifies 3 parts:<br />
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<li><u>The Necessity of Mortification</u>: believers must make it their daily work to mortify the fleshly sin in them, the Spirit is required for this work, and the life of the believer depends upon this work. </li>
<li><u>The Nature of Mortification</u>: What it is NOT (i.e. the utter destruction of sin, or an occasional victory, or a surface-level change), but rather, "mortification consists in a habitual weakening of sin" which involves relentless fighting. He then offers 9 practical considerations. </li>
<li><u>The Means of Mortification</u>: We set our faith on the work of Christ (in the cross), and we rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the killing of sin. </li>
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Here are a few highlights, quotes, and applications:<br />
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<li><b>Mortification is by God's grace</b>: We cannot successfully fight sin without God's help.<i> "Mortification from a self-strength, carried on by ways of self-invention, unto the end of a self-righteousness, is the soul and substance of all false religion in the world."</i> page 47 and <i>"The use of means for the obtaining of peace is ours; the bestowing of it is God's prerogative." </i>p 64 also <i>"Mortification of any sin must be by a supply of grace. Of ourselves we cannot do it."</i> p 133</li>
<li><b>Mortification is only for believers, and by the Spirit: </b>Speaking of unbelievers, <i>"Let men know it is their </i><u>duty</u><i>, but in its proper place; I take not men from mortification, but put them upon conversion. He that shall call a man from mending a hole in the wall of his house, to quench a fire that is consuming the whole building, is not his enemy. Poor soul! It is not your sore finger but your hectic fever that you are to apply yourself to the consideration of. You set yourself against a </i><u>particular</u><i> sin and do not consider that you are </i><u>nothing</u><i> but sin." </i>p 84 and of the need for the Holy Spirit, <i>"This whole work, which I have described as our duty, is effected, carried on, and accomplished by the power of the Spirit, in all the parts and degrees of it"</i> p 138</li>
<li><b>Remember the Gospel!</b>:<i> "Act faith peculiarly upon the death, blood, and cross of Christ; that is, on Christ as crucified and slain. Mortification of sin is peculiarly from the death of Christ." </i>p 136 and again <i>"Set faith at work on Christ for the killing of your sin. His blood is the great sovereign remedy for sin-sick souls. Live in this, and you will die a conqueror; yea, you will, through the good providence of God, live to see your lust dead at your feet."</i> p 131</li>
<li><b>Be exceedingly violent against your sin</b>: "<i>Such a one never thinks his lust dead because it is quiet, but labors still to give it new wounds, new blows every day."</i> p 77 At first temptation, <i>"Rise up with all your strength against it, with no less indignation than if it had fully accomplished what it aims at."</i> p 110</li>
<li><b>The fight against sin must be relentless</b>: Never take a day off against sin. Always fight it. <i>"Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it while you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you."</i> p 50 and <i>"...know there is no safety against it but in a constant warfare."</i> p 52 and <i>"</i><i>As it never dies of itself, so if it be not daily killed it will always gather strength"</i> p 91</li>
<li><b>It's a hard long fight</b>: Mortification is not the utter killing of sin. We aim for it, but in this life we will not accomplish it. Rather, mortification is <i>"a habitual weakening of sin".</i> We crucify the flesh, and it is bleeding out. (For more on this expectation, see the TRF post <a href="https://bitly.com/15NXTRd">Expect a Hard Long Bloody Fight</a>)</li>
<li><b>Sometimes God allows sin as a fatherly discipline</b>: <i>"How do you know but that God has suffered the lust wherewith you have been perplexed to get strength in you, and power over you, to chasten you for your other negligences and common lukewarmness in walking before him; at least to awaken you to the consideration of your ways, that you may make a thorough work and change in your course of walking with him?"</i> p 88</li>
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If you would like a more eloquent summary of the book, please read this excellent brief article by <a href="https://twitter.com/jenpmichel">Jen Pollock Michel</a> called <a href="http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-bloody-business-of-killing-sin">The Bloody Business of Killing Sin</a>, on The Gospel Coalition website.<br />
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You can buy the book on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mortification-Sin-John-Owen-ebook/dp/B006UWEGNO/">Kindle for only $0.99</a>, or as <a href="https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/christian-living/the-mortification-of-sin/">an abridged paperback from Banner of Truth</a> for only $8.10. But perhaps the best version is a 3-part John Owen collection (edited, with footnotes) called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Temptation-Redesign-John-Owen/dp/1433550083">Overcoming Sin & Temptation</a>. All page numbers in this post have been referenced to this edition, which includes not only <i>Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers</i>, but also the two Owen books: <i>Of Temptation</i>, and <i>Indwelling Sin</i>.<br />
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Always killing sin,<br />
The Relentless FightThe Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-85484374033031576432015-06-22T21:22:00.001-04:002019-08-05T20:46:58.429-04:00Taking Thoughts Captive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5</i><br />
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What role does the mind play in the fight against sin? Do only our affections matter? Or only our actions? What about our thoughts? One of the hardest parts of the fight is in our minds. It's relatively easy to stop the gross outward displays of sin like adultery, murder, theft. But to stop lustful fantasies, angry thoughts, and ideas of stealing? That's a whole 'nother level. Let's examine a biblical understanding of our mind and thoughts, and see what applications we can draw for the fight.<br />
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The Scripture speaks often of the fluidity of our minds. We have the capacity of "setting our mind" on items, and cultivating thought in that direction. We can focus in like a laser. Consider these Scriptures:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Colossians 3:1-3</b><i> Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 <b>Set your minds</b> on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. </i></li>
<li><b>Romans 8:6 </b><i>For to <b>set the mind</b> on the flesh is death, but to <b>set the mind</b> on the Spirit is life and peace.</i></li>
<li><b>Matthew 16:23</b><i> But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not <b>setting your mind</b> on the things of God, but on the things of man.”</i></li>
