Fervency

James 5:16b: "The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective." (New Revised Standard Version)

Whatever it's right for us to do, it's helpful if we do it fervently.  Surely there is already enough halfheartedness in the world; can't we improve upon the status quo by being wholehearted?  And since the word "fervency" comes from the Latin verb "to boil," can't we boil a little more often and be a little less lukewarm?  Misguided fervency, can of course, be a dangerous evil, and the uninformed zealot is a well-known source of trouble in any society.  Zeal, or fervor, without knowledge is rarely anything but destructive, so we need to inform our fervency with things like accurate information and wisdom.  In a perfect world, we would never be "all fired up" about anything except on the basis of truth.  As William James suggested, "The union of the mathematician with the poet, fervor with measure, passion with correctness; this is surely the ideal."

But the dangers of ignorant or unbalanced zeal shouldn't scare us away from the rightful use of fervency.  We don't solve the problem of blind fanaticism by never being fervent about anything, but by opening our eyes, double- and triple-checking our facts, and always willing to be corrected.  The person who thinks he is just too intelligent and rational to be fervent is being rather foolish.  There is no good reason why a person can't be a mathematician and a poet too.

The fact is, we honor the ideas that we choose to be fervent about.  Julia McFolliard, under whom I studied oil painting as a young boy, taught me by her passion to respect the discipline of art.  And Robert Winstead, my high school calculus teacher, pulled me into an admiration for numbers by his eagerness for them.  Similarly, we all confer honour upon the causes that we devote ourselves to fervently.

But what can make us fervent about things in life?  Well, many forces can move a person to be fervent, but none does it better than love.  When we come to love a thing that is worthy of being loved, it is no trouble at all to be fervent about it.  Healthy, balanced fervor is simply an outgrowth of having come to love a thing in a truthful way.

~ Originally from WordPoints.com by Gary Henry

Love Part 2 - Loving Yourself (2)

1. Believers can love themselves as taught in 1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 13:4-8: Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no
evil;  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails. But whether there
are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there
is knowledge, it will vanish away.

What does it mean that love is kind? How can we be kind to ourselves?  What does it mean that love thinks no evil?

How can we be evil to ourselves?  Negative self-talk? Thinking low-esteeming thoughts about ourselves: "I can’t do this.  I’ll never change.  Nobody loves me!"

We need to cut ourselves the same slack that we do to others. We can allow ourselves to make mistakes (and learn from those mistakes or better learn from mistakes of others).  And others will try to cut us down, so we shouldn’t do that to ourselves.

Here’s a list of other things related to what we just read in the verses above. Listen and think about what are some things in this list that you have done or do to yourself:

- Are you patient with yourself?
- Do you wish you had something or some attribute someone else has?
- Do you get angry with yourself, keep record of wrongs you have done, beat yourself up, do you not accept yourself, denying yourself the joy you should have?
- Do you loose hope in yourself?
- Do you give up on yourself?
- Do you lie to yourself?
- Do you fail yourself by being too hard?

2. How do we learn to love and put these into practice?

A. Meditate and discipline - Review Bible verses that discuss love and apply
them to ourselves. Philippians 4:8: Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

What happens if you work outside in the dirt?  You get dirty!  On the contrary, we need to stay focused on true, pure, lovely things if we are to be like those things.

B. 3Rs - Recognize, Remove and Replace (The Power of Biblical Thinking, Dr. Ken Wilson)

Recognize the lies or misbeliefs we have in our life about actions, reactions, or overreactions.  Remove them and replace them with positive, true thinking.

In the stage of Replacing comes the realization (maybe this process should be called 4Rs) that in Christ, we are beautiful, sons and daughters of the King, perfect, pure, lovely, and worthy to be called
children of God.

C. Balance – look at our emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental needs and look
for ways to balance them.

How can you balance Godly rest with Godly work?
Balance school with taking time to read the Bible, pray and enjoy the blessings God has
given you.

Love Part 1 - Loving Yourself

Mark 12:28-31: Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
In verse 31, Jesus is quoting Leviticus 19:18: "You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord."

A. Negative Aspects

What does it mean to take vengeance? How does it happen? What does it mean to bear (hold) a grudge? What happens when you hold a grudge?

B. Positive Aspects

1. Believers can have joy and peace in the Lord
John 15:10-12:  If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

What is this verse saying about joy? We need to be joyful for joy is full in Christ! People will not want to become Christians if they think it is full of rules, stress, and self-loathing.

