Memories of Bob Roe
Robert Harrison Roe (1922 -- 2004)
Robert Harrison Roe (Bob) was born to Frederick Alexander and Ethel Muriel (Dack) Roe on 16 September 1922 at the Methodist Hospital in Los Angeles. He grew up a little brother to his one sibling Mary in San Marino, California, attended Huntington Grade School, and graduated from high school at Pasadena Junior College in June of 1940. During those years, he had his ears boxed by his nanny and his nose rearranged by a baseball; he drummed to recordings of Benny Goodman's big band sounds; and spent as much time as possible on the ocean-body surfing, fishing, and playing beach volleyball. Fall of 1940 he entered Stanford University, where in 1943 he received his Bachelor of Arts degree, with a double-major in Economics and Physics and, following WWII, his Masters of Business Administration in 1948.
In 1943 he was commissioned an ensign in the U. S. Navy. He
served on active duty until 1946 and was honorably discharged
as a lieutenant (JG) from the naval reserve in 1955. Dubbed "Rosie"
by his skipper, he was at sea on the destroyer-escort U.S.S. Lough
in the Mediterranean, South Pacific, and North Pacific; and he
nearly met his Maker 60 years too soon as officer of the watch
during a 1944 Kamikaze attack against his ship.
In 1947 his met his love and life companion, Marylou Miller--the
"kid sister" of his fraternity brother and golfing buddy,
Harry C. Miller. They married I September 1948, raised three children
(Michael Dean b. 1951, Stephanie Ann b. 1956, and Stephen Frederick
b. 1958), and celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1998
with a bevy of children and grandchildren surrounding them. As
a counselor, Bob sternly cautioned couples, "You do not fall
in love, you grow m love;" but to his children he confessed
that "I fell in love with your Mother like a ton of bricks!"
That love never flagged, only deepened over their 55 years of
marriage; and in one of his last conversations with his eldest
son, he affirmed "I truly adore your Mother. I love her more
today than ever before. "
The Roe family joined Peninsula Bible Fellowship in 1951. In
1952, Bob received an adult baptism in the capable but inexperienced
hands of PBF's newly called, somewhat maverick pastor, Ray Stedman.
Bob served PBF (and then PBC) as an elder, and home Bible and
Sunday School teacher for decades. In 1973 after 25 years as a
businessman with Standard Oil Company, Bob joined the PBC staff
as Pastor of Counseling and continued in this role until his retirement
in 1990. Of the more than 50 years in relationship with PBC Bob
wrote, "This crazy church has been the center of our life
and will continue to be as long as He allows. The privilege of
our growing up in Christ under the teaching of the Word available
here and the raising of our family in its atmosphere is a rare
one indeed, and we really appreciate the Lord's graciousness in
making it possible."
Given his serious heart condition, the doctors predicted that
Bob would not live out his 50's. But he confounded the medical
profession for 30 years and often quipped, "I am immortal
until the Father calls me home." The Father called Bob home
on 29 January 2004; he was 81 years old. His family misses him
greatly, feels his presence even now, and looks forward to being
with him face-to-face again in eternity.
Dedication
These personal memories are dedicated to Bob and Marylou Roe. How fitting that we gather for Bob's Memorial Service on Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2004. Their love relationship was an inspiration to all.
Foreward
As we examine our history over these past 55 years at Peninsula
Bible Church we have much to be thankful for. We should never
take anything for granted, however. Each generation must seek
out and study these same truths and principles that made Body
Life a reality in the past, and make them their own in the present.
My desire is to help provide, in some small way, a road map to
assist you.
Following these written "Memories of Bob" is a section that lists some of my favorite on-line resources that can be found at the PBC website, www.pbc.org , including Bob's "Studies on the Life of David & Moses" edited by Helen Decoursey and "Notes and Quotes From Bob" based on my 12 years of personal meetings with Bob, to help spur you on your journey. A special thanks to Lambert Dolphin's Herculean efforts in making this PBC website a reality. Any questions can be emailed to the paracleteforum@yahoogroups.com.
I would like to thank my Heavenly Father, who called me out of Indonesia and placed key men in my life from PBC and PBCC at the appropriate times to help equip me for life, not only now, but for the age to come. These include Ray Stedman, Rich Carlson, Brian Morgan, Bernard Bell, Ron Ritchie, and of course, Bob Roe, who made me a son.
I would also like to thank Patrick Cunningham who first introduced me to Bob many years ago, and who helped edit these heartfelt thoughts on Bob and the New Covenant -- the foundation of all God's work through His Body here at Peninsula Bible Church.
Love in Christ,
Jimmy Stewart
Memories of Bob Roe
Bob Roe, along with Ray Stedman, Ed Stirm, Bob Smith and others were the "John Waynes" of our church through their larger than life leadership. This was not carried out in their manly independence, but quite the opposite. They were men of great strength and truthfulness through their godly dependence, trained in life's school, unadulterated by religion, tradition or any sense of pompousness.
With Bob there were no gray areas. His ability to "speak the truth in love" in a straightforward manner came through many years of studying scripture and hammering out these principles with Ray Stedman, Ed Stirm, Bob Smith and others. Nothing or no one was sacred unless it stood the test of their close and exacting scrutiny of scripture. On this anvil were hammered out the New Covenant, Body Life, Ministry of the Saints and Servant Leadership principles which have stood the test of time and have been the bedrock of Peninsula Bible Church for 55 years.
Relating a story of one of their elder meetings at Ray and Elaine's house, Bob said that on one occasion Elaine thought the church was coming apart, because from the other end of the house she could hear how heated their discussions had become. However, afterwards all the elders went out for ice cream together! This was the nature of these men. They were practical and hard-nosed, yet soft hearted, without pretense. They believed that Jesus was Lord of His Church. As they sought His mind in unanimity through the Word and prayer, he would reveal His direction and will for His Church, not their church or agenda.
Bob related a story about World War II that could have been his last words on earth. Before he became a Christian, he was officer of the deck on a destroyer serving in the South China Sea. He had just given a routine order to turn to starboard, when suddenly his ship was attacked by a kamikaze who started strafing the bridge where Bob and the other officers were located. As Bob heard the bullets coming at him, he felt like pointing to the Captain, who was located on the other side of the bridge, and saying, "I'm not the guy. The Captain is over there! Shoot at him!" As the kamikaze made his final run and was getting ready to fly into the main bridge where Bob was standing, Bob uttered what he thought were his last words on earth, "Oh, . . .!" Just then the ship began to turn to starboard from the order which Bob had given moments earlier, and the kamikaze crashed into the sea. Bob's shipmates gave him a hard time about that. They pointed out that the famous Revolutionary War seaman, John Paul Jones, said, "Don't go down with the ship," but Lt. Jr. Grade Robert Roe said, "Oh, . . .!" Bob said that those could have been his last words on earth. What a legacy that would have been!
Well, dear friends, thank God that that episode was not Bob's final legacy. Starting with Marylou, Mike, Steve, Stephie and their families, we all represent a part of the legacy that God left through Bob. I'm sure you all have your stories of how he affected and changed your lives. I have mine, and I want to share with you some of the truths and stories that he shared with me.
I have to smile at God's sense of humor when I think of how I got to be here today. Back in November 1984, I was living in Jakarta, Indonesia, working for an oil company. At an Anglican Church I was attending in Jakarta, one Sunday morning the vicar announced, "We have a guest speaker. His name is Ray Stedman." Up from the pew rose Ray and he proceeded to preach from Romans 12:1-2. I had never heard preaching like that before. If Jesus were speaking, I'm sure that is what he would have sounded like. Actually, it was Jesus speaking in and through Ray.
It's amazing that God would send Ray and the other PBC pastors on that trip to find an American in Indonesia! Seeing the freedom these men had in Christ showed me that "Authentic Christianity" was so much more than the "religion" I had. This realization and a desire to see what made these men, and PBC, tick, started me out on an odyssey. Many miracles later, my family and I moved from Jakarta, Indonesia to the Bay Area in November 1988. But things didn't turn out as I expected . . .
We ended up living near Cupertino and attending PBC Cupertino rather than PBC Palo Alto, as we could not afford to buy a house in Palo Alto.
I still hoped to be around Ray somehow, but he retired soon after we came, and moved to Oregon. Shortly afterwards, Rich Carlson, my other main contact, moved to Vienna.
One of my main reasons for moving here was to get a PBC education. When I applied for the intern program, however, Paul Winslow refused to admit me as my wife was pregnant and I was starting a new job.
Finally, when I did get accepted in the intern program a couple of years later, it shut down after only three months as PBC and PBCC split off into different entities with different elder boards.
At this point I was wondering, "Why did I move here, Lord?" But, as Ray always said, the two greatest words in the Bible are, "But God" But God. At the 1991 Men's Retreat in Mount Hermon, Patrick Cunningham introduced me to Bob Roe. That meeting was to change my life!
Bob and I hit it off from the beginning. He had worked for an oil company and he loved to play golf. I had just finished working for an oil company in Indonesia, and I also played a lot of golf. He asked if I would like to get together for lunch, and from that one meeting our time developed into a "father-son" relationship that lasted these past 12 plus years. Not only was this the in-depth discipleship program I had longed for, it was far better than any intern program that I could have imagined. Bob took me into his life and into the inner sanctum of PBC past.
Bob was raised in a Christian home in Southern California. However, following his return from WW II and attending graduate school at Stanford, he was not walking as a Christian. He had no problem going out drinking and yet, no matter what state he was in, he would always read his Bible before going to bed. Bob soon after met Marylou, who was not a Christian at the time, and they liked to go out and party. Despite his parents' concerns that Marylou was not a Christian, Bob was smitten by her, and he decided, as he so bluntly put it, to "shake his fist at God," and marry Marylou. He did not care what his parents or God thought. He was in love, and he was going to do what he wanted.
After he and Marylou were married, God in His grace arranged it so that Marylou went to church with Bob's sister. Through her, Marylou became a Christian. This concerned Bob. He was worried that this would put an end to their "fun days." Yet, Marylou, like Sarah of old, lived a quiet, attractive Christianity in front of Bob. Not long thereafter, Bob was loved into the Kingdom of God.
Speaking of love and grace, Bob used to say, "We are no
longer under the law that incites the will. We are under grace.
Grace is love that captures the will." Bob used the example
of the time he cleaned Marylou's apartment stove when they were
dating. He was not the most domesticated person in the world,
and if his parents had seen him cleaning the stove they would
have been worried because he was not being his normal self. However,
Marylou's love had captured Bob's will and he was willing to do
anything for her.
Bob worked for many years at Chevron Oil Company in San Francisco.