<li><b>2 Peter 3:1</b><i> This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am <b>stirring up your sincere mind </b>by way of reminder,</i></li>
</ul>
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There is a danger that our glorious God-given minds will be turned towards the Enemy's purposes. Paul cautions in 2 Corinthians 11:3,<i> "But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your <b>thoughts </b>will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ."</i> Therefore, God identifies our "thoughts" as one of the primary areas of repentance, as we see in these Scriptures:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Isaiah 55:7</b> <i>let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his <b>thoughts</b>; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.</i></li>
<li><b>Jeremiah 4:14</b> <i>O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil, that you may be saved. How long shall your wicked <b>thoughts </b>lodge within you?</i></li>
</ul>
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So if Satan is using our thoughts as a weapon in the fight, what are we to do? We must fight fire with fire, and use these very same tactics against our Enemy. What does this look like? Primarily by taking every thought captive. We cannot let our thoughts wash by like a river, and gaze serenely at the torrent. We must set a gate, and watch it vigilantly. Let's look more closely at Paul's tactic as he describes it:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and <b>we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. </b>6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. - 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 </i></blockquote>
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We have many sinful and tempting thoughts that arise throughout the day: lustful thoughts, angry thoughts, self-centered narratives that we write, fantasies of our own success, doubts of God's goodness, justifications of our actions, and replaying conflicts in our mind. God commands us to NOT let these thoughts roam free. We must capture them! Round them up, label them, identify what they are. Bring them before the judgment seat of Christ, and let Him evaluate them.<br />
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Why is this so important? What does it matter what we think? We're not DOING it, so what's the big deal? John Owen describes our danger, <i>"Every unclean thought or glance would be adultery if it could; every covetous desire would be oppression, every thought of unbelief would be atheism, might it grow to its head."</i> Wow, that's scary! There is enough evil in that one initial thought to bring about complete destruction. Make no mistake, it will grow. Owen says <i>"but if let alone, if not continually mortified, it will bring forth great, cursed, scandalous, soul-destroying sins."</i> This is ground zero, the thoughts. This is where your actions originate from: the ruminations of your mind. Ben Stuart put it well in his series <a href="https://www.tvcresources.net/resource-library/sermons/by-series/the-fight">The Fight</a>,<i> "What you think about, you care about, and what you care about, you chase."</i><br />
<br />
Let's close with some practical applications:<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Patrol your thoughts</b>: Become a mental bounty-hunter. Don't just let your thoughts pass through your mind unchecked. Challenge them, take them captive! And if needed: kill them. Become more aware of WHEN you're thinking, and WHAT you're thinking. Maybe even write it down. Label them biblically, and realize the power in your thoughts. Realize the direction these sinful thoughts are headed in, and get violent. John Owen again, <i>"Do you find your corruption to begin to entangle your thoughts? Rise up with all your strength against it, with no less indignation than if it had fully accomplished what it aims at. Consider what an unclean thought would have; it would have you roll yourself in folly and filth. Ask envy what it would have - murder and destruction is at the end of it. Set yourself against it with no less vigor than if it had utterly debased you to wickedness."</i></li>
<li><b>Remember the gospel, and pray for God's help</b>: As you consider this great task, it is appropriate that you would feel it is overwhelming, because out of our evil hearts are constantly coming evil thoughts (Mark 7:21). And you're right! On our own, we CANNOT fight this exhausting constant battle. This pushes us away from dependence on ourselves, and onto Jesus. Remember the Gospel first, because you CAN'T do this on your own. You fail. You're weak. But Jesus has forgiven you and GIVEN you his Holy Spirit to make war. Now you CAN take captive those thoughts. And do so. Keep fighting! Pray that God gives you awareness of thoughts, empowers your self control, grants you repentance and a willingness to kill your evil thoughts. Remember that self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Cry out with the psalmist, "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!" (Psalm 139:23)</li>
<li><b>Cultivate the mind of Christ</b>: Don't just take your bad thoughts captive and leave it at that. Cultivate the good holy thoughts! We must <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2012/07/put-off-put-on.html">put off AND put on</a>. Colossians 3:2 instructs us to set our minds on things above; and Philippians 4:8 commands, <i>"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—<b>think about such things</b>."</i> Again in Romans 12:2, <i>"Do not be conformed to this world, but <b>be transformed by the renewal of your mind</b>, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."</i> Slowly, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we will grow in holiness in our minds. </li>
</ol>
Happy hunting,<br />
The Relentless Fight<br />
<br />
PS: All quotes above from John Owen are taken from one of his most famous works, "Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers," found in this volume, <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Overcoming-Temptation-Redesign-John-Owen/dp/1433550083">"Overcoming Sin and Temptation"</a>. To learn more about this book, <a href="https://bitly.com/1Ip2Kyj">check out the TRF review here</a>. </div>
The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-18695827518674968052015-06-08T21:51:00.000-04:002019-08-05T20:50:01.436-04:00Relentless Rest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JOlOblBpxSjZn6gYyR3R-PNIiJDOmxO463B9Sjf6_TUkXLvnCqEAxpTF2ktbxZfm4eVGXW6vjMpuFVwjckj2ubRStT9pALpAQzcSrI8Xxf-zTN62Fj5G6h-_XDKqX-qiPQuv4KOoEGo9/s1600/relentless+rest+-+montserrat.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1305" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JOlOblBpxSjZn6gYyR3R-PNIiJDOmxO463B9Sjf6_TUkXLvnCqEAxpTF2ktbxZfm4eVGXW6vjMpuFVwjckj2ubRStT9pALpAQzcSrI8Xxf-zTN62Fj5G6h-_XDKqX-qiPQuv4KOoEGo9/s320/relentless+rest+-+montserrat.png" width="320" /></a><i>Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! - Psalm 27:14</i><br />
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Here on The Relentless Fight, we often talk of the need for ACTION against our sin. The overall flavor is that of activity and movement and work. But the Scripture also commands us to rest, to wait, to be silent. How do we make sense of this?<br />
