Book Review: “Spirit Wars” By Kris Vallotton
May 2, 2012 at 6:19 pm | Posted in Books | Leave a commentTags: Book Review, Non-Fiction
Kris Vallotton in his new book, “Spirit Wars” published by Chosen Books helps us in 
Winning the Invisible Battle Against Sin and the Enemy.
From the Back Cover: You know the battle is raging–but are you fighting the right enemy?
Just as enemies fought Joshua in the Promised Land, and Nehemiah faced opposition as he rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, our enemy will fight us as we approach the spiritual terrain God has promised us. Most Christians retreat at the first sign of conflict because they fail to recognize the true nature of the battle. But you can prevail in freedom and joy.
Sharing his deeply personal story of demonic bondage, torment and ultimate deliverance, pastor and bestselling author Kris Vallotton turns the idea of spiritual warfare as we know it on its head. He reveals the diabolical lies and strategies of the enemy–attacks and traps so subtle and deceptive that we may find our souls and hearts imprisoned without even knowing it.
No more! Now you can win the invisible battle against sin and the enemy. Victory is within your grasp. Will you take hold?
The Bible tells us that God made spiritual beings called angels. The devil seduced a third of these beings to launch a coup in Heaven which, of course, was beaten and the devil and these fallen angels were cast out. Now when God created mankind He gave us authority over the Earth which we happen to co-habit with these fallen angels, also called demons. They don’t like us! Never did! And if we are not careful they can bother us and cause us all kinds of trouble. The problem is we do not understand that what we are facing is them and we do not do spiritual warfare. Kris Vallotton knows about spiritual warfare. He has faced it and overcome. However, there was a time in his life when he didn’t know he was in a battle so, therefore, they were winning.
With chapters like:
- Fighting For Peace
- Are You Living in a Haunted House?
- Rules of Engagement
- The Wilderness
- The Flesh Is Weak
- Treating Yourself Kindly
- Serious Joy
- The Armor of God
- Casting Out Demons
- Generational Curses
Kris Vallotton gives us, by example, of what spiritual warfare is and how to win against the unseen forces that are against us. This is a book that all of us should read and read more than once. We need to understand who our enemy is and that we can win the battle. I recommend this book enthusiastically!
If you would like to listen to interviews with other authors and professionals please go to www.kingdomhighlights.org where they are available On Demand.
To listen to 24 hours non-stop, commercial free Christian music please visit our internet radio station www.kingdomairwaves.org
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Chosen Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
The Jesus Life: Eight Ways to Recover Authentic Christianity by Stephen W. Smith
May 2, 2012 at 12:13 am | Posted in Books | Leave a commentTags: Non-Fiction
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
Today’s Wild Card author is:
and the book:
David C. Cook; Reprint edition (April 1, 2012)
***Special thanks to
Lisa Beech of
David C. Cook for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Stephen W. Smith is the co-founder and spiritual director of Potter’s Inn, a ministry devoted to spiritual formation and the care of the soul. As a frequent speaker and retreat leader, he has committed himself to the spiritual growth and transformation of individuals, couples, churches and organizations. Previously he has planted and led churches in North America and Europe. He also served as adjunct professor of preaching at Tyndale Theological Seminary in Badhovedorp, The Netherlands. He is the author of six books, including The Lazarus Life, Living the Lazarus Life, Soul Custody and Soul Shaping. Stephen and his wife, Gwen, reside in Colorado.
Visit the author’s website.
SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Recover your life and find your way. Despite our honest efforts to improve the quality of our busy, constantly connected lives, many of us have come up epmty, defeated, and exhausted. Finally here is a book that offers the way back to the life Jesus promise us! The Jesus Life defines the true “abundant life” for everyday people and show us through eight practical ways how we can experience the life Jesus lived.
