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It's not about us.
It's all about Him.

Richness in Christ

Words That Burn in My Heart

Riches in Christ and Finishing Well

It has been said that in the Bible there are over 400 leaders mentioned, but only about 80 of them finished well.

Strong lives, strong homes and strong nations begin with strong individuals. Everyone who signed the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights was able to do so because they, as individuals, had their act together. In other words, they knew where they stood with God.

In walking the Jesus Journey, living in richness with Christ and taking Cornerstone Communities to the homes and the nations of the world, I, Chuck Tooman, need to make sure that God the Father and Jesus the Son are first in my life. I need to be able to say without reservation that Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour of my life. I need to believe, as it says in I John 5:4,5: "...every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory. 5And the ones who win this battle against the world are the ones who believe that Jesus is the Son of God." And I need to heed the words of the prophet Isaiah that, "If you do not stand firm for your faith, you will not stand at all." (7:9)

Some basics
To live that kind of life in whatever role I serve, requires some basics far beyond what the "would be leader" is willing to adopt. Believe me when I say that there are some basics that, if you make them the center of your being, you can withstand anything the world throws your way or any given day and you will walk in richness with Christ.

Warning
This is not "When I get time", stuff. This is leadership and lifestyle that either you will pay the price or you will simply plop in a puddle. You'll be greatly tempted to compromise at every level. Satan is sly at getting you to think, "Tomorrow is good enough", and that just thinking about intimacy in Christ is just as acceptable as the reality.

But remember this promise from I Corinthians 10:12,13: ... remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.

The basics, in addition to seeking a lifestyle of worship, that work for me are as follows:
Memorizing Six Characteristics of God
Omnipotent
Omniscient
Ever Present
Immutable
Immortal
Sinless

Memorizing the Ten Commandments

I am the Lord your God. Do not worship any gods besides me.
Do not make idols of any kind.
Do not misuse God's name.
Remember to honor the Sabbath by keeping it holy.
Honor your Father and Mother.
Do not murder.
Do not commitment adultery.
Do not steal.
Do not testify falsely against your neighbor.
Do not covet.

Memorizing the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-

"God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.
God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
God blesses those who are gentle and lowly, for the whole earth will belong to them.
God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice, for they will receive it in full.
God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers. 12Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too.

NOTE: The Beatitudes is the completion side of the Ten Commandments. It is balancing law and love.

Memorizing and wearing the armor of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:13-18)
The belt of truth.
The body armor of righteousness.
Shoes of peace, for sharing the Good News.
Shield of faith
Helmet of salvation
The Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God
Praying in the power of the Holy Spirit

Living the Shield of Faith:
My friend Angela Sedgwick has written, "The shield of faith is an invisible force surrounding Christians from attacks of the devil. The shield of faith is built by believing the truth. When we believe lies instead of truth our shield is weakened and allows evil forces to gain ground in our lives. In order to remain strong in the Lord and protected by His love we must fight the battle of our minds by speaking and claiming what is true. (And always keep in mind that for some reason it is easier to believe lies.) It truly is a war that we're in. We must live by the truth, speak what God says is true, and follow the ways of the Kingdom of God. He is the God of Peace and we can abide in His peace when we are living shielded by faith which is built on truth."

Memorizing Psalm 1.

Focusing on at least one scripture verse per week

Believing that God's Word is totally true and trust-worthy.

Believing that Jesus Christ is God's Son, being totally and completely surrendered to him, and seeking to live every day in intimate communion with him.

Prayer of Divine Surrender
Frequently I pray a Prayer of Divine Surrender, taught to me by my good friend Bill Bright: Heavenly Father, I know that my body is the temple of your Holy Spirit and so I give you total permission to move around in me any way you choose today. Work through my mind, see through my eyes, hear through my ears, speak through my lips, love through my heart, embrace through my arms, serve with my hands, go with my feet. Take total and complete control, supervise my thoughts, attitudes, action and desires so that you may have the maximum glory. Amen.

Journaling
Any notebook will do. Simply write down what you have on your heart that you want to tell Jesus. You can also begin by just saying, "Jesus, share with me what's on your heart", and then write down what you feel him pressing upon your heart.

Prayer of Divine invitation
And then frequently I pray a Prayer of Divine Invitation taught to me by another good friend, Robert Fitts: Father, on this day lead me to someone who is hurting or who needs God. Give me the wisdom to know when that happens, and the grace to minister the love of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Do them early
Doing those things at the beginning of my day prepares me for the day with a firm and eternal foundation. Some times I miss a few but essentially those things, plus prayer and scripture, comprise the beginning of my day. Much of it can be done while running, walking, biking, hiking or whatever else your favorite exercise happens to be.

Stay in the Word
First of all, it is the Sword of the Spirit. Of all the items of spiritual warfare, the Word is the only offensive weapon. The rest are defensive. Secondly, the Word is sharper than any two-edged sword. If you are not reading the Word then you are fighting with a dull sword! Stay in the Word!

Perfection? Too Holy?
Now, does all that mean that I am perfect? Not at all; but neither am I in bondage. What all this does mean is that like King David, when I stumble or fall, I go to my knees in confession and repentance and seek to be restored to the joy of his salvation and the granting of a willing spirit to sustain me. God loved David and David knew it; David also knew that the future of his kingdom depended on a rich relationship with God the Father and His kingdom.

God loves Chuck Tooman, and I know it. I also know that the future of anything he calls me to do depends on a right relationship with him.