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First, let's explore the biblical commands to rest and wait:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Psalm 27:14</b><i> Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! </i></li>
<li><b>Exodus 14:13f </b><i>And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”</i></li>
<li><b>Matthew 11:28-30 </b><i>Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”</i></li>
<li><b>Psalm 131:1f </b><i>O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.</i></li>
<li><b>Hebrews 6:15 </b><i>And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.</i></li>
<li><b>Exodus 20:8-11 </b><i>Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.</i></li>
</ul>
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We see there are different contexts for rest: In the Psalms we have the daily walk with God through the suffering and anxieties of life. In Jesus' ministry we find rest for our souls. In Hebrews we see Abraham and other heroes of the faith resting and waiting for God to fulfill His promises. In the 10 Commandments we see the command to rest 1 day out of 7 to honor God's Sabbath. But there is another kind of deeper rest, that regarding our spiritual standing with God, in relation to our righteousness. Let us explore that:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Romans 4:4f </b><i>Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness</i></li>
<li><b>Hebrews 4:3a</b><i> For we who have believed enter that rest</i></li>
<li><b>Hebrews 4:9f </b><i>So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.</i></li>
<li><b>John 6:29 </b><i>Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”</i> (Note: in Jesus' logic, work = faith)</li>
<li><b>Romans 11:6 </b><i>But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.</i></li>
</ul>
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So we see that the deeper rest is the resting of FAITH, of believing and trusting in Christ for our gifted righteousness. This means we cease striving and working to earn our right standing before God. We dismantle all the complicated machinery of human-made religion and self-righteousness. We discard it as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Therefore our primary application from this meditation on rest is that we are called to give up our hard working and receive quietly the GIFT.<br />
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But all over the Scripture, we are also commanded to FIGHT (1 Timothy 6:12), to "work out your own salvation" (Phil 2:12) and be active in our sanctification and holiness. Which one is it? Do we fight, or do we rest? How do we make sense of this? As John Piper has said in illuminating simplicity, "It's a fight to rest". Wow. Meaning, we fight hard to rest in the gospel. We fight against substitute saviors, and we fight against the thinking that we just need to try harder. We fight to STAND on Christ the solid rock, remembering that all other ground is sinking sand. And it's only by resting on the Rock of Christ that we are able to fight with any lasting gospel power.<br />
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Hebrews 4:11 summarizes this paradox quite well, <i><b>"Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience."</b></i> We STRIVE to enter REST. We must be diligent, to work at it, to watch out that we do not fail to rest in Christ. As Hebrews goes on in verse 14, <i>"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession."</i> Hold fast!! And how do we do that? By drawing near often as invited in verse 16, <i>"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."</i><br />
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How does this practically apply? Consider these 3 areas:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Spiritually rest</b> in Christ and war against your self-sufficiency. Remember the gospel. HOLD tightly to the promises of Scripture. This might actually mean NOT asking forgiveness for the 10th time. If you've confessed your sin and asked God for forgiveness, believe that He has given it. REST in His Word in 1 John 1:9. You don't need to pay Him back. You don't need to earn your way into His favor again. You don't need to clean yourself up before you walk into His throne room. What does this mean? Go to church! Sing some worship. Meet up with some Christian friends. Read the Word. Pray. Enjoy the Lord. Do it all out of joy, walking in your standing in Christ. But don't do it out of guilt. Sometimes this may seem like NOT fighting. But it's the most effective strategy TO fight. Remember the gospel. </li>
<li><b>Physically rest</b> like keeping the Sabbath. There's something that happens spiritually when we live out in parable form the great rest of Hebrews 4. We enter into God's rest by resting our bodies. This reminds us (somewhat like <a href="https://bitly.com/1iIzTq3">communion</a>) of the gospel. Practically, this helps in the fight against the temptations to workaholism, which can be a form of spiritually earning our standing. </li>
<li><b>Emotionally rest </b>in a balanced way. There's no need for crazy activity but rather a confident faith in The Lord. Wait for his timing. Be at peace, Christian. Your God reigns supreme and sovereign. He is not wringing His hands wondering how it will all work out. Consider Psalm 46:10, <i>"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"</i></li>
</ul>
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Fighting to rest,</div>
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The Relentless Fight</div>
The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-29865447906782200662015-03-23T12:28:00.000-04:002019-08-05T20:51:51.013-04:00How to Receive a Rebuke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, </i><i>but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. - Proverbs 15:31-32</i><br />
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Three weeks ago we looked at <a href="https://bitly.com/1DM5Sjw">How to Confront Sin</a> in our brothers and sisters. But what happens if you're on the other side of the table? How can we be humble people who are willing to receive a rebuke?<br />
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The Scripture are replete with exhortations to have a humble heart that listens to correction:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Psalm 141:5 </b><i>Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.</i></li>
<li><b>Proverbs 9:8</b><i> Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.</i></li>
<li><b>Proverbs 9:9</b><i style="font-style: italic;"> </i><i>Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; </i><i>teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.</i></li>
<li><b>Proverbs 10:17</b><i> Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.</i></li>
<li><b>Proverbs 12:1</b><i> Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. </i></li>
<li><b>Proverbs 13:18</b><i> Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored.</i></li>
<li><b>Ecclesiastes 7:5</b><i> It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.</i></li>
<li><b>Revelation 3:19 </b><i>Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.</i></li>
