Conviction vs Condemnation

Many Christians confuse these two very different experiences. Conviction comes from God through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said,

I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for hif I do not go away, ithe Helper will not come to you. But jif kI go, lI will send him to you. 8 mAnd when he comes, he will nconvict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, obecause they do not believe in me; 10 pconcerning righteousness, qbecause I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 rconcerning judgment, because the ruler of this world sis judged.
h ch. 7:39
i ch. 15:26; [ch. 14:16]
j [Acts 2:33]
k ch. 14:2
l See ch. 14:26
m [ch. 8:28]
n [ch. 8:46]
o ch. 8:24; [Acts 2:36, 37; 1 Cor. 12:3]
p [Acts 17:31]
q ver. 16, 17, 19
r See ch. 12:31
s [Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14]
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Jn 16:7-11).

Conviction is a good thing. It exposes the sin in our hearts so that we can deal with it. It inspires and leads us to repentance and Godly change. It draws us to God to receive mercy in the time of need and grace for the ensuing battle with our carnal nature.

Condemnation can come from the Devil (the accuser of the brethren) and sometimes out of our own heart. The apostle Paul wrote,

8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.1 2 For the law of hthe Spirit of life ihas set you2 free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For jGod has done what the law, kweakened by the flesh, lcould not do. mBy sending his own Son nin the likeness of sinful flesh and ofor sin,3 he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that pthe righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, qwho walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For rthose who live according to the flesh set their minds on sthe things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on tthe things of the Spirit. 6 To set uthe mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
1 Some manuscripts add who walk not according to the flesh (but according to the Spirit)
h 1 Cor. 15:45; 2Cor. 3:6
i ver. 12; See ch. 6:14, 18; 7:4ff
2 Some manuscripts me
j Heb. 10:1, 2, 10, 14; See Acts 13:39
k Gal. 4:9; Heb. 7:18
l Heb. 10:6, 8
m 2 Cor. 5:21
n Phil. 2:7; See John 1:14
o Lev. 16:5; Heb. 10:6, 8; 13:11
3 Or and as a sin offering
p ch. 1:32; 2:26
q Gal. 5:16, 25
r [Gal. 6:8]
s Gal. 5:19-21
t Gal. 5:22, 23, 25
u ver. 13; [Col. 2:18]; See ch. 6:21
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Ro 8:1-6).

And John the apostle wrote,

20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (1 Jn 3:20).

Condemnation will encourage you to give up. To quit. It has a ring of finality to it. Conviction on the other hand inspires us to pray and commune with God. To continue to war with our carnal nature.

31 What then shall we say to these things? pIf God is for us, who can be3 against us? 32 qHe who did not spare his own Son but rgave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? sIt is God who justifies. 34 tWho is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—uwho is at the right hand of God, vwho indeed is interceding for us.4 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, w “ For your sake xwe are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than yconquerors through zhim who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
p Num. 14:9; 2 Kin. 6:16; Ps. 118:6; 1 John 4:4
3 Or who is
q John 3:16
r See ch. 4:25
s Isai. 50:8, 9; [Rev. 12:10, 11]
t ver. 1
u See Mark 16:19
v Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1; [ver. 27]
4 Or Is it Christ Jesus who died … for us?
w Cited from Ps. 44:22
x 1 Cor. 4:9; 15:30, 31; 2 Cor. 4:10, 11; See Acts 20:24ff
y 1 Cor. 15:57; See John 16:33
z Gal. 2:20; Eph. 5:2; Rev. 1:5; 3:9
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Ro 8:31-39).

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.urcwc.org/

Criticism That Counts

This is a reprint from John Maxwell's leadership wired. I thought it was timely and well presented so I wanted to re-post it here.

Americans have a warped view of criticism. Unfortunately, most of us see criticism almost exclusively in a negative light. We dish it out tactlessly, use it to tear down rivals, and attack others with it even when we have no authority to do so.

