Gift Discovery for Seasoned Citizens

For many years I have coached men and women about finding a career they love. Most of these folks were young and just beginning their careers. Last Sunday I met a young woman who wants to counsel children and families. She asked me about graduate schools and majors. I was happy to give her my experience and advice.

Although I still meet younger people who are wondering how to decide on a career, I am now talking with a lot of men and women in their Fifties who are trying to discern what to do about a second half career or ministry. As a result I have developed a check list process designed to facilitate self understanding of gifts, talents, skills and how they interact with personal experiences.

Over the next few months we will be having some workshops and classes where Seasoned Believers can gather and do some easy self analysis to see what God is saying to them for the next stage of development. Stay tuned for an announcement.

Taking Every Thought Captive

I am again teaching the classic course, Rational Christian Thinking, that I first developed and wrote back in the eighties. Pastor Brad Rosenberg asked me to train his staff and Lay leaders how to live in the freedom of Christ and I agreed.

Because his wife Angie had gotten so much out of the training before she asked Brad to let everyone attend so young mothers like her could benefit from the training and rear their children free of fear and anxiety. So, we are teaching over 100 adults each Wednesday evening at Tri County Assembly of God in Fair field, Ohio north of Cincinnati.

It is a thrill to be able to "Equip the saints to DO the work of ministry" and I love training them in ways to "Renew their minds" according to the Bible. The students are eagerly lapping up the information and responding with great interactions in the class.

Over the next few posts I will write some of the basic principles of biblically renewing the mind so the readers can start getting free from cultural, social and devilish ideas. I am amazed at how many Spirit filled Christians are ensnared in old fleshly ways to thinking, feeling and acting yet believe they "Have the mind of Christ."

A mind of Christ is a peaceful mind. It is Free from worry, free from anxiety and free from letting others put them down. They could care less what others think because they know what Jesus thinks.

So, read and reflect on how Gos can set us free from the "Stinking Thinking" that keeps us in bondage.

Facing Death and Eternity with God

Steve Judah has been a good friend as well as a professional colleague for many years. Although he and I grew up across the Wabash River from each other, he in Indiana and I in Illinois, we met in Columbus, Ohio. I became involved with Steve Griebling, a Clinical Counselor at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church in Columbus, and that led to a long friendship with Dr. Judah.


Steve Judah is a Clinical Psychologist with a fine practice in Columbus. He has developed some of the most innovative and creative approaches to mental and emotional health in the World. Steve's commitment to Christ with integration of psychology and theology have been liberating and a witness to Christ. It matched perfectly with that which Steve Griebling and I were doing so we worked together to bring the love, truth and mercy of God to people in pain.


Dr. Judah came down with a terrible form of cancer last year and we have been praying for him, his wife Sharon and kids since we got the news. However, unless God does a radical miracle, Steve will not survive. He is in Hospice and is facing eternity with courage and faith. He recently wrote the following statement on his blog.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Greeting beloved.


This is the most important message I've yet sent to you from my perspective. This morning I had a most surpassing spiritual experience. I want to place it into three parts: (1) the context, (2) the message, (3) and the experience.


(1) The context is that we just decided to pursue hospice care in order to have quality of life for the remainder of my life rather than further treatments or interventions since my diagnosis is terminal. I see this as an opportunity to celebrate the transition between earth and eternity. So with this backdrop I went to sleep at 12:30 am and awakened at 5:30 am with an incredibly crystal clear message.


The message follows: (2) Peace.Life Death. Live a Good Life. Do Good. Accept Salvation through Christ. Die. Live Eternally. Peace.


(3) Lastly let me convey the experience. I had the most overwhelming experience of PEACE that I have ever had in my life. So my wish for you is that you too find Peace as God calls unto you.


Steve, thanks so much for your testimony and thanks be to God for His marvellous grace. May the God of peace keep your heart and soul in His hands.

Gary Sweeten

Abiding is Hard Work

One of the most fascinating aspects of faith in Christ is how hard people work to develop faith rather than works. Not long ago a friend wrote to assure our little band that even though he was a Reformed man full of faith, he had not stopped trying to develop more faith so he could heal more people and have more prayers answered.

In response I wrote up my recent research on abiding in the vine and how to abide better. Here is the summary of my research.

I spent a year researching grapes and how they managed to abide in the vine. I interviewed the big, juicy, fat grapes, since they had mastered the abiding techniques well. It was an intense process because grapes rarely want to share their secrets and hard work of abiding and developing faith.

Gary: Hello, Mr. Grape. You are so big, juicy and well developed you must have worked very hard to get so healthy.
Grape: What!! Are you nuts? I did nothing. I simply hung on to the vine.
Gary: But, Mr. Grape, how were you able to abide so well? It must take a lot of work and faith to make yourself so secure in the vine?
Grape: Where did you study agriculture, the USSR? I am telling you that abiding is resting and I can do nothing on my own. In fact, I have no ability to do anything in the realm of sticking or working to abide more. The vine holds on to me not the other way around.
Gary: So, it was your faith in abiding that allowed you to develop so much juice and produce so much? How did you develop into such a giant of faith? Was it hard to do? What about all your failures?
Grape: What do you mean, develop stronger faith so I could be a “Grape of Great Faith”? I have no idea why you are trying to make this so hard? The vine does it all. I do not even know how to ask the vine for more let alone make it produce better. By the way, you are making me so nervous it may interfere with my juice production. Anxiety makes me have acid and that eats away at my juice production. Why don’t you go interview some apples or figs? Go see how hard they work to grow so large and juicy.
Gary: Well, ladies and gentlemen, there you have it from the horses, er, Grapes' own mouth. They refused to share their secret techniques, exercise regimen and faith building program. That is really too bad and I hope the grapes will write a book on "Becoming a Faithful Grape"! However, I am not confident that they will.

Listen

ECCL 5:1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.Guard your steps.

Put a hedge around yourself; make sure you have appropriate boundaries on your thoughts and actions by self-discipline.

As you go to the house of God. This is the dwelling place or a resting place of the most high. It is not a building but the tabernacle of God. The Tebernacle for Christians is within themselves. As we go inside place boundaries around our heart and mind.

The Tabernacle can also be a prayer group that meets in His Name. Have discipline when you meet with God. Draw near to Shama.

One of the most important words in the Old Testament is Shama. It means, "Give attention, understand with an undivided focus; with a clear mind and heart. Attend to God and interact with Him."

Rather than offering a sacrifice of fools who do not know they are wrong.

What a verse! Some foolish people do not even know they are doing evil (unethical, immoral, or injurious) behavior toward God and man when they meet for prayer but do not listen and only talk.

Abiding in Christ

One of my most important insights on hearing God speak came as I was preparing for our workshop. While reading John 14 it occurred to me that the first part where John says, "Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God believe also in me. In my father's house are many resting rooms and I go to prepare a room for you."

In the hundred times I have heard this passage used as a text for preaching it is in a funeral. Thus, it is famous a s "Funeral Text". But I disagree. That passage is a foundation for living not one for dying.

If we read all of John 14 and 15 it become clear that Jesus is preparing us for the need to "dwell" in one of God's "resting rooms" as Believers in Jesus.

A following text reveals God's plan to enable us to dwell in God. Jesus says, "You will have the Counselor, the Holy Spirit to be with you and in you." This changes everything I do.

As a Pastor, Counselor and Coach I realize that the Counselor has more wisdom, insight and knowledge than I. I was taught in grad school that I was the expert who should be telling others what to do. This statement indicates how badly I was taught.

Now I expect that the Counselor in them and with us can give them guidance and wisdom greater than anything I could think or imagine. What a relief! God has given us both the same Counselor.

We must trust that the Counselor can and will speak. While meeting with a Pastor about training his elders, the term "Legacy" came to my mind. It was somewhat surprising that that term appeared in my thoughts because we were not discussing the future.

About thirty minutes later I said, "We need to remind the Elders that they are influencing the future of their children." He replied, "Legacy is very important to me. I speak on it regularly."

So, God brings things to mind regularly and often if we listen. In the midst of a conversation, while reading or writing the Counselor in me will speak gently, subtly and carefully, so learning to discern is important.

I am still getting notes from our Saturday participants who reveal visions, word's guidance and insights they received during our time together. Thanks for keeping me informed.

Contributions to Sweeten Life Systems are tax deductible and are the only source of income we have to continue our ministry to leaders here and around the world.

Sweeten Life Systems

P.O. Box 498455

Cincinnati, Ohio 45249

Hearing God Stories

Marie Martin and I were praying together at the monthly healing service when a lady came forward and asked for prayer as she knelt. She explained that her cancer had gotten so bad that there was little medical hope for recovery.

Marie and I developed the habit of seeking God before we petitioned Him for healing. So, we asked for guidance and Marie asked the lady a question. "I have the impression that you and your husband are having conflict. Is that correct?"

