A respected pastor and I were having a conversation.  Because I’m involved with young adult ministry, she asked me about her son.  She was worried about his connection to his faith.  She told me she couldn’t understand how someone who’d had such profound encounters with the Holy Spirit could seem to be walking away from his faith.  I told her not to overestimate the ability of young adults today to simply consume and then discard experiences without allowing them to have any effect on their view of the world whatsoever.  She seemed genuinely dumbstruck by my response.  But think about it.  Teenagers watch a horror film at a sleepover to enjoy the fear and suspense of murder without the carnage and cost… A group of guys watches a heavyweight bout to enjoy the thrill of physical combat without the risk of injury or personal cost.  The entertainment age and the horizontal self have led us to divorce what we believe from what we experience, see, and feel.  The elephant in the living room of contemporary Christianity is people’s ability to simply sit in church, to consume the experience the way one would a great sporting event, a thrilling movie, or an exciting theme park ride, and then to dispose of it, totally unchanged at the soul level, as they leave the sanctuary. Sure, they might feel challenged, encouraged, or even moved, but the horizontal self simply “feels” the experience and moves on. ~ page 51

Sayers points out that before the modern era, people in Western civilizations by and large lived in very rural settings where everyone knew each other and family units were still intact over several generations.  The value was placed more on who you are, not what you do.  Whereas today, much value is placed on what you can produce in a short amount of time.  People aren’t concerned as much about your character as much as they are about your performance.  Additionally we move away from our families into larger cities.  As a result we become anonymous by most and can get away with almost anything.  This obviously has huge repercussions as it pertains to our relationship with Jesus. 

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is in ministry as well as anyone who loves God and desires a deeper walk with Him.  Your time will not be wasted, rather enriched as you read!

Enjoy!

This week I am here in Kellyville, Australia speaking at the

The schedule is:

SABBATH AM - TAKEup: Luke 9:23
SUNDAY - TAKE2: John 21
MONDAY - TAKEhold: Ephesians 1
TUESDAY - TAKE(this)hand: Marraige
WEDNESDAY - TAKEme: Testimony
THURSDAY - TAKEtime: Psalm 46:10
FRIDAY - TAKEoff: Sabbath
SABBATH - TAKEon: Ephesians 6:10-18

If you have any questions or comments along the way, please don’t hesitate to either post a comment here or fire me an email to vagabondservant@gmail.com.  My Australia mobile is 0434 559 682.

Blessings and thank you for joining us when you can!

Courage,

Matthew

A Sustainable Faith Conference is “A conference themed, ‘Justice in the Real World’ - How to be sustainably committed to justice over the long haul and not become overwhelmed or disenchanted.” What I appreciate about being here is that it is full of people who are living their faith by putting it into action.  I have to confess that maybe I am the odd ball out as I don’t feel that I am doing anything for the betterment of underprivileged around me.  For instance one group from Texas shared yesterday how they just returned from Rwanda where they started digging wells to provide free clean water to an entire village. I just spent two months in Uganda and hardly did a thing for people in need aside for look them in the eye and smile and talk to many strangers. 

What I am torn about is that my calling and giftedness seems to be in the area teaching and preaching.  I am fully committed to doing that with all my heart.  At the end of the day, I am hoping to start preaching with action.  As one person said, preach always, but if necessary, use words.

Thank you to all who made the past two days very encouraging, challenging and thought provoking.  BIG UPS to my man Ryan Becker who is a huge asset to this church and the Body of Christ.

Courage on the journey!

Matthew
from the A Sustainable Faith Conference
St. Petersburg, FL

If you are in the area and are interested in attending please contact Pastor Alex by calling (519) 281-9706 or emailing him at pastor_alex7@hotmail.com. 

STORY - Friday 7-9pm
SCRIPTURE - Saturday 10am
STATISTICS - 11:30am
SOLUTION - 2pm
Q&A Panel Discussion - 4pm

I look forward to seeing you all there!

Blessings and courage! 

Matthew

In this day and age, addictions run rampant with everything from external addictions such as drugs, alcohol, video games, and internet to internal addictions that are based in pride and lust.  Jesus says that you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free (John 8:32).  What is the prerequisite for knowing the truth?  He simply says that we must abide in the Word.  Jesus is the Word and we can read about Him in the Bible.  As a result, we’re going to be diving deep this week. 

If you’re reading this and you are a student or teacher at MBA, please let me know if you have any questions or comments that you’d like me to address.

As I mentioned today, I don’t know the end from the beginning, but I do know that Jesus will show up in powerful ways.  I am simply stoked to see Him reveal His good and perfect will to us this week.

Blessings to you Monterey Bay Academy!  Thank you for having me here!

Matthew Gamble
From the office of Brain del Valle
(The guy who hit me in the face with a racquetball)

The other day while walking through the slums people looked at me differently. No longer was I hearing the “muzunga” term being belted out, rather people watched in silence as I walked by. It became quite evident quickly that white people don’t walk through these parts of town. I felt convicted to look people in the eye to treat them with the dignity that they deserve as a human being. Deep down inside I wish that they only knew how much I wanted to be their friend; to share life together, to truly get to know one another, to trust one another. Could it be that their needs are the same as mine? I think so…

Judge not.

