Step 3 – Learn « The Digital Christian.

This is from a blog about using social media to minister. This is an area fraught with problems and issues, but one that you should know about. This posting has some good links to get you started if you are seriously interested.

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This is an excerpt from my new book, “Finding the Power to Believe”.

Philippians Verse 2:12

“Therefore, as you have always obeyed, not only when I was there but also now that I am not, work out your salvation in deep reverence and careful caution” [MVP]

This is serious stuff. You need to be on guard, watching and cooperating with the Lord. It is a work—it doesn’t just happen magically overnight. It will take you the rest of your time here on the planet.

One of the major things you need to understand is that your salvation is a process. While it is true that people who accept Jesus on their death bed will make it to heaven. It is equally true that they will make it by the skin of their teeth and have no rewards built up.

Now these rewards are not something we earn. They are something we allow Jesus to do in us. Nevertheless they are real. Jesus explained this in the parable of the talents (among other places). You know the story. A man went on a trip (like the one Jesus is on now, seated at the right hand of the Father waiting for the time to bring us home with Him). Before he left, he gave each of his servants different talents.

This is like what we have been given when we are born.
We all have different talents. And we are all expected to do something with those talents. When the master came back he demanded an accounting.

The man with many talents had doubled his wealth. The master praised him and said, “you have been faithful in much and I will put you in charge of many things.

The slave who had been given few was told, “You Ave been faithful in few things. I will put you in charge of many things.” In other words, this slave had few talents, but he got the same reward as the slave with many talents. The goal was not how much wealth you acquire, but how faithful you were to be a good steward of what you were given.

However, for the slave with very few talents, who became terrified of the master and buried his talent (seemingly so he wouldn’t loose it) incurred the wrath of the master. He was told that just putting it in the bank to earn interest would have been acceptable.

But because he was too afraid to do anything and showed his lack of trust in the master (no faith), the following was told to him. Matthew 25: 28–30

“Then the master ordered, ‘Take the talent from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten talents. To those who are faithful in what they are given (db: whether they are given a little or a lot), even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless slave into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” [MVP]

It certainly looks like this is serious. Hiding your talents in fear—not working on your salvation—never doing what is necessary to grow in wisdom and stature in the Lord is an attitude showing lack of faith and can forfeit your salvation. I certainly do not want to be labeled a useless servant tossed out of the master’s household. Of course, this is a radical interpretation on my part. But how else can we read this? Working out your salvation is a serious and fearful (reverent) thing.

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One of the more common heresies running around the church today is that we must always speak positively, that negative confessions are, by definition bad. The truth of the matter is quite different.

II Timothy 3:16 {NKJV}

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”

God tells us the purpose in the next verse [let's use New Living this time]:

“God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”

Please notice that the second use of scripture if “for reproof”. The amplified expands this (and correction) to the following:

“for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience”

This does not sound like the power of positive speaking to me.

Jesus could be quite negative

Take the verse I harp on all the time—spoken to the church-goers of the day:

Matthew 7:21-23 [Amplified]

“Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name? And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].”

Notice that these are people using the name of Jesus in power—those whom we would call spirit-filled today. They prophesied, did exorcisms, and miracles in the name of Jesus. Yet, Jesus says to them the scariest words in scripture, “I never knew you: depart from me”.

May it never happen to any of us!

So, how are we to speak?

Paul says it best in Ephesians 4:15

“speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him”

OK, I understand speaking the truth, but that is to be done “in love” . Again Paul says it best in I Corinthians 13: 4–6 [NASB]

“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;”

So, even if the truth hurts we are responsible to be patient, kind, humble, meek, un-offended, in the moment, and happy with the truth as it is reveled. But, we mustn’t pull back if the truth requires a rebuke, a warning, or a so-called negative expression.

If we are prayed for about healing, we are not to lie if it still hurts but positively confess that we’re healed. However, I see nothing wrong with saying, “I haven’t seen the manifestation yet, but I am convinced that He will heal me and stop the pain.” [But only if that is really the truth about how you feel.]