Drawn from the life and lifestyle of our Savior, The Jesus Life offers eight practical ways to truly experience the life Christ promised. Each chapter will show readers how to follow the example that Jesus modeled throughout his life including:
· The Way of Dailyness
· The Way of Hiddenness
· The Way of Family
· The Way of Companionship
· The Way of the Table
· The Way of Doing Good
· The Way of Ritual
· The Way of Suffering
Product Details:
List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook; Reprint edition (April 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 143470064X
ISBN-13: 978-1434700643
AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:
T H E
JESUS LIFE
EightWaystoRecover
AuthenticChristianity
STEPHEN W. SMITH
David©Cook·
THE JESUS LIFE Published by David C Cook
4050 Lee Vance View
Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.
David C Cook Distribution Canada
55 Woodslee Avenue, Paris, Ontario, Canada N3L 3E5
David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications
Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England
The graphic circle C logo is a registered trademark of David C Cook. All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes,
no part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form
without written permission from the publisher.
The website addresses recommended throughout this book are offeredas a resource to you. These websites are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement on the part of David C Cook, nor do we vouch for their content.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture quotations marked NIVare taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com; NASBare takenfrom the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org); NKJVare taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by ThomasNelson,
Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved; NLTare taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved; and AMPare taken from the Amplified®Bible. Copyright © 1954,
1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org.) The author has added italics to Scripture quotations for emphasis.
LCCN 2012930187
ISBN 978-1-4347-0064-3
eISBN 978-0-7814-0839-4
© 2012 Stephen W. Smith
Published in association with the literary agency of Creative Trust, Inc.,
5141 Virginia Way, Suite 320, Brentwood, TN 37027.
TheTeam: John Blase, Amy Konyndyk, Jack Campbell, Karen Athen
Cover Design and Photos: Nick Lee
Printed in the United States of America
First Edition 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
For Gwen, my children, and my grandchildren
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments 13
1.Recovering Your Life 17
We’ve Lost theWay ThatLeads to Life
2.The RhythmofJesus 33
Living a Life ThatSustains
3.TheWay Jesus “Did”HisLife 53
Exploring HisWay as OurWay
4.TheWay ofDailiness 67
Living the Jesus Life Every Day
5.TheWay ofHiddenness 85
Choosing Obscurity to Cultivate Life
6.TheWay ofFamily 107
Living the Life with Our Family and ThoseClosest to Us
7.TheWay ofCompanionship 125
Cultivating Friendships in Reality andTruth
8.TheWay oftheTable 143
Savoring a Sacred Mystery
9.TheWay ofDoingGood 163
Extending Life to Others
10.TheWay ofRitual 181
Creating Signposts asWe Journey through Life
11.TheWay ofSuffering 197
Understanding the Role of Pain and Suffering
12.AGoodLife 221
Learning toWear the EasyYoke of Jesus
Table:JewishFeasts and Festivals
inthe OldTestament 232
DiscussionGuide 233
Notes 247
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
TheAfricanshaveaproverbthatsays,“Ittakesavillagetoraisea child.” In other words, many people are needed to care for the well- being and formation of an individual child. In Colorado, we have thebeautifulaspensthatnever,evergrowalone.Aspensalwaysgrow together and are, in fact, one single tree—all connected at the roots. Since I live in Colorado and not Africa, I want to acknowledge the aspen-likeeffectofThe JesusLife.Ittakesmanypeopletopublisha book, not just the author.
I have the privilege of working with David C Cook, a publish- inghousethathasbeensuccessfulinthetwenty-firstcenturydueto the capable leadership of innovative leaders such as Dan Rich and Don Pape.Theyhavechampionedthisbookfromtheinitialstirrings to the book you are holding in your hands. John Blase and Jack Campbellengagedwiththemanuscript,helpingmewitheverything fromstructureandoutlinetocommasandperiods. John Blaseoffered firmguidanceandanexpertisethathitthebull’s-eye,eventhough I didnotwant to hear whathe had tosay some of thetime.The bookisstrongerbecauseofhiswork.Bothofthemhadkeeninsight toimprovethemanuscriptatdifferent levelsandperspectives.The marketing team of Mike Salisbury, Mike Ruman, Brian Erickson, andMikeWorleyhasbeeninstrumentalinsecuringexposurefor this book in many areas. Rebekah Ormord, my assistant, helped me research,brainstorm,andfindhelpfulsocialindicatorsthatIpresent throughoutthebook.Thankyouto NickLeeforthebeautifulcover thatisrichwithmeaningandimplication.Andthankyou,Kathy
Helmers,myliteraryagent,forhelpingmeonalllevelstoconvey this important message!