The reason why I don’t want to be too critical is because I found the book helpful and beneficial in my own life and marriage.  You will find practical nuggets throughout the book on how to make your wife fill more loved and for wives, how to make your husband feel respected.  An example of this is where Dr. Eggerichs suggests to husbands to ask their wife, when she starts spilling her guts, to simply respond by asking, “Are you looking for my advice on the matter, or do you want me to just listen?” Unbeknownst to my wife that I had just read this, I tried it out and it completely worked!  That being said, I give the book a 4 out of 5 because the practical insight is priceless!

Remember that Ephesians 5:33 says, “let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

Each evening we will be closing with a Question and Answer period, or if you’d like, feel free to post comments/questions here on this site.

Courage to you all!  I look forward to seeing you this week, each night at 7pm and Saturday morning as well.

Matthew
Richland, WA

Open your Bible - Look for a passage in one of the Gospels that you enjoy.  Don’t worry about studying a complete chapter, rather look for a section (aka a pericope).  These are often identified by bold headings contained within the chapters.  Find a story and read it over and over again.  Typically this should just be 5-15 verses of the Bible.  As you read the story, each time try reading it from a different perspective, maybe using your senses (i.e. hear the story, feel the story, taste the story, see the story, smell the story).  I know that it may sound a bit crazy, but try it.  Get into it. 

Rewrite the Story - Take a journal and now rewrite the story in your own words.  Don’t hesitate to use the Bible as a cheat sheet.  Look at it and write it in your own words.

Write a Prayer to God - Now that you’ve spent some time in this story, write a prayer to God based on that story.  What is He telling you?  What is frustrating to you?  What questions to you have?  What insights have you gleaned? etc....

Write a Response from God - Stop and listen to God.  Now that you’ve written a prayer to God, what is He saying back to you?  Write that down.  What do you sense Him telling you based on what you’ve just read.

I must say upon reflection of this amazing week, that I was thrilled to see the diversity of generations represented at each meeting.  The majority of audiences that I speak to these days are young adults (18-40’s).  I cannot begin to tell you how my heart was warmed to have many folks in their later years (how do I say that politely?) come up to me and tell me how much of a blessing the messages were to them personally.  Please know that I am not boasting in my flesh as through my years as an evangelist I have received my fair share of criticism.  While I am sure that the messages, or better the methodology in which I preach, didn’t sit well with everyone, I am deeply appreciative that God used this broken vessel to deliver His message of hope and comfort.

God bless you Pastor Geoff and the Reedy Creek.  He is up to something amazing amongst you all.  It is my hope and prayer that He will see fit to arrange something for 2010!!!!

Until then… May He who began a good work in you, complete it!

In His Service,

Matthew

Today was honestly the highlight for me as we explored Jesus going into the temple and throwing over the tables of the money changers and the pidgin sellers and running them out of the way so that the sick people could come in and receive healing.  I made a call, first for people to take a stand that they were publicly declaring that they wanted to follow the Omega Declaration.  Then I had a specific call for people who hadn’t ever accepted Jesus as their savior to come forward.  While nearly everyone in the room stood, three young men came forward to accept Jesus into their lives!  And that was the icing on the cake for me.  Don’t get me wrong I was stoked hearing from the people that I had a chance to speak to about their journey, but to see these three young guys take a stand was amazing! 

To God be the glory.  It ain’t a game anymore!  This is as real as it gets!

Blessings,

Matthew

This weekend I’ll be in Finland as the keynote speaker at SOUL REBOOT.  This is a weekend event for both people that already love Jesus and people that are seeking deeper meaning in their lives.  If you speak Finnish, the weekend itinerary is laid out below.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me or Ansku (the program coordinator) at ansku@sdafin.org.

Blessings to you and I hope to see you in Jyväskylä, Finland this weekend!

Matthew

Lisätiedot: http://soulreboot.adventist.fi

While en route to Big Camp, I knew that the one thing that was going to be talked about in the 18+ tent was Jesus.  As in Jesus period!  We would start Friday evening in Genesis and end 8 days later in Revelation. 

Come Friday afternoon the team was assembling and I heard that a pastor fried of mine (Mark Tipple) was scheduled to get baptized the following Sabbath at Big Camp along with several others who I have seen in leadership roles at previous Big Camps as well as other events I’ve been involved with.  Upon this discovery, I asked everyone around the circle to raise their hand if they had not been baptized.  To my surprise roughly half of the circle of leaders had not be baptized.  Through some inquiry of my own I found that it wasn’t that these people didn’t love Jesus, it was that they were opposed to joining the Seventh-day Adventist Church, not due to theological issues, rather because of some of the wounds the church had inflicted on them or their peers. 

Friday night was an introduction to a man who was fully human and fully God, Jesus.  We ended that night looking at the fact that salvation is found in, and only in Jesus.  I told the crowd right then and there that we were going to be talking about the birth, childhood and baptism of Jesus on Monday night at which time I was going to make an invitation specifically for the people who knew Jesus, were following Jesus, but had never been baptized.  So Friday night, that is what I did.  I made a specific appeal for that group of people who were already studied up and following Him, but hadn’t crossed the line through baptism.  It was simple, not drawn out.  Some 30 people came forward (I’m really bad at numbers). 

