My son and I recently went to see a movie together.  I really didn’t do much research into the movie.  It was rated 14A, not restricted, had an interesting premise, and Ryan Reynolds was one of the main actors.

I have to confess that previous to this movie I liked Ryan Reynolds as an actor, primarily because I think he looks like our oldest son David, and that he comes from Vancouver.  This particular movie was called the Hitman’s Bodyguard.

I’m not going to describe the movie or its story line other than to say I was really disappointed.  My disappointment was primarily grounded in the language.  I have to say that the language was appalling.   It seemed that every sentence contained some form of “mother ‘f’er”, with frequent filthy talk of some kind, and repeated use of Jesus’ name in derogatory terms.

Now, I typically don’t have trouble with rough language in real life.  Hey, I know that’s simply how many people talk and that’s just the way they are.  I work with some people like that.  However, choosing to expose myself to copious amounts of what I consider crude and vile language in my entertainment choices is not something I want to make a habit of doing.

I left the theater feeling slimed.  I felt like I needed a shower.  I actually asked the Lord to forgive me and cleanse my heart.

Now I realize this may sound super-spiritual and ‘religious’.  I understand that.  However, I have recently felt challenged by the Lord in regard to the concept of “sanctification”.

So what does “sanctification” mean?  Well, simply stated it means, “to make holy, or to sanctify”.  To sanctify means to “set apart for particular use in a special purpose or work and to make holy or sacred.”

Sanctification is a very significant concept in theological debate.  I’m not going to solve that debate in this simple blog.  I would simply like to comment on the role we play in sanctification.

Scripture is clear that we are sanctified by the blood of Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.  I believe we are and are becoming sanctified.  By the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit in our spiritual new birth we are sanctified.

And, I also believe we now play a role in our sanctification.  We can choose to submit and surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and we can also choose to meditate on/ingest the Word of God – which is living and active – to transform our mind and heart.

We have a personal responsibility to surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit, and to become students of the Word of God.  This is the role we play in our sanctification.  Our minds and hearts need to be transformed by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

This is the journey we embark upon to grow in maturity.  We learn to believe, think and then act differently.  We all know this doesn’t happen overnight.  This only happens over years of journeying with Jesus in obedience to His Word and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

This, therefore, is our act of worship.

So how does all this apply to the movie I just watched?

Well, what I chose to expose myself to did not contribute to my further sanctification.  Sure, it was entertaining, it was fun, but the thoughts and language I ingested gave me mental and spiritual heart burn.  It was kind of like eating the worst junk food you can think of in the middle of a healthy cleanse of some kind.

I certainly didn’t feel sanctified after watching the movie.

What’s the lesson?

We play a role in our further sanctification – becoming more like Jesus – by what we choose to expose ourselves to.  We are what we eat basically.
So what are you eating?  What role are you playing in your sanctification?  Are you partnering with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God?  Or, are you feeding on that which sets your sanctification process backward?

How are you partnering with the Spirit of God in your process of sanctification?

Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Romans 12:2
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

2 Thessalonians 2:13
“But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as first fruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.”

John 17: 17-19
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”

Strangers in Starbucks.

A buddy on my boat.

A good friend in his office.

A client on the phone.

A pastor up a mountain.

A new acquaintance at a church meeting.

What do all these people have in common?  Well, I have had the privilege and pleasure of praying for them at various times over the past week.

It’s quite simple really.  I find myself talking with people who are facing challenges of all kinds:  starting a new business, moving cities, the rigors of everyday life, marriage troubles, job loss, health issues, stresses of all sorts…basically dealing with the stuff of life.  When we finish talking I ask a very simple, yet powerful question,

“Can I pray for you?”

I’ve decided as often as possible, and whenever appropriate, I will finish my interaction with someone by praying for them.  Most times these people are Jesus followers, but sometimes they’re not.  In all the times I’ve done this throughout the years I have only had one person say “no”.  So, I simply said that’s ok, and prayed for them at another time when I was alone.

Do you struggle sometimes with how you can make a difference, how you can be a kingdom builder, a marketplace minister?  Well, I’ve found this is a simple, yet profound and powerful way to touch people’s lives and facilitate the work of the Holy Spirit: care enough to ask questions and listen to people, then ask if you can pray for them.

Now, I’m not a prayer expert by any means, but I’ve had the privilege of being taught and mentored by men who are powerful prayers.  What I do know is this:  God responds to prayer.  By some incredible grace amidst His divine omnipotence, and omniscience the Lord of All has chosen to “limit” Himself to our prayers.

