The Difference Between Batman And A Christian

The difference between a Christian and Batman is this: Bruce Wayne makes Batman's amor; the Christian's armor is made by God.

So, a Christian fits more along the lines of a U.S. Marine than a superhero. A superhero can fashion their own armor whereas a Marine's armor is made by the country they serve.

Ephesians 6:10-20

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12For 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. 13Therefore 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. 14Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18praying 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, 19and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Here's the laundry list of armor Paul gives (and first recognize that Paul says it is "the armor of God." Not your armor. God's armor.):

1. Belt of truth - you don't determine truth; God does

2. Breastplate of righteousness - you don't determine what is righteous; God does

3. The readiness given by the gospel of peace - you don't determine the assurance of Christ's redeeming work on the cross; God does

4. Shield of faith - you don't create your faith; God does

5. Helmet of salvation - you don't secure your salvation; God does

6. Sword of the Spirit (Scripture) - you don't determine the accuracy, truth, and convicting power of Scripture; God does

This armor truly is God's armor. We don't make it and therefore we have no right to negotiate with God which pieces of the armor we can wear and which we can ignore and which we can just have but not use. Thinking Scripture isn't needed at least daily to fight for our faith is like a U.S. Marine telling his commanding officer that it's useless to carry a gun or any weapon. How insulted must God be when Christians take his armor for granted when he is giving it to them for their good?

Francis Chan writes in his book Crazy Love,

When I was in high school, I seriously considered joining the Marines; this was when they first came out with commercials for "the few, the proud, the Marines." What turned me off was that in those advertisements, everyone was always running. Always. And I hate running.

But you know what? I didn't bother to ask if they would modify the rules for me so I could run less, and maybe also do fewer push-ups. That would've been pointless and stupid, and I knew it. Everyone knows that if you sign up for the Marines, you have to do whatever they tell you. They own you.

Somehow this realization does not cross over to our thinking about the Christian life. Jesus didn't say that if you wanted to follow Him you could do it in a lukewarm manner. He said, "Take up your cross and follow me" (pg. 80).

Christians have a great and serious battle to fight. It is a battle for their faith and the faith of others in a God whose love is so extreme that he hangs on a cross to atone for the sins of his creation.

Christians are called to live a mission that is the greatest cause in the world and John Piper says it this way, "The greatest cause in the world is joyfully rescuing people from hell, meeting earthly needs, making them glad in God, and doing it with a kind, serious pleasure that makes Christ look like the Treasure he is."

So, let us go and fight for the greatest cause in the world using the impenetrable armor that God supplies by getting off the sidelines that is defined by worrying about jobs, scholarships, future happiness, and attending church regularly. Let's fight the bloody fight for joy in God no matter the cost as Christ says that His followers should.

The Reason To Repent

Repent simply means to turn away. It means to turn away from a life that says to God, "We can do it without you and get our own joy," to a life that says to God, "We need you, we are relying on you to show us the life you desire us to live to get as much joy as we can in this life and the next." But why would you ever want to say that to God? Why would you ever want to repent?

You don't repent because you have a guilty conscience and you want to get rid of it.

You don't repent because hell is scary and you want to escape the possibility of ever going there.

You don't repent because you just don't want God to be angry with you

You don't repent so your life can be blessed and pain free.

You repent because Jesus is beautiful.

Jesus died in the place of sinners to divert the wrath of God from whomever would place their trust in his redeeming work on the cross. And Jesus states that whoever decides to place their trust in his work will respond in joyful obedience that could, ultimately, get them nailed to a cross, or at least feel like, because they are now called to embody Jesus. Why would anyone, then, want to embody Jesus when it could lead to such extreme agony?

You repent and embody Jesus because what he did on the cross is so mind-blowing beautiful. You don't repent when you look at Jesus hanging on the cross and you see a peasant revolutionary whose time ran out. You repent because you see God in the flesh hanging on a cross so that he can restore the creation that spit in his face and should be destroyed. You repent because it is so beautiful that God would spare us his wrath by pouting it out on himself. You repent because that mercy and love is so wonderful that you want to be a part of it. You want that love in you. You repent because you want to obey a God who would go to such extreme measures just to have a relationship with you. You repent because God paid the penalty for your treason so you wouldn't have to and thus could have a life filled with joyful worship in serving God as his adopted child.

You repent because Jesus hanging on a cross to divert the wrath of God from sinners is beautiful.

