The Spiritual Journey of a Blue Collar Christian

How Is Faith Born? by Alan Wright

2012-02-02T08:38:00.000-08:00

You can also watch and listen to the most recent messages by visiting www.sharingthelight.org/sermons .

When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. (1 Sam. 17:51-52)

"I've been Goliath a thousand times and my boy, Bennett, has been David a thousand times. Though now Bennett is a goateed High School junior, in his younger days there was nothing he wanted to play-act more than the famous David and Goliath story. Toddler Bennett would swirl his blankie and release the wad of Kleenex or a dirty sock, striking me, er, the giant, and knocking him down. Oh how many times I have been defeated by that boy who would race over and proudly place his victorious foot on my fallen chest.

Who doesn't love the story of David and Goliath?! The overlooked underdog runs to the battle line, faces his foe, removes the disgrace of Israel and decapitates the headship of the enemy camp. Preachers, of course, love the story. I've preached a barrel full on 1 Samuel 17. Normally, the application of David/Goliath sermons goes something like this: Be more like David. Follow his model and you, too, will be able to defeat your Goliaths. We make good, solid points like: overlook the naysayers, don't try to wear someone else's armor, use the gifts (the smooth stones) that are at hand, don't look at the size of the enemy, remember that the battle belongs to the Lord, run toward your problems, don't retreat.

It'd be nice to be more like David. It'd be wonderful to put into practice all those principles in our daily lives.

But telling me to be more like David doesn't empower me to be more like David. In fact, telling me to have more faith can make me just feel worse about myself. If I just compare myself to the brave giant slayer, I just realize how much I'm not like him.

In recovering the purity and simplicity of the gospel, I'm starting to read stories like David/Goliath differently. I'm not really like David. I can't identify with a shepherd who risks his life for sheep, who is anointed king of a nation and who faces a warrior twice his size. You know who I can identify with? Those cowardly Israeli soldiers who dressed up for battle every day but never fought. For forty days, Goliath taunted them. They wanted to fight him, but there was not one courageous man in the camp. There was no one righteous and faithful enough to represent them against the evil foe.

Have you ever noticed what happened after David killed the giant. The Philistines retreated and the Israeli soldiers let out a giant, spontaneous war cry. Waahooo! Suddenly, the most cowardly army in the world became the most confident, brave battalion on the globe. They ran after the Philistines for 10 miles slaughtering them as they went and plundering their camp on their return.

They didn't gain faith by 'trying to become like David', their faith exploded by seeing what David had done. You don't find explosive faith by 'trying to be like Jesus', you explode with faith when you see what Jesus has done. When you see the victory of Jesus over the evil one, you realize that you are on the winning side. You still have battles to fight, but you have courage when you really see Jesus. That's why Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith."

Jack Deere Speaks To The Anglican Mission In The Americas on Friendship with Jesus

2012-01-29T18:21:00.000-08:00

The Gospel Verses Religion

2012-01-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

"Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying. "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel. " (Mark 1:14-15 ESV)

The Gospel is not a set of rules that tells us how to work for God's favor. The Gospel is all about what Jesus has done to bring Gods' favor and acceptance to you. All other religions teach how to live moral lives and instruct people on how to earn acceptance with God. The gospel is not a religion - it's a story.

It is sad to observe some well meaning but confused Christians seeking to justify themselves before God, by their good works and moral behavior. Seeking to justify yourself by your own efforts is offensive to God. You do not work your way to God - you believe your way to Him . The Holy Spirit draws people to Jesus and enables us to believe. God does the work - your job is to trust Him. Child like faith causes us to experience the Kingdom of God. Believing Jesus paid your sin debt gets you into Christ, not your moral behavior.

A vision of Jesus will begin to transform us so that our behavior lines up with the truth of the gospel. You will burn out spiritually trying in your own energy to change your desires and sinful attitudes. Jesus attacked all religious activity that wasn't based on total dependency and child like faith in God. Religion can be cruel and hard. The gospel is liberating and brings peace. Religion tells us what we must do for God. The gospel tells us what God has done for us. - Bobby

Adam's Crime

2012-01-14T08:47:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for the Gospel - that is, what Jesus has done on the cross by His death and resurrection, on behalf of all that believe. The death of Jesus paid for the high treason committed by Adam against God in the garden of Eden. His sin plunged the world into darkness and we experience its effects everyday of our lives. All wars, injustice and broken relationships are the result of the first Adams' disobedience. The last Adam (Jesus) obeyed the Father perfectly and paid our sin debt allowing us to get back into the presence of God (I Cor. 15:22.)

Some people, especially in the western world seem to think that Jesus' death was a form of Divine child abuse. And that the God of the Bible is not a God of love after all. They say that a God of love would never allow the violence of the cross. They think of Him as brutal and barbaric.

If you think this way let me ask you a question. When you see or hear of a crime of injustice committed against an innocent victim, do you feel outrage? Do you cry out for justice on their behalf? Adam's crime of disobedience was the ultimate act of injustice against a Holy God. Adam rejected and sinned against the Creator of the universe. If you commit a crime against a President or a King, the consequences will be much greater than a crime against the average person, and rightly so. How much more grievous is a crime committed against the Sustainer of all life.

Jesus, who is God in the flesh came to earth to live as a man, so that he could identify with hurting people. Before He died for our sins he experienced life with all its hardships and difficulties. He is sympathetic to us because he lived as one of us. No other religion in history has a "god" who has ever done such a thing. So many of the ancient "deities" required the death of mortals to appease their "gods" but not the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Someone had to pay for this crime that brought separation from God, misery, and death to the earth. And Jesus did just that. That's not barbaric - that's real love. - Bobby

Dr. J.I.Packer on Why We Should Meditate on the Four Gospels

2012-01-12T20:20:00.000-08:00

I found this quote by J. I. Packer on Justin Taylor's blog fascinating. I have been reading and meditating on Matthew and Mark since the end of December. I am presently following a plan by J.D. Greear called, The Gospel Project, which is a forty day reading of the four Gospels. By God's grace I hope to spend the rest of my life focused on the gospels and drawing closer to Jesus. This is not simply a phase that I'm going through, but hopefully the gospel is becoming what I meditate on the most in life. - Bobby

[We can] correct woolliness of view as to what Christian commitment involves, by stressing the need for constant meditation on the four gospels, over and above the rest of our Bible reading: for gospel study enables us both to keep our Lord in clear view and to hold before our minds the relational frame of discipleship to him.

The doctrines on which our discipleship rests are clearest in the epistles, but the nature of discipleship itself is most vividly portrayed in the gospels.

Some Christians seem to prefer the epistles as if this were a mark of growing up spiritually; but really this attitude is a very bad sign, suggesting that we are more interested in theological notions than in fellowship with the Lord Jesus in person.

We should think, rather, of the theology of the epistles as preparing us to understand better the disciple relationship with Christ that is set forth in the gospels, and we should never let ourselves forget that the four gospels are, as has often and rightly been said, the most wonderful books on earth.

—J. I. Packer, Keep in Step with the Spirit: Finding Fullness in Our Walk with God (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2005), p. 70, 71.

Come Holy Spirit In 2012

2012-01-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

"And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;" - (Matthew 3:16 ESV)

"You do not have, because you do not ask." - (James 4:2 ESV)

" For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." - (Romans 1:16 ESV)

Come Holy Spirit. Not everyone likes that phrase. And while I know that God's Spirit is everywhere, I am referring to His manifest presence. I believe the emphasis that the Holy Spirit is placing on the rediscovery of the Gospel is laying a foundation for the Spirits power. The Gospel is the power of God. Jesus still performs miracles through His body on earth today. Jesus is the Word made flesh and if He needed empowerment for ministry, then so do we.

Please don't rely on your past encounter with the Spirit, but be filled with the Holy Spirit again. (Eph.5:18) You need this power to grow in grace and spiritual authority in the days to come. Reasoning with people about the Scripture is good - but I also suspect God wants to heal more spiritually, relationally broken, and physically sick people this year, through His Church.

Please do not hide behind God's sovereignty in regards to healing. The scripture is clear, you have not because you ask not. If God chooses not to heal in a particular situation, we can't force His hand. Jesus is full of compassion and mercy - seek Him. So lets pray for others on the basis of Christ love for the hurting. It's easy to become discouraged and give up but, Spiritual laziness must be avoided at all cost this year. - Bobby

Spiritual Gifts Are Not The Gospel

2011-12-28T18:44:00.000-08:00

I am asking God to help me be more compassionate toward the people that I disagree with during the coming year, without compromising truth. The truth of the Gospel is too life changing not to share it in love. It seems quite clear that the message of the hour is to return back to the Gospel. I heard this message clearly at Dudley Hall's Spiritual Family Reunion, earlier this month. Tim Keller, Dudley Hall, Alan Wright, J.D. Greear, Tullian Tchividjian and many others are looking deeply into the Gospel these days, and sharing the importance of comprehending it for spiritual transformation.

I have come to believe that any spiritual gift or blessing given to us by God can actually become an idol. And that to avoid idolatry, it is essential the our main focus is on God and the gospel. I have seen many Christians focus their lives and find their identity in spiritual gifts. Tongues and Prophetic gifting are a sign of spiritual maturity to many. Some use their teaching gift to attack those that believe that all spiritual gifts are available today.These are good gifts that were given to exalt Jesus and encourage His body, not to glorify people. I practice spiritual gifts in my own life, but operating powerfully in these gifts does not prove our spiritual maturity.

Embracing the benefits of the Gospel of Grace such as, sonship, free pardon of all our sins, our security in Christ and access to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit should be our daily focus. Giving up our orphan mindset and living in the daily reality that we are sons of God leads us to spiritual growth. God still does miracles but all signs and wonders point to Him.

Jesus knew the evil of men's hearts - many followed Him only for the signs. As we focus on Jesus we should expect to see our prayers answered and a demonstration of the power of God. The Gospel is a focus on what God has done on our behalf through Jesus. Not what we do for Him in an effort to earn His favor. Religion seeks to earn God's approval through good works. If you have trusted in Christ alone for salvation - you are approved by the Father.- Bobby

Alison Krauss Sings A Christmas Song

2011-12-25T13:45:00.000-08:00

The Gospel of Grace

2011-12-22T18:58:00.000-08:00

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" - (John 1:29 ESV)

Once again I find myself captivated by the beauty and sufficiency of Jesus Christ. I am presently on a quest, to grasp as much as I possibly can of the Gospel. As I continue to explore the gospel of grace-I realize I will be spending eternity in awe and amazement with this Jesus. You see Jesus is the author and perfecter of this faith I have embraced. Understanding and experiencing the power of this gospel centered life, is revelatory in nature.

I find myself being drawn back to the old story of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Who is this man and why can't I get over Him? He was and is God incarnate. Yes, God became a baby in the womb of Mary, and he was born to take away the sin of the world. These facts can only be believed by those that have received the same Holy Spirit that impregnated the Virgin Mary. You see, a virgin birth is easy for the Creator of all Life. And so it's an easy thing for God to cause a spiritual rebirth for those He has called to be His sons and daughters.

As we embrace these simple but profound truths, think on the ramifications in our own lives and the spiritual transformation, that is available to us, by believing in the Gospel of grace. God can set you free from any sin or stronghold that you are presently being held captive too. Call on his name as you look into the Gospel narrative in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The goal of the Gospel is life with Jesus...now! - Bobby

Trained By Grace: Dudley Hall

2011-12-20T18:48:00.000-08:00

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works."

Titus 2:11-14 (ESV)

"We are trained either by grace or by law. As creatures designed by God to represent him on earth, we are conscious of the order in creation. If we have not been impacted by grace, we will by default live in relationship to law. We may try to follow it, or we may try to deny it, but we cannot escape our own awareness of it.

Law tells us what to do, but it doesn't provide the ability to fulfill its commands. It is designed to frustrate us to the point of desperation where we call out for a Savior. It is a strange wonder that those who have been redeemed from the law would want to return to a master that intends to frustrate. Yet that continues to be the case in every situation where believers lose sight of the mystery of grace.

Grace is so "unnatural" that we have to continually be reminded of it, or we will revert to something more comfortable to our flesh-perspective. Like the Israelites of Exodus 19, we still think we can obey if only we get the instructions. How many times do we hear ourselves say such things as, "If I just knew the will of God (the right thing to do), I would do it." We still tend to believe that our problem is lack of information. This is the temptation of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Law presents a proposition. "If you will..., then God will..." That leaves the burden on us. It is a valid proposition. God blesses the righteous. He will not be faithless in granting blessings on those who live by the prescribed instructions. But even if we could live by the prescriptions, we would still have a heart that is fraught with fears, insecurities, rebellion and uncontrolled desires. Law does not transform us. It exposes us.

Grace presents a proclamation: "Because God has, you can." God has already acted on our behalf without any action on our part. He has lived up to the demands of the law and paid its penalty. He has raised Jesus from the dead and sent the same Spirit that raised him to live in us. He has declared that we are his special people and that he is accomplishing his purposes on earth through us.

What good news! What is left for us to do? We believe and behave according to our faith. That will produce lives absent the ungodliness that comes from trying to find satisfaction in worldly substitutes. Grace trains us to think differently so that we act differently. It is not just a mind game either. God has regenerated us in the deepest part of our being so that now we are living out of the new creation and learning to bring everything in subjection to thoughts that coincide with truth as it is in Jesus Christ. What a salvation that has appeared and is appearing as we wait for the final appearance!" For more resources from Dudley Hall, go to his website at http://www.sclm.org/

Pictures of Grace by Tullian Tchividjian

2011-12-17T20:22:00.000-08:00

"Pictures of Grace" from Coral Ridge on Vimeo.

Part 1
May 22, 2011

I have heard it said that if the Gospel you hear doesn't sound to good to be true - you haven't heard the Gospel. The true Gospel of grace is making a comeback! God is speaking clearly in these days about His grace. Tullian Tchividjian is one of many voices God is raising up to proclaim this message. - Bobby

Ed Stetzer - Reflections on the Death of Christopher Hitchens

2011-12-16T08:51:00.000-08:00

Ed Stetzer - Reflections on the Death of Christopher Hitchens

Looking At The Gospel...Again.

2011-12-07T17:14:00.000-08:00

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. - (I Cor. 15:3-11 ESV)

I belong to God and nothing I can do will ever diminish or enhance my status as a son. God is my Father, Jesus is my elder brother, and I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This statement can be made about every follower of Jesus - we are in this together. The Gospel is all about what Jesus has done, it's not about our good works. My calling and yours is to believe, trust and rely on Jesus who lived a life of perfect obedience (which we can't do) to His Father, who died for our sins and rose from the dead.

You see, Jesus died in our place because someone had to pay the price for rebelling against perfect Love Himself. All the children of Adam suffer as the result of offending the One who is greater than any King or President who has ever lived. If we had been declared guilty of breaking earthly laws, we would have had to pay for our crimes. But the Gospel (Good News) declares that all those that trust in Jesus' payment for our sins, are declared, not guilty. Our eternal status was not decided in an earthly court of law - but in a Heavenly one! It may sound to good to be true but it isn't. This liberating good news doesn't make me want to sin more - it actually makes me want to sin less!

We must repent to get in on this. Repentance (with the help of The Spirit) is changing the way we think, by seeing our hopeless situation and trusting Jesus to change us. - Bobby

True Religion by Dudley Hall

2011-12-05T18:07:00.000-08:00

You will seek me and find me. - Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV)

"True religion is to serve God in order to get nothing but more of God. He is the treasure we seek and when we find him we spend the rest of our time discovering what we have found.

The false religions of the world encourage worshippers to seek gods for the sake of what the gods can do for them. It is the default mode for this world's thinking regarding religion. It slips into Christian doctrine easily as we find ways of prompting God to do what we require. We long for his gifts, for more faith, for better character, and more commitment, but somehow miss the treasure of his person.

Paul makes it clear in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 that we can have all the before mentioned gifts, but without love for him we have nothing but shadows and pretense:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clinging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Many are frustrated because they have sought some or all of these blessings, and yet they are not satisfied. They have sought to use God to get his stuff and have missed the great joy of being loved by him so deeply that they can't stop loving him. We must remember that he needs nothing from us. He longs to see us so consumed by his love that we reflect him to an alienated world.

