By request I am posting this discussion to my blog so that we don't have to fill up each other's emails by replying to all. So here are the original questions from Pastor Mark Barlow one more time...men, please encourage your wives to contribute to this discussion!
1) What is the Church not doing that it is supposed to be doing? When I say "Church", I mean the real body of Christ.
2) What are we Biblically failing at or what are we not doing well enough? In other words, what needs to be amped up?
3) What can we do to become more like the Church we are supposed to be?
Giddy up Blogstaz!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Real Salvation and Perspective on Evangelism
I have recently been listening to John MacArthur on the radio and he just finished up a sermon series that accompanies his book, "The Gospel According to Jesus". My eyes have really been opened to realize just how many people are being deceived of their salvation. I was thinking about this yesterday and I actually came to this conclusion:
Satan has no control over the future. He can only manipulate the present. And as the times change he changes accordingly. At this point in time, I believe Satan's greatest weapon against the Church (upper case) is the church (lower case). There are so many unrepenting "Christians" today in our country and worldwide. So many people are being deceived by false teaching, and by themselves. It is the "Christian" who shines no "light" on the darkness of unbelievers that causes them to remain unbelieving.
Something that has really stuck with me is this: in the book of Acts, according to MacArthur, Jesus is referred to twice as "Savior" and 98 times as "Lord". What does that say to you about the Lordship of Christ? It says to me that the gate is narrow and few will find it. Where are the repenting hearts? Where are the changed lives? Where can we find people living by conviction?
As it applies to the truly redeemed, it seems that we could be more effective if we were able to rightly judge the salvation of people. But that is worng. What difference does it make as long as we are living in obedience. We will shine our light either way, and leave it to God to choose whom He will.
At the same time, we are called to share the Gospel, so I am reminded of James MacDonald when he says, "look for the people who are RIPE to receive the Word. Don't force it down the throats of people who are totally shut off to the Message." I think that is awesome...it really helps me focus in so I don't feel overwhelmed by how many people I think I need to reach.
Satan has no control over the future. He can only manipulate the present. And as the times change he changes accordingly. At this point in time, I believe Satan's greatest weapon against the Church (upper case) is the church (lower case). There are so many unrepenting "Christians" today in our country and worldwide. So many people are being deceived by false teaching, and by themselves. It is the "Christian" who shines no "light" on the darkness of unbelievers that causes them to remain unbelieving.
Something that has really stuck with me is this: in the book of Acts, according to MacArthur, Jesus is referred to twice as "Savior" and 98 times as "Lord". What does that say to you about the Lordship of Christ? It says to me that the gate is narrow and few will find it. Where are the repenting hearts? Where are the changed lives? Where can we find people living by conviction?
As it applies to the truly redeemed, it seems that we could be more effective if we were able to rightly judge the salvation of people. But that is worng. What difference does it make as long as we are living in obedience. We will shine our light either way, and leave it to God to choose whom He will.
At the same time, we are called to share the Gospel, so I am reminded of James MacDonald when he says, "look for the people who are RIPE to receive the Word. Don't force it down the throats of people who are totally shut off to the Message." I think that is awesome...it really helps me focus in so I don't feel overwhelmed by how many people I think I need to reach.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Conversations in "Free Will"
It seems like every theological conversation I have eventually comes around to someone asking the question, "what about our free will?"
Without getting into a conversation about Arminian Vs. Calvinist theology, I just want to discuss the sovereignty of God and how it relates to the topic of "free will."
I will start by saying this: the reason people always fall back on the question of free will is because they are unable to break away from the idea that we are robots in God's little game called "Life." Instead of admitting that God is in total control over all creation, our sinful pride forces us to rationalize that our lives have meaning outside the will of God. So let's first understand exactly what God's Sovereignty is, and then we can come back to this thought.
Above all things, God is Holy. And His holiness is perfect. This means that God is perfect in everything He does. He is perfect in His creation, love, grace, mercy, wrath, justice, sovereignty, and everything else God does. To say that God is perfect in His Sovereignty means that nothing happens outside of God's decrees, and He is providential in everything that comes to pass.
The Bible tells us that God has a plan. He has always had the same plan and He will always have the same plan. Ultimately, the chief end of God's plan is to glorify God. This seems very selfish at face-value, but in reality, God's plan to glorify God is the foundation for our salvation. As John Piper put it, "Therefore, God is the one being in the universe, for whom self-exaltation is the highest virtue AND the most loving act."