He told me of riding the train every day from Los Altos with Bob
Smith, where they plotted PBC strategy. Bob told me of the times
when Ed Stirm, Sr., Ray and Bob would have lunch occasionally
at Fishermen's Wharf. Looking out at the beautiful San Francisco
Bay they would dream of a South Seas Mission trip. Ed would buy
a ship, Bob, the Navy man would be captain, and Ray, the preacher,
would evangelize the natives! This dream was never completely
realized. However, a few years later, as a joke when Ray was away
on one of his many overseas trip, he sent Bob an unsigned postcard
of a hula dancer with just Bob's name, address, and the written
message, "South Seas Mission Trip: Evangelizing the natives!"
Bob understood immediately who it was from and got a good chuckle
over that.
As a golfer, Bob played by "Robert's Rules." He had always been a competitive golfer, with the result that he didn't find golf very relaxing. He devised a new way for himself and his pals to play by without keeping score. He always kept an extra ball in his pocket and when he hit a shot that was not to his satisfaction, he would just drop another ball and hit that. He definitely got his money's worth playing that way! Bob also enjoyed playing golf with Ray. Ray's objective was not really to shoot a low score, but to see how many golf balls he could find. Bob said that after Ray had hit off from the tee, he'd take off walking through the rough looking for golf balls and you would never see him until you reached the green. Ray's all-time record for finding golf balls during one round was 36!
As a Stanford graduate, Bob was on the fast track at Chevron. For these up and coming hotshots, Chevron had "troubleshooting positions" where they would travel all week, visiting and inspecting the various dealers and refineries and then writing performance reports. These were pretty cushy jobs for Bob and the others. They were treated like visiting royalty by the dealers and refinery bosses. One week after returning home and finding Marylou and the boys sick, Bob said to himself, "I have to make a choice between my career at Chevron and being a husband/father and a teacher/elder at PBC." The following Monday, Bob explained to his boss that due to family and church considerations, he had to change jobs. His boss said this would mean the end of his career at Chevron. However, because he liked Bob, he said he would pass his resume on to other departments and go to bat for him in any way he could.
After talking with the other VP department heads, only one person was interested in speaking to Bob. His boss warned him before his interview with this man, "Don't even mention anything about religion or church, otherwise you won't get the job." Bob went to the interview and the first words out of this VP's mouth were, "Roe, tell me about this religion stuff." Bob nearly fainted. He decided to answer truthfully and told the man about his beliefs and role at PBC. He waited for the ax to fall, but, the man responded, "I can live with that," and hired Bob. It turned out that Bob's new boss, "Doug," had been suffering from health problems and God had been working on him.
Bob and "Doug" began having lunch together once a week. They became friends, and as the man's health problems worsened, Bob told him that he needed Christ. He explained to that he could just pray at home and ask Christ to come into his life. Bob didn't need to know about; it would just be between him and the Lord. Bob guaranteed the price of a lunch that it would work! The following week, "Doug" bought lunch! Without any fanfare, he had accepted Christ on his own, just by seeing Christ in Bob's life, actions and words.
Before he moved to the Bay Area, Bob had been an activist in Southern California, giving Bible tracts to his fellow workers and openly professing his Christianity to those around. This approach did not go over well, however. At his job with Chevron in the Bay Area, he decided to let God be God. He realized that everyone has his First Amendment rights, and it was not his job to try and change how someone believed or spoke; that was Jesus' job. When Bob went to lunch or a meeting with unbelievers he never tried to act or speak "Christianly," nor did he pray over his food. He would just pray on his own before the meeting or lunch, that this would be the Lord's meeting and God would bring the results. Bob's prayer was, "Be my guest, Lord. I want you to live through me, love through me, listen through me, speak through me, and take me out of the act. Thank you, Lord." This meant that he did not have to act religiously. He asked God to set the stage and then be visible through him, in the normal things of life.
As Bob approached his job and co-workers this way, a strange thing happened. Not only did the other men come to love Bob, as he did them, but they in turn would protect him from themselves. Whenever they told a dirty joke at work or walked past a porn shop while going to lunch, they would ask Bob to turn down his hearing aid or to avert his eyes. They in their pagan-ness were now trying to protect Bob! As Bob was just a sweet aroma of Christ to these men, they were attracted to him and his God like bees to honey.
What Bob was telling me through this story at work was that we do not have to be afraid of circumstances as God is in control. Since He owns everything anyways, this is really His company and these are His employees. It is therefore His job to bring people to Himself. Our job is to just show up and allow the Jesus who resides in us to be made visible through our words, actions and lives. He will pick the people who are ready to receive Him. We are merely the willing vessel and container that holds this wonderful treasure of Jesus Christ within. As Bob practiced the presence of God at work, wonderful things began to happen, as he allowed God to be God, which is the New Covenant lifestyle at work.
Regarding the New Covenant, I remember Brian Morgan's poem in honor of Ray Stedman, Servants of a New Covenant, at Ray's Memorial Service in 1992. Brian ended with these words, "He is the good scribe who took out of his treasure, things of old and made them new, the one who faithfully taught us the New Covenant." Like Ed Stirm, Sr., who faithfully met with and discipled Bob for ten years, Bob is the one who faithfully taught me the New Covenant over these past 12 years. I therefore want to take this opportunity to review with you what this New Covenant teaching is, because it has been and is the central guiding principle of Peninsula Bible Church, and it is the main truth from which all other truth and our PBC distinctives flow. From the New Covenant comes Body Life, Ministry of the Saints, Servant Leadership principles, and an understanding of the Spiritual Warfare that seeks to disrupt the practice of these principles that have been the bedrock of all of God's activity through the members of His Body at PBC. This is where Bob would have wanted the focus of this Memorial Service to be.
In the New Covenant, Christians are now united with Christ as members of His Body (Jn 14:20, Jn 17; Eph 4:1-11). He is our life (Col 3:4), and apart from Him we can do nothing (Jn 15:5). Out of the New Covenant flows Body Life, the corporate expression and understanding of the New Covenant. This includes "the ministry of the saints," in which God gives spiritual gifts to each member of His Body, gifts which are used to express His life to build up the other members of the Church.
These gifts are not for our own benefit, even though we are fulfilled as we use them; they are to be used to serve and build up others. For the Body to grow in Christ, God has specifically gifted some as "servant leaders" and pastor-teachers to guide and equip the saints (not just Mother Teresa, but you and me!) in an understanding of these New Covenant truths so that we might reach maturity in Christ and that the Body might function correctly. As the individual members of the Body are taught and they begin to learn that God has already,
-- given them spiritual gifts and ordained them as His ministers of this New Covenant (John 15:16)
-- prepared works and ministry for them to walk into (Eph 2:8-10)
-- provided the power, Himself, to carry out these works and ministries (Col 1:27),
the results are life changing. At all times we must remember that we are, and must remain, connected with the Head, that is Christ, as it is He who guides, instructs and gives life to the members of His Body. As the Body of Christ functions like this we are like a sweet aroma to those around us, attracting new believers to the life and love of Jesus Christ that we share as His Church. If, however, through our choices or ignorance we lose that connection with the Head, we are doomed to failure.
Bob always said, "When the New Covenant is taught correctly, it should raise flack from people." Why? Because it violates the human attitude that there is something in each one of us that is good and that God can use. The New Covenant says there is nothing in any one of us that has any value! The only thing of value is the cross, which takes our independent, selfish nature, with all the good and bad things we do apart from Christ, and puts them to death. On our own we have nothing that is of value to God.
How do we then live the Christian life? The answer again is that we cannot. This realization is the beginning of an understanding of the secret to New Covenant living. Only one person has ever lived the Christian life, and that is Jesus himself. The glorious truth, however, is that the living Jesus, with whom we are now united, desires to live this life again through you and me as we allow Him. Jesus himself modeled this lifestyle for us, saying that everything He did was the work of the Father who lived in him and worked through him (John 5:19). In John 14:20 and 17:21, Jesus states this truth again: "you are in me, and I am in you."
As we delve deeper into this truth we find that man is actually made to be the dwelling place of God. Literally, the Lord of the universe comes to live in us and entwine His life with us, so that it is impossible to tell the two apart. In fact, in 1 Cor 6:17 we read that we are now one spirit with the Lord. He, through this oneness and unity of Spirit, provides the power to live life where "apart from Him we can do nothing" (Jn 15:5).
God's desire for us is to enter into this new life of "rest" in Jesus. We cease from our works that lead to burnout and stress and instead rely on God to accomplish his good works through us. As only God can do God's work (Phil 2:13), this principle is foundational to all of life and ministry. Therefore, before a pastor was brought on staff at PBC, he had to first exegete and fully understand Hebrews 4, which describes this truth of entering in and living life out of God's rest. God does not need our best shot or effort. In fact, Bob always felt that 70% or more of all Christian work was carried out in the flesh - our own best efforts to please God.
Bob liked to sum up the New Covenant by saying, "Christ died that I might live; I must die that Christ might live in me." The first part of that sentence describes our "position" in Christ, where through faith in his sacrifice on the cross we have been delivered from our past and been given a new life with a new nature (Ro 6, 2 Cor 5:17). The second half of Bob's statement is "experiential," and is applied again through faith in the outworking of Christ's life in us on a day by day, moment by moment basis (Ro 1:17).
This is best summed up in Romans 12:1-2 where, based on the "mercies of God," described in the glorious of truths of Romans 1-8, we are urged to make a choice to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, which is the thinking man's way of worshipping God. Our Lord was a sacrifice for us, therefore we are to be living sacrifices for Him, and stop being conformed to this world. Literally, we are to stop masquerading by putting a mask over who we truly are now that we are in Christ, and instead be transformed or "transfigured," like Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. We allow what already dwells inside of us, Jesus Christ Himself, who is now our life (Eph 3:15, Col 3:4) to shine out through us. Our job description is to make the invisible Jesus visible through us, like Jesus made the Father visible as He chose to allow the Father to work through Him.
As a "living sacrifice" we do have a choice, though. We are not robots. We must choose to remain on the altar. If we choose to get off the altar to do what we want to do, the results will be only what we see in front of us, if that. Our only reward will be the applause of others or that little hand of pride that comes up and pats ourselves on the back. However, if we choose to remain on the altar (and be a "hunk of dead meat," as Bob so bluntly put it), allowing Jesus Christ to transform (transfigure) us and use us (Eph 2:8-10), the results will be eternal, beyond our expectations, where only God can be glorified. The only way we can be fulfilled in life is when we are emptied of ourselves and filled with Him. This is what we were designed for.
Despite our best intentions of being a "living sacrifice," at times we still feel that we are very capable people, and it's tough to remain on that "altar." We love to do our best for God. One of Bob's favorite sayings was that "the flesh is very religious and loves to look good, trying to help God along." God in His grace has therefore designed life to place us into situations where we cannot cope and we have to depend on Him completely. Bob said that the theme words of our life are going to be "always and constantly," from the 2 Cor 4:7-11 passage. In His unique way, Jesus places each one of us into situations where we cannot cope. It could be health, as in Bob's case, a job, a marriage, a family member, etc. However, knowing that Bob and all the other great men of our church, Ray, Bob Smith and others, went through these "deathlike" experiences, where they could not cope and could only cling to their Heavenly Father, has made me willing to enter into the circumstances of my life with a sense of thankfulness, peace and joy that I otherwise would have resisted.