God never requires us to lie. If you think that is what is happening in your life, bite your lip, zip your yap, and don’t say anything until you can say the truth. Sure that is difficult sometimes. But the Christian walk requires nothing less.

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Guilty as charged!

Maybe it’s just me, but I rarely find a place where I can really say what I feel. A lot of it is my shyness and timidity on social situations. I can hear the laughing and the “yea, right!”s—but I ask you, “How many of you have seen me in a social situation?” Surely you can see my motivation to teach and write.

However, as a writer and teacher, I really need to be careful. First of all, scripture says I’ll be judged more severely than non-teachers.

James 3:1 esv Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

So, I really want to be in control of what I say. In addition, I really find that it is easy to miss opportunities by offending people—especially Christians. I really don’t know why that is such a problem. One of the fruits of the spirit is to not be easily offended. I usually write it off to personal taste; that I do not like fashion; that I do not like crowds; that I do not like sports; and on & on.  It’s more likely that my flesh is really obnoxious.

However, there’s no place for speaking in the flesh

That’s one of the main reasons I do not like the phone or face-to-face meetings. It’s not that my reactions are bad—they’re not thought out. Every time I get off the phone and talk about the conversation I always get, “Why didn’t you ask…” “What are they doing…” I never have an answer. Talking in reaction to interaction is fearful for me because I do not trust my flesh at all. It always gets me in trouble.

What about my call?

Maybe the problem is who I am designed to be. I know the Lord has used me as a prophet—and no one likes prophets. I know that I was trained as an “artist” dealing with getting in touch with my personal vision. I know that I’m creative, in my limited up-tight manner. But this cannot be an excuse to be rude or uncaring or self-centered. I must put down my flesh and walk by the Spirit. Only in the Holy spirit do I have any hope of getting past myself.

I must pull my punches

There is no room for me to allow the flesh free rein at all. My ideal and goal is peace, joy, gentleness, self-control. I have to focus on my audience and seek to hear what they need—what the Lord would have me share, what Jesus wants to say in the situation.

It is always fascinating to watch one of these postings as it develops. So far I have written and tossed a half dozen complete paragraphs and several more sentences. I began with a four/five paragraph stream of consciousness and I think all of that is gone now. The entire point and focus of it has radically changed as I pray and repent to hear better. This is the way it should be. I’m not an apostle or leader. I’m a prophet/teacher. My responsiblility is to be much more careful of what I say. Jesus’ words are really scary to me,

Matthew 12:36-7 esv “… I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

What could be more worrisome to an artist/author who merely tries to be a good steward of the ideas he is given? Before Jesus, I was the arbiter. I was taught in school that good is defined as what I like. What a shock it was to discover absolute truth and its personification [& what a relief]. Now, the Holy spirit has the final say—I hope.

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Receiving the empowerment of the Lord

As we remember the first Pentecost of the church, it is important that we make sure we have experienced our personal pentecost.

It’s a separate event

Is this baptism necessary for salvation? I doubt it, but it might be.

However, I wouldn’t relax into that. Look at the quote above out of John 1. Jesus is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. Luke says the same in Acts 1—adding that we shall receive power. Is seems to be part of the normal equipment of a born again believer. So, if you haven’t experienced it yet, you should be asking the Lord why not.

It is silly [at best] to not have the power available active in your life

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• The Spirit Skips, God Dances (gatheringinlight.com)

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Possession has a really bad ring to it, doesn’t it?

However, that is simply due to the fact that we almost always preface possession with demon. This is a bad thing. However, the Holy Spirit is God himself and a gentleman at the very least. This is a spirit you should covet. This is a spirit you want to possess you, to fill you to overflowing.

Maintaining spiritual security

We do not listen to anyone we don’t know.

We only accept information from sources we trust.

We never give our password to those who ask.

We have strong junk filters

We only register on trusted Sites

We need the Holy Spirit

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