Know The Vision
Perspectives
These are the Biblical lenses that we here at Rekindling use to view and describe the world. Just as glasses help us see things more clearly, using the following perspectives will allow us to better understand the complexities of life. And this improved knowledge will lead to an improved attitude, which will lead to improved behaviors. To learn about these Perspectives in detail, check out our workshop or purchase the module. [Psalm 119:18]
The 7-Stage Journey
We aim to show Atheists the evidence for a Creator God. We encourage Agnostics to explore a relationship with God. We teach Seekers the evidence for God authoring the Bible and Christ being the path to Heaven. We encourage Believers to go further in their walk with Christ. We cheer on Disciples as they find their niche in life. We joyfully wait with Ambassadors for the return of our King. And we will celebrate with our fellow Co-Heirs in Heaven! [Jeremiah 6:16, Romans 1:19-21, Luke 21:30-31, Deuteronomy 4:29, Romans 10:9, John 8:30-32, Ephesians 2:10, Romans 8:17, etc.]
The 3-fold Passion
We are to love God first and foremost, worshipping, honoring, serving and spending time with Him. We are to receive the love that He showers on us. We are to leap like calves released from the stall and soar on wings like eagles, as we revere His Name. Second, we are to love all others, enemies and friends alike. We are to go out of our way to find opportunities to impact and be useful towards others. We are to forgive, encourage and fellowship with those around us. And third, we are to love ourselves. We are to see ourselves as God sees us (i.e., He delights in us and we should delight in ourselves too!). And we are to discover and pursue and enjoy our unique God-crafted calling/niche/purpose in life. Doing this is a win-win-win situation for all involved.
[Mark 12:29-31, Ecclesiastes 4:12, 1 Peter 2:21, Ephesians 5:2, Matthew 20:28, 1 John 4:21, Philippians 2:4, Romans 12:10, Hebrews 10:24, Proverbs 3:8, Galatians 6:10, Psalm 133:1, etc.]
Eternal-Internal-External
We need to first look upward and view things on an Eternal level, a bird's-eye type view. We must see our situations as God does and we must learn and apply the Biblical principles that relate to those situations. Then we can turn inward, first empathizing with the feelings, thoughts and ideas of others and then recognizing our own. As we get a better grip on those things, we can finally turn outward, and focus on the external parts of life, the circumstances and factors that we are dealing with. By addressing everything in this order, we will find that we make much more impactful decisions. And our attitude will be based on the constant Eternal things, rather than the fluctuating External things.
[2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Genesis 50:15-21, Acts 5:40-42, Matthew 26:36-43, etc.]
Be-Do-Have
Instead of saying, Once I have more money or time, then I will do the things I am supposed to and that will make me become the person I should be, we should instead be thinking, I need to become the person God designed me to be, then I will be ready to do the things He asks of me and then He will give me the resources I need to have to accomplish those tasks. So instead of first focusing on getting more resources, we need to focus on developing and improving our character (according to Biblical teachings). Then we need to ask God what actions He wants us to take as we are maturing in those areas, and then patiently receive the resources He gives to follow through. It's harder to do things in this order (because it takes a lot longer to work through), but it is more rewarding and more effective by far.
[Matthew 14:14-21. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 shows the importance of character first. 1 John 3:18 shows that action must follow character. 1 Chronicles 29:16 shows that God provides the resources we need for the tasks He commands of us.]
The Spectrum
In general, we should avoid extremes. Moderation and balance tend to be God's Way of doing things. Just as it is easier to stand on a teeter-totter (or see-saw) with one plank resting on the ground and one in the air, we find it easier to lean towards one extreme or another (liberal vs. conservative, tongues-are-of-the-Devil vs. tongues-are-required-for-Heaven, mercy vs. justice, etc.). But God finds the perfect balance to all these areas, and we must strive to emulate Him. We will find that others who we saw as complete opposites of us are actually closer to us on the scale than we realize. Being dead center isn't always the goal, but finding the balance between the extremes is.
[Romans 14:1-23, Mark 9:38-41, John 10:16, etc.]
The 7-Fold Life
Jesus pointed out that we have four primary elements in our make-up: Heart, Soul, Mind and Body. These represent the emotional, spiritual, intellectual and physical aspects of our lives. In addition to these four, there are Resources and Relationships that we manage and there is the overall Balance to all of this (the quiet area, the 'be still' and rest aspect). Thus, there are seven total elements or areas of our life that we are to be cognizant of. Understanding and paying attention to all seven areas will provide a healthier way to live.
[Mark 12:29-31, Acts 2:44-47, Psalm 46:10, etc.]
Scripturalism
Jesus said the wise man is he who applies the teachings of God [Matthew 7:24]. Luke points out that the Bereans were of noble character because they eagerly studied the Scriptures [Acts 17:11]. Paul reminds us the Bible is our ultimate resource [2 Timothy 3:16-17]. David is excited that God's Word provides illumination and guidance for living [Psalm 119:105]. Job sees God's Message as more important than food [Job 23:12]. So Scripturalism is the idea that we should not assume God's Will for the various circumstances we face, but rather we should explore, learn and apply the details of the Bible to the details of our life. Matching them is a huge part of Christian living, and extremely rewarding.
[1 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Peter 1:19-21, etc.]