LifeLift

In talk #2 of the Life Planning series we discuss the soundtrack which plays in our heads.

Who’s got a bad one, sometimes?

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And, who needs to change the story they tell themselves?

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Yeah— all of us at one point or another…

Here’s why…

👉 We’ll live from the story that’s playing there moreso than any other thing. Whereas many of us are quick to “shut up” someone who speaks against us, we need to learn to manage our own negative self-talk as well.

Read that again.

Slowly.

Manage. Your. Own. Negative. Self. Talk.

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This doesn’t mean we deny reality or cease being honest with ourselves. Rather, it acknowledges that our thoughts— and our mindset— are important factors in how we live.

Many times, we react negatively to our circumstances because they seem mundane. We compare our “normal” with other people’s “highs.”

But, when we look at reality, we see that the supernatural most often happens amidst the ordinary. Understanding this frees us to embrace the small blessings of everyday life— and even plan for them.

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Links mentioned in this talk—

If you just dropped in on this talk, review the previous talk...

Download the free PDF of the planner— www.Jenkins.tv/FreePlannerPDF 

Purchase the Advance paperback book mentioned in this talk on Amazon— https://amzn.to/33Hy0ZU 

Join the Oola group at www.Facebook.com/groups/AndrewEJenkins 

Many of us hate goal setting, but we know we should do it. That is, living with intentionality is better than “doing random” or just “going with the flow.”

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But maybe there’s something about how we’re often taught to set goals that unsettles us moreso than the idea of goal setting itself.

In this 4-part series, we break it down and offer another way to look at things, empowering you to move from where you are to where you’re designed to be.

Here’s where we begin…

In talk #1 we learn that there’s a certain rhythm to Creation— a way things just “work.” Specifically, the universe runs on rest, on intentional bursts of on and then “off.”

But two things knock us off balance—

👉 Anxiety

👉 Identity issues

This tag-team duo keeps us from taking that much-needed reset (we need it daily, weekly, and even annually). The result is that our bodies don’t rebuild physically, we don’t reset mentally, and we don’t regulate very well emotionally.

That knocks us out of whack. Big time.

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When we step into the intentional rhythm of Creation, we live from a a different center.

Furthermore, we begin to see a blur between what is truly sacred and what is secular. That is, we discover that any activity can be holy and set apart for supernatural use. This frees us to stewards the gifts and time and calling that we’ve been given…

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And once we understand that, we’re ready to truly begin living the life we’re designed to live.

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Links mentioned in this talk—

Download the free PDF of the planner— www.Jenkins.tv/FreePlannerPDF 

Purchase the Advance paperback book mentioned in this talk on Amazon— https://amzn.to/33Hy0ZU 

Join the Oola group at www.Facebook.com/groups/AndrewEJenkins 

If any one thing is characteristic of ALL of us, it’s likely that inner struggle we feel…

“I want to do this, but I know I should do that…”

Or-

“I don’t know WHY I did that thing right there— I’d already decided I wasn’t going to…”

We do this with “big” things and “small” things, with actions we would classify as sins and everyday occurrences as simple as sleeping in too late, fudging on the diet, loosing our temper, letting something fluster us, or even allowing something to get under our skin…

Paul wrote about it in Romans 7:14f— “the good the I want to do, I don’t do… and the evil I don’t want to do… I find myself doing that!”

Who can relate?

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Yeah— all of us, in some way, if we’re honest…

❌ That’s the bad news.

✅ The good news is that Jesus was tempted in every way we’re tempted (Hebrews 4:15). That means, yes, He faced— and beat— the same struggle…

And, then He actually DEFEATED it on our behalf.

Theologians use the term “bondage of the will” to refer to this tension…

… and it goes ALL THE WAY BACK to the Garden of Eden.

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Whereas Adam gave away his freedom- and ours- in the garden, Jesus regained it. And Jesus has returned it to you.

Here’s what happened: Matthew says that Jesus prayed, “Not My will, but as You will... (see 26:39f.).”

Notably, this is written in the context of Jesus wishing there was another way to secure our redemption- another way besides facing the Cross.

(In other words, even then He faced that same internal tango between this/that + that/this.)

👉👉👉

Before praying, Jesus tells us disciples that they should “watch and pray” with Him. He says that the spirit is willing- but that the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).