It is a good thing to set your heart to find him and nothing else. He is enough and to add anything to our list of desires is to indulge in idolatry. When we seek him, he stands in the path of our search and finds us." Check out Dudley's website at http://www.sclm.org/

Thankful For The Kingdom

2011-11-22T10:52:00.000-08:00

"All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD,and all your saints shall bless you!
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power,
to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations." - (Psalm 145:10-13 ESV)

As Thanksgiving day approaches I have been meditating on the Kingdom of God. I am thankful that we have an indestructible Kingdom, and that it is a never ending reality. We enjoy the Kingdom now, but we will partake of its fullness when Jesus returns to the earth. I believe in the heart of all those who seek social justice(whether they know it or not) is really a longing for God's Kingdom to come to the earth. In that day, all evil will be destroyed and all wrong things will be made right. Our ethnicity or religious back ground does not determine who will inherit eternal life. Our allegiance to Jesus Christ is the determining factor for those who will inherit this Kingdom - because Jesus is the One True King and the Author of life itself. Give thanks for this eternal and indestructible Kingdom. - Bobby

A prayer of thanksgiving:

"Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen." - (Book of Common Prayer)

Generous Justice: Tim Keller

2011-11-21T20:17:00.000-08:00

Generous Justice from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

Generous Justice from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

The Life-Changing Discovery of Christian Hedonism by Sam Storms

2011-11-19T07:49:00.000-08:00

Christian Hedonism is one of my favorite subjects and Sam Storms is one of my favorite teachers. - Bobby http://www.desiringgod.org/

"There was a time when I thought the verb “enjoy” and the noun “God” should never be used in the same sentence. I could understand “fearing” God and “obeying” God, even “loving” God. But “enjoying” God struck me as inconsistent with the biblical mandate both to glorify God, on the one hand, and deny myself, on the other. How could I be committed above all else to seeking God’s glory if I were concerned about my own joy?

My gladness and God’s glory seemed to cancel each other out. I had to choose between one or the other, but embracing them both struck me as out of the question. Worse still, enjoying God sounded a bit too lighthearted, almost casual, perhaps even flippant, and I knew that Christianity was serious business.

Why We Exist

Then I read Jonathan Edwards. Something he said hit me like a bolt of lightning. I’m not a Christian Hedonist because of Jonathan Edwards. Scripture always has and will remain the final authority in my life. But Edwards helped me to see that God’s glory and my gladness were not antithetical. He helped me see that at the core of Scripture is the truth that my heart’s passion for pleasure (which is God-given and not the result of sin) and God’s passion for praise converge in a way that alone makes sense of human existence. I should let you read it for yourself. Outside of the Word of God, it’s the most significant and life-changing utterance I’ve ever read:

Now what is glorifying God, but a rejoicing at that glory he has displayed? An understanding of the perfections of God, merely, cannot be the end of the creation; for he had as good not understand it, as see it and not be at all moved with joy at the sight. Neither can the highest end of creation be the declaring God’s glory to others; for the declaring God’s glory is good for nothing otherwise than to raise joy in ourselves and others at what is declared (Jonathan Edwards,The Miscellanies [Entry Nos. a-z, aa-zz, 1-500], The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume 13. Edited by Thomas A. Schafer [New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994], no. 3, p. 200).

Here it is again, in other words:

God is glorified not only by his glory’s being seen, but by its being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it, God is more glorified than if they only see it. God made the world that he might communicate, and the creature receive, his glory . . . both [with] the mind and the heart. He that testifies his having an idea of God’s glory [doesn’t] glorify God so much as he that testifies also his approbation [i.e., his heartfelt commendation or praise] of it and his delight in it. (no. 448, p. 495)

Edwards’ point is that passionate and joyful admiration of God, and not merely intellectual apprehension, is the aim of our existence. If God is to be supremely glorified in us it’s critically essential that we be supremely glad in him and in what he has done for us in Jesus.

Meet Christian Hedonism

This is Christian Hedonism, and Christian Hedonism is why Enjoying God Ministries exists. Enjoying God is not a secondary, tangential endeavor. It is central to everything we do. We do not do other things hoping that joy in God will emerge as a by-product. Our reason for the pursuit of God and obedience to him is precisely the joy that is found in him alone. To come to God or to worship him or to yield to his moral will for any reason other than the joy that is found in who he is, is sinful.

I know how strange this sounds the first time one hears it (it can sound strange for a long time thereafter as well!). So permit me to look elsewhere for help in making sense of it. Next to Scripture and Jonathan Edwards, John Piper has helped me understand the centrality of Christian Hedonism more than anyone else. I strongly recommend Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist. I trust it will change your life the way it changed mine. In an article entitled “What Is Christian Hedonism?,” the following explanation is found.

A "Christian Hedonist" sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it? If the term makes you squirm, we understand. But don't click off this page just yet. We're not heretics (really!). Nor have we invented another prosperity-obsessed theology by twisting the Bible to sanctify our greed or lust. We are simply stating an ancient, orthodox, Biblical truth in a fresh way.

"All men seek happiness," says Blaise Pascal. "This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves." We believe Pascal is right. And, with Pascal, we believe God purposefully designed us to pursue happiness.

Does seeking your own happiness sound self-centered? Aren't Christians supposed to seek God, not their own pleasure? To answer this question we need to understand a crucial truth about pleasure-seeking (hedonism): we value most what we delight in most. Pleasure is not God's competitor, idols are. Pleasure is simply a gauge that measures how valuable someone or something is to us. Pleasure is the measure of our treasure.

We know this intuitively. If a friend says to you, "I really enjoy being with you," you wouldn't accuse him of being self-centered. Why? Because your friend's delight in you is the evidence that you have great value in his heart. In fact, you'd be dishonored if he didn't experience any pleasure in your friendship. The same is true of God. If God is the source of our greatest delight then God is our most precious treasure; which makes us radically God-centered and not self-centered. And if we treasure God most, we glorify Him most.

Does the Bible teach this? Yes. Nowhere in the Bible does God condemn people for longing to be happy. People are condemned for forsaking God and seeking their happiness elsewhere (Jeremiah 2:13). This is the essence of sin. The Bible actually commands us to delight in the Lord (Psalm 37:4). Jesus teaches us to love God more than money because our heart is where our treasure is (Matthew 6:21). Paul wants us to believe that gaining Christ is worth the loss of everything else (Philippians 3:8) and the author of Hebrews exhorts us to endure suffering, like Jesus, for the joy set before us (Hebrews 12: 1-2). Examine the Scriptures and you'll see this over and over again.

Christian Hedonism is not a contradiction after all. It is desiring the vast, ocean-deep pleasures of God more than the mud-puddle pleasures of wealth, power or lust. We're Christian Hedonists because we believe Psalm 16:11, "You show me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy, in Your right hand are pleasures for evermore."

Join us in this pursuit of satisfaction in God, because God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.

God's Own Supreme Affection

The next step is a difficult one for some to take. Here it is: our glad-hearted passion for God is exceeded only by God’s glad-hearted passion for God. If the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever, the chief end of God is to glorify God and to enjoy himself forever!

What is the pre-eminent passion in God’s heart? What is God’s greatest pleasure? In what does God take supreme delight? I want to suggest that the pre-eminent passion in God’s heart is his own glory. God is at the center of his own affections. The supreme love of God’s life is God. God is pre-eminently committed to the fame of his name. God is himself the end for which God created the world. Better, still, God’s immediate goal in all he does is his own glory. God relentlessly and unceasingly creates, rules, orders, directs, speaks, judges, saves, destroys and delivers in order to make known who he is and to secure from the whole of the universe the praise, honor and glory of which he and he alone is ultimately and infinitely worthy.

The question I most often hear in response to this is that if God loves himself pre-eminently, how can he love me at all? How can we say that God is for us and that he desires our happiness if he is primarily for himself and his own glory? I want to argue that it is precisely because God loves himself that he loves you. Here’s how.

The Most Loving Thing God Can Do

I assume you will agree that your greatest good consists of enjoying the most excellent Being in the universe. That Being, of course, is God. Therefore, the most loving and kind thing that God can do for you is to devote all his energy and effort to elicit from your heart praise of himself. Why? Because praise is the consummation of enjoyment. All enjoyment tends towards praise and adoration as its appointed end. In this way, God’s seeking his own glory and God’s seeking your good converge.

Listen again. Your greatest good is in the enjoyment of God. God’s greatest glory is in being enjoyed. So, for God to seek his glory in your worship of him is the most loving thing he can do for you. Only by seeking his glory pre-eminently can God seek your good passionately.

For God to work for your enjoyment of him (that’s his love for you) and for his glory in being enjoyed (that’s his love for himself) are not properly distinct."

Suggested Reading

Perhaps it would be best if you began with a little reading to familiarize yourself with Christian Hedonism. Here are a few suggestions:

Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist, by John Piper (Multnomah, 2011 edition).

The Dangerous Duty of Delight, by John Piper (Multnomah, 2011).

Pleasures Evermore: The Life-Changing Power of Enjoying God, by Sam Storms (NavPress, 2000).

One Thing: Developing a Passion for the Beauty of God, by Sam Storms (Christian Focus, 2004).

May God magnify himself through your exultation in him!

A Ten Part Series on Genesis by Alan Wright

2011-11-14T18:28:00.000-08:00

Alan Wright is one of my favorite Bible teachers. If you have never heard Alan, I highly recommend his latest series on the book of Genesis. I promise that you will not be disappointed! Go to http://www.reynoldachurch.org/ and click media to download. All of his weekly sermons can be downloaded free from itunes. - Bobby

In the Beginning ... God's Grace Was There

Discovering the Gospel in Genesis 1-3

'In the beginning, God created ...." The beginning. The origin. That's what Genesis means. The opening pages of the Bible explain the origin of all that exists, the origin of humanity and the origin of sin. But the first three chapters of Genesis proclaim something even greater - God's grace. From the brooding of the Spirit over the chaos of the deep to the announcement of the goodness of creation to the blessing of humanity to the crimson blood of the animals slain to cover Adam's nakedness, God's grace was there. Join us for an amazing ten week journey to the beginning of time. It promises to be the genesis of new comfort, joy and power at work in you!

A "Kingdom Triangle" For A Charismatic Reformation by J.P. Moreland

2011-11-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

The post below is from J.P. Moreland's blog. If you desire to see a reformation in the charismatic/prophetic movements, you might find this interesting. - Bobby

"J. Lee Grady is a prophetic voice among the Charismatic and Pentecostal movements (C&P). By “prophetic,” I not only mean that he credibly receives testable revelation from God, but that he has Spirit-filled courage to speak and exhort in truth for the sake of other people’s edification. His recent book, The Holy Spirit is Not for Sale (Chosen Books, 2010), is direct evidence of what I am talking about.

In honor of Reformation Day (that would be October 31st for those of you new to the game), Grady posted his own Reformation-like Theses to the internet’s “door.” His Charisma News article is called: “It’s (Past) Time for a Charismatic Reformation.” I encourage you to read his full article here.

Although I have not met J. Lee Grady (I welcome the opportunity!), I suspect that we would have a lot in common, especially in light of what I’ve written in my book, Kingdom Triangle. Below is the gist of his Fifteen Theses, along with some further comments below each point, developed by me and Joe Gorra:

1. Let’s reform our theology. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is God and He is holy. He is not an “it.” He is not a blob, a force, or an innate power. We must stop manipulating Him, commanding Him and throwing Him around.

Amen and Amen. We see three main contributions here: an institutional one, a methodological one and a theological one:

A) Institutional: The important role of Pentecostal and Charismatic scholars (yes, there are such humans, thankfully!), seminaries, theological institutes, and other thought leaders to help church leaders experience theological formation and development. This is not to say that only scholars or “intellectuals” are the ones who carry the torch of “truth” or “theology.” It is just to recognize that these leaders have a contribution to give to the rest of the movement’s pastors and laity leaders. As long as C&P’s permit “anti-intellectual” (or, even, “anti-educational”) attitudes and ethos to reign and pervade, the movement will not be sustained beyond the mere endeavoring of individuals. Education in a tradition is not optional. We need more exhortational books like Grady’s and also Rick Nanez’s Full Gospel, Fractured Minds (HarperCollines, 2005).

B) Methodological: C&P thought leaders and pastors should be leading the way about how to approach the interrelationship between “theology” and “experience.” If the Holy Spirit is a person and not an “it,” then we can come to have personal knowledge about Him and His work in the world and in the church. Here, we think that C&P philosophers should come assist in developing robust, realist accounts of personal knowledge.

C) Theological: C&P would profit from doing their theological reflection within a “Kingdom of God” framework. This, for us, has been the greatest theological contribution of the Vineyard movement, for which we are active contributors. A theology of the Kingdom, as a meta-narrative, can do tremendous work for thinking through our pneumatology questions and concerns.

2. Let’s return to the Bible. The Word of God is the foundation for the Christian experience. Any dramatic experience, no matter how spiritual it seems, must be tested by the Word and the Holy Spirit’s discernment. Visions, dreams, prophecies and encounters with angels must be in line with Scripture. If we don’t test them we could end up spreading deception.

Amen and Amen. This is so crucial in at least these two significant ways:

A) As was developed in Kingdom Triangle, scripture is an indispensable source of knowledge about reality. It’s not merely a religious book to norm religious experiences or practices. It is meant to norm our perspective of God, and our collaboration with God, in His world, wherever He is at work. If C&P leaders can recognize scripture as a source of knowledge of reality, then can be in a better place to “test their experiences.” Let’s recognize that people can be addicted to spiritual experiences as much as they can be addicted to ideas or drugs, sex and rock n’roll! We need our desire-fulfillment in our experiences to be normed and directed. Scripture plays an indispensable role here.

B) C&P can help shape a Christian view of knowledge, by virtue of recognizing that scripture is ultimate but not the only source of knowledge about reality (our testable experiences can also provide knowledge of God, for example).

3. It’s time for personal responsibility. We charismatics must stop blaming everything on demons. People are usually the problem.

Amen and Amen. The “Kingdom Triangle” represents for us an ideal here: 1) the interrelatedness of “life of the mind” cultivation coupled with 2) personal character and spiritual formation development that is married to 3) empowerment in the Spirit. In short, this seems to us to be the proper context for realizing “personal responsibility.” We need all three areas working together.

4. Stop playing games. Spiritual warfare is a reality, but we are not going to win the world to Jesus just by shouting at demonic principalities. We must pray, preach and persevere to see ultimate victory.

Amen and Amen. C&P (and evangelicals for that matter) would benefit from a more robust concept of “spiritual warfare” that sees “ideas raised up against knowledge of God” as much (if not more) part of the terrain of spiritual warfare activity than shouting at demons.

5. Stop the foolishness. People who hit, slap or push others during prayer should be asked to sit down until they learn gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

6. End all spiritual extortion now. Christian television ministries must cease and desist from all manipulative fundraising tactics. We must stop giving platforms to ministers who make outlandish claims of supernatural financial returns, especially when Scripture is twisted, deadlines are imposed and the poor are exploited.

7. No more Lone Rangers. Those who claim to be ministers of God—whether they are traveling evangelists, local pastors or heads of ministries—must be accountable to other leaders. Any who refuse to submit their lives to godly discipline should be corrected.

8. Expose the creeps. Churches should start doing background checks on traveling ministers. Preachers who have been hiding criminal records, lying about their past marriages, preying on women or refusing to pay child support should be exposed as charlatans and shunned if they do not repent.

9. Stop faking the anointing. God is God, and He does not need our “help” to manifest Himself. That means we don’t sprinkle glitter on ourselves to suggest God’s glory is with us, hide fake jewels on the floor to prove we are anointed or pull chicken feathers out of our sleeves to pretend angels are in the room. This is lying to the Holy Spirit.

Amen and Amen. #5-9 are an important grouping of exhortations. If for no other reason than for PR reasons, the foolishness should cease! More seriously, though, it’s a little ironic that C&Ps can have a relatively high view of the body to want sickness to leave from it yet they are willing to treat other people’s bodies as commodities to be pushed and tossed around the room. Weird. What might it reveal about a theology of the body (or lack thereof) to inform ministry practices?

It should be the case that if C&P leaders can’t agree to #5-9 they really should not be representing C&P. Charisma, among other C&P media outlets, should be on the cutting-edge shedding light on these areas. If C&P movement leaders can’t rightly judge themselves in these areas, they will suffer the embarrassment and shame of being exposed by “outsiders.” C&P should develop their own interdenominational network/association that monitors these things (maybe an “accountability council” of sorts).

10. Let’s return to purity. We’ve had enough scandals. The charismatic church must develop a system for the restoration of fallen ministers. Those who fall morally can be restored, but they must be willing to submit to a process of healing rather than rushing immediately back into the pulpit.

Amen and Amen. We need to regain a sober intentionality about God and His mission in the world. “… develop a system for the restoration of fallen ministers” is absolutely important. This is not optional.

