Remember The Image

New Focus

2010-05-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

Hey, everyone.

I'm shifting my focus for how I will use this blog. I'll be keeping my original focus of theological exploration in the hope of applying Scripture to life as James exhorts in James 1:22-25.

However, I plan to do this in a new way by exploring a piece of Scripture in three phases:

1) Figure out the point of the Text, Monday
2) Give a practical demonstration of living as the text exhorts, Wednesday
3) Giving an illustration usually in narrative form, Friday

I believe that as I do this I’ll be doing theology the way James does in his letter. An example comes from James 4:13-17. In verses 13-14a, James provides his big point. In verses 14b, James provides a picture analogy. In verses 15-17, James provides a practical demonstration. I believe this is how he operates throughout his entire letter and it is a method of doing theology I am very attracted to and wish to master.

So, here I am and may God do a mighty work through this blog to the praise of His Son, Jesus Christ who bore our sins to give us His righteousness.

I’ll also be doing this at http://remembertheimage.tumblr.com/ but there I will be doing different passages of Scripture. For instance, at Tumblr I might blog through Scripture I am personally studying and here it will be for passages for Bible Studies, etc.

-Alec

When The Church Decides To Wear A Short Skirt

2009-10-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

When the church tries to look sexy to the world, such as downplaying the gospel of Jesus Christ and revving up the show in a church service, God works to make her look ugly to the world.

"The LORD said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go, tinkling with their feet, therefore the Lord will strike with a scab the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will lay bare their secret parts" (Isaiah 3:16-17).

One way God can make the church look ugly to the world is not allowing her to do good works and letting her pride lead to neglecting things such as justice.

But when the church decides she would rather look beautiful to God in obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ even if it means she will look ugly to the world, she will do some wonderful things that the world cannot ignore. See Philippians 3:7-11, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, 4:10-12, Acts 19.

One example:

Eating The Good of The Land

2009-10-14T07:20:00.000-07:00

In Isaiah 1:14-17, God makes an impossible demand on Israel: "Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes" (1:16). Why is this an impossible demand? Israel is bloody and devestated by his sin. But God desires that Israel be whole, sound, and righteous in order to have fellowship.

What then? God's response to the paradox he creates is beautiful:

"Come now, let us reason together says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

Israel needed something to happen in order that his sins would be as white as snow, but Israel was too weak and devestated to do anything. And so, the Son of God, Jesus Christ came to earth. He was given up for our trespasses on the cross and raised three days later for our justification (Rom 4:25).

Now that Jesus is physically alive, Israel and all men may count themselves dead to sin and alive to God in Jesus Christ (Rom 6:11).

Paul gives an incredible analogy for this in Romans 7:2-4, "For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from the law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress. / Likewise, my brothers you have also died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead in order that we bear fruit for God."

In other words, Christ died to sin. Now we may die to sin. However, as long as we are not killing our sin by obeying the Scriptures in faith to Christ (Rom 8:13), we are legally bound to it and may not be united to Christ. But if our sin dies, we are no longer legally bound to sin and may unite ourselves to Christ. Christ will lead us into a good land, a land of eternal joy and righteousness where we have unfiltered fellowship with God. Part of the good news is we get to taste how good that land will be in our lives now.

To obey Jesus and to follow him into the good land is not easy. 30 years ago today John Piper was called into the pastoral ministry by Jesus. When he told his father this, his father wrote him a letter telling him of the joy of obeying Jesus and how he'll enter the good land but also warned him of the heartache:

"As in all of our Lord’s work there will be a thousand compensations. You’ll see that people trust Christ as Savior and Lord. You’ll see these grow in the knowledge of Christ and his Word. You’ll witness saints enabled by your preaching to face all manner of tests. You’ll see God at work in human lives, and there is no joy comparable to this. Just ask yourself, son, if you are prepared not only to preach and teach, but also to weep over men’s souls, to care for the sick and dying, and to bear the burdens carried today by the saints of God" (HT: BTW).

Ask yourself, are you prepared to count yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ that you may eat the good of the land even if it means weeping over men's souls, bearing the burden's of the saints, and enduring much heartache?

