From the Inside Out

Hello and welcome to The Warming House! You might want to turn down the music on my playlist at the bottom of this post before playing this video. :)





In my first post in this series, I shared that there are people rejecting Christianity because of the hypocrisy and lack of transformation they see in the lives of professing Christians. When we live "from the outside in", we allow the culture to determine our attitudes, thoughts, and behavior. I can tell you for certain that when I lived predominantly from the outside in I was pretty miserable. I didn't realize God wanted a personal, moment-by-moment relationship with me. I kept a tight grip of control on my life, tried to find significance in the world's eyes, and went down a path making choices I deeply regret. In many ways, I was "lost" as a Christian.


Living from the inside out . . .


There's a key scripture from a letter Paul (a follower/apostle of Jesus Christ) wrote to the Christians living in Philippi. It encapsulates what it means to live from the inside out.


Paul told them - 


"So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you; both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:12-13


Don't misinterpret this scripture. It isn't telling us to work for our salvation. It's saying that:

~When we receive salvation as we surrender to Jesus Christ, God begins to work inside us. 


~As he lives and reigns at the center of who we are - He changes us by His power.


" . . . for it is God who is at work in you . . ." 


~God's purpose is to work in us to make us look like Jesus (Romans 8:28-29). It's a lifelong process.


~The changes God works inside of us are meant to work their way out to our behavior, conduct, and lifestyle. God wants us to put into practice in our daily living the changes he is working within us.


This is living from the inside out.


So if God's power is at work in Christians, why is there a lack of transformation in so many? From my own life and mistakes, I believe the problem is a lack of surrender. Too many of us want to maintain control of our own lives. We're afraid to give God control and hold him at arm's length so there's no way he can work freely in us. 


Let me tell you that when we let him in and give him control, everything dramatically changes. There is intimacy with God that we never thought possible.  In that intimacy, we experience the astounding greatness of who he is. And I do mean greatness. He is so immense in his goodness, sweet love, power, constant faithfulness, unending mercy, extravagant grace, infinite knowledge, and life-saving compassion that it is impossible to find words to describe him adequately. We want more of him. There is nothing else that satisfies us like he does. My life is so very different since I've surrendered and given him complete control. I will NEVER go back to the way things were before. He is my healer, protector, defender, strength, hope, joy, peace, rescuer, comforter and great love of my life.


God is the only one who has power to bring true change in our lives. Letting him reign at the center of who we are is the answer for true life change, fulfillment, peace, power for living, authentic joy, freedom, and the ability to accurately reflect his heart in the world.


Imagine what the world would look like if Christians were to bow their knees to our awesome God and begin living from the inside out? How would our culture change? How would our churches change? How would our lives change? Would people be attracted to the beauty of Christ in us? It all begins with you and me. Will you give God control and begin living from the inside out?


Bowing my knees . . .


Lisa~


Series on living from the inside out will continue . . .

Are You Living From the Inside Out or From the Outside In?

It's that time of year again . . . a time for hope, a fresh beginning, and purging. 


As you develop your "improvement plan" for the coming year, there's something I want to ask you to do. It's going to sound a little strange but it's extremely relevant to true life change. Look at your life for a minute and ask yourself:


"Am I living from the inside out or from the outside in?" 


From the Outside In:


God intends for his people to look different, act different, be different than the mainstream culture. Unfortunately, this isn't happening today. 


My husband has a friend who once told him that he knows many people who call themselves Christians, but they lie, cheat, and steal just like everyone else. 


Another friend who's an atheist once said, "Mike, you're the only Christian I've ever met who's living differently because of his faith."


In the book, Unchristian, the Barna Group states that in virtually every study they've conducted, representing thousands of interviews every year, they've found essentially no difference overall in the lifestyle activities of born-again Christians and those who are not Christians. Yeah - we carry our Bibles and attend church more, but there's no difference. 


They also discovered that nonbelievers between the ages of 16-29 have rejected the Christian faith because they are repelled by Christians - in part because of the extreme hypocrisy and lack of transformation they see in professing Christians. This is a huge problem. Too many people are living from the outside in.


So what does that mean?

• Many Christians today have succumbed to the culture around them instead of succumbing to God.
• They've given their allegiance to the world instead of devoting their hearts to God and his ways. 
• They've allowed the culture to determine their attitudes, thoughts, and behavior with little to no resistance. 
• As a result, Christians in large measure are no longer impacting the culture. Our culture is changing us. 

What about you?

• Have you ever bought into what society says will make you happy and pursued those things? 
• Have you allowed how the world sees you to affect how you see yourself?
• Have you ever adapted your behavior to fit into a group?
• Have you compromised your principles to get ahead?
• Have you adopted society's values over God's values?
• Have you focused on security in the world (money, etc.) above security in God?
• Have you worked to earn the love of the "world" instead of valuing and accepting the love of God that's freely given to you?
• Have you allowed the world to determine your attitudes, behavior, and thoughts? 

If we're honest, we can all admit that we've answered yes to at least one of these questions. (Unfortunately, I said yes to more than one.) If you have, you have experienced the reality of living from the outside in.


Think about these things as you make your resolutions for this year. Then come back later this week and we'll look at what it means to live from the inside out. In fact, this is the first post in a new series on this subject. 