Yes, Jesus sensed the internal tug-of-war that we all experience. The “good” in you (God’s Spirit) wants to walk the perfect path God has ordained- no matter how difficult it may be. The flesh, though, often wants another route.

(Don’t emphasize the weakness of the flesh— Jesus didn’t. Lean into the strength of the Spirit!)

When Jesus laid down His will in a DIFFERENT Garden, His obedience became ours— because His life is now our very life….

Want to be free of the inner struggle?

That’s the subject of this week’s talk—

It’s easy to spiritualize the promises of God (detaching them from real life) or even futurize them (punt them to the after-life).

Especially when things look bleak.

Especially when things have looked bleak for a long time (we often think we won’t be disappointed if we feel that things are just *supposed to be this way, that things don’t get better until it’s all over).

I do it all the time… I think, “Geez, things will eventually get better.

🤷‍♂️ But what if there are lessons available now?

🤷‍♂️ And what is some of the glory + beauty that we hope for in the future is ALSO for today?

I was reading one morning and noticed something…

The early church looked at it OPPOSITE way that we do— they were SO CERTAIN that the promises of God were for the present that they even relegated to after life to unnecessary.

That’s right. No resurrection. No after-life. No heaven.

Paul corrected their theological error (1 Corinthians 15) and, in doing so, showed us something remarkable.

👉 We don’t have to pick and choose.

👉 The gifts of God are for later… and they’re for now.

Our hope is eternal. It transcends the present to work in the future, it redeems (and restores) our past… and it’s good for right now, wherever we are.

Without faith, it’s impossible to “please God” (Hebrews 11).

That’s what the Bible says, anyway…

It also says that obedience is essential in order to please God (John 15).

Makes me wonder…

How many times have people felt beat down, squooshed down, the life-sucked-out-of-them, and spiritually vaporized all because…

👉 they didn’t have enough faith, so (they were told that because of that) they weren’t healed?

👉 they didn’t “trust God” enough, so (because of that, they were told) that situation that was bleak got even worse?

👉 they had some unrepentant, hidden sin or misdeed (like Job’s friends wrongly accused him of), so God couldn’t turn things around…?

It seems so odd, doesn’t it, once you spell it out on paper…

… yet, this is the stuff many of us believe.

I want you to notice something…

Something about FAITH and OBEDIENCE.

💡 Both of these actions are the RESULTS, the natural overflow, of encountering His radical grace + unconditional love.

💡That is, they don’t create dynamic spirituality, they’re the RESULTS of an authentic encounter.

We need to shift the burden…

… off of each other, and onto grace….

Because FAITH and OBEDIENCE are the effects of a supernatural encounter, not the causes of it…

I talk about it here.

Too many times we view ourselves based on our past.

We do this with all kinds of sins, shortcomings, failures, and missteps…. this labeling ourselves on the past rather than our potential.

We do this because we understand that those things were actually once part of our identity. In fact, in the case of sin, the sins emerged from who we were.

Sin is personal— it doesn’t exist apart from people.

Here’s the good news, though. Cleanness is stronger that uncleanness. Grace is stronger than grit and grime.

You might understand it better like this…

💡light overpowers darkness

💡And, it doesn’t struggle to do it, either.

💡Whenever and wherever light is near, darkness simply disappears.

💡Moreover, when it does, that darkness is actually transformed into something completely different.

Stop looking at your past. God sees your potential.

And that’s good news for all of us…

The word “convict” can mean “to cast judgment as to guilt” or it can mean “to convince” (i.e., people in prison are called convicts, but beliefs we hold dear to use are often called CONVICTION).

Which one does God do to us— because we read the the Holy Spirit convicts us…?

Does He do the kind that is punitive?

Or does He do the convincing kind…?

My thoughts =

You’re not being punished…

When things are going quite as you planned, it’s easy to think there’s some cosmic judge behind the scenes, seeking to “mess up” stuff on your behalf and “give you what you deserve.”

(Especially in the area of RELATIONSHIPS & MONEY!)

Maybe you’ve even done the negative self-talk about that kinda thing…

“I’m so ________________________ [insert the negative phrase of your choice here].”

Been there, done it, have the t-shirt.

