Category / Spiritual Formation

by daviddawson462742281

When God Leads Through the Squeeze

squeeze

“17 So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar, where he settled. 18 Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham,… 22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth,[e] saying, “Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land.” (Gen. 26)

Sometimes I wonder why I’m not more in tune with the prophetic. I was raised in a Christian community that emphasized the desire of God to lead our lives daily. My grandmother Joy used to use the example of Jesus saying that we live by the daily word of God to us just as we need bread for food. So true.

But we all experience how circumstances are also an undeniable part of the revelation of God’s will for our individual lives. This is true in every Christian’s life, but perhaps more for some than others, maybe we can call these the hard-headed ones.

Some of us just seem to have so much drive in us that we choose a direction in life, run after it like crazy, and turn a deaf ear to the voice of God. Many of us do this inadvertently, but it happens. Then it remains to God to remove His Grace and wait for us to run out of steam. God’s grace comes in so many forms – provision, opportunity, inexplainable joy, anointing, etc – and when it’s gone we know. You just get yourself into a situation that you can’t handle anymore. You’re in too deep and now you can’t even be what you need to be to those who depend on you.

Our sense of self-sufficiency is such an illusion. I think that missionaries have the privilege of experiencing this cross-culturally. It’s no exaggeration to say that the past year and a half that I’ve been back in the U.S. is just as hard of a transition as when I moved to Brazil in 2003. Kati and I were talking about how it feels to transition like this – new neighborhood, new church, new work, new weather, food, etc. I tried to put how it felt to me saying, “It feels cold”. We take for granted the warmth of the familiar – how it makes us feel significant, in control, and comfortable.

This is what God has to remove so His more strong willed children can be squeezed into the fulfillment of His promises lives. At these times we can cry out and say God make it quick, I want the transition to be over… please. But many of these turbulent souls are those the Father has chosen to lead others. The storm that rages within them can be an evergreen source of energy to inspire others towards the building of God’s kingdom.

So if you are like me, join me in praying that the Lord will continue to bless us in times of transition and teach us all we need to learn. Instead of praying that the transition be over sooner, let’s pray that we don’t miss anything the Father wants to teach us in the interim.

by daviddawson462742281

Your Discipleship Experience through an Anthropological Lens

Discipleship in Jesus Movement Missions Subculture in Sociological Reflection

Anthropology of religion investigates the diversity, commonalities, and relationships among religions (Eller, 2007, p. 2). As such, anthropology is a science concerned with explaining religion as a social or physical phenomenon (Eller, 2008, p. 11). Although anthropology presumes a human source to religious phenomena, a Christian can agree that religion is social because it is an aspect of society (Eller, 2008, p. 9).

Charles Kraft (1999) describes Jesus’ approach as honoring a people’s culture and worldview as opposed to wresting it from them (p. 386). It appears that no culture or worldview is “perfectly adequate either to the realities of biology and environment or to the answering of all of the questions of a people” (Kraft, 1999, p. 387). This article intends to briefly explore my experience of Christian discipleship using a social science perspective. This brief emic ethnography applies Delmos Jones’ advocacy for cultural insiders studying their own communities (Zunner-Keating, 2020, p. 44). I see this study of discipleship from an anthropological approach as an opportunity to demonstrate the values and deficiencies of my experience. The anthropological method seeks to define a phenomenon “in terms of something else (…) something other than itself” (Eller, 2008, p. 11). This is not the default perspective most practitioners of a religion use to analyze their own tradition. 

My experience of Christian discipleship has been in the context of Evangelical-Pentecostal cross-cultural missions. I am a third-generation missionary, associated most significantly with Youth With a Mission which my family helped pioneer in the 1960s. Reflecting on my spiritual formation, the central paradoxical paradigms of the worldview I received were multiculturalism and Judeo-Christian monotheism. The church was the global community of those who acknowledge God and call upon His grace. A certain ambiguity existed regarding the salvation of those who never hear the message of Christ’s sacrifice for sin. Although I doubted and strayed from the church in my youth, I eventually came to embrace this gospel and the missionary vocation.

Symbolic Place – Rugged City and Rugged Nature

Geertz (1993) describes religion as “a system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic” (p. 90). Symbol here refers to “any object, act, event, quality or relation which serves as a vehicle for a conception” (Geertz, 1993, p. 91). And cultural patterns are “systems of symbols which lie outside the individual organism (…) in that insubjective world of common understandings into which all human individuals are born” (Geertz, 1993, p. 92). 

Anthropologists describe placemaking as a unique type of storytelling that links the physical environment with sacred stories (Zunner-Keating, 2020, p. 139). These stories recall history, build community, and explore ethical questions (Zunner-Keating, 2020, p. 142). In this sense, a particular Los Angeles neighborhood was formative to my cultural values and later, my Christian faith. When I tell people that I am a missionary kid, they usually imagine that I was raised in a Majority World context. However, as a New Zealander, my father was called to urban missions in Los Angeles. My father loved the city, which he saw as having a unique personality and for which a great spiritual battle was waged between good and evil. The city was not an impassable monolithic reality but a vast body of communities where God’s people could build His kingdom for the common good. 

My brothers and I were raised in a neighborhood that was predominantly African American and later Hispanic. This bears on discipleship because the example of Christian witness I saw in my father was one of deep engagement in the local community where our family was a cultural outsider. From childhood, I experienced the categorization of people in their social environments into what is known as ingroups and outgroups (Schmid, 2018, p. 1797-84; Stephan & Stephan, 2015, p. 429-35). My family and the community of the missions training base across the street represented ingroup members, characteristically providing security and a sense of belonging (Ting-Toomey and Chung, 2012, p. 203). The music and language of the larger community represented outgroup members, towards whom I felt the typical emotional and psychological detachment (Ting-Toomey and Chung, 2012, p. 306). 

Another example of placemaking involved my father taking my brothers and I to engage in adventurous activities in the ocean and mountains. In particular, the beaches of California, Hawaii, and New Zealand as well as the mountains of Yosemite where my grandparents had a vacation home. Being a Kiwi raised near a private patch of rainforest and coast, my father taught us that an urbanite unfamiliar with the wonders of nature lacked an essential aspect of their humanity. One way of getting back to what it meant to be human was to engage in vigorous individual sport/play such as surfing, fishing, hiking, rock-climbing. I use the word sport tentatively because competition was something very foreign to the values my father instilled in us. We never played any sports involving balls or teams, and we didn’t even play board games at home. Play in nature was esteemed as far superior to the vain pageantry and violence central to urban culture. 

The Myth of Gospel of External Diversity and Internal Purity

At the heart of the Christian religion lies “a sacred story that reflects and reinforces a community’s worldview” (Zunner-Keating, 2020, p. 139), known in the social sciences as myth. From an anthropological perspective, human lives are not determined by a single author, there is no inherent plot structure, but a myriad of stories that have been constructed by human minds (Zunner-Keating, 2020, p. 140). Nevertheless, human beings tend to imagine their life story as if  following such an arranged thread or scheme (Zunner-Keating, 2020, p. 140). The concept of myth challenges a Christian’s faith in the foundational presuppositions of their religion. However, my father always instilled in me an appreciation for the apophatic nature of Christian theology. That is, an essential part of my discipleship was learning to accept that no humanly articulated concepts can adequately describe a God who transcends all our descriptions. 

My father instilled in me that the greatest present danger in our world was actually false Christian religion. What could be more damaging than a distortion of the universal means for human restoration? Part of my discipleship was learning that Evangelical-Pentecostal Christianity deserved the postcolonial criticism I learned in the Los Angeles public schools system. Thus, my discipleship agreed with anthropologists that “the historical erasure of the experiences of less powerful groups serves the function of shaping our global culture and global mentality in favor of the most powerful” (Trouillot, 1995, p. 6 [ZK p. 148]). As a member of the North American Evangelical-Pentecostal church, I represented themajority religious power structure of the nation. 