11. We need humility. Ministers who demand celebrity treatment, require lavish salaries, insist on titles or exhibit aloofness from others are guilty of spiritual pride.

12. No more big shots. Apostles are the bondslaves of Christ, and should be the most impeccable models of humility. True apostles do not wield top-down, hierarchical authority over the church. They serve the church from the bottom up as true servants.

Amen and Amen. The power of C&P celebrity culture must be broken!
13. Never promote gifts at the expense of character. Those who operate in prophecy, healing and miracles must also exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. And while we continue to encourage the gift of tongues, let’s make sure we don’t treat it like some kind of badge of superiority. The world needs to see our love, not our glossolalia.

14. Hold the prophets accountable. Those who refuse to take responsibility for inaccurate statements should not be given platforms. And “prophets” who live immoral lives don’t deserve a public voice.

Amen and Amen. It seems that all of these accountability problems are also institutional problems. The C&P church as institution is not doing it’s job. The C&P seminary as institution is not doing it’s job. Given the explosion of non-denominational C&P churches and organizations, they don’t seem to have any other organization to be accountable to. There’s a big, moral accountability vacuum here.

For those people/organizations that have a media related ministry (on the radio, TV, internet, etc), they should be accountable to some sort of internal C&P group, again, at least for PR purposes.

15. Let’s make the main thing the main thing. The purpose of the Holy Spirit’s anointing is to empower us to reach others. We are at a crossroads today: Either we continue off-course, entertained by our charismatic sideshows, or we throw ourselves into evangelism, church planting, missions, discipleship, and compassionate ministry that helps the poor and fights injustice. Churches that embrace this New Reformation will focus on God’s priorities.

The developing world, especially the “Global South,” is counting on a credible, authentic C&P witness. Will they be left discouraged by the distraction of “charismatic sideshows”?"

The Whole of Christianity by C.S. Lewis

2011-11-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

"This is the whole of Christianity. There is nothing else.
It is easy to get muddled about that.
It is easy to think that the Church has a lot of different
objects-education, missions, holding services... The Church
  exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make
them little Christ. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals,
  clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a
  waste of time. God became man for no other purpose.

                                       - C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

An Interview With John Piper: Confronting the Racial Sins of Our Fathers

2011-11-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

Confronting the Racial Sins of Our Fathers from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

The Apostles' Creed vs. Gnosticism

2011-10-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

Many Christians today do not know what they believe. I think it's important to study the historic creed's of the Church. I copied this post from http://www.spurgeon.org/

"The Old Roman Creed"

BELIEVE in God almighty [the Father almighty—(Rufinus)]
And in Christ Jesus, his only Son, our Lord

Who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary

Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate and was buried

And the third day rose from the dead

Who ascended into heaven

And sitteth on the right hand of the Father

Whence he cometh to judge the living and the dead.

And in the Holy Spirit

The holy church

The remission of sins

The resurrection of the flesh

The life everlasting. [Rufinus omits this line.]

The Apostles' Creed (sixth-century Gallican version)

BELIEVE in God the Father almighty,

I also believe in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord,

conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.

suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead and buried; he descended into hell,

rose again the third day,

ascended into heaven,

sat down at the right hand of the Father,

thence he is to come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost,

the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,

the remission of sins,

the resurrection of the flesh and life eternal.

The Apostles' Creed (as usually recited today)

BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen

The Apostles' Creed vs. Gnosticism

By James Kiefer

CREED generally emphasizes the beliefs opposing those errors that the compilers of the creed think most dangerous at the time. The Creed of the Council of Trent, which was drawn up by the Roman Catholics in the 1500's, emphasized those beliefs that Roman Catholics and Protestants were arguing about most furiously at the time. The Nicene Creed, drawn up in the fourth century, is emphatic in affirming the Deity of Christ, since it is directed against the Arians, who denied that Christ was fully God. The Apostles' Creed, drawn up in the first or second century, emphasizes the true Humanity, including the material body, of Jesus, since that is the point that the heretics of the time (Gnostics, Marcionites, and later Manicheans) denied. (See 1 John 4:1-3)

Thus the Apostles' Creed is as follows:

* I believe in God the Father Almighty,

* Maker of Heaven and Earth,

The Gnostics held that the physical universe is evil and that God did not make it.

* And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord,

* Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,

* Born of the Virgin Mary,

The Gnostics were agreed that the orthodox Christians were wrong in supposing that God had taken human nature or a human body. Some of them distinguished between Christ, whom they acknowledged to be in some sense divine, and the man Jesus, who was at most an instrument through whom the Christ spoke. They held that the man Jesus did not become the bearer or instrument of the Christ until the Spirit descended upon him at his baptism, and that the Spirit left him before the crucifixion, so that the Spirit had only a brief and tenuous association with matter and humanity. Others affirmed that there was never a man Jesus at all, but only the appearance of a man, through which appearance wise teachings were given to the first disciples. Against this the orthodox Christians affirmed that Jesus was conceived through the action of the Holy Spirit (thus denying the Gnostic position that the Spirit had nothing to do with Jesus until his Baptism), that he was born (which meant that he had a real physical body, and not just an appearance) of a virgin (which implied that he had been special from the first moment of his life, and not just from the baptism on.

* Suffered under Pontius Pilate,

There were many stories then current about gods who died and were resurrected, but they were offered quite frankly as myths, as non-historical stories symbolic of the renewal of the vegetation every spring after the seeming death of winter. If you asked, "When did Adonis die, you would be told either, "Long ago and far away," or else, "His death is not an event in earthly time." Jesus, on the other hand, died at a particular time and place in history, under the jurisdiction of Pontius Pilate, Procurator of Judea from 26 to 36 CE, or during the last ten years of the reign of the Emperor Tiberius.

* was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into Hades.

Here the creed hammers home the point that he was really dead. He was not an illusion. He was nailed to a post. He died. He had a real body, a corpse, that was placed in a tomb. He was not merely unconscious — his spirit left his body and went to the realm of the dead. It is a common belief among Christians that on this occasion he took the souls of those who had died trusting in the promises made under the Old Covenant — Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah, and many others — and brought them out of the realm of the dead and into heavenly glory. But the creed is not concerned with this point. The reference to the descent into Hades (or Hell, or Sheol) is here to make it clear that the death of Jesus was not just a swoon or a coma, but death in every sense of the word.

* The third day he rose from the dead, he ascended into heaven,

* and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

* From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

* I believe in the Holy Ghost,

* the holy catholic church,

The Gnostics believed that the most important Christian doctrines were reserved for a select few. The orthodox belief was that the fullness of the Gospel was to be preached to the entire human race. Hence the term "catholic," or universal, which distinguished them from the Gnostics.

* the communion of saints,

* the forgiveness of sins,

The Gnostics considered that what men needed was not forgiveness, but enlightenment. Ignorance, not sin, was the problem. Some of them, believing the body to be a snare and delusion, led lives of great asceticism. Others, believing the body to be quite separate from the soul, held that it did not matter what the body did, since it was completely foul anyway, and its actions had no effect on the soul. They accordingly led lives that were not ascetic at all. Either way, the notion of forgiveness was alien to them.

* the resurrection of the body,

The chief goal of the Gnostics was to become free forever from the taint of matter and the shackles of the body, and to return to the heavenly realm as Pure Spirit. They totally rejected any idea of the resurrection of the body.

* and the life everlasting. AMEN

Hope and Petition: Prayers of Saint Augustine of Hippo

2011-10-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

Act of Hope

For your mercies' sake, O Lord my God, tell me what you are to me. Say to my soul: "I am your salvation." So speak that I may hear, O Lord; my heart is listening; open it that it may hear you, and say to my soul: "I am your salvation." After hearing this word, may I come in haste to take hold of you. Hide not your face from me. Let me see your face even if I die, lest I die with longing to see it. The house of my soul is too small to receive you; let it be enlarged by you. It is all in ruins; do you repair it. There are things in it - I confess and I know - that must offend your sight. But who shall cleanse it? Or to what others besides you shall I cry out? From my secret sins cleanse me, O Lord, and from those of others spare your servant. Amen.

Act of Petition

Give me yourself, O my God, give yourself to me. Behold I love you, and if my love is too weak a thing, grant me to love you more strongly. I cannot measure my love to know how much it falls short of being sufficient, but let my soul hasten to your embrace and never be turned away until it is hidden in the secret shelter of your presence. This only do I know, that it is not good for me when you are not with me, when you are only outside me. I want you in my very self. All the plenty in the world which is not my God is utter want. Amen.

David Platt, James MacDonald, and Mark Driscoll : Prosperity vs. Poverty

2011-10-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

I believe David Platt is a prophetic voice to the western Church. My family and I have visited The Church at Brook Hills many times, having heard his messages either in person or through his podcast. I think his 'Radical' teaching is desperately needed in the western Church. He is not preaching that we (Americans) should live in poverty, but that we should bring the message of Christ, and share our abundant resources with a hungry and lost world. All I can say is, I need to hear it. - Bobby

(The notes below were taken by Jake Johnson.)

Elephant Room Conversation #6: Prosperity vs. Poverty

There are massive needs for the gospel around the world and for physical needs. We look in the word and there are 2,300 plus verses that deal with money. All the major passages on money: God is the owner, as followers of Christ we don’t have the right to determine the direction of our money, therefor if he calls anyone to sell all they have—and not everyone is—we must. - David Platt

Wealth and money are not inherently sinful, but it’s dangerous in the hands of sinful man. - David Platt

Asceticism is wrong and so is materialism. - David Platt

Christ has called us to a radical abandonment, and that looks different for each person. - David Platt

When Christ transforms us spiritually he also transforms us materially. - David Platt

We give because of the urgency of eternity. We’re here for a short time. We need to invest in eternity. - David Platt

I live in a context and community of major self-indulgence. We have to wrestle with these things. - David Platt

I tell people to make a lot of money, but in their making money, just because salary increases doesn’t mean that their standard of living needs to increase as well. God gives enough for us and gives excess for others. - David Platt

What can happen with younger leaders, they’re not thinking a wise man lives an inheritance to his children. - Mark Driscoll

I don’t disagree with Christ lordship. I don’t disagree with using our resources. The issue comes with the people like you and Francis Chan reading and attaching a spiritual value to poverty. - James MacDonald

It’s kids in their 20’s not doing anything reading John Piper and attaching value to poverty. - James MacDonald

They’re empowered to live without ambition by a distortion of what you’re preaching. - James MacDonald

I have a couple checks about radical distribution of resources. We are desperately in need of a more fully orbed theology of joy in the church today. - James MacDonald

We need to extend our theology of joy in God down to a theology of joy in the good gifts God gave us. - James MacDonald

It’s not wrong to have. It’s wrong when things have you. - James MacDonald

The problem comes when everyone else sees poverty as normative and attaches spiritual value to it. - James MacDonald

Generosity breaks bondage to wealth. Not poverty. - James MacDonald

I think we don’t realize how much things have our hearts. - David Platt

Your heart follows your money. - David Platt

When we pour our resources into bigger, better things, our hearts follow there. When you give in generosity your heart follows there. - David Platt

It’s not either/or, like so many things. What I’m objecting to is an impoverished, can’t-make-ends meet living that is seen as spiritual. Poverty is not spiritual living. - James MacDonald

The way we’re using poor and poverty is really irresponsible because we’re not poor. - David Platt

I understand destitute poverty, but there’s also working-class poverty. I can tell you being the son of a dry-waller who snapped his back, times are hard. Making ends meet is hard. - Mark Driscoll

It isn’t that more equals a problem and less doesn’t. - James MacDonald

We see money as the answer to so many things. - James MacDonald

Here’s what’s getting lost here. David and John at the end of the day aren’t saying let’s take our money and give it to the guy in the hut so they can get DirectTV. They’re saying there are thousands of people groups who have never heard the gospel. What’s our responsibility financially to give the gospel globally. - Matt Chandler

Missions is so broken, it’s just flat out broken. Why do we have to keep hearing about 1,000 people groups who haven’t heard the gospel? We’ve given enough over the years that that should be addressed by now. - James MacDonald

I think we need to do [missions] right but it’s worth making major sacrifice in order to make and support it right. - David Platt

We looked at our budget, and our staff cut 83% of our budget, including snacks for the kids, in order to recommit to missions. - David Platt

I think that’s sucktastic. *sarcasm* - Mark Driscoll

The tenderness in your heart for lost people is exemplary. But you pastor a church. But I’ve seen what it looks like for kids to grow up in poverty theology. I really fear the stingy, cheap—the wives have to work because the church doesn’t pay the pastors enough—it’s pathetic that you cut Cheez-its from kids. The people in your congregation have enough to provide snacks and missions. - James MacDonald

You went cheap on the church side and your congregation swiped the residual. - James MacDonald

If you took crackers from my kids, I’d be doing prison ministry from the inside. - Mark Driscoll *sarcasm*

Be careful making what you do normative for all churches. - Mark Driscoll

It’s the cheap mentality. None of Jesus parables were about giving. It was about stewarding. The people who write about money who don’t understand money should stop. - James MacDonald

You’re not supposed to divest your money. You’re supposed to multiply it. - James MacDonald

There’s eternal multiplication that can happen as well. - David Platt

The idea of immediate divesting of money is not healthy. It’s not money that is evil. It’s the love of money that is. - James MacDonald

We’re supposed to multiply and enjoy money. There is a theology of joy that isn’t fully developed yet. - James MacDonald

I think we live in a culture where we have sought our joy in more and more things. The reason I’m passionate about this is because it’s as much for others as it is for us. - David Platt

I agree. I’m just calling out and saying there is a real danger in cheap, on the half, do it for less, make the pastor poor…there is alot in that that is crushing people in ministry. We’re swinging too far the other way. - James MacDonald

I want Mark’s kids to know that blessing flows to fruitfulness. - James MacDonald

Our budget is $500,000 per week, but that doesn’t even closely resemble the resources in our church. I don’t want to beat down the budget. I want our people to give more. - James MacDonald

There’s a way to love kids besides giving them crackers. - David Platt

At our church, it’s just that. Only crackers. They have to eat their way out of the room. - James MacDonald *humor*

How long have you been in ministry? Mark Driscoll to David Platt. Answer: Five years.

You don’t yet understand the toll that ministry takes on your family. I want you to understand that some of the abundance that comes from writing a best-selling book, don’t cut your kids off from the rewards that come from faithful ministry. Don’t feel guilty about giving your family some joy and enjoying the abundance God gives you. - James MacDonald to David Platt.

The Gospel and Materialism : Part Two - David Platt

2011-10-21T08:02:00.000-07:00

This video includes an interesting interview with a young lady who started a ministry to the poor in Africa.-Bobby

The Apostles' Creed - Third Millennium Ministries

2011-10-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

The Apostles' Creed 1 - The Articles of Faith from Third Millennium Ministries on Vimeo.

This video is just one of many outstanding free seminary courses offered by Dr. Richard Pratt. He is the President and founder of Third Millennium Ministries. http://www.thirdmill.org/

The Gospel and Materialism - David Platt

2011-10-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

Meditation's on The Sovereignty of God: Part Two

2011-10-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

"But Joseph said to them, "Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." - ( Genesis 50:19-20 ESV)

^"But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips." - (Job 2:10 ESV)

" The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." - (Proverbs 16:9 ESV)

"Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one." - (James 1:13 ESV)

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." - (Romans 8:28 ESV)

God does not sin, but He obviously allows it, in fact He can use it for His ultimate glory. The Biblical narrative clearly shows that God works in seemingly hopeless situations. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, which God used to save the Jewish Nation from starvation, and to preserve the Messianic lineage. The murder of God's own Son was the greatest atrocity that has ever been committed in the history of mankind, but it provided salvation to all who would believe on Jesus. God was clearly in charge of these events - He actually caused them. I believe that God either directly causes or allows everything that happens. To say that God is not in control of all things, elevates the devil's authority above that which God has given him.

We are not called to be passive - we are called to pray and use the authority God has given us over the power of evil (Luke 10). As we minister in this present evil age, we clearly see two Kingdoms in conflict - but we have confidence that in the end every wrong will be made right.The Lord does not have to force people to do evil deeds against their wills, because men's hearts are desperately wicked. He takes the evil intentions and actions of men, and uses them for the good of those He has chosen.