It certainly doesn't help that we are inundated with poor examples of criticism in the media. For starters, consider American Idol's British judge, Simon Cowell. It's not uncommon for Simon's scathing criticisms to elicit tears from contestants. His words are given sincerely, but heartlessly. Watching Simon, it's as if he relishes finding faults in another's imperfections.

Election season paints another ugly picture of criticism. Politicians wield it like an ax to cut down their opponents. Instead of debating ideas in a civil forum, too often politicians lower themselves into a mudslinging contest.

Another media avenue, the blogosphere, has become criticism central in America. Bloggers attack the character of leaders they don't know and rail against decisions made in circumstances they could never understand. Far too frequently, their inflammatory tone escalates conflict without adding any substantial value to the interplay of ideas.

CRITICISM DEFINED
Given the less than stellar models of criticism prevailing in society, we need a healthy definition of criticism along with practical guidance for giving and receiving it. In an April 1st article for BusinessWeek, Dr. Bruce Weinstein gives us exactly that. Here's how he describes the value of criticism:

"The goal of true criticism is to help someone be the best they can be…When criticism is done appropriately, the person who has been criticized will understand what he or she has done wrong and will feel inspired to make a change for the better. Not only should we not avoid being criticized, we should embrace criticism because it is the only way we can continue to grow professionally and personally."

The following practical tips are intended to flesh out the ways we can begin to embrace and wisely employ criticism as leaders.

WHEN GIVING CRITICISM
Encouragement helps criticism to land.
Before a pilot lands an aircraft, she goes through a series of procedures to make the plane touch down as smoothly as possible. The pilot gently drops altitude, gradually cuts back on speed, and lowers landing gear at just the right moment. If these steps are handled incorrectly, the ride is certain to be turbulent and may end up in disaster.

For criticism to "land" well, it must be preceded by encouragement. Leaders deafen their people to criticism when they neglect to encourage them regularly. If leaders are silent after victory but outspoken during defeat, then team morale plummets. It's difficult to stay open to suggestions for improvement under what feels like a constant barrage of negativity.

Criticism should avoid being personal.
Criticism should avoid being personal, but it should have the support of a personal relationship. To prevent personal insult, leaders should carefully pinpoint specific actions or ideas to criticize. People can accept negative feedback of their performance, but they bristle when they feel their personhood is under attack.

Leaders effectively deliver constructive criticism when they have taken the time to acquaint themselves with those they lead. Without relational connection, the person receiving criticism may feel their leader has a personal vendetta against them. However, if they are convinced their leader respects their efforts and values their growth, they are more likely to be receptive to tough words.

WHEN RECEIVING CRITICISM
Selectively filter criticism
The higher up a person goes in leadership, the more criticism he or she will receive—guaranteed. While some criticism builds up, other criticism tears down. Leaders must learn to distinguish between the two.
The acid test of criticism is made up of three questions:
Does the criticism have basis in fact?
Is the criticism offered constructively (in an effort to help)?
Does the critic have the insight and perspective to speak credibly?
When all three questions can be answered, "yes," then a leader should take the criticism seriously and weigh its meaning. If any question can be answered, "no," then a leader is best served to let the criticism go in one ear and out the other.

Avoid Extremes
A leader who routinely dismisses criticism chokes off vital feedback. When leaders ignore or suppress opposing views, they miss the opportunity to sharpen their ideas. Wise leaders want to be challenged, not coddled. They surround themselves with voices that speak what they need to hear instead of saying only what they want to hear.
On the other extreme, leaders with thin skin are rattled by all manner of criticism. They agonize over the opinions of people whose input is uninformed and unintended to be helpful. They allow second-guessing to cut into their confidence. Ultimately, such a leaders cede authority by subjecting their decision-making to the approval of outsiders.

Listen, Listen, Listen
Sincere criticism rarely comes without a morsel of truth. For a leader, the trick is to stay open when confronted with negative feedback. When criticized, people are tempted to react defensively, angrily, or from a place of hurt. With emotions swirling about inside, it can be difficult to keep listening and to absorb critical comments.
Those who gain the most out of criticism hold their tongue and control their emotions in order to gain access to hard truths. By listening and remaining objective, they grow increasingly self-aware and improve their leadership.
For more advice on addressing criticism, you can read Dr. Bruce Weinstein's BusinessWeek article, "How to Give and Receive Criticism."