John 14:27: Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

John 16:33: 33  These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

What are these verses saying about peace? Jesus gives us HIS peace. We have nothing to worry about, fear and stress over – including our behavior and how “well” we are doing. Can we find peace any other way according to John 16:33? No, as Jesus says “in me you may have peace” and John 14:27 says Jesus does not give as the world gives. We can find peace only in Jesus and when we accept His peace and His joy we will be calm, sure, content, joyful and accepting of ourselves.

2. Believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 6:19-20: Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

The context here is that the writer is speaking to those Christians who have obeyed the gospel. Who do believers belong to?  God!

What is a temple? How is the temple treated? Clean, holy.

What are believers? Temple of the Holy Spirit – the dwelling place of God Himself.  This signifies a very important role and need to respect and care concerning the temple where God resides. If left to our own we could choose not to love ourselves or love ourselves to the exclusion of others. But because of God we are not our own – we need to love ourselves and others as it is commanded.

3. Believers are living sacrifices

Romans 12:1: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

What are we to be? Living sacrifices. How does that relate to loving ourselves? We need to sacrifice our own evil wants and desires, but that also means sacrificing our evil desires of worrying, not caring for ourselves, not loving ourselves because we think we are unworthy, we sacrifice all bad thoughts, motives, deeds, words that would separate us from the love of God and instead be thankful, joyful and at peace to show the world we are satisfied and content when we belong to God.

In the next lesson, we will be looking at how we can do these things, have joy, peace, be holy and pure as we look at more Bible verses.

The End

Well, CBT just wrapped up as we had our final get-together. I am truly grateful for the people who made this year one of the best years for our group. Throughout our time on campus, we had many visitors join our Monday night Bible talks and End of Month discussion nights. We added new members to our group and formed friendships that will doubtless outlive the school year. But as with most everything in this life, it must come to an end. Not a permanent end, I hasten to add, but an end nonetheless. It is also an ending point for me, as I move down to America this summer and will no longer be able to participate in CBT on a regular basis. Such is life.

In fact, our lives on this earth are punctuated with ending points. Seldom do we begin a task without
having the end in mind. Years ago (perhaps less than you realize!) you came to an end of grade school.

But is that not the very reason you started? When going to class, starting a new grade, was it not your
goal to finish that grade? We begin with the end in mind. "Eyes on the prize," as the expression goes.
Currently, if you are reading this blog, you are probably in university. And as you continue your studies, you are constantly thinking about the end. You go to university to get a degree; you go to reach the end.

After you get your education, you will likely get a job. Or perhaps you have had, or currently hold, a job. But you understand that your first job will likely, or already has, come to an end. This is how life goes. Your first car? It will end. Your first computer, cell-phone, pair of shoes? It will all come to an end. Eventually, you will reach the end of your career, typically called retirement. But these are all steps along the way. Things as these are merely check-points to our final destination. Each of us will ultimately come to the end of our lives on this earth.

The Bible is not ignorant of this fact. To the contrary, it faces our death with square shoulders. Listen as Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians:

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O Death, where is your sting?  O Hades, where is your victory?’  The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:51-58).

We are all coming to the end of our lives. We are all, at this very moment, dying. Some are dying slower than others, but dying nonetheless. 100% of people now living will die. Do we live our lives in recognition of this truth, or in denial of this truth? Are we keeping our “eyes on the prize”? Or are we wandering, not aware that God has called us to live our lives in conformity with His will? There is a reason that we must live our lives for God. Paul says again, as recorded by Luke, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” In other words, God has an expectation for your life. Further, everyone has failed to live up to that expectation (Rom. 3:23).

Therefore, when Jesus comes on the appointed day to judge the world in righteousness we will be found guilty in His sight. Therefore, God commands all people everywhere to repent. He calls you and me to turn away from our lives of aimlessly walking in darkness and draws us into His light that we should serve Him (Rom. 6:20-23).

Life is full of ending points, but there is a time when your life will come to its ultimate end. In light of this fact, Jesus says “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13-14). Will we not fear at this warning? Are we to presume upon our pride that Christ could not possibly condemn us on judgement day? Listen attentively. Many people will die while walking the broad path. What makes you different from them?   Jesus said the narrow path was difficult and that few would find it. Are you keeping your eyes on the prize?