In The Octagon With My Heart

Jeremiah 17:9-10

The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
“I the Lord search the heart
and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Matthew 15:19

For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

For the last couple of years, I have found myself in a raging battle against my desires. I am constantly doing what I don't want to do. I want to be a good student; I slack off. I want to have pure eyes; I begin looking at the women on campus wearing tight clothes. There is this battle between a desire to do what Christ desires of me and what my heart desires. Yes, this is a battle between the Spirit and Sin. But it is also a battle between me and my heart.

I don't watch UFC all too often but the matches I have seen were intense. Professional athletes enter their ring, the octagon, and just pumple each other into submission until one has his fist raised in the air as the victor because the other guy either tapped out or was knocked out.

I need to go into the octagon with my heart. Too often it feels like my heart has been punching me violently in the ribs, wrapping its arms around my chest and slamming me into the caging tearing my flesh and making blood gush from my forehead, hurling me onto the floor again and again until my breath is knocked out of me, and then wrapping its arms around my neck choking me into submission. Why does my heart do this? Because it is the well-spring of my desires. I am a wretch and completely depraved. So I give in to my heart's deadly desires to partake in sin. I tap out without even fighting.

My eyes though have seen the glory of Christ crucified and my heart begins to tremble and fight back. The Spirit though just provokes me again and again: Get up, boy, and fight; fight for your joy in Christ.

So now, with God's grace, I will stand and fight my greedy heart and pumple it into submission. The stakes of victory are high. If my heart has its fist raised in victory, death is its reward. But, if my hand is raised in victory, the reward is God. This is the greatest prize worth fighting for: Joy and pleasure in God.

This fight is going to be bloody and violent, but that's how it has to be to make my heart submit to what Christ desires of me.

Father, pour out your Spirit on me and my struggling brothers and sisters that we may have the wisdom to fight our decptive hearts in order to cherish more deeply Christ crucified. The prize is the greatest: You. Glorify your name by displaying your holiness in us; give us the power to crush our hearts in the octagon. In Jesus' name, amen.

Jesus Is Not A Pansy And He Will Take You Down

I'm reading through the book of Revelation right now as part of a tour through the writings of the Apostle John. The more and more I read into this book, the more I am impacted by the image of Jesus as a King who will destroy and utterly annihilate sin to establish a wholly righteous kingdom. He hates sin so violently it says in Revelation that he will kill all those who stand on the side of sin and that their blood will flow - let that word hit you, flow - through the streets.

Do you think Jesus is a pansy? Do you think he's just some nice, preacher-dude wearing sandals and teaching nothing but peace and love? Yes, Jesus taught the peace God would bring through His own death and the love He holds that has no limits to the point He dies in the place of a creation that completely rebels against His kindness daily. He did not teach everyone will inherit the kingdom of Heaven. How do you think Jesus, the creator of all things, feels about those who molest children and worse kidnap them and force them into prostition even at the age of 5 like those who commit this horrific act in Cambodia? If these people don't denounce their heart and flesh as evil and trust Jesus as their Reconcilor to God the Father, their blood will flow through the streets if he decides to tarry no longer tonight.

And so too will your blood flow through the streets if you don't repent.

Check out Revelation 19. Jesus has a tatoo, a sword, and a name only He knows as he rides into battle to kill all those who stand on the side of sin - including Johnny Do-Gooder thinking his time at the Salvation Army or praying over his meals is all he needs to get into heaven.

What about this one, Revelation 17:14?

They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.

I write this as a man who messes up all the time and is constantly in need of Jesus standing between him and God the Father - who is righteously pissed at sin - so I will not experience the Father's wrath (because Jesus bore it in my place on the cross) so that instead I could experience his unconditional love secured by Jesus' resurrection.

What really hit me on this is two movies I watched today. "The Martian Child" examines a man's love for his adopted son. The man will not abandon his boy despite how weird and messed up he is. That's God as a Father. He's passionate and sent the second member of the Trinity - his begotten Son - to die in the place of his messed up, weird kids who convince themselves of all kinds of delusions so he can have a restored relationship with them if they trust Him and not themselves because they have become so deceived. Then I watched the movie "Amazing Grace" and there's a line in there I pray all of my friends will say one day, "I know of two things: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior."