A Few Survivors

2009-09-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

Instead of writing down my thoughts on Isaiah 1:9, I'll quote Ray Ortlund Jr. in a blog post he wrote earlier this week:

"If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah." Isaiah 1:9

Did you notice how God intervened this week? The Church of Jesus Christ did not go completely apostate. The Gospel Coalition did not disown its Confessional Statement. Acts 29 did not repudiate church planting. Together For The Gospel did not fragment in mutual recriminations. Sovereign Grace Ministries did not deny the new birth. And I did not walk away from Jesus.

We all sinned this week, and a lot. No surprise there. After all, original sin means our wills are unfree. But we held fast to Jesus our Savior, and for a whole week.

Truly, the age of miracles is not over.

HT: CDS

P.S. Ortlund wrote the footnotes for Isaiah in the ESV Study Bible.

Children Hit By A Bomb

2009-09-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

Visualize a person that matches this description:

"The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil" (Isaiah 1:5b).

Where have you seen a person like this before? It sounds like someone that has barely survived a bomb blast and will die soon if they do not receive treatment, doesn't it?

This is the Bible's description of mankind. This is not unique. Most people would agree that mankind on the whole is somehow wounded.

What makes the Bible's description of mankind unique is that God claims mankind has experienced this bomb blast because mankind is a child that has run away from a perfectly good, perfectly loving father thus cutting ourselves off from him. And that bomb blast is called sin. When God looks at us rebelling against him, this is what he sees:

"Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me... Why will you continue to be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel" (Isaiah 1:1b, 5a)?

It makes a little more sense that God is angry when he sees sin if what he sees is his children bloody, devestated, and dying for no good reason; it's senseless that we have turned away from a perfectly good, perfectly loving father. So what did God decide to do about it?

"For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:3-7).

Who Is The One Forsaken?

2009-09-15T08:42:00.001-07:00

Humanity says, "God, you have forsaken me, you have despised me, and you are estranged from me." See: Any philosophy class.

God says, "Humanity, you have forsaken me, you have despised me, and you have estranged yourself from me because of your sin." See: Isaiah 1:4.

Is there any good news? Yes.

"For if, because of man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17).

How Do You Know You Believe When Everyone Claims To Believe?

2009-08-27T14:29:00.001-07:00

What Do We Lose If We Forsake Paradoxes?

2009-08-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a paradox recorded in John 4:43-44: Jesus is going into Galilee, his hometown, after saying that he will not be welcomed there. What is that about?

It's about Jesus' supreme love so sinners may see his supreme love and repent.

Jesus spent two days in Samaria, a region hated by Judaism, and he as a Jew poured out his love and salvation onto the Samaritans. He loved the people the Jews hated. Therefore, it is consistent for Jesus to go into a territory hostile towards himself in order to show them the same love.

If we write off this paradox in Scripture - Jesus going to a place knowing that he is not welcomed there - then we lose seeing Jesus' supreme love, a love that forsakes reputation and cowardice.

Here is another example of a paradox that if we forsake, then we lose so much: God despises sinners, and yet he is seeking to do good to them.

Where did I get this paradox? Here are two pieces of Scripture demonstrating it:

[1] "For behold, those who are far from you [God] shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you" (Psalm 73:27)

[2]"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good" (Matthew 6:44-45)

In more explicit terms, the paradox is: God will put an end to those who are unfaithful to him, yet he makes the sun rise on those who are unfaithful to him so they may eat.

Why? Today, we have decided not to look for an answer to this question but rather to forsake the paradox. We are more faithful to Ghandi's statement "Hate the sin, love the sinner", who was not a Christian, than we are to Scripture. We say, "God cannot hate someone and love them." And Scripture says, "Oh, yes, he can and it is wonderful how he does this."

What do we lose if we forsake this paradox? We will lose the same thing: God's supreme love demonstrated to us in the appearance of his Son, Jesus Christ. The answer to the paradox is that: God pours out his love on his enemies so that they may repent and be his children. Here's the Scripture:

[1] "The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:9-13)

[2] "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" (Romans 2:4)

[3] "For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all" (Roman 11:32)

[4] "For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:3-7)

When God pours out his love on his enemies, he reveals to us his supreme love.