Some of the worse things that happen to us can be the very things that drive us into the arms of God. The Bible does not teach that everything that happens is good, but that it works for the good of His called ones.
You can't trust Jesus during times of tragedy and testing unless you really know that He is good, and have experienced His love firsthand. Being born of the Spirit doesn't insulate you from this battlefield called life. But God's Spirit equips, comforts, and strengthens us to endure through His overcoming power until the end. - Bobby

A Prophetic Word From John Piper

2011-10-04T18:21:00.000-07:00

While listening to John Piper preach on Psalm 67 at the recent Desiring God Conference, I felt like the end of his message was a prophetic word to the Church in America. See what you think! - Bobby

Blessed to Be a Blessing

"This is the sharpest point of this psalm. We are blessed to be a blessing. And, of course, that means we are spiritually blessed. But in this psalm, the Lord has something more specifically to say—especially to the American church and the church of the west.

I have blessed you—beyond the wildest dreams of any people in history. I have blessed you with unprecedented and overflowing wealth. This is not a curse. It is a blessing. But it will become a curse, if you do not use it for what I have designed.

Blessings Doubled in Going and Giving

And what I have designed is not that you lose and they gain. What I have designed is that you go and you give, and both gain. I love you, and I love the nations. I have blessed you and I mean to double your blessing by making you a blessing. It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). That’s the way I created you. Therefore, my design (“blessed to be a blessing”) is for your joy and their joy. When I bless you that you may be a blessing, I bless you that your joy may be full.

When I say, “Let the nations be glad!” I mean, “Let your gladness be doubled in their gladness.” This is why I have blessed. This is why I have blessed you. Don’t turn my blessing into a curse. Don’t put it in a bag with holes. I have blessed you. This is why you are rich—“that my way may be known on earth, my saving power among all nations.”

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy.

For this we have been blessed. This is our mission. This is our joy. No matter what it costs."

Watch or read the entire message from the link below.
Let the Peoples Praise You, O God, Let All the Peoples Praise You! on Desiring God

John Piper’s “Bloodlines” Documentary

2011-09-30T18:53:00.000-07:00

Bloodlines Documentary with John Piper from Crossway on Vimeo.

Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian.

Meditation's on The Sovereignty of God: Part One

2011-09-28T14:06:00.000-07:00

" The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD;
he turns it wherever he will." - (Proverbs 21:1 ESV)

"The LORD has made everything for its purpose,
even the wicked for the day of trouble." - (Proverbs 16:4 ESV)

In recent days, I have come to appreciate and meditate on the doctrine of the sovereignty of God, once again. It seems that most of the messages that I have heard since the 10th anniversary of 9/11 have focused on this topic. While God's sovereignty is a deep and mysterious subject - it is a great comfort to me. When I meditate on the fact that Nations, Kings, natural disasters, and atrocities of all kinds, will ultimately be used for the good of God's children - I am comforted. (Rom. 8:28)

I would encourage Christians not to worry about the secular state of Israel, or even the moral, social and economic decline of America. But pray about these things, and seek to live your life in obedience to God. Hope in God who has a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Islam is not to be feared, and our faith should not be in the stock market. My biggest concern is not with the state of the world - it is with the Church. It seems that many in the western Church are looking to politicians and some sort of superstitious relationship with the secular state of Israel for the salvation of our nation (and no I'm not cursing Israel).

We need to honor and thank God for the historical role Israel has played in God's plan of salvation for all of His children (those that are following Jesus), Jews and Gentiles alike (Romans 11). And we are commanded in Scripture to pray for those in authority. But Scripture is clear - God is sovereign over the affairs of men and He will have no rivals. Looking for help from any other source is idolatry. - Bobby

Video and Audio from the 2011 Desiring God National Conference

2011-09-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Video and Audio from the 2011 National Conference - Click here

Listen to Louie Giglio, David Platt, Michael Ramsden, Michael Oh, Davis Mathis, Ed Stetzer, John Piper and be encouraged to particpate in God's global mission. -Bobby

Elephant Room: Love The Gospel vs Share The Gospel

2011-09-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

Elephant Room - Culture In The Church Vs. Church In The Culture

2011-09-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

Change Takes Time

2011-09-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

"But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. - (2 Corinthians 3:16-18 ESV)

Our journey with God and the transformation of our nature into Christlikeness takes time. I really wish a single 'big time' spiritual experience could fix us all for life, but that is not reality. As we follow Jesus on the path He is leading us on, we will have intense spiritual experiences at times. These experiences are leading us into the fullness of the Spirit, and I would never minimize them. But lasting transformation and genuine spiritual growth are the result of disciplining our bodies and minds on a day to day basis to obey the the teachings of Christ, and to an openess to the Spirit.

Suffering is inevitable in the Christian life. Those that embrace suffering and the grace that God gives with it, will grow spiritually, and experience a deep joy even during times of sorrow. This joy is supernatural, and is a by-product of abiding in Christ - who has become our life. Change doesn't come through a occasional visit with Jesus, it only happens to those who abide in(stay put) and follow Him.

Some fear that being changed by Jesus will cause them to lose their identity. But I have found that the more of myself I give to God - the more freedom I have to become who He really created me to be. - Bobby

Pictures From My Visit To Ground Zero In 2006

2011-09-11T15:54:00.000-07:00

I took the pictures above at ground zero in 2006 on a mission trip to New York City. Nations will rise and fall but we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. - Bobby

Recovering Our Faith

2011-08-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

"I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted." ( Job 42:2 ESV)

"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions" ( 2 Tim. 4:3 ESV)

Post-modernism has so permeated our society and the church, that many are not willing to teach or stand for absolute truth anymore. I have great confidence that none of the purposes of God will be thwarted - His truth will prevail. We have been so inundated with teachings that are contrary to sound Biblical truth, that many are being indoctrinated by a powerless gospel that cast doubt on the validity of Scripture. This man-centered gospel does not have the power to transform the human heart.

As a "recovering sinner" as Dallas Willard puts it, I do not trust my own logic to interpret who God is or to understand His attributes with my mind alone. It is important to look outside ourselves to God's word to get the right perspective of who He is and how we are to relate to Him. Forming our own spirituality has become quite popular in recent decades, which has resulted in creating 'gods' in our own image. Many have rejected the faith because of the weak version of Christianity that has been presented to them. Some reject the faith because they refuse to live by God's standards that are outside our control. We buy the lie of Satan that we can be lords over our own lives.

The lack of genuine discipleship in our rational and materialistic culture has been a legitimate problem. The American version of Christianity has produced many Church members but few disciples. I am encouraged that we are in a season where some in the Church are returning to Biblical teachings on character, prayer and mediation, sound doctrine, and Holy Spirit power. - Bobby

The Honors of The King by Tim Keller

2011-08-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

(This article was copied from the Redeemer Presbyterian Church website.) http://www.redeemer.com/

"In his unpublished biography of his brother C. S. Lewis, W. H. “Warnie” Lewis related how in late 1951 his brother received a letter from Prime Minister Winston Churchill. In it, Churchill offered to recommend him for a C.B.E. (Commander of the British Empire).

The C.B.E. is one class in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, a chivalric order established to recognize gallantry and service to the Empire, and Lewis was nominated to appear on the last list of honours of King George VI, in December, 1951. It was an extremely coveted honor, and evidently it was offered to Lewis for his public service for writing and broadcasting during the war.

In a letter to the Prime Minister’s secretary Lewis turned down the offer, which was very unusual. “I feel greatly obliged to the Prime Minister, and so far as my personal feelings are concerned this honour would be highly agreeable,” he wrote. However, he added that many people said or believed that Christianity is basically, “covert anti-Leftist propaganda, and my appearance in the Honours List would of course strengthen their hands. It is therefore better that I should not appear there.” (W. Hooper, ed. The Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis, volume III, p. 147.)

Over the years some other notable figures have turned down membership in the Order of the British Empire, but usually it was as a political protest against some aspect of British government or policy. In Lewis’ case the reasoning was completely different. He knew that if Churchill, a Conservative politician, recommended him for the order it would only lend credence to what people believed about the Christian faith, namely, that it was not really about truth, but was rather a tool for non-progressive political interests. Lewis refused to let a political entity reward him for Christian service, fearing it would identify Christianity too closely with one political system.

Christianity is filled with many truth claims. Some of those claims and principles may align well with a certain political party. It is a great temptation for those within the party to identify those themes and aspects of Christianity that are agreeable to its own goals and seek to enhance its own credibility by hinting (or overtly claiming) that voting for their party is God’s will. And if the party offers the religious leaders the perks of power and recognition, the offer can be irresistible. Onlookers have the right to be cynical about the religious institutions that strike this bargain. They do not have the right to assume that’s all there is to Christianity—but that is what they conclude.

C. S.Lewis refused to be a part of that. He was far-sighted.In our country over the last 60 years, alliances between churches and politics have resulted in many people dismissing Christianity as only “the Conservative (or) Liberal party at prayer.” The results have been destructive (as we discussed in last month’s newsletter article on ‘Civility.’)

At Redeemer we believe that the gospel shapes all areas of life. Christians can and should be involved in government, and their Christian faith will be the driving force behind how they engage in politics as well as how they evaluate many policy issues. Also, Redeemer teaches God’s word and often what the Bible says will have public policy implications that are direct and/or indirect. But Christians must not implicitly or explicitly identify their Christianity with political figures and parties.That has always been the balance we have tried to strike in our ministryin the city. It is tempting of course, when the honours of earthly kings are offered to us for doing Christian ministry. C. S. Lewis allowed the honor of the King of Kings to be enough for him."

Discipleship: Part Three

2011-08-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

¹"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ⁵I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. - (John 15:1-6 ESV)

There is much confusion today about what it means to be a Christian. The Bible doesn't teach a difference between being a Christian and becoming a disciple. Being a Christian is more than just believing, even demons believe (James 2:19). Christlikeness produces a change in our character, and is a sign that we are being discipled by Jesus. There are many in Catholic and Protestant churches that are not experiencing transformation of the inner man, nor are they following Jesus.

A true disciple is learning to abide in Jesus who is the Vine, and that Jesus is our life and source of power. The disciples devotional life produces Christlikeness. Meditating on Scripture and then seeking to obey it by the power of the indwelling Christ, produces fruit in due season. And everything has a season. If you are expecting instant maturity you will be setting yourself up for failure.

As the life of Christ is formed in us, we discover sin and brokenness from past experiences that the Holy Spirit is seeking to bring healing to. We must allow God to do this work so that we can move forward in our discipleship. Our need to be forgiven, and to forgive others is an ongoing process. As we embrace the teachings of Jesus we are confronted with the impossibility of living this life apart from His empowering grace. A disciple never walks alone. He walks with Jesus and other disciples on the journey. - Bobby

Discipleship: Part Two

2011-08-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

" And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons^[a] of God.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of
   heaven.
"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil
   against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven,
   for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. - (Matt. 5:2-12 ESV)

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must understand that we are called to live our lives in a upside down kingdom. Kingdom living produces a countercultural lifestyle. The sermon on the Mount is impossible to live by, apart from God's enabling grace in our lives. Jesus' teaching known as the Beatitudes  is the most powerful declaration of Kingdom living in the Bible. Dallas Willard points out that to seek to live by these principles without grace, will make you legalistic or a Pharisee. Without the work of the Holy Spirit these life giving words become just another set of laws that we cannot keep.

The disciple is learning to abide in Christ and live in communication with Him. His (Jesus) yoke is easy and His burden is light(Matt 11:30). The lost art of meditation on Scripture (all day long) must be recovered by the followers of Jesus. Spending time with Him, meditating on His God breathed words throughout the day gives us access to the mind of Christ.

Psalm 32: 8-9 is a good example of how God wants to communicate to those who will listen.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you. - (Psalm 32:8-9 ESV)

Dallas Willard on Spiritual Formation

2011-08-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

I am attending a retreat this weekend where Dallas Willard will be teaching on the subject of, Hearing God. Dallas has written extensively on the Kingdom of God and discipleship. I read this quote on spiritual formation by Willard this morning. - Bobby

"Spiritual formation for the Christian refers to the Spirit-driven process of forming the inner world of

the human self so that it becomes like the inner being of Christ himself. To the degree in which

spiritual formation in Christ is successful, the outer life of the individual becomes a natural outflow of

the character and teachings of Jesus. Its goal is conformity to Christ that arises out of an inner

transformation accomplished through purposeful interaction with the grace of God in Christ.

Obedience is an essential outcome of Christian spiritual formation (see John 13:34-35;14:21). - Dallas

Willard & Jan Johnson, Renovation Of The Heart In Daily Practice, page 15.

Discipleship: Part One

2011-07-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

“If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. - ( Luke 14:26 NLT )

I believe it is possible to feed the poor, fight for the rights of the oppressed, and go to the mission field while avoiding intimacy with Jesus. In our zeal for ministry and serving God, it is possible to be distracted from His presence. We can work for God while grieving the Holy Spirit who wants to do a deep work of exposing the motives of our hearts. If we seek God for the truth about ourselves, we can become uncomfortable with what He shows us. God is not condemning us, He is trying to free us from our idols.

Disciples are first and foremost called to be with Jesus. Many of us at the time of our conversion were never taught to count the cost of following Jesus, and that He requires complete ownership of our lives. We "accepted" Him as our Savior who forgives us of our sin, but did not understand that He requires more than Church attendance and just "cleaning up our act." He can't be Savior without being Lord.

Recently I have refocused my attention on discipleship and the kingdom of God. I have been pondering this question: What is a disciple? I believe a disciple is always looking for and seeking to walk in the rule of God. A disciple of Jesus has found the pearl of great price and loves Him more than anything else. While a disciple seeks to be a part of fulfilling the great commission, his inner life is being transformed by the Holy Spirit and meditation on Scripture. His ministry is fueled by prayer.

While the disciple is a learner, he is also called to be a doer. Therefore we read the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles and seek to walk in them. The true follower of Jesus makes other disciples as he travels through life, and teaches others the path of freedom and wholeness in Christ. They pray for the sick and use their spiritual gifting and spiritual authority to confront demonic spirits, build up the Church and advance His kingdom. - Bobby

John Piper Remembers John Stott 1921-2011

2011-07-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

In 1982 John Stott chastised himself for his 1966 book Men Made New. It was an exposition of Romans 5 through 8. I read it in 1967 while coming alive to the glories of exposition. He agreed with a critical letter: “Your book is like a house without windows,” meaning it had no illustrations (Between Two Worlds, 240).
My response to that was, and is: Men Made New did not need windows. It was all window.
I was waking up from the soporific effects of the kind of preaching that was one part explanation and 99 parts illustration. I had never heard the sort of thing John Stott did when he preached (and turned it into books). It was riveting. Thrilling. Suddenly the meaning of Bible sentences became treasure chests to be opened.

To this day I have zero interest in watching a preacher take his stand on top of the (closed) treasure chest of Bible sentences and eloquently talk about his life or his family or the news or history or culture or movies, or even general theological principles and themes, without opening the chest and showing me the specific jewels in these Bible sentences.

John Stott turned the words of Bible sentences into windows onto glorious reality by explaining them in clear, compelling, complete, coherent, fresh, silly-free, English sentences.
For Stott “all true Christian preaching is expository preaching. . . ”

“Exposition” refers to the content of the sermon (biblical truth) rather than its style (a running commentary). To expound Scripture is to bring out of the text what is there and expose it to view. The expositor [pries] open what appears to be closed, makes plain what is obscure, unravels what is knotted, and unfolds what is tightly packed.” (Between Two Worlds, 125ff)

Yes! This is what I was starving for and didn’t even know it. Amazing! Someone is telling me what these sentences mean! Someone is making light shine on these words. It is shining so bright, I can’t sleep in this light! I am waking up from decades of dull dealing with God’s word. Thank you. Thank you. I could care less if you tell me any stories. I want to know what God means by these words!

And of course what God means is staggeringly important and glorious and horrible and tender and rugged and shocking and ravishing and relevant. And implications are crashing down on me every minute, and my heart is churning with shock and wonder and fear and hope and sorrow and joy and cries for help. This is what I have been waiting for all my life. Thank you, John Stott, for telling me what these words mean.

In those days, I knew I could not preach. But I knew that this is the kind of preaching I wanted to hear — and if a miracle happened, and I ever became a preacher, the kind I wanted to do. The expository kind. The articulate kind. The coherent kind. The clear kind. The shove-your-face-in-the-text kind. The iron-clad-argument-from-conjunctions kind. The blow-the-gloom-of-ignorance-and-doubt-away kind. The no-nonsense-utterly-realistic-tell-it-like-it-is kind.

So, John Stott, I’m glad you preached and wrote Men Made New just like it was. I’m glad you preached the way you preached. And when you heard your “Well done,” yesterday in heaven, I don’t think Jesus meant, “Except for the illustrations.”

John Piper Interviews David Platt on Discipleship and World Missions

2011-07-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Edwards on The Enjoyment of God

2011-07-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

"The enjoyment of [God] is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven,

fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here.

Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of earthly friends, are but

shadows; but God is the substance.These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but

streams. But God is the ocean." - Jonathan Edwards, The Christian Pilgrim

Devote Yourselves To Prayer

2011-07-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

"Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart." - Col. 4:2 NLT

I am convinced that God is calling many of us to once again to devote ourselves to prayer, so that we can stay focused on the advancement of His kingdom and enjoy His presence. Jesus calls his children sheep because we tend to be led astray easily and sometimes forget the importance of prayer. We need to pray often to be able to survive the onslaught from hell that comes aganist us. Jesus is raising up a counter-cultural Church, disciples of Christ that refuse to allow our materialistic western culture dictate to us how we should live our lives. Prayer, meditation, and radical obedience are characteristic of a people seeking God's presence. Our hearts can only be transformed as we live in communion with God and his word - our joy comes from his presence. This is one of my favorite quotes on communion with God by George Muller. - Bobby

"I saw more clearly than ever that the first great primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord . . . not how much I might serve the Lord, . . . but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. For I might seek to set the truth before the unconverted, I might seek to benefit believers . . . and yet, not being happy in the Lord, and not being nourished and strengthened in my inner man day by day, all this might not be attended to in a right spirit. Before this time my practice had been . . . to give myself to prayer after having dressed myself in the morning. Now, I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God, and to meditation on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed; and that thus, by means of the Word of God, whilst meditating on it, my heart might be brought into experimental communion with the Lord." - George Muller

The Book of Acts in 3 Minutes TheChurchAtBrookHills org

2011-07-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

The Harvest

2011-07-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

" He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds1 among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn." - Matthew 13:24-30

I believe the last days began during the earthly ministry of Jesus and the greatest event in human history was his death on the cross and ressurection from the dead. As Christians we should focus on Jesus and his purposes and plans for the earth during these last days. We are living in a time of incredible harvest. An unprecedented number of Muslims are coming into the Kingdom of God. I know of one ministry alone in India that is seeing about 3000 converts a day. D.A. Carson says,"By virtually any calculation, in the last 150 years there has been greater international mission work than in the preceding 1,800 years combined. "Scandalous, page 96.

Basically things are getting much worse and much better simultaneously. Satan knows his days are numbered and his rage against Christians is evident. The glory of God will cover the earth like the waters cover the sea(Hab,2:13)! It may look like the Kingdom is not prevailing to those of us in the United States and Europe, but we must be patient and remain faithful to the end. I believe many Jews will come into the Kingdom during the days ahead, but I think it is a mistake to keep our focus on natural Israel and a literal temple. God is presently building a spiritual temple so let's get our focus on Jesus and the Kingdom he is building. Satan's rage against Christians will intensify during these days of harvest. But remember this: We will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony (the gospel) and not loving our lives even unto death. (see Rev 12) - Bobby

I Think I'm a Amillennialist

2011-06-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

I do not consider myself an expert on eschatology, but I find the Amillennialist view most convincing to me. This view is not very poplar in the U.S.or on Christian Television. I think Christians should be careful not to cause division over different views of the end times. You might find this brief description of my view helpful. I copied this post from the Monergism website. www.monergism.com . - Bobby

"The Amillennialist affirms that the people of Israel have not been cast off or replaced, but rather, that the Gentiles have now been included among the Jews in God's Covenantal promises. In other words, not replacement but expansion. God's redemptive plan, as first promised to Abraham, was that "all nations" would be blessed through him. Israel is, and always has been, saved the same as any other nation: by the promises to the seed, Christ. Amillennialists, do not believe in a literal 1000 year reign of Christ on earth after His second coming. Rather, they affirm that when Christ returns, the resurrection of both the righteous and wicked will take place simultaneously (see John 5), followed by judgment and and the eternal state where heaven and earth merge and Christ reigns forever.

Strong points of Amillennialism* It is highly Christocentric: it makes Christ the center of all the biblical covenants (even the “Land” covenant or Siniatic)* It notes the universal scope of the Abrahamic Covenant (as key) to interpreting the rest of the biblical covenants * It sees salvation history oriented to a person (Christ), instead of a people (the nation of Israel)* It emphasizes continuity between the “people of God” (Israel and the Church are one in Christ Eph. 2:11ff)

* It provides an ethic that is rooted in creation, and “re-creation” (continuity between God’s redemptive work now, carried over into the eternal state then)

* It emphasizes a trinitarian view of God as it elevates the “person”, Christ Jesus, the second person of the trinity as the point and mediator of all history

* It flows from a hermeneutic that takes seriously the literary character of the Scriptures (esp. the book of Revelation) " Bobby Grow

Speaking With Contempt byTim Keller

2011-06-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

The following article is from Tim Keller's blog at www.redeemercitytocity.com

"I have always found Jesus’ words in Matt 5:21-22 to be shattering. He begins by reminding his listeners that anyone who murders will be judged. But then he gives three case studies of actions that seem far less serious than murder. “I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” To be bitter and angry in your heart toward someone can lead to great evil, so that makes some sense. But the term "raca" means only something like "you air-head!" and the word translated "fool" is likewise not an outrageous or cutting insult. Jesus’ listeners would likely have been smiling as they heard these terms and would have been shocked as he ended the sentence threatening them with hell-fire! What was Jesus’ point? “The deliberate paradox of Jesus’ pronouncement is that ordinary insults may betray an attitude of contempt which God takes extremely seriously.” (R.T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, p. 201)

This passage helps me understand Numbers 20. As in Exodus 17, the children of Israel are in the desert wilderness facing parching thirst. They charge Moses with being, at worst, evil or, at best, an incompetent leader. Again, God tells Moses to go to “that rock.” This time however he tells him to speak to it, and the rock will pour out water sufficient for everyone (v.8). Moses gathers everyone at the rock, but instead of speaking to the rock, he angrily upbraids the people. “Listen, you rebels!” he cries. “Must we bring you water out of this rock [again]?” (v.10) Striking the rock with his staff in his fury, the water comes out. God, however, tells Moses that he now would not enter the Promised Land, because Moses “did not trust me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites.” (v.12)

What did Moses do wrong? Of course he failed to follow instructions. He struck the rock instead of speaking to it, and that is disobedience. Nevertheless, God’s rebuke goes deeper. In calling them “rebels” Moses set himself up as their judge. In saying, “Must we bring you water?” he set himself up as their deliverer. Everything Moses did pointed away from God toward himself.

It is not hard to understand why. Leadership brings a steady drumbeat of criticism and misunderstanding, even when things are going well. When things go poorly, people vent their frustration and anger on those in charge. A newly ordained pastor once said to me, “I didn’t know that, once you become a leader, there’s always someone mad at you!”

This makes sense of Moses’ reaction. “His response is not only the striking of the rock, it is the answer of a man who under pressure has become bitter and pretentious.” (D. Carson, For the Love of God , vol 1, May 11th reading.) God was ready to be gracious, but Moses was in no mood for that. The relentless criticism had made him self-righteous. He held them in contempt. He had wrath but no compassion, and that is the mark of a man who is becoming less like God, not more. (See Isaiah 15-16 where God grieves even as he speaks in judgment.) Moses is a man who has forgotten grace, and the sign of it is a sanctimonious spirit along with words of denunciation without humility and compassion.

Leadership always involves conflict. John Newton’s famous letter on “controversy” observes how easy it is for criticism to create Pharisees. “Whatever it be that makes us trust in ourselves that we are comparatively wise or good, so as to treat those with contempt who do not subscribe to our doctrines, or follow our party, is a proof and fruit of a self-righteous spirit.”

All leaders, and especially Christian leaders, must be on guard against this inevitable temptation and this terrible sin. It is natural, when under criticism, to shield your heart from pain by belittling the critics in your mind. “You stupid idiots.” Even if you don’t speak outwardly to people like Moses did, you do so inwardly. That will lead to self-absorption, self-pity, maybe even delusions of grandeur, but the great sin is that the growth of inner disdain leads to pride and a loss of humble reliance on God’s grace. Moses treated God with contempt when he became contemptuous toward his people.

This is what leaders face. Is there any hope for us? Yes, because we are in a better position than Moses was for understanding the grace of God. Don Carson writes: “In light of 1 Corinthians 10:4, which shows Christ to be the antitype of the rock, it is hard to resist the conclusion that the reason God had insisted the rock be struck in Exodus 17:1–7, and forbids it here, is that he perceives a wonderful opportunity to make a symbol-laden point: the ultimate Rock, from whom life-giving streams flow, is struck once, and no more.”

Spiritual Transformation

2011-06-17T18:44:00.000-07:00

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God,to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - (Romans 12:1-2 ESV)

I believe a missing element in our teaching on salvation in contemporary Christian culture is - a clear teaching on spiritual transformation. Confessing a creed or certain doctrines and Baptism are all important in our spiritual development, but without internal transformation we just become hardened religious Pharisees. Professing truths about Jesus is important but that alone will not transform us. Believing that Jesus is Lord - God - Boss - Creator and choosing to follow him is were true transformation begins. Following Him is not an option, it is requirement for spiritual transformation.

Many from my Baptist tradition teach that we need to ask Jesus into our hearts or accept him, but that can be mis-leading. Our transformation begins when we repent and believe the Gospel. Salvation comes by the Holy Spirit through the knowledge of God's word. Repentance is changing the way we think. We must give up on our own good works and personal self salvation project, and believe the claims of Jesus. We are called to follow Jesus, which is becoming his apprentice. Salvation is not just a one time prayer, it is the ongoing process in which we are coming into conformity to Jesus. Our salvation begins with regeneration but that's just the beginning point, and it doesn't end until our final glorification. Even after our glorification we will spend eternity learning about this great God. - Bobby

Carson, Keller, and Piper on Aging and Ministry

2011-06-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

Piper Talks with Carson, Keller About Succession Plans at Bethlehem from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

The Holy Spirit In Our Daily Lives

2011-06-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

I have been reading Gordon Fee's book, God's Empowering Presence. As I was meditating on the Spirit's presence in my life, I could not help but be overwhelmed with the thought of how the Holy Spirit's guidance works on a daily basis. We need the Spirits power to stand strong during the personal trials that we all go through, as much as we need Him to heal the sick or supply us with powerful manifestations. The power to persevere is accomplished by the Spirit, not by self effort alone. Left to my own self discipline I would have fallen away a long time ago. It's important that we stop treating the Holy Spirit as a impersonal force instead of the Person he is. We need to take time to meditate on the Spirit's activity in our daily lives.

Fee says,"...Paul understood the Spirit's power in the broadest possible way. On the one hand, the future had broken in so powerfully that signs and wonders and miracles are simply matter-of-fact (1 Cor.12:8-11; Gal 3:5); on the one hand, the Spirit also empowers for endurance in the midst of adversity (Col 1:11; 2 Cor 12:9-10) - and for everything else as we endure, awaiting the final glory, of which the Spirit is the guarantee." - Gordon Fee, God's Empowering Presence, page 8.

The Spiritual Temple

2011-05-31T19:22:00.000-07:00

"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. - Ephesians 2:19-22 ESV

"What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

"I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty." - II Corithians 6:16-18 ESV

God is presently building a Temple, and it doesn't have anything to do with a literal Temple in Jerusalem. The purpose for the house God is building is so that he can dwell with his people. Every born again believer, both Jew and Gentile are now God's Temple. His presence is in us and his focus is on the spiritual building, his Church. It is no longer about a geographical location in the middle east, but now it's all about God's presence filling the entire earth.

Adam and Eves' assignment was to be fruitful and multiply. Before they disobeyed God in the Garden, they lived in his continual presence. God saved Noah to spare the human race and expand his Glory in the earth. God also called Abraham to be the Father of not only Israel, but of all believers to come. God blessed the Nations through Israel, ultimately with Jesus our Lord and Savior. Today God has a remnant of believing Jews and Gentiles that He calls his Temple - the one new man (Eph. 2:15-16). And as believers we are called to carry God's presence throughout the earth and expand his spiritual Temple.

While we should honor natural Israel - never forget that all born again believers, both Jew and Gentile are now spiritual Jews. Why would God want to go back to types and shadows of a Temple when Jesus has already fulfilled the role of the Temple? He was the ultimate sacrifice and God's glory can no longer be contained in a physical structure. The Holy Spirit was poured out on God's elect on the Day of Pentecost and the Temple was destroyed in 70 A. D. Jesus is literally coming back to live among his people and we need to purify ourselves as we await his arrival. - Bobby

The Ministry of Mercy's Hope

2011-05-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

The mission statement below is from the ministry of Mercy's Hope. This is a ministry to orphaned and underprivileged children in Ukraine founded by my friends, Cris and Karen Mahy. These are two of the most godly and trustworthy people I know. You can read more about their ministry by going to Mercy's Hope website. http://www.mercyshope.org/ - Bobby

mission statement:

The mission of Mercy’s Hope is to share God’s love with the orphaned and the underprivileged of Ukraine through bringing lasting solutions that care for their physical, educational, and spiritual needs, in a way that gives them hope and a future.

areas of ministry:

Care and aide to orphans

Establish Family Homes

Create/Operate Transition Homes

Education scholarships for students

Boxes & Bags of Blessings

Orphan Summer Camps

Encouragement to local Churches

City and Village evangelism

Worship events/conference

Personal Prayer ministry

End Of The World Predictions: Dudley Hall's Weekly Word

2011-05-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

Now concerning the times and seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you... For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. I Thessalonions 5:1, 9-10 (ESV)

"In case you didn't hear, there was quite a stir among some because of messages on billboards, campers and other public pronouncements that May 21st had been calculated to be the end of the world. It was a sure thing according to the man who did the calculations. Since you are reading this, the latest prediction regarding the end of the world was another hoax. Why is there an endless procession of predictions? What should we do with them?

It must somehow relate to our need for purpose. We tend to connect the end of time with the purpose of time. If God somehow blows everything up according to a prophecy he has hidden in his revelations, maybe it will prove that life has meaning after all and that God really does know what is going on.

But we don't have to have a cataclysmic destruction of the created order just to find the meaning of life. The cataclysmic event has already happened. Jesus came to fulfill Old Testament prophecy and to inaugurate his kingdom on earth. In his coming, the Old Covenant was fulfilled and passed away. The new creation began. The greatest judgment the earth will ever endure happened on a cross outside the city of Jerusalem. We don't have to wait for sin to be judged. God has poured out his wrath on his own Son. Jesus took the just recompense of the sins of his people. They are not in danger of facing wrath again.

It seems that many are still living with an Old Testament hope. They await the day of the Lord when things will change. They are so focused on the next coming of Christ that they underestimate the first coming. For believers, the new creation has begun. We are the first fruits of the final new heaven and new earth. We are learning how to get along as "new creations" in the midst of a world that has not yet been fully transformed. It is interesting that the secret revelations the prognosticators discover are usually from the Old Covenant. Jesus declared that he was the subject of all those predictions and promises, and that history was moving toward his revelation, not total destruction.

I have often wondered why so many are so anxious for it all to end. Is there a hovering guilt in mankind that seeks the justice of destruction? Are we so victimized that our only hope of any satisfaction is the destruction of everything. Will that finally achieve equality for those of us who haven't been exalted in this life?

Though the apostle Paul was not fearing death, he was not fighting it either. He lived with a hope on each side of the divide. "For me to live is Christ, to die is gain." He was not anxious to know the dates of God's calendar. The big day had already come for him. The kingdom had arrived. He had been judged and justified by the Judge of all. His life was an expression of the resurrection of Christ.

I think there is a better hope than figuring the day of destruction. Let us rejoice in the day of his victory over sin and death. It is ours. We can live now and forever with the life he has given us." You can read Dudley's Weekly Word at http://www.sclm.org/

Spiritual Gifts

2011-05-19T20:20:00.000-07:00

"One can pray in tongues without living a Spirit-filled life (compare the spiritually immature in 1 Cor. 14:20); one can prophesy without being saved (1 Sam. 19:21-24; Matt. 7:21-23); one can utter charismatic praise songs without giving attention to God himself, celebrating the rhythm or melody rather than God's greatness (compare the mere religious forms in Zech. 7:5-10)." - Craig Keener, page 112, Gift And Giver.

Spiritual maturity has nothing to do with our spiritual giftedness. Graig Keener is a Charismatic Baptist theologian who has a Pentecostal background. He is certainly qualified to know what he is talking about. God is giving spiritual gifts today, but I believe He is looking for fruit in the lives of those He has invested His gifts in. If we are in the last of the last days, then I think it's time to get past our measuring of peoples' spiritual maturity by their spiritual giftedness. We use these gifts to advance His kingdom and communicate God's blessings, and to strengthen the Church of Christ, not so that we can gather a following for our ministry. While we pursue spiritual gifts for the glory of God, let us keep in mind that gifts can be counterfeited, but the devil cannot counterfeit the fruit of the Spirit.