God's plan to glorify God is carried out through Jesus, and His saving work on the cross is the most loving act in the history of the world. So as it relates to man-kind, our salvation in Christ is rooted in God's Sovereignty. It is all part of His perfect plan to glorify himself through the Son.
With that said, we must recognize that God has given man life. For natural man, this means the ability to think and reason. No human acts purely out of instinct. We may engage in hasty actions at times, but every action is orginated in a thought, no matter how retarded or advanced that thinking process may be. So we are temporal creatures based in a time sequence, and we can inevitably understand that our actions have an effect on our futures. For example, I know that if I stab myself I will most likely bleed, and I will most likely end up in the hospital, barring some sort of devine intervention. Ultimately, I know that I might die, and it's inevitable that I will consider these consequences as I ponder whether or not to carry out my original idea. BUT we can not say that the consideration given to these consequences is apart from God's Sovereignty.
Here is why: if we say that God is not sovereign over every thought and every action, then we say that he is not God. God can not be omniscient, omnipotent, and ominpresent and not be in total control. It is not logically possible! God can not be limited in any way, otherwise, that which is limiting God would be God. Either God is not God, or He is perfectly sovereign over ALL things. We are forced to pick one! We either believe in God's Sovereignty or we are atheists.
Now that we've hopefully picked perfect sovereignty, we still have to explain: how did we pick that? It is here that we arrive at the only logical conclusion: God's Sovereignty and the ability He gives us to live are parallels headed in the same direction, and they ARE related, but we will never understand how they are related. In His perfect mercy, God has chosen not to reveal some things to us because the weight of their knowledge is too heavy for us to carry. Just as a good father waits to tell his son the birds and the bees because it's too heavy for the boy to shoulder, our Heavenly Father waits to reveal this mystery.
As good Christains we have to accept that this is a mystery we will never understand in this life. That is the essense of faith itself. If God had chosen to reveal everything to us in His Word there would be no such thing as faith. We would have ALL the questions and ALL the answers. But since we realize there are some things we can not explain, we take them on faith, and rejoice in the mercy God has shown us.
Instead of trying to understand this mystery, we ought to spend our time thanking the Lord Jesus, the holy and innoscent Lamb of God, the founder and perfector of our faith!
Without getting into a conversation about Arminian Vs. Calvinist theology, I just want to discuss the sovereignty of God and how it relates to the topic of "free will."
I will start by saying this: the reason people always fall back on the question of free will is because they are unable to break away from the idea that we are robots in God's little game called "Life." Instead of admitting that God is in total control over all creation, our sinful pride forces us to rationalize that our lives have meaning outside the will of God. So let's first understand exactly what God's Sovereignty is, and then we can come back to this thought.
Above all things, God is Holy. And His holiness is perfect. This means that God is perfect in everything He does. He is perfect in His creation, love, grace, mercy, wrath, justice, sovereignty, and everything else God does. To say that God is perfect in His Sovereignty means that nothing happens outside of God's decrees, and He is providential in everything that comes to pass.
The Bible tells us that God has a plan. He has always had the same plan and He will always have the same plan. Ultimately, the chief end of God's plan is to glorify God. This seems very selfish at face-value, but in reality, God's plan to glorify God is the foundation for our salvation. As John Piper put it, "Therefore, God is the one being in the universe, for whom self-exaltation is the highest virtue AND the most loving act."
God's plan to glorify God is carried out through Jesus, and His saving work on the cross is the most loving act in the history of the world. So as it relates to man-kind, our salvation in Christ is rooted in God's Sovereignty. It is all part of His perfect plan to glorify himself through the Son.
With that said, we must recognize that God has given man life. For natural man, this means the ability to think and reason. No human acts purely out of instinct. We may engage in hasty actions at times, but every action is orginated in a thought, no matter how retarded or advanced that thinking process may be. So we are temporal creatures based in a time sequence, and we can inevitably understand that our actions have an effect on our futures. For example, I know that if I stab myself I will most likely bleed, and I will most likely end up in the hospital, barring some sort of devine intervention. Ultimately, I know that I might die, and it's inevitable that I will consider these consequences as I ponder whether or not to carry out my original idea. BUT we can not say that the consideration given to these consequences is apart from God's Sovereignty.