We are all unfaithful to God by our very nature. We make ourselves his enemies and he will put an end to his enemies. Yet, God is seeking to make his enemies into children through the appearance of his grace and mercy with the revelation of his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus saved us, his enemies, by bearing our sins on his cross and rising from the dead to open the pathway of righteousness for us to God our Father. We did not deserve any of this. It was all according to God's mercy. Let us not forsake this paradox, that the Son of God would hate sinners and die for them. Let us not presume about the kindness of God revealed to us in this paradox either. Rather, let us repent, believing on Jesus and receiving the right to be called a child of God, an heir with Christ, by marveling at the mercy God has poured out on us, his enemies by nature.

Don't stay an enemy. Know the supremacy of Jesus according to his mercy.

For an excellent demonstration of the glory revealed to us by the paradoxes in Scripture, watch or listen to John Piper's sermon entitled "Go, Your Son Will Live" that serves as the basis for this blog post:

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2009/4157_Go_Your_Son_Will_Live/

"A Man May Study All His Life"

2009-08-10T13:49:00.001-07:00

This quote by Adoniram Judson, the first American missionary to Burma:

"If God gives light and wisdom, the religion of Jesus is soon learned. Without God, a man may study all his life and make no progress."

-Courtney Anderson, To The Golden Shore: The Life Of Adoniram Judson (Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1987), 200.

"Through Faith In The Powerful Working Of God"

2009-08-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

When you sin, what becomes your hope for a new life?

What do you rely on to believe that everything will be okay between you and God?

Is it the power of God, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, or is it something else... like guilt... or confession... or singing songs at church... or communion... or bitterness... or refraining from that sin...or talking to your friends about it... or moping... or complaining against the church and how it failed you... or whatever?

Paul argues through his writings in Titus and Colossians only the power of God can raise us to new life filled in Christ and not sin.

In Titus 2:11-12a Paul writes,

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, training us to renounce ungodliness..."

In Colossians 2:9-12, Paul writes,

"For in Christ the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead."

Renouncing ungodliness is the same thing as putting off the body of flesh, or "the circumcion of Christ." In Titus, Paul says this happens through the appearance of God's grace. In Colossians, Paul says this happens when we are filled in Jesus. How do these two line up?

I think it can be argued this way in this pattern - Grace, Filled, Renounce, Godliness.

[1] God's grace has appeared to us through the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, on our behalf. "In my place condemned he stood." (Titus 2:11)

[2] This knowledge of God's grace that has appeared to us fills us, it completely satisfies us. Instead of condeming me, the Son of God came and was condemned on my behalf? On and on, we become more mesmerized by the implications and love of what Jesus did on that filthy Roman cross for us 2,000 years ago. (Colossians 2:9-10)

[3] As we become filled in Jesus through the knowledge of the gospel, we cast off anything in our lives that does not fill us in Christ. Why should I continue watching 'Smallville' when '24' is on? Why should I continue to commit this sin that condemns me by God's law when Christ was condemned in my place? That's what Paul means by "the circumcision of Christ". We cut off anything in our lives that does not honor Jesus because it threatens to no longer fill us in Jesus. The grace of God fills us in Jesus and this trains us to renounce ungodliness. (Titus 2:12, Colossians 2:11)

[4] All of this hinges on trusting the power of God, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. We can renounce ungodliness, but that does not mean we have the power to live a new life that honors Jesus. The gospel begins to fill us in Jesus, we see areas in our life that do not honor Jesus, and we unite ourselves to Jesus' death by cutting off those areas. Then we trust God's power to grant us a new life, a life impossible to achieve on our own, that honors Jesus and so fills us up more in Jesus. (Colossians 2:12)

It all seems to fall apart at #4. We see God's grace. We are in awe of his grace. Jesus begins to fill us. Then we sin. And we trust anything but the power of God to grant us a new life that honors Jesus.

For me, I always trust guilt and anger to create a new life.

In the eyes of my flesh, it makes perfect sense to say, "Show Jesus how much he means to you by how sorry you are for what you have done to him." But what my flesh is really saying is, "If you show Jesus how much he means to you by how sorry you are, then you will have the power to live a new life that honors Jesus; you'll move past this sin." That is very deceptive because only the power of God can grant me new life just as only the power of God could raise Jesus from the dead.