Jeff Parker and myself met with the group briefly that night and then invited them back for another meeting the next day.  On Tuesday we confirmed contact information and started work on connecting the pastor to the candidate.  This gave us ample amount of time to clear up any questions and make sure that the person was ready to take the plunge. 

I am sure that your son has told you about Lydia who was baptized on Friday morning.  Then on Sabbath morning there were several baptism going on (I was literally running down the beach to witness them) and that afternoon after church was the same deal.  All in all Jeff tells me that some 35 were baptized that day (I sure some of whom were not in the 18+ tent, but I am under the impression that most of them were).  Then yesterday Jeff wrote me to tell me that another 32 people marked on the appeal card that was given on the last Friday night of Big Camp to be baptized.  When I posted that on my Facebook page, another girl wrote and said make that 33 as she had decided to be baptized as well! 

Simply put, to God be the glory.  He had an agenda for those people in that tent that week.  I would say one of the most moving stories for me personally was Lydia’s journey.  Here is a girl that I’ve seen at every Big Camp and actively involved in leadership.  I don’t know here very well, but enough to hug her when I saw her.  She was one of the people that I pulled aside on the first Friday to try to better understand why she hadn’t been baptized.  That following Friday before Bevan dipped her in the water her sister shared the story how during the week leading up to Big Camp Lydia told her, “Matty Gamble is coming back to Big Camp.  I am going to talk with him about his take on baptism.” Not knowing any of this, the Spirit led me to put her on the spot and ask her why she hadn’t been baptized.  When I heard her sister sharing this testimony, I nearly lost it emotionally as God had literally worked a miracle in front of our eyes and I was completely oblivious to it!  Sabbath October 17, 2009 is one day that I will never forget.  We witnessed mountains moving in the tent that week.  GOD IS GOOD!

It’s all about Jesus!

Matthew

Just a couple of quick updates for where I’ve been/what I’ve been up to over the last few weeks:

1 - For starters, I was down in Trinidad and Tobago to address the issue of pornography.  I want to thank Youth Alive for hosting the event and organizing everything.  It was an absolutely power-packed week as we were on two radio shows, three TV shows, in addition to presenting publicly several times to various audiences.  We are already discussing the possibility of pulling something together for 2010!

2 - The following weekend I was out in Montrose, CO where I was picked up in a 1977 Bronco 4x4 with three other guys.  We headed out for the annual Men’s Advance (as opposed to retreat… because men don’t retreat, we advance!).  What an amazing weekend.  Of the some 50 guys who attended we had everything from seekers to pastors (who may still be seeking).  What an incredible weekend together.  If/when we move to Colorado, you can be rest assured that I will be joining these men as an attended.  It was a powerful weekend as God challenged us to become men after His own heart.

There is more to come, but I am running to catch a flight to Sydney for the annual NNSW Big Camp a few hours north of the city.  Please keep us in prayer as the entire series that I will be presenting seeks to look at Jesus from Genesis to Revelation.  May He be lifted UP!

Courage on the journey!

Matthew from San Francisco. 

If you ever wondered what words you most frequently use on Twitter, you can go to: http://www.wordle.net.  There you will find the ability to make your own list of words that are important to you as well or even provide the domain to your blog and it will compile it for you automatically.  Good stuff. 

I was happy to discover that the word that I most commonly Twitter was “Susan”!  She is my wife and I love her!

God never asks us to believe, without giving sufficient evidence upon which to base our faith.  His existence, his character, the truthfulness of his word, are all established by testimony that appeals to our reason; and this testimony is abundant.  Yet God has never removed the possibility of doubt.  Our faith must rest upon evidence, not demonstration.  Those who wish to doubt, will have opportunity; while those who really desire to know the truth, will find plenty of evidence on which to rest their faith.
It is impossible for finite minds fully to comprehend the character or the works of the Infinite One.

Ellen is quick to dive into the importance of scripture, but again it is there that confusion can arise as well: 

There are in the Bible many things which they cannot explain, or even understand, and Satan employs these to shake their faith in the Scriptures as a revelation from God.

Keeping in mind that in an early chapter A Knowledge of God, Ellen stated that “The Bible was not written for the scholar alone; on the contrary it was designed for the common people.” While I believe that is true, there are things in the Bible that are not so easy to understand.  She continues:

If it (the Bible) contained no account of God but that which we could easily comprehend; if his greatness and majesty could be grasped by finite minds, then the Bible would not bear the unmistakable credentials of divine authority.  The very grandeur and mystery of the themes presented, should inspire faith in it as the word of God.

On the next page, she adds:

To acknowledge that we cannot fully comprehend the great truths of the Bible is only to admit that the finite mind is inadequate to grasp the infinite; that man, with his limited, human knowledge, cannot understand the purposes of Omniscience.

Again, spiritual things are spiritually discerned (I Corinthians 2:14).  In order for us to have a chance at understanding the deeper teachings in the Bible, we must have the Spirit guiding us into truth! 