Our missions training community emphasized cultural sensitivity and evangelistic humility while maintaining conservative Christian views. In YWAM, attempts to engage a pluralistic world did not mean a denial of the reality of sin. From a missiological perspective, impurity and defilement have been described as when “something is out of place, an order or system has been violated”, or when “contamination has occurred resulting in certain alienating consequences” (Morrison, 2018, p. 117). Sin was indicted as the root cause of pollution or uncleanness, with Jesus emphasizing the inner life as the primary generating locus. Therefore, cleansing comes through receiving forgiveness of sin in one’s heart from a pure Savior who was willing to be “identified as unclean in order that he might bring cleansing” (Morrison, 2018, p. 121). My discipleship experience was consistent with this missiological conception. 

The Ritual of Cross-cultural Kingdom Service

Anthropologists describe ritual as “a prescribed set of actions that employ symbols to reenact the deepest beliefs, feelings, and values of a people” (Kimball, 2008, p. 48; Hiebert, 2008, p. 98). Research indicates a three-stage ritual structure consisting of separation, transition, and reincorporation (Moon, 2017, p. 92) which I experienced on missions trips with my father.  These trips involved separation akin to what Turner (1995) describes as “anti-structure”: a distinct departure from the routines and structure of daily life (p. 106-7). Experiencing my father’s missions work and seeing him operate in influence and honor had a profound impact on me. The transition stage involved Turner’s concept of liminality– derived from the Latin limen meaning threshold – which describes the feeling of being in between (Turner, 1995, p. 106-7). Reincorporation occurred when I would return to my daily routine in Los Angeles. In many rituals, reincorporation is celebrated in a group setting with a meal or party. This powerfully bonds the newly initiated individual to the community and its religion (Moon, 2017, p. 95). These trips with my father lacked this bonding aspect of reincorporation. It was a jarring and disorienting experience to return to my daily context without any community recognition of the rite of passage I had experienced. I had come to a much deeper appreciation of  the values of our missionary community, but this easily washed away because there was little symbolic reference point. I do remember, however, when on a trip with my father to Switzerland he gave me a beautiful pocket knife. I’m sad to say I lost or gave it away at some point without understanding its significance. 

Religious Specialists and Religious Organization

Anthropologists refer to a religious specialist as “one who devotes himself to a particular branch of religion or, viewed organizationally of a religious system” (Vallier, 2023, p. 1). The status of these experts is culturally defined in relation to whether the “transhuman controlling power” is “personal or impersonal” (Vallier, 2023, p. 1). In the case of North American Evangelical Christianity, the otherworldly power is regarded as personal, i.e. God. In this case, Anthropologists use the cultural phenomena as religion rather than magic (Vallier, 2023, p. 1). 

The most significant religious specialists in my discipleship context were missionaries. These men and women influenced my perspective of mainstream Evangelical-Pentecostal institutions. A distinction has generally been made by anthropologists between “two polarities of religious specialization” (Vallier, 2003, p. 1). Weber contrasted priests and prophets associating the former with the maintenance of permanent and ordered structures that relate to the gods (Vallier, 2003, p. 1). In contrast, the prophet is described as a charismatic individual who disrupts the liturgical project which the priest oversees (Vallier, 2003, p. 2). The missionaries who I looked up to as heroes were reformers and revivers of the institutional church. Their example instilled in me a bias towards leaders who were charismatic outsiders rather than bureaucratic administrators or slick salesmen. It seemed obvious to me that the latter two types were predominant in the Evangelical-Pentecostal church of North America. According to the prophetic motif, the missionary leaders I knew employed the toolkit of religious specialists in traditional religions. Like shamans, healers, and diviners the missionaries exercised the full range of New Testament spiritual gifts such as healing, predictive prophecy, and miracles (Hiebert, 1999, p. 324-6). 

The nature of the missions agency I was raised in is like new religious movements, described by anthropologists as arising from marginal groups that denounce inconsistencies and limitations of old religious forms. Although eventually these NRMs gain society’s acceptance and form their own institutions (Hiebert, 1999, p. 333). The initial vision of YWAM was waves of young people inundating the nations with the gospel. The founders of YWAM challenged what they considered an overly slow, formal, and academic process of becoming an Evangelical-Pentecostal missionary within the denominations. YWAM developed a model of doing and learning in short-term cycles. Growing up around this paradigm of ministry instilled in me a deep value of the missional praxis of the mobile church. In that context it was articulated – at times with diplomatic sensitivity and others somewhat arrogantly – that the local church was overly occupied with maintaining its existing demographic and liturgy. I don’t mean to imply that this false dichotomy describes YWAM in general, but it was an attitude I perceived at times.

According to researchers of NRMs, revitalization movements such as YWAM tend towards a “new steady state” (Eller, 2007, p. 175), which will eventually cede to another cycle of disruption, innovation, and diffusion. I joined the mission in 1993 where my process of discipleship continued in the form of training for full-time cross-cultural ministry. Having completed 30 years in YWAM in 2023, hopefully I can make some constructive observations regarding the discipleship I received in this movement. 

One of the liabilities I see in YWAM is that its financial model was developed during the revival and apocalyptic excitement of the Jesus Movement in 1970s North America. I don’t doubt that God lead the founders of YWAM to develop a faith-based structure where each missionary is a self-employed entrepreneur responsible for raising their own support. I see the fruit of this model as self-evident, with over 20,000 missionaries currently serving globally. But I do wonder whether more flexibility and innovation are needed today’s missionaries. Bi-vocational and self-sustaining models for missionaries are controversial and have had mixed results in many organizations. But the same impetus that birthed YWAM – facilitating the sending of missionaries – is manifest in new ways such as the difficulty to raise funds exclusively from local churches and denominations. I have personally heard many missionaries from YWAM and other organizations express the opinion that the financial support models of pioneer generations need some adjustments. In my formative years as a missionary, most of the leaders I sought to emulate were family men who travelled 1/3rd of the year or more. This was necessary to raise funds and recruit for the ministry as well as for their personal support. As a Gen-Xer, my view is that the minority of us who have survived the long-haul of missionary service have had to embrace a much more egalitarian partnership with our wives. And many of us have developed out-of-the-box ways to supplement the traditional sources of missionary support. 

Research shows several aspects of NRMs that attract new adherents such as the novel environment, smells, colors, foods, lifestyle, and most of all the camaraderie (Healy, 2011, p. 9). 

Studies show that these experiences help secure participants’ membership in NRMs even when they have serious doubts (Healy, 2011, p. 11). I believe that as a type of NRM missionary organizations can be dangerous because of their potentially coercive quality. As a movement such as YWAM grows, its validity is reinforced and participants are dissuaded from leaving or questioning because of the personal investment they have made (Healy, 2011, p. 12). For this reason, someone discipled in a context like YWAM needs to be firmly exhorted to seek their own guidance from the Lord rather than entrusting their future to an organization. After all, a missions organization exists primarily to send people out not to care for their personal security and well-being. 

Magic and Witchcraft in Evangelical-Pentecostal Reflection

As repeatedly mentioned so far, the phenomena related to my discipleship experience happened within an Evangelical-Pentecostal context. Christian and secular Westerners alike often express contempt for Majority World communities that attribute this-worldly events to supernatural forces. This attitude ignores that witchcraft and magic are not a negation of natural causes but an attempt to understand why they happen to certain individuals (Keener-Zeating, 2020, p. 91). Anthropologists study how folk religions use magic and sorcery to deal with situations such as deviant behavior, adversity, and injustice (McPherson, 2008, p. 272-8). Research also demonstrates how phenomena such as spiritual possession are used by marginalized groups to subvert oppressive power structures (Ong, 1988, p. 32). 

My missionary mentors taught me to respect the reality of the needs and forces involved in magic and witchcraft in folk religions as well as major religions that also address mid-level issues. The Pentecostal/Charismatic tradition has many faults, but one of its strengths is its rejection of a Western two-tiered view of reality that deals with the empirical world in naturalistic terms and with ultimate questions in theistic terms (Hiebert, 1982, p. 43). My experience of Christianity was one where the mid-level issues of supernatural but this-worldly beings and forces was an integral part of a biblical worldview (Hiebert, 1982, p. 43). But how my Evangelical-Pentecostal mentors modeled proper engagement with this-worldly supernatural phenomena had many flaws and inconsistencies. 