There are other aspen-like people noteworthy of mention, becausethrough theircare,attention, andfriendship,Ihavehad theuniqueopportunity toliveoutthe”ways”that Idescribein thisbook:SteveForney,ChuckMillsaps,JohnKapitan,andDavid Sachsenmaierhaveallprobedatmyroots,andtogetherweareliving andwalkingintheseways.
Iamsodeeplythankfulforthesupporterswhostandbehind Potter’s Innministry.Youare therootsoftheaspengrove,andwith outyoursupport,thisbookandministrywouldnotbepossible.
Novoiceorsoulhasbeenmoreimportantthanthatofmywife,
Gwen.Shehashelpedtoshapemyperspectiveandexploredwithme thethoughtsbeforetheybecametheparagraphsandchaptersinthis book.Togetherwehavelivedthe Jesuslife,andwithoutGwen,there wouldnotbetherichnessinthelifeIamcurrentlyliving.Thankyou forbeingmysoul’scompanionandhelpingmebecomealivetothe transformingpowerofJesusChrist.
Finally,Ithankyou,thereader,whoIhadonmymindandheart ineverywayIexploreinthesepages.ItismostlyforyouthatIhave writtenthisimportant book.Maythisbe theprimertohelpyou navigatewellthewhitewateroflifethatwillturnyourlifeupside downandinsideouttoexperiencetheJesuslife.
Part1
1
We’veLosttheWayThatLeadstoLife
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
—Jesus (John 10:10 NIV)
Thisbookwillhelp you recover yourlife.Theword recovermeansto getbacksomethingthatislost. Itseems weasfollowersof Jesushave lostsomethingwhileonthelongjourneytowardheaven. It’slifethat we’ve lost. If you want to really live, then keep reading.
Let me say from the outset that the word recover gives us hope. One of the root meanings for this word is from a Latin term mean- ing“torecuperate.”1Weneedtogetbetter.Weneedtogetbetterat living life—or all we’ll do is survive.
Wecan regainwhat wehavelost.Wecanmendourdisobedient ways and get back on track to experiencing the life God has for us. I would dare say most of us need to recover life in almost every area: relationships, attitudes, finances,past wounds, and life purpose. But there is no greater area that sits waiting for recovery than our life with God.Thedamage,distance,anddisillusionment weexperience between ourselves and God—well, it’s time to close the gap.
ThegapbetweenourselvesandGod—thegapbetweenthelife wearelivingandthelife wecouldlive—needstoclose.Why? Because regardless of what you’ve come to believe about Jesus, church, and theChristianfaith,onethingisforsure:Jesusisallaboutlife.He saidplainly,”Ihavecomethattheymayhavelife,andhaveitto thefull”(John10:10NN).2Thefulllife,theabundantlife,lifethat is “more,”alifethatis abetter,alifebeyondwhatwecandream of-thisiswhatwecanrecover!
WhenIwasaboy,Iprayedaprayer,wasbaptized,andwastold mysinswereforgiven.NowthatIhavebecomeaman,IneedJesus
tosave mefrommorethan justmysins.It’s mylifethatneedsto
besaved,restored,andrecovered.Ihopeyou’renoddingyourhead inagreement.SomanyChristianstodayare unhappy,unfulfilled, anddisgruntled.Thebackdoorofmostchurchesiswiderthanthe frontdoor.Peopleareleavingthechurch atanalarmingrate.We wantmorethanwehavebeengiven.Weneedmorethanwhatwe’re experiencing.