While there were a lot of great points in this chapter, I will close with this:

There is an evidence that is open to all,--the most highly educated, and the most illiterate,--the evidence of experience.  God invites us to prove for ourselves the reality of his word, the truth of his promises.  He bids us “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). Instead of depending upon the word of another, we are to taste for ourselves.

I absolutely love this statement.  If you’ve ever heard me share my testimony, you’ve probably heard me make the comment that, “If you don’t have faith, you need to go get some.” You may also recall hearing me comment that I am sick and tired of hearing people say, “I’ve been a Christian all my life and...” or “I’m a 29th generation Seventh-day Adventist...” Are you serious?  Have you been a faithful Christian all your life?  What does that mean exactly?  According to Scripture the only person who has followed God their entire life is Jesus.  What’s lacking for you, if you are struggling with doubt, may be experience.  Have you experienced the life changing grace and power of God in your life?  Have you come to the place where you recognize your brokenness and need of a Savior?  Until that point of realization, Jesus, the Bible, church, etc. will have little to no value to you.

If you haven’t had an experience with Jesus to the point where you know that He is real, ask Him for one.  Then watch out! 

Blessings and courage!

Matthew Gamble

The classic line in this entire chapter is the second one which reads:

Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend.  Not that it is necessary, in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him.  Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him.

If we could all come to the place where we truly understood and believed this, imagine what our prayer lives would look like.  Let’s break this down just a minute.

So when we pray to God, we should be praying to someone as though this Someone was our friend, better yet our best friend.  Think about that for a minute.  How do you talk to your close friends?  I venture to guess that sometimes you are joking around having a good time, while other conversations go deep into the core of your being.  When it comes to prayer it should be similar.  Sometimes we are laughing, praising God for His goodness, while at other times we are really wrestling with an issue in our lives, at times bringing us to tears.  The bottom line is that when you have something on your heart to say to God, say it.  Tell Him how it is… what’s going on in your life… what your struggles are… what successes you’ve experienced. 

Notice in the second sentence that prayer is not about us making ourselves “known to God,” “but in order to enable us to receive Him.” Prayer unlocks something.  I wish that I had a more profound or accurate word for what prayer unlocks other than something, but the bottom line is that I don’t entirely understand how prayer works, all I know is that it does.  It enables us or others to receive Jesus more fully and when Jesus is around, miracles take place. 

Lastly, out of this paragraph, we see that prayer “brings us up to Him.” Do you want to be where God is?  Pray!  Do you want to become more like Jesus?  Pray.  Jesus prayed to His father and if Jesus prayed, how much more do you and I need to be people of prayer? 

Switching gears a bit, I don’t know if you struggle with sin like I do (I pray you don’t!), but if you do here is what Ellen has to say about prayer, sin and Satan: 

The darkness of the evil one encloses those who neglect to pray.  The whispered temptations of the enemy entice them to sin; and it is all because they do not make use of the privileges that God has given them in the divine appointment of prayer.... 

If we regard iniquity in our hearts, if we cling to any known sin, the Lord will not hear us: but the prayer of the penitent, contrite soul is always accepted.  When all known wrongs are righted, we may believe that God will answer our petitions.  Our own merit will never commend us to the favor of God; it is the worthiness of Jesus that will save us, his blood that will cleanse us; yet we have a work to do in complying with the conditions of acceptance.

Have you experienced that before.  Your prayer life is flatline and who is tempting the daylights out of you?  Satan.  He is right there to coerce you to sin.  That’s not to say that when you are praying heavily that you won’t be tempted, but when you are not praying, Satan seems to have much access on your life.  When we pray, we are taking strides into “complying with the conditions of acceptance” and that is another reason why it is so important to pray. 

Ellen states that “to pray in the name of Jesus is something more than a mere mention of that name at the beginning and the ending of a prayer.  It is to pray in the mind and spirit of Jesus, while we believe his promises, rely upon his grace, and work his works.” After all, Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.  When you pray, enter into the mind and spirit of Jesus!  Pray for that Spirit that will guide you into all truth! 

Courage to you prayer warrior!

Matthew

What I really valued most from this chapter was the emphasis on studying the Word to get to know Jesus better.  Listen to this:

Jesus said of the Old-Testament Scriptures,--and how much more is it true of the New,--"They are they which testify of me,” the Redeemer, him in whom our hopes of eternal life are centered.  Yes, the whole Bible tells of Christ.  From the first record of creation,--"for without him was not anything made that was made,"*--to the closing promise, “Behold, I come quickly,” we are reading of his works and listening to his voice.  If you would become acquainted with the Saviour, study the Holy Scriptures.

Fill the whole heart with the words of God.  They are the living water, quenching your burning thirst.  They are the living bread from heaven.  Jesus declares, “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” And he explains himself by saying, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Our bodies are built up from what we eat and drink; and as in the natural economy, so in the spiritual economy: it is what we meditate upon that will give tone and strength to our spiritual nature.

Imagine what your life may look like if you were regularly, daily digging into the Word of God, especially focusing on the life and teachings of Jesus.  I hear it all the time of how boring or confusing the Bible is, but Ellen is quick to state that “The Bible… was designed for the common people.” Could it be that Satan wants you to think of the Bible in such terms?  Have you tried reading the Gospel according to John lately?  If not, would you consider joining me in the challenge?  If you email me, I will commit to reading all 21 chapters with you.  The bottom line is that I am ready to get real with Jesus!  To grow in a knowledge of God, which is what this chapter is all about.