My mentors did not neglect critical analysis of pagan magic and sorcery. This critical approach is akin to research by missiologists on the use of divination such as Alan Howell. Howell’s research (2012) argues that divination is unable to solve the problems of a community when it is central to their system of responding to illness (p. 132). Howell’s (2012) work points out the deficiency of a split-level Christianity that speaks to abstract theological questions but ignores mid-level questions regarding illness, demonization, and other adversities (p. 133). 

A legitimate split exists in the mind of most Christians in my tradition between two sources of power in the cosmos – that of God and of the Devil. Anthropologists point out that this same dichotomy led to the witch hunts of early modern Europe (1450-1700). Zeener-Keating (2020) attributes such phenomena to “mobility theory” by which community leaders look for solutions because they are “stuck in a bad situation, such as a famine” (p, 92). Anthropologists have also identified the use of the “witchcraft accusation” as a “cultural tool that is used to punish individual who do not conform to society’s expectations” (Zeener-Keating, 2020, p. 89). Heibert (1999) describes a similar phenomenon in Folk religions where interpersonal conflicts boil over into accusations of witchcraft after extended periods of non-resolution (p. 151).

 Conclusion

This research has helped me see the liabilities and benefits of the means of discipleship I experienced as a son of missionaries. I hope that the fact that I embraced the missionary vocation is indicative of the inspiring nature of the environment I was brought up in. It was in this context of missionary training that I came to understand the gospel from first principles until this day. I have participated in many other contexts of Christian formation through ecumenical crossing denominational and national borders over the past 30 years. I come to see the inconsistencies of my own spiritual formation as I admire the riches of wisdom in other faith traditions. But I end this emic native anthropological study of a particular experience of Evangelical-Pentecostal missions with a feeling of gratitude. I believe God’s providence placed me in a rich context for flourishing of the soul if one simply cultivates a tender and teachable heart. 

References

Eller, J.D. (2007). Studying Religion Anthropologically. In Introducing Anthropology of Religion, pp. 1-28. Routledge.

Geertz, C. (1993). Religion as a Cultural System. In The Interpretation of Cultures: Selected Essays, pp. 87-125. Fontana Press. (Reprinted from Anthropological Approaches to the Study of Religion, pp. 1-46, by M. Banton, ed. 1966).

Healy, John Paul (2011). Involvement in a New Religious Movement: From Discovery to Disenchantment, Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, 13:1, 2-21, DOI: 10.1080/19349637.2011.547125

Hiebert, Paul G. (1982). The Flaw of the Excluded Middle. Missiology: An International Review, Vol.X,No.1, January,1982

Hiebert et al. (1999). Understanding folk religion: a Christian response to popular beliefs and practices. Baker Books. 

Hiebert, Paul G. (2008). Transforming Worldviews: An Anthropological Understanding of How People Change. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.

Howell, A. (2012). Turning it Beautiful: Divination, Discernment and a Theology of Suffering. International Journal of Frontier Missiology, 29 (3), 129-137. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.harding.edu/bible-facpub/3

Kimball, Charles. 2008. Comparative Religion: Course Guidebook. Great Courses. Chantilly, VA: Teaching Company.

Kraft, Charles H. (1999). Culture, Worldview and Contextualization.

Moon, W. J., & Moreau, A. (2017). Intercultural Discipleship (Encountering Mission): Learning from Global Approaches to Spiritual Formation. Baker Academic; Biola Library ebooks. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=cat08936a&AN=bio.on1016999087&site=eds-live&scope=site&custid=s6133893

Ong, A. (1988). The Production of Possession: Spirits and the Multinational Corporation in Malaysia. American Ethnologist, 15(1), 28–42.

Schmid, K. (2018) ‘Social identity theory’, in Y.Y. Kim (ed.) The International Encyclopedia of Intercultural Communication, Volume 3, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Stephan, W.G. and Stephan, C.W. (2015) ‘Ingroup/outgroup’, in J.M. Bennett (ed.) The Sage Encyclopedia of Intercultural Competence, Volume 1, Los Angeles: Sage

Ting-Toomey, S. and Chung, L.C. (2012) Understanding Intercultural Communication, 2nd edn, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Trouillot, Michel-Rolph. 1995. Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History. Boston, Mass.: Beacon Press [from Zunner-Keating C7, p. 17]

Turner, Victor (1995). The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-structure. New York: Aldine De Gruyter. [Moon, 92]. 

Valier, Ivan A. (2023). Religious Specialists | Encyclopedia.com. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2024, from https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/applied-and-social-sciences-magazines/religious-specialists

Zunner-Keating, et al. (2020). Beliefs: An Open Invitation to the Anthropology of Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion. PB Pressboks.

Morrison, James E. (2018). Sharing the Gospel with Tibetan Buddhists. In. A. Yeh, Alen & T. Tienou (Eds.), Majority World Theologies (pp. 117-130). Evangelical Missiological Society Book 26. 

by daviddawson462742281

Quando é bom não estar “Nem aí”

Salmo 131: “1 Senhor, o meu coração não é orgulhoso e os meus olhos não são arrogantes. Não me envolvo com coisas grandiosas nem maravilhosas demais para mim.  2 De fato, acalmei e tranqüilizei a minha alma. Sou como uma criança recém-amamentada por sua mãe; a minha alma é como essa criança. 3 Ponha a sua esperança no Senhor, ó Israel, desde agora e para sempre!”

As vezes pessoas chegam a momentos em que desistem de si mesmos, dos seus sonhos, e do chamado de Deus para as suas vidas.  Quando nos vemos nesta situação, falamos coisas como “Não estou nem aí… com o que as pessoas pensam de mim… com o padrão de ‘sucesso’ deste mundo (ou da igreja)… com o que vai ser da minha vida”, etc.  

É claro que essa é uma atitude bastante perigosa porque expressa apatia, indiferença e egoísmo.  Mas as vezes um cristão pode sentir algo semelhante a isso por motivos bons.  Aos 45 anos há muitas coisas que já foram importantes para mim em outras épocas mas agora não são.  

Por exemplo, ao longo dos últimos 28 anos que sou missionário eu tenho trabalhado com vários ministérios e até “movimentos” a nível internacional.  Fazer parte de uma comunidade que está trazendo o Reino de Deus no mundo todo através de uma variedade imensa de projetos é muito empolgante.  De fato, eu cresci no contexto de missões cercado por pessoas de todas as nações e culturas.  Eu fui criado num contexto onde eu sempre ouvia jovens falando sobre transformar o mundo e a volta iminente de Cristo.  

Mas agora eu já não sou tão levado por novas ondas de pensamento ou ativismo cristãos.  Eu ainda tenho paixão para servir ao Senhor, mas agora entendo que os relacionamentos duradouros são o que mais importa.  É uma honra ser convidado para falar numa conferência ou alcançar uma posição de liderança num ministério grande.  Porém, você pode experimentar estas coisas e ainda continua vazio por dentro.  O essencial é o relacionamento com o Senhor Jesus e com o pequeno grupo de pessoas que formam a sua família espiritual.  

Neste sentido eu posso falar que não importo mais, mas não me refiro ao meu chamado e a grandeza da missão de Deus.  Eu oro que o Senhor me ajude a nunca perder a minha paixão por estas coisas.  Eu sei que um cristão jamais deve desistir de si mesmo, dos seus sonhos, e do chamado de Deus para a sua vida.  Porém, eu creio que parte da maturidade em Cristo é não se preocupar tanto com as coisas, “Grandiosas” e “Maravilhosas demais” para ti (Salmo 131:1).  Assim como Salomão disse que não há nada melhor na vida do que “Comer, beber e encontrar prazer em seu trabalho” (Ecl. 2:24).  