Jesus is unbelievably angry at all who stand on the side of sin and that includes all who do not see his death in the place of sinners as beautiful and holy and redeeming. Either repent and have a restored relationship with God by trusting Jesus' work on the cross, or don't and have your blood flow through the streets when Jesus returns to destroy all that is sinful and all who commit sin. Jesus is not a panzy and he is a wholly just King. He will rid the universe of all that is evil. Stand with him as called, chosen, and faithful and not against him as thinking you don't need his death and blood shed in your place to bring you to God. It's either your blood or His.

Father, I have many friends who will read this and think it paints you as extremely barbaric and judgmental. If that's my fault in how I described you, I'm sorry, but I know your power and that you can work through all things to bring anyone to repentance. Father, bring those I know who have not repented - including those who claim to be Christians - to repentance. Father, you know my deep sins. But I thank you and I trust that through Jesus' actions on the cross you look at me as a child you will never abandon and wipe away all that displeases you. Father, thank you that you continue to call me closer to you no matter what I do. It's a miracle you've shown me of how wonderful your Son is and I just want all I know to have that same treasure. Convince them that they are no better than a child molestor if they have not trusted Jesus to substitute their just punishment for their sins with your unceasing, relentless, crazy love. And Father, please grant me the power and wisdom to incarnate your Son more and more each moment of each day. I love you. Thank you for the cross. Thank you for turning an enemy like me into an adopted child that sings your praises. In Jesus' name, amen.

Same Clothes, No Relationship

My mom and dad divorced when I was about 3 or 4 years old. I've only seen my dad a handful of times throughout my life; I'm 22. A few years ago, my senior year of high school, I came home from work and my mom told me that my dad had called me.

I got on the phone and called him back. I asked what was up and he told me he had bad news about my grandmother - she had cancer meaning both of my grandparents had the disease. I could hear in his voice that tears were beginning to form so I offered to visit him right then and he said he would like that.

I arrived at his apartment, knocked on the door, and when he opened it I offered a hug. We hugged and he broke down into tears. This was the first time ever that I saw him display any sincere emotion outside of the obligated father / son affection.

We sat down and talked about my grandmother's diagnosis. He calmed down and made himself some soup. When he came back from the kitchen, he noticed that my coat was of the brand 'St. John's Bay'. He asked, "Hey, did you pick this coat?" I said, "Yeah," hesitantly not knowing where he was going, especially since there was a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. He told me to wait one second and when he came back in he was holding his coat. "Check that out," he told me. I looked at the tag: 'St. John's Bay'. He sat down and we began to talk about our clothing choices: Exact. We love to wear jeans, boots, flannel shirts, and 'St. John's Bay' coats. We began talking about politics. Our views were matching up. We began to talk about movies. Our views were matching up.

This was stunning considering I had not seen him for the last four years and that was when my various tastes developed. Without any influence from my dad, I adopted styles and tastes that were exactly similar to his.

I left that night with the both of us excited by the possibility of a genuine friendship blossoming out of this time.

You know how many times I've seen him since then? Around 5 times: 2 family reunions, 2 funerals, and 1 time this past summer.

Am I his son? Even though we wear the same clothes and have the same tastes, there is no relationship between us. I do not actively talk to him on the phone, visit him, ask him for his advice, check in just to check in, help when asked, and so on. We have the same clothes, but we don't have a deep relationship. Am I his son?

This question can be asked about my relationship between me and my heavenly Father. As a Christian, I have the same tastes as God does - certain music I like, certain clothes I think are appropriate to wear, certain desires to see the oppressed helped. But do I have an active relationship with my heavenly Father?

Sure, I look like him on the outside, but how do I look like him on the inside?

Do I actively seek his opinion for any situation?

Do I actively ask him what's on his mind?

Do I actively try to discover what he desires?

Do I actively seek time where I just sit and listen?

Do I call him?

Do I have the same clothes and the same heart? Do I only look like his son on the outside, but on the inside I don't share the same heart? Do I look like him and act like him?

Father, I recognize there are so many times in my life when I look like you. I don't like filthy language. I don't like drug abuse. I don't like the fact that there are orphans in Africa. If we were to sit down we would have much to discuss about our tastes. But, Father, I also recognize that our hearts are different. I don't actively seek people who are hurting. I don't actively seek to be an agent of reconciliation. I don't actively ask what's on your mind. I don't have an active relationship as a son should with you. Father, you discipline your children for their good. I ask that you show me how to act like you in all ways that we may actively walk together throughout this life. You work so that your holiness may be demonstrated through your power working through my hands, and I get the joy. Father, work. Draw my heart deeper to your through the cross of your Son. Work through me and through my brothers and sisters who desire to know you deeper. Let me not simply sit down with you when you call me or when we "accidentally" run into each other. I'm sorry I've messed up and I praise you for your grace; thank you that there is no limit with you for second chances. In Jesus' name, amen.

