Properly Embracing the Good News of Christ AND God

April 1, 2010 — Leave a comment

This week, I’m re-reading / listening to John Piper’s “Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die“.

On our response to the Good News of Christ:

“…salvation is not good news if it only saves from hell and not for God. Forgiveness is not good news if it only gives relief from guilt and doesn’t open the way to God. Justification is not good news if it only makes us legally acceptable to God but doesn’t bring fellowship with God. Redemption is not good news if it only liberates us from bondage but doesn’t bring us to God. Adoption is not good news if it only puts us in the Father’s family but not in his arms.”

– John Piper

x

Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous,
that he might bring us to God.

– 1 Peter 3:18

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been
brought near by the blood of Christ.

– Ephesians 2:13


MARANATHA!

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The Gravity of Sin

March 30, 2010 — Leave a comment

This week, I’m re-reading / listening to John Piper’s “Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die“.

This hit hard:

“Sin is dishonoring God by preferring other things over Him.  Sin is not small, because it is not against a small Sovereign.  The seriousness of an insult rises with the dignity of the one insulted.  The Creator of the universe is infinitely worthy of respect and admiration and loyalty.  Therefore, failure to love Him is not trivial—it is treason.  Since God is just, He does not sweep these crimes under the rug of the universe.

‘[God] loved us and sent his Son to be the [wrath-absorbing] propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)'”

-John Piper

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Forgotten God – Chapters 6 & 7

March 26, 2010 — Leave a comment

Final [and way overdue] post on Francis Chan’s book: Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit.  [I team taught through the book last quarter in Sunday School at church and decided to blog about the book.]

Posts from other chapters:

I’ll plan on giving a synopsis and review of the Forgotten God DVD Resource in a separate post.

Chapter Six: “Forget about God’s will for your life “

I think one of the things that I appreciate about Chan’s books are his chapter titles.  Chapter six is a perfect example.  He takes one of the core things that Christians concern themselves with and turns it on it head (hopefully I’m not the only one here…) – that being our focus on knowing God’s will for our lives.

The big thought here is that we often miss, even ignore the Holy Spirit’s leading and prompting with our focus on knowing or figuring out God’s will for our lives.  Chan is not saying to totally ignore this – but the key is not to be so consumed that everything else (people, life, opportunities, etc.) take a back seat to our search, even quest for God’s will.

I don’t think we purposely do all this, but it can and does become a distraction.

Living out the chapter title is a huge step of faith and certainly involves depending upon the Spirit for courage – trusting that things, situations, people are placed in our lives for a purpose.

Continue Reading…

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[INSERT YOUR NAME HERE] is Beautiful

March 23, 2010 — Leave a comment

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Psalm 139:13, 16

Every time I hear this song, I’m amazed, humbled, and filled with hope.

Beautiful Things
Michael & Lisa Gungor

All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

© worshiptogether.com songs

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It’s not just for the “Professionals”

March 16, 2010 — 2 Comments

I think sometimes we wrongly think that the only people who make a difference or have “impact” for God are the “professionals.”  You know, the pastors, evangelists, worship leaders, authors, etc.

Sure, as Christ Followers we’d never say that out loud; but we think it and often act and even live like it.  We know the passages in the Bible that talk about every part [or person] of the “body” [or church] being important; but we often equate ourselves as the “pinky toe” – you know…necessary, but usually not seen (except in season).

I read a verse today that reminded me that, in addition to the “professionals”, it’s regular folk that make a difference or have “impact” for God – in some cases even greater than the pros.

Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.

Romans 16:23

Here, at the end of his letter to the churches in Rome, Paul mentions a bunch of specific people to greet and also lists people who send their greetings.  For whatever reason, Erastus’ job is listed instead of simply calling him a fellow worker, friend, or brother.

Honestly, when I first read this, I thought Eratsus was the sewer coordinator for Corinth; but a check of the Greek shows that he was the city treasurer.  At any rate, dude was not a church “professional” as we usually categorize people.

Anyway, Erastus’ job title just struck me and reminded me that we all are important and contributing parts of the body of Christ.

REMEMBER: It’s not just for the “Professionals”

– Dennis…just a regular, old, security [φύλακα] dude.

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“He’s Control”

February 26, 2010 — 3 Comments

…or rather, “He is in control.”

My wife and I have been on a journey to adopt children for a while and are trusting that God will lead us to the exact ones He has providentially prepared for us (and us for them!). I’ll admit, the waiting, praying, hopeful phone calls and meetings, dashed hopes, etc. is tough. We both have grown personally and as a couple during this process – and for that we’re grateful…but that doesn’t make the journey any easier. We trust in God’s plan and look with expectation to what He has prepared.

At times, it’s hard to remember, as we search, inquire, pray, trust…, that He is actually in control.

…that He has always been in control.

One of my favorite passages that clearly demonstrates this is in John 19. Jesus has been arrested and, in the eyes of His accusers, close to defeat. As he stands before Pilate we read:
Continue Reading…

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Listen Up, D! [v2.25.10]

February 25, 2010 — Leave a comment

From a Lenten devotional I recently subscribed to:

“The life God longs to give me in his presence is free of my dependencies.”

[…save Him]

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Forgotten God – Chapters 4 & 5

February 22, 2010 — 2 Comments

It’s been a few weeks since I posted on Francis Chan’s book: Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit.   We took a few weeks hiatus, but we’re back and this is a catch-up post…

Chapter four: “Why Do You Want Him?“

The chapter title summed up the main theme.  It’s really about purposes for desiring to be empowered by the Holy Spirit.  It’s an interesting question – and one that probably isn’t really considered as one asks and prays for empowerment.  Do we wrongly treat the Holy Spirit as a token?  Do we call out to him with wrong motives in our heart?

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Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy (Derek Sivers)

February 18, 2010 — Leave a comment

…thought-provoking, insightful, and challenging on many levels.

Read the transcript at Sivers’ blog.

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A Tarp?

February 17, 2010 — 1 Comment

Imagine:

Right now, right where you are…

Sitting under a plastic tarp…

A terrible downpour…

You’re wet.  Your family is wet…

The little that you have is wet…

…and that tarp is your shelter for the next few months.

That is the shelter that is proposed until May 1st for about 250,000 Haitians.  I don’t know about you, but that just seems wrong.

From an MSNBC article:

Haiti’s homeless get tarps, want tents
Aid agencies tell quake refugees they’ll need to get by with plastic sheets

…

Instead the officials are mobilizing a plan they call the “shelter surge:”

– By May 1, one plastic tarp will be given to each of about 250,000 displaced families.
– Transitional shelters of 194 square feet, with corrugated iron roofs, will then be built.
– Shelters will have earthquake- and storm-resistant frames of timber or steel and are supposed to last for three years.

…

[Further details on this YouTube video.]

I’m sure there may be a logistic rationale for this, in reading several other articles, the general consensus of relief organizations is that tents take up too much room, but still – a tarp for someone who lost everything they owned?  And for upwards of three to four months?

It blows my mind…I’m sure it does yours as well.

Continue Reading…

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