É claro que a realização do discípulo de Cristo não está na glutonaria, consumismo e vanglória.  Mas entendemos as palavras de Salomão à luz da palavras de Paulo: “A piedade com contentamento é grande fonte de lucro,…por isso, tendo o que comer e com que vestir-nos, estejamos com isso satisfeitos” (I Tm. 6:6-8).  

Amados em Cristo, o meu encorajamento a vocês e a mim mesmo é o seguinte.  Vamos deixar de lado toda a vanglória humana e viver só para o galardão do servo fiel.  Se tão somente assim fizermos pelo dependência do Espírito Santo, um dia receberemos um galardão incomparável.  E não só no futuro, mas agora mesmo, se aprendermos a pensar assim… nós já teremos e temos a vida eterna que Jesus prometeu.  

by daviddawson462742281

Practices of Self-discipline are a Celebration of Life.

Clique aqui para português

In my mid-40s I’ve become more self-disciplined about certain areas like my diet, exercise and sleep than in other seasons of my life. Or maybe I feel like I’m more disciplined about these areas because it takes a greater force of will than it did when I was 25 or 35.

The strange thing about when I’m exercising is that I find myself thinking how good it is to not be exercising. I look at the clock over and over thinking, “I only have 30 minutes left… I only have 15 minutes left”. But then as soon as I’m done working out my mind is almost immediately consumed buy the worries of that day. I say almost immediately because there are those 30 seconds to 2 minutes that perhaps I’m able to live in the moment and celebrate the task accomplished. One more day, one more getting up early, one more exercise time completed. But the

satisfaction doesn’t last long.

Of course when we fulfil a daily discipline we’ve set for ourselves – perhaps Bible reading or practicing an instrument – there is the satisfaction that we did our best that day. We kept to the plan and if we keep doing that consistently we can expect real progress.

Nevertheless I find that I’m always looking for new mental games to play with myself to keep committed to my disciplines. Recently I’ve been trying to consciously acknowledge that whatever I’m working towards is by the power of the Spirit, especially if the goal I’m reaching for has a selfish nature. By selfish I mean goals connected to the development of my own strength, physical appearance, artistic skill or intellectual knowledge. Disciplines aimed at these types of goals are narcissistic by nature and I need to constantly remind myself that I want to work towards these goals by the power of the Spirit of for His glory.

Recently I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me that personal discipline is an act of hope in the opportunity of life, that is, future opportunity. Lethargy and self- indulgence, by contrast, are an expression of the desire to enjoy present opportunity of life. But when we cultivate practices of development it is an expression of expectation of future rewards. Maybe for someone who doesn’t have the future hope of Christ these same practices are focused on fear. The fear of death, for example, would seem to propel a person who doesn’t have the hope of the future Kingdom of Christ. A fear that would push the person who lives autonomous from God to enjoy life’s pleasures to the maximum while they last… because this is the only real value one can attain.

But for the Christian, seeking self-development – or any kind of development (serving others, for example) – expresses a hope in the continued and growing

opportunity of life. King Solomon said, “This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. 4 Anyone who is among the living has hope—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten” (Ecc. 9:3-5).

I’m so thankful that God can redeem even our most selfish and fear-driven drive towards achievement and vanity. The Lord has gifted us with creativity and intelligence by making us in His image. He wants us to work towards improvement of our gifts and to build towards the continued fulfilment of our calling.

My prayer for you and myself is that the Lord continue to teach us to seek the flourishing of our own lives and

everything around us. I pray that Jesus redeem self-discipline in our lives as a manifestation of hope in the future, not the fear that time is running out.

Manter Práticas de Desenvolvimento Próprio é Celebrar a Vida

Com os meus 40 e tantos anos eu tenho me esforçado a cuidar da minha saúde – a dieta, exercício físico, sono – mais do que nas outras fases da minha vida.  Ou talvez eu sinto que estou me empenhando mais agora porque nesta altura isso requer uma força de vontade maior do que quando eu era mais jovem. 

Quando eu estiver fazendo os meus treinos eu tento usar vários truques mentais para não ficar almejando a hora de acabar.  A pior coisa é ficar olhando para o relógio pensando, “Só falta 30 minutos… agora só mais 15”, etc.  Eu fico imaginando como será maravilhoso quando eu puder descansar, quando eu posso sair daquela fornalha de sofrimento (que exagero, os meus treinos não são tão intensos assim).  Mas assim que eu terminar o treino a sensação de satisfação dura muito pouco.  Dentro de 5 minutos eu já estou pensando nas tarefas do restante do dia e que já estou atrasado se eu quiser resolver tudo.  Mas antes disso, há aqueles poucos doces minutos em que eu posso curtir a sensação da tarefa concluída e do bom hábito mantido. 

É claro que quando nós cumprimos uma meta nossa – por exemplo a leitura bíblica ou tocar um instrumento – há a satisfação de que fizemos o nosso melhor aquele dia.  Nós fomos fieis ao plano e se continuarmos com consistência podemos esperar progresso real no futuro.  

Apesar disso, eu vejo que estou sempre procurando novos “jogos” mentais para me ajudar a manter o compromisso com as disciplinas que quero manter.  Recentemente eu tenho tentado reconhecer que estou buscando desenvolvimento pelo poder do Espírito Santo, não a minha carne.  Isso me ajuda a evitar a tentação do egoísmo e vaidade que sempre vem quando procuramos crescimento como indivíduos.  Querer melhorar a nossa aparência física, habilidade artística ou conhecimento intelectual pode ser motivado pelo narcisismo.  Mas a Bíblia nos diz que a ambição pessoal não é ruim por natureza (I Tim. 3:1).  Apenas temos que lembrar a buscar estes alvos pelo poder do Espírito e para a Sua glória.  

Recentemente eu tenho sentido o Espírito Santo me dizer que a auto-disciplina é um ato de esperança nas oportunidades futuras da vida.  A letargia e indulgência por sua vez são expressões do desejo de desfrutar apenas as oportunidades presentes da vida.  Quem não tem a expectativa futura em Cristo provavelmente busca crescimento indivíduo com base no medo.  O medo da morte, por exemplo, serviria como motivo forte para a pessoa que só tem a vida terrestre para curtir.  Quem vive uma vida independente de Deus precisa desfrutar os prazeres desta vida ao máximo enquanto duram, porque estes são as únicas coisas ao nosso alcance.  

Mas para o cristão buscar desenvolvimento próprio expressa esperança nas oportunidades contínuas da *vida eterna.  Nós cremos que a vida eterna já começou porque o Reino de Cristo já foi inaugurado e estamos vivendo nele.  

O rei Salomão disse, “Este é o mal que há entre tudo quanto se faz debaixo do sol; a todos sucede o mesmo; e que também o coração dos filhos dos homens está cheio de maldade, e que há desvarios no seu coração enquanto vivem, e depois se vão aos mortos.  Ora, para aquele que está entre os vivos há esperança (porque melhor é o cão vivo do que o leão morto).  5 Porque os vivos sabem que hão de morrer, mas os mortos não sabem coisa nenhuma, nem tampouco terão eles recompensa, mas a sua memória fica entregue ao esquecimento”.

Eu sou tão grato que Deus pode redimir até as nossas ambições mais egoístas.  O Senhor nos deu dons de criatividade e inteligência ao nos criar em Sua própria imagem.  Ele quer que trabalhemos para a multiplicação das nossas habilidades e conhecimento para que realizarmos o nosso chamado cada vez mais plenamente.  

