Posts Tagged ‘Confession’

2 Keys to Transformation

Posted: June 30, 2015 in Christianity, Prayer, Reflections & Musings
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Growing Together - Course on The Keys to a Transformed Life

Growing Together – Through the Course on The Keys to a Transformed Life

God is Taking Us Deeper

Over the last two weeks God has drawn us deeper. Dawn, Hannah and I have been going through a workshop on Keys to a Transformed Life. What’s made it extra special was that we were able to take our missionary colleagues Peter & Jenny Boling and Jim DeWitt. Four pastors from Tijuana and four church leaders from Ensenada also went with us.

2 Keys – Forgiveness & Repentance
Pastor Jaime Avila, Pastor Mario Perez and Pastor Ivan Casados with Calvin Anderson & Jeinny Escorcia

Pastor Jaime Avila, Pastor Mario Perez and Pastor Ivan Casados with Calvin Anderson & Jeinny Escorcia

Two of the keys we spent a lot of time focusing on were forgiveness and repentance. These are bedrock Christian disciplines. On the one hand, they are very basic to our faith. On the other hand, we often struggle to put them in practice.

We don’t like to admit that we are wrong. Our pride gets in the way. Yet forgiveness and repentance bring healing. God’s grace meets us at our place of weakness.

Luther said that all of life is repentance.

The Benefits of Confession

James speaks of the benefits of confession, even confessing to one another. A Christian practice that has mostly been lost on the church today.

And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭15-16‬ ESV)

I can’t say that it is easy to open up and share about areas where we are wounded, but it is freeing when accompanied with forgiveness and repentance.

Turn to the father. He promises to remove our sin as far as the east is from the west. Learn of the father’s love for you.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he removes our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. (‭Psalm‬ ‭103‬:‭8-13‬ ESV)

The Keys to a Transformed Life

Our Group – The Keys to a Transformed Life

It’s all part of the upside down kingdom. Where we see a flaunting of sin in the world, God calls us to repent. In many ways that word, repent, seems old an antiquated today. It sounds harsh, and yet it is what the Lord chooses to bring us healing and wholeness. God ministers to us through confession and repentance.

Also when we are willing to forgive those who have wronged us, we receive God’s healing touch. It is freeing to forgive. Jesus taught us to pray asking our Heavenly Father, “to forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.… For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:12, 14, 15)

That may be a hard passage, but it’s a wonderful promise. Forgiveness is an amazing gift that the Lord offers us. Come and receive his many gifts!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

 

 

 

The Importance of Confession

Posted: December 19, 2013 in Bright Spots on the Border, Christianity, Journey, Missions, Reflections & Musings, Team Members
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God Works through our Weaknesses
Lindsey, Ana & Rafael working in the the Christmas store

Lindsey, Ana & Rafael working in the the Christmas store

A friend commented after I wrote my last post that I shouldn’t have mentioned I was in a bad mood, or had a bad attitude. They thought everyone is going to wonder why I was in a bad mood.

I think this is a good point, but I felt like it was important to mention my poor state of mind for a couple of reasons.

First, I believe it’s helpful that people understand that it’s God who brings the fruit. Even though you could say that I wasn’t at the top of my game, God still used me. Paul said when I am week then I am strong, because God’s grace abounds and is released.

…”My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of the weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. —2 Corinthians 12:9,10

Pastor Roberto Shim sharing the good news of Christmas with our Spanish congregation

Pastor Roberto Shim sharing the good news of Christmas with our Spanish congregation

I also thought it was significant that the Spirit prompted me to confess my poor attitude, and to repent. After I did that my heart was changed. God began to do an amazing work. This is an evidence of his grace in my life.

Martin Luther said that all of life is repentance. I’m finding this to be true in my life. Also, as rotten as my attitude can be, it’s so freeing once I do confess my sin and my struggle. It makes me wonder, why do I wait so long to turn to God, and confess?

So you might still be wondering, what I had a bad attitude about? It wasn’t any one thing, and it wouldn’t be wise to share it publicly on this forum. Just know that I am a sinner saved by grace, and that God is faithful to use flawed people. I do think confession and repentance are wonderful remedies that the Lord has given us, and I am so thankful for God’s grace. I am so thankful that he forgives, and that he still uses me despite my flaws.

Exciting to See People Respond to the Gospel

The Lord is the one who brings the increase! We are excited to be a part of that.

There were at least 17 people that prayed to received Christ with a group of us from Harbor Mid-Ciy on Sunday. We are so thankful for such a great group of people that the Lord has given us to minister with at Harbor. I pray that the Lord will give us many more days like that.