Reason #36 Why Jesus Came To Die

In his work Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die John Piper writes that the 36th reason was "To Create A People Passionate For Good Works."

Here's what he wrote:

"[He] 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 2:14

At the heart of Christianity is the truth that we are forgiven and accepted by God, not because we have done good works, but to make us able and zealous to do them. The Bible says, "[God] saved us... not because of our good works" (2 Timothy 1:9). Good deeds are not the foundation of our acceptance, but the fruit of it. Christ suffered and died not because we presented to him good works, but he died "to purify for himself a people... zealous for good works" (Titus 2:14).

This is the meaning of grace. We cannot obtain a right standing with God because of our works. It must be a free gift. We can only recieve it by faith, cherishing it as our great treasure. This is why the Bible says, "By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Christ suffered and died so that good works would be the effect, not the cause, of our acceptance.

Not surpisingly, then, the next sentence says, "For we are... created in Christ Jesus for good works" (Ephesians 2:10). That is, we are saved for good works, not by good works. And the aim of Christ is not the mere ability to do them, but passion to do them. That's why the Bible uses the word "zealous." Christ died to make us "zealous for good works." Zeal means a passion. Christ did not die to make good works merely possible or to produce a half-hearted pursuit. He died to produce in us a passion for good deeds. Christian purity is not the mere avoidance of evil, but the pursuit of good.

There are reasons why Jesus paid the infinite price to produce our passion for good deeds. He gave the main reason in these words: "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). God is shown to be glorious by the good deeds of Christians. For that glory Christ suffered and died.

When God's forgiveness and acceptance have freed us from fear and pride and greed, we are filled with a zeal to love others the way we have been loved. We risk our possessions and our lives since we are secure in Christ. When we love others like this, our behavior is contrary to human self-enhancement and self-preservation. Attention is thus drawn to our life-transforming Treasure and Security, namely, God.

And what are these "good works"? Without limiting their scope, the Bible means mainly helping people in urgent need, especially those who possess least and suffer most. For example, the Bible says, "Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need" (Titus 3:14). Christ died to make us this kind of people - passionate to help the poor and the perishing. It is the best life, not matter what it costs us in this world: They get help, we get joy, God gets glory." - Page 90-91

Continue to ask God what good works he has in store for us, especially with the definition Piper provides - "helping people in urgent need, especially those who possess least and suffer most." If he has revealed to you ideas and / or desires, write them down and be sure to bring them this Sunday to CRAVE. And if your heart is not into this, ask God why that is and let him answer.

Good Works, Homework, And God's Glory

If all you needed to do to change a part of the world was sell some bracelets during lunch, would you do it?

If you were in a group made of more than 12 students devoted to helping an oppressed people on the otherside of the world where all the tasks were delegated so that no one was heavily burdened, would you participate?

And if you are doing these good works so that others will be satisfied in God, how do you think God would respond if you asked Him to help you out with your homework, sleep, and good works?

Matthew 6:25-34

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink [or whether you'll get your homework done on time], nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Romans 8:31-32

... If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Ask God to reveal what good works he has for us and to give us all things we need to accomplish them.

Don't Waste Your Joy

Remember the story of the woman caught in adultery and thrown at the feet of Jesus (John 8)? The Pharisees catch her in the act (most likely bribing someone to have intercourse with her) and question Jesus if she should be stoned like the law of Moses states. I absolutely love Jesus' response to them: He just writes in the sand. Everyone has an opinion about what he writes and mine is he's writing their accusations against the women; to Jesus their accusations are just words in the sand. That is an amazing picture of grace.

Jesus then says that whoever has no sin i.e. the one righteous enough to be enraged at sin should throw the first stone at her. And the woman, at the feet of Jesus, hears stones hit the sand and the shuffling of feet walking away. Then the following exchange between Jesus and the woman happens:

John 8:10-11

Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."

Pure grace. The person who had every right to be offended and stone this women was Jesus - God in the flesh. But he showered her in grace. What I also love about this passage is that it's open-ended; the reader is left to imagine what 'From now on sin no more' means.