A minha oração por você e eu é que o Senhor continua a nos ensinar a buscar a frutificação em nossas vidas.  E que a consequência deste florescimento impacte tudo que nos cerca: pessoas, o meio-ambiente, a sociedade… o cosmos.  Eu oro que o Senhor continue a redimir a nossa busca por desenvolvimento próprio.  Que as nossas metas de crescimento sejam manifestações de esperança no futuro que temos em Cristo.  Graças a Deus nós não precisamos mais viver como o incrédulo que teme constantemente o fato de que o tempo da oportunidade está acabando.  

by daviddawson462742281

The Ultimate Goal of Discipline: to Reach a Joy that Brings Life

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Sometimes I counsel someone with a problem with addiction and it makes me reflect on how we develop good and bad habits.  Whenever I observe a vice in my life or someone else’s it clearly represents a source of pleasure used to fill a felt need.  The comforts vary from substance abuse to gambling, pornography to eating disorders – but all provide something of real value to us.  Apart from Jesus no human being has ever lived who hasn’t been seduced and oppressed by some false solace or stimulation.  

On the other hand in contrast to this are the good habits that exist both our lives and others – meditation, exercise, healthy eating, financial administration, organisation of physical spaces, etc.  Each of these represents something that generally begins with acting against our natural tendency towards laziness, selfishness, the desire for immediate gratification and avoidance of any discomfort. I say “natural” tendency as defined by the Bible: the sinful flesh.  The unbeliever is slave to the flesh but we believers have the right and power to say no to it.  But until we the redeemed receive our glorified bodies in the resurrection the struggle with the flesh is still a daily battle.  Our battle is not against the flesh by the power of the flesh but by the Holy Spirit.  Still, to yield to the Spirit is easier said that done, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Mt. 26:41).  

The majority of good habits begin with an acting against our natural carnal preferences.  Although there are some good habits that come easily, like those people who naturally prefer fruits and vegetables over chicken fried steak with biscuits and gravy… followed by peach cobbler.  Take physical exercise for example.  From childhood to young adulthood physical exercise is often mostly or wholly a pleasure.  But from middle age on exercise is a choice to go against the desire to live in submission to gravity… to just chill and veg out on the couch.  

But so many of these habits, although perhaps not all, end up leading us to a source of joy which is also good for us.  This I feel is the best thing of all in human life: finding and developing practices that bring both joy and blessing in our lives.  And if we’re talking about “blessing”, true blessing always results in an overflow to those around us.  What could be better?  I’m experiencing joy, being blessed and blessing others at the same time… and exponentially!  

So the ultimate goal of discipline should be this: to reach a joy that brings life.  These are the life giving good habits that we both enjoy and that bring blessing to ourselves and others.  When we find these things in our lives we have to grab ahold and not let go.  In your life this might be reading books by an author that inspires you to grow in Christ and takes steps of faith.  In your spouse’s life there might be a hobby that engages their unique gifts brings and benefits your family in indirect ways.  Perhaps the way a sport or creative outlet promote your family projects is simply “recharging” emotional batteries.  The Bible even teaches us to enjoy the rewards of hard work as a fundamental aspect of leading a fruitful life: “Everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man” (Ecc. 3:13).  While at the same time Scripture warns us against seeking to satisfy the flesh and its vanity (Gal. 5:16, 26).

My prayer is that the Lord teach us each day to redeem the time, not only in the sense of productive work but productive rest and recreation as well.  That we would find new sources of joy and recover those that we lost along the way.  

O Alvo Primordial da Disciplina: Alcançar a Alegria que Traz Vida

As vezes eu aconselho pessoas com vícios e isso me faz refletir em como todos nós desenvolvemos hábitos bons e maus.  Se eu estiver refletindo nos vícios na minha própria vida e na dos outros eu vejo que aquilo sempre representa uma fonte de prazer usada para suprir uma necessidade.  Estes falsos confortos variam de alcoolismo, anorexia, pornografia, etc. – mas todos fornecem algo que o indivíduo considera valioso.  E além de Jesus nunca houve alguém que não foi seduzido e oprimido por algo assim uma vez em sua vida. 

Em constraste a isso são os bons hábitos como meditação, exercício físico, alimentação saudável, boa administração financeira, boa mordomia com os espaços físicos, etc.  Cada uma destas coisas representa algo que começa contrariando a nossa tendência natural para a preguiça, egoísmo, impaciência e covardia.  

Um descrente é escravo da carne mas nós os regenerados temos a autoridade e poder em Cristo para dizer não ao pecado.  Mas até recebermos os corpos glorificados na ressurreição nós travamos uma batalha diária com a carne.  A nossa batalha não é carnal e sim depende do poder do Espírito Santo.  Mas ceder ao desejo do Espírito Santo não é fácil, “O espírito está pronto, mas a carne é fraca” (Mt. 26:41).  

A maioria dos bons hábitos começam com passos que contrariam a preferência da nossa carne pecaminosa.  Há pessoas que realmente preferem comer legumes em vez de fritura, a correr cedo de manhã em vez de comer pizza a meia-noite.  Porém mesmo as pessoas que parecem ter uma grande propesidade para o bem têm seus pontos fracos… as suas tentações peculiares.  

O que de fato é de valor primordial em nossas vidas são aquelas coisas que trazem gozo e benção no mesmo tempo… para nós mesmos e aos outros.  Quando encontramos coisas assim nós devemos reconhecê-las e priorizá-las. Talvez você goste de ler um autor cujos livros te inspiram a uma fé maior e compreensão do amor de Cristo.  Talvez o seu cônjuge tem um hobbie que não parece beneficiar a família toda, pelo menos não diretamente.  Porém é possível que liberar o seu marido para o seu “futebol” faz com que ele retorna com as energias e visão renovadas.  Talvez a sua esposa quer fazer um curso de italiano e você pensa que não tem nada a ver com as suas vidas.  Mas quem sabe quais novas oportunidades e possibilidades podem desencadear daquilo?  E você como marido realmente quer ser o limitador das fronteiras de sua esposa?  

A Bíblia nos ensina desfrutar os frutos do nosso trabalho: “poder comer, beber e ser recompensado pelo seu trabalho, é um presente de Deus” (Ec. 3:13).  Mas a Escritura também adverte a não dar prioridade exagerada aos desejos da carne e a sua vaidade (Gâl. 5:16,26).  

A minha oração é que o Senhor nos ensine a remir o tempo, não só no sentido de trabalhar mais… mas também de encontrar as fontes benéficos de deleite.  Devemos desenvolver o hábito de desfrutar destas coisas… a ter a “disciplina” do deleite.  É do agrado do nosso Pai Celestial que vivemos plenamente todas as bênçãos para as quais Ele nos chamou.  

by daviddawson462742281

I’m Pretty Great, As Long As…

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Ever heard the saying, “Better to be thought a jerk than to open your mouth and remove all doubt”? That’s one I’ve tried to take to heart over the years. This week our family started a major schedule shift as Portugal reopened schools. For the past month classes have been online which was a buffer for our kids getting used to the Portuguese accent, quite different than Brazilian. In order to to avoid crowding classes are staggered in a way that Kati and I have to drive to the school 4-6 times a day (x2 back and forth). So Kati and my schedule is having to be completely rethought.

The whole situation has reminded me how my selfishness lies undetected as long as the status quo remains the same. I have a strategic mind and am quite capable of negotiating situations with my wife, kids and colleagues so as to extract maximum benefit for myself. I’ve learned the art of the strategical retreat when it best serves my long-term goals. I’d like to think that even those closest to me, such as my wife and kids, are not aware that this type of game of chess goes on daily. But my hunch is that they are generally aware when I’m trying to corral things so they flow in the most convenient direction for your’s truly.

My wife and I are both highly trained in the area of personal development having trained missionaries and church leaders for the past 28 years. We both know how to finely tune our lists and diagrams of projects and vision. But I’m the one who obsesses over this on a daily basis. And it’s amazing how magnanimous and gracious I can appear to others under the right circumstances. When it’s all systems go for the machinery of my plans I can be flexible and servant hearted. I can feel pretty satisfied with myself and think I’ve really achieved maturity.

But then something like kid’s school restarting that reveals the same old selfish David. Suddenly I have less “me time” and my mind sets off problem solving how to get back to “normal”.