This is not the world's way, yet it is God's way. Resurrection power works best in graveyard-like conditions! This is what God is trying to teach us. This is God's work for and in all of us in order to make us into the empty vessels or cracked pots through which He can be seen. We are designed to contain something, and that something is the God of the Universe. As Bob said, "You do not buy the expensive bottle of wine for the bottle. You buy it for what it contains." We are to contain the Living God!
In passing on these New Covenant truths, Bob would tell the stories of the many pastors' conferences held at PBC. Pastors from all over the country would come to listen to Ray, Bob and the others talk about these New Covenant, Body Life, Ministry of the Saints and Servant Leadership principles. At the end of these retreats, they would tell these pastors that if they tried to implement these principles immediately in their churches, that the changes probably wouldn't be well received, to put it mildly. These truths were so radical, they should take things slowly. First, they should teach the New Covenant to their wives, and then to two or three mature elders. Their teaching should focus on the fact that Jesus was Lord of their church, and He would do through them what they could not possibly do on their own. Instead of portraying adequacy, they should pray with their wives and key men in the Body, asking God for guidance for everything in life: sharing their problems, struggles and needs. They should have these men praying for them all week and calling each other if they had needs or were facing temptation. They were no longer on their own. Later this would expand to include the rest of the elders and leaders, and then they should preach and model it to their congregations. Out of this dependence and openness "Body Life" would begin to flow.
Bob and Ray would also take these pastors out to dinner or play golf, purposely having a beer or a glass of wine to show them the freedom they had in Christ. So much of Christianity then (and even today) could be summarized as "everything is bad, therefore do not touch, unless the Bible says it's good." This leads to legalism. Authentic Christianity, on the other hand, comes from the perspective that "everything is good, unless the Bible says it's bad." This leads to a lifestyle of freedom in the Spirit, where it is God's job to let you know if you have fallen off the fence top. Authentic Christianity is like walking on a fence top, with the world, the flesh and the devil trying to knock you off to one side or the other, either legalism or licentiousness. Bob, Ray and the others at PBC wanted to show that Authentic Christianity was something that was real and attainable by everyone, "not by trying, but by dying," dying to self and allowing Jesus, who is our life, to take over. If they could get the leaders to understand these New Covenant truths, then more and more people would have a chance to enjoy and live this New Covenant lifestyle as well.
After giving up the security of a great salary and pension at Chevron to come on staff at PBC, in the early 70's Bob suffered a major heart attack and was given only five years to live. Asked about the limitations that his health placed on him, Bob replied, "I would have had it no other way. As I look at my ministry pre-heart attack and post-heart attack, there is no comparison. Before it was Bob alone, who was 90% baloney and 10% ham, doing the teaching and being an elder, but after the heart attack I truly realized that it was only Jesus who could accomplish the work through a helpless Bob." Bob felt that the ministry God gave him to the terminally ill after his heart surgeries, subsequent ill health and many hospital visits was one of the most fulfilling works he was involved in. As a side note to this, Bob would say, "Notice how everything in a hospital is so clinical. When I go to see to someone, I always hold their hands to show that I care for them and love them."
Because Bob was at death's door numerous times over the past 30 years, the elders would say, having prayed for Bob yet again, "He'll make it through, as he done so many times before." This time Bob has finally left us. We will miss him dearly. He has had the last laugh on Ray, Bob Smith and all the others, having survived them all, despite having a 30-year death sentence hanging over his head. In some small selfish way, I know that God kept Bob alive all those years for me, to faithfully teach me, an American fresh off the boat from Indonesia, the wonders of PBC past and what this glorious New Covenant is all about.
Never forget dear people, "You are not your own, you are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your bodies." The reason our PBC church fathers put this verse from 1 Cor 6:19-20 on the back wall behind the podium at PBC is because you have a choice: Are you going to use your body to satisfy your desires, ambitions and goals, or are you going to allow the God of the Universe to accomplish His desires by filling you with Himself and sending you into an adventure of a lifetime, accomplishing things through you beyond your wildest expectations (Eph. 2:8-10)? One way produces the withered fruit of self-effort: minimal results that fade quickly and burn out. The other, the New Covenant way, results in fulfillment and eternal life. These words from 1 Cor 6:19-20 were not put on this wall as an afterthought. Every time we see them they should remind us of,
-- the lengths that God has gone to redeem us,
-- the tremendous privilege we have to be the dwelling place of the Living God, to be His visibility, His mouthpiece, His voice, His touch, His presence, as ministers of this glorious New Covenant to a dying world around us,
-- the foresight of our spiritual forefathers here at PBC who blazed such a radical path for us to follow -- not into religion, but into Authentic Christianity and life.
God is not looking for supermen or women to accomplish His work. He is looking for ordinary people willing to be living sacrifices. He gave us gifted teachers like Bob, Ray, Bob Smith and others to equip us (Eph 4:11-16) in understanding these principles so that we can carry out the work of the ministry wherever we are, and that we, too, can pass these truths on to the next generation. Do you realize the radical implications of the fact that you already are an ordained minister of Jesus Christ (Jn 15:16)? Jesus has already ordained you to be ministers of reconciliation to a dying world. He has provided the power, Himself, to carry out these works. Your job is to just to show up! You don't have to go to seminary. You already are in the seminary of life, and Jesus is preparing you to bear much fruit.
Bob always told me, "Don't try to get out of the circumstances you are in. Remain under them. They are Jesus' training tool to make you the very person He wants you to be, and that you too desire to be. On top of that He never puts you through something unless He is going to use it for future ministry purposes. And this even goes for our mistakes and sins as well, as God can redeem them and make all things work together for good for those who love Him (Rom 8:28). Everything in our lives has a purpose."
Bob's prayer for each us would be that we might grasp these New Covenant truths and their implications for living, so that we too might experience, as he did, in this present existence, not just sometime way off in the future, the glorious liberty of the sons of God. By doing so another generation will be attracted to Jesus Christ through the sweet aroma of His life, made manifest in and through ordinary people like you and me.
Following the Good Shepherd, Bob's desire as a pastor and an under-shepherd of the flock was to help everyone,
-- grow in their faith,
-- grow in freedom in their faith,
-- grow in enjoyment of their faith,
-- grow in loving their God.
Bob not only liked His God, he loved Him. And he wanted other Christians to know and love their God as well. His legacy was and will continue to be that he faithfully taught us the New Covenant. Amen.
Resources On-Line (some of my favorite readings at http://pbc.org)
"A Brief History of Peninsula Bible Church" - http://pbc.org/leadership/earlydays.html
"Body Language" -- http://www.pbc.org/dp/stedman/misc/8157.html
"The New Covenant Defined" -- http://pbc.org/leadership/newcovstewart.html
"When All Else Fails Read The Directions" - http://pbc.org/leadership/bobsmith/index.html
"Body Life" -- http://www.pbc.org/dp/stedman/bodylife/index.html
"The Lord & His Church" - http://pbc.org/dp/stedman/misc/lordchur.html
"Authentic Christianity" - http://www.pbc.org/dp/stedman/authenxnty/index.html
"Servant Leadership & Eldership" - http://pbc.org/leadership/leadership1.html
"Spiritual Warfare" - http://pbc.org/dp/stedman/warfare/
Notes & Quotes From Bob Roe
The first response after coming to Christ is what do I have to quit? The answer is nothing. God does not want your bad habits. He just wants you! After coming to Christ you will find your "wants" changed, your will restored and a power to live according to these new "wants."
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Bob's way of waking up in the morning was saying, "Lord, be my guest. I am a hunk of dead meat. I give myself completely to you. Do to me, through me, and in me whatever you desire to do. Every meeting, every minute is a divine appointment from God. I just want to be your mouthpiece. Live through me, Love through me, listen through me, Speak through me, Take me out of the act, thank you Lord. Don't allow me to defile the sanctuary of the Living God." Now that once I give myself to the Lord in the morning, I do not need to take my spiritual pulse the rest of the day. I am not smart enough to do that. He is God. It is now His responsibility to keep me straight. When I am going off on a tangent, the Spirit of God will tap me on the shoulder and say whoa!
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We all sin. Just repent and confess it. Then move on. If you bring it up again, it is now the sin of unbelief as you are saying God is not faithful to forgive us Remember nagging is from Satan using the flesh to do it. The definition of Satan is the Accuser. God does not need to nag, because He is God! The difference between the Spirit and an evil, fleshly conscience is that the Spirit is a small, still voice. An evil conscience and false guilt is a problem of the flesh. Just ask God in clear way, to show you what He wants done. And tell Him when you clearly see it, you will do it. However, I am not going to act until I know it is from You, Lord. Just make it clear to me and when you say jump, I will jump!
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Prayer is an attitude of "I cannot do anything without you." It is depending on the living Lord who is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, and who resides in you to give you direction and bring the results.
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In God's eyes we are already glorified, therefore it is guaranteed that we will get there. The question is how long is it going to take? We can either cooperate with God, which shortens the process or resist, which lengthens the process. Our responsibility is to choose which way as our will has been restored.
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Spiritual warfare - by understanding the battle, the strategy of the enemy and who we are, we can resist and stand firm. God has already guaranteed the process. He sees us already glorified in Christ.
1. Christ went through it, Matthew 4:1-11
2. We are fighting a battle already won, Col 2:15-16
3. God is totally in charge, 1 Cor 10:13
4. All Christians go through it, 1 Pet 5:8-9
5. Just resist and the devil will flee, James 4:6
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I do not try and take new ground for Christ. I enter into what he is doing. I ask Him to allow me to see and then participate in what He is doing. Then through my life and spiritual gifts that God has given me, He is made visible. If you feel like it is me taking ground for Christ, watch out, it may be the flesh. The attitude that I am going to take ground is fleshy.
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The basis for the New Covenant is "imputation." Through one act many were condemned as Adam's sin was imputed to all of us with its final result being death. However, God in His grace has provided the antidote in Jesus Christ. Now by faith in Jesus' work on the cross - His death on our behalf, His resurrection, His life is imputed to us and we are declared righteous (justified = just as if I had never sinned, Romans 5).
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The law is designed for the old nature, not the new. As a new creation in Christ, we are now not under the law, but under grace. I am beyond the grave as I have been resurrected with Christ. The law is still there, but we are now in a new, different relationship governed by the "law of love" in the realm of grace. We are a new person, in a new relationship, in a new realm - grace, which is governed by love. I am beyond the grave!
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Grace = the love of God & the life of God. His love captures my will ("when we were yet sinners Chris died for me"). His life now empowers me to live this new life ("much more we will be saved by His life") Romans 5:10.
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I am so grateful to be God's debtor. I do not deserve God's favor, therefore I cannot lose God's favor so I have nothing to fear. I am free! It is like an infinite amount of forgiveness has been placed in my account. All I have to do is draw on it, by asking!