Lifeisdifficult,andthroughtheperils,difficulties,attemptsto trythisorthat,we findourselvesthebull’s-eyetargetofJesus’own words:
Areyoutired?Wornout?Burnedoutonreligion? Cometome.Getawaywithmeandyou’llrecover yourlife.I’llshowyouhowtotakearealrest.Walk withmeandworkwithme-watch howIdoit. Learntheunforcedrhythmsofgrace.Iwon’tlay anythingheavyorill-fittingonyou.Keepcompany withmeandyou’lllearntolivefreelyandlightly.
(Matt.11:28-30)
InthesepagesIwant to becomeyourcompanion in this searchtofindthewaythatleadstolife-theJesuslife.First,we’re going to explore our mortal existence and how we’ve become so terriblylost.Then, inpart2,we’llexplorethemythoftrying to live a balanced life—something that is all the rage in books, seminars and symposiums, tweeting, blogging, and preaching. I’ll proposea better way by unpacking the concept ofrhythm. When we reestablish a life of rhythm, we learn to live to the cadence of the unforced rhythms of grace anda sustainable life.Jesus offers usa life described as“full.”
In part 3, we’ll look at eight “ways” that breathe life back into us, that sustain us in life’s journey, and that nourish meaning, hope, optimism,andasenseofcommunity.Theseeightwaysareallfound in the life of Jesus—the very One who claimed to be Life and offers not an ordinary life but an abundant one. Theseways are ignored in today’sworld,yettheyareallfoundintheScriptures.You’llseethat learning these eight ways is not going to be like studying rocket sci- ence. Theyare doable and practical. In fact, they make perfect sense when youseehow Jesusimplementedtheminto Hislifeandgaveus an example to follow, for it is by following His ways that leads us to the life we most want to live!
I reallymeantitwhenIsaidthatthisbookwillhelp you recover yourlife.Youmaywanttojustsitandreflect onallthethingsthat sentence stirs inside you.
What do you need to recover from?
Has someone or something stolen the life you wanted? What’s not working in your life?
Do you feel like your life and your faith have been hijacked? Whatisyourpartinrecoveringthelifeyouwant?Whatwill
God do for you?
Jerry,athirty-year-oldsuccessfulinsurancesalesman,cametome andsaid,“Ifeeloutof sync.I’mspeedingthroughtimezonesinmy worktravels,neverfeelingcaughtup,burningthecandleatboth ends,rushingintomeetingsbreathless,andcallingita‘life.’It’snot thelife Iwant.”Jerrywantstorecoveralifedifferentfromtheone he’sliving.
Mary,a stay-at-home mom who homeschoolsthree children undereightyearsold,lamentedtome,”Ifeel likemyentirelife is onhold.Ican’tbelievethatthisis mylife. Mylife now-well,it‘s notatall whatIthought I’dbe doingbackwhenIwasaseniorin collegeandengagedtothemanI’mmarriedto.”Marytoldmethat eventhoughtheoutsideofherlife looksfine,theinsideof herheart isamessbecausesheresentsherchildrenfor”disruptingher life.”She feelshorribleandwantstotakebackthewordsshejustspoke-butI won’tlet herhavethatphraseback.I’mencouragingherto explorethis resentmenttosee ifthere’sasolution,becauseIbelievethereisone.
Thenthere’sPaulaandJim.Theyhaveadual-careermarriage, bothwithgoodincomes.They’reinfluentialmembersoftheirchurch andleadasmallgroupeveryThursdaynight.Theycameandsat downinmyoffice.”TherehasgottobemoretotheChristianlife thanwe’ve beentold.We’re tryingtodo’it’all right,butwefeellike someonehastornoutsomeofthechaptersofthebook.We’remiss ingsomething.Goingtochurch,tithing,andservingfeelslikeit’s killingus. We’reso bonetired,andwe are afraidtotellanyonehow emptyanddesperatewereallyare.Somanyarelookingtousforthe
answers.”PaulaandJimwantmore.