Our comfort zones are so comfy aren’t they, there just so great! But thank God for change that brings us back to an honest perspective of who we are. I still need to grow a whole lot in having a genuine servant heart and others-focused life. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus spoke of those who do good works to receive status among men. My prayer for my brothers and sisters in Christ and I is that we rejoice when we have to reschedule, reorganize and re-prioritize.

It’s like needing to change your workout to engage new muscles. If we just do the same exercise routine day-in day-out we appear in much better shape than we really are. When we learn to do only specific movements it exaggerates the impression of strength. So let’s thank God for when we have to learn new moves that will bring real gains into our spiritual life.

Sou Uma Pessoa Muito Boa, Enquanto…

Há um ditado em inglês que diz, “É melhor que as pessoas te achem um egoísta do que abrir a sua boca e tirar qualquer dúvida”. Esta semana a nossa família começou uma fase de transição com a reabertura das escolas das crianças. Para evitar a transmissão da virose Covid 19 os horários das crianças são intercalados. O resultado é que eu e a Kati temos que ir à escola 4-6 vezes por dia (x2 ida e volta). Isso representa um alteração significativa no nosso ritmo diário.

Essa situação me lembra de como o meu egoísmo jaz despercebido debaixo da superfície do meu ser enquanto nada vem perturbar a minha rotina. Eu sou bom em negociar situações com a minha esposa, filhos e colegas de trabalho para extrair o maior benefício possível para mim mesmo. Eu até sei como recuar em certas situações para poder alcançar objetivos maiores no longo prazo. Provavelmente engano a mim mesmo se eu pensar que as pessoas mais próximas de mim – principalmente a minha esposa e filhos – não estão cientes deste jogo de xadrez diário.

É impressionante como eu posso parecer uma pessoa magnânima se as circunstâncias colaboram para isso. Quando as coisas caminham geralmente em direção à realização dos meus objetivos eu sou uma pessoa calma e tenho tempo para ajudar as pessoas se uma necessidade surgir. Quando eu sinto que o dia está sendo produtivo eu não me incomodo tanto com as interrupções e imprevistos. Nessas horas posso sentir que eu estou realmente alcançando a maturidade em Cristo.

Mas aí algo sempre acontece que me traz de volta à terra e a realidade do meu egoísmo. Como é o caso atualmente na volta dos meus filhos às aulas e a necessidade de eu e a Kati reorganizar toda a nossa logística familiar.

Nossas comfort zones (“zonas de conforto”) são tão gostosas não é, como eu amo quando nada me incomoda! Mas graças ao Senhor pelas mudanças diárias que nos conduzem de volta à uma perspectiva coerente de nós mesmos. Posso declarar com toda a certeza de que eu sei que preciso crescer muito no caráter do discípulo de Cristo. Ter que reorganizar as nossas vidas pode ser como fazer uma nova rotina de exercício. As vezes nós estamos acostumados a fazer o mesmo treino durante muito tempo. Podemos nos sentir fortes e velozes porque só nos limitamos a certos movimentos específicos. É quando passamos a fazer um treino novo que vemos que não estamos em boa forma tanto quanto pensávamos.

A minha oração para você e eu é que podemos aprender a nos regozijar com as transições e “incômodos” da vida. Vamos dar Graças ao Senhor quando temos que aprender novas manobras que vão trazer grandes ganhos à nossa vida espiritual.

by daviddawson462742281

Learning To Let Go So God Can Give You Something New

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Ecclesiastes 3 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…  a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away (vs. 1,6).” When God wants to give us something new, sometimes this involves us letting go of earlier blessings we received from Him. I believe one of the Father’s great “dilemmas” in dealing with us is that we tend to become possessive of the things He gives us. Of course nothing is “hard” for the All-Powerful sovereign Lord of the Universe. By dilemma I refer to the fact that God has to use a deep wisdom in dealing with His childrens’ grasping nature.

I’ve seen this in the local church and missions organizations where a leader has opportunity to move on but they fear personal loss if they step down from their position. It is naive to think that if we let go of something there won’t be loss. If loss means being deprived of something or no longer having access to something then giving something up involves loss. I’ve seen many situations where a leader steps down and then experiences deep wounding when the new regime doesn’t want anything to do with them.

Years ago in a leadership class I did a timeline exercise where the class mapped the past year of their lives between high and low points. The upshot was that our failures and victories were directly connected. Clearly certain things had to die so that the new could be born in its place. I’ve learned that my life can change drastically in a moment – new adventures and ressurrected dreams – if I’m willing to follow the cloud when it moves.

If like me you were raised in the church you’ve heard Jeremia 29:11 your whole life: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. And we should ponder the emphasis on the phrase, “For I know“. He knows and we don’t, as it says in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

As a missionary my life has demonstrated this principle in an exaggerated form. It has been my pleasure to serve in many nations, not just on short-term field trips but long sojourns in foreign cultures. If my life were to end today I would conider the crosscultural experiences of my life to be the greatest privilege of my calling. But I know how I wrestled with the Father every time te cloud moved. Like the Israelites I tend to look back or to hold onto the moment. But the past is gone and although the present is a gift, it is slipping away. We can’t hold onto the present. Lord help us to give thanks for each day as if tomorrow God may lead us on a completely new adventure. In the mystery of God’s wisdom this perspective is what brings us true contentment and hope.

Aprendendo a Abrir Mão Daquilo Que Temos Para Que Deus Nos Dê Algo Novo

Eclesiastes 3 diz, “1 Para tudo há uma ocasião, e um tempo para cada propósito debaixo do céu…tempo de procurar e tempo de desistir, tempo de guardar e tempo de lançar fora (vs. 1,6).”  Quando Deus quer nos dar algo novo as vezes isso requer que abrimos mão de outras bênçãos que recebemos dEle.  Eu creio que um dos maiores “dilemas” no trato de Deus Pai para conosco é que nós tendemos a nos tornar possessivos das coisas que Ele nos dá.  É claro que nada é difícil para o Deus Todo-Poderoso, mas me refiro ao fato que Deus tem que usar uma sabedoria muito profunda para lidar com a natureza gananciosa de Seus filhos.  

Eu tenho visto isso na igreja local e nas agências missionários onde tenho servido deste 1993.  Chega o momento em que u líder tem a oportunidade de tomar um novo rumo na vida mas eles têm medo de perder a sua posição no ministério.  Um líder é ingênuo se ele pensa que ao abrir mão de sua posição a oportunidade para receber uma outra semelhante talvez nunca aparece.  De fato quando um líder our chefe de empresa sair de seu cargo o novo regime não quer ter nada a ver com ele depois.  

Anos atrás quando eu estive fazendo um curso de liderança eu participei uma dinâmica em que a nossa turma mapeou os momentos altos e baixos do ano anterior.  O ponto do exercício era mostrar que os fracassos e vitórias eram intimamente ligados.  Ficou claro que certas coisas tiveram que morrer para que o novo pudesse vir à existência.  Eu já experimentei isso muitas vezes na minha vida – novas aventuras e sonhos ressuscitados – quando estou disposto a seguir a nuvem quando ela se mexer.  

Se assim como eu você foi criado na igreja você conhece bem Jemerias 29:11 que diz, “Porque sou eu que conheço os planos que tenho para vocês”, diz o Senhor, “planos de fazê-los prosperar e não de lhes causar dano, planos de dar-lhes esperança e um futuro.”  Ele conhece e nós não, como também diz outro texto famoso, “”Pois os meus pensamentos não são os pensamentos de vocês, nem os seus caminhos são os meus caminhos”, declara o Senhor.  “Assim como os céus são mais altos do que a terra, também os meus caminhos são mais altos do que os seus caminhos e os meus pensamentos mais altos do que os seus pensamentos (Is. 55:8-9).”  Nós conhecemos estes trechos então porque temos dificuldade de se submeter à sabedoria de Deus quando Ele nos pede entregar os privilégios com as quais nos acostumamos.  