Then I turn to anger. My flesh says, "Show Jesus how much he means to you by your anger at your friends who were not there to stop you from committing this sin against Jesus." Again, my flesh is telling me that if I'm angry, then I'll have new life. And again, that simply is not true.

Guilt will not kill our sin. Guilt, no matter how much power it seems to have, cannot match the power of God because guilt is only the power I can offer to live a new life. Nor does anger have the power of God, or hate, or loneliness, or bitterness, or confession, or communion, or worship, or community group, or talking to my friends, or moping, or laying the blame on someone else. Only God. Only God has the power to raise me to a new life that honors Jesus and so fills me up more in the wonder and glory of Jesus Christ in the knowledge of his gospel.

Some questions:
[1] What are you trusting in your life to grant you power to live a new life free from sin to honor Jesus that is not the power of God?

[2] Does it work? Has your sin been killed?

[3] Why is the power of God the only thing suffecient to grant you a new life that honors Jesus?

Next time you sin and you default to whatever it is that makes you think you can have a new life and is not God, tell your flesh to keep its mouth shut and trust in the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead.

Why Can I Be Imperfect?

2009-08-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

From the free ebook Fight Clubs: Gospel-Centered Discipleship,

"I can be an imperfect Christian because I cling to a perfect Christ."

You can downolad this ebook here:

http://theresurgence.com/fightclubs/

Speaking of free ebooks, here are some much-needed ebooks on marriage for men and women that hope to marry:

http://www.boundless.org/guys/

The Song Of A Living Sacrifice

2009-07-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

Paul wrote that we should be living sacrifices to God and that as such sacrifices we should be an amazing fragrance to him (Romans 12:1, Ephesians 5:1). I believe one way this happens is when this is the song of our whole lives:

When Pastors Don't Do Their Homework...

2009-07-19T15:34:00.001-07:00

Brilliant:

"For many Christians, cultural engagement is nothing more than taking whatever the world dishes up, and then trying to find a verse or two to decorate it with. It is like science fair projects in many Christian schools. Do the astronomy project, set up the display board, and then at the last minute try to find a verse with stars in it." - Doug Wilson

Thanks to BTW

It's a shame when what Wilson describes happens as pastors do this when copying and pasting other pastors' sermons for the sake of "cultural engagement". How in the world could Jesus be happy about this?

1 A.M.

2009-06-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

Have you been itching to what know "the soul" is? The truth is revealed and Huff must make a choice in chapter 4 entitled "1 A.M.":

http://www.vimeo.com/4425833

Here are pictures from the Madison Bicentennial 200 Hour Block Party brochure that contains information regarding 'The Soul' for the Bicentennial Film Festival that runs June 6-14:

"Don't Let The City Get To Ya"

2009-05-27T19:06:00.001-07:00

"The Soul" Chapter 3 - "Don't Let The City Get To Ya":

http://www.vimeo.com/4425335

Also, here is the schedule for the Madison Bicentennial Film Festival where "The Soul" will play for five days at the Ohio Theater in downtown Madison, Indiana where a majority of the film was made:

http://madisonbicentennial.com/site/filmfestival.php

"Red Drink. Red Dress."

2009-05-04T13:08:00.001-07:00

Here is the second installment of "The Soul"

http://www.vimeo.com/4422924

How Can We Study Scripture?

2009-04-26T11:08:00.001-07:00

Here are some steps we can take when studying Scripture. This is not a comprehensive list and it may expand as you dive more and more into Scripture, but this is a pretty good foundation.

1) Understand God will meet you when you study Scripture

2 Timothy 2:16 states, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for corection, and for training in righteousness." The phrase "breathed out by God" means spoken by God. If we were to say, "That journal is breathed out by Alec," what we would be saying is, "As Alec spoke, the air that came out his mouth when he spoke carried words, and those words carried information , and that information was written down." Therefore Paul is saying that God spoke every single word that is in Scripture - "All Scripture..." - with His actual mouth and voice.