Let's follow the line. Imagine you're the woman. You live a life of adultery; something you probably know is wrong even though you do it. You are betrayed in the most intimate of acts (especially since you don't want anybody to know about it) and thrown into the middle of the streets by men who want to kill you. You land at the feet of a man you proably heard of, Jesus, and are now ashamed to be at the feet of a righteous men in such a shameful state. And he says to you, 'You are not condemned, go and do not sin any more.'

Now you are in your house wondering how you do not sin anymore since you have been saved from a death you fully deserve. You probably reflect on your life. "What have I been doing?" And it comes to your mind that you have rebelled against the law and that you searched for your own pleasure even if it meant a man betrayed his wife. Now you are called not to sin anymore: Do the opposite of what you've been doing. Obey the law and get outside of yourself. Why would you want to do this though? Grace. You have a second chance. Now you have a choice given to you by Jesus. Are you going to waste it?

If the woman does come to this conclusion, what conclusion did she arrive at? She discovered she needs to love God with all her heart, mind, and soul and to love her neighbor as herself in response to the grace / second-chance given to her by Jesus. And that, brothers, is worship when you say, "I'm free, saved from death. Let me now live for God and my neighbor; let me live outside myself."

Imagine the joy that woman experienced living in worship of Christ's grace. Even if Jesus didn't spell it out for the woman what it means to sin no more, Paul did in Ephesians 1 - 2.

Ephesians 1 and 2 are so startling because Paul pairs two things together: God's grace and good works.

Ephesians 1:4-6

... In love [God] predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to his purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Why did God call you to repentance by trusting Jesus' work on the cross? To praise his glorious grace (your redemption is all about God). But how do you do that? Do you just go to church and sing worship songs and that's it? That doesn't seem right, does it? I got a girlfriend to respect. I have friends to hang out with. I have temptations before my eyes. Just showing up Sunday can't be it.

What does an adopted child of God do? What did God's son do? He did what the Father does (John 5:17). Adopted children of God act like the Father and the Father is all about liberating the oppressed and giving sight to the blind physically and spiritually (Psalm 146). Paul sets up chapter 2 wonderfully this way then when he says

Ephesians 2:10

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Christians worship their adoptive Father by praising his grace for adopting them by acting like him. We've all heard "Imitation is the highest form of flattery." How true must it be then for Christians? How much joy must God receive when his children say, "I want to act like you because you freed me from my sins?"

I fear that so many Christians, especially teenagers, rob themselves of joy by thinking Christ's grace is just meant to wipe the slate clean. Imagine if the women only realized she needed to obey the law and not love her neighbor. What would she be? A Pharisee. Oh, how often I've been a Pharisee when I saw Christ's grace as a start over card and not an opportunity to worship and get out of myself by serving others. How about you?

If we truly praise God for his grace this will instantly lead to joyfully doing the good works God has prepared beforehand for us.

Paul Trip in his book War Of Words writes, "Christ says you can boil all of the teaching of Scripture down to two areas: love for God and love for people, and he says something else important. There is an order of importance here: love for God is foundational to everything else. If you do not love God above all else, you will not love your neighbor as yourself. Any lack of love for neighbor, in word or deed, reflects some deficiency in your love for God (see 1 John 4:7-21)" (pg. 62).

For freedom Christ saved us (Galtians 5). And part of that means Christ saved us from enduring the holy, righteous, unquestionable wrath of the Father. We now have the ability to choose between serving our flesh or serving our neighbor. Let's be honest, we fail... a lot. We choose our flesh more than neighbor at an alarming rate. But the beauty is that you are free because there is now no condemnation for you (Romans 8:1). Grace! So if you've messed up, ask God to extend his grace one more time because he will (and always will). Out of love for God, choose to serve your neighbor in good works. Otherwise your joy in your freedom will be incomplete; it will be wasted.

So, what good works are we to do?

Visit http://drytears.org/home.html. This is the group formed by teenagers no older than 17 who collectively raised $20,000 so children in Africa will have clean water simply by selling custom bracelets and t-shirts. Their efforts saved 20,000 people because of their willingness to do the good works God placed on their hearts in praise of His grace. Imagine the joy they must have. Compare that to the numb joy of saying, 'Hey, I sinned and I'm covered... back to life as usual.'

God gave you grace to do good works as his child. Pray that God will reveal to you what those good works are.

'Satan Hates Me This I Know...'