Simply put, if you are desiring a knowledge of God, there are two great places to start: 1) In creation; and 2) In His divinely inspired Word!  Whether in nature on in the Word, pray to God that He would give you the Spirit to guide you into all truth!  After all, “The Spirit of truth is the only effectual teacher of diving truth.” Go to Him now on your steps to Jesus! 

Blessings,

Matthew

For those of you who have attending, your comments, questions or prayer requests are always appreciated and valued.

Lastly, if you are interested in joining us on the journey through the book, Steps to Christ, please CLICK HERE.  Be sure to read the corresponding chapter with the book.  I encourage you to underline it and make notes, write down comments and questions.  Then post those on the blog! 

Courage!

mg

WOW!  Yet again, another amazing chapter.  Here we move from “we are saved by grace through faith” to “faith without works is dead.” The focus of this chapter is simply that when Jesus is living in you, there is nothing that you will desire more than to serve others with an unselfish love!  This is so powerful!  Why?  Because I believe that if you were honest with yourself, you would agree that your greatest moments of happiness and sense of fulfillment came at a moment when you were serving someone else.  It may have been a mission trip or helping someone who was in need in your own neighborhood.  When we act selflessly, we are living the life that Jesus not only modeled for us, but called us to live. 

Our Saviour’s joy was in the uplifting and redemption of fallen men.  For this he counted not his life dear unto himself, but endured the cross, despising the shame.  So angels are ever engaged in working for the happiness of others.  This is their joy.  That which selfish hearts would regard as humiliating service, ministering to those who are wretched, and in every way inferior in character and rank, is the work of the sinless angels.  The spirit of Christ’s self-sacrificing love is the spirit that pervades heaven, and is the very essence of its bliss.  This is the spirit that Christ’s followers will possess, the work that they will do.

As we put our faith, hope and trust into Jesus, He will live in us.  All we need to do is simply allow Him to come in (Revelation 3:20).  As He does so, He will start living out His “self-sacrificing love” in and through our lives. 

The Saviour’s life on earth was not a life of ease and devotion to himself, but he toiled with persistent, earnest, untiring effort for the salvation of lost mankind.  From the manger to Calvary he followed the path of self-denial, and sought not to be released from arduous tasks, painful travels, and exhausting care and labor.  He said, “The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).  This was the one great object of his life.  Everything else was secondary and subservient.  It was his meat and drink to do the will of God and to finish his work.  Self and self-interest had no part in his labor.

I can honestly attest that the greatest joy in my life is ministering to others on behalf of Jesus!  On the contrary, I will tell you that when I am not ministering to others or focused on serving other people but focused on myself, I am often miserable, depressed, and unmotivated.  Can I get a witness? 

No sooner does one come to Christ, than there is born in his heart a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus; the saving and sanctifying truth cannot be shut up in his heart.  If we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, and are filled with the joy of his indwelling Spirit, we shall not be able to hold our peace.  If we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, we shall have something to tell.

Is this your experience?  It certainly is mine.  When I first met Jesus, I couldn’t stop talking about Him.  And guess what?  I haven’t stopped.  Sometimes when I will study the Bible and something will really leap of the page, I just have to tell someone about it.  I remember on a couple of occasions going into a restaurant after a Bible study and telling the cashier everything that I had just studied.  This is what I would liken to the living water that is spoken of in John 4.  The woman at the well went back into her town and said, “Come meet a Man!” When you’ve met Jesus, you can’t help but tell other people about Him. 

And the effort to bless others will re-act in blessings upon ourselves.  This was the purpose of God in giving us a part to act in the plan of redemption.  He has granted men the privilege of becoming partakers of the divine nature, and, in their turn, of diffusing blessings to their fellowmen.  This is the highest honor, the greatest joy, that it is possible for God to bestow upon men.  Those who thus become participants in labors of love are brought nearest to their Creator.

Can you imagine for a moment that you are God?  Would you ever in a million years choose someone like you to represent perfect Majesty, Dominion, Holiness, Glory, Love, Power, etc?  Maybe you are shacking your head yes, but for me, if I were God, there is no way that I would ever choose someone like myself to represent me.  We must remember that God’s ways are not our ways.  His thoughts are not our thoughts.  Simply put, the way I/we roll is not the way that God rolls.  He chooses people like you and me, broken, sinful, selfish people to represent Him.  Why?  Because it reveals to the world what our God is really like.  His divine character/nature sees in you a pearl of infinite value and invites you to partner with Him in the plan of salvation!  WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE! 

Here’s where Ellen flips the script,

Those who endeavor to maintain Christian life by passively accepting the blessings that come through the means of grace, and doing nothing for Christ, are simply trying to live by eating without working.  And in the spiritual as in the natural world, this always results in degeneration and decay.  A man who would refuse to exercise his limbs would soon lose all power to use them.  Thus the Christian who will not exercise his God-given powers, not only fails to grow up into Christ, but he loses the strength that he already had.