"The only man who behaves sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measurements anew every time he sees me, while all the rest go on with their old measurements and expect me to fit them." ~ George Bernard Shaw

"This article is used by permission from Dr. John C. Maxwell's free monthly e-newsletter, "Leadership Wired," available at www.injoy.com."

Grace and Peace,
Ed
http://www.realfoodforlife.blogspot.com/

The Power of Grace

God knows our struggles and our inability to overcome them on our own. He has extended to us His powerful grace. Yet, we must first stop depending on our own efforts before He will demonstrate His power and might in our lives. Only when we recognize and acknowledge our total weakness can we ask for and receive the power of God’s grace.

If we were totally honest with ourselves, most of us would probably acknowledge that we try to live for God to the best of our abilities, and then when special problems come we ask God for the strength to get through them. However, herein lies the problem! Living for the Lord is not our works plus God’s grace; it is completely a work of God’s grace in our weaknesses. In order to remind us of our inability to do any acceptable work for God apart from His grace, He gives us inborn weaknesses.

God is allowing us to see our total need and dependence on Him and His grace through our weakness and through the incongruencies in us and in those we live and work with. Three times the Apostle Paul appealed to God to remove his particular weakness, which he called a “thorn in the flesh.” However, God explained: “… My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness …” (II Corinthians 12:9). The Greek word translated as strength in this verse is dunamis. It means “force … power.” The phrase is made perfect is a translation of teleioo, which means “to complete … accomplish.” It denotes “to bring to the end (goal) proposed.” When Paul comprehended the great potential of God’s power being perfected in his weakness, he exclaimed: “… Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power [dunamis] of Christ may rest upon me” (II Corinthians 12:9).

The Greek word translated may rest means “to tent upon.” It carries the idea of abiding and dwelling with. As long as we are in the “tent” of God’s grace, we are enabled to accomplish great things for Him. However, if we try to live the Christian life in our own energy, frustration and failure will be the results.

God’s grace is His divine favor toward us, and it gives us the desire and power to do His will. Jesus declared, “I can of mine own self do nothing …” (John 5:30). Yet, He was “full of grace and truth” to carry out His heavenly Father’s will. (See John 1:14.) Paul stated the same thing: “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (I Corinthians 15:10).

We must recognize and embrace our total inability to do anything for God apart from His grace, and “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Grace , grace wonderful grace

grace by which I stand

Grace, grace wonderful grace

Keeps me in His plan

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.urcwc.org/

God is looking for you!

Prophet Kim Clement sent me this e-mail today and I wanted to share it here.

When we understand that God is in search of man (us), more so than man in search of God, our spiritual experience is greatly enhanced. What does this mean in terms of communication? Over and over we try to hear God’s voice to find direction in our lives, and we spend countless hours in search of Him, only to find out that He was always close-by, but because we didn’t recognize Him, we ran.

We consider God mysterious and almost unattainable, but the great mystery is that God is actually in search of you. So how do I draw His attention? How will He know where I am, and what are the ingredients needed to assist Him in “finding” me? People would be offended at the thought of God “trying” to find them. Is He blind, deaf or unable to know His own created being?

Throughout Biblical history, we find that God “reveals” Himself to man. God continuously visited Abraham, and the obvious ingredient that drew God to him, was FAITH. Think about friendship for a minute. Would you go uninvited to someone’s home? Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable knowing that they in fact wanted you there at a specific time, and took the time to ask you over? How do we invite God? It’s faith in praise, prayer, sacrifice, obedience and other unselfish acts that invite God. The key, however, is knowing how to respond to revelation, because God reveals Himself more than He shows Himself - there is a difference. To reveal means to unveil something that was at first intended to be private, to divulge the meaning of making known something previously concealed or secret.