</ul>
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Honor and life and MORE wisdom come to those who are willing to receive rebuke and correction. Poverty, disgrace, and stupidity are waiting for those who will not listen. One of the most important character traits of a growing Christian is <i>teachability. </i>But let's be honest, receiving a rebuke is HARD. When a close friend says, "I have something I want to talk with you about..." we instinctively cringe and brace for impact. It's just so hard to be wrong! It feels exposing and shameful.<br />
<br />
How can we cultivate a willingness to receive a rebuke? Here are some practical steps:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Read the Bible</b>: Learn God's character and what He calls you to. Learn what His will is and how to be holy and acceptable (Romans 12:1-2). This will soften your heart, like a plow digging up the hard earth to be ready to receive the life of the seed. </li>
<li><b>Pray</b>: Pray for God to grow you, pray for humility, pray for a teachable heart, pray for hatred of your sin, pray for a listening ear, pray for brothers and sisters that will love you enough to rebuke you, pray for God to show you your sin and convict you. Also, <a href="https://bitly.com/1nk9bIG">Pray for Discipline</a>.</li>
<li><b>Get Brothers</b>: Surround yourself with godly mature brothers and sisters. Open your life to them. Live regular life together, basically: be deeply involved in a local church. If possible even get Christian roommates who can help you grow. We need <a href="https://bitly.com/1B9Rwce">Brothers in Arms</a> to help us in the fight, and bring these life-giving rebukes to us. </li>
<li><b>ASK people how you can grow:</b> It's not just enough to HAVE brothers in our life, we need to make use of them! Ask if you've sinned against them. Ask them what they are seeing in your life. Invite correction. Pursue and invite rebuke from wise godly people who know you and know the Scripture. Develop a hungriness for it. One of the fastest ways to grow in sanctification and Christian maturity is to pray for God to show you your sin, and then ask some close brothers where you need to grow. And then listen to their answer and apply it! </li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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And when we receive the actual rebuke, how can we respond in that situation? </div>
<ul>
<li><b>Humbly listen:</b> When someone rebukes you, LISTEN. Yeah they may get some things wrong, they may be misunderstanding you. But give them the benefit of the doubt. What can you hear and agree with? What are they saying that is true? How can you RECEIVE what they're saying with a humble and listening ear? Guard against your first response being defensiveness in arguing against their observation and challenge. Try to make the FIRST thing out of your mouth something like, "Thanks for sharing that with me, I'd like to grow."</li>
<li><b>Remember and BELIEVE the Gospel!</b>: Hearing rebuke is HARD. But if we think we have to change all on our own power, rebuke is destructive and renders us so weighed down with guilt and heavy burdens that we are immobilized. Yes, you have sinned. But God's grace is for sinners! God in His grace has showed you an area to grow, but He provides the blood of His Son to cover and heal your disease. Use this rebuke as a fresh opportunity to remember the forgiveness that is yours in Christ, and rejoice that God is continuing to give LIFE to you. </li>
<li><b>Apply and change</b>: Listening to the rebuke and receiving it has more to do with our application than just merely HEARING out the person speaking to us. If we hear correction but don't actually CHANGE, we are like the foolish man who looks in the mirror and forgets what he looks like (James 1:22-25). Figure out what practical next steps of repentance you can be taking, and <a href="https://bitly.com/1JPpymK">DO IT</a>. Enlist the help of brothers for accountability if necessary. </li>
</ul>
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May God give you a humble heart to receive rebuke!<br />
The Relentless Fight</div>
The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-78252504224825728872015-03-02T18:49:00.003-05:002019-08-05T21:00:39.139-04:00How to Confront Sin<div>
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<i>Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;</i><br />
<i>let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;</i><br />
<i>let my head not refuse it. Psalm 141:5</i><br />
<br />
The Christian life is a call to believe the gospel and fight our sin. One significant problem we face is our own blindness to our sin. We love our sin, and because it is so ingrained in our lives we often miss it on the radar, and it continues to thrive unchallenged. This is why God has saved a bunch of us! We sharpen one another "as iron sharpens iron" (Proverbs 27:17) and help one another grow by pointing out the sin we must put to death. But HOW do we do this? And when? Who do we confront?<br />
<br />
The Scripture has much to say on confrontation and rebuke:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Matthew 7:3-5</b> <i>Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.</i> (Notice that Jesus doesn't say to do nothing about the speck, but rather to first take out your own log SO THAT you can clearly see and help your brother.)</li>
<li><b>Matthew 18:15</b> <i>If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.</i></li>
<li><b>Galatians 6:1</b> <i>Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.</i></li>
<li><b>James 5:19-20 </b><i>My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. </i>(Notice that God is using your rebuke to rescue your brother from not only the current sin but also from all the others that would have grown with it. Sin never is stagnant, it's always growing and adding to itself!)</li>
<li><b>Luke 17:3 </b><i>Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him</i></li>
<li><b>1 Timothy 5:20</b><i> As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.</i></li>
</ul>
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And the Scripture goes on to speak of how the wise man loves and receives rebuke, correction, & reproof:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Proverbs 9:8 </b><i>Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; </i><i>reprove a wise man, and he will love you.</i></li>
<li><b>Proverbs 10:17 </b><i>Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, </i><span style="font-style: italic;">but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.</span></li>
<li><b>Proverbs 12:1 </b><i>Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. </i></li>
<li><b>Proverbs 13:18 </b><i>Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored.</i></li>
<li><b>Proverbs 15:31</b><i> The ear that listens to life-giving reproof </i><i>will dwell among the wise.</i></li>
</ul>
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God will discipline us for our sin because He is a loving Father. And we should <a href="https://bitly.com/1nk9bIG">PRAY for discipline</a> and receive it. Another resource that God provides for us is brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to both BE and HAVE <a href="https://bitly.com/1B9Rwce">brothers in arms</a> who will help us in the fight. But how practically do we confront sin in others? Let's look at Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How: </div>
