WHATCHA NEED...IS A CHANGE OF HABIT

Greeting Oh Ye Creatures of Habit...need a CHANGE OF HABIT? Back in 1969...Elvis Presley released his 31st...and last movie called CHANGE OF HABIT. Elvis had just had what came to be known as his comeback in an explosive T.V. special (the one where he wore the black leather suit)... started touring around the country (I saw him for two shows at the Houston Astrodome)...and then taking Las Vegas by storm. The movie...CHANGE OF HABIT starred Elvis as Dr. John Carpenter who runs and inner city clinic. Mary Tyler Moore and Barbra McNair starred as nuns who went undercover without their HABITS (robe and headdress) to see if they could be more effective in their quest to serve the community. Elvis and Mary start to fall in love...and she had to make a choice...her calling or Elvis. Instead of the usual 12 songs that Elvis normally sings in his travelogues... he only sings four songs...the title song, Rubberneckin', Have a Happy, and Let Us Pray.

NOTE: I would like to go on record that I enjoy the Elvis movies...no matter how much corn or hokum there is...even if he breaks out singing Old McDonald Had A Farm (sung in Double Trouble). I know...I know..this may hurt my credibility as a music aficionado..but so be it.

HABITS...can be good...HABITS can be bad...HABITS can be uplifting...HABITS can be detrimental to your health, mind, and life. Depending on the HABITS you choose...you may need a CHANGE OF HABIT.

HABIT: a manner...a repetitive patter...an acquired behavior or pattern regularly followed until it becomes almost involuntary.


Over the years...I have made a PRACTICE...a HABIT...of getting up early. Even if I go to bed late... I get up early. I will be laying in bed...sound asleep...and at 5:00 A.M. Central Standard Time...my eyes open up. I will try to break this habit by rolling over...closing my eyes...count cows leaping over a fence...but still...by HABIT...I am awake. It is like God is giving me a nudge...to get up. "Oh God You are my God...EARLY WILL I SEEK YOUR FACE." (Psalm 63). In the morning you hear my voice O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer for you, a sacrifice] for you, and watch and wait [for you to speak to my heart]. (Psalm 5:2)

I remember back in 1971 when I was at Tennessee Temple Bible School...that I developed a HABIT of getting up....taking a shower....and while in the shower...would PRAY. My modus operandi (M.O.) would be...that I would put no food or drink (ie. coffee...not water). in my mouth before I had time with the Lord. I did this habitually...and there were sweet times with the Lord...where I heard, gained knowledge that remains with me until this day.

Well here is our old friend...Phil Keaggy...jamming. As I write this Rambling...I am listening to Phil's CD...JAMMED...currently with the song Sherloch Ohms playing...going to the next song...Elect Rick. Note in the picture Phil is playing his Les Paul...eyes shut...in the groove. Some would feel that Phil came out of his mother's womb with a mini Les Paul...with his gift in full bloom...playing a rockin' version of Mary Had A Little Lamb. The reason Phil is so good... of course is his natural talent...giftings...abilities...BUT...one of the main reasons is that Phil is always playing...practicing...noodling...jamming. He has a HABIT of picking up his guitar...and running his fingers up and down the fretboard...experimenting with sounds...until it becomes SECOND NATURE. I heard someone say that they went by Phil's hotel room after he had finished playing a concert...and they heard him...still playing his guitar.

There was a group in the 80's called RECESS...who had a song called DISCIPLINE OF THE GROOVE. The song was about how we need to get into the DISCIPLINE OF THE GROOVE in our spiritual walk...and become HABITUAL IN THE THINGS OF GOD.

The NAVIGATORS have a thing called THE TOPICAL MEMORY SYSTEM...where you memorize various verses and study the surrounding context. The first section is an illustration called THE WHEEL. The WHEEL is broken down into various parts...including the hub, the rim, the spokes. If anyone of these sections is not aligned correctly...then you are in for a rough ride. The HUB is CHRIST THE CENTER (II Corinthians 5:17 and Galatians 2:20). The next section is the RIM...OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST (where the rubber meets the road) with (Romans 12:1,2 and John 14:21)...and so forth.

One section of the SPOKES... is FELLOWSHIP. One of the scriptures for this section is...Hebrews 10:24,25 "and let us consider how to STIMULATE one another to love and good deeds...NOT FORSAKING our own assembling together AS IS THE HABIT/MANNER of some...but ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER...and all the more, as you see the day drawing near." NOTE: Still listening to Phil jamming on the song WATT EVER.