A prophetic friend of mine compares spiritual gifts to a power tool that is used to remove the lug-nuts on a wheel of a car. The power of the Holy Spirit makes the work of ministry much easier! Spiritual gifts are not to be idolized but used for the sake of the Kingdom. - Bobby

What Made John Weep? By Dudley Hall

2011-05-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

"Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. Revelation 5:1-4 (ESV)

"In the apocalyptic book of Revelation, John the apostle tells of an experience he had on the Isle of Patmos. The genre of apocalyptic literature (of which Revelation is a classic example) features symbols to impress the images of transcendent reality on the reader's imagination.

In John's description there is the throne, which speaks of sovereignty where everything recognizes that God alone is worthy to be worshipped. The twenty-four elders represent both the Old and the New Covenant people of God (twelve patriarchs and twelve disciples). The seven Spirits of God represent the perfect presence of God. There is a scroll which is a legal document containing the meaning of God's purpose on earth including the inheritance and who will get it. It is sealed with seven seals meaning it is perfectly sealed. No one can open it. There are kings there - Saul, David and Solomon - but they can't open it. There are prophets there - Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and Isaiah - but they can't open it. There are priests there - Aaron and Melchizedek - but they can't open it. Nero can't open it. The Caesars can't. Plato and Socrates can't. It is a sad situation.

John, who is the visitor to the heavenly realm, represents us. He is sad because no one can possibly answer the questions that mankind needs answering, nor solve the problems that mankind faces. Life is confusing and ultimate meaning is hard to find. What can be done?

Mankind still stands there with a sad soul. We continue to hope for a savior who can answer the big questions, yet leave us with our pride intact. We look to man's ingenuity and nature's resources. When those fail, we look to control with money and power over others. When that doesn't work, we look inside for better self-understanding. When that pales, we look into the dark shadows of magic and sorcery.

The sad soul is enamored with present circumstances. The complexity of life and the incomprehensible nature of evil seem worthy of abundant worry and anxiety. We are captivated by conspiracies that might give a clue to the meaning of it all. We are susceptible to new "revelations" that offer more than God has given in his scriptures. We focus on the material economy and make our decisions on its health. We measure success the same way the material world does, and our attitude is more attuned to the stock market than the promises of Almighty God.

Sad souls render faulty survey results. Being unable to see what is inside the scroll, we demand what we thinks is desirable. The issues of life, death, meaning and eternity are so nebulous, we decide it is just better to be distracted - even at church. Good performances by professional speakers and musicians and good programs for the children can be a relatively easy substitute for reality. We can boast of the numbers of people attending meetings and the size of our buildings even though we don't know what the inheritance is or who gets it.

Those who haven't seen inside the scroll are eager to have another chance to improve in some area. It gives a sense of progress, which translates into some shade of meaning.

When we can't see the true Sovereign of all, we conclude that mankind is sovereign. If that is so, then what we want becomes the highest value determining all our decisions. We are left under the rule of sad souls who can't open the scroll and thus govern the world from that sad state of true ignorance. What is even sadder is that we continue to operate the church from this consumer/customer satisfaction base. If there is only one Sovereign, then he alone should be surveyed. His desire is the only one that matters if we are living in his kingdom.

Who opens the scroll? The Lion/Lamb of the tribe of Judah. Any interpretation of reality that does not come through him is deception. He alone can reveal what life means. He alone defines the inheritance and who gets it. He alone gives the big picture of God's purposes. In him there is more truth than we could discover in eons of time. Why would we want to focus any place else?

What is in the scroll? The enemy has contested the plan of God, but God defeats the enemy and his forces by means of grace. Jesus is the star of the drama, and God's people are vindicated by him. The issue is settled. We are now granted the privilege of living as his people under his rule in his appointed place. There is an explanation if we are willing to trust the only one who can explain.

Often we find ourselves weeping over the condition of certain groups of people. Our compassion drives us to take notice and do something. Sometimes we act out of that compassion rather than in response to God's assignment. Hunger, nakedness and oppression should never be ignored by those who see, but what should really cause us to weep is the hordes of people who need to see what only the Son can open to them. We cannot leave them in tears of hopelessness. When Jesus opens the scroll, the tears are wiped away. We can give them bread and hope in the gospel." Dudley's website http://www.sclm.org/

Glory To God In The Highest

2011-05-15T21:05:00.000-07:00

The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

Are you Willing to be Hated for Speaking the Gospel Truth? By Randy Alcorn

2011-05-13T21:24:00.000-07:00

When Gianna Jessen spoke at our church a few weeks ago, she said many memorable things. The one that I've been thinking about is that to be a follower of Christ you need to be willing to be hated.

I agree, and that's what I want to talk about. Of course, this does NOT mean being hateful. Nor does it mean seeking to be hated. Or having a persecution complex, so you think people don’t like you because you’re following Christ, when they actually don’t like you because you’re an idiot.

I am all for graciousness, kindness and servant-hearted love as we speak the truth. I seek to practice this with the nonchristians I’m around. But at some point the greatest kindness we can offer them, coming out of a life of humility and faithfulness to Christ, is the good news about Jesus. (That good news actually involves some very bad news about human sinfulness, which is what makes the cross an offense, meaning that it ticks people off).

The danger comes when we live in such fear of being mislabeled that we don’t step forward as unapologetic and unashamed all-out followers of Jesus. They can call us Jesus freaks or ignorant or uncool or intolerant or anything they want, that’s fine. We should do what we believe pleases our Lord, regardless of how it pans out in opinion polls. That includes loving others and giving radically and ministering to the down and out and addressing addictions and saying we think it’s wrong to kill children of all ages and helping people find alternatives. We do such things not seeking the approval of our culture, but of our King.

If we seek our culture’s approval, we’ll either never get it or get it only at the expense of failing to represent Christ. We are promised, that if we “live godly lives in Christ Jesus” we “will suffer persecution.” If we’re not suffering persecution, at some level, then what does that suggest?

We should certainly be nice, and it’s sad when Christians aren’t. But it’s also sad when we imagine “niceness” has greater impact than it really does. Niceness is not the gospel. Some modern concepts of evangelism are little more than being nice to your neighbor and loaning him your hedge clipper and hoping that somehow he will come to Christ without you actually having to say the WORDS of the gospel which would run the risk of him thinking you’re weird. Our good example is important, but it’s not sufficient. There are actual truths that must be grappled with in surrendering to Jesus (1 Cor 15:1-6). And these truths are expressed in words.

I’m all for audience analysis and understanding the perceptions of this generation and speaking in a way they can understand. But instead of letting the world set our agenda and the ground rules of what we can and can’t say, let’s ask the Lord how best to take the timeless message of the gospel to these people.

But, and I say this coming out of some of the conversations I’ve had with cool Christians, the answer is not altering the contents of the gospel to make it something everyone can easily agree with. If the gospel becomes nothing more than the reflection of a worldview they already have, it has nothing to offer them. It’s God’s gospel. Given the price He paid on the cross to offer it, He has the right to say difficult things such as Jesus is the only way to the Father and we are hell-bound without him. That message is not popular and never will be. Our job isn’t to edit the message, but to deliver it.

Among some believers the new definition of a good Christian is holding your beliefs privately, not challenging those who publicly share beliefs that dishonor Christ, and avoiding controversy at all costs lest we be perceived as “those kind of Christians” who hate gays, oppose abortion, favor inquisitions and live to burn witches. We so much want the world to like us that we end up distancing ourselves from the historic Christian faith, from biblical doctrine (including hell), and from churches (because they’re all hypocrites except us). We end up making ourselves indistinguishable from the world, and therefore have nothing to offer the world.

Sometimes we assume the moral high ground by rolling our eyes at those street preachers, congratulating ourselves that we aren’t like that. Street preaching’s not my thing, but I can give you names of people who have come to Christ through street preaching. It’s more of a stretch to name those who’ve come to Christ through Christians who think it’s not cool to tell people the biblical truth that they need to repent of their sins (a synonym for evils; basically a big insult), and turn to Christ to be saved from hell.

It’s not our job to be popular. We are not contestants on American Idol. And we are not Christ’s speechwriters or PR team, airbrushing Jesus so He has greater appeal to people who don’t want to hear what He said about sin and hell. He’s the King, He calls the shots, we’re just His ambassadors. So let’s represent the real Jesus, the whole Jesus, not just the culturally acceptable one.

There is nothing new or postmodern about the gospel turning some people off. That’s always been true, just as it’s always been true that some people are longing to hear it and will deeply appreciate it that you had enough courage to tell them about Jesus.

As D. L. Moody said when someone criticized his approach to evangelism, “I like the way I do it better than the way you don’t do it.”

It is not gracious and kind to withhold the gospel from those who, according to Jesus, are going to hell without Him. Sometimes what we imagine to be our graciousness and kindness is actually indifference or cowardice.

“All men will hate you because of me.” Mark 13:13

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” John 15:18

http://www.epm.org/

Tornadoes and The Trustworthiness of God by David Platt

2011-05-05T21:14:00.000-07:00

God Is Sovereign Over Tornadoes

2011-05-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

My family and I watched this mile wide tornado live on TV as it was destroying parts of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, approximately two hours from our home. The Birmingham Meteorologist announced that it was heading straight to the city were we live. A slight turn and the deadly tornado missed us by about ten miles. Our state has experienced incredible destruction and it has been gratifying for me to see how people have come together to help one another. God is ultimately sovereign over every catastrophic event on the earth. Dr. David Platt rightly points out that the people of Tuscaloosa, Alabama (or any other town that was hit) are no more sinful than other cities. All the chaotic weather patterns that we see on the earth are a direct result of the fall of mankind in the garden, not necessarily the sins of one nation or city. The notes below are from David Platt, the pastor of the Church at Brook Hills Birmingham, Alabama.

TORNADOES AND THE TRUSTWORTHINESS OF GOD

Job 1; Luke 13:1-5

What Do We Need To Remember?

These tornadoes remind us that this world is unpredictable.

•Suffering is usually surprising.

•Life is never safe.

•Death is unavoidably sure.

These tornadoes remind us of the penalty of sin which plagues all of us.

•Our sin is universal.

•Our suffering is inevitable.

These tornadoes remind us to repent and be reconciled to God.

•Turn from sin.

•Trust in Him.

These tornadoes remind us of the sovereignty of our God.

The sovereignty of God is the only foundation for worship in the midst of tragedy.

•God’s sovereignty assures us that He is in control.

•God is with us.

•God is for us.

•God’s sovereignty reminds us that Satan has been conquered.

•God’s sovereignty guarantees us that one day suffering will conclude.

Ultimately, tragedy on earth can only be understood rightly from the perspective of heaven.

These tornadoes remind us of the urgency of our mission.

•Life is fleeting.

•People are perishing.

•Eternity is coming.

If you would like to give to a disaster relief fund for the state of Alabama you can contact, The Church at Brook Hills at http://www.brookhills.com/- Bobby

David Wilkerson's Final Blog Post

2011-04-27T19:44:00.000-07:00

David Wilkerson was killed today in a car wreck in Texas. Please pray for his wife Gwen who is in critical condition. David was a man of God that will be missed. This was his final blog post on the day of his death. -Bobby

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

WHEN ALL MEANS FAIL

"To believe when all means fail is exceedingly pleasing to God and is most acceptable. Jesus said to Thomas, “You have believed because you have seen, but blessed are those that do believe and have not seen” (John 20:29).

Blessed are those who believe when there is no evidence of an answer to prayer—who trust beyond hope when all means have failed.

Someone has come to the place of hopelessness—the end of hope—the end of all means. A loved one is facing death and doctors give no hope. Death seems inevitable. Hope is gone. The miracle prayed for is not happening.

That is when Satan’s hordes come to attack your mind with fear, anger, overwhelming questions: “Where is your God now? You prayed until you had no tears left. You fasted. You stood on promises. You trusted.”

Blasphemous thoughts will be injected into your mind: “Prayer failed. Faith failed. Don’t quit on God—just do not trust him anymore. It doesn’t pay!”

Even questioning God’s existence will be injected into your mind. These have been the devices of Satan for centuries. Some of the godliest men and women who ever lived were under such demonic attacks.

To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights—and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, “I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident. It was no failure on your part. Hold fast. Let me embrace you in your hour of pain.”

Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail—his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in his Word. There is no other hope in this world."

David Platt and Secret Church

2011-04-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

This past Good Friday my family and I attended a simulcast of Secret Church led by the author of the book Radical, Dr. David Platt. Secret Church is a marathon Bible study and also a time of prayer for the persecuted church. It was my understanding that some 50,000 people world wide participated in the approximately six hour Bible study. I have visited Dr. Platt's Church at Brook Hills many times over the last few years. Many would dismiss him as some Bible thumping fundamentalist, I would disagree with that observation. He is a man who is passionate about Jesus and the truth of Scripture.

While thinking about Secret Church I have ask myself the following question: What motivates people to participate in a six hour Bible study? The answer is simple - people are hungry for the word of God. I do not always agree with every point that Dr. Platt makes, but he seeks to be faithful to the Scripture. The need for these marathon Bible studies have never been greater than now. We are living in a day when many who profess faith in Christ, refuse to believe in Hell, embrace the doctrine of universalism, and reject the fact that Jesus Christ has the right of absolute soverginity and Lordship over our lives.

If the Bible is true the western church is in trouble! God's word is his standard. The Scripture has authority over our traditions, personal experience, and what we think about God. In the days ahead I will try to do some short blog posts, based on the some of the things that I learned at Secret Church. - Bobby

Scandalous

2011-04-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26 ESV)

The cross of Christ is not about some sort of cosmic child abuse as some now teach. Someone had to pay the price for offending the most Holy Being in the universe. When we hear of someone being abused or of some horrific act of treason that cost the lives of thousands, we all know that someone deserves to be punished. We all cry out for justice in the face of injustice. Christianity is the only religion in the world that has a God that actually came to earth and paid the penalty for his people sins so that we might stand before a righteous God, justified and forgiven.

Hear are some quotes from D.A. Carson's book Scandalous:

"Do you want to see the greatest evidence of the love of God? Go to the cross. Do you want to see the greatest evidence of the justice of God? Go to the cross. It is where wrath and mercy meet. Holiness and peace kiss each other, The climax of redemptive history is the cross."

"Do you believe? Or do you find yourself among the millions who begin to glimpse what the cross is all about and dismiss the entire account as scandalous? A living-dying-living God? A God who stands over against us in wrath and who loves us anyway? A cross where punishment is meted out by God and born by God? Scandalous!"

Spiritual Warriors: Part II

2011-04-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much
fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5 ESV)

"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." (Col. 3:2 ESV)

"...for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith." (Gal. 3:26 ESV)

"...we have the mind of Christ." ( 1 Cor. 2:16 ESV)

Spiritual warriors defeat the powers of darkness by abiding in Christ. Intimacy with Jesus is our chief weapon against Satan. A mind set on things above is always the safest way to wage spiritual warfare. Abiding in Christ is, staying put in the secret place, and enjoying Jesus who is our Rock and our Refuge. When we abide, we are covered in his presence, hidden in Christ and there we find protection. Even though the Christian life involves a struggle with the world, the flesh and the devil, we fight from a new creation mentality. A focused and intense prayer life must be a key part of our spiritual development as spiritual warriors. It will take a radical commitment, if we are to see demonic strongholds torn down in peoples lives.

A Declaration:

We are sons of God. Our adoption is irrevocable! We have access to the power and presence of the Spirit in Christ. We have the mind of Christ. God is for us so who can be against us? We have been delivered from our former slavery to sin, and can now live free in Christ. We have access to the Father in heaven. We can approach him for help in our time of need.

Pray for those who have been taken captive by the evil one according to 2 Timothy 2:25-26.

Lord, grant ____ repentance and a knowledge of the truth that ____ may escape from the snare of the devil. -Bobby

Alison Krauss on The Today Show

2011-04-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

Alison Krauss and Ron Block of the group Union Station are both followers of Jesus. You can find their websites on my link list. Ron who plays guitar and banjo writes some very thought provoking articles on his blog. - Bobby

Spiritual Warriors: Part One

2011-04-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Eph. 6:12 ESV)

"We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." (1 John 5:19 ESV)

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7 ESV)

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4 ESV)

As a young boy I loved to play sports and in my part of the country, football, basketball and baseball were the main three sports we participated in. But one of my favorite sports was wrestling. At my school, we didn't have an organized team that competed with other schools, so we wrestled in our physical education class among ourselves. Wrestling to me is the most intense form of "combat" there is. It involves a close face to face encounter with your opponent.