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<ul>
<li><b>Who</b>: We only confront believers in Christ, we don't confront unbelievers over specific sins but rather call them to overall conversion! A nonchristian isn't called to fight their sin, they're called first to CONVERSION. John Owen writes,<i> "I say, then, mortification is not the present business of unregenerate men. God calls them not to it as yet; conversion is their work, -- the conversion of the whole soul, -- not the mortification of this or that particular lust...."</i> and again, <i>"Let men know it is their duty, but in its proper place; I take not men from mortification, but put them upon conversion. He that shall call a man from mending a hole in the wall of his house, to quench a fire that is consuming the whole building, is not his enemy." (from <a href="http://bit.ly/1Ip2Kyj">Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers</a>) </i>Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 that we don't judge unbelievers. We only confront & discipline those inside the church. </li>
<li><b>What</b>: We confront SIN, not the violation of our personal preferences. And we define sin according to the clear teaching of Scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, <i>"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness"</i>. So we should have a Scripture text that we are pointing to when we confront our brother in his sin. For anger, perhaps Ephesians 4:26, for lust perhaps Matthew 5:27-30. Use biblical language (anger, idolatry, selfishness), not cultural buzzwords (annoyed, just relaxing, me-time). </li>
<li><b>When</b>: You could confront right in the moment, but perhaps it would be wise to talk with the brother later. "Strike while the iron is cold", when the anger isn't at it's highest point, or when the conflict cools down in a few hours. Chances are your brother will hear you better when there's some time distance from the event. </li>
<li><b>Where</b>: Matthew 18 says to first confront your brother in private, one on one. We don't confront publicly until much later when the brother is consistently unrepentant. Consider taking him out for coffee just the two of you. Or maybe if you're at an event, take them to the side out of earshot. </li>
<li><b>Why</b>: A very important question! Why are we confronting? Again Matthew 18 says we are trying to WIN our brother, and Galatians 6 says for the purpose of restoration. We confront out of love and concern for their spiritual safety. We long for them to grow and mature into the fullness of Christ! And we are called to kill our sin (Romans 8:13, Colossians 3:5) not ignore it and let it grow and kill us (James 1:15). </li>
<li><b>How</b>: How does the conversation itself go? We must have love govern all our words (1 Corinthians 13). We must be quick to listen (James 1:19). We must exercise gentleness and not be harsh (Galatians 6:1). We must be humble and not consider ourselves better than our sinning brother (Matthew 7:1-5, 1 Corinthians 10:12). We must PRAY at all times: before, during, and after (1 John 5:16, James 5:16). </li>
</ul>
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Practically, this might be the progression: You see a sin in a brother or sister. Pray for God's mercy & wisdom. Consider & evaluate your own heart. Pray for insight & humility. Ask, "What is the real issue to address?" Search the Scriptures and identify a few that you can share. Pray for God's leading. Speak face to face privately, praying during the conversation that God would use your words. Share your observation, share the Scripture, graciously call them to repentance. Pray with them. After the conversation, walk with them in help, encouragement, prayer, and maybe some measure of accountability. Continue to pray for God to grow them.<br />
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We often shy away from rebuke, because we are asking "What is the risk for bringing this up?" We fear losing the relationship, being judgmental, or offending our friend. And that is a good question to consider! There IS a risk when we rebuke and confront sin in others. But we should also ask, "What is the risk if I DON'T bring this up?" Sin is dangerous. And your brother is in DANGER if this sin continues unchecked and unchallenged. Love means you confront and rescue your brother from the clutches of this sin. So you step out in faith, and trust 2 Timothy 2:24-26, believing that maybe God will use your words to bring repentance. </div>
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And finally, when God blesses your rebuke, and your brother repents.... rejoice! There should be great excitement and joy! Support him and be glad with him. Praise the Holy Spirit for His powerful work of granting life and freedom. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 7:8-9, <i>"For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, <b><u>I rejoice</u></b>, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us."</i><br />
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Jesus says it best in Revelation 3:19, <i>"Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent."</i></div>
The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-15219055943322708742015-02-23T17:01:00.000-05:002019-08-05T20:59:00.530-04:00Attack the Base<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."</i> - Jesus, from Matthew 12:34<br />
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Typically we tend to think of our sinful actions as just that: bad behavior. The solution then seems pretty simple: STOP it. But the Scripture provides unique resources in our fight against sin. As we read the Word, we find it presents the idea of the "heart".<br />
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Our culture says to "follow your heart", but the Bible objects. Jeremiah writes in 17:9, <i>"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"</i> Rather, we need to be guarding our heart and watching out for danger in it. Proverbs 4:23 warns, <i>"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."</i><br />
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What is the heart? It's not just what we feel. It's not just our romantic dreams. The Bible defines the "heart" as the seat of the affections and the will. The heart is the driver of the person, and from the heart flows our behavior and actions. Consider the words of Jesus in Mark 7:20-23, <i>"What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." </i>The Scripture further elaborates and corrects our thinking on the source of our sin, in James 4:1-3, <i>"What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war <b>within you</b>? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions."</i><br />