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We are a new man, a new species, with a new nature and this new nature is Christ's. It is therefore easier and more natural for me to now act Christ like. I can slip back into old habits, but it is no longer natural!
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The New Covenant is based on the fact that there is only one nature. I have a new nature - Christ's. I have a desire to please that new nature and I now have the power (Christ's life in me) to carry out that desire.
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"Let go and let God" is not biblical! You need faith. It is by faith in what God has done that I let go. It is by faith in Christ who is my life (Col 3:4) that I then allow God to possess me.
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There is nothing I can abandon myself to (family, work, pleasure, golf, etc.) except Jesus Christ. This is because I am made in His likeness and image and as I abandon myself to Him I am becoming what I was designed to be.
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Authentic Christianity is "everything is good unless the Bible says it is bad. Legalism is everything is bad unless the Bible says it is good."
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A blood sacrifice is what paid for sin. In the OT people sacrificed a lamb by slitting the lamb's throat. "I sin and the animal dies." There was a river of blood running through the OT. However, the thinking man's Jew realized down deep that this animal dying was not enough, but just a type of one to come, "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Even still if you had a to cut a live lamb's throat and watch the blood run out and die each time you sinned, it would make you think twice about sinning.
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Key to maturity is the ability to live above our circumstances and operate out of God's rest. Bob himself with his heart condition is free from his circumstances as he is able to say, "Lord, I don't have to get well." Bob has stopped clinging to this old life. "Just be my guest, Lord." We are to live above our circumstances. Are you totally satisfied with the circumstances that God has put you in? I can either be a victim of my circumstances or victor over my circumstances. This is not salvation from my circumstances, but SALVATION FROM SELF! Our job is to let the greatness and glory of our God be seen through us, no matter where He has placed us.
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As a new man in Christ, sin can knock on the door, but it can only enter in now by invitation. We do have a choice!<
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Satan only gratifies. Christ satisfies!
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If Jesus got crucified, we should not expect anything different in life. The normal Christian life is described in 2 Cor 4:7-11 where the words "afflicted, perplexed, forsaken, persecuted" are all written in the verb tense where they are continually and habitually occurring in our experience. We should expect these things to occur in our lives and not be surprised when they do happen.
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I am no longer "Bob the slob. I am now Bob the righteous." Act like it is true and as you do, it will be!
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Stop trying and start trusting!
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Believe everything comes from God.my next breath, my life, my situation I am facing, the person I am meeting.
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The flesh loves to be religious, loves the gifts it has, loves to give it the best shot so it can get the credit! The moment you feel you are adequate, then you are not. If you think you are humble, then you are not.
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I no longer trust in myself, but in the God who raises the dead (2 Cor 1:8-11). We are only are given the power to choose, not the power to do.
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Don't aim your teaching at anyone. Let God be God! We tend to have a Messianic complex that we are the key. Bob thought one time he would aim his teaching at this one guy and it had no effect. Instead another guy, who Bob never would have expected was affected.
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How do you know if you are operating in the flesh? If you feel that hand coming up and patting yourself on the back, if you feel stress or you are looking at the results or appearance, it is the flesh..
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You don't set up a service for "Body Life," you live it. It comes out of an atmosphere of the life one leads as a leader. If the congregation feels a sense of belonging, trust and family then it will happen.
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Without faith it is impossible to please GodBelieve that He is involved in your life and He will reward you as one of those who diligently seek Him.
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God and scripture want you to be free. It is now, in Christ, unnatural for us to sin!
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Dead men can't sin!
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We are His workmanship, His work of art, His display. It is not "Bob Roe Superstar," but Jesus Christ living His normal life through me (Col 1:27). He does not want us to do, He wants us to be and He will do the doing through me (John 15:5). I am His display case, a visible representation of the invisible Jesus.
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It is nothing coming from me, but it is everything coming from God. My job is to just show up and be a living sacrifice (Ro 12:1-2), allowing the God who now lives in me (Col 1:27), to be made visible through my life in every circumstance He places me into. This is a life that is unexplainable apart from Him as we demonstrate the life of Christ and the sweet aroma of Christ as we just walk in the arenas of life He places us in. It is not doing, it is being. However, the doing in the final analysis comes from the being.
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I am a "doulos," I am a bond-servant, a slave with no rights. I don't own anything. I do not even own myself. A slave's job is to serve his master.
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God's will cannot be thwarted. It is up to us to get in line with God's will and watch the flow.
1. Ask according to God's will - God has promised to fulfill our needs not our wants. His will is to conform us to the image of His Son and He is not necessarily after our happiness, but our holiness.
2. Do what is normal, obvious and natural. Just do what is in front of you, depending upon God to work in and through you, changing you and affecting others in the process.
3. We must be willing to accept God's will no matter what. In other words we must be obedient as we are on the road to being conformed to Christ and not complain at our circumstances.
4. The inner witness and peace of the Spirit throughout all this process should pervade our lives showing us that all is well.
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Remember the company you work for it really is owned by the Lord! You work for Jesus Christ, therefore your Daddy is the biggest Daddy on the block. Nothing touches me or happens to me except if it is what He wants to happen!
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The difference between "religion" and "Authentic Christianity" is as follows. Religious people do things for God where self effort turns into either self righteousness or burnout as you never know when you have done enough. Authentic Christianity is I have a God who is invisible and He doesn't need help. All He needs is visibility. When people see us this may be their only chance to see Jesus! Just like Jesus manifested the Father to everyone He met, we are to manifest the Son wherever we go.
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The hope of our calling is that all things work together for good!
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Lordship is not good enough, Christ must be our life! You can only love the Lord God with all your heart, mind and soul, if Christ is your life! You can only love your neighbor, if Christ is your life!
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Thank God for the moment. The very opportunity in front of you is His will for you - to make Him visible!<
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After I come to Christ my conscience needs to be re-educated. The conscience either accuses or excuses the choices I make. God has put a judgment factor in our lives - it is the "oughtness factor" - I ought to do this. The conscience in a new Christian is "everything is dirty unless I know it is clean. The conscience in the New Covenant is "everything is clean unless I see it is dirty - this is God's creation and He made everything good." The way we educate a guilty conscience is through the Word of God and what the Word of God says is three things about whether we should do or not do something.
1. Is what I am doing mastering me or am I mastering it? (1 Cor 6:12).
2. Is it helping my growth and my family's growth in Christ and working for good in all of our lives?
3. Does it disrupt the growth of believers around me or in bringing unbelievers to Christ?
As I grow as a Christian my sin consciousness increases, but my guilt factor decreases. Now when I blow if I just confess my sin, God cleans me up as the blood of Jesus Christ constantly cleanses me. As I get older in my Christian walk the more I realize I am flawed apart from Jesus Christ and how much I need Him to keep me on track - because He is my life (Col 3:4). Even though I only have one nature now, God left the dirty old man, in my mortal body, as teaching tool so that I would have to make choices - adult choices as an adult son. However, the responsibility is on God's back to let me know when I am heading off on a tangent. I therefore will keep doing everything, until the Spirit of God taps me on the shoulder and says no. This is the Spirit of God working through my conscience that is educated by the Word of God. In all of this Bob's daily prayer was that the Spirit of God will keep filling him daily and keep Him from defiling this sanctuary of the Living God!
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Bob told the story about two friends at work. One was a Lutheran who drank and smoked. The other was a Deacon/Elder in the Baptist Church who was so very active in his church. The first man longed for the New Covenant and to be a living sacrifice. The latter who did everything for God and was busily involved in his church had no clue that one of the Satan's tool is to get a person so active in his church that he does not have time for anything else. In other words he did not understand anything about the "overzealousness" of the flesh and that it is only what Christ accomplishes in and through us that is okay in the sight of God. It is not our best efforts on behalf of God, which gets our ego involved. The ego equals who is in charge and is # 1 item on God's list of things needing to be crucified. Drinking and smoking are about # 20 on the list. God wants our ego's crucified and for us to be living sacrifices so that He can accomplish His work through us. The Lutheran man, in his honesty, despite his foibles was closer to God than Bob's overzealous Baptist friend.
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God says, "I don't need any help. I just need a living sacrifice." This means that we do not physically die right now, because Jesus already died on the cross on our behalf. We just enter into this death through faith so that resurrection life can be seen through us as living sacrifices and He can bring the results.
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Thank God as you are doing whatever is in front of you as this is God's will for you, trusting Him to do it in you and through you. It is HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO BRING ABOUT THE RESULTS. Actually once we are a living sacrifice, we don't need to worry about making decisions (please do not misunderstand this..), because the Spirit will lead us. If we are a 100% His and He is my life (Col 3:4), it is God's problem to let me know if I am going off on a wrong tangent. This results in a life of restful activity. In other words I do not have to figure it out. I do not have to choose or make a lot of decisions because if I am going off course the Spirit of God will let me know. Use your God given mind and expect God to be using it through me. Step by step, things will begin to unfold. As Christ becomes my life, my wisdom, my everything, I gain all of this, just by trusting in the foolishness of the cross. Through the cross I gain Christ, His resurrection life and all that that means.
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If I am made in the image of God, then I have a moral responsibility to choose to believe or not to believe in Jesus Christ. God made hell for the devil and his angels, not for man. The devil and the angels had so much light, and despite a full knowledge of God they chose against the light - there is no redemption for that (Heb 6). Man has the responsibility to choose Jesus Christ, or to be in hell with "me, myself and I." No one goes to hell unless he chooses to go there. All I must do is choose to follow the light of God in Jesus Christ.
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The flesh is designed to be arrogant and can be summarized in the attitude, "I can do it." The whole world emphasizes it. The flesh, however, cannot please God. God will only accept what is done by Him. Only God can do God's work, yet He desires to do it through willing people like you and me. There will be no "ivory soap" (99.9% pure) in heaven!
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If you have a guilty conscience, either you did not do enough, were not sincere enough or you did not do your best. This is because you are basing everything on your own standard and our own standard is never enough!
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God's number attribute is not love, but His holiness! God's holiness shows us our depravity and this is what drives us to our knees as there is no hope that we can do it on our own. However, then the God of love (mercy & grace) sends His Son with His nail scarred hands & feet, and as I bring nothing to the cross except my clinging to it, then He cleanses me. However, again I have nothing, absolutely nothing to offer Him.except being a living sacrifice that He can live and be seen through.
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After the fall, "me" entered into the equation. Before "me," being a living sacrifice was not necessary because we already were acting like one. This is what God designed me to be in the beginning. Being holy, set apart, walking eyeball to eyeball (like in the Garden of Eden), relating to God no shame, naked, completely open, reflecting God to His creation.
