Poet and preacher John Donne wrote, “No man is an island, entire of itself…”    This  is  especially  true  of
Christ followers and is the necessary practice of those who have been baptized together by the Spirit into one body.  In fact, we are an integral part of one another as believers.  We need each other for the sake of encouragement, mutual ministry, fulfillment of our shared mission, and personal character development.

I have learned that accountability is not a “system” but an approach to life and relationships that values transparency, consistency, and mutual submission.  Because I know my own weakness and pride, but want to live an authentic life, I must pursue accountability regularly – and for a lifetime.

By way of application, consider these questions that might help us all move toward a more genuine accountability for the sake of our authenticity:

1. Am I willing to submit my personality, approach, accomplishments, and plans to other godly believers without reacting in pride and defensiveness? If not, why not?

2. Am I willing to get into a regular covenant relationship with other believers who will care for me, be honest with me, and help me in my spiritual journey? If not, why not? If so, when will I start and what will it look like?

3. Who do I know that could become a source of honest feedback without fear of reprisal or reaction on my part? Can I contact them this week? Can I get into a routine of honest, transparent communication about my life, my struggles, my attitudes, my relationships, and my plans for the future?

4. If I do not do this, what consequences might occur? If I do take this step, what blessings might I expect?

Proverbs 18:1-2 says, “A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment.  A fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart.” We have all felt the temptation to withdraw from those who tell us things we need to hear but do not like to hear.  Yet, staying the course and pursuing truth-telling relationships is the key to understanding – and ultimately, an authentic life.          (DANIEL HENDERSON)

In our current crisis here, it is impossible to foresee all of the details of what’s coming.     However,     three very important principles emerge out of the book of Habakkuk that are as relevant to us today as they were to Habakkuk in his day.

1.   GIVE REVERENT SUBMISSION TO A SOVEREIGN GOD
“But the LORD is in His holy temple.  Let all the earth be silent before Him” (Habakkuk 2:20).  No matter how bad the times may become, we must always remember that God is in control.  Thus, ours is not to complain or argue with God, but reverently submit to His wise providence, regardless of what form it takes.

2.  OFFER EARNEST PRAYER FOR REVIVAL IN JUDGMENT
“LORD, I have heard the report about You and I fear.  O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2).  We may initially react to bad economic and political news with fear.  But there is another option, . . . revival. Habakkuk prays that God would breathe new spiritual life into His nation “in the midst of the years”—in other words, during this undefined period of judgment that lay just ahead.  There is always hope that God will awaken His sleeping people, purify them, and invest them with new spiritual power.  And this should be our prayer at the present time.

3.  MAINTAIN CONFIDENT JOY IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING
Habakkuk closes his prophecy by admitting that he was shaking on the inside, his lips were quivering, and he felt weak because of the coming “day of distress” at the hands of the Chaldeans (Habakkuk 3:16).  But he gathers his resolve and declares that in the face of adverse economic conditions, he will rejoice in the Lord. “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

So if our economy disintegrates in the coming months, we won’t need to join the chorus of desperation and despair.  We must not seek our refuge in gold or foreign currency or government sponsored bailouts.  Our hope is in the Lord.  That’s how we will survive a collapsing economy!

1. You will understand the Bible better in a small group: Preaching and teaching is one way communication. You listen while the speaker speaks. It´s fine for imparting knowledge but not as effective for personal application. In a small group setting, you can ask questions, participate in a discussion of the text, and hear others share insights and illustrations of the truth you are trying to grasp. The Bible must be applied to your own personal situations and that happens best in small groups.

2. You will begin to really feel like part of God´s family: Most people who have been a part of a group say the greatest benefit is the close relationships and friendships that develop. They will frequently telephone each other during the week to share an urgent prayer request or an exciting answer. You´ll discover that your needs and problems are not unique ~ we´re all in the same boat. It helps to know that others are facing the same difficulties, or have lived through them and learned spiritual principles in the process.