It's hard to imagine any Christian saying that they hate little children. They will generally agree without argument that Satan hates little children. Scripture makes it clear that Satan is waging a war against little children because he rages against anything Jesus loves. And Jesus loves the little children.

Matthew 18:3-6 states:

Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

You see that? There are those doing evil to children. Children are under attack. This is nothing controversial, but what will make Christians stand up and ready to knock you out is if you say, "You might be supporting the devil in this."

Paul makes it absolutely clear (along with Jesus) that if people are not repenting of sin and trusting Jesus to do good works then they are gratifying the desires of their flesh. Each time a Christian uses the grace they have been given to place themself above others, they are saying, 'Satan, I'm with you.' It's an either / or situation.

Galations 5:13-14

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

As a Christian under the grace purchased by Christ's work on the cross, you are free! Oh, what joyful news! But Chrisitans cannot just do whatever they want now. Before Christ they were boudn by how dead they were in their transgressions. After Christ, they are alive and have a choice: gratify their flesh or serve one another. Ephesians backs this up.

Ephesians 2:10

For we are [Christ's workmanship], created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

God is not done with you after he called you to repentance when you placed your trust in Christ. He called you to know Christ knowing beforehand what good works he would have you do (meaning he has everything ready to go). Those good works abide in Jesus (John 15) because they follow in Christ's steps. All that Christ did was pleasing to the Father because he did only what the Father did (Mark 1:9-11 + John 15). And the Father rescues the oppressed (Psalm 146). Therefore the good works we are called to do, whatever they are, rescue the oppressed as well.

So, what good works is he calling us to, members of the Jr. and Sr. High CRAVE class? Maybe he has something in store for us that will aid children branded as witches.

I thank my friend, Joe Helt, who pointed out this story with his blog at barefootpastor.blogspot.com. Here's the link to the story:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/nigeria/3407882/Child-witches-of-Nigeria-seek-refuge.html

"The devil's children are "identified" by powerful religious leaders at extremist churches where Christianity and traditional beliefs have combined to produce a deep-rooted belief in, and fear of, witchcraft. The priests spread the message that child-witches bring destruction, disease and death to their families. And they say that, once possessed, children can cast spells and contaminate others.

The religious leaders offer help to the families whose children are named as witches, but at a price. The churches run exorcism, or "deliverance", evenings where the pastors attempt to drive out the evil spirits. Only they have the power to cleanse the child of evil spirits, they say. The exorcism costs the families up to a year's income.

During the "deliverance" ceremonies, the children are shaken violently, dragged around the room and have potions poured into their eyes. The children look terrified. The parents look on, praying that the child will be cleansed. If the ritual fails, they know their children will have to be sent away, or killed. Many are held in churches, often on chains, and deprived of food until they "confess" to being a witch.

The ceremonies are highly lucrative for the spiritual leaders many of whom enjoy a lifestyle of large homes, expensive cars and designer clothes.

Ten years ago there were few cases of children stigmatised by witchcraft. But since then the numbers have grown at an alarming rate and have reached an estimated 15,000 in Akwa Ibom state alone."

Prosperity preachers, that America sends and raises up, in Nigeria are brutalizing children there so they can make a profit, rob families of their desperately needed income, and leave children abandoned by their families, hopeless and injured on the streets! Why? These prosperity preachers refuse to repent of their greed and do the good works of the Lord. We are no different if we resuse as well. And be sure that Jesus will cast them into the depths of the sea if they do not repent.

Oh, how God must be eager for a group of Christians, a generation of Davids (1 Samuel 17), to stand up and do something about this! Could we be that group, that generation, NMCC? Could this be our good works?

Ask God and let Him answer in his unquestionable wisdom. But let us not be Nicolaitans (Revelation 2) that say we do not have to repent and do good works that the Father does. Either we abstain from good works and side with the devil who hates these children, or we repent and trust God to lead us at any risk.

Remember The Eternal Grant Park

There's an empty stage with a podium ready for a man to step up and deliver words of encouragement. Thousands and thousands of people gather and eagerly wait for this man they support and love. The man walks out with American flags waving in the background and those thousands of people cheer and cry as he approaches the podium. He speaks and delivers words of hope and guidance and everyone's attention is firmly gripped upon him.

