SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #84 ---- 8/23/99
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
As We fight The Good Fight
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #84 ---- 8/23/99
TITLE: "What Keeps You Going?" (Part Three ---- "The Source of My
Worth")
My Dear Battle Partner:
You are hearing from a very proud father and grandfather today! Hope you
don't mind. My alma mater (and that of three of my children) featured
one of our daughters and her husband and three adopted children from
Russia as the cover story of their latest alumni newspaper. You can
imagine our shock when we opened the paper to see Cheri, Bob, Misha,
Katja, and Seriozha grinning back at us.
It was more than a personal joy, however. It was another indicator of
God's faithfulness to have given us a world view of the Gospel, and how
He has further confirmed His promises to us from Psalm 2:8; 67:7, and
Isaiah 61:1-4. God is good, indeed!
FURTHER Y2K INFO:
Here is some info from one of my former mission team members that gives
further help regarding something I sent on August 8th. Obviously you
cannot rely totally on the steps mentioned in that article, but must make
sure your computer is fully compliant. Her note reads . . .
"There's this rumor going around which states that as long as you change
your date settings in the control panel regional settings folder, you
will avoid a possible computer crash when the year changes. However,
this [following] article was sent out by Windows stating that this was
only an internal appearance setting and has nothing to do with Y2K
compliance."
Looks like I may have been "taken" with the article two weeks ago. Just
thought you should know. Here is the actual text of the message from
Microsoft:
"There is a hoax email in circulation on the Internet concerning the Y2K
compliance of Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT. There are various
versions of this mail which resemble the text below:
"Every copy of Windows will fail on January 1st unless you fix it now, to
fix it...
"Click on 'My Computer'.
"Click on 'Control Panel'.
"Click on 'Regional Settings'.
"Click on the 'Date' tab. Where it says, 'Short Date' look and see if it
shows a 'two Digit' year. Of course it does. That's the default setting
for Windows 95, 98 and NT. This date RIGHT HERE is the date that feeds
application software and WILL NOT rollover in the year 2000. It will
roll over to 00. Click on the button across from 'Short Date Style' and
select the option that shows mm/dd/yyyy. Be sure your selection has four
Y's showing, not two.
"Click 'Apply' and then click on 'OK' at the bottom. Easy enough to fix.
However, every single installation of Windows worldwide is defaulted to
fail Y2K rollover.
"Thanks and have a great day.
"FACTS about Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT and Y2K..
"Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT are compliant assuming
all recommended actions specified in the respective compliance documents
have been taken. The steps above are not required actions and do not have
to be performed in order to obtain compliance.
"The short date format style in Regional Settings is a display setting
only. Dates are stored and processed by Windows in a 4 digit format
regardless of the short date format style selected in Regional settings.
Customers can use the regional settings tab to adjust how the date is
displayed (e.g. mm/dd/yy or mm/dd/yyyy).
"In order to avoid ambiguous dates, Microsoft recommends using 4 digit's
when entering date data and expanding the date field in regional setting
to 4 digits. However this is not required to attain compliance."
LAST WEEK'S LETTER:
The following excerpts from a letter I received last Monday from a very
dear long-time friend blessed me so much; I hope they will bless you as
well.
"Dear Bob; I must respond to a wonderful and healing article like this
weeks newsletter. You stripped away our phoniness and facades and opened
us up to real ministry. . . .
"I have myself struggled with the worldly ideas of the success syndrome
in the pastorate. I have decided to take the road less traveled. To try
to be a faithful servant of the Most High and Wonderful God we serve.
When I did that I started growing again in Christ.
"Performance and success syndrome accomplishments make us feel Godly but
do not really bring fellowship with our suffering Lord.
"We need to continue to pray for a conference that will share
encouragement to pastors. Most are led by pastors who are the
mega-church pastors and they only tell you how they got to the top."
THE STRUGGLE WITH VALUE:
Even though I was raised in the home of a godly, Bible-believing,
Bible-preaching pastor, my spirit never caught the truth of what it
really meant to become a Christian.
