Brennan Manning Interview

CULTIVATE GOOD THOUGHTS FOR SUCCESS!

“You’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.”

Philippians 4:8 MSG

If the mind can be likened to the soil of a garden, then thoughts would be the seeds we plant in that soil.

The average person thinks about 50,000 thoughts a day.

That’s a lot of seed being planted in the soil of your soul.

In her book, Who Switched Off My Brain, Dr. Caroline Leaf wrote, “What you think about expands and grows.”

How much of what you are sowing is fruit bearing and how much is more like thistle?

The starting point of all achievement is the mind.

A thought, like a seed, is a container of life potential that must be nurtured, fed, watered, protected, and harvested.

There are thoughts that hold the key to your future, and thoughts that can trip you up and choke the life force—that divine potential—hidden within the realm of cognition.

The quality of the harvest of your life is determined by the quality of the seeds you sow.

Those seeds are the thoughts you cultivate in your mind—thoughts that are tilled by the words you speak from your mouth.

Last week we talked about the power of prayer to change the world around you. Yet even more powerful is prayer’s ability to change the world within you.

Prosper your life by prospering your soul. Tell your mind how to think by speaking to it—by taking control of the words you speak over your life.

Your words determine your thoughts, and your thoughts determine who you are, what you do, what you acquire, where you live, whom you love, who you will become, and what you will accomplish.

Refuse to allow one word—one weed—to crowd out your seed of greatness, success, prosperity, wealth, righteousness, credibility, influence, affluence, favor, or peace.

You will never do anything more great than what your mind can articulate.

You will never have more, go further, or accomplish greater things than what you are able to comprehend, perceive, or visualize.

In fact, says Dr. Leaf, the thoughts of your mind create changes right down to your genes on a molecular level, restructuring the atomic composition of your very cells!

Scientists have shown that this restructuring is not only how diseases are able to take hold in the body, but more importantly, how they can be reversed.

When we choose non-toxic thinking, we step into a whole new realm of brain and body function.

Healthy, non-toxic thoughts help nurture and create a positive foundation in the neural networks of the mind.

Feel good chemicals are released that make us feel peaceful and promote healing, memory formation, and a deep sense of wholeness, that when combined together, stimulate your cells’ innate intelligence.

Think positively about where you want  your life—spirit, soul, and body—to be.

Your feet will never take you where your mind has never been.

Prosperity begins in the mind, and is impossible to cultivate with a negative mental attitude.

You must think peaceful, abundant, and prosperous thoughts before you will experience peace, abundance, and prosperity in your life. You must think successful thoughts if you hope to achieve success.

Your success hinges on your perception of your capabilities and potential. Don’t allow your thoughts and beliefs to be dictated by your moods, emotions, and feelings.

Work consciously on displacing negative thoughts with positive ones.

The beautiful thing about thinking is that it is something we all can do for free. Your background, education, socio-economic status, or IQ cannot prohibit you from thinking.

Yet, in order to do this, you must create a thinking habit, cultivate a healthy thinking environment, practice thinking for your self, and then learn to think outside of the box.

Never lose the power to think for yourself.

Your thoughts are powerful, and you have a God-given capacity to think potent thoughts. Grab hold of the concept of “possibility thinking.”

On the other hand, if you can’t think it, then whatever it is, it will not be possible for you.

Discipline yourself to think big: Exercise thinking big, amazing thoughts so you will experience a big, amazing life!

Take the limits from off your thinking. Remove the self-imposed lids. Author William Arthur Ward wrote, “Nothing limits achievement like small thinking.”

Your thoughts determine your destiny.

Think about your future and what you truly want to accomplish in life. Be willing to think bold thoughts—to think outside of the box.

That’s what a pharmacist named Dr. John Pemberton did when he took a jug of his cough syrup to a local drug store and while there thought of adding carbonated water. He bottled it and today there is hardly a person on the planet who is not familiar with the name Coca-Cola.

Pemberton was able to expand the field of possibility by expanding his ability to think.

“Your destiny determines your legacy, and…your legacy determines your history.”

—John Maxwell

Thought is defined as a mental picture of a future or possible event—an expectation or hope that something will happen.

Thinking involves the mental manipulation of information, as when we form concepts, engage in problem solving, and make decisions.

Thinking allows ordinary human beings to model their world and to fashion it according to their objectives, plans, goals, and desires.

Thought allows you to model the world according to your objectives and desires.

The power tool of your thoughts is the most important tool you have when it comes to framing your world.

Learn to focus your thoughts—to harness and use them for maximum results…because the quality of your life is determined by the quality of your thoughts.