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Rom 12:1-2; in chapters 1-8 Paul describes what God has done and he urges us by the mercies of God to make a choice to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, which is the thinking man's way of worshipping God . We should stop being conformed or masquerading - putting something on that we really are not, but instead be transformed - actually the word is transfigured. Like Jesus on the Mt of Transfiguration, we are to let what really dwells inside of us, shine out. This is Jesus who now lives inside us! Again in summary, after seeing God's sovereignty and how He works all things together for good for those who love Him (Rom 1-8), we must make a choice to do something based on what God has done for you.<
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The New Covenant, where we have been baptized into Christ and He is now our life (Col 3:4), we are one with Him as members of His Body (John 14:20, 17; Eph 4:1-11) and apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5) is our central message! Out of this New Covenant flows Body Life, the corporate expression and understanding of the New Covenant, and "the ministry of the saints" where God has given each member of His Body - who share His life, spiritual gifts which are used to express His Life to build up the other members of His Body. These gifts are not for our own benefit, even though we are fulfilled as we use them, but are pastor-teachers to guide and equip the saints to maturity in an understanding of these New Covenant truths, in order that each individual member of Christ's Body might understand that Jesus Christ has already ordained them as His ministers of this New Covenant (John 15:16), He has already prepared the works and ministries for them to walk into (Eph 2:8-10) based on the spiritual gift he or she has been given, and He has provided the power, Himself (Col 1:27), to carry out these works of service. At all times we must remember that we are, and must remain, connected with the Head, that is Christ, as it is He who guides, instructs and gives life to each of us. A body without a head is just a corpse and unfortunately most of the church today runs around like a chicken with its head chopped off!
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The key in discipleship is the New Covenant.. Christ died that I might live, I must die that HE might live in me! All the Lord wants us to do is what He did for us. Our Lord was a sacrifice. We are to be living sacrifices. We don't have a say in the manner of how God is going to crush us so that we do not depend on our own ability, but instead our dependence is on the God who raises the dead!
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The Lord deserves the right to determine where our ministry is going to be. It could be by destroying our natural talents. Example- Jim Elliot and the five men who were killed by the tribes people in Ecuador. Their deaths ended up bringing the whole village to Christ. Jim Elliot was quoted as saying, "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose." This is being a living sacrifice!
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God cannot use us as long as we are in the flesh. He must first crucify us before we are usable. Much of Christianity and the church life is lived in the flesh. The flesh defined is everything of my life without Christ being a part of it - the good and bad things, all my ambitions, my tithes, my aspirations, etc.. It is when I am trying on my own to do my best to please God. This is no different than Phariseeism
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Positionally, in Christ I have already died. Experientially and habitually, I must die daily.
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Satan only offers pleasures for a short time, Jesus offers them for all eternity.
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Teach the New Covenant ("Christ died that I might live, I must die that Chrsit might live in me") first before spiritual gifts and ministry of the saints. The New Covenant gets rid of the "I" in my life which is the biggest problem. If you don't get rid of the "I" first, you will be using your spiritual gifts and ministering to others most probably to benefit yourself and make yourself look good
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Our goal as teachers/shepherds is to get our people/sheep to stop walking dominated by the flesh, but instead walk dominated by the spirit. This abiding in Christ will lead to a life of love, joy and peace.
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You do not have to be a victim of your background anymore (Example: I have a bad temper because I am Italian!). Now in Christ you do not have be the victim, you can be the victor. It is your choice now!
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Be like a little child in my Father's arms, looking to my Father for everything. I am not the big Pastor of PBC. I am a little child who can into his Father's arms. Run to the source of life as it is the very source of life in us that makes us run to Him in the first place. And even when I do not feel like running, my Father comes to me. Accept His love and allow it to flow through us.(For God so loved the world.). God gave you His life and His love first and as a response to that love, I give myself to Him out of gratitude. It does not depend on me. Did I first give myself to Him? No, He first gave Himself to me. I am always the debtor. He will never let me go back - ex. the Prodigal Son.
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My one calling is to make Christ visible. As Christ fed on the Father, we are to feed on Christ. I am to be Christlike, yet I am not Christ, but the visible representation of Christ. I am Godlike, but I am not God.
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The Lord Jesus Christ is perfectly capable of protecting His church. If we understand the New Covenant and believe it then we realize that our God is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. He knows all things at all times, before they even happen. And if something does happen, it happens for a reason. Not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the Lord knowing about it, The Lord of the Church is the Lord God Almighty. He bought it with His blood and no one including Satan or his demons can come against it without His knowledge.
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Tithing takes the joy out of giving. The Lord does not need our money..In the OT the first 1/10th was the Lord's and we got the remaining 9/10's. Now I do not even own my own body as I am wholly the Lord's - "you are not your own, you have been bought with a price!"
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Remember we are always an object of His
- Unconditional love - which will not let me go or let me go back
- Unboundless mercy - I am a Charlie Brown, totally helpless. Apart from Him I totally helpless
- Unboundless grace - I am a Lucy, a snob, arrogant and snotty. He loves me despite this.
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The only way to change someone who is operating in the flesh and on a broomstick is to live Christ before them. Grant them honor as one who has the potential of a joint heir of the grace of God. Every person is a potential heir of the grace of God as God has already died for the sins of the world on the cross. Jesus is King, Lord and is establishing His kingdom. The forces of Satan will not prevail against it as we enter Satan's strongholds and bring people into God's Kingdom. God's Kingdom is the reality. Just live Christ before them and love them into the Kingdom of the Living God.
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The calling of a Christian is unjust suffering. Christ suffered
for us unjustly and never received justice here. Should we expect
anything less? We are in bootcamp now and
this domain here is under the control of Satan.
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Wait for God to create the stage. He is in control. Our job is just to live Christ in front of people who are on broomsticks and love them!
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The reason we must carry about in our bodies the dying of Jesus - this constant dying to self, is that a covenant does not go into effect until the covenant maker dies. Jesus died to implement the New Covenant. We must die so that we might experience the New Covenant.
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Suffering helps us get back to reflecting His image. We are not to reflect Bob or Super Bob, but Jesus Christ. The suffering makes us hunks of dead meat where Christ can be seen.
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Jesus wants to be Lord, but more importantly He wants to be my life! Most people would recognize and agree to the first part, but then they want to do their best for God. Instead God wants to do it through them. He does not want any committee meetings!
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Comments about Evander Holyfield, the boxer, after a fight with Mike Tyson where Evander was glorifying God in his after fight talk on TV. Many Christians would say boxing is too violent, too bloody, this is terrible and Evander can't be Christian Please do not put God in a box! If you look at the environment Evander came out of either he could have been be a pimp, drug dealer or an athlete. Evander chose to be an athlete. This was God's platform of ministry for Evander! Again don't put God in a box of your own making, He is bigger than that!<
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The foundation of the New Covenant is in 2 Cor 4: 10-11. "Always carrying about in our bodies the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are constantly being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh." Without suffering there really is not a New Covenant. This is to get us back to where we can be dependent on God again. Yes, we are a new person, but the flesh resists the Spirit and it is suffering that breaks down the flesh and enables us to be dependent on Him, functioning as God intended us to function. Unjust suffering is our calling as Christians, example - Joni Erickson Tada.
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We must be willing to give everything to the Lord and let Him be Lord! This goes for whatever circumstances we are in - at work, home, a marriage Am I willing to stay in the situation I am in and let God be God. The very situation we are in is the very mission field that God has given us. As we give it back to God, the results will be a peace that surpasses all understanding.
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We all have to die! Why not die now so that we don't have to die later? Dying means letting God be in charge. Let Him determine the future - give Him the past, present, future. Jesus also died to Himself. The horror of becoming the sin bearer for all of us, when nothing unclean had ever entered His life and separated Him from His Father led Him to pray, "if possible let this cup be taken away from me." However, at the end of praying He finished with the words "Not my will, but thine be done."
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From 1 Peter 2:18, we should have the attitude of a household slave working for someone who is a "despot/dictator" for 24 hours a day. A pagan slave would hate the boss and "spit in the soup" when the boss' back was turned. However, a Christian slave despite being treated poorly would continue to respect to the boss, showing the other slaves the indwelling life Christ as he would not "spit in the soup when the boss's back was turned! Pagans cannot handle unjust suffering. Christians see it as from God's hand and following in Jesus' footsteps. Three times Jesus asked the Father if it was possible for Him to bypass the cross. Three times the Father said this is my will for you. We should therefore not expect any better deal than Jesus got. "For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example to follow in his steps, 1 Pet 2:21-24.
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These verses in 1 Peter regarding the call to submission are true of the workplace where the Lord is behind the Boss who is a tyrant. Not only is God using the tyrant to train us, but God is using us to be His visibility to the other workers around as we act and react differently to unjust treatment. This not only goes for our outward behavior, but the inward private area of my heart as well. As we act like this, "this finds favor with God." When we live on a higher plane than those around us by appropriating God's life, it inspires His favor. How amazing to think that our righteous responses can bring delight to God!
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From 1 Peter 2: 18, we are called to submission,
- By knowing who we are, a household slave.
- By knowing whom we serve, fearing the Lord.
- Without any condition, whether the conditions are unjust or just, reasonable or unreasonable.
And the reasons we submit are,
- By knowing this finds favor with God
- By knowing that is our calling to follow in Christ's footsteps.
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Why do we have to go through unjust suffering? Firstly, it separates us from the world. Secondly, it makes the pagans stand up and take notice. Thirdly, it is the foundation of the New Covenant - the New Covenant is a fresh restatement of a previous covenant, which is the most basic covenant of all, where God provided us with life and we are dependent on Him for everything we need to live life. Our job, as we are created in His image is to reflect His life to His creation. This suffering gets rid of the selfish independence we inherited from Adam to where we are dependent beings doing what we were designed to do and be. Unjust suffering is our calling and we should receive it gladly as it is producing within us a glorious weight of glory, the image of Jesus Christ Himself. For Bob, his calling was to live in constant pain due to his operations and heart condition. "This is the will of God for me. Be my guest. To do me in me and through me whatever is necessary to make me the person you want me to be." Bob was giving his will back to God and giving Him permission to do whatever was necessary. Jesus as well at the cross prayed three times that he might not have to endure the cross, but finally He said, not my will, but your will be done!"
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Bob described a 1 hour battle with Satan where Bob had a fear of not being able to breathe. Bob can handle pain, but breathing is another thing. Bob had not been tested in this area yet. So instead of panicking, Bob replied, "Be my guest, I have never been tested in this. Thank you, Lord. All is good for me. You are my heavenly Father and you would never give me anything bad. My God is total control. My Lord is allowing this for me as He is building for the eternal." We are called to life of unjust suffering. We are not only to accept it, but to thank God for it! Bob would always come back to 2 Cor 7: 12 - "always & constantly" where we always encountering deathlike circumstances so that Christ might always be made manifest. Thank God for every circumstance. He knows everything.
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Bob said he would not trade the pain he endured for the intimacy with God he has gained. Suffering, if you let it, will always produce intimacy! It will either make you "bitter" or "better."
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In order to make incense with its beautiful aroma, you must first crush it and then burn it. As you do those two things, then a beautiful aroma comes out. This is similar to what happens in our lives.