I reiterate again, that faith without works is dead (James 2:20).  If you are finding yourself frustrated in Jesus, the church, your christian experience, before you give up on it all, try taking a step of faith and serving someone else in the name of Jesus.  I will promise you that it will be the greatest experience of your life.  Go on a mission trip, volunteer at a local soup kitchen, help an elderly person with yard work, go visit folks in a retirement home or prison.  Put your faith into practice. 

The humblest and poorest of the disciples of Jesus can be a blessing to others.  They may not realize that they are doing any special good, but by their unconscious influence they may start waves of blessing that will widen and deepen, and the blessed results they may never know until the day of final reward.  They do not feel or know that they are doing anything great.  They are not required to weary themselves with anxiety about success.  They have only to go forward quietly, doing faithfully the work that God’s providence assigns, and their life will not be in vain.  Their own souls will be growing more and more into the likeness of Christ; they are workers together with God in this life, and are thus fitting for the higher work and the unshadowed joy of the life to come.

My friend, it doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done, what you do.  We are all called by God to serve in His name!  Choose this day who you will serve.  As for me and my household, I will serve the Lord! 

Blessings and courage!

Matthew

So I am basing the rest of the agenda on the original manuscript.  Again you can find that version online by simply going to www.stepstochrist.us.

To begin with, this chapter identifies the simple reality that a person must be born again (John 3) in order to become a child of God.  As a result, we start walking with God as a baby/child.  The Bible clearly states that “spiritual things are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14) and as we grow both without and with Christ our discernment expands. 

This chapter could be entitled The Abiding Presence of Jesus, because that is the primary focus.  Once again Ellen over emphasizes the importance of keeping our entire focus on Jesus and not on self.  By beholding Him, we will be changed! 

Here are some quotes that really jumped off the page for me:

The child cannot, by any anxiety or power of its own, add to its stature.  No more can you, by anxiety or effort of yourself, secure spiritual growth.

In the matchless gift of his Son, God has encircled the whole world with an atmosphere of grace, as real as the air which circulates around the globe.  All who choose to breathe this life-giving atmosphere will live, and grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.

Many have an idea that they must do some part of the work alone.  They have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, but now they seek by their own efforts to live aright.  But every such effort must fail. Jesus says, “Without me ye can do nothing.” Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness,--all depend upon our union with Christ.  It is by communion with him, daily, hourly,--by abiding in him,--that we are to grow in grace.  He is not only the author but the finisher of our faith.  It is Christ first and last and always.  He is to be with us, not only at the beginning and the end of our course, but at every step of the way.

So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell on self, but look to Christ.

This next quote is so important as we are growing up into Christ.  The closer we get to Him, the more we will recognize the plans and strategies that Satan uses.  Here she makes it plan how Satan functions in our live and tell me if this is not true! 

It is Satan’s constant effort to keep the attention diverted from the Saviour, and thus prevent the union and communion of the soul with Christ.  The pleasures of the world, life’s cares and perplexities and sorrows, the faults of others, or your own faults and imperfections,--to any or all of these he will seek to divert the mind.  Do not be misled by his devices.  Many who are really conscientious, and who desire to live for God, he too often leads to dwell upon their own faults and weaknesses, and thus by separating them from Christ, he hopes to gain the victory.

When Christ took human nature upon him, he bound humanity to himself by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power save the choice of man himself.

When Christ abides in the heart, the whole nature is transformed.  Christ’s spirit, his love, softens the heart, subdues the soul, and raises the thoughts and desires toward God and heaven.

Jesus prayed for us, and he asked that we might be one with him, even as he is one with the Father.  What a union is this!  The Saviour had said of himself, “The Son can do nothing of himself;” “the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” Then if Christ is dwelling in our hearts, he will work in us “both to will and to do of his good pleasure."* We shall work as he worked; we shall manifest the same spirit.  And thus, loving him and abiding in him, we shall “grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). 

May we never forget that it is ALL ABOUT JESUS.  Growing up into Christ is all about learning to trust Jesus with everything.  He will never force us to worship Him and obey Him, but by simply surrendering to Him, He will live out His life in us!  What a wonderous gift and opportunity we have to experience the very presence of God living in us!  May we not take it for granted. 

READ THIS CHAPTER!

Blessings from da bedroom,

Matthew

The question begs to be asked, What is a disciple?  Simply put, a disciple is a student.  Jesus is often referred to in the Bible as a Rabbi, which means teacher.  Putting it all together, when we decide to follow Jesus by putting all our faith, hope, trust and love into Him (His life, teachings, death, resurrection), we become a “student” of the Master Rabbi Jesus. 

There are going to be a lot of quotes in this one!  It is a great chapter.  Be sure to read it and if you need a copy check it out at www.stepstoChrist.us! 

To know whether or not you are a student of Jesus, Ellen states, “while we must not trust at all to ourselves or our good works, our lives will reveal whether the grace of God is dwelling within us.  A change will be seen in the character, the habits, the pursuits.  The contrast will be clear and decided between what they have been and what they are.  The character is revealed, not by occasional good deeds and occasional misdeeds, but by the tendency of the habitual words and acts.” In another one of her writings, Ellen states that it is not the occasional misdeed, but the trajectory of a lifetime.  A true disciple or follower of Jesus will notice that the rhythm of their lives is stepping to the beat of a new drum(er), so to speak.  Or for you more methodologically conservative folk, the rhythm of your life will now be set to a non-syncopated rhythm. 

