Presumption June 15, 2009

I am shocked by George Barna’s latest statistic that 66% of the adult population in the U.S. today are what he calls “Casual Christians.” He describes them as “minimally active born again Christians and moderately active but theologically nominal Christians.” I wonder about both the cause and cure to such a frightening state of spirituality in our country. If only all these people understood the precarious position their presumption of salvation puts them in.
The same week I heard Barna’s statistics, my son Daniel read to me from Jonathan Edwards’ Religious Affections. Edwards was dealing with similar spiritual lethargy in the Puritan church and was making a case for basing the assurance of salvation on the affections the Holy Spirit always works in the hearts of true believers. Edward’s included a quote from another pastor in his day that got me thinking about a possible cause of rampant spiritual presumption.
“When may a Christian take a promise without presumption, as spoken to him? The rule is very sweet but certain; when he takes all the Scripture and embraces it as spoken unto him, he may take any particular promise boldly.” Thomas Shepard, 1853
Too many Americans have been convinced that they can claim the promise of salvation but ignore all the other promises in Scripture. If Shepard was right, those who claim to be Christians based only on the fact that they have received the gift of salvation are presumptuous in claiming that promise. It is true that the gift of eternal life is given to those who believe, but if that is the only gift we are interested in receiving, we presume too much to think we have truly believed.
One of the reasons I am excited about my new study, Making Disciples in Your Community, is that it leads Christians into exploring, embracing, and practicing critical gifts that God promises to give us in community. Jesus did not say to go into all the world and make believers. He told us to make disciples. Merely having the right answers to important questions about going to heaven does not make a disciple. It creates a huge population of nominal Christians who have been assured that if they believe, they are saved.
The loss of the importance of community in the church has furthered the false assurance because it removes the vitality and accountability of body life. If Christianity is experienced merely as a personal and private relationship with God, there are many promises of important gifts that are being overlooked.
Those of us who truly know Christ need to blow our trumpets and try to warn those who think they are safe because they have claimed a promise or two. There are many more promises offered in Scripture. A true believer cannot say to God, “I will accept some of the gifts you offer, but you may keep the ones that don’t interest me.” We can’t say we’ll take eternal life, but not want the gift of the Holy Spirit. We can’t accept “all we need for life” but refuse “all we need for godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). We might like grace and peace but have no desire for meekness or hunger for righteousness—but that is not the message of the gospel.

It is Here May 16, 2009

Making Disciples has been released and is now available at Amazon, Chrisianbook, and all your favorite Christian book stores. The easiest way to order is to click on the highlighted title (Making Disciples in Your Community) in February’s blog and it will take you directly to Amazon’s order page.

I am hoping and praying that the study will encourage thought and discussions about the best way to not only grow deeper in our relationships with God and one another, but also how to reach out to our neighbors in our communities. Although its title is “Making Disciples” it is also about partaking of all the promises and gifts God offers. I wonder if our evangelistic efforts would be more complete if we told people we were offering more than a sure way to heaven, but also, all the gifts God gives to His adopted children here and now. I hope that as people study the gifts listed in 2 Peter 1:5–7 they will get excited about sharing what they are learning with others in their neighborhoods. Please let me know how God directs you and your community, and use this website to discuss insights and ideas He gives to you with other readers and communities.

Orlando March 14, 2009

 

I just returned from Orlando where I attended an excellent conference called Synergy 2009. I enjoyed meeting many amazing women who are in leadership positions all over the country. Both the workshops and plenary sessions were excellent. I especially enjoyed hearing from Alice Matthews and Carolyn Custis James. You might be interested in checking out their website at Synergytoday.org.

Coming Soon February 22, 2009

The publisher is just about ready to go to press on my new study.  
Making Disciples in Your Community (Following God Discipleship)

It will be available from your bookstores or online at Amazon and CBD.

Some endorsements for this work:

Barbara Henry writes from her heart, with lots of research and passion about discipleship. She points out that God not only offers us salvation, He provides all we need for spiritual growth as we join others in community. Ultimately, He leads us to go out, equipped to be involved in His mission to the world. This study will spur you on to love and good deeds. Thanks, Barbara.