The fact is, the Christian life is a struggle from beginning to the end. You can choose not to fight, but you will be run over by demonic beings. If you choose to fight, you have the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with you to combat, the world, the flesh, and the devil. To come into alignment with the Holy Trinity you must submit yourself to God (all areas of your life) and resist the devil.

God is looking for spiritual warriors who will devote their lives to intimacy with Jesus (our power source) and to stand your ground, to take back what Satan has taken from you and others. Taking ground back from the devil involves a life long process of being conformed to the likeness of Christ (Discipleship). Prayer, personal purity, peace and rest are all a part of a spiritual warriors' lifestyle.

Remember, we live in enemy occupied territory and we can't cast the battle out of anyone, even ourselves. Many have grown weary and faint hearted saying to themselves,"I do not understand why I'm having such a struggle." God is calling you to intimacy with Him, so embrace the battle, and know that the battle is where you find pure joy. You were re-created (new birth) to be a spiritual warrior. - Bobby

The Real Issue

2011-04-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (II Cor. 5:17 ESV)

" This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace." (Col. 1:6 NLT)

The danger in teaching non-Lordship salvation is that it can create a mindset of making a "god" in our own image. Our natural tendency is to believe in a Jesus that makes no demands on our personal lives.. And to believe a gospel that allows us to stay in our sin. While none of us are sinless, we as new creations in Christ should seek the freedom that Christ offers. The real issue is our view of Jesus. Is he really Lord or a myth?

The fact that Jesus was a historical figure has been proven. But is He really the one who created the earth? Quite simply we must receive him as our Lord and Savior in order to have real faith. Saying a prayer or performing a ritual, then living our lives the way we please, is at best immature, and at worst shows we were never born of the Spirit.

Have you encountered Jesus? The fact that we struggle with sin but have a desire to be free, is a good indication Jesus is at work in our lives. Those who have no desire to walk in freedom are in a spiritually dangerous place. The real issue is who is this Jesus? If he is God, we owe Him our lives. - Bobby

Know Your Enemy

2011-03-25T17:29:00.000-07:00

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32 NLT)

"We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." (I John 5:19 ESV)

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all time in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication." - (Ephesians 6:10-18 ESV)

"There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight." C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters.

For Christians, it is essential that we understand the tactics of our enemy. I have no desire to become preoccupied with the demonic world, but we must understand the way our adversary seeks to destroy us. We battle the world, the flesh and the devil on a daily basis. The Bible teaches us that the whole world lies under the power, sway, or influence of the evil one.

Your enemy is not the Republican or Democratic party. Both Conservatives and Liberals are influenced by a demonic worldview. C. S. Lewis warned in his book Screwtape Letters, that Satan could be equally effective through someone who is either a pacifist or patriot. It really doesn't matter to the devil which extreme views you believe. The fact is we are dealing with principalities, powers, and cosmic forces and demonically inspired ideologies that affect all areas of society. The educational system, politics, entertainment, economics and all the cultures in the world are under the enemies' influence.

Religion is also influenced, by the cosmic forces of evil. Satan seeks to corrupt the gospel (the gospel is not a religion - it's a proclamation) by making salvation something that must be earned by good works. We as professing Christians often ignore the truth of the Scripture and create a "god" in our own image. Religion often twist the truth of the Gospel to conform to all other world religions which are not based on free grace. Jesus came to bring good news and he came to set captives free, but we must trust in him as our God and Savior. He came to show us what our Heavenly Father really looks like, and that we can know the truth and that truth (Jesus) will set us free. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and he continues to do that today through the advancement of his Kingdom. Prayer, worship, confession of sin, forgiveness, Communion, and the proclamation of the gospel are all weapons God has given us. - Bobby

Alison Krauss & Union Station: Paper Airplane

2011-03-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

Alison Krauss and Ron Block are incredibly gifted musicians and strong Christians. I have really enjoyed watching them lead worship the last few years at Dudley Hall's spiritual family reunion. Paper Airplane is their lastest single. - Bobby

A Very Present God

2011-03-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

"God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!" (Paslm 46: 1-3 NLT)

In the last few decades I have come to know God as a very present help during troubling times. I have learned through the Scripture and experience, that Jesus is the son of God. I do not doubt his claims of deity. The reason any Christian can survive a spiritual tsunami in their lives is not based on just knowing facts about Jesus and his Lordship: it comes through intimacy with the Son of God. There is an intimacy in following Jesus that transcends all knowledge. This is a work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts that causes us to cry out, Abba (Daddy) Father.

When your spiritual tsunami comes (and it will) you will not be able to draw strength on an intimate relationship that you have not cultivated with God. That is the reason we must prepare ourelves in the presence of the Lord, by allowing Him to show us those broken places in our hearts, that only He can fix.The only way to stand in the mist of trials is the help you get from a very present God. This help does not come through philosophy, religion, or advice from some mystical teacher. It can only come from the truth and the presence of the Lord. - Bobby

Tim Keller on MSNBC

2011-03-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I find it extremely encouraging that Tim Keller seems as comfortable on MSNBC as he is on Fox News. Notice that one of the interviewers attends Keller's church. Both liberals and conservatives seem to be drawn to the message of the Gospel that he preaches at Redeemer Church. - Bobby

Sam Storms and Tim Keller On: What is the Gospel? And Are All Religions Equally Right?

2011-03-11T08:16:00.000-08:00

Parking At The Kings Cross With Tim Keller

2011-03-07T09:09:00.000-08:00

The purpose of this blog is to share my spiritual journey and to post videos and articles that exalt Jesus Christ. I believe the picture above was a prophetic word to me. While reading Kings Cross, by Tim Keller, I've been focusing on the life of Jesus in a fresh and meaningfull way. So, I think I will "Park with Keller" in the Gospel of Mark for a while and allow Jesus to continue transforming my life. While we can't atone for other people's sins, we can enter into their suffering with them. It is a real sacrifice to identify with hurting and broken people, but that is what God has called us to do, I think this exert from Keller's book below will help us to experience the love of Jesus even more. - Bobby

"I read some years ago in National Geographic that after a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, some forest rangers began a trek up a mountain to survey the damage. One ranger found a bird of which nothing was left but the carbonized, petrified shell, covered in ashes, huddled at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by this eerie sight, the ranger knocked the bird over with a stick - and three tiny chicks scurried out from under their dead mother's wings. When the blaze had arrived, the mother had remained steadfast instead of running. Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings lived. And Jesus said, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that killed the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings" (Luke 13:34). He did indeed gather Jerusalem's children under his wings - and he was consumed. All real, life-changing love is costly, substitutionary sacrifice." - Tim Keller, Kings Cross, pp.168-169.

Come And Drink by John Piper

2011-03-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

A New Edition of Desiring God by John Piper

2011-03-03T19:15:00.000-08:00

Desiring God by John Piper is one of the most important books that I have ever read. - Bobby

An Interview With Tim Keller on Kings Cross

2011-02-27T19:09:00.001-08:00

"Hitching A Ride" with Tim Keller: Kings Cross

2011-02-26T16:59:00.000-08:00

From left to right: Tim Keller, me, and Lane.

My friend Lane and I have been "hitching a ride" as Alister McGrath puts it, for about three years
now with Tim Keller. Dr. Keller has played a very important part in my spiritual formation. So Lane and I drove to Nashville to hear Dr.Keller preach. He taught a powerful message from the Gospel of Mark, which is based on his new book, Kings Cross. Of course, we bought some books and had them signed. I have just started reading Kings Cross, and so far I have not been disappointed. The sermon he preached from Mark, chapter 5 on the healing of the unclean woman and Jairus's daughter, was well worth the three hour drive! And getting my books signed, and the picture was not bad, either. - Bobby

Suffering and Intercession

2011-02-22T18:45:00.000-08:00

"For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." (II Corinthians 5:14 - 15 ESV)

"Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25 ESV)

"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:4 ESV)

We must not waste our suffering. God brought his Kingdom to the earth through suffering. Mary suffered ridicule and accusation during her supernatural pregnancy. Mary also suffered physically in giving birth to the Son of God. Suffering that is ordained by God, is for the purpose of redemption and restoration. It is important as we walk this path of suffering not to waste our trials on self-pity. Let them drive us to intercession.

Our call is to die daily to ourselves so that we can look out for the interest of others. We have no right to live only for ourselves. Jesus our high priest lives to make intercession for his children. Our job is to hallow (keep holy) His name and pray the Kingdom into the lives of families, individuals and nations. Giving up our own self interest will bear eternal fruit for the Kingdom of God. - Bobby

Thinking and The Supernatural

2011-02-12T13:33:00.000-08:00

These are the type of things you hear from many Christians who are pursuing spirituality in the Church: I'm not into doctrine, or, you can't trust those theologians. In my opinion if the Apostle Paul were preaching today, his message to this generation of charismatics and non-charismatics would be to, THINK! Paul put a great deal of emphasis in his New Testament writings on thinking. I certainly do not have all the answers, but this one thing I am certain of, it is possible to be a thinking Christian and to experience the power and presence of God at the same time. I would like to recommend the book, Think, by John Piper who is very much into both the experiential and theological side of Christianity. Anti-intellectualism is a relatively new phenomenon in the church.

Jim Hylton has written a book on the Kingdom, called , The Supernatural Skyline, that I believe would be very helpful to those pursuing power, and for those who see Christianity as a predominately intellectual religion. At 74, Hylton has had a lot of experience with both the Word and Spirit sides of the church. I would describe him somewhat like Bill Johnson, but with better theology (please don't stone me!) I must say that though I have a few theological problems with Johnson, I have great admiration for men like him who are seeking to train people to do the works of Jesus. I really believe that God is presently restoring power and truth to the Church. Both Word and Spirit camps need to take a deep breath and check out each other and see what God is doing during these days.

We have a promise from Jesus that he would build his church and the gates of hell would not prevail against us. Things could get interesting in the days to come. - Bobby

You can purchase these books from the links below.

Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God

The Supernatural Skyline:Where Heaven Touches Earth

Revival: Ways and Means by Tim Keller

2011-02-08T18:41:00.000-08:00

This blog post by Tim Keller and much more can be found on the Redeemer Presbyterian Church website. http://www.redeemercitytocity.com/

"How do seasons of revival come? One set of answers comes from Charles Finney, who turned revivals into a "science." Finney insisted that any group could have a revival any time or place, as long as they applied the right methods in the right way. Finney's distortions, I think, led to much of the weakness in modern evangelicalism today, as has been well argued by Michael Horton over the years. Especially under Finney's influence, revivalism undermined the more traditional way of doing Christian formation. That traditional way of Christian growth was gradual – whole family catechetical instruction – and church-centric. Revivalism under Finney, however, shifted the emphasis to seasons of crisis. Preaching became less oriented to long-term teaching and more directed to stirring up the affections of the heart toward decision. Not surprisingly, these emphases demoted the importance of the church in general and of careful, sound doctrine and put all the weight on an individual's personal, subjective experience. And this is one of the reasons (though not the only reason) that we have the highly individualistic, consumerist evangelicalism of today.

There has been a withering critique of revivalism going on now for twenty years within evangelical circles. Most of it is fair, but it often goes beyond the criticism of the technique-driven revivalism of Finney to insist that even Edwards and the Puritans were badly mistaken about how people should embrace and grow in Christ. In this limited space I can't respond to that here other than to say I think that goes way too far. However, this critique trend explains why there is so much less enthusiasm for revival than when I was a young minister. It also explains why someone like D.M. Lloyd-Jones was so loathe to say that there was anything that we can do to bring about revivals (other than pray.) He knew that Finney-esque revivalism led to many spiritual pathologies.

Nevertheless, I think we can carefully talk about some factors that, when present, often become associated with revival by God's blessing. My favorite book on this (highly recommended by Lloyd-Jones) is William B. Sprague's Lectures on Revivals of Religion (1832). Sprague studied under both Timothy Dwight, Edwards' grandson, at Yale and also Archibald Alexander at Princeton. The Princetonians – the Alexanders, Samuel Miller, and Charles Hodge – did a good job of combining the basics of revivalism with a healthy emphasis on doctrine and the importance of the church. Sprague's lectures include a chapter on "General Means" for promoting revivals, and his chapters on counseling seekers and new converts are particularly helpful.

The primary means-of-revival that everyone agrees upon is extraordinary prayer. That's the clearest of all and so I won't spend time on it. The second means is a recovery of the grace-gospel. One of the main vehicles sparking the first awakening in Northampton, Massachusetts was Edwards' two sermons on Romans 4:5, "Justification by Faith Alone," in November, 1734. For both John Wesley and George Whitefield, the main leaders of the British Great Awakening, it was an understanding of salvation by grace rather than moral effort that touched off personal renewal and made them agents of revival. Lloyd-Jones taught that the gospel of justification could be lost at two levels. A church might simply become heterodox and lose the very belief in justification by faith alone. But just as deadly, it might keep the doctrine "on the shelf" as it were and not preach it publicly in such a way that connects to people's hearts and lives.

The third factor I would mention is renewed individuals. Sprague points out how certain church leaders can be characterized by the infectious marks of spiritual revival – a joyful, affectionate seriousness, and "unction" – a sense of God's presence. In addition, often several visible, dramatic life-turnarounds ("surprising conversions") may cause others to do deep self-examination and create a sense of spiritual longing and expectation in the community. The personal revivals going on in these individuals spread informally to others through conversation and relationship. More and more people begin to look at themselves and seek God.

A fourth factor I will call the use of the gospel on the heart in counseling. Sprague and John Newton in his letters do a good job of showing how the gospel must be used on both seekers, new believers, and non-growing Christians. The gospel must cut away both the moralism and the licentiousness that destroys real spiritual life and power. There must be venues and meetings and settings in which this is done, both one-on-one and in groups. See William Williams, The Experience Meeting, a leaders' manual for revival-promoting small group meetings in Wales during the first great awakening.

Finally I would add a fifth factor. Sprague rightly points out that revivals occur mainly through the ordinary, "instituted means of grace" – preaching, pastoring, worship, prayer. It is a mistake to identify some specific programmatic method (e.g. Billy Graham-like mass evangelism) too closely with revivals. Lloyd-Jones points to some sad cases where people who came through the Welsh revival of 1904-05 became wedded to particular ways of holding meetings and hymn-singing as the way God brings revival. Nevertheless, Sprague grants that sometimes God will temporarily use some new method to propagate the gospel and spark revival. For example, under Wesley and Whitefield, outdoor preaching was a new, galvanizing method. Mid-day public prayer meetings were important to the Fulton Street revival in downtown NYC in 1857-58. I'm ready to say that creativity might be one of the marks of revival, because so often some new way of communicating the gospel has been part of the mix that God used to bring a mighty revival."

The Spirit of the Antichrist

2011-02-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

"Bloved do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already." - (I John 4:1-3 ESV)

God has called his children to be salt and light in the earth. We are to love those who disagree with us and who do not follow Jesus. But we are called, as followers of Jesus Christ, to defend the teaching of the New Testament as taught by Jesus and his apostles. Jesus is our King and we are subjects of his kingdom. As loyal subjects we cannot compromise with the spirit of the antichrist that would cast doubt on the person and teaching of Christ.

An alarming number of individual Christians and movements have aliened themselves with this antichrist spirit. They teach universalism (that you can be saved without trusting in Jesus). Many religions acknowledge Jesus as a great prophet, but unless they confess him as the Christ, the anointed and only begotten Son of God, they cannot enter into his eternal kingdom. This teaching is basic Christianity.

Jesus is God. And trusting Him is the only way to Heaven. For me to teach anything else would be to give into the spirit of the antichrist, which is the prevailing spirit of the age we live in. As wars wage on the earth, we as Christians must see this as spiritual warfare. This warfare will be waged by those who proclaim the truth of the Gospel, without fear of those who oppose the Gospel message.

If you are a Christian, don't allow yourself to fall under the spell of religious pluralism (all sincere people of other religions will go to Heaven) that is growing stronger in our culture. - Bobby

Pray For Stephen

2011-02-02T07:38:00.000-08:00

Stephen is a Bible translator from Nigeria who has been missing since December. I have been reading through the book of I John today, and once again I've been reminded that the spirit of the antichrist is in the world (I John 4:3). Please take the time to read the article below and pray for Stephen who is on the front lines of ministry, and advancing the kingdom of God in Nigeria. For more information go to http://www.persecutionblog.com/ - Bobby

Nigeria (MNN) ― In mid-December, the Tarok Old Testament translation project was drawn to an abrupt halt after translator and project coordinator "Stephen" was kidnapped.

