Quote of the Day

 I am participating in humbling myself but it is also in the passive which means I, in my action, my action is yielding to it. Not making myself humble, yielding to the process making me humble. And that's my humbling myself under the mighty hand of God: Yielding to the process of making myself humble. A humble self before God then can also include the idea of resignation to His all knowing gracious will. I YIELD. And I'm constantly doing it. I see what God is doing, my pride hates it, my self image is not built up by it. I yield. I yield to it. To see what God will do, and that's a good thing. 

- Don Lambert(study in James)

Quote of the Day

Speaking on James 1:14: 

Temptation finds its strength and source from within ourselves. The brutal truth of our sin, personal sinning, is that it is all in and of ourselves - not only can't God be blamed, but no other (person or thing) can be blamed - it is sad to realize how many still trust the validity of their 'blame shifting' and then add an extra 'perimeter fence' of protection by no longer identifying sin as sin - sinners are encouraged by other sinners to find shelter in their being a victim. 

The process is ls illustrated by James as being , first, each person being tempted (tested to prove slavery to sin) by their own desire/lust (ἐπιθυμίας - passions, inner cravings and inclinations) - this process of temptation first "lures" (NASB has "carried away") - "lure" is a better descriptive word since it was used of luring a fish with bait and visuals. 

Then they are "enticed" (another hunting/fishing term) and so are trapped and ensnared - there is an attraction, leading to exploration, ending in entrapment (hooked) - these lusts then become the trap itself (prison, unhookable hook).

 

This can be pictured as if there are internal counselors working to achieve an inner desire - the counselor of feelings begins to prod us for attention for some "needed relief" or fulfillment, followed closely by the advisor of reason (not considering that feelings has paid-off/bribed or blackmailed reason by its relentlessness and insistence) - the advisor of reason is then accompanied by the scholar of memory, vividly portraying past yielding, only showing photos of the "good times" - with all such counsel, we play along (disregarding the Holy Spirit) and so the manager of decision, believing all needed research has been dutifully done, signs-off to action (sin). 

So rather than being a victim of the external influences to sin, we discover we are instigators, working with even the enemies from without to conquer any convicting and motivating work of God within us - the "conspiracy" ends up being us.

- Don Lambert

From his sermon series on James

Quote of the Day

Harmony is found in Christ-likeness not in the flaunting of our originality.  The true Christian wants to blend in amongst the (Christ-like) brethren.

- Don Lambert

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People often demand signs (from God) on their terms, ignoring the signs God chooses to give.  God builds our faith in ways that we would not have anticipated.  To insist on proofs of our own making is not beneficial. 

- paraphrase of Don Lambert

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True love isn't mutual, true love is selfless.

- Don Lambert

Quote of the Day

Believers are not freed from sin to stay its slaves and we are not freed to freedom but free dot obedience. We are bought by another and are His slaves.   We are not our own master, we are to view ourselves as ready for battle, not as victims of sin and circumstance.  We are saints, not sinners.  As soldiers, not victims or villains, we do not focus on our wounds but on our orders, our purpose, trusting our commanding officer.  Accept your slavery of obedience to God with joy.

- (Paraphrase of?) Don Lambert

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The believer is not freed to freedom but freed to obedience.

 

Don Lambert

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We are to trust in God's faithfulness, not to test it.

Don Lambert

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False peace is only concerned with forgiveness, not with practical righteousness.  Genuine peace is focused on the work of Christ before and after salvation.

-Don Lambert(part of the quote might be paraphrased, I wrote it down while he was preaching)

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Faith is more focus than fantasy.

 

Don Lambert

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When other people offend us, we should see that as an opportunity to love them.  

Paraphrase of Don Lambert

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We don't envy the people that we love. 

Don Lambert

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Speaking of Church services in our day:

I think we cater too much to people who can't pay attention.

 Don Lambert

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Noah is referenced in Hebrews 11 as demonstrating faith, which in its most basic form  is: having as the "footing of our expectations" (substance of our hope) what has not been seen but what has been promised and revealed to us by God's Word.