God has chosen to invite and engage us in His plans and purposes by asking us to ask Him.  Wow.  I know, it sounds crazy – part of how we partner with the Sovereign Lord in His purposes is to pray.  Listen, commune, and ask.

When we pray God moves.  When we pray the spirit realm shifts.  When we pray the purposes of God are released and things happen.  I’m no incredible man of faith and power, but many, many times people have said to me, “Wow, I really appreciated it when you prayed for me – my heart was really touched.”  Is that because of my awesomely orated prayerful expression?  No, my simple sentiments synergize with the all-powerful God who moves in the heart of the focus of my petition.

This is awesome men.  How can we make a powerful and profound impact in people’s lives?  Pray for them.  Ask them for permission to do so and do it right there out loud – let them hear you.  Don’t make a scene, be discreet, but be verbal.

So, what to pray?

Well, here’s what I do:  I try to pray scripture.  I thank God for how much He loves them, how He will never leave them, how they’re not alone, how the Lord will provide for all their needs – I affirm God’s care and love.  Then I ask the Lord to meet them where they are – whatever that may look like:  to provide encouragement, strength, hope, faith, resources, freedom, revelation, a job, etc.

I may do spiritual warfare and bring the cross of Christ between them and the strategy of the enemy.  I thank the Lord for this person and who He has created, crafted and called them to be.  I also always pray that God’s Kingdom would come and His will would be done in them and through them.

I will also listen in my spirit for something specific the Lord may be asking me to pray or share – a scripture, a picture, a lesson, etc.  Then I share that too.  So, I listen in my spirit for some direction from the Lord and I pray scriptures.  Simple really.  But the impact is profound because of the work of the Holy Spirit.

So guys, let’s go for it.  Let’s commit to engaging with and listening to people – friends, family, strangers, employees, co-workers, etc – and simply then love on them through prayer.  The miracle of prayer is what God does in the heart of the person for whom we pray – and that’s very cool to see.

This great adventure starts with a simple question, “Can I pray for you?”

Go for it.

Ephesians 6:18

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

James 5:16

“…the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Mark 11:24

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

My engine light came on.

Don’t you hate it when that happens?!  It doesn’t tell you why it’s on, it just tells you there’s a problem.  Is it a big expensive problem, or a minor service issue?  You don’t know.

When my light came on I didn’t pay much attention to it because my “service due” message had been on for a couple of weeks.  My cynical self thinks it’s simply the manufacturers attempt to get me to go into the dealership and pay an exorbitant sum for them to scope out my car and tell me everything is ok.

I saw the engine light as the manufacturer ramping up the intensity of the message for me to take it in.  So, I ended up taking my car into my trusted mechanic, not the dealer, who scoped it all out and found no issues.  He determined the light was simply a reminder to change the oil – which I had done already – so he reset the light, checked out my brakes, charged me $79 and sent me on my way.

Perfect.  I was a happy camper.

Anne and I went on a driving holiday to the Sunshine Coast and the car worked perfectly.  No issues.

Then, when I got home the light came on again.  I quickly took it in for them to scope it out again.  Something about my turbo charger didn’t reach the required pressure level.  They reset the light and told me to bring it in if it goes on again.  It could mean nothing, or not, but they will have to do more tests to figure out what the issue is – if there really is one at all.

So here’s what I learned going through all this:  I was more concerned about getting rid of the engine light, than I was about fixing the issue.  To be honest, inside I was thinking,

“Just make it go away.  I don’t want to have to fix anything significant.”

And when I got back in my car and the light was off, I was strangely comforted by that.  Nothing had changed on the inside of my engine, the warning light was just gone, and I felt better.

I realize that I can approach life this way.  I want to get rid of whatever is making me uncomfortable instead of going deeper to uncover an issue that really needs to be addressed.

My dash light went on to tell me something needs to be addressed in my engine.  It didn’t come on to tell me to turn off the dash light.

Likewise, when something makes us very angry, for example, that’s a heart dash light telling us there’s something deeper going on.  Our reaction in that situation should not be to simply get rid of the anger, but to understand what’s going on inside us that’s causing the anger.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe that anger is necessarily sin.  Scripture tells us that God gets angry.  In fact, I have heard it said that we can tell something about our love for God by the things that make us angry.  Should we be angry with injustice and sin?  Yes.

However, anger we often feel is not righteous indignation, but our selfish reaction to not getting what we want.  Someone once said, “A man is only as big as the things that make him angry.”  So, when we feel the heart dash light of anger, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us to understand what’s going on in our hearts.