You can begin today developing powerful thought habits that will turbo-charge your journey toward creating a history-making destiny.

“Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”

Romans 12:2 NLT

Condemning Sin

Q: I have a question about how you answer the rare occasions when Jesus apparently felt it necessary to publicly condemn sin: like the cleansing of the temple and his very strong judgments on Pharisees and rulers in Matthew 23. Also John the Baptist who not only preached strongly regarding public sins but was imprisoned for judgmental condemnation of Herod taking his brothers wife?

A: Thanks for the question. It’s important to remember that both Jesus and John the Baptist were operating under the First Covenant where it was understood that the job of prophets was to hold fellow Jews, and Jewish institutions, accountable to the terms of the covenant. So you find Jesus cleansing the Jewish temple, but he didn’t concern himself with pagan temples. And John the Baptist confronts Herod, the Jewish King, but he doesn’t go after Pilate or Caesar.

So too, we are only permitted to exercise discernment with people we are in covenant relationships with. So, for example, Paul tells the Corinthians to expel an unrepentant man from the church, but tells them, “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Judge [or practice discernment with] those inside the church” (I Cor 5: 9-13). Outside of such covenants, I contend, we are allowed only ONE opinion about people…”Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor 2:2).

Hope this helps.

Greg Boyd

No Footprints

The waters saw You, O God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed. The clouds poured down water, the skies resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth. Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked . . . but Your footprints were not seen (Ps. 77:16-19 NIV Paraphrase).

Wouldn’t it be incredibly wonderful if we could have the evidence of Christ walking with us because His footprints were there in the dirt–right by ours? If we could see Him, kneeling down, digging in the garden making all the flowers grow? If we could watch Him use His pastels for the colors of the dawn and then change to His vivid acrylics as the big orange disc disappears below the horizon? How comforting if we could actually turn our head and see Him sitting in the swing with us; if we could hear His voice, and feel His arm around our shoulder. Sigh. Could I please see a footprint or two?

But the truth about God is known to men instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their heart. Since earliest times men have seen the earth and sky and all God made, and have known of His existence and great eternal power. So when they declare ‘But there are no footprints!’ they will be without excuse! (Romans 1:20 LB Paraphrase).

Robinson Crusoe was horrified as the cannibals slaughtered one man and then watched mesmerized as he saw the other captive break and run for freedom. His world was radically changed when he made himself known and protected the young savage. He now had a friend, a man like himself on his tropical island, one who made footprints in the sand right by his. So began the slow process of coming to know each other. Daily, they walked together, ate together, spent hours talking and exploring each other’s thoughts. They were inseparable.

Jesus, our constant companion is right here on this huge “earth” island with us and our lives will be radically changed when we accept/recognize His presence. I know, not only is He WITH us, He is IN us. But neither of those truths will be real to us until we acknowledge His life within us or practice His presence with us.

Oh, His footprints are all around, from the writhing waters of a stormy Atlantic to the lazy flow of the Muddy Boggy River in eastern Oklahoma; from the tiniest buttercups in a green pasture in Missouri to the towering redwoods of California; from the majestic, snow-capped Mt. Hood in Oregon to the prickly fingers of an isolated cactus in Arizona; from the gentle breeze that brushes against our cheek in North Carolina to the deafening roar of Niagara. We are looking at His footprints! And when we discover Him, when we accept His presence, we talk to each other, dine together, hike as a team, talk about everything and we become best friends–inseparable.

Lord, please don’t let my blindness isolate me from You. I don’t need to see your footprints on the carpet to know that You are walking with me. I accept that You are sitting with me in the cool of the day out in the front yard. Not because of seeing and touching, but because of believing. You have promised that You are with me wherever I go. I absolutely refuse to think otherwise.

God delights in pointing out His footprints for me.

- Annabel Gillham

Too Good to be True But It Is

I Timothy 6:11 (NAS)

…and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness

Pursue: (1) to follow in order to overtake or capture; chase (2) to follow a specified course, action (3) to strive for

Paul told Timothy to steer clear of one thing especially-the love of money.

“Timothy, let me warn you about something. Men who have as their goal becoming wealthy expose themselves to all sorts of temptations. It’s one of the most common traps that Satan will use in the world. These men become obsessed with money and how to get it, and will do all sorts of foolish and wicked things, passionately pursuing their desire for wealth. This can separate them from their faith and even destroy them and when they become aware of what they have done they agonize over their foolishness (I Timothy 6:9-10, my paraphrase).

Then, he told Timothy: Run from this trap, my dearly beloved Timothy. Instead of this, pursue . . .. Pursue what, Paul? Righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. And you immediately retaliate: “I’ve tried and tried and tried-and I just can’t be all of those things, Anabel. It’s beyond my capability.”