Barry came to my ministry’s mountain retreat looking for something. He used words like searching, desperate, and despairing. He confessed, “ThelifeI have been living has not yielded the lifeI want.” WhenI asked him to describe what kind of life he wanted, heusedwordslikesatisfying, rewarding,andfulfilling.Aswetalked, Barry shared the story of man with a good heart who was now shriveled inside like a “sun-dried tomato wrapped in cellophane.” Painfultowatchandsadtolistento,Barrywasabouttojettisonhis faith, stop going to church, and trya whole new and differentreli- gion, because“Christianity has not delivered what God promised to me.” He went on to say, “TheBible is a book that over-promises andunder-delivers.Ineedsomethingmore.Canyouhelp?”Iasked Barry if he felt like he needed to recover his life. He said, “Yes, recover. That’sexactly whatI want to do.I want torecover my life before it’s too late.”
Our best hope for actually experiencing this abundant life is for us to go back to the One who said, “I am the way and the truth and thelife”(John14:6NIV).Theproblemisthatmanyofushavemajored on only one-third of this amazing, self-disclosing, God-revealing decree. It seems we have developed a fetish for the truth. Churches offerwhattheythinkistherightdoctrineinsteadofhelpingpeople discoverthelifeJesuscametogive.Wefight overdogma,insisting thatbelievingtherightthingwillyieldtherightlife.Thetruthis, the Phariseesin Jesus’daydidthesamethingsomanyChristiansare doingtoday.Weareoninformation overload.Wegoto Biblestudies, attendseminars,andlistentocountlesssermons,butthisone reality remains: Information and the amassing of information, no matter how true it is, does not lead to life transformation.
Thisisnottheage ofinformation….This isthetimeofloavesandfishes.
-DavidWhyte
Wehavebelievedthatthepursuitoftruthalonewillyieldalife worth living,andsowehaveemphasized doctrine overlife,facts overvitality,andinformation overtransformation. Becauseofour relentlesspursuittogeteverythingright,we’vegottenitallwrong.
Transformationisanexperience.It’ssomethingthathappensto apersonwhoaltersthetrajectoryandqualityoflifefromthatpoint forward.It’stransformationthatwemostneedtolivethelifewemost want.Paul,thewriterofmostoftheNewTestament,wastransformed bytheexperienceofmeetingJesusonthedustyroadtoDamascus.His headwasalreadyfilledwithallsortsoferroneousknowledge.What helackedwastheexperienceofmeetingJesus.Everythingchanged forPaulafterthatencounter.It’s myhopethatthisbookwillbea DamascusRoadencounterforyou.IwantyoutomeetJesusina wholenewway-notjusttheJesuswhodiedbuttheJesuswhoreally lived!As I’veponderedandpracticedtheseways,thelifeImostneed andthelifethatismostsacredisreturningtomyheart.Iwantthisfor you,too.Asweintentionallypracticetheseways,wefindourselvesnot onlyrecoveringbutalsoexperiencingandlivingthelifeJesusoffersus. Remember,Jesusdidnotcometojustteachusnewtruthssothatwe canbelieve;Hecametoshowus howtolive.
FINDOURWAYBACK
Ithinkitisprofound thatthefirstfollowersofJesuswerenotcalled
Christians,astheyaretoday.Theywerecalled”followersoftheWay.”
First-centuryhistorian Lukewroteaboutthisnofewerthansixtimes (Acts9:2;19:9,23;22:4;24:14,22).3Lukedescribedthesemenand women as “Christians” only one time, in Acts 11:26. I’m not advo- cating that wechange our collective name, but I do wonder if we’ve lost something important in straying from that original expression theearlyfollowersofJesususedtodefine themselves. Toloseyour way can mean only one thing:You’re lost.