Here is why: if we say that God is not sovereign over every thought and every action, then we say that he is not God. God can not be omniscient, omnipotent, and ominpresent and not be in total control. It is not logically possible! God can not be limited in any way, otherwise, that which is limiting God would be God. Either God is not God, or He is perfectly sovereign over ALL things. We are forced to pick one! We either believe in God's Sovereignty or we are atheists.
Now that we've hopefully picked perfect sovereignty, we still have to explain: how did we pick that? It is here that we arrive at the only logical conclusion: God's Sovereignty and the ability He gives us to live are parallels headed in the same direction, and they ARE related, but we will never understand how they are related. In His perfect mercy, God has chosen not to reveal some things to us because the weight of their knowledge is too heavy for us to carry. Just as a good father waits to tell his son the birds and the bees because it's too heavy for the boy to shoulder, our Heavenly Father waits to reveal this mystery.
As good Christains we have to accept that this is a mystery we will never understand in this life. That is the essense of faith itself. If God had chosen to reveal everything to us in His Word there would be no such thing as faith. We would have ALL the questions and ALL the answers. But since we realize there are some things we can not explain, we take them on faith, and rejoice in the mercy God has shown us.
Instead of trying to understand this mystery, we ought to spend our time thanking the Lord Jesus, the holy and innoscent Lamb of God, the founder and perfector of our faith!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
A follow-up on "I WANT TO BE BLESSED"
If we fail to begin with this idea: that the ultimate blessing in life is to be used by the Lord Jesus for the advancement of His Kingdom, it is inevitable that we will be an anthropocentric society, tragically focused on the individual, whether we are consciously aware of it or not.
In other words, any desire to be blessed that doesn't find it's deepest motive in the joy of corporate worship is at it's deepest root a self-centered desire. The Great Commission is to share the Gospel, not to hoard it! The Great Commandment is to love others. None of this psycho-bable, "I have to learn to love myself before I can love others" garbage! Jesus said you will know who my children are by the way they love others, in total self-sacrifice. This idea of self-sacrifice is not a face value concept, but a matter that reaches to the deepest regions of the heart.
Here's the bad news: this problem is necessarily a chronic condition in all of us, given our sinful natures. The GOOD NEWS is Jesus can fix us! He promises to sanctify us in this Truth, so that we might become trained to squelch our selfishness before it captures our present attitude. When our attitudes are clouded in self-centeredness we render ourselves temporarily useless in the Kingdom of Christ...every honest Christian knows this from experience.
In other words, any desire to be blessed that doesn't find it's deepest motive in the joy of corporate worship is at it's deepest root a self-centered desire. The Great Commission is to share the Gospel, not to hoard it! The Great Commandment is to love others. None of this psycho-bable, "I have to learn to love myself before I can love others" garbage! Jesus said you will know who my children are by the way they love others, in total self-sacrifice. This idea of self-sacrifice is not a face value concept, but a matter that reaches to the deepest regions of the heart.
Here's the bad news: this problem is necessarily a chronic condition in all of us, given our sinful natures. The GOOD NEWS is Jesus can fix us! He promises to sanctify us in this Truth, so that we might become trained to squelch our selfishness before it captures our present attitude. When our attitudes are clouded in self-centeredness we render ourselves temporarily useless in the Kingdom of Christ...every honest Christian knows this from experience.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Evangelism
I was recently pondering in my head, "What is the most important aspect of Evangelism?" Three majors came to mind: 1) Praying for the unredeemed 2) Sharing the Gospel 3) Living a Christ-Centered Life. At first, my initial response was Prayer because it seems like the most Sovereign choice. Then I thought, no, the Great Commission is to go and make disciples of all nations, so it must be Sharing the Gospel. Then I thought, what better way is there to Share the Gospel than to model a Christ-Centered life? Ugh, back to the drawing board...
Just off the cuff, and in the context of Evangelism, it seems there is more Biblical merit for Sharing the Gospel because there would be no faith in Christ if no one had ever shared the Gospel. Nonetheless, I have come to the conclusion that not doing all three of these things will cause us to be less effective in our evangelism than we could be otherwise. Therefore, no matter which aspect we think is the most important, let's try to remember not to put all our eggs in one basket at the expense of the other two and call it "good ministry". It is important to devote significant time to all three of these things!