Hebrews 4:12 states, "For the word of God is living and active..." The Bible is not a normal book. With a normal book, the words give you the same information over and over again. It is like a roller coaster. The first time you ride a roller coaster, you experience something completely new. The something time you ride that same roller coaster, you still get a thrill, but you get the same thrill. When you read a book for the first time, you will learn and see new things. After that first time, however, you may experience the same thrill with the information in that book, but it will be the same information. Scripture is different.

The words of Scripture are spoken by God. They are eternal and therefore they are living and active. Since they are living and active, God will reveal to us something new each time, or He may repeat the same thing over and over again because we refuse to change. The main point is this: The words of Scripture are alive and active because God spoke them and this means God will meet us each time in a unique way when we study Scripture. When we read other books, we sit down and read the author's thoughts that were recorded once. When we read Scripture, we meet God Himself. We truly are on holy ground similar to when Moses met God through the burning bush (Exodus 3).

2) Pray that the Author of Scripture would teach you Himself

If Scripture is God's living and active word, and if that means that God will meet us Himself when we study Scripture, then we should ask that He would teach us Himself rather than trying to figure everything out on our own.

How did the actual words of Scripture get onto paper? Did God sit at a keyboard and tyep it all up? No, people wrote God's words by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we should ask the Holy Spirit to guide us and give us wisdom as we study Scripture because the Holy Spirit is the author of Scripture.

3) Read the passage

4) Understand the context

If we simply read Genesis 29 without understanding that Jacob was on the run after deceiving his brother and father along with how God worked in that situation, then we could not understand the emotional condition Jacob was in during Genesis 29. We cannot read a piece of Scripture without first understanding what lead to this passage. Take a little bit of time to understand what lead either in the narrative or the author's train of thought to the particular passage you are studying.

5) Ask, "What does this piece of Scripture say about me and humanity?"

What does the passage communicate about people? Scripture is the most honest and thorough evaluation of the human condition. In Genesis 29:15-20, we see how Jacob despises Leah over Rachel simply because of looks, but we also see his dedication to Rachel. This allows us to ask, "How am I like Jacob? How do I despise one group of people over another? How do I treat that particular group of people compared to the other?" The Bible shows that we do have decent qualities, but we also have indencet qualities about us at the same time.

As we look at people in the Bible or read statements about people in the Bible, we are given a mirror to honestly evaluate ourselves. As we continue to read Genesis 29, we see that Jacob was deceived by Laban when Laban gave him Leah over Rachel not because of any evil intent on Laban's part, but because Jacob and Laban simply did not truly talk with each other. Neither asked the tough questions or even basic questions because they were so focused on what they wanted: Jacob would get a wife, and Laban would get a worker. This allows us to ask, "In what ways am I not asking questions with people I am in relationship with because I am blinded by what I want?"

6) Ask, "What does this passage say about God?"

Jacob impregnates Leah, forces Laban to give him Rachel, Jacob and Laban make a deal so that Jacob can have both Leah and Rachel, and Leah is despised by Jacob. What now? What would Leah do pregnant and despised by the man who impregnated her? Genesis 29:31-35 shows us God's character in contrast to Jacob's, Laban's, Rachel's, and Leah's character. We see that God knows the true condition of Jacob's heart: He hated Leah. God knew Jacob hated Leah while Jacob and the other's would simply say, "Oh, look at how he loves Rachel and did not know the custom of marrying a man's oldest daughter first." No one took care of Leah. But God enacted justice. He granted Leah not only one child, but three while he granted Rachel none to show Rachel and Jacob their evil. We see that God decides whether or not a woman will become pregnant (this alone has vast implications). We see that God hears the cry of the afflicted. We see that God is a father to the fatherless. We see God's character and grace.

7) Ask, "Knowing what I do from this passage, what am I to do?"

What are we to do with the knowledge that we are too blind from desire to understand the implications of our actions and the knowledge that God hears the cry of the afflicted? What are we to do with the knowledge reaveled by a passage about us and God? We continue to ask the Spirit for guidance. We think, and we think hard, to see how the dots connect. Sometimes, it is so obvious. The best thing to do though, is to examine other Scripture, especially the Psalms, Proverbs, and Gospels, to see how the Bible itself answers the question. This looks differently for different people. Some people may know the Scriptures so well that the dots connect in their memory. Some people may need to search up related words in the index. Some may need to talk to a teacher or pastor. Some may need to do research on the web. The first step, though, is to always search the SCriptures first.