A month and a half later, Stephen's whereabouts remain unknown.

Stephen was kidnapped from Jos, Nigeria on December 16, and although he has not been able to return home, The Seed Company recently received a report that he was able to contact his wife on two separate occasions. Stephen spoke with his wife briefly via phone.

The ministry continues to worry about their translator, however, as his most recent phone conversation with his spouse was now over three weeks ago. The Seed Company has yet to hear anything else from this key translator.

In the meantime, the Tarok project continues to suffer as a result. 70 percent of the Tarok people have accepted Christ as a result of the New Testament release and are still eagerly anticipating the Old Testament. Stephen is a vital piece in completing this project.

Although the fact that Stephen has been able to make contact with his wife is praiseworthy, we cannot stop praying for this brother in Christ. Pray that God would protect Stephen and strengthen him in the face of terribly adversity. Pray that even Stephen's captors would see his faith in Christ and turn to the Lord.

Pray that Stephen would be released so that he might be reunited with his family, so that the Gospel might continue to move forward through the Tarok translation, and so the Tarok people might get to know more about their God through the Old Testament writings.

Different Expressions of The Kingdom of God

2011-01-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

" Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." - (Matthew 6:10 ESV)

I have been thinking a great deal lately about the Kingdom of God. I love to pray the Lord's prayer, especially, "your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven."

As I've visited different churches recently and heard messages about the Father heart of God and the Kingdom of God, I have been deeply moved. There is a radical tone to this message that I believe the Lord is speaking to His church.

This radical message is coming from Baptist, Anglican, Presbyterian and The Vineyard. I am sure God is speaking through other traditions, but these are the ones that I have been most recently associated with.

Some of these movements emphasize; social justice, feeding the poor, evangelizing unreached people groups, healing and power evangelism. God is using a diverse group of Christians to establish his kingdom in the earth.

The call to Christ body is clear: It's going to take a radical form of Christianity to advance the Kingdom of God throughout all the earth. It will take a holistic view of ministry to reach the lost. Evangelism, praying for the sick and social justice are all part of the Kingdom of God. We should seek God for supernatural power in meeting the needs of a lost and dying world. God is speaking, but are we listening? - Bobby

An Interview with Tim Keller by Desiring God Ministries

2011-01-20T06:42:00.000-08:00

Meditation Part II

2011-01-16T17:45:00.000-08:00

"The word “meditate” is used often in the Psalms. One Hebrew word means
literally to “mutter” or to “talk to oneself.” This refers to the fact that
meditation entails both focused attention and personal application. The otherword means to “muse” or “ponder.” In Psalm 77:12 and 143:5, we are called to meditate on the works of God in nature and history. In Psalm 119:15, 23, 27,48, 78, and 148, we are exhorted to meditate on God’s Word, his verbal revelation. In Psalm 63:6, the psalmist simply meditates “on thee.” Clearly, many of the Psalms are themselves extended meditations." - Tim Keller, Praying The Psalms, From the Redeemer Presbyterian Church website. www.redeemer.com

I have found over the years that the average Christian has not been trained in the art of Biblical meditation. Most of us were encouraged to read our Bibles daily, but not to slow down and think deeply on what we read. Not only should we read our Bibles, but in a sense, the Word should read us. Taking an honest look at Scripture, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, is like looking into a mirror and will reveal our current spiritual condition.

Meditating on bitter, lustful and selfish thoughts comes naturally to the mind that hasn't been renewed by the Scripture. The truth is, we are meditating on something all the time. According to Psalm 1, meditation is a key to spiritual success. What you meditate on, will either produce good or bad fruit in our lives. So it is important to 'soak' your mind with the Scriptures, and pray them back to God, with the intent to obey the instruction of the Lord. - Bobby

Meditation

2011-01-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

While reading through the entire Bible in 2010, I realized how incredibly free and sovereign God is. He will not be put in an Armenian, Calvinist, or Charismatic box. He does as he pleases. I felt like I got to know Him a little better by seeing how he has acted in history.

I have spent the first eleven days of this year in the book of Galatians. As I have written in a previous post, this is a year of slowing down and meditating more. The following quotes from Guigo II(died c. 1188) and Geert Zerbolt van Zutphen (1367-1400) were taken from Alister McGrath's book, Christian Spirituality, pp 84-85.

Alister McGrath says, "One of the most important medieval discussions of the correct way to read Scripture is provided by the Carthusian writer Guigo II (died around 1188). According to Guigo, four stages were to be discerned within the process of reading the biblical text:

1. reading (lecto);
2. meditation (meditatio);
3. prayer (oratio); and
4: contemplation (contemplatio).

Guigo says:

"Reading without meditation is sterile.
Meditation without reading is prone to error.
Prayer without meditation is lukewarm.
Meditation without prayer is barren.
Prayer with devotion achieves contemplation."

"Zerbolt says,"the spiritual reading of Scripture prepares the reader for meditation; meditation prepares for prayer; and prayer for contemplation. To meditate without first reading Scripture is to run the risk of being deluded or falling into error, whereas reading Scripture without turning to prayer is arid and barren."

Here is Zerbolt's definition of meditation:

"By meditation is meant the process in which you diligently turn over in your heart whatever you have read or heard, earnestly reflecting your understanding."

I hope these suggestions will be helpful to you, in your pursuit of God - Bobby

Effective Praying: Part II

2011-01-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2 ESV)

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12 ESV)

"...praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints..." (Ephesians 6:17-18 ESV)

"But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit..." (Jude 1:20 ESV)

Without the transformation of our minds, we will be ineffective in our prayer lives. Because of our fallen nature, we tend to be so conformed to the world that our senses become dull to the spiritual world around us. Our minds will naturally focus on what we can see, hear, feel, and taste.

Prayer is a spiritual weapon and along with the internalization and proclamation of Scripture, it is the way we advance the Kingdom and see changed lives. All types of prayer and the Word must be utilized to effectively fight our invisible enemy.

The spiritual realm is where all real battles are fought. Remember we are not at war with people only those unseen powers at work in their lives. We must become convinced that praying in the Spirit, is the most effective way of pushing back darkness. - Bobby

How Important Is The Bible? John Piper

2011-01-06T06:16:00.000-08:00

John Piper @ GELF Breakfast - Lausanne 2010 from Crossway on Vimeo.

Effective Praying : Part I

2011-01-02T19:14:00.000-08:00

"Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven." (Mat.6:10 NASB)

"Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit." (Luke 18:1 MSG)

"With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints..." (Eph.6:18 NET)

I'm praying that this year our eyes will be open to the spiritual world that surrounds us. Prayer is a gift that God has given to us to communicate with him and co-labor with him for the advancement of the Kingdom.

Prayer can be used to direct the power of the Kingdom on another person or situation. The enemy seeks to discourage us from the persistent prayer that Jesus has called us to. While God's ultimate purposes in this world cannot be changed, we can have a part in fulfilling them.

God will get you to your ultimate destination (glorification), but what if you get to Heaven only to find out that He would have healed you or intervened in situations, if you had only asked him. God may directly ordain some setbacks but only allow others. Prayer can sometimes change circumstances, unless God himself has put up a roadblock or given someone "a thorn in the flesh".

If the devil is the source of our problems, God in his sovereignty has given us authority to pray that the situation will change. This is all a mystery, but we will not be effective if we become fatalistic and passive in prayer. This subject is controversial - what do you think? - Bobby

A Spiritual Dream

2011-01-02T14:33:00.000-08:00

"With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints..." (Eph.6:18 NET)

"...for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds." (2 Cor. 10:4 NET)

"Therefore be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (Eph.5:15 NET)

I don't build my theology on dreams but they can be encouraging and a helpful way that God communicates to us. Sometimes dreams that I have about other people alert me to pray for them. But the following brief summary of a dream I had a few weeks ago, helped me to see the need to work on a more effective prayer life this year:

I was in a war and my enemy seemed to be stronger than me. My attempts to defend myself seemed to be weak and ineffective. The fighting appeared to be from house to house. I had very little confidence in my ability to fight. But the more I used my weapon the more my confidence grew. As a result I became successful over this enemy I was fighting.

We must avail ourselves to the spiritual weapons (especially prayer) that God has given us to pray Kingdom prayers this year. I will be posting more about prayer in upcoming posts. - Bobby

My Devotional Plan For 2011

2010-12-31T08:07:00.000-08:00

"Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!" - (Psalm 46:10 ESV)

This morning I finished my one year Bible reading plan. I must say reading through the entire Bible in a year and the Psalms twice was rewarding. But this year I have a different plan. I have so little time most mornings that I feel the need to read less and meditate more.

I'm starting the year with a new journal and I have been reading some very good books on the spiritual disciplines. Over the years I have added to my library, many good books on prayer, and spiritual formation. The following are some thoughts I've had during times of prayer and meditation recently:

We need to seek to encounter God daily (I need large doses of God!) This is a year to slow down - pause - reflect and experience God. He is a very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46.) Re-dedication will not work, we need to pray for God's presence and more grace instead.

With God's help I will approach Bible study differently this year. This is the year many of us who have studied prayer and meditation will actually practice it more, and see greater fruit. I would encourage people to read through the Bible during the upcoming year, but make sure you have a time (for me, it's in the morning) to read, meditate, and contemplate on God and his word. And turn it all back to Him in prayer. -Bobby

Using The Mind To Delight In God

2010-12-27T18:14:00.000-08:00

Jesus has given his Disciples every resource we need to accomplish all he ask us to do. It is important to keep our minds focused and in awe of God. A Childlike faith and abandonment to our Father is crucial to our spiritual formation.

Those who are more theologically minded need to work on your intimacy with Jesus this coming year.

Those who are more experience oriented need to focus your mind on theology (the study of God) this coming year. Using our minds will not threaten our intimacy with Jesus. Enjoy this encouragement from Sam Storms:

"If we don't know who God is and how he thinks and what he feels and why he does what he does, we have no grounds for joy, no reason to celebrate, no basis for finding satisfaction in him. That is why our careful and meticulous study of the heavenly vision in Revelation 4-5 is so crucial to our lives as Christians.

Delight in God cannot occur in an intellectual vacuum. Our joy is the fruit of what we know and believe to be true of God. Emotional heat such as joy, delight, and gladness of heart, apart from intellectual light (i.e., the knowledge of God) is useless. Worse still, it is dangerous, for it inevitably leads to fanaticism and idolatry. The experience of heaven's inhabitants confirms that our knowledge of God (exultation) is the cause or grounds for our delight in him (exultation), which blossoms in the fruit of his praise and honor and glory (exaltation).

What this tells us is that the ultimate goal of theology isn't knowledge, but worship. If our learning and knowledge of God do not lead to the joyful praise of God, we have failed. We learn only that we might laud, which is to say that theology without doxology is idolatry. The theology worth studying is a theology that can be sung!" - Sam Storms, Onething, pp 81-82.

Charlie Brown Christmas

2010-12-23T18:48:00.000-08:00

A Warning Against Strange Teachings

2010-12-20T19:18:00.000-08:00

The year 2010 has been an unusual year for me spiritually speaking. I have heard or in some cases been told of preachers teaching some of the strangest doctrine that I have ever encountered. Here are some examples:

Some claim to have entered into a place of sinless perfection.
Sow into the anointing - which means give your money to me!
Questioning my teaching is questioning the Holy Spirit.
Come down to the front and I will impart my "mantle" to you. (I do not want someone else's mantle!)
If we are Christians, we no longer have to ask God to forgive us of our sins anymore. (I guess the Lord's Prayer ceased after the day of Pentecost?)
God is a God of love, not wrath.
Confusion on the Christians relationship to the law.

I am not all that smart, but many are speaking out about the fact that this generation is Biblically illiterate. I believe it is important to study the Bible systematically, doing word studies on such topics as: sin, anointing, forgiveness, love and wrath are helpful.

It is possible to study the Bible in context and walk in the presence of God at the same time. I would suggest people read, The Attributes of God, by A.W. Tozer . I recommend Tozer because he was a Christian mystic and a self taught theologian. God is Love, but one of his attributes is also wrath. The good news is, His wrath has been removed from all Christians. "Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! "- Romans 5:9 (NIV)

It seems to me that many confuse Christ righteousness, that he imputed to us, and clothed us with, with some sort of imparted righteousness. The Scripture says to, "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling," - Philippians 2:12 (NASB) The imputation of Christ righteousness makes this possible. If you are in Christ you are perfect in his eyes. So the fact that God paid all our sin debt, past, present, and future, ensures us that when we do sin now, we no longer have to offer up a animal sacrifice or go through some religious ritual to obtain forgiveness. We simply ask God to forgive us for our daily sins, as Jesus taught us. (Matthew 6:12)

"Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!" - Romans 5:9 (NIV)

New Testament believers do not need someones mantle. We are indwelt by God's Spirit - we need to be filled with His Spirit daily and we are commanded to pursue spiritual gifts. (I Corinthians 14:1) "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit," - Ephesians 5:18 (ESV)

Give to your Church, mission organizations, the poor and to those teachers that have helped you. But please do not let preachers deceive you into sowing into their "special anointing." Beware of false prophets, teachers, and those guys on T.V. that guarantee you special blessing for sowing your seed (money) to them.

It seems some teachers today, are confused about the Christian's relationship to Old Testament law. We are still under the moral law but not the ceremonial law. We are grace and Spirit empowered to keep the moral law. It is the law of the Spirit. "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. "- Romans 8:2 (ASV) Remember, when we do sin we have an advocate with the Father.

I have been accused of doing the work of the devil for even questioning such things on my blog and Facebook. But the only reason that I occasionally address strange doctrines, is out of my love for God and his children. - Bobby

Dr.Tim Keller on God's Global Urban Mission

2010-12-19T17:13:00.000-08:00

Dr. Tim Keller at Lausanne - God's Global Urban Mission from Kenny Jahng on Vimeo.

Tim Keller Argues For Churches In Cities [Lausanne] from Kenny Jahng on Vimeo.

History of the Church: Part 1 and 2

2010-12-18T10:55:00.000-08:00

Cape Town 2010 Opening Session - Turning Points, Part 1 from Lausanne Movement on Vimeo.

Cape Town 2010 Opening Session - Turning Points, Part 2 from Lausanne Movement on Vimeo.

Counting The Cost Part II

2010-12-17T18:54:00.000-08:00

"If anything becomes more fundamental than God to your happiness, meaning in life, and identity, then it is an idol" - Tim Keller, page xix, Counterfeit Gods.

We never imagine that getting our heart's deepest desires might be the worst thing that can ever happen to us. - Tim Keller, page 1, Counterfeit Gods,

In the last post I talked about giving up our junk because some of our material possessions and ways of thinking in reality are simply meaningless. But what about the good things that God gives us, such as our relationships? God requires us to give him everything, even our families. When we give them back to God - I'm convinced we actually love them more than those who idolize their children and other loved ones. We should love our families and the good things that God has given us, but we must not hold onto them to tightly, and we need to realize they are gifts from God, not substitutes for God. Love everyone and enjoy every good gift that God has given you.

A closing thought: I was actually sickened watching a politician on T. V. visiting a school and literally crying over the possibility of children not being able to experience the American Dream. But who is crying because our children are not experiencing the Kingdom of God? If you are asking God for the American dream, be careful because it could ultimately destroy you. - Bobby

Counting The Cost

2010-12-13T19:31:00.000-08:00

“One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” (Luke 18:20-27 ESV)

"So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:33 ESV)

In my last post, I talked about following Jesus and the fact that it will cost you everything. Just what is everything? And what do we receive for giving it up?

When we are in Christ, we get a new nature and the Holy Spirit who empowers us and provides for us more than we would ever have, if we were to hang onto our sin and rebellion. We really are not giving up anything of real value-only junk!

We cannot earn favor with God by selling all that we have and giving it to the poor. Nor can we earn salvation - that is God's free gift to us. But good works and giving become part of the life style of the person who has met God. Jesus dealt with the rich young rulers, idol - greed. The people were amazed because an Old Covenant understanding of God's blessings included material wealth.

Most of us in America have much more then we need, and some Christians seem to be more Old Covenant oriented when it comes to material wealth.

A life altering encounter with God will give you a limp (so to speak) like Jacob when he wrestled with God.(Gennesis 32: 22-32) The Holy Spirit will open our eyes to the abundance of peace and the riches of the love that Christ offers us. So recently I have been asking the Holy Spirit to show me the idols of my heart, and He is showing me that everything that I treasure belongs to Him. He owns it all. - Bobby