Never forget how important you are to God. You are important to me too. I'm always glad to see you here at The Warming House. Hope to see you again soon!


Lisa~


Give me your feedback: What do you think of the Barna Group study and the comments of my husband's friends? Have you recognized the same issues? What are your struggles as you maneuver our culture today? How have you been affected by Christians who live from the outside in?


Written by Lisa @ The Warming House

Finding Freedom in Forgiveness

Mountain View - Stealing Your Breath with Views of the Heart of God

Are you stuck in a place of bitterness? Have you been deeply wounded? Are you angry at those who have hurt you? If you are, I want to encourage you today with a message of "forgiveness" and the incredible transformation it can bring to our lives.

In 1983, Gary Skinner did what God asked him to do.  He moved his young family and started Kampala Pentecostal Church (“KPC”) in the capital city of Uganda.  The church is housed in the building that once served as Idi Amin’s military headquarters.  Idi Amin was one of the most vicious dictators in world history. His military headquarters frequently held detainees for interrogation.  Interrogation often included torture and death.  When KPC established residency in the building, the staff literally had to wash blood off the walls – a vivid reminder of the building’s ugly past.  Today Kampala Pentecostal Church flourishes in ministry to thousands of members.  Within the walls of that building, voices are lifted in the highest praise and people are experiencing the great love of God.  The church building itself is a radical picture of the transformation that occurs through Jesus Christ. 

God is still in the business of transforming lives today.  He wants to transform yours.  He doesn’t want to transform you because He is driven by rules or a desire to control you.  He is driven by a passionate love for you.  He wants you to be whole and healthy.  When you drop destructive behaviors, you will find freedom and wholeness. 

The inability to forgive is destructive.  You can’t fulfill your potential and live abundantly when you’re chained in bitterness.  It eats away at you.  Freedom comes when you move beyond anger to forgive those who have hurt you.  

During my teenage years, deep emotional pain filled my heart.  Our family seemed to move from one crisis to another with very little stability in between. My parents divorced, a stepfather was sexually attracted to me, another was an alcoholic, and my mother tried to commit suicide.  Reading the Bible in my early twenties, I was convicted to find forgiveness for those who had caused pain in my life.  At first, I offered forgiveness with my mind, but it did not live in my heart.  It took 3 years of prayer for God to get me to the place where I could truly release my pain and bitterness to forgive from the heart.  When I did, my soul found peace with the people whose actions had wounded me. 

It’s no wonder God instructs us to forgive others.  The healing that comes through forgiveness is truly one of His most magnificent miracles. But let’s face it.  Forgiving others (and ourselves) is tough.  We can say we forgive someone with our mouths, but we can only find peace when forgiveness is rooted in our hearts. 

Jesus Himself reminds us in Matthew 21:22 that God will give us whatever we ask in His name; however, He will only give us those things that are in harmony with His will for us.  He will never give us anything that is outside of His will.  God’s will for us is found in the Bible, and His words are clear about forgiveness and mercy.

Forgiveness is a command – and it’s reciprocal.

“Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

                                Colossians 3:13

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

                                                        Luke 6:36

Here are some things to remember:

1) Reflect on your past mistakes. God has forgiven you. As you strive to find forgiveness for others, remember what God has done for you. God has convicted me personally about this. He has gently asked me how I can desire for him to bring punishment on someone who has hurt me when I have escaped eternal punishment because of what Jesus did for me (taking punishment for my sins).

2) Forgiveness is a character trait of God. He wants us to be like him. Ask yourself if there is someone you need to offer forgiveness to today.  Write their name(s) down now.

3) Look over the list of names you wrote down.  Pray for each person on that list everyday (and each time you feel anger toward them).  Use the following prayer if you’d like, inserting each person’s name into the blanks.

Merciful Father,

You have forgiven me for so many things. I recognize this and thank you for it. But my heart is so weary and broken these days. The journey lately has been so very difficult and I find myself wondering when I will be able to breathe again - to live again - to love again. My heart is hard and I don't like it. I want that to change. In my anguish God, I kneel before you and ask you to set me free. Release the chains around my bitter and unforgiving heart. Help me to see _______________ through your eyes. I pray that _______________ will begin to grasp the immensity of your love and that ____________________ will be comforted and changed by that knowledge. I pray that you will fill ______________ with knowledge of your will and that ______________ will prosper and be strengthened. Today I declare that ___________________ no longer owes me a thing for I have found everything I need in you. And I recognize the truth that I have been forgiven much. Because I have been forgiven much, I choose to forgive ________________ much.

4) Depend completely on Christ's strength and power. We are human. Forgiveness is painful and difficult for us. Christ is able to help us because he has "been there, done that." His friends abandoned Him.  Others mocked Him, mistreated Him, humiliated Him, tortured Him, and crucified Him.  Although they offered no apology and showed no remorse, Jesus offered mercy.  Even before they asked for forgiveness (and some never would), He showed them grace.  Even as He hung on the cross in agony, Jesus forgave them from His heart.    (Luke 23:23-34) He will give you the power to wash the stains off the walls of your heart and move into a bright new future free from bitterness and anger.

Know that I'm cheering you on from my place here at The Warming House. I believe in you and know that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

With Great Confidence in the Character of God,

Lisa

 

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