Let me share something with you that will set you free and completely amaze you-you’ll shake your head with wonder and gratitude and whisper, “How incredible!”

What is righteousness? My Identity

What is godliness? My character

What is faith? My source

What is love? My motivation

What is perseverance? My mind-set

What is gentleness? My behavior toward others.

Do you realize that you don’t have to pursue these things? They are yours! They are mine! How? Through our beloved Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the personification of all those things! He changed me. I am a new creation because of my relationship with Him! I AM all of those things-righteousness, godliness, love, perseverance, gentleness because He is-and He is in me-and will be through me.

Oh, I tried for so many years to BE righteous and godly, loving and determined, being all that folks needed me to be-gentle, thoughtful and kind. I must confess that I failed and then lived in depression for weeks because of my failure. But I refused to stay down: I’d painfully pull myself up, dust myself off and try, try, try again-and fail!

Then, I became an instructed Christian and found that all that I am or ever hope to be is wrapped up in Him-not my struggling and failing or my success and celebrations!1 That is faith. Faith is living like God tells the truth. Faith is walking like the person He made me to be. Faith is trusting Him to come through. Will He?

With apologies to Whittier: Alas for him who has not learned in hours of faith, the truth to flesh and sense unknown, that God’s promises never fail and He will never deceive His own.

Meet the real you. Meet the real me. We’re pretty neat people, you know. God made us that way! Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift to us-Jesus Christ (II Cor. 9:15)!

- Annabel Gillham

Some Thoughts on Women in Ministry

Throughout the testimony of Scripture, we have examples of God tolerating many things that are far from ideal in order to gradually transform the world in the direction he intends for us. For example, God’s ideal from the beginning was monogamy. But throughout most of history God has tolerated and worked within polygamous cultures in order to eventually transform them (e.g. Gen 29). Similarly, God’s ideal has always been freedom for all people made in his image. Yet for centuries God tolerated and worked within systems of slavery in order to eventually overthrow them (e.g. Eph 6:5-9).

I believe that the subservient role of women to men, especially concerning their prohibition from serving as spiritual leaders, is another aspect of fallen culture that God wants to overthrow. God tolerated and worked within the patriarchal cultures of both the Old and the New Testaments. But his ideal —and thus the ideal the Church should be striving for—is for leadership to be gift-based, not gender-based.

While I do not dispute that there are verses that teach that women are to submit to men and that expressly forbid women to exercise spiritual authority over men (e.g. 2 Tim. 2:11-14), I do challenge the conclusion that these passages express God’s will for all time. If this constituted part of the created order and God’s ideal, we would not find counter-examples of it. As matters stand, however, the Bible contains many examples of women exercising spiritual authority over men. I offer ten such examples.

God incorporated the songs and statements of a number of women into his inspired authoritative Scripture (e.g., Ex 15:21; Judges 5; Luke 1:42-46; etc.). Inasmuch as the whole Word of God has authority over believers, these passages constitute examples of women having spiritual authority over all who read them (including men).

Women were given the same command to “rule” over creation as were men. “So God created humankind in his image … male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it …” (Gen 1:27-28, emphasis added).

God commanded Abraham to obey his wife Sarah (Gen. 21:12). If female submission was part of God’s creational design, this command would constitute a violation of nature!

Miriam is mentioned as a leader of Israel alongside Moses and Aaron (Micah 6:4; cf. Ps 68:11). Miriam was also a noted worship leader (Ex. 15:20-21).

Deborah served as an admirable judge and leader over all Israel (Judges 4-5). This example alone is enough to show that it is acceptable for a woman who is so gifted to exercise strong leadership over men and women alike.

Throughout Scripture we find female prophets. Huldah was a prophetess that both men and women consulted (II Kgs 22:14). Noadiah and Anna are also depicted as prophetesses who could teach (Neh 6:14; Lk 2:36-38). Indeed, a portion of Anna’s teaching about Christ is found in Scripture (hence has authority over all who read it). More generally, evidence of the out-pouring of the Spirit in the New Testament was that “both sons and … daughters [would] prophesy…. Even … slaves, both men and women … shall prophesy” (Acts 2:16-18). Hence we are not surprised to find that each of Philip’s four daughters possessed the “gift of prophecy” (Acts 21:8-9). Nor are we surprised to find that Paul allowed women to prophesy in church, so long as they kept their head covered (I Cor. 11:4-5).

God used women as the first Christian evangelists, proclaiming (to the male apostles!) the truth that Jesus was risen from the tomb (Jn 20:16-18).