"No. We are fine," she replied.

So, we bowed in seeking prayer again and for the second time Marie asked about her husband and her relationship. "No, we are fine," she said.

The third time it happened again and Marie said, "I cannot pray for you to be healed of cancer because I keep getting that there is a root of bitterness and anger." This time the lady screamed, "That no good SOB raped my daughters and I hate him."

Marie calmly said, "Well, we need to get that healed first before we pray for cancer." This is why we seek God before we speak to Him about acting.

Gary Sweeten

gsweeten@cinci.rr.com

Hearing God

At the Day of Prayer Saturday we encouraged folks to think about times they had encountered the Lord personally. We heard a variety of stories, starting, for many, with the encounter of conversion.

One of my most memorable encounters came when I was twenty years old and was in my 1957 Ford Fairlane heading as fast as possible for a dance hall and tavern eleven miles south of my home in West City next door to Benton, Illinois. West City was a notorious village where gambling, dance halls and booze dominated the economy and it had a history of violence and underage drinking.

Just south of my home on Route 37 while driving I experienced an encounter with God. I was just passing the Clabber Girl advertisements and headed into the Burma Shave signs when it happened. Not a very likely place or condition for God to break into my consciousness.

Many people talk about the importance of "Deciding to follow the Lord". I had decided a few years earlier to follow Lord Gary. My plans that night proved it. But God had another plan. He chose to interrupt my misery and false sense of importance and bring me back to following Him. I was drawn to faith in Christ at age ten but circumstances and teenage rebellion tempted me to "fun". Now God was reeling me back in.

The car filled up with a heavy, fog-like presence of the Spirit and I distinctly heard His voice. "Gary, choose this day whom you will serve." I was stunned but I knew it was the Lord. My shock came from hearing it so clearly while driving to a gambling and drinking party. That did not fit my theology.

I had been in churches and prayer meetings all my life. My Maternal Grandmother, Mom Taylor, went to house church meetings and often heard the Lord speak. I was around such people so I knew that God was not silent. So, when He spoke, I answered. "Lord, to whom else can I go? Only You have the words of life."

When God chased me down beside the Burma Shave signs it was the beginning of a great ride. It occurred fifty years ago this summer and I have been radically different ever since. Soon afterward I began hunting for a Christian wife and God supplied her. We have over 46 years of bliss together. God is good.

What is your story? Can you remember times when the Holy Spirit showed up in a dramatic or gentle manner? I will relate other times but I want to hear from you.

Gary Sweeten

Sweeten Life Systems

P.O. Box 498455

Cincinnati, Ohio 45249

A lifetime of great relationships

Gsweeten@cinci.rr.com

Day of Seeking God

Almost fifty of us gathered at the Crestview Presbyterian Church in West Chester, Ohio just north of Cincinnati on March 15 for a time of Seeking God's voice. In light of the statement by Jesus that, "My sheep know my voice..." we decided to work on doing just that.

John 10:1 "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

Maybe we are like the Disciples and are confused by this saying. But, we decided to try it out. And we did. Here are a few photos of the church and the day.

God Has A Plan

Many years ago the Lord indicated that we needed to get ourselves ready to travel and minister overseas. We were very excited and wondered where we would be going. We never doubted that the word was genuine so we began to make plans to be ready when called.

During our second LIFE Seminar, a couple of wonderful ladies came from South Africa to learn. That was quite a shock for us. As we talked, they shared a great deal about church life and the racial crisis. SA certainly needed to learn about healing and peace. It seemed obvious that God was going to send me to the tip of Africa to train Believers in prayer, healing and forgiveness. But I was wrong in my assumptions.

A couple of years later a group of us met for prayer at an international conference board meeting. The Lord spoke to us about His plan for pouring out His Spirit in a New Reformation around the world. We believed that our group was supposed to take a major role in renewing Reformed Churches.

Our President mentioned that there was a big international conference in Kenya that he was invited to attend. “Say,” he said, “I think we need to send Gary.” This was confirmation that international travel was in the offering and Africa was looming large.

I attended that conference and it changed my life. I was launched into an world wide ministry of teaching and training.Many organizations in several nations have taken our materials to establish training centers. However, I still have not been to South Africa.

During the conference I met Jens-Petter Jorgensen, head of OASE, the renewal group of Norway! God sent me to Africa to meet a Norwegian Lutheran! We have been ministering there ever since and it helps keep me from jumping to so many conclusions.