The Lord our Banner

Jehovah Nissi - God our victory Ex 17:8ff
In Christ we have victory daily as we

1) Know our position
A banner means a pole, a sign, a standard, coat of arms
It is a symbol of God's deliverance
Moses represented the position of the believer in Christ (Isa 11:10)

2) Persevere in prayer
Hands up win, Hands down lose. (Heb 12:12)
Speak to your mountains be gone!
Victory means we do not quit praying until and unless God says so.

3) Enlist our partners
(we need Aarons and Hurs)
Note: the banana that leaves the bunch gets eaten first!

Intimacy, Interdependence and Integration

(Click on image below to see animation)Intimacy with the Lord together with interdependence with one another will result in integration in our lives and ministries (all these will happen at and in the Cross of Jesus Christ)

Worry Not!

Instead of worrying, do the following:

1) praise -singing in the Spirit (of our spirits)

2) pray - hope of our hearts

3) ponder - mastery of our minds

4) practice - working of our wills

In doing these disciplines, we will be able to live as Jesus' disciples

Beware Drivenness!

7 signs of drivenness

1) hassled by hurriedness (ok to be busy, not ok to be hurried)

Jesus walked from place to place, he did not run!)

2) addicted to accomplishment

3) symptoms of stress (depleted spiritually and emotionally)

4) married to money

5) pursuit of power (over-conscious of titles and office)

6) caught in compromise

7) ruled by restlessness

Work from God's perspective

1) work is a command (Gen 2)

work became toil because of sin

do it with right attitude

a) obedient and submissive (employee)

b) fair and just (employer)

2) work is a means to our transformation

we are tested, tried, transformed through our work stress and pressures

To love your boss, we need the Cross in our hearts

3) work is a platform for my ministry

- do you feel God's pleasure for what you are doing now?

- one common ministry (the ministry of reconciliation)

the real test is the focus of our hearts (do we seek first the kingdom of God?)

(are our hearts on things eternal or temporal?)

Is our work our calling?

one side of the pendulum - catholic distortion(exalted the sacred and sees the secular as support for the all impt sacred)

the other side - protestant distortion (exalted the secular by saying our work is our calling but cannot be true if your work is prostitution or selling illegal drugs)

Note: the call divorced from the caller is meaningless

If God is not our focus, our work is meaningless (no longer a calling but the work has replaced God)

Ultimate result of the call is the satisfaction of God

Purpose - our primary calling - a call to be (a call to Someone, to relationship, to fellowship, call to the Caller who is God)

Function - our secondary callings - calls to do (these may and can shift over time)

in order to know your calling, do what you are already doing and God will lead you to the next step.

The Delight of Discipline

There are 12 judges in the book of Judges
A OT judge is someone who brings people into a right relationship with God. Each judge is a picture of Jesus' deliverance ministry (the enemies then, are all enemies that are within us now)

The judge Shamgar (Judges 3:31) used an oxgoad to defeat the Philistines
(Philistines were iron makers who strove with Israel since the time of Isaac that is at the wells of strive and oppression - they depict the soulish emotions of the flesh)
An oxgoad is a farming instrument of discipline for the ox to keep it in line

2 Sources of Discipline
1. God's discipline (receive it) - pain brings obedience.
Holiness now, happiness later Heb 12:5ff

2. Self-discipline (reign over ourselves)
To have self-discipline is to get the grip of (take hold of) oneself

The bridge between potential and performance is discipline

How to have self-discipline
1. Be a Word-driven person (not driven by emotions)
Obey then feel good
Buffet the body not buffet it
Have mind over mattress
Practice makes permanent

2. Build a house of excellence (be the best you can be)

discipline -> decision -> desire
(Discipline helps us to make right decisions that will lead us to have right desires)

5-4-3-2-1

Five kind of fools
The unlearned
The unrestrained
The unabashed
The unrepentant
The ungodly

Four calls
Discouragement is a call to rise up (to get up)
Discontentment (a sin) is a call to change
Depression is a call to let go
Disappointment is a call to return to reality

Three sayings
(to move out of depression)
Say I believe
I belong
I bless

Two kinds of people
Some people are like rechargeable batteries
every so often (once a week) they need a charge

Some people are like car batteries
They charge up as they minister and serve
(Be in this category)

One thing
Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever