Living Proof Live, Laramie: Notes

After a conference, I pretty much always type up my notes succinctly and print them out, sticking them in my Bible at the passage from the weekend. It helps keep it all fresh in my mind. Do you do that too?

This may get long, though I'll try to keep it succinct!

(By the way, my thoughts are in parentheses--some of what I've been thinking, not necessarily what Beth said.)

So, grab your Bible and head to Psalm 66. We're talking about "Strict Training."

"He trained us first..."

Psalm 66:10, The Message

(I love this. All too often we're ready to head to that place of abundance, that well-watered place so often mentioned in Scripture. But we forget that there's a journey to get there. We don't get to apparate like in Harry Potter, we have to get there the old-fashioned way: one step, one day at a time. At it takes training. Strict training.)

Here's the challenge Beth gave: 

Are we willing to train?

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 shows us what it looks like:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly. I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave...

What if we told ourselves no? What if we said no to the flesh to say yes to the Spirit? What if we remembered that just because all things are permissible, not all things are beneficial? 

What do we want to be like when we grow up? What if we kept that in mind and pursued it with concentration, rather than aimlessly running and hoping somehow we might end up there at the end?

So how does God train us?

(It helps me to remember that God is the one who trains us. Yes, we have work to do. But not on our own, with our own power. It is God's power that works within us, causing us to act. If we try to do this on our own, in our own power, it's not going to last. At least I know it won't for me. I'll go a week or a month and then slack off. I need God pushing me, spurring me to action.)

1. He trains us to think bigger.

As big as God is--creator of the whole universe--he is focused on us. He created heaven and earth to have some place to put us.

Out of the whole universe, his eye is focused here on earth, on us.

Take a look at Ephesians 1:4-6 in The Message:

Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

God is HUGE!

2. He trains us to praise louder.

Psalm 66:1-2 says we are to make his praise glorious! The Hebrew word for glorious is kabod and has to do with weight and how heavy something is. Worth was measured by weight in the ancient Near East. Our praise shows the worth of God, gives an impression of his worth to those around us.

Another word in the definition of kabod is "copious"--one Beth had us say a lot. How copious, how big, how huge is God to us?

What is he worth to us? Does our praise reflect that?

Never forget that our praise silences the Enemy. Psalm 8:2 says so. If he's attacking, whispering lies, the sure way to make him shut up is to praise God. Out loud. Loudly.

(Of course, not all praise is loud. There are times we must be appropriate to our surroundings. Sometimes praise is even silent. However, the car is an awesome place to praise louder. Especially driving alone--turn it up and sing your heart out!)

3. He trains us to live livelier.

In The Message, Psalm 66:9 says, "Didn't he set us on the road to life? Didn't he keep us out of the ditch?"

We are meant to live. Really live. To be interesting! 

A couple of quotes from Beth:

"You can't ride if you're driving!" God is ready to take us on the ride of our lives, but we have to let him drive. Our job is to enjoy the ride.

"Stay in your own lane!" Beth told the story of a boy she knows who won the gold medal at the Special Olympics. He came in dead last in his race, but won the gold because he was the only runner to stay in his own lane. We can't run our race trying to be someone else, trying to live life in someone else's lane.

(Our pastor preached on joy, on happiness on Sunday. And made the point that as believers, we should be happier than the world around us. We should have something--even in the midst of heartache--that makes the world take notice. Our lives should be fuller, richer, happier. We should live the kinds of lives that others want too!)

4. He trains us to prove mightier.

Trials and tests that come our way are designed to prove our faith genuine. To show that we are not frauds, but full of real faith that stands the test.

1 Peter 1:6-9 says this:

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

(There's that idea of joy again! Funny how that keeps popping up.)

Satan is betting on us. That we will faith. That we will prove unfaithful and that in the midst of trials that we will think that God himself has proved unfaithful. That's what he's after.

But God is betting on us too. That we will prove genuine. Will we trust his faith in us? Will we have faith not just in God, but in what God could do through us?

Beth reminded us of Peter walking on the water. He trusted that Jesus could walk on water. He never doubted that. What he doubted was his own ability to do what Jesus called him to do. That God could do it for him. Part of Psalm 66 is remembering what God did for Israel (see v. 5-7). If God did it for them, he can do it for us.

Verses 8-12 describe some common experience in the lives of those who move from bondage to abundance. 

"You brought us into prison," literally, a net. God often allows us to be caught in a snare so we realize we are created for freedom. We are meant to resist bondage! And when we know what it's like, we appreciate freedom all the more.

"You laid burdens on our backs." Burdens and pressures will get heavier over time. That's the nature of addiction. Again, it's going to get worse and worse until we start to resist it and are desperate to be free.

"Men ride over our heads." This often involves actual people and things like jealousy, unforgiveness. We must learn PMPG: People make poor gods.

"We went through fire and water." Two extremes to describe two types of experiences--being burned and drowning. But both fire and water are used by God to cleanse.

(My coffee got cold...off to get a refill... Okay, let's do the second half. Told you it would be long!)

5. He trains us to emerge pure.

Purity is a priority to God in 2009--no matter what the culture around us says. God's power operates in purity; we must turn from all forms of impurity. Impurity will erode our souls.

Impurity often looks like verse 18: Cherishing sin in our hearts. Dwelling on it, not letting it go. This will hinder our prayers! 

We must be sorry for our sin, pray for godly sorrow.

Beth talked about being stuck here. About wanting to move into abundance, about wanting the Spirit to move in and through our lives with power. But for some of us, we just aren't getting there. We want passion and power, we pray for it, but we're not getting it. This could be the heart of the matter. She described sin that we still think about with longing, sin we know in our heads was wrong, but in our hearts we miss. That's cherished sin.

