Category Archives: Deeper Christian Life

August 15, 2012

Those Who Inspire Us

By David D. Flowers

I’ve been inspired by many people in my lifetime. There are times when the Lord reveals himself to us in someone else’s struggles and victories. The Lord takes an ordinary person and does something extra-ordinary in them. Their gifts and talents are used to inspire us to rise above the opposition and challenges we’re facing. We are emboldened by them.

It may be to overcome temptation, an addiction, or some other dehumanizing practice that keeps us in bondage. Those who inspire us can also help us to dream, take risks for the Kingdom, and to pursue what we otherwise would have believed was beyond ourselves. The Lord uses these people to enrich our hearts, expand our minds, and empower the body.

Those who inspire you are flesh and blood examples of the Lord alive today wanting to bless you.

Sometimes there are those who continue to inspire us throughout our entire lives. Time and again these people are a deep source of encouragement and hope for us. Anytime we feel that we’ve reached a dead end, or there is a mountain too high for us, the mere thought of these individuals speak words of life to our soul:

“Keep going. Believe. Don’t give up. There is more. Take it.”

While I have been supported and encouraged by a great many people throughout my life, there are only a few (3 or 4) that I can say continually inspire me—in ways that go beyond their mere abilities.

I see in them the Lord himself, and his ability to be faithful and true to the promises he has made. These people remind me that Jesus is alive, that he loves me, and that he wants to use me for his glory. And do so in the same breathtaking way that he has used them.

The Lord says, “I did this for them. And I can do it for you.”

Those who have inspired us are true inspirations because they don’t live for themselves. They have emptied themselves. Their cup has been filled with the Lord’s wine. And they give off a sweet aroma of God’s goodness in Christ. We’re attracted to the Christ in them, and that same Christ calls us to believe—believe that new creation is possible in you and through you.

So, who inspires you like this? In what ways are their example breeding faith, hope, and love? What is the Lord calling you to do as a result of this inspiration? Are you letting him have his way in it?

Those who inspire us are gifts from God. Evidence of the incarnate Christ.

Think about it.

D.D. Flowers, 2012.

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June 15, 2011

Hidden Treasure & Fine Pearls

By David D. Flowers

What is it that has some folks continually making bad decisions and finding themselves in the dump of life? Do they enjoy their isolation? Do they revel in their private hell? Don’t they see the trail of tears in their rearview mirror?

I’m no psychiatrist, but I have some experience with this sort of thing and I believe that most people don’t want to live this way. So why do they persist in their destructive decisions and fleshly behavior?

Now before you suppose that I’m about to tell you that the Christian life is all care bears and sunshine, I want to make it clear that I’m well aware of the challenges and, as Mike Yaconelli put it, the “messy spirituality” of us all.

None of us have it all together. I got it. We all get it. We have all made bad decisions at one point or another. And sometimes life just happens.

No, my heart is heavy for those that continually ignore sound advice and biblical wisdom—allowing their emotions to steer their ship into a whirlpool of more pain and death. They invite darkness upon themselves.

They see the signs, they hear the warnings, but their foot remains on the pedal as they speed past one stop sign after another. They say, “I’m gonna do what I want.” They avoid total surrender to Christ.

These folks will usually find someone to comfort them and affirm their destructive way. The world is filled with plenty of people wandering around in the dark claiming to know a thing or two.

We have all been there. You can surround yourself with ungodly counsel and feel good about it, especially when they tell you what you want to hear.

But listen to the biblical sage in Proverbs 2:1-8:

My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. (NLT)

Jesus told a series of parables about the “kingdom of heaven” in Matthew 13. In the Gospel of Matthew the “kingdom of heaven” is synonymous with what the rest of the New Testament refers to as the “kingdom of God.” The kingdom is at the forefront of Jesus’ message.

Jesus says, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matt 6:33). Let there be no mistake, Jesus was all about kingdom.

So what is the kingdom? Entire books have been written on the kingdom. I’ll just sum it up this way:

The kingdom is God’s reign and rule in the cosmos. It’s God’s divine program!

We don’t really use “kingdom” language anymore. A “kingdom” is literally a king’s domain. Jesus preached that God had arrived to establish his reign and rule on the earth—to claim it as his own! That’s why Jesus prayed that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. He was praying for the very reign and rule of God upon the earth (Matt 6:10).

The kingdom—his reign and rule—always looks like Jesus.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that Jesus would call his followers to “seek the Kingdom of God above all else” because it is where real rewarding life happens. When we are participating with Christ in allowing God’s reign and rule to saturate our lives, and in the lives of those around us, we experience what it means to truly live.

When we live for kingdom, our lives are being built upon the solid rock of Christ.

In order to experience this “abundant” life of kingdom, we must be willing to deny ourselves and sell all that we have to take possession of it (Jn 10:10; Matt 16:24). It’s the only way.

Listen to this short parable of Jesus.

