"Our modern lives in a modern city grow too complex and overcrowded...The times for the deeps of the silences of the heart seem so few. And in guilty regret, we must postpone till next week that deeper life of unshaken composure in the Holy Presence where we sincerely know our true home is, for this week is much too full." - Thomas Kelly
"One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple." Psalm 27:4
1. What is intimacy with God?
- a deep redemptive journey of trusting, knowing, serving and loving God.
2. Truths about Intimacy with God
- Intimacy with God is not the KEY to blessing, it is THE blessing. The most important question asked in the Book of Job was actually by Satan, when he asked God, "Does Job fear God for nothing?" The Book of Job is not a book about suffering, it's about one's intimacy with God AMIDST the suffering.
- Intimacy with God is grace, not a prize. The greatest gift that Jesus obtained through his death on the cross for us is not our justification, but adoption as beloved children of God. We are adopted into God's family.
- Everyone experiences intimacy with God in different ways. We have different encounters and experiences of God. Spiritual giftedness or experiences are not a mark of maturity. Be grounded in the Scriptures.
- God takes delight in intimacy and invites us to it. God invites us INTO His life. We are to walk by divine appointment, divine assignment, and divine alignment.
- Intimacy with God results in redemptive acts of love. Intimacy is about going INWARD (being transformed) by looking UPWARD (being loved by God), so that we can move OUTWARD (being loving to others).
3. Psalm 27:4 One Purpose, One Pursuit, One Preoccupation, One Passion:
"One thing (1 Purpose) have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after (1 Pursuit): that I may dwell (1 Preoccupation) in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple (1 Passion)."
Session 2: Toxic Spirituality (Rev Edmund Chan)
1. "Spiritual formation is the intentional, communal process of nurturing the spiritual person in the likeness of Christ, by the power of a Spirit-filled life, so as to fulfill the will of God concerning us."
a) Intentional
b) Communal process. Have a group of intercessors praying with & for you.
c) Nurture the spiritual person in the likeness of Christ. Jesus' revolution is always revolution of the human heart.
d) by the power of a Spirit-filled life. We don't have the strength to walk but must be enabled by the Spirit & continue to be filed. Spiritual gifts are not a mark of spiritual maturity, but the Spirit-filled life is. To continue to be submitted to the Spirit, empowered by the Spirit, and directed by the Spirit.
e) fulfil will of God concerning us. We need to move on from perceiving God's will, to pursuing God's will, and to prefer God's will (as Jesus said 'Yet not my will, but Your will be done).
2. The crisis of Spirituality
a) Service without Joy.
- Three great joy-robbers are the spirit of intimidation, condemnation ("I'm unworthy") & rejection ("I'm unwanted").
b) Performance without rest.
- Ministry should be an outflow of life. Learn to be rested and refreshed in the Lord so that we serve out of that restedness.
c) Work without worship
- Worship precedes warfare. We need to stay in love with the most important Person in our lives - Jesus.
d) Devotion without discipleship
- "Do what you know and as you do it, you will know what to do". Sometimes we need to "just do it"!
e) Ritual without Reality
- Isaiah 58:2 shows the hypocrisy of believers: "For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.
Conclusion: Rebuild from the inside out.
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways (highways, major decisions in life) submit to him, and he will make your paths (unpaved/unknown paths, where we don't know how to walk) straight."
Workshop: Dimensions for Spiritual Formation
1. Orthodoxy (Right Beliefs)
- We all have believed lies coming from our inner script, e.g. "My worth is based on how well I lead/serve", "If I share my weakness, I'll lose my position", "My past has disqualified me"
"Lord, your whisper holds more power than the loudest of accusations. Silence the internal narratives in my life today that lead me to false limitations. Help me to receive what you say over my life. Jesus, your voice is the most important voice in my life. Show me where I'm listening to the unhelpful voices of others. I receive your words of life. May I also be your voice to those I interact with today."
- Lectio365 app
2. Orthopathy (Right Emotions)
- deal with unresolved baggage, uncrossed bridges, unfounded fears
- Spiritual exercises:
a) Examen
- "What brought me joy today?" Thank God
-"What brought me pain today?" Release to God
b) Palms Down Palms Up
- Palms down: "I release to You this pain, this sermon, etc..."
-Palms up: "Lord, I receive...your grace, forgiveness, etc..."
c) Centering Prayer / Breath prayer
- (Inhale) Lord Jesus,
- (Exhale) have mercy on me / strengthen and sanctify me
3. Orthocardia (Right Heart)
- The truth about our motivations - our hearts are never fully pure (even the decision to enter full-time ministry)
- Live with "nothing to prove, nothing to lose, nothing to hide" (Rev Edmund Chan). What would this look like for me? "Confession to friends, daily lay it down before God.."
- Keep short accounts with God & others via confession & reconciliation
4. Orthopraxis (Right Practice)
a) A certain cadence
- Sacred rhythms "I need 2 hours every morning to become the person I can be for the day"
- Self-care: Give myself permission to take naps without guilt!
- Sustainable ministry: Extra soaking time for the Lord to work on me?
b) A certain community
- Spiritual cover: Small group of intercessors who will pray with me
- Safe friends a.k.a "2 am friends" : Who can I call at 2 am if I got into trouble?"
Ponder: What kind of cadence and community would I need?
Here's a Spiritual Pathways Test to help us identify the ways we most naturally connect with God.
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