When I accepted Christ at age six, I clearly understood that, even though
I was yet a little boy with no "gutter" experiences of life, I still was
a sinner living a life of independence and separation from God. I knew I
needed my sins forgiven, and Jesus would do that because of His love and
His crucifixion. I knew that, if I accepted Him, I would escape hell and
would go to heaven someday.
I wanted that with all my heart.
Next, as an adolescent I began to learn the joy of following Him, and
began to comprehend the relief and security of knowing He had saved me
eternally. I also knew the courage He gave me to stand for what I
believed and for Whom I knew.
Then, with the teen years came the typical growing pains that move you
from a child to an adult, often still a child with an adult body.
However, during those years I came to learn the enabling ministry of the
Holy Spirit to help me resist temptation, hold my temper, and maintain at
least some of my basic convictions.
During those late teen years, as a freshman at a Christian junior college
in the midwestern United States, I came to understand that God wanted me
to serve Him not only as a lifestyle, but also as a vocation.
Throughout my college and graduate studies in seminary I learned more and
more theology and methodology regarding ministry, and tried to implement
much of what I learned in hands-on ministry settings.
Through it all, however, I somehow missed the message that my sense of
worth and value not only would not and could not be found in my own
attempts to gain them, but that God wasn't particularly impressed with
either my efforts or my own character. Due to nobody's fault in
particular, I pretty well concluded that, while I knew He loved me, He
didn't really approve of me.
And, if He didn't, then who would? Probably nobody.
I soon discovered that I was not alone in that mind set, but there were
others who struggled with the same sense of identity-seeking,
approval-grasping, performance-based attempts of gaining God's favor. I
heard it over coffee with my friends, I read it in books, I was
confronted with it in religious periodicals, and I heard it fired at me
from every front as great pulpiteers thundered it loud and clear from
conference and convention podiums.
Then one day, a day I remember as if it were today, God broke through
during a period of great revival, and changed my life forever. Exposed
to the freshness of the Holy Spirit's activity over a duration of nearly
two years in a local church setting, I came to intellectually understand
that it is "Not I, But Christ!" who makes the difference. I still
remember Jay Davis declaring back in 1966, "living the Christian life is
not difficult ---- it is impossible."
For the first time in my life my mind comprehended something of what it
meant as a new creation to "be In Christ". Writers like Andrew Murray,
Hanna Whitall Smith, Ruth Paxon, L. E. Maxwell, Watchman Nee, Norman
Grubb, Roy Hession, and dozens of others began to bless my soul as the
reality of "the deeper life", the "Keswick" message, the "crucified
life", the "exchanged life" (or whatever other term you might use) grew
and grew in my own heart.
But it takes a long time to break old habits and sometimes even longer to
re-program old thoughts.
The day (actually, the late night) when the Holy Spirit finally broke
through with the reality of Romans chapters six through eight was a major
turning point. I will never forget the sense of awe and amazement that
flooded my thoughts when I finally realized that God had truly set me
free from sin, that it was not necessary for sin to rule my life, that I
didn't have to sin, and that when I did sin He had provided Jesus as my
Advocate to deal with that sin.
Yet, it has taken years to see even a portion of the end result in
practical everyday life and ministry. And, God has used scores of people
in my life to teach me and show me the living reality of His great truths
as revealed in Scripture. Many of us fail to realize that what is
revealed in Scripture must also be applied in real life by the work of
the Holy Spirit.
Three such people were Dr. Jack Taylor, Dr. Danny Daniels, and great
Chinese pastor and writer Watchman Nee. Taylor helped me understand
God's divine purpose for man. Nee showed me the uniqueness of God's
divinely designed man and how it could be restored. Daniels showed me in
practical reality just what the death, resurrection, and ascended reign
of Jesus Christ accomplished for me in real life, and how integral it was
to my understanding of living and serving victoriously.
SEARCHING FOR MY WORTH:
Reviewing things about which I have written in earlier letters, I learned
that, according to "The Sensation of Being Somebody" by an author whose
name evades me, man has three basic God-given drives:
1) The Need to Feel Worth while
2) The Need to Belong
3) The Need to Feel Competent
As a youth minister years ago I found teens articulating it differently
---- but saying essentially the same thing:
1) "Who am I?"