3. Prayer will become more meaningful to you: Many people are hesitant to pray in front of others, especially in a large church. In a small group, you will learn to participate in prayer by having a conversation together with God. No one is pressured to pray, but as you become comfortable, you´ll be able to pray and be drawn together and we find answers to the needs in our lives.

4. You will be able to handle stress and pressure better: Small groups provide excellent support in times of crisis, change, and stress. You´ll have a sense of stability and security knowing there are people who really care for you and are committed to standing with you. When someone loses a job, or a family member has an extended illness, or a mother needs a babysitter – these are practical needs that will be naturally taken care of through your small group.

5. You will have a natural way to share Christ with friends and relatives: It may be that some of your friends who don´t know the Lord wouldn´t be caught dead in a church. They have a preconceived idea and just the thought makes them defensive. But those same people may be open to an invitation to a small group gathering in a home. In a small group, your unbelieving friend can ask questions and express honest doubts without feeling “put on the spot”. When your friend sees the love and warmth and honesty of your group, it will make him more receptive to the Good News.

6. You will develop leadership skills you never knew you had: The Bible teaches that every believer is given certain talents or “gifts” to benefit others in the family of God. Unfortunately most Christians remain as Sunday morning spectators all their lives because large group meetings are primarily “sit and listen” situations. As you share and participate in a relaxed small group setting, you´ll discover your confidence and self-esteem rising. This will help you at work, at church, and in every other relationship.
(RICK WARREN)

Take a minute and think about these questions:
-Where is your cell phone?
-How many times have you looked at it today?
-How much time did you spend on it?

Now, think about this:
-Where is your Bible?
-How many times have you read it today?
-How much time did you spend reading it?

In our world today, life is full of distractions, like our phones. I would go so far to say that technology is an obsession. What would happen if Christians today were just as obsessed with the Bible and their relationship with the Lord? I find that many people who are not Christians are more well-read in the Bible than a lot of Christians. How are we supposed to be effective and educated disciples without knowing the Bible? The Bible is our own personal armor and arsenal in weapons of truth, faith, hope, and love. We cannot put God’s gift to us to good use without knowing what it says.

The world is obsessed with technology and other distractions. I am going to challenge you today to become focused. Become just as obsessed with the Bible and with God. Wouldn’t it be awesome if Christians were as familiar with the Bible as the world is with their phones? What kind of boldness in ministering would that produce?

What obsessions are taking up your time today?
(KATIE TAGGART)

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:18 KJV)

This verse is the capstone to the paragraph on spiritual armour. (Ephesians 6:10-17)  Praying ties all the pieces together. It could be argued that, without prayer, the pieces of armour are of little use.

Praying Always
We are to always pray.  There is never a time or circumstance that we should not be praying. (Praying is not always out loud! C.H. Spurgeon said: “…the use of the voice is not an essential element in prayer…it is clear that audible language is not essential to prayer.” It is impossible for us to continue praying unceasingly in an audible way). To always pray is a command. It is not optional.

All Prayer
We are to pray with all prayer. Some commentary writers and other Bible versions say, all kinds of prayer.  All kinds, that is, “in public, in the family, in the closet, in business, on the way, in the heart without a voice, and with the voice from the heart”1, and using all the parts of prayer, “confession of sin, petition for mercy, and thanksgiving for favours received.”

In The Spirit
We are to pray in the Spirit, that is, “with the heart, soul and spirit engaged in it…without hypocrisy, in a spiritual way, and with fervency, and under the influence, and by the assistance of the Spirit of God.”

For All Saints
One specific object of our prayers should be for all the saints. Not just some of the saints. Not just for the lost. Not just for our own problems, our own families, our own churches, etc., but for all saints, “of every nation, age, sex, and condition, in all places, and of every denomination.”                         (CHERYL COPE)

It was the first day of soccer practice and the coach handed a ball to each player. “Boys,” he said, “I want you to practice shooting on the goal from the spots you might expect to be in during the game.” One of the boys who was pretty much there as a substitute, in fact he was player twelve, immediately sat down on the bench and began shooting the ball toward the goal.