Proverbs 16:1-3 states, "The plans of the heart belong to man, / but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. / All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, / but the LORD weighs the spirit. / Commit your work to the LORD, / and your plans will be established." Jacob had his own plans, but God was directing what He did. Jacob thought his love for Rachel was pure, but God knew he despised Leah only because of her looks. What does the writer of this Proverb say we should do with this knowledge? He says that we should commit our work to the Lord. Jacob should have weighed his decision about whom to marry not based on looks, but based on grace. God chose Abraham, his grandpa, to produce a nation that would bring mankind's savior not on skill or righteousness, but based on His favor. We commit our work to the Lord, whether it is actual work or pursuing a relationship, by embodying God's character and grace. This saves us from trouble. This brings us greater joy. This allows us to love others. This brings God glory. This gives us a foundation to stand on when we need to take unpopular stands for God. With this, we are given something to do: Love as God loves. And the Spirit along with your own thinking will show you how this looks in specific ways, even if it may not be instantly. You might have to reflect on this a while and seek outside guidance.

For Christians specifically, this question ultimately should tie into Christ. Luke 24:36-49 states all of the Bible is pointing to Christ. How is Genesis 29 pointing to Christ? We see God in the flesh loving others without bias in instances such as in John 4. Also, where did Jesus do this? At Jacob's well! Therefore, since we see our King loving in such a way we are able to understand that He died to liberate us from our sin that we may freely follow Him. Remember this point that pastor Sinclair Ferguson said, "Jesus is always savior first and then example second." We do not love without bias on our own as Genesis 29 and Proverbs 16 says we should do. But Christ's death on the cross forgives us of this sin, but it also gives us the power to obey by His resurrection.

8) Pray that God would grant you the strength to do what He revealed to you

If we cannot understand God's word without Him, we cannot do what it says without Him. Ask God to give you the strength, grace, and mercy as you do what He has revealed for you to do. Most of the time, it won't be easy. However, there will be joy in knowing if we are obedient to God by the liberating power of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, we will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9, John 1:9-13).

9) Obey whatever God is calling you to do

Whatever God has called you to do with your time in Scripture, do it. Don't wait for good feelings, or encouragement, or "the right time." Simply do what God has called you to do. Pastor of Moody Bible Church in Chicago, Erwin Lutzer, said, "It is always better to obey the living God."

2 Peter 1:3-11 gives us great encouragement to always obey what God calls us to do, no matter what. Starting in verse 5, Peter states we should supplement our faith with virtue. He continues to add on to these things. The great thing about this is that if we add virtue to our faith, then we can add knowledge, and so forth. But if we do not add virtue (it is always virtuous to obey God), then we can not add the other things. We can add virtue whether we feel as though God is with us or not. It is a command either we break or obey.

It honestly is always best to obey. We do stumble in many ways as James 3:2 states. But we also have a God that died on a cross for us and nailed the record of our debts to that cross (Colossians 2:14). If you are God's kid by trusting the cross of Jesus Christ for your redemption, God will always love you and aid you in everything so that when you stand before Him, you may be presented as holy and blameless because of your obedience out of love for Him.

10) Study any time and any where

Whenever you have a chance to study Scripture, study it. Psalm 1 states that a person is blessed when they meditate on God's word day and night. It is always best to have a specific time and a specific plan such as studying the book of Colossians every day at 9am. The word of God is living and active and therefore is the best place to meet God. Don't be foolish and miss any opportunity to meet with the living God by studying Scripture.

"The Soul" Chapter One Released Online!

2009-04-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

In September of 2007, I approached two good friends of mine to make a short film over our winter break. The result is a 50 minute film entitled 'The Soul' that explores the underworld of a small town community through the protagonist Huff, a returning soldier, who must deal with the loss of a fallen comrade and the decisions he is forced to make in a place that seems to have no right or wrong. We divided the film into five chapters and the first chapter, 'Still Asking For Quarters?', is now online. Please take a moment to watch, enjoy, and feel free to comment.

http://www.vimeo.com/4221122

Jealous Exiles

2009-04-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

Sermon delivered April 5, 2009

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Jealousy is a very lethal emotion. When a person is jealous they want what someone else possesses. Jealously forces us to place our affections into another person or thing. Guys, you look at a cute girl with her arm around another guy and you get jealous. You want that cute girl to pour her affections into you. Ladies, you see a dress some other girl is wearing at prom and you get jealous. You want to hear people say about you, “Oh, look at how beautiful she looks in that dress” like they must be saying to her.