Rachael Crabb, wife of Dr. Larry Crabb
Conference speaker
Author of The Personal Touch
Co-author of Listen In

 

If the health of the body equals the sum of its parts, then making sure each member is as healthy, strong, and vigorous as possible is a vital concern for all who follow Jesus. Barbara Henry is fueling that effort by putting in our hands a powerful tool for spiritual formation to help us flourish both individually and together.

Carolyn Custis James, author of The Gospel of Ruth, and When Life and Beliefs Collide

 

Spending time together with other people talking about things that matter most in life can be a deeply rewarding experience. And when someone as thoughtful as Barbara Henry has prepared questions to prompt the discussion, the conversation can be that much richer. Use these studies as a way to get into Scripture, but beware: when Scripture gets into you, your life will never be the same–grace does that.

Margie and Denis Haack
Ransom Fellowship
www.ransomfellowship.org

 

Making Disciples in Community provides a wonderful corrective to the idea that Christian growth is fundamentally a personal matter. Barbara provides fresh insight as she explores scripture and leads the reader on a fruitful journey of discovery. Those who study these lessons will not only grow in understanding how discipleship takes place in community – but will have a greater vision of the glory and generosity of God, who “has granted to us everything we need for life and godliness.”

This study will deepen your appreciation for those around you, and expand your vision of the Gospel that is the power to make us more like Jesus.

Kevin and Stephene Vanden Brink
Pastor
New City Fellowship South City
St. Louis, MO
www.newcity.org

Africa October 23, 2008

I recently returned from a three week visit to Malawi, Africa. I went with a team from my church to the African Bible College in Lilongwe. While there I taught a course in writing Bible studies to the Junior and Senior women at the college. I used parts of my Titus 2 study as examples for them to follow. The final week several team members and I divided the women up into six small groups, and each group took one of the training topics in Titus 2:4-5 and worked on questions to be used in a version of the study for African women.

There were a total of twenty-one women in the two classes, and I not only had the privilege of teaching them, but also met with each of them one-on-one. I explained to them that I was looking for stories and examples I could use in the Bible study, and they were very open and willing to talk about their lives with me. I did get a number of excellent examples, but need more. So I have written a rough draft of the new study with many holes that need to be filled. My hope is that when the classes field test it, more stories will surface and we can insert them into the book before it is published.

It was an amazing three weeks and I was so excited to see how God opened doors of opportunity and gave me such wonderful women to work with. I look forward to what He will do with the study over the next few months and years.

Community Discipleship July 8, 2008

Thanks to all of you who have offered to field test my new study. The manuscript has been completed and is off to the publishers, so I am no longer looking for testers.  AMG estimates a release in February of 2009. I am hoping they will agree to use the working title,  Making Disciples in Community.

The purpose of this study is to discover what Scripture says about discipleship. As the title suggests, I believe Scripture shows and tells us that making disciples is best done in community. I use the outline for spiritual growth given in 2 Peter 1:5–7 as a guide to explore what the rest of Scripture teaches about making disciples. The first chapter focuses on Peter’s experience and writing about discipleship. Each of the following chapters takes one quality Peter lists and studies letters written to a community in the early church concerning that quality. During my research, I was encouraged to find how often the community plays an important role in the Scriptural description of the discipling process.

Waiting March 5, 2008

I am back in God’s waiting room again. He seems to put me here often. I think it is because I am so prone to get on my horse and ride ahead of Him. There is a passage I return to often while I am waiting. It is Isaiah 30: 15-18.

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In repentance and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust is your strength.” But you were not willing, and you said, “No, we will flee on horses” . . . Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore he waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice, how blessed is he who waits for Him.

So I am working again on repentance: confessing my impatience, my control, and my lack of trust and prayerfulness. I hate to think all these things are blocking God’s grace towards me. If I would only slow down and submit to His dealings with me and embrace with thankfulness this time of waiting life would improve.

Hello world! January 16, 2008

I am happy to announce I now have a contract for my third book! This study will also be part of the Discipleship Series published by AMG in the format of their Following God Bible Study materials. The study is based on 2 Peter 1:5-7 which I see as a list of the ways we grow in our Christian lives. Each chapter focuses on one of the categories listed and finds a letter written to a community of believers in the early church dealing with that topic. It should come out early in 2009. I am currently looking for communities willing to field test the study. I will be making occasional posts to this weblog giving additional information and commentary about the study.