Both Priscilla and Aquila were said to teach the man Apollos (Acts 18:26). This presupposes that women can in principle teach men.

In Romans 16:1-12, Paul lists a number of women involved in Christian service. Phoebe is called a “deacon” (vss. 1-2); Priscilla is given equal status to her husband Aquila in their Kingdom work (vss. 3-4); Mary is described as a hard worker among believers (vs. 6); Andronicus and Junia are said to be “prominent among the apostles” (vs. 7); and Tryphosa and Persis are described as “workers” in the Lord (vs. 12).

Euodia and Syntyche are referred to as “co-workers” by Paul—as much as Clement or any man (Philippians 4:2-3).

If it was part of God’s creational ideal that women never exercise spiritual authority over men, we should not have counter-examples such as these throughout Scripture. The fact that we have a wealth of such examples is enough to prove that the prohibition against women being spiritual leaders is cultural, not timeless.

While God’s willingness to temporarily accommodate himself to fallen cultures is expressed in the prohibition passages, I propose that God’s ideal will is expressed in passages such as Galatians 3:28. Here Paul writes: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” Whatever other implications we derive from this passage, it seems evident that restricting roles on the basis of gender is no more justified in the body of Christ than restricting roles on the basis of race or class. There are cultural situations—the first century, for example—where such restrictions must in fact be tolerated. But they must always be what the Church works against as it strives to realize God’s ideal in the world.

Related to this, whenever Paul or anyone else discusses ministry in the Church, they speak of gift-based roles, not gender roles. Indeed, never once in any of the “gift-lists” of the New Testament is there any hint that certain gifts are inextricably connected to a person’s gender, including the gift of pastor, teacher, and evangelist (e.g., Eph 4:11; I Cor 12:4-31). This absence of gender specification is hardly what we would expect if indeed the leadership gifts were restricted to men, for we know that the issue of women in leadership was certainly present in New Testament churches (e.g., I Cor. 11:1-16; 2 Tim. 2:11-14). Instead we find the straight-forward declaration that “there are varieties of gifts … varieties of services … varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone’ (I Cor. 12:4-6, emphasis added). Again, the Spirit “allots [gifts] to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.” (I Cor. 12:11). There’s no hint that gender has anything to do with the Spirits’ choosing.

While fallen cultures have consistently pigeonholed people according to gender, race or class, the Spirit of God is about freeing people from these arbitrary restrictions and liberating people to exercise their God-given gifts. As Peter declared so powerfully on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit is now being poured out on “all flesh,” with the result that surprising people are going to be used by God in surprising ways. Both women and men will be used to authoritatively and prophetically declare the wonders of God (Acts 2:16-18).

We are guilty of idolizing fallen culture and of quenching the Spirit if we canonize first century restrictions against woman and construe them as part of God’s ideal for all time. It is no different than when certain Christians in past generations tried to use the Bible’s acceptance of slavery as a justification for its on-going practice.

- Greg Boyd

Pragmatic Deductions

Knowing what I know of God through His revealed Word and His performance among His people in the world since that revealed Word was consummated, what do I believe He will do with those things that I have given to Him? those things that I have entrusted to His care?

What has He said He will do? Do I really believe Him?

I say, “They are in Your hands.” Are His hands loving? strong? tender? Think of His hands ministering as He walked on Planet Earth. Is there one incident-even one-that demonstrates anything but love?

I have asked Him to work in the lives of my loved ones. Does He have the power to do this, or is He impotent?Is there anyone else to whom I would attribute more power than to Him?

Does He desire the very best for me and my loved ones? Yes. My problem is that I think I know what is best. How foolish of me! He sees into the future. He knows what is going to happen. I can only surmise and then when He initiates His plan, I am hampered because I cannot see the wisdom or the fulfillment of His plan. I begin to question His love, His loyalty, His omniscience.

Do I know what His ultimate goal is? Yes. It is to so conform me to His image that I am prepared to live in His presence eternally.

Is there anyone-anyone at all-to whom I would rather entrust my life or the lives of my loved ones? No.

“I would have despaired unless I had believed.” Ps. 27:13

Reflection:

Lord, I cry out with the hurting man in Mark’s gospel, “I believe! Please help my unbelief!” I know You. You love me more than anyone has ever, will ever, or could ever love me. And You know what I need-what those in my circle of loved ones need. I so often am prone to think, “Lord! What in the world are You doing? Are You going to sit back and allow this to happen? I cannot comprehend this!”

Help me, Lord, to believe.

“You believed that God would do what He said; that is why He has given you this wonderful blessing.”

- Annabel Gillham