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Usually porn or cutting or drugs or alcohol or sinful eating are just SYMPTOMS of a deeper problem. Using these substances is usually a means of anesthetizing whatever deeper pain and difficulty is being experienced. If you can figure out what that pain is, and find your ultimate comfort in Jesus, the behavioral escapism might just go away. See, the problem is not just the BEHAVIOR, you need to get below the surface and focus on the heart. The heart is the source and working on the behaviors without addressing the heart is like mopping up water from a running faucet. You have turn off the faucet first! So to make real progress on our sin, we have to go deeper and address the heart. To put it in military terms, we need to "Attack the Base" instead of merely fighting on the battle front with the endless waves of enemies. In real-time-strategy video games, if you destroy the enemy base with the unit producing structures, victory is inevitable.<br />
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But wait! Before you rush off in your attack, one important clarification is needed: Knowing the source of your sin is useless unless you have the power to destroy the source. In ourselves, we have no weapon to blow up the home base of our sinful hearts. It's NOT good news that the source of our sin is OURSELVES. That's even worse! What we need is a heart transplant. We desperately need to be transformed from the inside out! Here's the good news: This is PRECISELY what the Gospel of Jesus Christ offers us. God promises in Ezekiel 36:26-27, <i>"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules." </i>At the moment of the new birth (John 3:3-8), God begins an inside-out work of change.<br />
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Therefore only the regenerated Christian can begin to fight the heart, because of the nuclear weapon of the gospel. Practically, here are a few steps to addressing the heart:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Realize you're rejecting God's comfort</b>: Jeremiah 2:12-13 says, <i>"Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water."</i> Our sin is not an isolated behavior without consequences. Ultimately it's a heart decision of turning AWAY from the Lord as our comfort and satisfaction, and turning to our favorite sin. </li>
<li><b>Repent Deeper</b>: You may have only been repenting of the behavior. When we realize that the behavior is flowing out of a bad & sinful HEART, it necessitates a much deeper repentance. Instead of saying "God, please forgive me for looking at porn" we're instead saying, "God, my heart is filled with lust and selfishness, and last night it bore the fruit of looking at porn. God please forgive me for my lustful heart!" And then remember & believe the gospel in a deeper way. Rejoice! God is changing your heart! </li>
<li><b>Figure out what the sin is promising</b>: Our sin is making a promise of what it offers. Perhaps cutting offers release. Porn offers pleasure amidst our loneliness. Alcohol offers distraction from the worries in our lives. By unearthing the false promise, we can replace it with TRUE promises from God. The key is to ask, <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2011/12/whats-lie_22.html">"What's the lie?"</a></li>
<li><b>Believe that Jesus is BETTER</b>: Allow the sin & Jesus to go toe-to-toe in a fight for who is greater. Is sin offering comfort? <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+thess+2%3A16-17&version=ESV">Jesus' comfort is BETTER</a>. Is Sin offering pleasure? <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+16%3A11&version=ESV">Jesus' pleasure is BETTER</a>. To learn more, read the blog post: <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2013/03/jesus-is-better.html">Jesus is Better</a>.</li>
<li><b>Cultivate a superior satisfaction in Christ</b>: We can't merely believe that Jesus is better. We have to put it into practice. We have to cultivate an affection for Him through reading the Word, singing, and talking with Him in prayer. To learn more, read the blog post: <a href="https://bitly.com/1M79f9w">The Counter-Attack</a>.</li>
</ul>
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May God help you to repent and grow, not just in your behavior, but from the deepest places of your heart.<br />
<br />
Attack the Base,<br />
The Relentless Fight</div>
The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-63942701574558459242015-02-09T15:33:00.000-05:002019-08-05T20:57:16.590-04:00The Counter-Attack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You've fought hard against sin & temptation. You've even won a few battles. But this onslaught keeps on coming, and you're getting tired defending off these attacks. Something has to change. It's time to go on the offensive.<br />
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A good offense might be better than a continual defense in the fight against sin. Better to keep the enemy so busy and weary from your constant barrage that they have no time to attack. In fact, let's say you successfully defend against all the temptations. Does this mean you've grown in holiness and glorifying Christ? Not necessarily. Unless we are worshiping Jesus and exalting Him, it doesn't matter if we are sinning "less" in the sins of commission. Behavioral purity without affection for Jesus is worthless. That's no better than the Pharisees to whom Jesus said, <i>"Hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence."</i> </div>
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What is this offensive counter-attack? It's fighting FOR joy in Christ. It's the second part of repentance: turning FROM the fun of sin TO the better delight of Christ. It's cultivating a superior satisfaction in Jesus so that the allure of sin decreases in its attractiveness. Proverbs 27:7 says it well, <i>"One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet."</i> Consider: Who wants to eat a stale granola bar when they just finished a meal at Shady Maple Smorgasbord? Who wants to watch a dumb cat video at the top of Mount Everest? Who would pull out their phone to check the latest celebrity gossip on Twitter at their own wedding reception? See, when we are satisfied with great pleasures, we aren't even tempted by small pleasures. The goal is to glut yourself on Christ so you're always satisfied. </div>
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The Scriptures give us several strong arrows in this counter-attack. Use these weapons to consider Christ as <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2013/03/jesus-is-better.html">BETTER</a>:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Psalm 16:11 </b><i>You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. </i></li>
<li><b>Psalm 84:10 </b><i>For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. </i></li>
<li><b>Psalm 73:25-26</b> <i>Whom have I in heaven but you? </i><i>And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. </i><i>My flesh and my heart may fail,</i><i> but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.</i></li>
<li><b>Hebrews 11:24-26</b> <i>By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. </i></li>
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How do we do this? Primarily by meditating on the beauty of Christ, found most clearly in YOUR rescue through the gospel of redemption. Here are several practical applications: </div>
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<ul>