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Satan uses the "lust of the eyes, flesh, and the boastful pride of life" to get us away from the mindset of unjust suffering. The world is just trying to seek its personal happiness and fulfillment, and our flesh craves for this. However, there is never true satisfaction in the world's way as we become like drug addicts never gaining true fulfillment.
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In 1 John, John is saying "stop loving the things of this world." This word love is "agape" - the love of intelligent choice. It is up to us to make the correct choice and to quit falling for the same old sales pitch that Satan has used since the Garden of Eden. Remember it is now God who is at work within both to will and to do!
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There are only two kinds of people in this world; the children of God or the children of the evil one. Either you are depending on God and manifesting His life to the world or you are a child of the devil manifesting all his character traits of independence, self will and selfishness.
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We are told that the world and its system has been turned over to the devil and his control. The mindset of the devil is so prevalent today. What is this spirit? It is the spirit of selfishness of what is in it for me, will this meet my personal needs and give me my happiness that so permeates each individual. The world is then just the corporate expression of these individuals which leads to conflict and problems when these individual's needs clash. We, however, are called out of this world system as aliens and pilgrims. In Jesus Christ we are now a new man and we are part of a new creation. We are no longer our own, as we have been bought with a price. We are no longer to serve ourselves (enslaved to our flesh), but instead we become bondslaves to Jesus Christ. As living sacrifices we are at His beck and call which is freedom. Enslavement to self is nothing more than enslavement to the devil. The devil is behind everything as he controls individual man through the flesh (the life lived apart from God based on self sufficiency) and this fleshy life is corporately expressed by the world and its system, which in turn entraps individual man in his life in the flesh. There is a paradox as you die to yourself and give control to God, you become freer and freer in the Spirit. You then begin to function like Adam in the garden before the fall, out of rest and dependence on God
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If we notice the "lust of the eyes, flesh and the boastful pride of life" is everything outside of us pushing in. However, "greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world." Instead of being led by the eyegate, instead as we are now to be led by the eargate, listening to the Spirit from within.
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The moment we die to self and Christ becomes our life, we have a choice between the flesh or the Spirit. We are now born again with the ability to choose. Before we could not choose as we were in the lap of the evil one. We can now choose between the flesh and the Spirit. I have to the power to keep the flesh in the grave and not try and resurrect it from the dead.
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The keys to teaching God's people.
1. Make sure the people we are teaching have a love affair with Jesus Christ.
2. Train them on how to love Jesus.
Bob would study a passage until he had the "hardly can waits." Then Bob went to the Head Teacher (Jesus Himself) and prayed, "Lord, live through me, love through me, listen through me, speak through me, take me out of the act, thank you, lord in advance for what you are going to accomplish through this Bob would give the Lord "carte blanche" with his lesson. The nights when Bob tried to direct a lesson at certain people, nothing would happen. On other nights when Bob thought he had done a terrible job, people would be changed. The Lord in essence was telling Bob, "you teach, Bob, and I'll do the saving." Just be God's mouthpiece and visibility.
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Regarding changing jobs; I am free to look, but at the same time I must give God the right to keep me in a place where I am not satisfied. God is in charge and He has the right to keep me wherever he desires, as my job is to just make Him visible wherever I am.<
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In order for the life of Christ to be made manifest, there must be a death. All God needs is a hunk of dead meat! The price that God asked of Joni Erickson Tada was a broken neck. She is "dead" in a sense so that now all that is seen is Jesus Christ.
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When we blow it and sin and then ask forgiveness, God forgives us. However, He does not let us out of the consequences. God uses the consequences as a training tool.
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Now since the fall, the woman is no longer necessarily a natural complement/cooperator to the husband, but instead is a competitor - "my rights, I'm in charge, etc.." In looking at Eph 5:25-33, the wife's love equates to the church's love, while the husband's love represents divine love. The husband wears a crown, but it is crown of thorns, as he plays the role of Christ to his wife and family. As Christ loves the church whether it responds to Him or not (For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son), the husband is to "continually/habitually choose to love his wife. This is the love of intelligent choice. In a way, the husband as head of the wife is her "lord & savior" (small "l" & small "s"). He is not the redeemer of sin, but he is to sanctify her, by being the initiator and sustainer of the relationship with the goal of presenting her "holy & blameless in all her glory" to the Lord. The way he does this is through communication and the "washing of the Word" and his encouragement to her to use her spiritual gifts in order that Christ's life might be seen in her. Wives are not servants, they are one flesh with their husbands, and when the husband loves his wife he is loving himself. Even if the husband has a wife who is a competitor and "on a broomstick" and not responding to any of his needs, he is to play the role of Christ, who is always there when any of us screw up! In other words in a one flesh relationship, relationship is never affected even though fellowship may be. However, confronting is also a part of love as the husband needs to respond by saying "what you are saying or doing really hurts me, but I will love you as Christ loved the church (He died for her!)." As he handles it this way it puts it in the Lord's hand and He will deal with her! Why will the Lord do this? Because each one as verse 33 says has responsibilities to make this work as marriage is a picture of what Christ's relationship is to the church and He takes this seriously! Both parties in this relationship are accountable. If it is not happening then give it to the Lord!
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The woman is not submitting to the man. She is submitting to Jesus Christ. She is created equal with the man, however, despite being equal she is being asked by Jesus to subordinate herself to her husband, like Jesus, who did not regard equality as something to hold on to. Jesus is saying I am not asking you to do anything that I did not do. Once a woman understands this it is easy to submit.
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Remember there is always a third party in a marriage relationship. Don't focus on changing the other person. Let God work on that other person. Focus on yourself.
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Live with your wife according to knowledge. Women live by intuition and take things more personally. Always praise her first. "This steak is excellent!" Then ask where she got it. If you ask where she got it first, she will say, "What is wrong with the steak?" Handle your wives with TLC - tender loving care...<
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All of this marriage stuff and having kids on top of that is given to us when we are so unready and ill prepared for it. However, this God's method of showing us our fallen nature. At the same time, properly lived it is Christ's visible example of His relationship to His church.
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Most husbands are unprepared for marriage. They are either looking for a "mother" and a "playboy bunny" which is not very realistic. Marriage is one of God's training tools.
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Our job as husbands is to sanctify our wives so that she might be the wife, woman & mother that she should be. Down deep she really wants someone to be her "head" as this is the way she is made. What she really wants is security, love, focus, availability, acceptance. She might fight you tooth and nail, but accept her as she is. Help her to fulfill her dream as a wife, mother. Love her and lead her where she is at and accept her for what she is because you love her. Remember God loved me this way. God loved me when I was an enemy. God just loves me because he loves me, not for what I can do for Him. Similarly we are to love our wives this way!
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The Lord is the Lord and we are "bond slaves." Therefore He is free to do whatever He wants to us and put us into whatever circumstance He desires. The day we said "Lord", we gave up our rights! This is boot camp. As Jesus subordinated Himself to the Father, all He got was the cross. He never received anything in this life.
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Give myself to the Lord as a living sacrifice, giving him carte blanche. Ask him to "do to me, through me and in me" whatever you want Lord, to make me the person you want me to be for all of eternity. I do this without any subconscious withholding as I give you the freedom to do whatever you need to do and I accept it with thanksgiving.
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Thank God daily for His generousity - my life, house, wife & kids. These are all things he has given me. Love my wife more and more through me each day, Lord, keep me out of the act! Give Him the kids each day, protect them from the world (cosmos - this ordered system), flesh and the devil. Satan controls this cosmos and he can give it to whomever he wishes. All he needs is a bowed knee for an instant (like Jesus' temptation). However, pray that we are transformed out of world's system, by the renewing of our minds.
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We are tripartite beings made up of spirit, soul & body. The spirit is 100% indwelt by God. We are the sanctuary of the Living God. God dwells in our spirit and we are one spirit with Christ. This is essentially who I am. The soul is being saved in the process. And the body, is going down the tubes as this is the seat of sin. Romans 8 says I can live above my body as if Christ is in you, and he is, then the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead who resides in you as well will enable you to live above our body - for it is God who is at work within both to will and to do.
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Bob quotes Donald Grey Barnhouse, a great preacher of a generation ago, as saying we are:
- Saved before the foundation of the world
- Saved at Calvary 2000 years ago
- Saved when we accepted Christ
- Saved by being saved (soul is in the process of being saved
- sanctification)
- Someday I will be saved (glorified like Christ)
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Satan appeals to the emotions, God appeals to the mind. The mind then appeals to the will and after that the emotions follow. Satan always tries to short circuit the process and get us to function on our urges and desires.
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God tells you a fact of life. We are to act like it is true and then we will experience it. The basic premise of the Bible is that is true. Believe it and act like it is true and then you will experience it.
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It is now more natural for me in Christ to live righteously. I now have to let sin come in the door (the dirty old man). The body is the root of sin - this flesh which is my life apart from Jesus Christ. That is why I have a choice of who is going to use this Body of mine. If "I use it," this equals the flesh, however, God can use it as I become a hunk of dead meat - a living sacrifice.
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Since Calvary where Christ won the war, Satan is on a chain! Satan is now used by God, as temptation is used by God for our growth. Satan is on a choke collar - it can be a long or short one depending upon God's desire for us. Christ has already bound Satan. That is why binding Satan today is unbiblical. He is already bound!
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Image is a big deal to God. In Gen 1:26 He said let us make man in our own image. In the Ten Commandments God does not want any idols made or any other God's worshipped. God is very uptight about His image being marred. This is why in Noah's day He destroyed everyone as they were reflecting their father, the devil. God takes this seriously! We are to be an image bearer/reflector, we are to reflect Jesus Christ to God's creation.
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In the middle ages the Christians were known as the "dice throwers." This was because during the black plague, the Christians did not care about themselves as they took care of the plague victims. They did not care about their own lives, they just wanted to show Jesus Christ to the world.
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The flesh = me, myself and I, me made manifest.
Authentic Christianity = Christ manifesting His life through me,
only Christ doing it.
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Abortion and the right to choose - Bob says once we have chosen to have sex that the choice is no longer mine it is God's. The child is made in the image of God. Our rights to choose end the minute you finished. You have to then accept the consequences!<
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As a Christian -
We have no rights except to submit,
I am set free to be what I was supposed to be,
I simply have the rights to be God's visibility.
Bob used the example when he left Chevron to come to PBC as a Pastor. The first thing God does is to cripple him and give him a terminal prognosis. God was saying to Bob, " I want you, Bob, to stop helping me. Now you will have to rely on me totally." God did not want Bob's best shot, He wanted a hunk of dead meat so that Jesus Christ could be manifested through Bob's humanity - incarnation! After this occurred, Bob Smith told Bob, "stop trying to produce, don't try and do something, just be something (be Christ)!" As Bob began to stop pushing and trying to become Bob Roe Superstar/Super Counselor and instead began to conform to what God wanted which was to be His mouthpiece and visibility the stress went out of it as Bob was beginning to be someone instead of trying to do, produce and meet a lot of goals. However, to accomplish this again God had to cripple Bob first.