Just off the cuff, and in the context of Evangelism, it seems there is more Biblical merit for Sharing the Gospel because there would be no faith in Christ if no one had ever shared the Gospel. Nonetheless, I have come to the conclusion that not doing all three of these things will cause us to be less effective in our evangelism than we could be otherwise. Therefore, no matter which aspect we think is the most important, let's try to remember not to put all our eggs in one basket at the expense of the other two and call it "good ministry". It is important to devote significant time to all three of these things!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Please Say This With Me...
I WANT TO BE BLESSED! Now say it again. I WANT TO BE BLESSED!
This is a concept that is often forgotten in Christianity, but is absolutely central in understanding our purpose on Earth, and what it is that God wants from us. I have heard many people say over the years, "I am going to obey God's commands, but only because the Bible says so." There are two major things wrong with that statement. The first is more obvious, the second is less obvious, but more important to undertand.
On the surface, the problem that jumps out at us is that God commands us to obey His Word with a serving attitude. A serving attitude is one that obeys out of honor and love, not obligation. But the sub-surface problem that we see here is one of misunderstanding and it is very important.
Many Christians today and throughout history are under the assumption that God commands us to obey Him outside of our desire to be blessed. That is absolutely wrong! God would have us say, "I am going to obey God's commands because I want to be blessed." Why would God want us to say this?
Consider the life of someone who obeys God's Word and seeks His blessing. That is a life that shines bright for all to see. In the metaphor of salt and light, Jesus says in Matthew 5, "14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Now, what is the reasoning that Jesus provides for us in this text? He says, "...so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Here is the point: if we do not seek to be blessed in our good works, our joy will be small, if none, and Jesus will not be glorified as he continues to light our lamps and we continue to put them under a basket.
God wants Christians to be the most joyful people on Earth. That does not mean that he calls us to eat the most, drink the most, and be merry the most! It means that people should see the joy and peace we have in our hearts amidst the innevitable trials that life throws at us each and every day.
In the parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14 Jesus says, "12...'When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."
Now check me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe Jesus is in the business of giving defective motivations! Jesus doesn't dangle the carrot in front of us and then say, "ah, ah, ah...you shouldn't want the carrot." When God says, do abc, and you will be blessed with xyz, He means it! And we should seek to be fulfilled by the promise of His blessing!
One major roadblock on the way to understanding this is that many Christians do not feel they deserve to be blessed. This is a matter of guilt and forgiveness. Guilt does not come from God. Burden comes from God, and guilt comes from Satan. Sometimes burden can turn into guilt as a result of Christians who know they are forgiven but do not accept it. The word realize means, know that you know that you know. As a believers in Jesus we have to realize that WE ARE FORGIVEN! And that we not only deserve to be blessed, but we also fail to glorify Jesus if we do not seek his blessing.
One other issue we must address here is that Luke 6 commands us, "forgive, and you will be forgiven." If we are holding back forgiveness towards someone, and the anger is building and building up inside of us, so much that it prevents us from seeking God's blessing, then WE MUST FORGIVE! A lack of forgiveness in our hearts will always take a big basket and place it over our lamp, no matter how bright we want it to shine. By God's grace we must pray for the strength to forgive!
God wants your life and mine to be blessed, but not with big houses and cars and money. That is the prosperity gospel, and it is trash! God wants our lives to be blessed by the ultimate joy of corporate worship, which is the collective glorification of our Savior who promises to repay us at the resurrection of the just! It is by His blood alone that any of us are worthy to enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
If we want our lives to be truly blessed in peace and joy then we must live a Christ-centered life and give thanks to God as He uses us to bring others to Jesus and glorify Himself. That is the ultimate blessing and joy!
This is a concept that is often forgotten in Christianity, but is absolutely central in understanding our purpose on Earth, and what it is that God wants from us. I have heard many people say over the years, "I am going to obey God's commands, but only because the Bible says so." There are two major things wrong with that statement. The first is more obvious, the second is less obvious, but more important to undertand.
On the surface, the problem that jumps out at us is that God commands us to obey His Word with a serving attitude. A serving attitude is one that obeys out of honor and love, not obligation. But the sub-surface problem that we see here is one of misunderstanding and it is very important.
Many Christians today and throughout history are under the assumption that God commands us to obey Him outside of our desire to be blessed. That is absolutely wrong! God would have us say, "I am going to obey God's commands because I want to be blessed." Why would God want us to say this?
