Bev Sterk

The movement of the Spirit is a mystery, much like the wind (so I read "windy" as potentially Spirit inspired ;)...  the Spirit and the Life He gives is a huge topic so we could fill books with our discussion as many books have already been filled on this, and I think the "wrestling" is Prov. 27 sharpening, and i will say it again, I would much rather discuss this person to person, because it is a "concept" worthy of much deeper discussion.

Is the evidence of the Spirit always tears and tongues?  Well, when was the last time anyone has experienced  tongues in a crc?  From my experience, I have found it extremely rare for whatever reasons.   I am not seeing any over emphasis on tongues or tears, in our denomination, and we are probably a long, long ways off from that being a "problem".  Instead I usually hear comments that treat such "expressions"  with disdain or fear.   So I would love a holistic approach, but it has seemed like we "pick and choose" only certain elements (ie like preaching, etc) that we are more comfortable with.   If I experienced or heard a testimony of us actually "shouting" to the LORD!, I would say ok, maybe I'm wrong (which I love to be proved wrong by testimonies =),   and we are more open to these different "expressions" than the evidence of what my experience has shown .   But I have never heard it!  that doesn't mean it hasn't happened in the crc, but when I bring it up, instead of a testimony that shows I'm wrong, I often hear reasons justifying why we don't need to be doing that. 

back to the mystery of how the Spirit moves... I love this quote from Duncan Campbell:

When God Stepped down... not an evangelist, not a special effort, not anything at all organized on the basis of human endeavor, but an awareness of God that gripped the whole community.

For the full message:.  http://www.revival-library.org/leadership/rs_dcwhengod.php

I am  interested if anyone has any further insights on:  Ps. 149:6 and high praise and what that might look like in worship;  the different  translations of Ps. 22:3 (NIV and NKJV);   what does the "anointing" of the Spirit look like today, is this the same as the Spirit being "upon" someone =), and what about revivals. 

ps... I became a cpa so i wouldn't have to write... =)

how fitting for our holistic approach to worship...   the following is from the link to a Dallas Willard article also on the network's art. 17 thread....

http://www.dwillard.org/articles/artview.asp?artID=106 

Love and Worship

As the Living Word and the written Word occupy our minds we naturally—and supernaturally—come to love God more and more because we see, clearly and constantly, how lovely He is.

The wise Puritan, Thomas Watson, wrote:

The first fruit of love is the musing of the mind upon God. He who is in love, his thoughts are ever upon the object. He who loves God is ravished and transported with the contemplation of God. “When I awake, I am still with thee” (Ps. 139:18). The thoughts are as travelers in the mind. David's thoughts kept heaven-road. “I am still with Thee.” God is the treasure, and where the treasure is, there is the heart. By this we may test our love to God. What are our thoughts most upon? Can we say we are ravished with delight when we think on God? Have our thoughts got wings? Are they fled aloft? Do we contemplate Christ and glory? ... A sinner crowds God out of his thoughts. He never thinks of God, unless with horror, as the prisoner thinks of the judge.3

In this way we enter a life, not just times, of worship. The hymn of heaven will be a constant presence in our inner lives: “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and forever” (Rev. 5:13, NASB).

Worship will become the constant undertone of our lives. It is the single most powerful force in completing and sustaining restoration of our whole beings to God. Nothing can inform, guide, and sustain pervasive and radiant goodness in a person other than the true vision of God and the worship that spontaneously arises from it. Then the power of the indwelling Christ flows from us to others.

Remember, however, that we are not trying to worship. Worship is not another job we have to do. It is one aspect of the gift of “living water” that springs “up to eternal life” (John 4:14; 7:38, NASB). Our part is to turn our minds toward God and to attend to His graceful actions in our souls. This is the primary “care of the soul” we must exercise. Then love and worship, worship and love, flow in our lives as we walk constantly with God. By stepping with Him—in the flow of His grace—we live with spontaneity, love our neighbors, and minister the word and power gospel. 

Since 2008, I've been praying into "God's economy", which i think will look a lot different than what we are seeing in our culture, even our "Church" culture.  I encourage you all to pray asking Him to show you His ecomony.  I think it would be amazing to share insights rec'd through the Holy Spirit and put the pieces together that He might give to different people in His body, for what He intended for His economy.  I believe one of the scriptural insights is Malachi 3:10-12.  Our family has experienced this many times over, where we have been gifted with far more than we need!   We're not buying it!   "stuff"/food just pours in from people/friends/family giving and we do not have enough room to hold it (which is another discussion).

An interesting "fast" that I had several years ago, was a buying fast, where for an extended time,  i would only buy basics, food, gifts for others and 1 book/month that would feed the soul (now for some of us, the book realm might be where we need to fast =).  Only my husband knew about the "fast" at the time.

Anyway, the second day of the fast, my sister brought me 2 bags of her clothes, that she didn't fit in.   I'm still wearing them, even though some have holes now, so i call them my holy pants, because they represent a shift in our family's spending and giving.

Then a few days later, a sister in law brought 4 bags of kids clothes.  I saw these "gifts" as confirmations of the fast.  There were other confirmations as well, and i would have to go find my journal, because I don't remember them all.

Ok, I'll  share some ideas from an email we rec'd, encouraging us to think about how we can "invest" our $ a little more locally over this Christmas giving season, with tomorrow being support local, small business day. 

Give gift certificates for: hair cuts, lawn mowing, house cleaning, vehicle detailing, or oil change, golfing, gym membership, locally owned restaurants or coffe shops, computer repairs, local theatre or bands, local high school sports, plays or other activities, locally grown flower baskets,  local garden businesses and landscapers.  these are just a few ideas that will support business right in our communities. 