Is your reaction disproportionate to the stimuli?  If “yes”, then check what’s going on under your hood.  Ask the Master Mechanic to do the work needed to adjust your heart so you’re running well.  Sometimes we need some major work, and other times we need a little adjustment.

It’s not prudent to ignore your heart “engine” light.  What are you feeling?  It could be revealing stress, resentment, unforgiveness, unhealed wounds, agreements with lies, inappropriate beliefs, selfishness, self-centeredness, fatigue, a lack of gratitude, etc.  You need Jesus, the Master Mechanic, to scope you out and do the work necessary.

Check your engine light – regularly.

Proverbs 20:5

“The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.”

Proverbs 4:23

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Matthew 11:28-30

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Philippians 2:12, 13

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

How do you make decisions?

Not those small day to day decisions, but the big ones.  You know, those decisions that create some fairly significant ripple effects in your life: decisions about your job, your career, your home, your community, your relationships, etc.

Someone once said to me that we should not move forward in a major decision “…until we know, that we know, that we know this is how the Lord is leading us”

I disagree with that.

I believe the Lord sometimes is very gracious to us and speaks in a fashion that is undeniable.  When that which He is calling us to is of such a magnitude, significance, or sacrifice that we need to know beyond a shadow of a doubt this is indeed His calling, I believe He does speak to us and lead us undeniably.  Moses and the burning bush, Paul on the road to Damascus, Isaiah and his vision in the temple – these are all Biblical examples, amongst many others, of an undeniable call or leading by the Lord.

When the Lord calls us clearly and dramatically it actually requires less faith.  In those situations we know that we know.  However, there are many times in everyday life when the Lord’s leading in our lives is far less dramatic.  In the vast majority of decisions the Lord is more subtle in His leading; it takes more faith to follow Him then because we don’t really “know”, but we “believe” this is how He is leading us.

So, how do we make decisions in the absence of a dramatic and clear call?

Well, here are a few ways that I have sought to discern the Lord’s leading over the years:

1. Prayer and scripture
   • Start by surrendering your heart and will to the Lord.  Declare that you want to do His will, not your own, even though you may not be that excited about what you sense He is saying to you
   • Ask Him to help you hear His voice and to give you wisdom
   • Seek wisdom through scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to you while you read
2. Peace
   • Even in the midst of very intimidating decisions we must find the Lord’s peace.  Scripture encourages us to let the peace of God rule in our hearts – kind of like an umpire.  Is the peace of God indicating this decision is “safe” or “out”?  If you find no peace in your heart when you are going to make a certain decision, then don’t make it.  Find God’s peace.
3. Desire
   • God puts desire in our hearts, so start by taking an honest look at what you want.  Be open with the Lord about what is in your heart.  Does this new situation line up with already existing desires you carry.  Or, has your heart shifted and you find yourself strangely open to something that you were not open to previously?  Now, keep in mind that desire can also come from the flesh, the world and the enemy so judge desire against scripture.
4. Agreement
   • If you’re married you must walk through this process with your spouse – each of you seeking God’s heart, will and wisdom.  If after doing so you are not in agreement, then keep seeking and walking with Him until you come to agreement in Him.
5. Counsel
   • Seek counsel from wise, Godly people.  Don’t just talk with anyone; seek input from people you know to be wise and Godly Christ followers.
6. Previous words
   • Is what you are sensing in-keeping with what you believe the Lord has previously spoken to you?
7. Visualize
   • When I am making a big decision I envision myself in that which I sense the Lord is leading me and gauge the state of my heart.  Am I growing in vision?  Am I excited?  Am I in faith?
8. Stop light
   • I believe living in faith is like living life as a “green light” and waiting for a “red light” – in other words, moving forward until the Lord says stop.  So, once I get a few indications that this could indeed be what the Lord is saying to me I start to move forward and ask the Lord to put up a stop light if I am not hearing Him clearly.

Faith is not necessarily knowing that we know that we know “what to do”, but with a sense of uncertainty we courageously move forward knowing that the Lord loves us, leads us, directs us, guides us, counsels us, watches over us, gives us wisdom, provides for us and will never leave us.

Wow, in light of who the Lord is we can afford to take risks – making courageous, faith-filled decisions journeying with Jesus deeper into His will in us and through us.  Indeed, this is the only way we have been called to live.

We are called to live by faith, and therefore make faith-filled decisions.  Faith is not knowing all the answers and not believing without proof, but trusting without reservation.

Psalm 32:8

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”

Isaiah 30:21

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”

Proverbs 11:14

“For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.”

Philippians 2:13

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

Colossians 3:15

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.”