Como missionário a minha vida tem demonstrado este princípio de form exagerada.  Tem sido meu grande prazer servir em muitas nações, não só fazendo viagens mas gastando a maior parte da minha vida em culturas estrangeiras.  Se a minha vida fosse acabar hoje eu consideraria as experiências transculturais como o maior privilégio do meu chamado.  Mas eu também lembro como lutei com o Senhor igual a Jacó cada vez que a nuvem se mexeu.  Assim como os israelitas eu geralmente olho para trás ou tento me agarrar ao presente.  Mas o passado já se foi e embora o presente é um dom ele está desaparecendo diante dos nossos olhos, mesmo quando tentamos segurá-lo.  

Senhor, nos ajude a dar graças por cada dia como se amanhã Tu fosse nos levar para uma aventura completamente nova.  O mistério de Sua sabedoria é que esta perspectiva é o que nos traz contentamento e esperança de verdade.  

by daviddawson462742281

Think Upon These Things

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Some of the biggest struggles in my life are forgiving, to not being jealous, not dwelling on anger and resentment against people, and I’m not alone. I’ve had the privilege of receiving a huge amount of excellent biblical teaching on forgiveness, contentment, self-control and joy. I’ve also gone to retreats, seminars and individual counselling sessions to the same end. Back in the early 90s when I started in ministry we used to call this inner healing or deliverance ministry. Depending on what church context you were in things could get pretty wild and I’ think I’ve pretty much seen and experienced it all over the years.

Most of the inner healing or deliverance ministry I’ve received over the years is rooted in discerning roots of bitterness, releasing forgiveness and receiving revelation about identity in Christ. But I feel that in my life the single greatest healing factor has been what Paul said in Phillipians 4:8

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

I’m so thankful for the wise and Spirit-filled Christian counsellors who have helped me idetify roots of bitterness, release forgiveness and understand who I am in Christ. The initial point of revelation in these matters is an awesome watershed moment in our development as believers. However, the slow and steady discipline – day by day – of corraling our minds according to such revelation is comparatively a much greater part of the curing process.

In Russell Crowe’s movie A Beatiful Mind the protagonist learns to wean his mind off of the fantasies that drew him away from reality and separated him from his loved ones and his calling. This is how I feel in relation to the evil thoughts of unforgiveness and envy that I deal with every day. I have experienced moments of breakthrough that brought me to new peace and joy over old strongholds of the enemy. Praise God for this! However the core temptations of my life are ressurgent over the course of my life like Paul’s thorn in the flesh. When I share about these areas with others sometimes they recommend a book or counsellor that might lead me to definitive victory, which has sometimes been the case. I definitely have had mountaintop experiences of amazing transformation after which I was never the same. However, if I were to try and put a percentage comparison on God’s work of healing my soul it has been maybe 5% intense transformative experiences and 95% walking out the revelation gained in such experiences through daily life.

My favorite verse when it comes to inner healing and deliverance is II Corinthians 10:5, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” It is as I practice this spiritual discipline daily that I have experienced the greatest victory over jealousy, anger, bitterness and discouragement. It hasn’t been my experience that the flesh stops declaring its message. The old man has been put to death (Rm. 6) meaning I have authority over him in Christ. But as Paul states over and over in his letters we mush walk that crucifiction daily: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature” (Col. 3:5).

Lord help us not only to seek the mountaintop experiences of deliverance from the lies of the enemy, but give us power to walk daily in that revelation… day by day, hour by hour, sometimes minute by minute.

Pense Nestas Coisas

Alguns dos maiores desafios da minha vida tem sido perdoar as ofensas, não ter inveja e não guardar mágoa.  Eu sei que estes desafios são partilhados pela maioria dos meus irmãos e irmãs em Cristo.  Fui privilegiado ao receber bastante ensino bíblico sobre perdão, contentamento, domínio próprio e como ter a alegria do Espírito.  Eu também participei de vários retiros, seminários e aconselhamento particular buscando ajuda para estas áreas da minha vida.  

A maior parte da cura interior e libertação que eu recebi ao longo dos anos foi baseada no discernimento de raizes de amargura, perdoar as ofensas e compreender quem eu sou em Cristo.  E me lembro dos momentos do primeiro rompimento de revelação nestas areas.  Estes momentos eram bastante transformadoras.  Porém, após estas experiências era necessário adotar a disciplina diária de encurralar os meus pensamentos de acordo com tais revelações.  E a aplicação dessa disciplina sempre foi 95% do processo de cura, em comparação a 5% de revelação transformadora.  

O apóstolo Paulo fala sobre a disciplina do pensamento em Filipenses 4:8, “Tudo o que for verdadeiro, tudo o que for nobre, tudo o que for correto, tudo o que for puro, tudo o que for amável, tudo o que for de boa fama, se houver algo de excelente ou digno de louvor, pensem nessas coisas”. No filme de 2001 Uma Mente Brilhante o protagonista principal (Russell Crowe) é um professor universitário que sofre de doença mental.  O professor vê alucinações constantemente que causam uma confusão que ameaça destruir seus relacionamentos e sua carreira.  Mas o filme tem um final feliz, porque o professor aprende ao longo de décadas a disciplinar a sua mente para não dar atenção às alucinações.  Eu me identifico muito com essa estória porque preciso resistir pensamentos de amargura, inveja e insegurança todos os dias.  Assim como Paulo diz em II Coríntios 10:5, “Destruímos argumentos e toda pretensão que se levanta contra o conhecimento de Deus, e levamos cativo todo pensamento, para torná-lo obediente a Cristo.”

Na minha experiência a carne nunca para de falar.  O velho homem foi crucificado (Rm. 6), o que significa que eu tenho autoridade sobre ele em Cristo.  Mas temos que caminhar nesta vitória como uma disciplina diária: “Assim, façam morrer tudo o que pertence à natureza terrena de vocês… agora, abandonem todas estas coisas… visto que vocês já se despiram do velho homem com suas práticas e se revestiram do novo, o qual está sendo renovado em conhecimento, à imagem do seu Criador” (Col. 3:5-10). 

Ó Senhor, ajude nós a não buscar libertação e cura instantâneas mas a receber elas diariamente pela renovação das nossas mentes (Rm. 12:1).  Muito obrigado Senhor pelos milhares de livros escritos sobre libertação e cura.  Conduze-nos Senhor a pastores e conselheiros que podem nos levar, pelo Seu Espírito, a momentos de rompimento e vitória e nossas vidas.  Porém, após tais experiências transformadoras, ajude-nós ó Senhor a disciplinar as nossas mentes dia por dia, hora por hora… e as vezes minuto por minuto… para sermos conformados na imagem de Cristo.  

by daviddawson462742281

Uniqueness From Our Maker Not Out Accomplishments

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At 44 years old I’m firmly in middle age. For me to think I’m exactly in the middle presumably I’ll need to live to 88, which is pretty optimistic. I eat healthy and exercise, but some aspects of my personality have probably taken some years off my life… the ones that make me hold onto unforgiveness, to be jealous and to let selfish idolatry sap my joy.

One aspect of this phase of my life is a diminishing sense of my own uniqueness. My twenties was probably when my opinion regarding my own originality was at its highest. I had very specific dreams and values and I read books on how to come up with mission statements and make long-term plans. My thirties were spent coming under the weight of those plans and often trying to make them happen in my own strength. When I was pastoring in Brazil a visiting preacher gave me a word, “There’s a difference between working for God and working with God”. I think he saw who I was.

The transition to my current phase of life involved an adjustment of expectations. I realize more and more that if really awesome things happen in the life of my family it’s going to be because God did it. And I believe God will do great things, it’s just going to be clear to me that He did so and not me. I’m really not that impressed with myself anymore and haven’t been for a while. That isn’t to say I feel bad about myself, it’s just that at my core I know God loves me and my abilities and accomplishments pale in comparison to that.

I used to think I was going to be a true original, not primarily because I already was as a child of God but because of the mark I was going to leave on the world. Now I look at so much about me and think, “I’m just a typical middle aged dude from California”. Sure I went off into missions and had some really unique experiences, but the core formation of the things I celebrate is rooted in the San Fernando Valley in the late 80s-early 90s. Skateboarding and going to the beach and playing my stratocaster, on a human level these still make up my foundational proclivities… what fascinates me and captivates my imagination.