Consider the life of someone who obeys God's Word and seeks His blessing. That is a life that shines bright for all to see. In the metaphor of salt and light, Jesus says in Matthew 5, "14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Now, what is the reasoning that Jesus provides for us in this text? He says, "...so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Here is the point: if we do not seek to be blessed in our good works, our joy will be small, if none, and Jesus will not be glorified as he continues to light our lamps and we continue to put them under a basket.
God wants Christians to be the most joyful people on Earth. That does not mean that he calls us to eat the most, drink the most, and be merry the most! It means that people should see the joy and peace we have in our hearts amidst the innevitable trials that life throws at us each and every day.
In the parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14 Jesus says, "12...'When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."
Now check me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe Jesus is in the business of giving defective motivations! Jesus doesn't dangle the carrot in front of us and then say, "ah, ah, ah...you shouldn't want the carrot." When God says, do abc, and you will be blessed with xyz, He means it! And we should seek to be fulfilled by the promise of His blessing!
One major roadblock on the way to understanding this is that many Christians do not feel they deserve to be blessed. This is a matter of guilt and forgiveness. Guilt does not come from God. Burden comes from God, and guilt comes from Satan. Sometimes burden can turn into guilt as a result of Christians who know they are forgiven but do not accept it. The word realize means, know that you know that you know. As a believers in Jesus we have to realize that WE ARE FORGIVEN! And that we not only deserve to be blessed, but we also fail to glorify Jesus if we do not seek his blessing.
One other issue we must address here is that Luke 6 commands us, "forgive, and you will be forgiven." If we are holding back forgiveness towards someone, and the anger is building and building up inside of us, so much that it prevents us from seeking God's blessing, then WE MUST FORGIVE! A lack of forgiveness in our hearts will always take a big basket and place it over our lamp, no matter how bright we want it to shine. By God's grace we must pray for the strength to forgive!
God wants your life and mine to be blessed, but not with big houses and cars and money. That is the prosperity gospel, and it is trash! God wants our lives to be blessed by the ultimate joy of corporate worship, which is the collective glorification of our Savior who promises to repay us at the resurrection of the just! It is by His blood alone that any of us are worthy to enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
If we want our lives to be truly blessed in peace and joy then we must live a Christ-centered life and give thanks to God as He uses us to bring others to Jesus and glorify Himself. That is the ultimate blessing and joy!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Galatians 3:28
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
This is Paul speaking to the followers of Jesus in Galatia. The idea is that, once we have made the decision to lay down our lives for Christ we immediately become part of the body. According to Ephesians 2:16 all believers are reconciled to God in ONE BODY through the cross, and that is the body of Jesus!
I picked out this verse because of the discrimination issue that Paul speaks to. As believers, we have to be so careful to remember that any brother/sister we meet, from any race, and any walk, and any social standing is part of the body of Christ! Therefore, anything we do unto our brother in Christ, we do unto ourselves, the rest of the Church, and unto Jesus! That should make us think twice when it comes to the thoughts we allow to shape our attitudes about people.
Let's all make a conscious effort to love our brothers that we have pre-conceived notions about...when others in Christ differ from us in outward appearance, or lifestyle, or even in Biblical doctrine, remember that our hearts are equally wicked, and therefore equally deserving of nothing! And it is only by the grace that is in Christ Jesus that any of us have LIFE!
Thank you Father for sending us your Son! Amen
This is Paul speaking to the followers of Jesus in Galatia. The idea is that, once we have made the decision to lay down our lives for Christ we immediately become part of the body. According to Ephesians 2:16 all believers are reconciled to God in ONE BODY through the cross, and that is the body of Jesus!
I picked out this verse because of the discrimination issue that Paul speaks to. As believers, we have to be so careful to remember that any brother/sister we meet, from any race, and any walk, and any social standing is part of the body of Christ! Therefore, anything we do unto our brother in Christ, we do unto ourselves, the rest of the Church, and unto Jesus! That should make us think twice when it comes to the thoughts we allow to shape our attitudes about people.
Let's all make a conscious effort to love our brothers that we have pre-conceived notions about...when others in Christ differ from us in outward appearance, or lifestyle, or even in Biblical doctrine, remember that our hearts are equally wicked, and therefore equally deserving of nothing! And it is only by the grace that is in Christ Jesus that any of us have LIFE!
Thank you Father for sending us your Son! Amen
Monday, July 28, 2008
The Gospel message...
It is so important that we get this right! It is the most important thing we can do as Christians. If we want to serve Jesus, and we feel our hearts leading us to reach out to God's people, then we have to learn the Gospel message and how to present it in a way that is: 1) complete and 2) Easy to remember.