Let me offer you this perspective…

The voice inside of you (some people call it the Holy Spirit) isn’t here to convince you that you are bad, evil, janked-up, etc…

In fact, there’s one who IS called the accuser…

On the other hand, the Spirit convinces- ahh, let’s just say it, convicts- you that you are righteous.

Not wrong. But righteous.

Here's where I get that:

👉 Jesus took all judgment on Himself (John 12:32), 2,000. Years ago.

👉 The Holy Spirit takes what is His and gives it to you, constantly reminding you (read: convincing / convicting you) that sin has been handled and you are righteous (see John 16:12).

That’s right, the Holy Spirit persuades you about righteousness. He doesn’t do this by giving you a pile of bad things you've done or a checklist of good deeds which you need to do.

Rather, the Holy Spirit does this by convincing you- by convicting you- that you are free to be who you were created to be.

🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin, according to the riches of His grace, which He made abound toward us...” (Ephesians 1:7-8).

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Redemption— in the ancient world— meant “freedom.”

We toss it around, along with other “church words,” without really thinking too much about it…

But the word is deep.

And, as Jesus was called our Redeemer… it was a word that linked Jesus to freedom- to a freedom from the yoke of bondage.

Furthermore, redemption not only means “freedom,” it means freedom now in this life, not later after you die…

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This week’s talk is up and (after a short intro last week) it starts a new series of talks…

About redemption.

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Redemption is a common “Bible word,” a term we read a lot and even mention a great deal, but it’s one of those words we don’t really understand.

The word was in common use in the ancient world. Specifically, the word redemption “was used in slave markets to refer to the price paid either to purchase a person, or to purchase that person’s release.”

We toss it around, along with other “church words,” without really thinking too much about it…

But the word is deep….

Outside of the church today, we see the word used in pawn shops. When someone comes to “free” their property which has been held; they pay the redemption price and their property is loosed to them.

(You’re probably beginning to make theological connections even now.)

And, as Jesus was called our Redeemer… it was a word that linked Jesus to freedom- to a freedom from the yoke of bondage.

But, there’s something we need to catch ABOUT redemption…

In seminary I learned about “the law of first mention,” a precept that tells us to really comprehend something in the Biblical narrative, we need to dig deep into the first time we see the word or concept introduced.

To understand the redeeming work of Jesus and to comprehend everything achieved by His blood, we need to travel way back through the Old Testament to the book Exodus. The story of Israel's freedom provides incredible insight into the life Jesus offers each of us.

In this talk, we discuss what it means that—

👉 Thousands of years ago, a people living in real time + real space found themselves in a jam, with no way out…

👉 God intervened, and redeemed them in their lifetime (I.e., they didn’t wait until they died + went to heaven to experience what He had for them)

👉 It wasn’t an easy journey, for sure… but was something they had to proactively choose

👉 The people closest to Jesus looked back at THAT story to define what Jesus did for us, 2,000 years ago…

This story is 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

In THAT story, we learn that redemption not only means “freedom,” it means freedom NOW in this life, not later after you die…

“Christ became for each of us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

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A few years ago I read Abba’s Child by Brennan Manning. In that book he reminds us of some of the perplexing truths in Scripture—

* “All things work together for the good” (Romans 8:28).

* “All things are made beautiful in His time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Notice— Paul (who wrote Romans) does say that all things are good. Rather, he contends that all things— even the worst of all things— work together in our favor.

Manning suggests this includes the horrible things other people (i.e., government officials rolling over and asking for payoffs in order to follow the laws they’re elected to actually adhere to, people turning against us), as well as the sins we commit.

Even then, at our own worst moments, God works on our behalf.

Though waiting is often involved— and thew “new” doesn’t appear overnight— God often uses these times to impart something to us that can’t be acquired ay other way.

Lots of uncertainty in our stories…

Sometimes you wonder who’s writing the script, right?

Keep stepping, walking forward….

You have access to the Author (and Finisher)—

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Yes, the best way to live forward is to look back and remind ourselves of who the Father says we are, to evaluate our place in His story, and to stay in close proximity to the Author and Finisher of our faith.

And, you have His very mind—

“For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Plus, you have the ability to not only know what He desires, but you also have the capacity to walk it out—

“… continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13).

Easy?

No.

But, in the midst of the chaos and confusion that each day brings… we already know the end of the story.

Have faith.

Be grateful.