Add your own thoughts.  I'm sure we could have some very creative Spirit led ideas.  One suggestion I will share would be to hire a house cleaner for someone (maybe your wife =).  I know a lot of moms, that this is the extra they make so they can keep their kids at Christian school.  (i see this idea is mentioned in the email)  and one more thought, support your grandkids with Christian school tuition =)... now that's investing. 

I am not anti-walmart, God has giving me some beautiful insights/epiphanies there, so I'm not sure what that means about His economic view on Walmart ;), but He has had me in tears with thoughts He has shared while I was shopping there - and that's an entire discussion again. 

I believe we (America -  including Canada) are blessed so we can bless others.  I think that was one of the concepts we had mostly missed prior to 2008.  so with tithing/contributions at about an average of  2-3% of income, somewhere i read this was true for Christians as well, we have some work to do =).  So I encourage us all to think about how we are investing our resources for Kingdom purposes.

This is reminding me also of the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan, and he challenges us/Americans to live the Acts 2:42-47 way.   So what would that look like for us today?  Is it possible?  Is that part of God's economic plan for us still? =)  

I encourage you all to share some stories/testimonies of how God has worked in your life when you did "economic"/financial things God's way, instead of leaning on our own understanding.  I will share some more of ours, if you share some of yours!

Worship is primarily about God, but because He's a generous and loving God, He makes it about us too.    He longs to bless us when we spend time with Him.  He ministers to our hearts through music, sermons, prayers, people...  I have found when I've gone into worship with no agenda of my own, other than to praise Him and be open to what's on His heart, He will bless my heart many times over.

I do look forward to worship with Him, because He often will give insight or confirmation or encouragement, but that's not the primary purpose.  It's primarily for His glory, but because He's God, it will also be for our good, that's His promise and we can bank on it!   I love 2 Chron 20.  The people starting praising God, and  He responded by orchestrating an ambush between the enemy, and the enemy killed each other instead of the people of Judah.  Yep, He often/always will bless His people when we worship Him.  Will we always realize it?  that's another question =)  I do often joke that sometimes at church I'm praising Him with one hand and "threatening" my kids with the other =). 

I don't know if I've said it here on the network, but God can use any song, any style to minister to us if He wants, it can be 1000 years old or just minutes old, it can be spiritual or secular.   I remember in 2006, i was at a women of faith conference and had a "bad" attitude about the concert that was suppose to be at the end.  God didn't let me keep that attitude for very long and would not let me worship Him with it, because it wasn't even one minute into the concert (so no emotional manipulation through music) and He melted me, I was undone!  and basically what the "lesson" was, is "don't limit Me, I can use anything, anytime to minister to you".  That encounter was so deep and powerful, that up to a year later, whenever I heard the songs that were played there, on the radio, tears would immediately begin.

and one other "side effect" of worship, is it's a weapon that brings down the enemy and his strongholds (Ps. 149:6-7; Ps. 8:2, 2 Cor. 10:4)  again, not a primary reason we worship and praise, but encouraging to know!

I know many believers and congregations that start each year with a fast.   It is amazing the difference this "discipline"  can make in "listening" to God and being sensitive to His leading throughout the year.   I would encourage anyone who might be sensing the LORD putting this on their heart or who desire a deeper relationship with Him to look into it further.  I will simply say after the LORD put fasting on my heart a few years ago, it has now become a lifestyle.

http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/fasting/ 

hmmm... great thoughts... Spirit's a stirring and making us think about what's eternal/important, and what's not. 

During my prayer time this morning, prompted by Karl W's thoughts on spiritual discernment at ecclesiastical assemblies in the classis discussion forum, I was thinking about the many board and committee meetings I've been at, that are 95% business/corporate like focus with Robert and his rules governing the structure (do I dare say, maybe sometimes in place of the Holy Spirit?? and makes me wonder if we are much more comfortable with Robert than the Holy Spirit), bookended by prayers.   and the thought was, we're in a rut.  I've often thought we're kind of stuck as a denomination for whatever reason, but had never had the word rut connected to it.  as  Melissa stated, stuck in a routine, which confirms the thought I had this morning.

I really think the LORD is working on converting us from "Miss Marthas" to Miss Marys", by us spending more time in His Presence, seeking His leading and guiding and then carrying out whatever it is He puts on our hearts during that time.  I have found, that when I am in this "rhythm" with Him,  that when I do have to get the "Miss Martha" work done, it is far more effective and flows much smoother, with unbelievable statistical probabilities of timing that can only be Divine.   and it is far more enjoyable =), a delight, not a duty, always a bonus when doing Kingdom work =) ! 

Someone just shared the book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, with me... haven't read it yet, but looking forward to it =) !!

Yep, our culture (& the dutch do too) values a hard working, driven, dynamic person, that gets the job done.  The ones who keep their homes (& cars) immaculate, bring the best dishes to potlucks, as well as sing in the choir, play 5 instruments and can shoot a pretty mean hoop as well ( and probably run marathons too)!  Of course, I'm being a bit snarky!   But our  time/relationship with Jesus is sometimes/often viewed as "wasting" time and not valued.

anyway, the Rob bell quote reminded me of this scripture...

Gal. 1:10 (NKJV)    For do I now persuade men, or God?  Or do I seek to please men?  For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

I hope that we are able to do more than just talk about some changes, and we will be able to move forward with a fresh vitality.  As Clarence Vos stated at the end of his article in the Nov. Banner (p38)  boq  It would seem the need of the hour is prayer, openness to the Spirit's leading, and an expectation that in the end our Christian faith will be more vital than ever! eoq 

 and to that I say AMEN!!

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