When the apostle Paul was defending his life and the way of Jesus,hesaid,“Iadmitto you,thataccordingtothe Way…Idoserve theGodofourfathers,believingeverythingthatisinaccordance to the Law and that is written in the Prophets” (Acts 24:14 NASB). Paul’sconfessionbecomesachallengeforustoday. Do wefollowthe Way or are we following a denomination, a person, a culture, or a program, or even a church?
If we don’t reexamine our ways, then we continue to be stuck likeababybeingbornbreech.Thechildcan’tgetoutofthewombto reallystartliving.Mysisterwasbornbreech. Whenshewasunable to move through the birth canal, the doctor used forceps to gently help her through. Maybe what we need is a little help too.
ONEMAN’S WAYTOSAVEHISLIFE
Aron Ralston, an avid mountain climber, slid into a large crater in Blue JohnCanyonin Utahonesunnydayin2003,onlytoexperience thepressing weightofahugechockstoneslideontopofhimandpin him in place. He was unable to escape the force holding him down. One of Ralston’s arms was held captive by this massive boulder; it was impossible for him to free himself. He stayed trapped in that dark,isolatedsliverofarockcanyonfor127agonizinghours.After
exhaustingeveryknownwayofescaping,Ralstondidtheunthink able:Hecutoffhisarminordertosavehislife.Hispocketknife becamethetoolthatwould sethimfree.Heemergedfromthejaws ofdeathafterfiveperilousdays.Hisdecisionwasnoteasy,butitwas simple:tolive,notdie.AronRalstonhad tochoose.
While He wason earth,Jesusissuedspecificchallengesto everydaypeoplewhowerestuckin predicaments, unableto free themselves.Occasionallyextremeactionisrequiredforsuchpeople tolive.Someofthewayswe’llexploreinthisbookmayseemdrastic orsocounterculturalthatyoumightsay,”Ican’tdothis.Thiswayis so differentcomparedtohowI’mlivingnow.”Butremember,if it’s lifeyouwant,thenyouhavetochoose.
BypracticingthewaysofJesus,wewill freeourselvesfromwhat everkeepsuspinneddown,unableto”moveandhave ourbeing”as Pauldescribed(Acts 17:28NIV).Whatistrueis this:Itmayfeellike cuttingoffyourarmtoconsiderthesewaysandtotrytoimplement theminyour lifenow,butinthe end,itcouldbewhatactuallysaves yourlife.
Alice:Wouldyoutellme,please,whichwayIoughttowalkftomhere?
TheCat:Thatdependsagooddealon whereyouwanttoget to.
Alice:Idon’tmuchcare where.
TheCat:Thenitdoesn’tmuchmatterwhichwayyouwalk.
-LewisCarroll,A!iclsAdventuresinWonderland
Ifyoudon’tcarewhereyou’reheadedinlife,thenitreallydoesn’t matterwhichwayyoufollow.Butifyou wanttolive,itdoes;infact,
itmattersalot.Italldependsuponthewayyoutake.Tofindour
way back to authentic Christianity, we need to go back to the ways thatJesus“did”Hislife.The Jesuslifeisnotasetofdoctrinesora list of rules to be followed. It is an organic, noninstitutional way of life.The Jesuslifeisaliving,breathing realitythatismoreandbetter than what we’ve dreamed.
JESUSWITHOUTALLTHETRAPPINGS
IntheremoteareaofCopperCanyoninChihuahua,Mexico,lives areclusivepeoplegroupnamedtheTarahumara.Thistribehasthe remarkable ability to run long distances over rugged mountainous terrainquicklyandwithoutinjury.Theirracingmethoddefiesthe billion-dollar industry of Nike, Adidas, and other footwear busi- nessesthathavespent yearstryingtodevelopanidealshoe byfilling itwithgel,airpockets,rubber,orothersecretelements.Whatbaffles logicandscientific researchevenfurtheristhattheTarahumara run barefoot.That’sright!They runontheirunprotectedGod-given feet. In therunning world, this tribe is now legendary. Christopher McDougall’s best-selling book, Born to Run, tells the story of these great long-distance runners. Now runners around the world are embracingthenovelideathattorunfastandwithoutinjury,allthey needtodoisrunwithoutanyencumbrance:nogelsole,nodesigned tread, and no laces, buckles, or clips.