The fruit was ripe. Dawn and I were there at the right time. Glory be to God is the highest!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

Confession and Healing: They Go Hand in Hand

Posted: July 2, 2013 in Christianity, Ministry, Prayer, Reflections & Musings
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Dave & Dawn on the Border

Dave & Dawn – there is hope through the cross of Jesus

This past week Dawn and I felt like the Lord took us deeper, as we participated in a Ministry of Pastoral Care conference in Wheaton, Illinois.

I also had the opportunity to preach this past Sunday on Genesis 26. Through the conference and this passage, the Lord taught me some awesome truths.

The Lord showed me how man fails in being faithful to trust God. This failure has a bearing on those we love. Man is supposed to protect women and children, yet we often do the opposite. So what do we do? Do we throw up our arms in resignation and disgust? I think not.

God Brings Healing Through Confession

One of the gifts the Lord has given us is the gift of confession for our sins and the gift of forgiveness. That is one of things that we practiced at the conference last week. It was scary to be vulnerable enough to confess to others our faults. Yet strangely we found it freeing. God brings healing as we humble ourselves and confess our sins.

Americans value individualism, and this cultural value has found its way into the church. We’ve lost the importance of living out our lives in community. Therefore, in many ways even in the church much emphasis is given to what I do individually to grow in Christ. I don’t mean to disparage the importance of that, but we don’t want to lose sight of all the one another commands in Scripture.

Love one another, Bear one another’s burdens, confess to one another, etc.

A loss of a sense of the value of community is one of the reasons we don’t confess our sins to one another today. Part of the reason as well is a wrong application of confession in some churches, which lead to seemingly rote and meaningless acts.

Confess to One Another

It’s wonderfully healing to confess our sins to God, and to one another.

James tells us,

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. — James 5:16 (ESV)

God Uses Prayer and confession to bring healing

God Uses Prayer and confession to bring healing

The Lord promises healing as we confess and pray for one another. Tell me, why wouldn’t we talk God up on this offer? I would like to urge you today to take the risk. Find someone safe that you can pray with and confess your sins to.

There are so many hurting people in the church today, so many in need of counseling. Much of the reason for this relates to either sins committed against the person or by the person. Obviously, it’s more complex than that, and I do not mean to minimize your pain if you’ve been hurt deeply. Yet I do believe God can and will bring much healing as we bring our sins to the Lord and ask him to enter in and to touch us.

Martin Luther said that, “all of life is repentance.” Let us repent for our sins, look to Christ as we confess, and receive his healing touch. Let’s walk in freedom together!

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org

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My Take on Blue Like Jazz

Posted: April 23, 2012 in Christianity, Church Planting, Ministry, Missions, Reflections & Musings
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Blue Like Jazz

Blue Like Jazz

My wife and I just went and saw the movie, Blue Like Jazz. It peaked our interest, since we both read the book.

I agree with some of the other reviews that I’ve read. It’s hard to capture Don Miller’s stream of consciousness that he uses in the book, and then translate that into a movie. I liked the movie, although I would warn that this isn’t an overtly “Christian” movie.

It does tell the story of Miller’s life. It focuses on some of the dysfunction in his family, and some of the elements that are unhealthy in the church. This possibly leads to some stereotyping of Christians, but it is Don’s story. I felt like that was key for me to keep in mind when I was reading the book, and watching the movie.

Kathryn Frazier shares a helpful summary,

Steve Taylor’s trademark satirical humor shined in his screenplay through snappy dialogue and clever imagery, with an over-arching feel that –as the character Penny put it–“We all have our crap.” We sure do.

I loved the resolution. I suppose in part, because there was a positive ending. There was transformation in Miller’s life. After being very bitter, and frustrated with the church and God, he repented. He might not describe it that way, but he recognized his own shortcomings. He realized and confessed that he was ashamed of Jesus, and of being associated with him. He recognized that there are unhealthy elements in churches, and that he was part of the problem. Then he began to confess his sins, his shortcomings to the other students. In doing so he was professing the gospel.

I liked the way he confessed to being afraid to admit that he loved Jesus. He thought of Jesus as the nerd that you know, but don’t want to associate with, because it makes you look bad. I think this is something many Christians struggle with. We are ashamed of Jesus, because we live in a culture that is increasingly hostile towards Christ and Christianity.

Obviously, this is my take, and I’m in no way a professional movie critic. I do like the message of recognizing our sins, even the sins of the church and then asking forgiveness. This is a better option than getting defensive. The world needs to see the difference that the gospel and grace makes in our lives. A good place to begin is with repentance. As Luther states, “all of life is repentance.”

Here are some other reviews that you might want to check out:

Blue Like Jazz the Movie FTW

Blue Like Jazz: A Movie Review

Blue Like Jazz: Thoughts of a Christian Viewer

I’m curious to hear other’s views. If you’ve read the book or saw the movie, what do you think? Did you like it? Did you have concerns about the way they portrayed Christianity and the church?

In His Grip, Dave

DiasoLifeontheBorder.org