There have been disastrous consequences in my life because of jealousy. I lived in a big city when I was a little kid. When I moved back to Madison at age nine, I wanted to live in the big city ever since. When it came time to search for colleges, I had to go to one in a big city that would give me a degree so I could make enough money for a large house. I was so blind that I did not stop to think about the costs and logistics of living in a big city. I became depressed, bitter, and hateful as the very place I longed for throughout my life failed to give me the pleasure and joy I dreamed that it would.

It is no surprise then that the New Testament authors use some very harsh language when they discuss jealousy.

Paul asks in 1 Corinthians 3:3 (ESV), “For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving in a human way?” Paul goes on to say in Galatians 5:20 that jealousy is a fruit of the flesh and that it leads to death.

As we look at jealousy, we find two shocking statements. First is from Paul. As Paul condemns jealousy as a fruit of the flesh, he says in 2 Corinthians 11:2 (ESV), “For I feel a divine jealousy for you…” What’s going on here with Paul? But we find an even more shocking statement when it comes to jealousy.

God is jealous. 1 Kings 4:12 (ESV), says, “And Judah did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins that they committed, more than all that their fathers had done.” Not only does God get jealous, he declares that his name is Jealous (Exodus 34).

Not only is it shocking that Paul says he is jealous for the Corinthian church and that God is a jealous God, but what is shocking also is the New Testament authors tell us we cannot be Christians unless we are jealous.

Paul writes in Romans 1:4-5 (ESV), “[Jesus Christ] was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about obedience of faith for the sake of his name among the nations.”

Paul says that whatever we do as a Christian, it is for the fame of Jesus’ name. We are to be jealous for God’s name because God is jealous for God’s name. Why does God get jealous when we sin? What do we have that God wants? God wants our affections. We pour out our affections into girls, boys, dresses, and cities, things that perish, but we don’t pour ourselves out into the living God.

John Stott writes in Our Guilty Silence, “If God is right to be ‘jealous’, to oppose and resist the wickedness of men who do not give to Him the glory due His name, but turn aside to idols, then His own people should share His jealousy” (Silence, 20).

If you want to be a Christian, then be jealous for God! Be jealous that people pour out their affections to God. Why would we want people to pour out their affections into God? We desire this, and God desires this, because of the surpassing grace and love found in Jesus Christ crucified for sinners.

To answer why we should be jealous for God and how we can become jealous for Him, we must look at the nature of God. God is a name for three eternal, equal, and unique persons: The Father, Son, and Spirit.

Tim Keller writes in The Reason For God, “The Trinity means that God is, in essence, relational… The life of the Trinity is characterized not by self-centeredness but by mutually self-giving love.”

“God is love” (1 John 4:8). What John meant when he wrote that is in the relationship of the Father, Son, and Spirit, the three are constantly pouring their affections out to the other for the other’s good. The Son pours himself out for the Father’s good. The Father pours himself out for the Son’s good. The Spirit pours himself out for the other members of the Trinity for their good.

And then God made. Genesis says God made us in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). He made us to pour ourselves out for the other for their good. Why did God give humanity dominion over creation, Adam a wife, Eve a husband, and both commands to obey? He did this so mankind could image the love in the Trinity by pouring themselves out to the other. And in this is eternal life.

John says at the beginning of his gospel, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4 ESV).

God designed us to pour our affections out to God, other people, and creation for their good so that we may have eternal life and eternal joy by abiding in God’s’ love.

What was the great temptation by Satan in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:4-5)? He tempted Adam and Eve, just like he tempted Jesus in the desert (Matthew 4:1-6), to not pour out their affections for the other’s good, but pour out their affections for their own good so they could gain pleasure, meaning, and eternal life on their own. Oh, the lies of Satan! And Adam bought it! We’ve all bought into the lie that if we pour out our affections for our own good and not the other’s good, then we could have abundant life, and more than God could offer. But what we did is cut ourselves off from the relationship among the Trinity. We cut ourselves off from the source of life! We looked at God and how he poured himself out for us by creating an entire world for us and we said, “Nope. I’m not going to pour myself out for you. I’m going to pour myself out for me.”