I have learned that the Gospel can be easily presented using the 4 words: God - Sin - Cross - Faith. God in His holiness and glory, Sin in it's condemnation, Cross, Jesus incarnate dying for our sins, and Faith, with repentence, the only way to salvation.
Too many churches today are only preaching Cross and Faith. An even smaller number are willing to include Sin in their teaching. But how many churches are teaching the holiness of God himself? If we fail to understand that God is perfectly holy in everything He does, we will never understand the depth of our own sin and the real need for the Cross of Christ.
When will we learn that we can't give half of the Gospel message and expect to have committed Christians who are willing to lose their lives for Jesus (Mark 8:35)??!!!! It's time to start getting the message right! I challenge myself, and anyone who reads this to be constantly growing in our understanding of the Gospel, so that when we are called upon to share the Good News we can respond with confidence as many will ask, "Why do I need Jesus?"
I have learned that the Gospel can be easily presented using the 4 words: God - Sin - Cross - Faith. God in His holiness and glory, Sin in it's condemnation, Cross, Jesus incarnate dying for our sins, and Faith, with repentence, the only way to salvation.
Too many churches today are only preaching Cross and Faith. An even smaller number are willing to include Sin in their teaching. But how many churches are teaching the holiness of God himself? If we fail to understand that God is perfectly holy in everything He does, we will never understand the depth of our own sin and the real need for the Cross of Christ.
When will we learn that we can't give half of the Gospel message and expect to have committed Christians who are willing to lose their lives for Jesus (Mark 8:35)??!!!! It's time to start getting the message right! I challenge myself, and anyone who reads this to be constantly growing in our understanding of the Gospel, so that when we are called upon to share the Good News we can respond with confidence as many will ask, "Why do I need Jesus?"
Thursday, June 26, 2008
What if...
If God came to you and said, "Will you give up your salvation, under the condition that every person you ever meet for the rest of your life will be saved", would you do it? I hope your answer would be no, because only Jesus has the power to save, and if this were true you would make those people idolaters, BUT I think this is the kind of love we should have as followers of Jesus! It is easy to say you would give up this life for your brother, because this life has nothing for us, but what if God raised the stakes? We need to learn to be absolutely reckless in our love…loving all people with reckless abandonment as though our salvation depended on it, EVEN THOUGH IT CERTAINLY DOES NOT! Praise the Lord!
Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
What does it mean to be, "For us"?
Mark 9:38 John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us." 39 But Jesus said, "Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
When Jesus says, "For the one who is not against us is for us," what does He mean? It is my very presumptive guess that many Christians would say, "those who believe in God and those who don't." Or, "those who go to church and those who don't." Or worse yet, "those who go to MY church and those who don't."
But Jesus does not say, "If someone gives you a cup of water because you believe in God he will not lose his reward." He says, "BECAUSE YOU BELONG TO ME!!!!!"
As Christians we need to make it clear that we belong to JESUS! Jesus is the Truth, and most people are afraid of the Truth because the Truth exposes their earthly weaknesses. People will always be more cautious of committing to the Truth than they will committing to a lie because that is the sinful nature. If we stand for anything other than JESUS people will always come willingly, but if we procliam His name then they have a serious decision to make.
When we make the very bold distinction that all people are either "for us" or "against us" we had better make very well certain exactly what it is we are for. Therefore, we ought to pray continuously for the strength to proclaim the name of Jesus, and that God reminds us of the life we have IN CHRIST ALONE.
When Jesus says, "For the one who is not against us is for us," what does He mean? It is my very presumptive guess that many Christians would say, "those who believe in God and those who don't." Or, "those who go to church and those who don't." Or worse yet, "those who go to MY church and those who don't."
But Jesus does not say, "If someone gives you a cup of water because you believe in God he will not lose his reward." He says, "BECAUSE YOU BELONG TO ME!!!!!"
As Christians we need to make it clear that we belong to JESUS! Jesus is the Truth, and most people are afraid of the Truth because the Truth exposes their earthly weaknesses. People will always be more cautious of committing to the Truth than they will committing to a lie because that is the sinful nature. If we stand for anything other than JESUS people will always come willingly, but if we procliam His name then they have a serious decision to make.