<li><b>Read the Bible</b>: Commit to <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/practical-helps-for-bible-reading">a time, a place, and a reading plan</a>. Consume large quantities of Scripture. Carefully pick through passages in depth. Search out truth that will make your heart sing. </li>
<li><b>Worship Jesus through song</b>: Worship corporately with large groups of other Christians. Worship in small groups. Worship by yourself. Saturate your mind and heart with songs of His grace. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Songs-Cross-Centered-Sovereign-Grace/dp/B00067WGU4">Songs for the Cross-Centered Life</a> is a good place to start. </li>
<li><b>Talk with Him often through prayer</b>: How are you going to grow in affection for Christ if you aren't talking with Him every day? Do people fall in love by ignoring each other? Speak with Him. Share your thoughts, fears, dreams, ideas. Ask Him for help, for comfort, for encouragement, for forgiveness. Pray for others in their struggles. <a href="https://bitly.com/2vyFpHa">Pray relentlessly</a>.</li>
<li><b>Read solid Christian books</b>: Learn satisfying truths about Jesus through solid books. Some great ones to get you started: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Glory-Christ-Puritan-Paperbacks-Treasures/dp/0851516610/">The Glory of Christ</a> by John Owen, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Who-Jesus-9Marks-Greg-Gilbert/dp/1433543508/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0">Who is Jesus?</a> by Greg Gilbert, and <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/books/when-i-dont-desire-god">When I Don't Desire God</a> by John Piper (<a href="https://bitly.com/1uPuTVM">see book review on TRF</a>)</li>
<li><b>Biblical preaching</b>: Be convicted, challenged, encouraged by passionate sermons about Jesus. Here are a few to get you started: <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/sex-and-the-supremacy-of-christ-part-2">Sex and the Supremacy of Christ (part 2)</a> by John Piper, and <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/by-series/2007-regional-conference">Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ</a> (conference sessions) also by John Piper. </li>
<li><b>Local Church</b>: Be deeply involved in a local community of believers (church) who will help you in all these things (Bible, worship, preaching) and keep you accountable if you slack. If you're not involved in a church, do you really think you can go it alone? </li>
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Don't be discouraged if you aren't feeling deeply satisfied right away. Cultivating affection for Christ is kinda like exercise. It takes some time to see the results. Keep at it! Endure. This is worth it. Keep pressing in to Jesus and wait for Him to bring the joy.<br />
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Retaliate,<br />
The Relentless Fight. </div>
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The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-48327363860311308252014-10-20T12:29:00.001-04:002019-08-05T20:55:55.190-04:00The Battles and The War<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In 1944 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroo_Onoda">Hiroo Onoda</a>, a Japanese 2nd lieutenant, was given the command to hold ground and fight against the Allies on Lubang Island in the Philippines. He didn't realize that the Japanese surrendered to the Allies just a year later, and he continued to fight for THIRTY YEARS. Finally in 1974 his commanding officer (Major Yoshimi Taniguchi, who after the war had become a bookseller) personally traveled to the island to give him formal orders of surrender.<br />
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How many of us, in our fight for sin, are like Hiroo Onoda, thinking that the war is still happening, and we must fight for our lives? How many times do we feel alone in the fight, and our strength is failing? Do you feel like you're on the losing side? Do you feel like you're just a few failures away from total defeat and surrender?<br />
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For Hiroo Onoda, he was fighting losing battles, because for the Japanese, the war had already been lost. Although his heroism and courage were remarkable (check out his book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/No-Surrender-Thirty-Year-Bluejacket-Books/dp/1557506639">No Surrender</a>) ultimately his small battles did not change the fact that World War 2 was over. Japan had lost. For the Christian though, our reality is the opposite. No matter how our little battles go, we have the confidence that Satan, sin, and death have been forced to surrender to our Captain. The war is won.<br />
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What is the war? When Christ died on the Cross, He died a substitutionary death for our sins. This satisfied the wrath of God, as if Christ swallowed all the anger, all the justice, all the punishment.... and all that is left is God's love, mercy, and acceptance into His family. In the Resurrection, Christ ultimately defeated death, so that for all those who die in Christ, they will be resurrected as well on the last day, thus defeating death. And in Christ's dying and rising, He defeated Satan, that old serpent who tried to strike His heel, but Christ crushed his head (Genesis 3:15). Christ has won the war against Satan, sin, death, and has rescued us from our greatest threat: The just wrath of God because of our treason.<br />
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What are "battles" against sin? It's the battle at 2am to not look at porn. It's the battle at 12 noon to not have a second portion of french fries because you know it's only for comfort, not for health. It's the battle at 8am against discouragement and apathy, to get out of bed trusting in God's promises. It's the battle of loneliness at 8pm on a Friday night, and seeking comfort from the Lord instead of your favorite sin. These are our battles. We must fight them.<br />
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But there are two mindsets for how to fight the battles. Both involve fighting, but one is exhausting and the other is liberating:<br />
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1. Thinking that I need to win my battles so that ultimately I can win the war. (This is a Christ-less mindset, it's basically just self-made-religion.)<br />
OR</div>
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2. Believing that Christ has already won the war, now I can fight the battles in the confidence of His ultimate victory. </div>
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Here is the truth Christian: <i><b>Christ has won the larger war. You are merely fighting the small battles. Victory is inevitable.</b></i><br />
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This mindset gives us enormous courage and hope! This is what sustains us in the battles. We may win some and lose some. That happens. But stay focused on the fact that Christ has <u><i>already won the war</i></u>. This will encourage you, and provide you the strength and perseverance to fight the battles.<br />
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No Surrender,<br />