And now in my forties as I realize that sports won’t always be a part of my life I chase at what I can still do before my dexterity evaporates. And as I talk to friends in the same season of life I realize how common this type of behaviour is. More and more I look at myself and think, “You’re so typical, what’s unique about you?”. Recently though I felt the Lord speak to me that my uniqueness doesn’t come from anything I do but the simple fact that He made me. It’s such a simple Sunday school lesson type of truth that there’s no one like us. King David had this type of mentality, saying that God had formed him in his womb. And he also said he learned not to occupy his mind with lofty matters and to nestle in the Father’s arms like a baby who was just fed.

That’s what I’m learning to do – to realize that my value comes from Who made me and Who values me and not my accomplishments. Such a simple lesson, but one that I feel I’m learning in a unique way in this season of my life. After all the striving and struggle and lofty ideals, I’m getting better at being happy just being me. I don’t have to do anything to be original, this is my birthright as one of God’s inimitable creations.

Nosso Valor Único Não Vem Das Nossas Realizações E Sim Do Nosso Criador

Aos 44 anos me sinto firmemente na meia idade.  É claro que achar que estou na metade da minha vida presume que eu viverei até 88 anos, que é bastante otimista.  Eu tento manter uma dieta saudável e fazer exercício.  No outro lado alguns aspectos da minha personalidade provavelmente vão diminuir um pouco o prazo da minha vida: a minha dificuldade de perdoar, a minha tendência à inveja e o egoísmo.  

Nesta fase de minha vida eu sinto cada vez menos “original”.  Nos meus anos 20 eu me achava bem criativo e inovador nos meus pensamentos e idéias.  Eu lia muitos livros sobre como destilar sua declaração de missão e articular ela numa phrase que me manteria sempre rumo à realização do meu destino.  Meus anos 30 foram gastos no grande esforço para realizar tais visões.  Quando eu era pastor no Brasil na época um pregador visitante me deu uma palavra, “Jovem, há uma diferença entre trabalhar para Deus e trabalhar com Deus”.  Com certeza aquele senhor teve um vislumbre da essência do meu ser. 

Era uma vez eu tinha grande confiança de que eu ia deixar a minha “marca” neste mundo, não pelo simples fato de ser filho de Deus mas pela minha criatividade singular.  Mas o conceito de quem eu sou é muito diferente ultimamente.  Penso que sou um típico cara de meia idade da Califórnia.  Claro eu fui para missões e tive muitas experiências extraordinárias.  Eu me sentia mais peculiar vivendo em outras culturas.  Mas Nestes 3 anos vivendo de novo na minha terra eu vejo que as coisas que gosto – tocar guitarra, andar de skate, surfar – são todas bem típicas do contexto cultural da minha infância.  Ainda são estas coisas que cativam a minha imaginação mais do que futebol, hóquei, ou pescar truta.  

E agora nos meus anos 40 eu percebo que a própria esporte não vai sempre fazer parte da minha vida.  Me sinto ansioso em curtir as esportes que eu gosto enquanto alguma destreza ainda existe. E quando converso com outros homens na mesma fase de vida eu vejo que estes desejos e preocupações são muito comuns.  Isso me faz olhar para mim mesmo e pensar, “Você é muito normal David, ordinário demais.  O que aconteceu com toda aquela criatividade e o desejo de viver uma vida diferente da maioria?”

Cada vez mais, porém, eu sinto a voz do Senhor me dizendo que a singularidade que eu desejo não vez das minhas realizações.  Eu sou único pelo simples fato que fui criado por Deus e não há ninguém como eu.   O rei Davi tinha essa mentalidade quando diz que Deus havia formado ele com formosura no ventre de sua mãe.  Em outro lugar Davi disse que ele havia aprendido a não ocupar a sua mente com questões elevadas demais para ele, mas a descansar no colo de Deus Pai como um nenê recém amamentado.  

Então é isso que eu estou aprendendo a fazer – a reconhecer que o meu valor vem de Quem me fez e me ama e não as minhas façanhas e proezas.  É uma lição tão simples mas um que estou aprendendo em nova dimensão nesta fase de vida.  Por décadas eu tenho me esforçado correndo atrás da visão ideal que eu projetei para minha vida.  Mas aos poucos estou aprendendo a ser feliz simplesmente sendo eu mesmo.  Eu não tenho que fazer nada para ser “original”, pois já o sou como uma das criações inimitáveis de Deus Pai.  

by daviddawson462742281

Have we lost reverence for revelation?

The Oxford Dictionary defines revelation in its religious sense as the divine or supernatural disclosure to humans of something relating to human existence or the world. Last Wednesday I went to my grandmother Joy Dawson’s house to have lunch and catch up. I had an idea of asking her to share for a few minutes on some spiritual topic so I could post it on my vlog. I got to grandma’s house, we had lunch, and then I asked her if she could share something for a few minutes. I explained that it could be any recent meditation or insight she’d received from the Lord, something like that.

Looking back I realize that I should have expected what happened next. Joy said she’d be delighted to but she would like to have some time to pray before to ask the Lord for a special word for the occasion. Of course I said that was fine, after all I usually try to leave several hours open when I go to visit my grandma.

So I laid down on the grass in the backyard and slipped into deep relaxation feeling like a kid in such familiar surroundings. I love her cute statues of rabbits and deer and the little bridge over a small stream. The water passes by an old orange tree that produces huge fruit in the San Fernando Valley sun.

When I woke I did’t know how much time had passed but when I found grandma she was sitting in her chair in her bedroom with the Bible open still waiting on the Lord. I asked her how it was going and she said she wasn’t feeling very well. I felt bad for putting a potential burden on her by asking her to share some kind of devotional meditation knowing that she would take the request very seriously. And for my grandma it’s not because she thinks a lot of people see my social media content, which they don’t. Joy would have spent just as much time and energy seeking the Lord if I had asked her to pray about a word for just one person.

I ended up apologizing to my grandma for putting her under pressure and suggested that she lie down and rest, which she did. And shortly after that I got back into my car and made the 1 hour trip home. The point of this post, how so many of us Christians have lost a sense of reverence and wonder for revelation from God. What an amazing thing to actually have access to and hear from the Creator God who sustains the universe with His word (He. 1:3).

Years ago I remember having a lively discussion with both my grandparents in their motorhome (which I now live in with my wife) about divine guidance and hearing the voice of God. I was arguing against the idea that we need such specific direction from the Lord as I had been brought up to believe. Looking back I feel like my perspective was simiular to the post-Enlightenment deistic understanding of God that people like Thomas Jefferson held. This is the supreme clockmaker God that creates the universe and then leaves it mostly to its own devices. I’ll never forget my papa Jim’s response. I can’t remember his exact words, but papa responded something like, “Well David, this is what we have learned, believed, and practiced”. His exact words were different, what I remember most was the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice. His manner was so gentle and yet strong with the authority of experience.

And as I think about the heritage of my family, passed down to me, regarding the practice of seeking God’s voice…. I think of the fruit in the lives of those who believe this is possible and a great privilege to be cherished. In my life, with all my postmodern ambiguity and jaded skepticism regarding God’s goodness and the perfection of His ways, the fruit pales in comparison to my grandparents’ amazing lives. My grandparents became influential leaders in the church but that’s not what I’m talking about. I refer to the joy and peace and personal evangelism and prayer lives they exemplified every time I was with them.

There are so many voices today even within the church that sow doubt in the authority of God’s word and our ability to hear His voice. I pray that I owuld experience a new revival in my belief in these things so I can pass them on to my kids. History has shown that Christian movements that lose their reverence for the doctrine of revelation – God’s supernatural communication – generally degrade into empty humanism and ultimately disappear as communities of faith altogether. Father help us to desire to hear Your voice again, and to believe that this is the urgent answer to all that eats away at the life Your promise in Your word.