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.”  Matthew 13:44

What do those frustrated folks I mentioned above share in common? Simple. For whatever reason, they have not found Christ and his kingdom a treasure worth reorienting their entire lives around. Some “thing” or some “body” excites them much more than Christ.

It’s no secret that their persistence in making poor decisions is evidence that Christ is not central and supreme. There is one throne in their life… and they are sitting on it.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”  Matthew 13:45-46

If you are not a follower of Christ, please know you can trust that the yoke of Jesus is easy and his burden is light (Matt 11:28-30). The yoke of the world is hard and the burden of it will eventually crush you. Are you willing to sell all that you have to purchase that field… to acquire the fine pearl? Or would you rather take your chances with the world?

If you are a follower of Christ, I want to remind you that your salvation began with a passionate love of Jesus and his kingdom. Have you forgotten your first love? What are you loving more than Christ?

Dear friend, God loves you and wants to supply you with true nourishment for the soul. He alone will satisfy. How long will you turn to temporal things for your identity, security, and self-gratification?

What has become more important to you than the kingdom of God? Jesus said, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Lk 9:62). What has you looking back? Can’t you see you’re plowing crooked rows?

Listen to wisdom. Respond to the voice of the Spirit of God. Put your hand to the plow and don’t look back. What’s past is past. Make your next decision for Christ and the furtherance of his kingdom.

You won’t be at peace until you do.

D.D. Flowers, 2011.

2 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Deeper Christian Life, Religion & Spirituality, Theology

March 26, 2011

Top Ten Favorite Books

By David D. Flowers

I have often been asked: “What are your favorite books?”

I’m continually reading books from the softer side of Christian spirituality to the thick analytical works of NT scholarship. I’ll give you a list of my favorite “top ten” books from my entire library.

Furthermore, I’ll rate my favorites according to which books have impacted my thinking the most (i.e. turning points) on my journey. Many great works will be excluded. Perhaps in the future I will make another list.

I will not include the Bible in my list. Undoubtedly, growing up in the church, the Scripture has shaped me in ways I shall never know. So, if it concerns you that the Bible is not on my list, I like to remember that it shouldn’t be placed alongside other popular works of men anyway.

The following books are not in the order in which I read them; they are rated according to their greatest level of influence on my life.

  1. “The Centrality and Supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ” by T. Austin-Sparks
  2. “Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church” by N.T. Wright
  3. “Resident Aliens” by Stanley Hauerwas
  4. “The Normal Christian Life” by Watchman Nee
  5. “Is God to Blame? Beyond Pat Answers to the Problem of Suffering” by Gregory Boyd
  6. “Pagan Christianity? Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices” by Frank Viola and George Barna
  7. “The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church” by Gregory Boyd
  8. “The Cost of Discipleship” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
  9. “The Secret of the Strength: What Would the Anabaptists Tell This Generation” by Peter Hoover
  10. “Created for Community: Connecting Christian Belief with Christian Living” by Stanley Grenz

What books have been most influential in your life?


10 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Christology, Church, Culture, Deeper Christian Life, Eschatology, Ethics, Faith & Politics, Prayers & Poetry, Religion & Spirituality, Theology

June 1, 2010

Jesus Manifesto

By David D. Flowers

Moving Forward in Exploration of Christ

A Book Review of “Jesus Manifesto: Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ” by Leonard Sweet & Frank Viola

I can hear it now, “Do we really need another book about Jesus?” Apparently so, considering that as we entered the twenty-first century only 4 books out of the top 100 were about Jesus (Christian Book Association).

In Jesus Manifesto, Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola combine their voices to trumpet a resounding reminder that we never “graduate beyond Christ” in the Christian faith. And Christ isn’t found only in the center of things, but along the “corners and on the edges” as well.

Sweet and Viola believe we have created a “narcissistic” and a “best-seller” Christianity which is “self-centeredness wrapped up as ‘spirituality,’ which has become the latest fashion accessory for the person who has everything” (p. 100).

There is indeed much to be disheartened with in Christianity today. Yet, there is a growing number of evangelicals that are discovering that pop-culture Christianity is leaving them high and dry. “Whether they realize it or not,” says Sweet and Viola, “people are looking for a fresh alternative—a third way” (p. xiii).

As I look across the present post-modern landscape of Christianity, I see several camps of believers pushing their way through the crowd to stand on the rooftop of evangelicalism with their megaphone in hand (i.e. books, magazines, blogs, etc.) proclaiming the “real” gospel.

There are several current groups and “movements” that are all trying to highlight the neglected sides of historic Christianity. We have the reformed “defenders of orthodoxy,” the emerging brand, the missional-minded, and the organic house church folk, just to name a few.

I do believe that most of the people in these groups truly love the Lord and his church, but many of them are in danger of becoming preoccupied with some thing else other than Christ.