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The Lord is head of His Church. I am allowed by His grace to disciple His men. It is not my class, my church, my men. It is the Lord's Church, His men and we are broken vessels manifesting the life of Jesus through us.
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The will of God is whatever is in front of me. Get out of bed, shave, shower, eat - we can be glorifying God while shaving or being in the rest room.
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Satan masquerades as an angel of light and so do his servants. Satan wants to look good and so do we. Even when I come to Christ the "flesh" is still unconverted (flesh is a part of the body - body is the seat of sin). It is me apart from God - both the good, bad and religious.
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Christ wants to be our life. If He is our life, then He will be my Lord.
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We must practice the presence of Christ in all areas of life. Who is going to answer the telephone? Who is going to write this letter? Who is going to teach this class? Is it going to be Jesus Christ or me? The key is dependence. As we practice the presence of Christ in the little things, then we will establish a habit where we can handle the big things with Christ.
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Image of God - in Hebrew it means "a carved image." We are designed to be the image of God. God has "carved" man and woman physically and emotionally to make His character, His attributes visible. I am deliberately designed to make an invisible being visible. My spirit is made to be the dwelling place of the Living God. I am the sanctuary of the Living God = the Holy of Holies.<
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Bob in counseling people at PBC had to go downstairs to get them. On the way down to get the person, Bob would say his 5 point prayer, "Live through me, love through me, listen through me, speak through me, take me out of the act, Thank you, Lord." Bob wanted it to be Jesus Christ listening to and speaking to that person. Therefore, by the time they got up stairs and it was Bob's turn to talk, the words just flowed as they were Christ's words. Bob just thanked the Lord. This lifestyle requires a choice and then practicing it.
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Bob told the story of the time he was teaching the New Covenant at a home fellowship with Cecil Kettle, a founding Elder at PBC. There was this 300 lb. man there who seemed very disinterested so Cecil went up to talk to him after Bob finished teaching and said, You really don't look like you want to be here" The man said you are right and then proceeded to tell Cecil his story. It turned this guy was an Elder at the Lutheran Church, yet he had gotten his secretary pregnant. At the same time his two business partners were going to screw him out of his portion of the profits and because of this he had two house mortgages which he could not pay and his wife was going to leave him! Cecil said, "It sounds like you have done a pretty lousy job of running your life, why don't you give someone else a chance? This man said to Cecil, "You are correct and right there he prayed to accept the Lord, asking Him to run his life." Later he went to his Pastor at the Lutheran Church and told him he had accepted the Lord (even though he was already an Elder!). The pastor asked him to share his testimony in front of the congregation on the differences between being a "Lutheran vs. an Authentic Christian" which he did. Then to show you how the Lord is in charge, a sequence of events started occurring over a two week period that shows how God can work.
1. One of his partners it turns out was at the service where he gave his testimony. He was so touched he came up to him afterwards and said we are not going to screw you out of the profits/ your money.
2. His wife heard that he had given his testimony and said she would not leave him.
3. His secretary had a miscarriage.
4. The contractor building his second house with the second mortgage asked if he could buy the house, which he did.
5. Job - he wanted to get a new start in new place, specifically Phoenix. It just so happened that Cecil's company was opening an office there and they hired him as the regional manager there.
6. His second house sold right away after he had moved to Phoenix!
All of this occurred in a two week period after this man, let Christ be his life! We must let Christ be our life. He is God, get out of His way. What He needs is an acknowledgement of our need, and for us to get out of the way. Then He can work and we will be what we were designed to be, manifesting the image of God to the world and making Him visible!
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It takes three to make a marriage work - God, man & woman!
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In Christ, God has reconciled the world to Himself. The world is reconciled to God and He just waits for us to return to Him. The story of the prodigal son is a good analogy for all of us. Repentence really is never without self interest. Why do we repent? Because we hurt too much. Sin is a terrible taskmaster. It gratifies, but does not satisfy. Why do I change my mind? Because I hurt. When I first come to Christ I do not understand Lordship. I just want to get out of the mess I am in. We must learn Lordship. Christ is not just a fire escape from hell! We are His free will slaves now, because if we understand what He has done for us, that He has redeemed and bought us with His blood then we want His Lordship. Christ is not just savior, He is Lord. He takes over as Lord and becomes my savior as He keeps saving me over and over from the foibles of my life and choices.
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God does not want us to beat anyone. We are to bear one another's burdens together. We a running individual races, but unless I help my brother win his race, I do not win mine. Because the world is based on competition, how do I play in a competition? We must take the attitude that I am willing to finish last if that is what God wants. How can a salesman sell in a competitive environment? The correct attitude is "I want to make the sale, but if I don't get it that's fine. I just want you to be visible, Lord, in the process." You see, who is making the sales call, me or Jesus Christ? Either I can make the call or Jesus can make the call through me. In golf one becomes excellent because of a will and desire to win. This is totally anti-Christian. Only by bearing one another burdens do I fulfill the law of Christ (Gal 6:2). Bob told the story of Cecil Kettle, one of PBC's founding Elders, who was a very successful salesman. Cecil always said on a sales call that you take care of a person's emotional and spiritual needs first, and the sale comes a distant third, if at allGod will take care of that.
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Giants in our lives - Look back at the miracles God has done in your life. The children of Israel chose to draw back from entering into the Promised Land because there were 9.5 ft. high giants there. Yet God had just freed them from Egypt, the Superpower of the day, He had fed, taken care of and led them in the wilderness with a pillar of fire by night and cloud by day, yet they were still afraid as they looked at their circumstances rather than their God. In Joshua we see we are fighting a battle already won. We are indwelt by he Holy Spirit (the Son was a payment to the Father, and the Holy Spirit is a payment to us that He will never leave us or forsake us) and we have the life of Christ in us. We have a "positive righteousness" - a life that was tested by Jesus for 33.5 years here on earth. Adam and Eve only had "innocence."
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Again if we have giants in our lives, don't be afraid. Tell God our problems even when we blow it and don't know how to get out of it. Perhaps the reason God has allowed the sin in our lives is that is the way He is humbling us through our sin to keep us from being proud, as Satan is quick to zap us when we are not clean through our conscience which condemns us. However, ask the Lord to teach us to pray like David in Psalm 51 so that we might be made whiter than snow and better understand the implications of the cross in relationship to our depravity and the depths of our sin capacity. We must remember that the flesh always stinks and never changes. We are, however, God's creation as God wants us to succeed and will work through us to accomplish the victory.
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Christ does not need my best. He is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. He only needs visibility. "As the Father sent me, so now I send you," said Jesus. You are to feed on me and as my priests you are to convict the world of:
1. Sin - this is because of their unbelief (that's the only sin left. God has already paid for all the others through the death of his Son!). The world should see a love relationship between me and the Lord that will convict them that they do not believe in Jesus.
2. Righteousness - Jesus showed us the life of the Father, a perfect life. Now because we are in Christ, we are to walk around showing the world who Christ is because they see something in us that is different - "a fragrance of Christ. "He who knew no sin, was made sin, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."
3. Judgment - the ruler of this world has been judged and because of this we should have no fear of death - not only physical death, but also fear of our circumstances. The Christians of old could go to the cross blessing those who crucified them - like Christ on the cross, because Christ was in them. The bondage of death has been broke for us who believe, because I have already been judged as I died with Christ on the cross. Now my job is to just present myself as living sacrifice, a hunk of dead meat, so that Christ can express Himself through me
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Failure in the Christian life is never a blowout, but instead is always a slow leak!
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All of life is made up of choices. Our life is one of freedom, not law The reason we have the Spirit of God within is that He is the Holy Spirit and His job is to make us holy (set apart for God's use, His possession). If we have a doubt about an action or something we face in life, ask Him if it is holy? "Can I do this?" The Holy Spirit is very, very faithful if we ask the question. God wants us to ask the question, even more than we want answers!
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Bob said, No holds barred, I give you carte blanche with the pain I have. Do to me, in me and though me.I want to be a living sacrifice, a holy sacrifice - all of me! Do to me, in me and through me whatever you desire to do to make me the person you want me to be for eternity." Remember the Lord does not use dirty vessels and the sacrifice does not have a say as to how the sacrifice is to take place. The result is Bob got increased pain insteadThere can be no subconscious withholding as we pray this. Bob always said that he was a good manipulator, and he would try to get out of stuff, therefore his prayer was. 'Lord, make me willing, to be willing."<
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You cannot lose what you did not earn. I am a total object of His love. I can offer only Him only myself. I cannot earn brownie points. When I accept Christ I get the brownie points free of charge..total mercy, boundless love. The Father wants you to walk in this new life more than you want to walk in it. You are already have it, now just enter into it. This is a life of rest!
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The neat part of the Christian walk is that it is not some legalistic rule based thing, but instead is a living relationship with the living God. We are a new man and we are filled with the Spirit so just walk this way and if you are screwing up the Holy Spirit will tell you to stop as you now have the power to stop.
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Five things happen when the Holy Spirit comes into our life. The first four are in the aorist tense, meaning that they are already true of us.
1. Regeneration - our new life is now Christ. We have His nature and it is now more natural for us to choose His way, than what my dirty old man wants - who is actually now dead, buried in the grave and rendered powerless. It is no longer natural to sin.
2. Baptizes us into the Body of Christ - we now share a common Head, that is Christ and we are members of His Body. This is why he loves us as we share the same life (single head - single life).
3. Indwelt by the Spirit of God - we are now the sanctuary of the living God. We are not the temple, but even better than that we are the Holy of Holies, where God lives (the Father, Son & Holy Spirit). We will never have any more of God than we have right now.
4. Seals us - He's my "arrabon," guarantee, my engagement ring. We are betrothed to Him and I am spoken for as the virgin Bride of Christ with the next step being the wedding feast of the Lamb. This engagement ring is the guarantee of my redemption. We are/will be the spotless Bride of Christ and we will make it, as the Holy Spirit will never let us go!
The fifth thing that happens when the Holy Spirit comes into our life is stated in the passive present tense.
5. Be filled - this means we must make a choice to be continually, habitually filled by the Spirit.
This is the reason for Bob's prayer, "Live through me, love through me, listen through me, speak through me, take me out of the act, Thank you, Lord" that he prays throughout the day. By this Bob is acknowledging he is a living sacrifice and is asking Jesus through the Holy Spirit to use Bob for His agenda, not Bob's, carried out by His power, not Bob's, in order that Jesus might be made visible through Bob, not Bob being made visible through Bob. We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but we choose to be filled by the Holy Spirit so that our members might be used of God as we practice the presence of God, moment by moment, day by day.
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The way we become leaders is by being "servants of all." The best example of this is in John 13 where we are to be "footwashers." Jesus said in washing the feet of the disciples, "I give you an example. I am the Lord and if I did it, then you should do it as well. We must model such servant leadership, not just proclaim it. We are not just leaders, but servant leaders!