When we make the very bold distinction that all people are either "for us" or "against us" we had better make very well certain exactly what it is we are for. Therefore, we ought to pray continuously for the strength to proclaim the name of Jesus, and that God reminds us of the life we have IN CHRIST ALONE.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
HIS NAME IS JESUS, PRECIOUS JESUS!
Who is this King of Glory, that persues me with his love
And haunts me with each hearing, of His softly spoken words
My conscience a reminder, of forgiveness that I need
Who is this King of Glory, who offers it to me
Who is this King of Glory, O blessed Prince of Peace
Revealing things of Heaven, and all its mysteries
My spirits ever longing, for His grace in which to stand
Who's this King of Glory, Son of God and Son of Man
Who is this King of Glory, with strength and majesty
And wisdom beyond measure, the gracious King of Kings
The Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things
Who is this King of Glory, HE'S EVERYTHING TO ME!
His name is JESUS, PRECIOUS JESUS
The Lord Almighty, the King of my heart, the King of Glory
And haunts me with each hearing, of His softly spoken words
My conscience a reminder, of forgiveness that I need
Who is this King of Glory, who offers it to me
Who is this King of Glory, O blessed Prince of Peace
Revealing things of Heaven, and all its mysteries
My spirits ever longing, for His grace in which to stand
Who's this King of Glory, Son of God and Son of Man
Who is this King of Glory, with strength and majesty
And wisdom beyond measure, the gracious King of Kings
The Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things
Who is this King of Glory, HE'S EVERYTHING TO ME!
His name is JESUS, PRECIOUS JESUS
The Lord Almighty, the King of my heart, the King of Glory
-Third Day
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Freedom Of Speech
Consider the following:
"I should be able to speak all of God's Word, that is freedom of speech. That is what we are losing..."
Let me as you this: Is our ability to speak God's Word something that can really be taken away from us? I am reminded of the cliche teacher response, "I don't know, can you go to the bathroom?" Here's the point: Our government can say, "you may not speak the Bible", but does that really mean that we can't? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Short of killing us, nobody can ever take away our decision to speak God's Word! So my question is: Will Christians continue speaking out for our right to speak out? OR, will we begin speaking God's Word instead? The former is NOT unimportant, BUT the latter ALWAYS trumps the first by a million times!!!
Ultimately, Jesus does not command us to fight for our safety or our rights, He commands us to fight for the Gospel! Mark 8:35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
Paul, and most of the apostles scrapped tooth and nail for the Gospel. They were stoned and beaten and imprisoned. They were Soldiers of Christ! Stephen and many others became martyrs for the Gospel! This all took place in a region that was a lot more "scary" than the current U.S.
So here is the bottom line: We owe EVERYTHING to GOD, and NOTHING to ourselves. It is only by God's sovereign mercy that you and I have been born into this country. How can we owe ANYTHING to the United States or our Founding Fathers, and still owe EVERYTHING to Jesus? In my opinion that is not possible. You might say, "That is so un-patriotic!" I say, "In God we trust!"
Many of us want to sit here and blame the unredeemed, but the problem is not with non-believers, it is with us! Our continuous desire is to cling to our own pathetic lives in the hope that we can find something within ourselves to make a change. How arrogant of us!!!! Only Jesus has that power! I pray that we would trust JESUS with our lives, and remember that our ONE and ONLY hope is in the return of Christ! Who will give it ALL to Him??????
This is a short prayer that got sent to my email today, I think it fits perfectly:
TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, forgive me for my arrogance and thinking that I am somehow necessary in your work. I recognize that my only sufficiency for ministry comes from my weakness being offered to your service and empowered by your grace. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
2 Corinthians 12:10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
P.S. I love Jesus for showing me that I am nothing without Him!
"I should be able to speak all of God's Word, that is freedom of speech. That is what we are losing..."
Let me as you this: Is our ability to speak God's Word something that can really be taken away from us? I am reminded of the cliche teacher response, "I don't know, can you go to the bathroom?" Here's the point: Our government can say, "you may not speak the Bible", but does that really mean that we can't? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Short of killing us, nobody can ever take away our decision to speak God's Word! So my question is: Will Christians continue speaking out for our right to speak out? OR, will we begin speaking God's Word instead? The former is NOT unimportant, BUT the latter ALWAYS trumps the first by a million times!!!
Ultimately, Jesus does not command us to fight for our safety or our rights, He commands us to fight for the Gospel! Mark 8:35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
Paul, and most of the apostles scrapped tooth and nail for the Gospel. They were stoned and beaten and imprisoned. They were Soldiers of Christ! Stephen and many others became martyrs for the Gospel! This all took place in a region that was a lot more "scary" than the current U.S.