2) "Why am I here?"
3) "What can I do with my life?"
When Jo Ann shared those earlier points with me during a 1986 conference
in Seattle, WA, my mind immediately "computed" to Jack Taylor's
description of God's purpose for man as identified in Genesis 1:26:
1) In His Image ---- an Expression of God's Presence.
2) In His Likeness ---- an Extension of God's Purpose.
3) Having Dominion ---- an Exhibition of God's Power.
That outline fully satisfied my question about my own value, reason to
live, and competence in ministry. And, frankly, my dear friend, that is
the bottom line in ministry. Wherever we are, whoever we are, whatever
we're doing, we are to simply be an Expression of God's presence ---- yet
we often insist on being center stage, or at least clearly visible. No
hidden ministry for us!
We are to be an Extension of God's Purpose ---- yet we find it so easy to
create our own purpose and plans and then ask God to put His stamp of
permission on it. Somehow, we often act like we know better than God
what His plans and purposes are.
We are to be an Exhibition of God's Power ---- yet we try to exert our
own energy and end up exposing our total ineptness in effectively serving
the Lord. We'd often rather be explainable in man's eyes (and praised
for it) than be unexplainable apart from God.
Then, because our focus has turned upon ourselves, where we are
subsequently disappointed with what we see or how we behave, we turn to
the approval and acceptance of others for our sense of worth. We do
whatever is required to gain affirmation and accolades from man ---- not
necessarily because we are proud, but because we are insecure and fearful
of being rejected.
Soon, we discover our ministry and our very lives are being molded by our
futile efforts of performance and the fickle responses of people often
with no more sense than we have. By then, it's too late ---- or too
costly ---- to suffer the humiliation of admission and the humility of
change.
Our lives, subsequently, become wrapped up in twisted perversions of what
God really intended for us from the innocence of the Garden. We fall
into the trap of Babel, that Luciferian drive so diabolically articulated
in Isaiah 14:13-14 and then parroted to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:6. Our
ancestors fell for it, and after passing that genetic seed on to their
children, spent the rest of their lives trying to grasp again that which
they had so tragically lost.
Man's clamor to find answers to those three drives led them to
unthinkable alliances with demonically driven creatures as they rose to
become "mighty men", where their "wickedness was great on the earth" and
"every intent of the thoughts of their hearts" was overpowering with a
driving insatiable appetite (Gen 6:4-5).
God THEN sent a message to man through Noah. When they didn't heed the
appeal for restoration, He sent a flood.
Then He sent a rainbow ---- but man didn't understand ---- and continued
to be driven by carnal appetites to find
God's divine plan. And along came Babel.
"I know what we can do! Let's build ourselves a city, and a tower whose
top will reach into heaven, and let us make a name for ourselves!" (Gen
11:4).
If you strain hard, you can almost hear those distant voices of the past:
1) "Who are we? We have to be of worth! Let's make a name for
ourselves!"
2) "Why are we here? We must belong to something! Let's have a
city!"
3) "What can we do? We must exert our power! Let's make brick and
build a tower!"
And the pursuit for purpose and fulfillment marched on, and continues
today ---- but the world doesn't know any better.
It continues even in the church ---- but we should know better!
1) "Who are we? We have value! You can tell by our label!"
2) "Why are we here? We deserve to be here! Look at our
headquarters!"
3) "What can we do? We'll show the rest of the church. Let's build
a tower!"
And ---- it continues in the ministry.
1) "Who am I? I have value ---- doesn't anybody see that? Am I
important?"
2) "Why am I here? What's the reason for my ministry? What's the
reason for me? What's the use?"
3) What can I do with my life? Is it worth the effort? Maybe ----
if I try harder!"
THE SOURCE OF MY WORTH:
Well ---- what the first Adam failed to do (and all the other Adams
since), the Last Adam accomplished. Jesus, through His death,
resurrection, and ascended reign, provided the avenue through which man
could be restored to his God-given drives.