This is the picture from Tuesday night as Barack Obama delivered his election victory speech. As I watched I could not help but see the picture painted by Revelation 7:9-10:

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the trhone and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

People of all tribes, nations, and languages gather around a man and worship him. Doesn't that remind you of the image from Obama's victory speech? Does this mean Obama is the Christ or Anti-Christ? No. It means people are thirsting for a throne they can worship and whose ruler will deliver peace, hope, justice, and salvation.

Mark Driscoll wrote a great analysis of people's thirst for their politicians to fulfil Revelation 7 in his blog "In God We Do Not Trust." Here's the link:

http://theresurgence.com/in_god_we_do_not_trust

In his blog, Driscoll writes, "In this election, people thirst for a savior who will atone for their economic sins of buying things they did not need with money they did not have. The result is a mountain of credit debt they cannot pay and a desperate yearning that somehow a new president will save them from economic hell."

From a Christian stand, looking at thousands of people cheering for their ruler is both a sad and an encouraging site. It is said because no matter who was standing at that podium - or future podiums - that person will fail our Revelation 7 expectations; they will ultimately return to the dust from which they came. But it is an encouraging site because Christians know that one day they will stand before a throne that will last forever and whose seat is occupied by a God absolutely worthy of our adoration because of His work on the cross. Psalm 146 says:

Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I
have my being.

Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps his faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.

The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the
fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings
to ruin.

The LORD will reign forever,
your GOD, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD!

Oh, how I yearn for the day when I am able to stand before the throne of the Living God whose name is worthy of my eternal praise because he sets the prisoners free. And you know what will make that moment so much sweeter than going to the Obama victory speech in Grant Park? I bet you so many of the people in Grant Park wanted just a second with Barack Obama whether to get their picture with him or thank him. With the throne of God, despite the fact billions of people will be there, I will be able to approach God and have fellowship with him. I will be able to ask him any question. I will be able to talk with him and explore his thoughts about any subject... forever.

1 Peter 3: 18

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit...

Isaiah 43: 1

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine."

For those who have placed their trust in the redeeming work of Christ, remember that you are His and you will be able to worship Him forever with cheers and shouts and then you'll be able to walk up to Him and talk with Him for however long you want. Worship, my brothers. Worship.

Like A Man Who Walks Away And Forgets

It seems smart to dedicate the first blog to discussing why I am writing one. I have a lot of insights on Scripture. Some of these thoughts are good and some are so bad that I pray I have never written any of them down. But this blog is not about my thoughts. The goal of this blog is to examine Scripture and proclaim the wonderful truths that are in them so that I and my brothers and sisters in Christ (mainly the students in my NMCC CRAVE class) may be doers of the Word and remember to whom we belong.

James 1:22-25 states:

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

How many times have I read something in Scripture that God specifically commands and then walk away with devestating consequences? How many times have I heard the words of Jesus saying even to lust after a woman is to commit adultery and then look at a woman with lust or worse yet internent pornography? The effect of such disobedience is I forget I'm a child of God and fall more and more into rebellion until I no longer know what it means to be a Christian. I forget so deeply and badly that I cannot even state concisely what the gospel is. And worse yet I rob myself of the joy that is in abiding with the Father and Son by staying in their commandments.

I'm starting to read a book entitled Worldliness: Resisting The Temptation Of A Fallen World. I've only read the forward written by John Piper and already I'm convicted I've robbed myself of immense joy in abiding in the commandments of Christ when I disobey Scripture. Piper writes, "May the Lord of all beauty purify our minds so that these are our greatest delights. In the end, the sum of all beauty is Christ, and the sin of all worldliness is to diminish our capacity to see him and be satisfied in him and show him compellingly to a perishing world" (pg. 13). Piper shows how abiding in Christ is to abide in what is True and Beautiful, but he also ups the ante. Studying God's word and doing it not only creates immense joy within me as I grow closer to Christ, but it also shows Him to a perishing world. The other week the network news stations reported the brutal death of the 8-year-old nephew of Oscar winning actress Jennifer Hudson. The boy was abducted, thrown in a van, and shot through the back of the head. That's a clear reminder that I need to remember my image in the mirror of the law so I may be satisfied in the eternal treasure that is God, but also so I may show the value and worth of Christ to a world that shoots children in the back of the head.

For anyone who read this, explore the Scriptures and texts with me. Pray that God shows us all that is in Christ by the work of the Spirit that we may be doers of the word, remembering our reflection in the perfect mirror of the Word, to be satisfied in Christ alone and thus show why Christ is worthy of us denying ourselves for His glory.