I've noticed that when other Christians talk about other Christians they say things like: " he's solid... or she's solid." What does that mean ? What does it mean to be a solid Christian ?
1. It means that they can handle the word of God accurately.
2. It means they can be relied upon to keep their word.
3. It means that they are so substantial that they don't fear man.
4. It means that they prefer God's holiness to friendship with the world.
5. It means they can viewed as an ally in the battle against sin and the world.
6. It means that they know how to lead and make wise decisions.
I have certain desires for our church here in El Paso. Today I was struck by a staggering thought. It came from the biography of Jonathan Edwards that I am currently reading. The chapter was called: " breaking the spirit of slumber." How does genuine revival come to a church ? One of the things that the chapter pointed out was that to have true preaching that convicts, awakens, stirs, confronts, and motivates... the preacher himself must be intimately acquainted with the Holy Spirit in his own life. In order for those truths to sink deep into the lives of the hearers... they must first be internalized and lived out by the one delivering the message. I read alot of books... fragments of books. Sometimes, I read so much that I don't take the time to process what I'm reading. I end up being a parrot of what others taught instead of extrapolating the truths and really owning them for myself. At the beginning of this blog I almost reached for the book about Edwards and planned to quote from it extensively and that would have been good... but then I thought: " why can't you just relate what you learned from it ... without quoting it ? " Are the truths I learned this morning fresh in my head and heart or are they just words on a page ( that I think would sound good ) ? I have always been concerned that truth flow through me like water through a tree branch instead of water through a pipe. I want the truth to effect me and change me. It's dangerous to be a speaker/ pastor/ teacher... because you can end up passing the truth on without being effected by it. I do want to be a solid person. I want to be a person of substance that has wisdom for those moments and can help guide people looking to find their way on this journey. I have been helped by so many and I have a desire to make disciples. I do remember something ( from memory) that has stuck with me all these years. Charles Spurgeon said: " it will be in vain for me to stock my library ... if I neglect the culture of myself.... " In other words, if I have a big library but don't cultivate my soul in a daily quiet time, then my efforts are meaningless. My spiritual life is a great weapon in the pilgrimage.
If you want to be a solid Christian, you must nourish your soul on the words of the faith. God's word is the only thing in this world that will make it off the planet. Everything else is destined to perish. What will it take to get you in the word ?
CD
1. It means that they can handle the word of God accurately.
2. It means they can be relied upon to keep their word.
3. It means that they are so substantial that they don't fear man.
4. It means that they prefer God's holiness to friendship with the world.
5. It means they can viewed as an ally in the battle against sin and the world.
6. It means that they know how to lead and make wise decisions.
I have certain desires for our church here in El Paso. Today I was struck by a staggering thought. It came from the biography of Jonathan Edwards that I am currently reading. The chapter was called: " breaking the spirit of slumber." How does genuine revival come to a church ? One of the things that the chapter pointed out was that to have true preaching that convicts, awakens, stirs, confronts, and motivates... the preacher himself must be intimately acquainted with the Holy Spirit in his own life. In order for those truths to sink deep into the lives of the hearers... they must first be internalized and lived out by the one delivering the message. I read alot of books... fragments of books. Sometimes, I read so much that I don't take the time to process what I'm reading. I end up being a parrot of what others taught instead of extrapolating the truths and really owning them for myself. At the beginning of this blog I almost reached for the book about Edwards and planned to quote from it extensively and that would have been good... but then I thought: " why can't you just relate what you learned from it ... without quoting it ? " Are the truths I learned this morning fresh in my head and heart or are they just words on a page ( that I think would sound good ) ? I have always been concerned that truth flow through me like water through a tree branch instead of water through a pipe. I want the truth to effect me and change me. It's dangerous to be a speaker/ pastor/ teacher... because you can end up passing the truth on without being effected by it. I do want to be a solid person. I want to be a person of substance that has wisdom for those moments and can help guide people looking to find their way on this journey. I have been helped by so many and I have a desire to make disciples. I do remember something ( from memory) that has stuck with me all these years. Charles Spurgeon said: " it will be in vain for me to stock my library ... if I neglect the culture of myself.... " In other words, if I have a big library but don't cultivate my soul in a daily quiet time, then my efforts are meaningless. My spiritual life is a great weapon in the pilgrimage.
If you want to be a solid Christian, you must nourish your soul on the words of the faith. God's word is the only thing in this world that will make it off the planet. Everything else is destined to perish. What will it take to get you in the word ?
CD
