inLight Adventure Newsletter – November
I pray this finds you and yours well, and well blessed. I pray you are finding supernatural peace and focus in the chaos of our time. Every good thing comes from God, and all things work together for those who love Him and are called to His purpose.
God is working in you to will and to do to His good pleasure, which is to give you His kingdom. He allows – even creates – chaos in our lives, and that for our good. Chaos tests us, humbles us, and turns our heart, minds, soul, and strength to Him.
To best benefit from God’s work in the chaos of this decade, we must commit our ways to Him, trust also in Him, and He will bring it to pass (Psalm 37:5). One of the best things we can do right now is rediscover and reapply God’s ways in our lives (and the lives of those we love).
We’ve recently begun a series on the ways of God, hoping to encourage, edify, and equip Christian leaders (and yes, you are one) with God’s truth for the greater than life His Son promised. Please let me know if you would like to have these emailed to you. Otherwise, you can find them on our blog site.
It seemed appropriate to begin our series with the process of faith, for without faith in the working of God, we are truly lost in the chaos. For this edition of the newsletter, we will explain the importance of the faith process in community. Obviously, it would help greatly if you would read each of the four articles dedicated to this subject. For those who do not have the time, here are the three phases of the faith process:
- The Hearing of Faith (Romans 10:17; Galatians 3:2)
- Obedience to the Faith (Romans 1:5; Romans 16:26)
- The Work of Faith (2Thessalonians 1:11-12; Titus 2:14)
One final sobering word before our main topic: Failure to follow God’s ways as He prescribes them comes with dire consequences. Faith without works is dead faith (James 2:20), and works without faith are dead works (Romans 14:23).
The Process of Faith in Community
God’s ways apply to communities as much as they do to individuals.
Christian community is faith community, not simply because we share a common faith, but because we pursue faith in God together.
Faith is not static. We are expected by God to grow in our faith (Romans 1:17). Consequently, healthy and faithful faith communities grow in their faith as a community. This means they are subject to God’s way of faith.
For example, a community that is not pursuing the hearing of faith in community prayer cannot find faith together. Without God’s direction, they will likely choose paths and programs based on human reason and/or another community’s success. They will miss both intimacy with their Maker and His glorifying good works.
Another example: A faith community that is not exercising their faith collectively – in works of faith, together – is subject to the consequences described in James 1:22-24 (self-deception, forgetting what kind of people they are) and James 2:14-17 (an incomplete, dead faith).
I believe it was Tozer who wrote (paraphrased here): People jump from church to church hoping to find community. Community is not found, it is built. The process of faith is God’s way for building community.
There are times when writing inhibits one’s ability to stress how important they believe a topic is. This is one of those times. I pray the Holy Spirit convicts you:
- Without true faith community, many will fail to survive the coming chaos and storms. Their houses will fall.
- True faith community cannot be built with hundreds of people we barely know. Less is better. Start with those closest to you and grow as the Holy Spirit leads.
- Building community takes time, and we seem to be running out of that. God is perfectly capable and willing to speed up the process, but we must commit to the work.
- Sacrifice is required.
Please, please, please let me know if you need help building community with those in your spheres of influence. I certainly do not have all the answers, but God has given me some insight to share. He is not hiding; nor is He expecting us to muddle about, confused and deceived. In the meantime…
God bless you with wisdom and revelation for His will and your purpose in this great adventure.
Humbly yours and forever His,
Rob
#iamjustthepen
Updates and Prayer Requests
We are pleased to announce that the relaunch strategy for our core mission – helping Christian leaders find joyful, Spirit-filled ministry – has come into focus. There are two parts. First, I will be joining the Atlanta area leadership team for Christian Business Men’s Connection (CBMC), where I plan to help develop Trusted Advisor Forum (TAF) teams and expose CBMC and its members to the process God has given inLight for discipling workplace leaders.
Secondly, we hope to develop a hybrid TAF model for use in a local Christian school, with couples, and with Christian leaders in West-Central Georgia (our local mission field). Of course, I will continue being God’s pen as long as He desires. We covet your prayers for grace and courage to hear God’s perfect plan and pursue His purposes for this season with supernatural passion.
We continue to pursue the Lord for what He would have us do with The Storms Have Only Just Begun – to impact the broadest possible audience. This, our fourth book, encourages and enables Christians to inspect and restore their houses, navigate the chaos of the 2020s, and help others do the same. Please pray for our hearing and God’s grace for the next steps.
My heart continues to ache for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. Please pray with me for their encouragement, protection, and faithfulness in the face of severe trial and tribulation. From my reading, I understand they are also praying for us.
Continue to pray for the workplace leaders you know – for their transformation into mighty men and women of God; that they would boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let me know how I can help you minister to them (we have tons of resources for you to share).
Beth and I were blessed to spend a couple of weeks together exploring the Idaho Rockies and Teton National Park. Let us know if you are interested in visiting that part of the country and would like to draw on our experiences. Please pray that our Father in heaven continues to reveal Himself and His desires for us as a couple.
Please pray for Beth. She has an appointment with a cardiologist on Monday due to issues with high blood pressure.
Know that your prayers have been effectual the last fifteen years of ministry here at inLight. A close friend has said (more than once) that God is still preparing us for the good work that will glorify Him. Please keep praying for us as the Holy Spirit leads you.
Partnering with inLight Consulting
God’s purpose for inLight Consulting is beyond human capability. We are desperately dependent on Him; and would have it no other way. We are grateful for the continued support of those that trust God to use this ministry to further His kingdom. Please pray for our vision and mission.
Share the truths you find here with the leaders in your life; it will make them free.
God bless you with wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; and may He give you the grace and courage to walk in the work He has prepared for you.
Humbly yours and forever His,
Rob