In other words, when prophetic revelation takes place, your mind has never experienced it before, therefore, you have entered into something strange and new. With this in mind, you have choices to make, to reject or accept it. Most people operate by fear and reject the unknown. It takes perception and faith to embrace something that you sense is right, but intellectually you are unsure of.

When God created Adam and Eve, He left them in the Garden to begin the journey for mankind. During that period, their understanding of God went from what they had experienced to what they had heard, from a complete stranger – the serpent Satan. Misrepresenting God, the serpent said to them, “God knows that in the day you eat of the fruit, your eyes will be opened, and you will BE LIKE GOD, knowing good and evil.” So his proposition was that they could “be like God,” having more power due to their new perception.

Unfortunately, their new sight blinded them to God and opened their eyes to themselves. God came to visit them one day and was rudely interrupted by a retreating Adam. No longer was God welcome, because Adam could only see one thing; that he was naked and afraid of God. His perception of himself was lowered to, “I heard your voice and I was afraid because I was naked.” He saw himself naked. Good God, I don’t blame him! God searched for Adam – Adam did not search for God.

God, in the form of man here on Earth, Jesus Christ, searched for man. He found His disciples and called them to Himself and yet Philip tells Nathaniel, “We have found the Messiah.” No. REVELATION IS NOT AN ACT OF MAN SEEKING GOD, BUT OF HIS BEING SOUGHT AFTER – AN ACT IN GOD’S SEARCH FOR MAN. Israel’s history originated with the initiative of God, not the efforts of man. Yet Jacob wrestled with God, sending Him an invitation to come to his house and experience him. God responded by giving Jacob the honorable and noble name, Israel, for you have struggled with God and with men and have PREVAILED!

Jacob did not search for God; he struggled with God. We all struggle with God, because we are so determined to know more about Him, so that we can have more power, when we should rather just experience God and enjoy Him. God reveals to Jacob his true name, Israel, because that is what God experienced when he found the true person in Jacob. However, when Jacob pleads to God, “Tell me your name, I pray,” God replies, “Why is it that you ask about my name?” I find this interesting because it’s almost like God is challenging Jacob about his motive in finding out God’s name.

Revelation should not be rejected because of it’s being incomprehensible. That which is incomprehensible must not be considered UNREAL. Prophetic revelation is not merely an act of experience, but an act of being experienced, overwhelmed and taken over by Him. It is impossible to believe that trials and troubles are a waste of time and worth nothing.

Now that I have been through three decades of walking with God, I am convinced that trials and troubles are only revelations in disguise, because I have discovered glorious truths about myself that eventually became part of my makeup and my expression. Character has been built with strength and virtue, which only paints my soul with delightful colors. Trials are part of our lot; they were predestinated for us in Christ’s last legacy. He has ordained their season and their place, their intensity and the effect they shall have upon us. Good men must never expect to escape troubles, for if they do, they will be disappointed; for none of our predecessors have been without them. Note the patience of Job and remember Abraham, for he had his trials, and by his faith under them, he was rewarded as the “Father of the Faithful.” Note the biographies of all the patriarchs, prophets, apostles and martyrs, and you will discover that none of those whom God made vessels of mercy escaped the fire of affliction.

I have been through a season of trial and I’m excited to find out what God found and experienced in me during this period. As human beings we value pleasure far above friction and stress. I hate anxiety. It is the cause of so much unnecessary stress and ungodliness. The Bible teaches us to be anxious for nothing. Anxiety is a thief. It robs you of your dignity, and positions you so that you are constantly on the lookout for an alternative to God.

To hear more from Kim go to http://www.kimclement.com/

Grace and Peace,

Ed

www.urcwc.org

Church of Oprah?

"New York University professor Paul Vitz once observed, "Contemporary psychology is a form of secular humanism based on the rejection of God and the worship of the self." In her substitution of psychology for theology, Oprah Winfrey has become a high priestess and icon of the psychologization of American society. When she features prominent New Age figures on her television show, she helps to mainstream New Age influences and philosophies among millions of Americans. Her substitution of spirituality for biblical Christianity, her promotion of forgiveness without atonement, and her references to a god "without labels" puts her at the epicenter of a seismic cultural earthquake." (Taken from http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2005-11-29 )

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
The Holy Bible : King James Version. (Heb 1:1-4).