Reminding me of the passage in Romans 8:6 where Paul states that “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace”, Ellen continues to add, “Who has the heart?  With whom are our thoughts?  Of whom do we love to converse?  Who has our warmest affections and our best energies?  If we are Christ’s, our thoughts are with him, and our sweetest thoughts are of him.  All that we have and are is consecrated to him.  We long to bear his image, breathe his spirit, do his will and please him in all things.” With absolutely no desire to boost in my flesh, I can honestly say that Jesus is my greatest hope, my greatest thought, my greatest desire, my favorite topic to talk about, etc....  What about you?  Is He your everything?

Remember when I said that there were going to be a lot of quotes?  Take a gander at these paragraphs:

There are two errors against which the children of God--particularly those who have just come to trust in his grace--especially need to guard.  The first, already dwelt upon, is that of looking to their own works, trusting to anything they can do, to bring themselves into harmony with God.  He who is trying to become holy by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility.  All that man can do without Christ is polluted with selfishness and sin.  It is the grace of Christ alone, through faith, that can make us holy.

The opposite and no less dangerous error is, that belief in Christ releases men from keeping the law of God; that since by faith alone we become partakers of the grace of Christ, our works have nothing to do with our redemption.

But notice here that obedience is not a mere outward compliance, but the service of love.  The law of God is an expression of his very nature; it is an embodiment of the great principle of love, and hence is the foundation of his government in heaven and earth.  If our hearts are renewed in the likeness of God, if the divine love is implanted in the soul, will not the law of God be carried out in the life?  When the principle of love is implanted in the heart, when man is renewed after the image of Him that created him, the new covenant promise is fulfilled, “I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them."* And if the law is written in the heart, will it not shape the life?  Obedience--the service and allegiance of love--is the true sign of discipleship.  Thus the Scripture says, “This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."* Instead of releasing man from obedience, it is faith, and faith only, that makes us partakers of the grace of Christ, which enables us to render obedience.

We do not earn salvation by our obedience; for salvation is the free gift of God, to be received by faith.  But obedience is the fruit of faith.

If you are struggling today with your performance, I want to simply invite you to give up.  Your righteousness is as filthy rags (see the prophet Isaiah).  If you think that Ellen White was a legalist, please read these paragraphs again!  I re-quote, “He who is trying to become holy by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility.” In and of yourself you cannot do it.  However, according to 1 Corinthians 6:19, “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit”!  This is only available for the believer.  What does this mean?  It means that the very Spirit of God actually makes His dwelling place INSIDE YOU!  And it is only by HIM LIVING IN YOU that you can walk as He walked.  AND with Him living in you, you will begin to, as the Psalmist David says, “delight in the law”!  That is what Hebrews 10:16 is all about, “I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.”

I could go on and on about this chapter.  Please read the book!  Let me know your thoughts, questions, comments, prayer requests, etc.

Courage!

Matthew
from da porch
new haven, ct

What do you believe in?  What do you put your faith, hope, trust, and love in?  The Bible defines faith as “the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).  That being said, what do you hope for?  I’m not talking about a new car or a bigger house, I mean what are your greatest and deepest hopes?  If you believe in God, contemplate what evidence you have of Him working in your life? 

Ellen states that, “As your conscience has been quickened by the Holy Spirit, you have seen something of the evil of sin, of its power, its guilt, its woe; and you look upon it with abhorrence.  You feel that sin has separated you from God, that you are in bondage to the power of evil.  The more you struggle to escape, the more you realize your helplessness. Your motives are impure; your heart is unclean.  You see that your life has been filled with selfishness and sin.  You long to be forgiven, to be cleansed, to be set free.  Harmony with God, likeness to him,--what can you do to obtain it?

“It is peace that you need,--Heaven’s forgiveness and peace and love in the soul.  Money cannot buy it, intellect cannot procure it, wisdom cannot attain to it; you can never hope, by your own effort, to secure it.  But God offers it to you as a gift, ‘without money and without price.’ It is yours, if you will but reach out your hand and grasp it.  The Lord says, ‘Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ ‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.’ “ (Isaiah 55:1; Isaiah 1:18; Ezekiel 36:26)

What I love about her statements here is that the peace that passes all understanding that God want’s to give to you is not something that you can earn or buy, but it is a gift.  Just like salvation, all we have to do is simply believe it by faith. 

In talking about the paralytic who laid by the pool of Bethesda she states, “he believed Christ’s word, believed that he was made whole, and he made the effort at once; he willed to walk, and he did walk.  He acted on the word of Christ, and God gave the power.  He was made whole.” In another book Ellen states that “many of us are waiting for God to do for us, that which He has already given us the power to do for ourselves” (source unknown).  What would our lives like like if we were to put our trust in the promises of God. 