Don Lambert

Quote of the Day

....Peter was also 'hurried' to ensure that after he died, they would be reminded of these things.  Our ministries (out of integrity) must not be focused solely on this life.  Our goal should be that the 'righteous reminders' we are fortunate enough to share will out-live us.  What we live for (as others see) will be our 'lasting legacy" - what do we really want (seek) this to be?  Will it be our earthly accomplishments, our personality or the One we lived for?  What would we truly like our epitaph to be?  What would we really like our eulogy to consist of?  Wisdom is often evidenced in the looking beyond our life's end; many struggle to look beyond the end of the day - short -sighted.  The plain idea of Peter's intent was to make it so memories of these concepts and truths would be brought back to their thinking long after he had 'departed'.  It is wise to place 'reminders' around us to help us stay focused as well as to strive to be consistent reminders to others.

Don Lambert

Quote of the Day

As Peter mentioned, so we also must be always ready to remind others of the truth.  To do this, we must keep it current in our thinking.  We must also be prepared to face opposition to those that react.  Peter was not saying they did not know these truths, just that they needed reminding.  Sometimes, this reminding is of scope not of detail, of importance (priority) not content; just because we know the Truth, dos not mean we are currently practicing it.  I may have a 'tool' at my disposal that fits the need and may need reminding that it is there or how to use it.  For us, this should be the core of our 'counseling' - the Truth.  It will involve 'stirring them up' in their memories (memorials) of the Truth.  The True Truth, not just because it is God's word, but because it identifies and clarifies what reality really is (it is true truth!). 

It is the 'right' thing to do (it is just, righteous and fair).  Especially considering the short stay we have in this 'tent' - The tent concept communicates that when we leave it, we leave for a permanent dwelling.  It is not only right, it is the best I can do, it is what we should aspire to.  The Truth will be used to 'stir' others (and ourselves) up.   It will be used to waken us from drowsiness or outright sleep, it is useful to pull us back to reality from our often visited dream worlds) - false realities.  It will be used to 'shake' us up - it may shake up what we are currently standing upon and may seemingly knock us down, but it is needed, lest our footing will always be upon unstable, fluctuating ground and we will be toppled by circumstances (and those, sometimes only small things).  Our goal should be to be surrounded by such faithful friends and to be such faithful friends!    We must realize though, that this stirring up with Truth reminding may be deemed as trouble-making or 'rocking the boat' - it may not be popular, but it is right.

Don Lambert

Quote of the Day

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance..."(2Pe 1:5-6 NET)

We're not persevering if it's not difficult.

- Don Lambert

Quote of the Day

My Dad on Romans 7:

To the believer, it(the law) still serves to keep our 'fleshy self'(carnal)identified....

Beware of the viewing of self as 'this body'.  We are not what we see and feel in the flesh - the body is the interface for the real me to interact with the physical world….'sin' would have us believe it is our true master, stifling progressive work by instilling a habitual defensive posture.  So, do believers sin and if so, why?  Yes they do sin, but there is now a difference - the 'lusting after the Spirit (Gal.5:16-17) walking and being led by the Spirit, not the flesh.  The law still serves to make clear the sins still dwelling in our fleshly members but when looked to for righteousness it still seems defeating!...So, the goal of the believer is not the perfection of action(law) but perfection of cooperation with the work of God's spirit in us - a completely trusting submitter…(so what do) we expect while we live in our bodies…There is a 'law'(principle, truth) that when I seek(will) to do good, evil will also be at my side seeking to counter it….Many deem themselves failure even when they obey, not knowing what to make of that part of them that did not want to…this is that principle at work in us - accept it as fact so as to be aware of resistance to my submission to God. ..The war is ever present….Never, never accept a defeatists attitude - as clarified earlier in Romans 6, the war is won, but as clarified here, the enemy has not yielded. …When inconsistencies can be accepted as normal and  'lived with' there is cause for concern - this is not normal…These inconsistencies stir in us a 'groaning' as with creation for the redemption of our body' )Rom8:21-23…The reality of the conflict reminds us to be humble - realizing our steady, unending dependence upon our Savior…What are we actively pursuing now?  IS it more the removal of something or the engrafting of what is better?  It is easy to develop a life of 'do nots' …We are more to be defined by what we do than what we don't do…We take comfort in the work of the Spirit 'pricking our hearts not having to fret over the 'probability' of our abandoning the faith.

 

Don Lambert

Quote of the Day

So much of the pursuit of sin is the avoidance of suffering. We seek to please our self.

Don Lambert

Quote Of The Day

We should seek out God's thoughts first before we delve too deeply into our own.  

Don Lambert