Jesus of course is our ultimate example of the habitual...disciplined Son of God. Jesus DISCIPLINED Himself to listen for the voice of the Father...YIELD His will to the Father...and OBEY the Father.

Jesus practiced the HABIT OF PRAYER. In Luke 11:1 we see Jesus..."And it came about that while He was praying...IN A CERTAIN PLACE...after He HAD FINISHED..." Jesus was (1) praying (2) was in a CERTAIN place (3) finished what he had started. After this His disciples said to him...LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY...just as John taught his disciples." (Luke 11:1) This praying was observable...and desirable...but the question is...did the disciples want to DEVELOP THE HABITS...THAT JESUS WALKED IN? In answer to their question...He gave what is known as THE LORD'S PRAYER...and then gave an example of how to be PERSISTENT IN THIS HABIT. This leads into how we are to pray...with HABITUAL PERSISTENCE..."So I say to you...Ask and keep on asking...and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking, and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking...and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives, and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds, and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking...the door shall be opened." (Luke 11:9-10)

FINAL THOUGHTS FINALLY

This thing called HABIT...takes discipline. They say (who is this they)...that to effectively change a habit...break a habit...it takes 21 days of changing the patterns of what you are doing before it becomes NATURAL...without thinking...where it becomes involuntary. If you put your right leg in your pants for 58 years...and then start to put your left leg in first...it will be awkward...until around 21 days. If you have not prayed...read your Bible...fellowship with other believers...witnessed to others about your faith...it will SEEM VERY AWKWARD...until...it becomes A SPIRITUAL, HABITUAL, PATTERN in your life.

In I Timothy chapter 4:7,8,12...Paul encourages Timothy...his son in the faith...to not allow his YOUTHFULNESS...to be a cause for people to look down on him...but to SHOW HIMSELF AN EXAMPLE of those who BELIEVE. If we say we are BELIEVERS...it should be OBSERVABLE. I am convinced...that if we don't DEVELOP the HABITS OF A BELIEVER...people won't see our EXAMPLE OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE...and this comes with US...DISCIPLINING OURSELVES with a PURPOSE...and this PURPOSE...is godliness as seen in
I Timothy 4:7..."DISCIPLINE yourself...for the PURPOSE of godliness." This SELF-DISCIPLINE...this HABIT..."holds promise for the PRESENT LIFE...and for the LIFE TO COME." (I Timothy 4:8)

DISCIPLINE: to practice naked (unencumbered) in the games, to train.

AREAS OF SELF...HABITUAL DISCIPLINE (I Timothy 4:12)

1. Speech (what you say)
2. Conduct (what you do)
3. Love (your motivation)
4. Faith (what you believe)
5. Purity (what you put into yourself spiritually and physically)

This is possible...by GIVING ATTENTION (habitually) to public reading of the Scripture, to exhortation, and teaching. It comes by not NEGLECTING (habitually) the spiritual gift within you which was bestowed upon you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. (I Timothy 4:13-14)

For this to be accomplished...it takes discipline...habit...

"TAKE PAINS with these things...BE ABSORBED in them...SO that your progress may be evident to all. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to YOURSELF and YOUR TEACHING...PERSEVERE IN THESE THINGS." (I Timothy 4:15,16) The cause and effect of HABITUALLY DOING THESE THINGS....(1) you will insure salvation for yourself (2) those who hear you.

FINAL THOUGHTS FINALLY...NO REALLY...I MEAN IT THIS TIME

When the writer of Hebrews...was talking about Jesus...and those who HAD BECOME DULL OF HEARING (bad habits developed)...the writer encouraged them...to PRACTICE (same word for discipline) their senses to become TRAINED...to discern (1) good (2) evil. If you do NOTHING...you are actually DEVELOPING BAD HABITS. This HABITUAL LIFESTYLE FOR THE GOOD...is a choice...and must be with KEEPIN' ON KEEPIN' ON...PERSEVERANCE...HANGING IN LIKE A BITIN' SOW...WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE...AND WHEN YA DON'T FEEL LIKE IT.

Love and Habitual Kisses
Rodney "Change of Habit (the bad ones)" Boyd