The TRUTH and Jeff White
7 pm, Friday, February 22,
2013; Harvest House Windsor; J G White
Truths on the
internet…
Bill Gates
giving $5,000 to Facebook users who click a share link?
"Facebook will be closed for maintenance
from February 29th to 31st."
One theme for my
life so far has been the quest for Truth: what’s real… About me, about others,
about creation, about God.
Age 10-17 Faith
beginnings: learning to know &
serve God
My coming to
faith, and formation: in church
Worship, Sunday school, youth group,
choirs, CSB, etc.
Two Truths and a
Lie: a few volunteers…
Truth: Jeff is a
shy person.
Truth: God does
something with that. Teaches me how to
be an introvert – get energized and refreshed when alone. How to have confidence in meeting people and socializing.
Age 18-25 Opening the mind: learning from mentors
Joshua had
Moses, Elisha had Elijah, the disciples had Jesus, Timothy had Paul. I had my mentors. Two pastors, actually, who were in ministry,
and I got to do some work with them.
They came along
at just the right time in my life. I had
lots of questions about the Bible and my faith; these people opened new doors –
of using the Bible, of worshipping the Lord, of ministering to people. They taught me by example, they taught by by
what they said. I sort of did this:
thought, these people are great; I’ll be just like them! So I sort of copied them.
The Truth is we
learn a lot from some people that come along in our lives. We learn to follow Jesus by the example of
others.
Age 26-33 Ministry on my own: opening minds
I got focused on
thinking outside the box, being free thinking, not traditional like the Baptist
Church I’d grown up in. I got out into
ministry as a Pastor, and in the background I wondered how people in my pews learned
to think differently and grow. We even
had a Bible study group we called the radical thinkers.
Truth: I feel I don’t
really fit in the Church. I don’t always
believe all the right things – about God and people and so forth.
Truth: But God
makes me extremely welcome. I’ve always felt welcome, felt it a home to me –
the fellowship of church. I catch the
Lord’s vision for welcoming everyone.
EVERYone. Beatitudes: the Kingdom
of God is available even to the: poor in spirit, mourn, meek, hunger and thirst
for right, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, persecuted for doing right.
Age 34-41 Ministry shift: spiritual practices
Dallas Willard
speaking in 2004 at the Baptist Convention in Sackville, NB. Read a book of his I had. Start of a shift for me. The importance of what he called spiritual
disciplines. The inner life, the
devotional life, your walk with the Lord.
This sounded true, I could believe in this! But, could I put it into practice?
Anglican joke: ministers
going into the cathedral offices, and see a sign that says “lecture on prayer”
this way, and “Prayer room” that way.
They go to the lecture, instead of actual prayer.
Truth: Well, I’m
a lot like those. J I
know a lot of things about prayer and fasting and confession, etc. I have lots
of books. I need to do
these things, step by step. How about
you?
I am just now
trying to pray the Psalms (lectio devina).
Example: Psalm
23 Read
Meditate
Pray
Contemplate
Age 42+ Leadership:
changing ministry in a changing age.
Over the last
year I realized that, back in 1992, when I said “YES” to God, “I’ll be a
Pastor,” I signed up to be a pastor, and a preacher, sure. But not a leader. “I’m
not a leader!” I don’t like making
decisions. I don’t like taking
responsibility. I don’t like being in
charge of a lot of things.
Well, I have to
discover what my leadership can be look like, because I am called by the Lord
to lead a church into God’s ministry.
Perhaps my new chapter beginning now is figuring this out, growing. I also think I’m getting hints from the Lord
to open my heart. I’ve been through
chapters of having an open mind, now it’s heart time. Love and compassion time.
Have you had a
new chapter start anytime recently, in your walk with God? If not, I can tell you from my own life,
there can always be a new chapter. The
Truth is, God is the God of new beginnings.
“Behold, I make all things new.”
A new chance for
you in 2013 might be about your thinking and what you know; it’s a year to
learn some really important stuff. Or
2013 may be a time for healing of some things that hurt you. Or it’s a year for changing what’s important,
and how you will spend your time and energy.
Any of these may be what the Lord has in store for you.
It’s true, the
God of love has purpose for you.
It’s true, the
Saviour can bring you through a new conversion.
It’s true, the
Holy Spirit may change you, from the inside out, your soul and body.
God does this
kind of wonderful stuff. I thank Him for
that.
And I thank you
for listening.
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