What I love time and time again throughout this book, is Ellen’s emphasis that in and of ourself we cannot earn salvation or make ourselves better and that when we try to do it is in vain and meaningless.  She states on page 51 of the Youth Edition of Steps to Christ that, “you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy.  But God promises to do all this for you through Christ.  You believe that promise.  You confess your sins and give yourself to God.  You will to serve Him.  Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you.  If you believe the promise,--believe that you are forgiven and cleansed,--God supplies the fact; you are made whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was healed.  It is so if you believe it.”

So the simple question for you to follow the Steps to Christ is will you believe His promises?  Maybe your response today is, “I believe, but help my unbelief.” If that is your prayer, consider yourself on the path to eternal life walking each step with Jesus! 

Matthew
from da kitchen
New Haven, CT

Some have said that justification is done in a moment, but sanctification is the work of a life time.  If that is true, repentance can be likened to justification because the moment a sinner repents, they are justified in the eyes of God.  Consecration can be likened to sanctification because as an individual learns to consecrate themselves daily to God, permission is granted for God to work out His good and perfect will in the sinners life.  This is what sanctification is all about. 

Ellen writes, “He sets before us the height of blessing to which He desires to bring us, through His grace.  He invites us to give ourselves to Him, that He may work His will in us.  It remains for us to choose whether we will be set free from the bondage of sin, to share the glorious liberty of the sons of God.” If you miss this, you may become easily confused thinking that this is all about you and what you do or do not do in order to gain God’s favor.  The key here is to keep in mind that “HE sets… HE desires, through HIS grace”!  In other words, it is all about what Jesus desires for us.  Please keep in mind that He desires to fulfill His good and perfect will in your life (Romans 12:2). 

Take a moment to read the first chapter of Ephesians (especially through :14).  When you do so, count the times that you are responsible for anything when it comes to salvation, righteousness, perfection, etc.  Last time I check, which was about 20 seconds ago, you and I are only responsible for ONE thing!!!!!  It is found in :14 and it occurs when we “believed in Him.” That is what consecration is all about, actually believing in God in the good times and the bad, at the beginning of, during and at the end of every day, putting our entire faith, hope and love into Jesus! 

By beholding Him, we will become changed.

In the last paragraph of this chapter, Ellen states that, “By yielding up your will to Christ, you ally yourself with the power that is above all principalities and powers.  You will have strength from above to hold you steadfast, and thus through constant surrender to God you will be enabled to live the new life, even the life of faith.” Are you ready to live the consecrated and victorious life?  Simply surrender all to Jesus! 

Blessings!

Matthew
From the kitchen in New Haven, CT

Okay peeps… so this chapter is a long one, but soooo good!  My hope is that you are truly following along with reading the entire chapter, even before you come to this site.  And PLEASE if you have any comments or points of clarification, don’t hesitate to ask by clicking the comment link below or by emailing me directly at matthew@matthewgamble.com.

So Ellen states right off the bat, “How shall a man be just with God?  How shall the sinner be made righteous?  It is only through Christ that we can be brought into harmony with God, with holiness; but how are we to come to Christ?  Many are asking the same question as did the multitude on the day of Pentecost, when, convicted of sin, they cried out, ‘What shall we do?’ The first word of Peter’s answer was, ‘Repent.’ At another time, shortly after, he said, ‘Repent . . . and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.’ “ (Acts 3:19)

Repentance is actually a gift from God.  It means a turning away from.  I remember when I first started following the teachings of Jesus.  I was so overwhelmed at times because at the core of my being I was so selfish (still am in some respects!).  All I was into was worldly pleasures and worldly gain.  As I started growing closer to Jesus and understanding Him more, I was more and more convicted of sin in my life.  Simply put, Jesus invited me through the Holy Spirit convicting me, to turn away from sins in my life.  He didn’t leave me hanging to do it all on my own, however.  He led me and is still leading me to become more like Him and less like sinful self. 

What it comes down to is a simple yielding of myself to Jesus.  Ellen states, “But when the heart yields to the influence of the Spirit of God, the conscience will be quickened, and the sinner will discern something of the depth and sacredness of God’s holy law...” What does this yielding look like?  The Psalmist David writes, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving kindness.  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51). 

“A repentance such as this,” Ellen writes, “is beyond the reach of our own power to accomplish; it is obtained only from Christ...” That being said, go to God and ask from Him the gift of repentance.  Later she states, “Ask Him to give you repentance, to reveal Christ to you in His infinite love, in His perfect purity.”

At the end of the day, I believe that all Jesus is trying to do is help each one of us come to the place where we recognize our deficiency and learn to TRUST Jesus wholly and completely.  If you’ve ever wondered what the Bible is about, what going to church is all about, what paying tithe is all about, what singing songs of praise is all about, in my humble opinion it all comes down to God wanting to teach us to TRUST Him with everything and in so doing stop putting our faith in ourselves. 

Lastly, remember that “It was sinners that Christ came to save.  We have not to reconcile God to us, but--O wondrous love!--’God in Christ is reconciling the world unto Himself.’ “ We simply must come to the place where we cry out to God like blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:47-48) and Jesus will be faithful to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Remember that in Revelation 3:19, the Bible tells us that because Jesus loves us, he will rebuke us and discipline us, so be excited and repent!  Repentance is an invitation that God gives us and is GREAT NEWS! 

Blessings,

Matthew
from da porch