The Relentless Fight</div>
The Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778204066997724089.post-51798830768994094802014-09-15T19:14:00.003-04:002017-12-01T09:07:17.533-05:00Book Review: When I Don't Desire God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/johnpiper">John Piper</a> founded <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/">Desiring God</a> and served for 33 years as the pastor of <a href="http://www.hopeingod.org/">Bethlehem Baptist Church</a>. He is the author or contributor to more than 50 books (woah!) and has preached thousands of sermons. There are few men who have been more influential in this generation, bringing a BIG vision of the glory of God and stirring hearts to love Christ.<br />
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Piper is probably best known for his book <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/books/desiring-god">Desiring God</a>, the same title as the organization that he founded. Arguing from Scripture and theologians through the ages, the thesis of the book is summarized in, <i>"God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him."</i> This simple yet powerful mind-set has changed the lives of so many, igniting a passion in them to find their supreme joy in God and devote themselves to "Christian Hedonism". As folks applied this new perspective, many started approaching John Piper with this type of problem, <i>"I totally agree with everything you said in Desiring God, but here's my problem: <u>I don't</u>. I WANT to love God like you say, like the Bible commands, but I don't. And I'm scared. What do I do?"</i><br />
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That's what prompted Piper to write <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/books/when-i-dont-desire-god">When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy</a>. This book is being featured here on The Relentless Fight because of how it encourages and equips Christians to make God their treasure, inspiring them to FIGHT the great fight of faith: the fight for JOY in God!<br />
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Here's just a few highlights from the book to get you excited. It's worth the read!<br />
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<li><b>Why does joy in God matter?</b>: First because God commands it (Psalm 100:2, and hundreds of other verses). Second, because nothing proves quicker where someone is at spiritually than focusing on desires. It brings conviction against our preference for God-substitutes. Do you LOVE and treasure Jesus? <i>"Esteeming God less than anything is the essence of evil."</i> (page 34) and Piper draws this from Jeremiah 2:12f.</li>
<li><b>Only God can create joy in God</b>: Joy in God is a gift from God. As fallen sinful people, even when we're saved, we cannot MAKE ourselves feel joy in God. It is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. But that doesn't leave us off the hook. God has appointed MEANS to cultivate joy. He has given us tools and methods and strategies. </li>
<li><b>The Christian life is WAR</b>: Piper seeks to rouse us from our passive slumber and to take up arms against Satan and our sin, to FIGHT hard against our smaller pleasures so that our highest affections are for Christ alone. <i>"Far too many Christians are passive in their fight for joy.... the central strategy is to preach the gospel to yourself. This is war. Satan is preaching for sure. If we remain passive, we surrender the field to him."</i> (page 81) <i>"Christianity is war. It is a declaration of all-out combat against our own sinful impulses."</i> (page 103) and <i>"The Word of God is the instrument for killing sin."</i> (page 106)</li>
<li><b>It's a fight to SEE</b>: We primarily fight to SEE the glory of Jesus in the gospel. That is what awakens joy. Example: You may fight to get up to SEE the sunrise, but you can't fight to MAKE the sunrise make you happy. Joy is a spontaneous gift. But you can fight to put yourself in the God-ordained path of blessing. And then wait for God to give the gift. </li>
<li><b>PRAY for God to give joy</b>: PRAY for God to give you the joy. Many of the prayers in the Psalms assume we are unable to make ourselves satisfied in God. Piper gives four prayers he asks of God when he opens up the Bible, through the acronym IOUS on page 151f. You can listen to a 5-minute explanation of IOUS on an <a href="https://soundcloud.com/askpastorjohn">#AskPastorJohn</a> episode titled <a href="https://soundcloud.com/askpastorjohn/im-bored-with-the-bible-episode-384">I'm Bored With The Bible</a>.</li>
<li><b>Tons of practical tips</b>: Piper gives a boatload of practical tips for engaging our heart and fueling our passion for God. His highest recommendation is simply prayer and Scripture. He highlights making a PLAN to read the Bible (page 116), and taking it to the next level through memorizing it, journaling your thoughts on it, and meditating (chapter 8). He recommends solid books on doctrine. He stresses the importance of being committed to a local church (page 130ff) and the encouragement found in reading Christian biography. You can fight for joy through music, art, the commonplace, bodily health, suffering, exercise, and rest (chapter 11). Food & sex are occasions for gratitude to the Giver through the Word of God and prayer (1 Timothy 4:4f). Choosing to thank God may even cause our hearts to be moved to gratitude (for more on this, see the TRF post <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2012/11/fighting-for-gratitude_21.html">Fighting for Gratitude</a>).</li>
<li><b>Fight in community</b>: <i>"The fight for joy is a battle to be fought alongside comrades. We do not fight alone. To be a Christian is to be a part of the Body of Christ. We are meant to help each other fight for joy."</i> (page 173). For more, see the TRF post <a href="http://therelentlessfight.blogspot.com/2014/08/brothers-in-arms.html">Brothers in Arms</a>. </li>
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In summary, every one of us should be loving and treasuring God more than we already are. He is worthy of our highest affection! Piper's book will spur you on to pursue God and will give you practical strategies to fight for joy in Him. You can get the <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/books/when-i-dont-desire-god">FREE pdf of When I Don't Desire God here</a>, or purchase <a href="http://www.amazon.com/When-Dont-Desire-God-Fight/dp/1433543176/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1340303510&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=when+i+don%27t+desire+god&tag=desigod-20&linkCode">a hard copy from Amazon</a>. But if you prefer watching instead of reading, you can <a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/series/2005-regional-conference">watch online (for free!) Piper himself teaching a conference on When I Don't Desire God</a>. Or you can <a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-Dont-Desire-God-Fight/dp/1433502569">buy the DVD</a>.<br />
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Fighting for joy,<br />
The Relentless FightThe Relentless Fighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06232335866560515574noreply@blogger.com0