Her instruction was to pray for sorrow over it. To ask God to help us hate our sin. And she warned the consequences will often continue until we let go of it.

(One of the things that struck me about this was how this affects Audrey and Emma. I want them to know "I am expensive!" early. To be mighty women of God early. Not to wait until they grow up. As they get older and we talk about issues of sexuality and such, I want them to see that it's only a part of purity. That purity is about what they eat, what they wear, what they read. That purity is a whole life thing.)

6. He trains us to follow through better.

Verses 13-14 describe fulfilling vows we've made to God when we were in trouble. The "I'll do _____ if you only get me out of here!" kinds of prayers we've all prayed. The vows we've made to God but haven't kept.

What have we promised but not done? That's the heart of this point. It might not be easy, but if there's something we know we need to follow through on when we listen to our hearts, then we need to do it. And not be surprised that a kept vow always demands a sacrifice.

"Quit putting it off!"

(I don't know about you, but follow through is something I could use. Especially as we look to this move and this next year and the hopes and dreams we have for it. I want to follow through on the plans we've made. To think about what I want to be and then be that!)

7. He trains us to pass the Word plainer.

Verse 16 describes the power of a personal testimony. We must testify to others what God has done for us.

As Beth said, "We are responsible for the next generation. Our job is to show the next generation how to live."

(Again, this so made me think of this next year--and the years to come--and all of my hopes for teaching Audrey and Emma to be mighty women of God. Early. And here's where I need the follow through too. What am I waiting for? Just do the thing!)

Beth had all the women under 30 sit on the floor, and everyone over 30 sit up in the stadium seating. She had us do a pledge to each other that was so amazing. And she made no apologies for insisting that every single one of us needs to take someone younger under our wing to show them how to live this victorious life. Every one of us. Whether we think we have it figured out or not. We are all responsible.

She also issued a one-year challenge to us. To pray every day for one year for a heart to love God more than anything else. To commit to training for this next year. And to be prepared for the work God will do if we will commit.

(I'm in. Every day for one year to pray for a heart to love God more than anything else. To pray for an appetite for his Word. Are you in?)

8. He trains us to trust him deeper.

Verse 20: "Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!"

This love of God is hesed. It is loyal love, faithful love. Love that will not fail. Cannot fail.

(Again, we are in strict training with God. And with each other! We are not alone, not running aimlessly trying to figure out how to make this work. God is at work with us. He will never leave, never forsake. He's with us every step of the way, cheering us on, helping us up when we trip and fall. His love for us is real. And when we get to the finish line, "IT'S ALL TRUE!")

So, are you ready to enter into some strict training? (As Beth said, "Don't be a sissie!")

Comments

[Susan]

Going to print this out and see what He has to say to ME about it! I have totally been a sissy lately!

Thanks for doing this.

Love ya.

me

[Lisa]

Thank You for going to this work! Those of us who were unable to attend greatly appreciate it!
Blessings ~ Lisa

[toknowhim]

I was not there, but this message is so timely for the season that I am in... I love the one year challenge too.

Thanks for sharing :)

[fuzzytop]

Thanks Joanne! I also printed this out so I can re-read it with my Bible in hand.

Adrienne

P.S. Loved your photos! It was so good to see some of my siesta friends!

[Lora @ By the Lamp Light]

Tears in my eyes - thank you Joanne for sharing the words Beth shared. I took the challenge Beth put out at a LPL event in NC to pray for one year "For an insatiable love for Him and His Word". I would have never thought to pray this on my own. I can tell you, after a year of praying, I'd find myself waking up thinking about Him and His Word instead of all the other things that use to occupy my mind. Thank you again for sharing the notes.

[Georgia Jan]

Joanne: I cannot thank you enough for taking your precious time to do this! WHAT MARVELOUS NOTES!

I knew they would be great because you are such a great writer!

This is the next best thing to being there...

Much love,
Jan

[Dedra Herod]

Thank you so much for posting your notes..it's almost as if I was sitting right there hearing her say the words and chatting with you about it after! Such a needed and great word. Love you - D

[MK]

Thank you so much for sharing your notes with everyone. What an amazing talent and what an amazing message.
And thanks for sharing the pictures! Loved seeing familiar pictures (as I am originally from Cheyenne)and the pictures of those we see just a snapshot of on the LPM blog.
So glad to find this one!

[Kristy]

Oh, it sounds like I would have LOVED to have been there. If I could - or if they are available, I would love to buy copies of all of her conferences. That would be a treasure.

Many of the things you wrote about has challenged me. One of the things is that I often get so "charged" by a message like you heard, and do so great at first, then like you said, return to my old self and my old ways soon.

Also about the purity - in raising my children.

Thanks for sharing!

[Elizabeth]

WOW! What a great message! Thank you for sharing your notes with the rest of us! I wish I could have been there in person but this is a good second hand way to hear Beth's teaching!

[Kim Feth]

Finally got a quiet morning to review these notes as a my QT. Thanks for that! Yep, I'm in the one year challenge with you. I think I may have to repeat this tomorrow morning so I can get it all in my thick head. Wow, with everything going on in our lives right now, this word did not return void. Thank you so much.
Peace,
Kim Feth
Apex, NC

[Holly @ Crownlaiddown]

I came by to see if you had the rest of "agonizomai." I am missing the final sentence.

Praying for your wonderful time at the lake!!

Lots of love to you, friend!

[SuperMomV]

Thanks for this!
I was not there, but I do plan to study this!

Blessings,
SuperMomV