You might say that boy didn’t expect to play much. And I suppose he was just trying to get a laugh out of his teammates. But, there are some people who sit on the bench, because that’s where they’ve gotten used to being. They never strive to be much more than that, because they don’t believe in themselves enough to put in the extra effort and practice to change their status. And because of that they’re always going to sit on the bench.

The same can be said for Christianity, it seems we have made it into a spectator sport as well. We just sit in the church building, listen to the songs, listen to the sermons and never really get involved in the game. Christians today need to realize that, like it or not, they are in the game. A battle is being fought and you are on the front lines. If you are not up and ready for battle then you are in danger of being overcome. We need to put our faith into action and get involved in the spiritual battle that is taking place around us.

It takes the FULL ARMOR OF GOD to battle with Satan. We must be active in this battle and pursue the way God has provided to defend ourselves.

The ENEMY? Well, there’s a 3-fold assault going on against us.
• The WORLD, the FLESH, and the DEVIL.
• We have our own FLESH wanting our old life back.
• We have the WORLD trying to drag us back.
• And we have the DEVIL making sure it all goes according to plan

Christians need to realize that it’s a BATTLE not a Playground. In Fuzzy Memories, the author Jack Handey writes: “There used to be this bully who would demand my lunch money every day. Since I was smaller, I would give it to him. Then I decided to fight back. I started taking karate lessons, but the instructor wanted $5 a lesson. That was a lot of money. I found that it was cheaper to pay the bully, so I gave up karate.”

Too many Christians believe it’s easier to pay the bully than learn how to defeat him. Might I add that many Christians, don’t realize they are living on a BATTLEFIELD and not a PLAYGROUND. It takes the FULL ARMOR OF GOD to battle with Satan. We must be active in this battle and pursue the way God has provided to defend ourselves.                              (RODNEY FRY)

Not all parents have the same success in rearing godly children. Indeed, some godly parents have children who turn out to be rebellious and disobedient to God. They have done their jobs as parents but the children, sometime under peer influence or something else, choose to live a different lifestyle.

There are some occasions when parents’ mistakes are obvious and result in “provoking children to wrath” (Eph. 6:4) or otherwise making the children unprepared for life. Here are some mistakes which parents make:

1. Too much guidance. Some parents smother their children with too much guidance. Their children are never able to make a decision of their own; they are never allowed to make a mistake and learn from their mistake by suffering its consequences. These children will be immature.

2. Threatening. Some parents take a dictatorial attitude toward child-rearing (“So long as you are under my roof . . .” ). The parents have the right to manage their home according to their best judgment and the children need to recognize this; however, when this becomes the primary means of controlling behavior, the child decides that he will live like he pleases when he turns eighteen. I have seen several families whose children attended worship faithfully until they turned eighteen and then the children left home and became wild.

3. Teaching children to put other things before Christ. I have witnessed parents inadvertently teaching their children that school work, ball games, recreational activities and jobs takes precedence over the demands of Christ on one’s life. This is done by parents who allow their children to miss worship in order to attend these events. Children are brought up believing that they should attend worship if nothing else is scheduled for that day.

4. Unfair comparisons. Some children are driven to despair and deep-seated anger by constant comparisons with others. Not all children have the same abilities. When one with little math ability is compared to a sibling who excels in math, he may work to his best potential and never achieve the same level of excellence. As parents, we need to give children room to be themselves, encouraging them to reach their own potential, not someone else’s potential.

There are many other ways that we fail as parents. Our children cannot expect perfect parents anymore than parents can expect perfect children. Where affection and love predominate, our failures can be forgiven and heal (1 Pet. 4:8).

The impact of a Christian’s life is enhanced by faithful children. Our efforts to teach the world will carry greater weight when our families demonstrate by their lives the truths which we affirm. May God help every parent among us to rear God-fearing children.                                                    (MIKE WILLIS)