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Born again for something now
Brian Del Turco
April 11, 2024
April 11, 2024
Hey, Friend!
Welcome to The Smart Edit—where we're all about symbiosis, pecking, and hissing. (Yeah, you read that right! Read on.)
In this email:
Word of the Kingdom: We’re born again for something NOW
Tour de times: Headlines
Higher thoughts: Desire, dance, Spirit-quenching
Power quote: Thomas à Kempis: “The cross … awaits you everywhere”
Word wealth: “One accord” attracts blessing
This thing called life: Symbiosis. “Lord, please connect me with a pecker and hisser”
We're adding 'Edit' to our newsletter name starting this week. We're in a little season of iterating the newsletter overall and hopefully you're sensing the value-add.
So, during a recent walk, I had a little lightbulb moment. We're introducing the Inspo Touchstone email powered by The Smart Edit newsletter! Think of it as a quick burst, a B-12 shot to energize your week each Tuesday!
Keep an eye out for this bite-sized email on Tuesdays. And of course the main newsletter will drop in your inbox every Thursday.
And hey, down the line, we'll unlock more features on our email platform and give you the option to choose if you'd like to receive the Tuesday email—because we're about keeping things tailored to your taste.
But I'm thinking you'll like it. 🤔 If you haven't seen it yet, you can check out the very first Inspo Touchstone email. It’s about a powerful Faith Process Jesus gave us to apply to any need, challenge, or potential.
👂️ Hear the latest JesusSmartX podcast episode: Carpe Kairos: Making God-given Opportunities Count -- Jesus Espresso episode
WORD OF THE KINGDOM
We’re born again for something NOW
You and I are recreated in Christ Jesus for good works. Unique things. It’s more than going to heaven someday. The question is will we live out everything God has prepared for us?
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV).
We are his workmanship — it’s a creative, artistic, design term in the Greek. We get our word poem from this Greek word. We’re remade in Christ to execute on unique things he has prepared for us to do!
I want to think and pray in these categories …
🎯 The Father has special plans for us which he has prepared in advance.
🔷 As we’re recreated in Christ, we’re connected to those unique plans.
⚡️ By faith, we get to walk them out with Christ-Energy.
It’s about your story in Christ, but in relation with others in the Body of Christ
We’re so good at individualizing everything in the West. Resist that. It’s limiting. Look to the Spirit to be rightly engrafted into a company of believers — the local church.
We have individual stories that fit into the Grand Story of Jesus. But we’re meant to run with others in the pursuit of the good works God has prepared for us.
In fact, I believe there are some things we quite probably will not experience without it.
The giftings within the Body of Christ will draw out more of your potential. And you will do the same for others. Everything then rises.
Take your actions to leaders in the Lord whom you respect and who want you to win in your calling and assignments. Don't hesitate to seek their perspective and input.
Know this too: We may need to join close-knit, specialized Kingdom Clusters. These groups can be found within our local community of faith. Or sometimes require reaching beyond local churches to find.
There is a Kingdom webbing with believers between churches that is often necessary. I believe this is an edge the Holy Spirit is developing with some. Especially on strategic Kingdom initiatives.
AWARE AND ENGAGED
Tour de times
Thousands of students attending revival events. Hundreds baptized at public universities.
The Great COVID cover-up. U.S. government officials from 15 federal agencies knew in 2018 that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was trying to create a coronavirus like COVID-19.
Want to be happy? Get married and stay married. Studies show that marriage is an excellent predictor of happiness.
Rising spiritual openness in America (Barna). A majority of U.S. adults desires a spiritual dimension to life. Are Christian leaders ready?
ALL THINGS NEW
Higher thoughts
🤲 Desire expressed: What’s something you want, but haven’t yet asked for? “You do not have because you do not ask?” James 4.2 NASB. And then there’s the issue of asking and not receiving because of this ➡️ go here to learn how to self-sabotage your prayers (JesusSmart.com).
💃 Dance floor: From the verdant Eden to the celestial Garden City, the New Jerusalem descending from above. There’s a dance between heaven and earth. Even now … can you believe? And at its heart? Intimate, conversational prayer.
🔥 Quenching the Spirit: Mario Murillo says the Modern American Church treats the Holy Spirit like the Political Left treats Ivermectin. It’s not the certified channel. Another agenda is at play.
POWER QUOTE
Thomas à Kempis: “The cross … awaits you everywhere.”
“The cross, therefore, is always ready; it awaits you everywhere. No matter where you may go, you cannot escape it, for wherever you go you take yourself with you and shall always find yourself.” — Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ
Methodist founder John Wesley said The Imitation of Christ was the best summary of the Christian life he ever read.
What if we just embraced a CROSS-CONSCIOUSNESS? Everywhere. With everyone. All the time. The daily cross = liberty. Death to self releases authority, life, joy. Being conformed to Christ frees our true identity. Dare we say it? “Let’s practice the cross life.”
WORD WEALTH
“One accord” attracts blessing
🔓️ Unlocking the meanings of key words in the Bible offers insights into the potential of Kingdom living.
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Acts 2.1 NKJV
Jesus ascended and the disciples and others were praying in the Upper Room waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. The Greek word for "with one accord" is "homothumadon" — it's all about unity, agreement, and having a single mind and purpose. The Holy Spirit descended upon them in an unprecedented way because they were in harmony. Our world today is rife with chaos and division. It's a spiritual battle. Authentic Christ-followers stand out! As we unite in “one accord”, dynamic things happen. So, let's invite the Holy Spirit to lead us into that same state of “one accord” in marriage and family, friendships, work and business, and with our fellow Christ-followers.
THIS THING CALLED LIFE
We all need some symbiosis
Nature's amazing. It teaches.
Consider the Oxpecker and Water Buffalo. They've got this symbiotic thing going on. The Oxpecker eats parasites off the buffalo, plus gives it a heads-up with a hissing call when danger's around. It's like having your own personal bodyguard and cleaner in one package!
Symbiosis. Don’t we all need to be freed from parasites and hissed at when danger is near? Pray this: “Lord, nature is talking to me. Connect me with a pecker and hisser. Amen.” 🙄
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Appreciate you.
Brian Del Turco
JesusSmart.com
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