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Bob was describing the pain he was in at Stanford Medical Centre due to some tests that were being conducted. However, Bob said that the Heavenly Father came without even being asked and just snuggled with Bob during all the painful procedures. Bob was like a child in his Daddy's arms, where "no bogeyman could get him." Bob was not "happy," but he was "joyful." Happiness depends on circumstances. Joy is not dependent on circumstances as it is internal and relationship based. Joy is based on a deep abiding sense of His presence with the fruit of the Spirit being love, joy and peace. Many Christians, however, equate joy with happiness. Joy is internal given freely by the Holy Spirit. Happiness is external and depends on circumstances. Bob despite a very painful day at Stanford Hospital was full of joy, thanking the Father for His presence and love that got him through the day, more than a victor!
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The whole world is in arms of an evil mother who is rocking it to sleep and its eventual oblivion. This world is dominated by the Prince of the Power of the Air. The spirit of this age who is now working in the ones who are disobedient (unpersuadable ones). The battle is about obeying Jesus Christ versus the spirit of this age. However, always remember that He who is you is greater than he who is in the world!
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The song most typlifying the spirit of this age is Frank Sinatra's "I did it my way."
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We were object of "His boundless mercy" when were helpless, and an object of "His boundless grace" when we were hopeless.
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In front of God's penetrating gaze, I am already Holy & Blameless. That is the way He already sees me. What a relief that is. I just need to relax in my circumstances, just show up and He will then parade me around in where He wants me to go, bringing the people into my life He wants me to influence. God chose me that I would be Holy & Blameless. He did it all and He already sees the finished product, even despite all my foibles. That is why I should rest, because it is He who is making me exactly who He wants me to be. Flee to me, not away from me. I am an experiential God. I have been tempted in all things, know all things and will give you the power to overcome as "I who am in you are greater than he who is the world!" This is most freeing and makes me love Him all that much more - mercy, when I fall; grace, when I am on the edge.
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"Work out your salvation in fear in trembling, for it is God who is at work both to will and to do" - the word "work out" = to exploit. It carries the connotation of owning a silver or gold mine and getting out of it all the riches it already contains. And it is God who is living in us who helps us make the correct the choices, "to will", and then it is He who provides supernatural power for us "to do." We therefore do not have to live according to our hormones, but since Christ is in us, He specializes in making dead things come alive. He can give life to our mortal bodies so that we can live above it and have victory over it.
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Bob told the story about Dave Roper trying to start a Young Life Club at the local High School, however, the Principal was against it. Dave contemplated calling it something else and opening it anyways. He asked the PBC Elders what he should do. They advised Dave to wait as the Lord is in control and He could open the door whenever He wanted to and it was up to Dave to be ready for that. However, it was not right to go against the Principal's will. Dave might win the battle, but he would lose the war! About 6 months later there was an outbreak of violence on campus and the Principal asked Dave to open a Club with open armsThe Lord is control!
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The need does not mean it is always time. The need will always be there. Remember it must be the Lord's timing!
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On any type of deal or arrangement, if something is not clean, it is dirty. Don't do it! There are no grey areas
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As a PBC Elder, I always come to each Board meeting as God's man, seeking God's will, doing it in God's strength! The Board of Elders was comprised of men of different wills coming to seek one will - the mind of the Lord.
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I am an object of the Father's love as,
- He is with us, in a one on one relationship,
- Just as I love my sons with all my heart, the Father loves us as well. God loves each of us totally. It is not a shared love, it is a total love. It is like each of my sons as I do not love either one any less than the other. I love each one the same.
- When I sin my relationship with my Father is not affected, as He still loves me with all of His heart like I love my sons when they blow it. Feelings and fellowship may have been affected, but not relationship. As we confess our sin, fellowship is restored. Bob told the story about his Father when Bob did something very stupid and could have been severely injured. Bob's Father first checked to see if Bob was alright, then only after making sure of that did they discuss the issue at hand.
- My right as a child of the Father is to flee to Him in all my "yuk," give Him all thoughts and let Him paddle my fanny and then allow me to go back out to play. Even if one of my kids turned into a murderer, I would still love them as they are objects of my love. If I am imperfect and love my children that way, how much more will heavenly Father love me?.. He sent His son to die for me even before I could respond. He loved us when we were loveless and enemies.how much more will He love us now!
- He loves me like there is no one else in the world. I am not an object. I am an object of His love!
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The body is where sin dwells, this flesh that is the life that depends on only ourselves and does not trust God, this self sufficiency in all of us. However, God has provided a way to live above this. The flesh has already been crucified. Now the requirements of the law are fulfilled "in" us and not by us. Now Christ is in us, giving us His life to live as He lived it in dependence and trust in His heavenly Father. We are therefore to present ourselves as living sacrifices, hunks of dead meat, walking around presented to God so that He may use us properly. We are holy, set apart to God for His use. We are not robots as we are given the right to choose, but behind that choice is the either the energy of the flesh or the Spirit that is providing the power to put that choice into action.
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Christ gave up His rights to His life so that the Father could live His life in Him. We are to do the same, letting Christ live His life in us so that people will see Him in us. My submission is act of being spirit filled, out of reverence to the Lord. The Lord asks me to submit to Him, just as He was totally submissive to His Father. As we give up our desires (in essence our life), Jesus gives us His life so we can manifest Jesus to the world, just like He manifested the Father to the world.
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In marriage the relationship between Christ and His church is acted out in the world. The husband has Christ's role and the woman the church's role. The husband is to epitomize servant leadership, like Christ, and the wife is to submit to that. A spiritual reality is being modeled and because of the seriousness of this, God will not put up with nonsense from either party. Both parties are to act out of love - a love that needs no response just as Christ gave Himself up for us, they are to give up their rights and act without any sense of competition.
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Religion vs. Authentic Christianity: Religion is the flesh through and through. The flesh longs to please God because it puts God in debt to me. Authentic Christianity is we are already accepted and unconditionally loved. I can never put God in my debt, because He already loves me. You cannot lose what you did not earn. This is grace
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Bob told the story about Ray Stedman always disliking titles. Firstly, Ray never graduated from Dallas Thelogical Seminary after completing 4 yrs. there because he did not have a Bachelor's Degree, only an Associates Degree and was only admitted to DTS by a special exemption. Twenty to twenty five years later Ray was awarded an Honorary Doctorate degree from Talbot Theological Seminary. Ray always thought this was backwards as the students coming out of school were said to have "earned" their degrees without any proven experience, whereas Ray, who had worked for 25 years received the honorary degree. Common sense would indicate that the one who had worked for 25 years would have been the one who "earned' the degree, while the graduates fresh from their studies would receive the honorary degree until proven by experience! Related to this was the fact that Ray was never ordained. Ray always described this event jokingly as simply, "empty hands touching empty heads."
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Bob related the story of the term that people used to describe Ray. This was the word "humble." This was not always the case as if you were to ask Elaine she would have told you that when they were first married Ray was as macho as they come! Over the years through the preaching of the Word and the circumstances that God allowed to bring into their lives this gradually changed Ray from this macho man to the humble servant that God used to change so many lives. Ray always loved 2 Cor 3-5 to describe this process. He makes us adequate through Him as described in 2 Cor 3:4-6. He then tells us how to appropriate this life in 2 Cor 4:7-12 as we do not fight the circumstances we face, but instead accept them with thanksgiving. By studying the Word of God and allowing it to take root in our lives and then as we allow the circumstances of life to be the training ground where this Word bears fruit, we gradually become the people we always longed to be, conformed to the image of Christ. This is the process that God uses for all of us - Bob, Ray, you and me, to take proud selfish people and make them into the people He desires.
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Satan always goes after the jugular - after the leaders, when
the Word of God is being preached and lives being changed.
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Bob said that Ray always said that you must teach the "New Covenant over and over again. We can never take it for granted that anyone fully grasps this truth. If comprehended it will truly change and revolutionize a person's life and the church as a whole."
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A favorite verse of Ray's was 2 Cor 2:14, "Thanks be to God who always leads us in victory." Ray said if he did not believe that he would have left the ministry immediately.
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There was no Senior Pastor at PBC. There is only one Head Shepherd and the rest of us are brothers. Most churches paid the "Senior Pastor" the most salary. At PBC it was by need. Due to housing costs, the youngest Pastor could be making more than Ray or Bob. In fact Ray was in the middle of the pack in terms of pay.
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Ray as anyone fought his own little battle of pride. Ray informed the Elders that he could no longer go to the back of the church to shake hands after the service because he liked too much what he was hearing. The Elders agreed with Ray and that is why to this day PBC Pastors do not meet the congregation as they leave. Why put someone else in the same position - if you know you are spiritual you really are not. It's like the Pastor who received a medal for humility and then wore it!
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Joy is relationship based, whereas happiness is based on circumstances. Love, joy and peace are all internal, based upon a relationship with the one who indwells me, Jesus Christ. I am a son of God, because the Son of God is in me. I am therefore God's beloved son in whom He is well pleased, because his son is in me.
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We start each day fighting a battle already won! Are you therefore trusting God for the adequacy to face every situation of the day. Give it to him, put the monkey on His back. "Father, be my guest. I am a living sacrifice."
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A look at Abraham's faith and our faith. Abraham's faith was in God's promise that He would give him a son despite the old age deadness of Sarah's womb. Abraham trusted in the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. Our faith is in a God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead; this Jesus who was crucified for our sins and resurrected for our justification.
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Justification = no condemnation as a favorable verdict has been passed. This has a true eschatological significance as it is the judgment of the last day, brought into the present where a final irreversible verdict is made. Faith, the wholehearted reliance on God's promise and His work on our behalf is the means for us being justified.
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God imputes to man what Adam did, and who Adam is. Similarly, in Christ now, God imputes to us what Christ did and who he is. What Adam did, we did! Who my new head is, I am!
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According to Romans 6, we died to sin and were buried with Christ. I am therefore no longer in that realm of sin. Dead men can't sin! We have paid for our sins - we have been tried, convicted and executed. Death therefore breaks the power of sin and sin cannot seek its payment. I have died to sin, yet not I, Bob Roe, but Christ lives in me - it is not Bob's life to be lived again, but Christ's life in me.
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We are to enter the rest of God. Am I satisfied with the work of God already accomplished in me (this is in the past tense - it has already happened). In Christ, I am already cleansed, already declared righteous, I am dead to sin and dead men can't sin, I am seated already in the Heavenlies with Him. It has already been done and I am to just enter into His life by being a living sacrifice allowing Him who is now my life, to live His life through me. This is my logical way of worshipping God.
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God has already reconciled the world to Himself through Christ. God does not have His back turned anymore to us. However, ours is turned to Him. There is now nothing between man & God except man's will. Man must just turn around and believe what God says of His Son and just turn around to God and face Him.
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God is never disappointed with us, never surprised with what we do - even when we blow it. He chose us before the foundation of the world.
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