1. In the Death of Jesus, which is the Key to Deliverance, I Have many
things. For example, I have been delivered from the penalty and power of
sin (I Cor 15:3), from the flesh (Rom 6:6), from the performance mode of
the Law (Phil 3:8-9), from the world and its temptations (I John 4:2-3;
Gal 6:14; II Pet 1:2-4), and from the power of Satan (I John 3:8).
2. In the Resurrection of Jesus, which is the Key to Holiness, I Am a
different person, and therefore don't have to live like the old man I
used to be. I am a new creation (II Cor 5:17), I am holy and blameless
before Him (Eph 1:4; Col 1:22), I am seated with Christ in the heavenlies
(Eph 2:6), I am righteous (Phil 3:9), I am dead to all immorality (Col
3:5), I am more than a conqueror (Rom 8:37), and much more.
3. In the Reign of Christ, which is the Key to Service, I can do things
I cannot do, and am no longer earth bound by human limitations. I can
know the mystery of His will (Eph 1:9), I can know the hope of His
calling (Eph 1:18), I can know the riches of His inheritance (Eph 1:18),
I can walk in Christ (Col 2:6), I can do all things through Him (Phil
4:13), I can hold fast the word of life and run the race faithfully to
victory (Phil 2:16), and far more.
So, dear friend ---- if you're looking for your sense of worth and
identity from successes, things, position, or people, you're looking in
the wrong place.
And you'll continue to be greatly disappointed.
If that is your lifestyle until you die, your disappointment will
traverse the grave and stare you in the face again as all your efforts go
up in flames as the wood, hay, and stubble of your life are consumed
before your very eyes ---- and the eyes of your Savior.
It won't be worth the cost there ---- and it isn't worth the effort here.
FINALLY:
John clearly tells us to beware of the things of the world as means to
finding worth and meaning. He says, "Love not the world, neither the
things in the world ---- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and
the pride of life."
1) "The lust of the flesh" ---- Do something apart from God! Feel
Competent! Build a tower!
2) "The lust of the eye" ---- Have something apart from God! Come up
with a reason for them to keep you around!
3) "The pride of life" ---- Be somebody apart from God! Make a name
for yourself!
That's a far cry from the First Century believers who echoed with Paul on
Mars Hill the simplicity of it all, ---- "In Him we Live and Move and
Exist!" (Acts 17:28).
Nothing else, nothing more, and nothing less.
As a minister of the Gospel, though I am still often tempted, I know that
my value, my worth, my purpose, and my competence do not come from who I
am, my reason for being here, or my own expertise, abilities, or power.
The only thing that makes me different from the average guy in the street
is Jesus. My total identity, purpose, and abilities are solely because
of Him alone.
Is that the way it is with you? Can you agree with Jesus that, "apart
from Me you can do nothing."?
Apart from Him you are nothing, no matter what people may honor you with.
Apart from Him you have nothing, no matter how great the offer may be.
Apart from Him you can do nothing, no matter how hard you try.
Dear friend, if you are trying to get your sense of value and identity
from any other source than Jesus Christ Himself, you are making a tragic
mistake that will haunt you all your life and will destroy your ministry.
It's time to look "to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly more
than we can ever ask or think!" (Eph 3:20).
Just do it.
In Christ's Bond,
Bob Tolliver ---- (Rom 1:11-12)
Copyright August, 1999. All rights reserved.
If this letter has blessed you and you know of someone else who needs to
be encouraged, feel free to forward it in its entirety to all such people
you know.
If you would like a list of past issues which you could receive upon
request, just let us know.
__
/ |
(_/____)
/ ^ ^
{ (O) (O) }
------oOOO---------U--------OOOo------
Hang in there! I'm with you!
-------.ooooO--------------- Ooooo--------
( ) /
| | /
(_) (_)
TO SUBSCRIBE, send any message to <[email protected]>.
TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send any message to
<[email protected]>.
___________________________________________________________________
Get the Internet just the way you want it.
Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month!
Try Juno Web: dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.