I share this because when I read McDougall’s book, I saw a similarity in what has happened to those of us who call ourselves Christians—followers of Jesus—but who have picked up so many extras,rules,regulations,tips,andtechniquesabouthowtolive theChristianlife.Whatifwecouldjustgobacktothebarefoot RabbiHimselfandfollowHimtoseehowHelivedHislife?What
ifactuallyfollowingHissimplewayscouldleadtothelifeweare searchingfor?
WhatweneedisJesus.Jesuswithout thetrappings.Jesus,pure andsimple.
Thereisalonglistofadd-onstoChristianitythesedays.Isitthe
Americanway?ItistheRepublicanway,orisittheBaptistorWillow
Creekway?Forawhile,everyoneseemedtothinkthewaywastobe “purposedriven,”butthatfadedawayandsomeotherwaytookits place.Everyfewyears,wehearofanotheradd-onorupgrade,butwe keepcomingupempty
Our culturalobsessionswithexcellence,production,andcus tomer satisfactionhaveinvadedthewaywedochurch thesedays, yetwhenyourethink thesecorporatenorms,youdon’tseeJesus concernedwithanyofit.ForJesus,itwas aboutobedience,not excellence.ForJesusitwasneveraboutmovingtowardgreatnessor mega-ness.Hewasfocused onthefew,thesmall,theoverlooked,and theinsignificant.JesushadasoftspotinHisheartfortheoutsider andstoopedtohonorchildren,women,andthosemarginalizedby theculture.Haveweallowedcultureandbusinesstoshapeourway? Ifso,havingthecouragetoreestablishthewaysofJesuswouldbea goodstarttolivingourlivesandfollowingHiminthesimpleand unadorned waysHedemonstrated.
LivingtheJesuslifeisnot about trying tobemore religious
anddevout.Adherentsoftheworld’smajorreligions-Buddhism, Hinduism,Judaism,andIslam-areallabouttryinghardertogain ahigherpower’sacceptance.NotsoasafollowerofJesus.It’snot abouttryingharderuntilyou”getit.”WefollowJesus’waysthrough
simpleactsofimplementingHispracticesintoourlives.
THE JESUSLIFEISNOTTHE CHURCHLIFE
Church historian Alfred Loisy wrote, “Jesus came preaching the kingdomofheaven.Whathegotwasthechurch.”Whenwedo the math, we realize that is true. Jesus came speaking and teaching aboutthekingdomof Godorthekingdomofheaven; Hespokethe term kingdom eighty-seven times, recordedby all four gospel writers combined. YetallfourwritershaveJesusspeakingthewordchurch onlytwotimes.AndinthebookofActs,Lukesaidplainly,“After hissuffering,hepresentedhimselftothemandgavemanyconvinc- ing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of fortydaysandspokeaboutthekingdomof God”(Acts1:3NIV). Jesus taughtusaboutlivinginthekingdom.Hetoldusto“seekfirst the kingdom of God” (Matt. 6:33 NKJV).
Butsomethinghasgonewrong.Whenchurchtalk replaces Jesus talk, when church power struggles replace struggles against prin- cipalities and powers of this world, when church emphasis usurps devotion to Jesus, we have lost ourselves and left the Jesus way. The churchlifesqueezes Jesusnotonlyoutofour vocabularybutperhaps out of our hearts as well.
Drive across the landscape of America on a typical Sunday morningand youwillfindsmall,medium,large,mega,andmultisite congregations that are gathered together to ask the Lord’s blessing. However, 80 percent of churches in America are declining in atten- dance. Wemaybeleavingdisgruntled,butdoweevenknowthe direction to head next? Something is missing.