2 Tim 4:3
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
The Holy Bible : King James Version. (2 Jn 7-11).

There is no Christ-less gospel! Anything that exalts itself above the name of Jesus or claims victory over sin without the blood of Jesus or declares true and ultimate freedom without Jesus' resurrection is simply a false doctrine! He is the Way, the Truth and the Life! Christ in you is the hope of glory!

God bless Oprah and give her the grace she needs to carry such a responsibility with fear and trembling as she ought! Let her fully understand the impact that she has on people and therefore use it for your Kingdom! Lead her not into temptation and deliver her from evil!

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.urcwc.org/

Full Time Ministry

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." - Colossians 3:23-24

Every person who has followed the will of God in their life is in full-time Christian work. God calls some to the mission field, others to be accountants, and others to be advertising executives, and still others to be construction workers. God never made a distinction between sacred and secular. In fact, the Hebrew word avodah is the root word having the same meaning of "work" and "worship." God sees our work as worship.

We have incorrectly elevated the role of the Christian worker to be more holy and committed than the person who is serving in a more secular environment. Yet the call to the secular workplace is as important as any other calling. God has to have His people in every sphere of life. Otherwise, many would never come to know Him because they would be separated from society.
We are all in missions. Some are called to foreign lands. Some are called to the jungles of the workplace. Wherever you are called, serve the Lord in that place. Let Him demonstrate His power through your life so that others might experience Him through you today and see your vocation as worship to His glory.

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
The Holy Bible : King James Version. Php 2:15

Grace and Peace,

Ed

Get 25% off Logos Bible Software...Rjonodde@aol.com

Loving God with our Whole Heart

Imagine an athlete, a young man who has been training for years to qualify for the Olympics as a runner. Every day he is up before dawn, preparing his body and mind for the competition that consumes his thoughts. He lives and breathes to run.

As the week of the Olympic trials finally draws near, how much time does he devote to thinking about other pursuits and interests? He doesn’t have time for them! They are distractions to his one goal—achieving his dream of qualifying for the Olympics. This intense, all-consuming passion for a single goal should characterize our love for God.

I know that all of us who are Christians have felt this way about the Lord at one time or another. It's natural. When we see Him we are overwhelmed by His grace, mercy, love and holiness! But the challenge for us, especially those of us in America, is to stay that way. In love and impassioned with Him and spending time in His presence.

It is this intense search for God that He desires and rewards. Thus, He states, “Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). It is halfhearted, casual interest in God that makes a person vulnerable to attractive worldly distractions. These distractions draw our hearts away from God, choke out His Word, and cause us to leave our first love. (See Mark 4:18–19 and Revelation 2:4.)

In speaking of his wholehearted search, David said, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4). Paul also testified to this continual seeking after God when he stated, “… That I may know him [Jesus], and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings …” (Philippians 3:10).

I remember courting my wife. You can remember your true first love. Even while at work or school your mind is focused on your time together. It is the center of your day. It affects everything you do! The challenge becomes keeping your eye single. Especially after 5, 10, 20 or 40 years. To hold her special when she says no. To care for her and the things that concern her. But those that have learned how and then purposed in their heart to do it have reaped all of the wonderful rewards of deep long term relationships.

We discern the “face of the Lord” with our spirit. Seeking His face is seeking His favor. Just as we can sense from a person’s facial expressions whether or not we are bringing him pleasure or displeasure or receiving his approval or disapproval, through God’s Word we can seek His face and discern what brings Him pleasure and receives His approval.

IICor.3:12-18 says, "Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. The Holy Bible : King James Version.