Sweet and Viola believe there are three features present in every spiritual awakening in the Christian church: (1) a rediscovery of the “living Word,” or the Scriptures and its authority; (2) a rediscovery of the living Christ and His supremacy; and (3) a rediscovery of the living Spirit and the Spirit’s gifts and power to manifest Christ in the context of that culture.  (p. xvii)

We’re living in some hot times economically, politically, and socially. Christians are engaging in an exchange of ideas (not without some name-calling and finger-pointing). It’s evident that even those who have been the most outspoken for the “supremacy of Christ” and right “doctrine” have succumbed to rhetorically burning people at the stake in the name of Jesus.

Where is Christ in word and deed? Sweet and Viola write, “Whatever you are occupied with comes out of your mouth. It’s what you talk about most of the time” (p.19). And we should not just be hearers of Jesus only, but doers of Him.

Is “mission” our center?  Is it community? Some say it’s preaching and others… ministry. If we say that Christ is central and supreme, what does that mean concerning justice? What does His universe look like when we are first seeking Christ and His Kingdom?

When Christ is not central and supreme in our lives, everything about life shifts out of orbit and moves out of kilter. So for Christians, our first task is to know Jesus. And out of that knowing, we will come to love Him, adore Him, proclaim Him, and manifest Him. (p. 2)

That’s why this book has been written. It addresses the present challenges we face as many “things” compete for the centrality and supremacy of the person Jesus Christ. We are called to be “living epistles” or “Jesus Manifestos” in our world. It’s about being true to Christianity.

So what is Christianity? It is Christ. Nothing more. Nothing less. Christianity is not an ideology or a philosophy. Neither is it a new type of morality, social ethic, or worldview. Christianity is the ‘good news’ that beauty, truth, and goodness are found in a person. And true humanity and community are founded on and experienced by connection to that person. (p. xvi)

Finally, Jesus Manifesto has been purposely written in an “ancient devotional tone” of writing. In the spirit of Watchman Nee, Jeanne Guyon, Andrew Murray, and T. Austin-Sparks, this book is a fresh call to the post-modern church: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” (Heb. 12:2).

And let us move forward in exploration of Christ Jesus our Lord.

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”   Paul, Colossians 2:6,7

Can we, as the Christian church, agree upon the person of Christ? “Receiving Christ also means receiving all who belong to Him” (p. 147).

Will you sign the Jesus Manifesto?

Others who have signed

“One more sign of a Christianity that is beginning to look like Jesus again. Our great challenge over the past few decades has not been one of right believing but of right living. Viola and Sweet create a harmony here that invites you to give the world a Christianity worth believing in … after all they will know we are Christians, not by our bumper stickers and t-shirts — but by our love.” 
Shane Claiborne—author, activist, and recovering sinner    http://www.simpleway.org

“From beginning to end, authentic Christianity is all about Jesus and, ultimately, nothing but Jesus. No one has proclaimed this more clearly and persuasively than Viola and Sweet. Jesus Manifesto is an important and powerful prophetic call for the Martha-like Church to get back to doing “the one thing that is needful.” 
Gregory A. Boyd—Senior Pastor, Woodland Hills Church, Maplewood, MN; Author, Present Perfect, The Myth of a Christian Nation, and The Jesus Legend.

“This is a really exhilarating reintroduction to a Jesus who seems sometimes to have become a stranger to the Church; a passionate and joyful celebration of God with us, which cuts right through churchy quarrelling and brings us back to wonder, love and praise – and the urgent desire to make Him known to all.”  Rowan Williams—Archbishop of Canterbury

“I look for books that call us to love Jesus and make His name more widely known. In Jesus Manifesto, Sweet and Viola ask us to step away out of the “Youniverse” (their word) of narcissistic religion and away from the pop-culture Jesus who is just a nice man. Throughout the book, they exalt Jesus as the divine Savior and ask the church to do the same. I believe this book will spark a renewed love for Christ by pointing us to the deep mystery of His person. You will be motivated to love and serve more deeply as your life is focused on Jesus the Messiah.”
 Ed Stetzer—President of LifeWay Research http://www.edstetzer.com

Read more endorsements at:  www.thejesusmanifesto.org

Buy Jesus Manifesto: Restoring the Supremacy & Sovereignty of Jesus Christ (Thomas Nelson Publishing, 2010) on discount today (6/1/10) at: www.amazon.com

And please take a few seconds to give this review a helpful vote at amazon.  Thanks!

Len Sweet & Frank Viola

Leonard Sweet occupies the Chair of Evangelism at Drew University in New Jersey and contributes weekly to sermons.com and a podcast, “Napkin Scribbles.” He has authored numerous articles, sermons, and forty books.   www.LeonardSweet.com

Frank Viola is a best-selling author, international conference speaker, and a personal friend. His books include Finding Organic Church, Reimagining Church, The Untold Story of the New Testament Church, and the best-selling From Eternity to Here.   www.FrankViola.com

6 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Christology, Church, Deeper Christian Life, Religion & Spirituality, Reviews