Keyfindingsinarecentnationwidesurveyrevealedthatpeople in America ages eighteen to twenty-nine are giving up on the church:
•Sixty-fivepercentrarelyorneverpraywithothers, and38percentalmostneverpraybythemselves either.
•Sixty-fivepercentrarelyorneverattendworship services.
•Sixty-sevenpercentdon’treadtheBibleorsacred texts.
Dr.ThornRainer,presidentof LifeWayChristian Resources, said,”Wehavedumbeddownwhatitmeanstobepartofthechurch so muchthatitmeansalmostnothing,eventopeoplewhoalready saytheyare partofthechurch.“4
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ThelifeGodwantsustoliveisdependent onthewaywe live.It’s anchoredinthewayJesuslivedHislife.Peter,oneoftheoriginal followersoftheWay,beganhislifeasafisherman,butashefol lowedJesus,everythingchangedforhim.Hewastransformedfrom aninsecuremanintoanardentfollowerofJesus.Hewrestledwith powerissuesbutlearnedinfollowingJesusthatthelife-givingway toleadis toserve.Itis Peterwho sharedthesewordsinhisletterto youngandeagerfollowersofJesus:”Thisis thekindoflifeyou’ve
beeninvitedinto, thekindoflifeChristlived.Hesufferedevery thingthatcame hiswayso youwouldknowthatitcouldbedone, andalsoknowhowtodoit,step-by-step”(1Peter2:21).Reallife hasarealwaytofollow.It’stheJesusway withtheJesustruththat yieldstheJesuslife.
I’m so relieved that Peter reminded us that this life we want can be experienced! Further, we can “know how to do it, step-by-step!” So, this life is doable, attainable, and not impossible. It’s not out of our reach. It is a step-by-step journey of practicing the ways of Jesus so that we can live the life He promised to give us. Each step will require areexamination ofourlives,andwewillhave tomakesome difficultchoices.
WHATIF YOU COULDIMPROVE YOURLIFEBY 25PERCENT?
When my wife and I sit with couples who come to our retreat because they are tired, worn out, and burned out on religion, we remind them that the life they thirst for is not a life of perfection or offinallyattainingaplateau.Wespeakandcoachourvisitorstoseek a25percentimprovementintheirlives.Atfirst, youmightthink that’snotmuchatallandperhapsnotworththetimeandfocus. But let me encourage you to think about this way.
Remember when you were in school and the teachers marked your papers and tests scores witha grade—A, B, C, or D, or anF for failing? In school, a 25 percent improvement moved you from a D to a B, or fromanFtoaC.Applythatkindofchangetolifeand25percentmoves you from poor toabove average, from failing at life to really living your life. Who of us would not be satisfied in our lives with an improvement of 25 percent or perhaps more? By implementing and practicing these ways,Iamconfident notonlythatyourlifecanimprovebutalsothat the life that needs to be recovered can andwill be.
As we go from here, I’m going to share how Jesus lived His life accordingtoeachoftheeightways.Then,Iwilltellsometruestories
ofordinarymenandwomenI’vemetwhohaveexperiencedthe transformationtheymostwantedintheirmarriages,careers,fami lies,andheartsbypracticingtheseways.Finally,ineachchapter,I willgiveyoupractical,step-by-stepideasofhowyoucanimplement theseJesuswaysintoyourownlifesoyoucanrecoverwhat’sbeen lost.Iwantyoutostartliving.Solet’sgetstarted.
1.ReadJesus’wordsinMatthew11:28-30.Tryread ingtheseversesfromvarioustranslations.Circle orunderlinethewordsthatstandouttoyou.
2.Thischapterpresentsthreekeyquestionsabout recoveringyour life.Takesometime toanswer these questions perhaps by journaling your thoughtsandsharingtheminyourgrouporclass: a.Whatdoyouneedtorecoverfrom?
b.Hassomeoneorsomethingstolenthelifeyou wanted?
c.What’snotworkingforyouinyourlife?
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