As CBT comes to a close, and as you continue to work through the degree, let us never lose sight of The End. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

~ Aaron Johnson
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I agree with Aaron; it has been a great academic year with the CBT.  Our last meeting day was April 4, 2016 - apologies for not mentioning this earlier on our blog.  But next year, Lord willing, we will continue our CBT meetings in September.  Looking forward to it!  If you would like to join us, feel free to write us at campusbibletalk@gmail.com, check out our Facebook page, or visit our studies when we start up again.  God bless and have a great summer!

~ Christian Basar

No CBT on Monday, March 28, 2016

Please note that there is no Campus Bible Talk this Monday, the 28th. We will resume on April 4th.

What am I to do while I am waiting?

We all know that in the big scheme of things, our lives are short.  So we do not have infinite amounts of time to fulfill our dreams and do what we set to accomplish.  Nonetheless, there are times when we have to be patient and wait for things to happen.  As we finish our education, we are waiting to be skilled enough in our chosen fields to work in them professionally.  At other times we are waiting for relationships to develop, feedback on plans or submitted projects, and the list goes on.

As can be expected, the Bible talks about patience and waiting.  At various points in the Word, we are called to "wait on God."  "Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him...." (Psalm 37:7); "...wait continually for your God" (Hosea 12:6); "but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength..." (Isaiah 40:31).  One of our blog posts from December 2015 spoke about "Being Still and Knowing...," which can be related to this idea of waiting on the Lord.  You can read it here.

Being patient is a good thing whenever we are waiting for something to happen.  It is a good character attribute.  But what else can we do while we wait on God?  Here are some things we can do:

1. Think about how waiting can help us grow
Exercising patience can be hard if we are waiting for something that is very important to us.  We may fret about the result, fearing that things will not go the way we hope.  But patience is part of the "Fruit of the Holy Spirit," which can be read about in Galatians 5:22-25.  By learning to be patient (which is sometimes a learned thing), we are practicing a Christian, godly trait.  Also, if our faith is being tested through waiting, we can keep in mind the words of James: "My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4)

2.  Keep serving God
As Christians, serving the Lord is our ultimate priority, no matter what our circumstances.  While you are waiting, keep on living your Christian life.  Whether you are happy or sad, carefree or anxious, keep your sight focused on God and keep obeying Him as you grow through your experience of waiting.  And keep praising and giving thanks to God.  As is said in the Psalms, "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth." (Psalm 34:1)

3.  Take action
Despite the fact that we are talking about waiting, "waiting" does not always mean sitting on your laurels and doing nothing.  Yes, sometimes we cannot do much about the situation.  But other times we can do things while we wait for something.  For example, if we have completed one step of a process and need to wait for it to finish, we could get started on the next step in the meantime.  Of course, one must be wise and use good judgment in order to discern if taking action (and what action) is necessary.

4.  Pray
Prayer is vital to the Christian life.  It is literally communication with God - the God Who created you and this universe.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-8 says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  There is the principle of persistent prayer, about which Jesus told two parables.  These can be read in Luke 11:5-13 and 18:1-8.  I will not repeat them here, but they are certainly worth reading.  Essentially, Jesus says here that God loves those who come to Him in prayer.  He also tells us to pray and not lose heart and not give up.  Some preachers suggest that God sometimes makes us wait so that we will show faith by constantly coming to Him in prayer regarding that thing we need and wait for.

Also, knowing that God hears our prayers, knowing that He will act in accordance with His will, and knowing that He loves us and wants the best for us, is a great comfort while we are tumultuously waiting for something from Him.  So keep praying and keep faith.  God is in control.  Also, ask Him to help you learn the lesson you need to learn.  One time I had to go through a period of waiting.  It was not easy, but it taught me the value of persistent, constant prayer to God about it.  Although I had already known about the idea of persistent prayer, this experience really taught me its value first-hand.  And I am thankful for that aspect of the experience.

~ Christian Basar

Faith

I do not know the original source of this picture, but I saw it originally posted by John Thompson.  I think it is worth sharing and thinking about.

The original poster commented thus, "Faith and victory or Doubt and failure...  Heb 11:1

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Faith in God is vital for any Christian.  If we wish to draw near to God, we must have faith in Him - faith that He exists (Hebrews 11:6), faith that He loves us (John 3:16), and faith that He cares (1 Peter 5:7).

~ Christian Basar