David enjoyed fellowship with God as he communed with the Lord through His Word. He made this communion an active part of his life as he went to sleep, got up in the night watches, and awakened in the morning. (See Psalm 4:8, 5:1.) David's Word came as he communed with God in meditation, prayer and in song. The Word is Jesus Christ! While David was tending his father's sheep he wound think about God and His greatness and on breaks he would break out his instrument and sing and worship God. God loved it and called David "a man after my own heart"! And God would speak, counsel and direct David as any good friend would.

Love is not a static condition. It is a dynamic, active relationship. Living moment by moment in the presence of the Lord and seeking His face is one of the primary ways we love God. “… In thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

King Uzziah discovered the rewards of seeking the Lord. “… As long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper” (II Chronicles 26:5). The wisest decisions we can make is the decision to love the Lord with all our hearts and continually seek after Him. Let’s demonstrate that love for God by communing with Him through His Word.

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Is 40:28-31

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.urcs.blogspot.com/

God with us

Today I would like to share something I read from Bill Gothard B.A., M.A., Ph.D.Institute in Basic Life Principles Oak Brook, Illinois. Bill is founder and president of the Institute in Basic Life Principles, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to serving youth and families through God-ordained leaders.

After 15 years of working with inner-city gangs, church youth groups, high school clubs, youth camps, and families in crisis, Bill wrote his master’s thesis on a youth program that eventually led to seven Biblical, non-optional principles of life which, when followed, will result in harmonious relationships in all areas of life.

These principles are based on the commands of Christ and have now been taught for more than 40 years in seminars around the world. Millions of people have found lasting help from this 32-hour seminar. Today, third-generation families continue to report life-changing transformations from the truths they learned at Basic Seminars.

As a result of applying the principles taught in these seminars to practical needs, the Institute has been able to serve public schools, juvenile court systems, prisons, and business and community leaders. It has become an international organization with training centers in the United States and other countries.

The work of the Institute involves a home-education program, a law school, an accelerated learning program, and over 60 other ministries, including juvenile rehabilitation programs, two orphanages, and the Air Land Emergency Resource Team (ALERT).

Bill Gothard received his B.A. (1957) and M.A. (1961) degrees from Wheaton College and, a Ph.D. (2004) degree from Louisiana Baptist University.

Bill has a daily e-mail program he calls Daily Sucess and this is an excerpt from today's e-mail:

As the Body of Christ, we are a corporate temple of God. Paul states, “Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (II Corinthians 6:16). Furthermore, every believer is also an individual temple. To the individual, Paul writes, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16).

As a living temple of God, a believer’s life is to be characterized by prayer. The same type of worship that was conducted in the Temple can now be carried out in the temples of our bodies.
In the days of the Temple on Mount Zion, the worshipers were to enter His gates with thanksgiving and enter His courts with praise. (See Psalm 100:4.) Today we are to speak to ourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord. (See Ephesians 5:19.)

Before entering the holy place, the people offered their sacrifices and washed their hands at the laver by the door. We are to offer the sacrifices of praise and cleanse our hands and purify our hearts as we draw near to God. (See Hebrews 13:15 and James 4:8.)

Inside the holy place were three items: the candlesticks, which represented the light of God’s Word; the showbread, which represented the living Word of God; and the continual incense, which represented the day-and-night prayers of believers.

The most holy place contained the Ark of the Covenant. Only the high priest was allowed to enter this part of the Temple. Now, as believers, we can come boldly to God’s throne of grace because of the blood sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. (See Hebrews 4:16.)

Every believer has the glorious liberty to worship: “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God … in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord …” (Ephesians 2:19–21). Let’s purpose to be a dynamic house of prayer for God!

Wow! Imagine, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit! God dwells in us corporately and individually. Individually in measure and corporately without measure. Together, we are the body of Christ. The manifestation of God on the earth. We are the salt. We are the light. Because He lives so do we.

My desire today is to apply faith to the Word of God as it relates to this teaching! That I may apprehend that for which I was apprehended of God!

You can get Dr. Gothard's "Daily Success" teaching for yourself by going to: http://iblp.org/iblp/discipleship/dailysuccess/

Grace and Peace,

Ed

http://www.urcs.blogspot.com/