So here is the bottom line: We owe EVERYTHING to GOD, and NOTHING to ourselves. It is only by God's sovereign mercy that you and I have been born into this country. How can we owe ANYTHING to the United States or our Founding Fathers, and still owe EVERYTHING to Jesus? In my opinion that is not possible. You might say, "That is so un-patriotic!" I say, "In God we trust!"
Many of us want to sit here and blame the unredeemed, but the problem is not with non-believers, it is with us! Our continuous desire is to cling to our own pathetic lives in the hope that we can find something within ourselves to make a change. How arrogant of us!!!! Only Jesus has that power! I pray that we would trust JESUS with our lives, and remember that our ONE and ONLY hope is in the return of Christ! Who will give it ALL to Him??????
This is a short prayer that got sent to my email today, I think it fits perfectly:
TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, forgive me for my arrogance and thinking that I am somehow necessary in your work. I recognize that my only sufficiency for ministry comes from my weakness being offered to your service and empowered by your grace. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
2 Corinthians 12:10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
P.S. I love Jesus for showing me that I am nothing without Him!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
MARK 8:35
"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospel's will save it." -- Mark 8:35 (ESV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Often in our attempt to earn God's approval we cling so tightly to the very thing Jesus commands us to lose. Our lives. This is the essence of faith. Who will lose his life for Jesus? Who trusts in the promises of God's Word enough to throw his own understanding to the wind?
Life is found in Jesus. Life is found in obeying Jesus. Life is found in living for Jesus. Anything else is lost in death.
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Father, thank you for the life you give me in Jesus! I confess to you any doubt I may have in my heart and I ask that you help me refine my focus. Change my attitude that I might be like clay in your hands. Take over my life and mold me into a soldier for Jesus, so that I find my life built on solid rock. Take my heart and center it in your Son Jesus as my Lord so that His name would be glorified in all that I do. In His strong name I pray. Amen.
KEY THOUGHT:
Often in our attempt to earn God's approval we cling so tightly to the very thing Jesus commands us to lose. Our lives. This is the essence of faith. Who will lose his life for Jesus? Who trusts in the promises of God's Word enough to throw his own understanding to the wind?
Life is found in Jesus. Life is found in obeying Jesus. Life is found in living for Jesus. Anything else is lost in death.
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Father, thank you for the life you give me in Jesus! I confess to you any doubt I may have in my heart and I ask that you help me refine my focus. Change my attitude that I might be like clay in your hands. Take over my life and mold me into a soldier for Jesus, so that I find my life built on solid rock. Take my heart and center it in your Son Jesus as my Lord so that His name would be glorified in all that I do. In His strong name I pray. Amen.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Greetings Earthings...
When I first heard about Blogs, I thought to myself, "Wow! Blogs are extremely lame!" But I also said that about cell phones. And while I think I was the last 20 year old in this country without one, I eventually gave into the cultural norm. But thankfully, by God's Grace, there is one Norm that can not be normed...And not only that...This particular Norm, norms all other norms. The Reformation knew it as Norma Normans Non Normata, which means the Norm of Norms that can not be Normed. So now that you're like, "C'mon bro, just tell us what it is already" the Norm I'm referring to is none other than the Word of God! This blog is dedicated to the Bible, in it's inerrancy and infallibility in ALL things. "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever!" Isaiah 40:8...The title of my blog is "Sola Scriptura" which is also a term that orignated during the Reformation. It means "Scripture Alone." God, in his infinite Grace, has chosen to communicate to his creation not through ideas, or thoughts, or feelings, but through WORDS! As stated by Albert Mohler, "Words bind us. Words make explicit this and not the other. Words can be written or etched into a tablet and once there are fixed." Thanks be to God that he has given us His Word! But more than that he has given us JESUS! In John 1:1 we see that Jesus Christ is the Word of God. Everything in the Bible points to Christ and Christ alone. He has given us the Word, and through Him we can have not only eternal life but understanding of the God who created us. In my experience I have found that the more I understand God's Word, the more I want to glorify Him with my life. And the more Jesus is glorified in my life, the more satisfied I am in Him! I hope this blog will lead you to a deeper understanding of God's Word, and a stronger relationship with Jesus Christ. Enjoy!
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