This is why all sin is evil, whether it is killing a man for his money, or lusting after another. When we sin, we subject others and our bodies for our pleasure and good, not theirs. We say, “You will serve me and give me pleasure,” thinking this will give us the ultimate source of joy and life when that can only be found in God.

Why is God jealous? Because He wants us to no longer pour out our affections into worthless, created things, but rather to pour our affections out into him, the creator, so that we may have eternal life with him.

It is not hard to understand then why God is angry and why we deserve his wrath. Imagine if you get drunk one night for no malicious reason and then decided to drive back home. As you drove back home you swerved into the other lane killing a five-year-old girl and her mother who was driving and seven months pregnant. Would you not say the father of that little girl and the husband of that woman deserves to hate you and pour out any wrath that he may have on you? That’s what we have done to God and that’s what we deserve from Him. But God did something incredible that no human mind could merely invent!

Imagine if that father came to visit you in the hospital and instead of pouring out his wrath on you, he gently said, “How can I serve you? I want you to get better and want you to become a man who doesn’t get drunk and kill pregnant mothers and their little girls. I love you and I want you to be restored.” This is exactly what happened when Jesus Christ went to the cross for sinners!

Romans 5:6-8 (ESV) states, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Even after we made this world into a desert full of blood, God continually poured out his affections on us for our good. This is why when Jesus shows up he is pouring himself out for everyone during his ministry. He would approach the scandals in order to love them so they may experience the grace of God. In John 4 he walks up to a woman that the whole town knows is sleeping around. This is like Jesus going up to a girl who is a senior in high school and pregnant. He goes up to her and lets her know that she is not condemned in the sight of God because of God’s grace. He talked with her, listened to her, answered her questions, and kept giving her grace. And the woman was transformed. She ran back to her town, told everyone, and they were stunned by Christ’s grace, searched for Jesus, talked to him, experienced his grace as he poured himself out to them as well, and they repented.

How do we show the surpassing value of God who pours out his affections for all people, including sinners like us in such a spectacular way? Is it putting K-Love bumper stickers on our cars? Is it debating with atheists to show that the Jesus is real? No. Those do not hurt, but it is not how God designed to show his grace through us for the sake of his name. How about serving the atheist for his good? How about telling others about God’s grace instead of hoping they listen to a Christian radio station?

In all this, we show the value of Jesus Christ so that others may pour out their affections into him and not worthless idols by first obeying the commands of Jesus Christ. Why did God give the Ten Commandments and why did Jesus deliver the Sermon on the Mount? All of these commands enable us to pour ourselves out for the other’s good and our affections into God.

Matthew 5:44-48 (ESV), “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends the rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward to you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

The proper response to the grace offered in Christ crucified for sinners is not to improve ourselves, or have better friendships, or get through life. Anyone who responds to the cross in that way has missed the love demonstrated on the cross. Remember, sin is pouring out our affections for our good and not the other’s good. So how is it not a sin to obey Jesus Christ for our good and not for the good of Jesus Christ, “for the sake of his name among the nations”?

What would you do if you were that person who killed that mother and daughter and then experienced the father’s grace? The proper response is to be in awe of his love and love others as he loved you. How could you not look around at those who need that kind of grace and not offer it? When I lived in Cleveland, I pushed the wheelchair of a handicapped girl during school. No one else would do it, but I would. It was one of the greatest things I’ve done in my life. She was helpless and I helped her. You could just tell by her smile this meant the world to her. We became good friends and the joy was astounding. During my high school years though no one offered that kind of grace to me, and the loneliness was so deep it took a miracle of God to rescue me from it. Who is in your life, whether across town or across the hall, that needs you to give them grace? Don’t wait to pour out grace to them as God as poured his grace to you. And by doing this, you will be lights in the darkness. You will be exiles in this world. You will belong to God’s kingdom, a kingdom of light, in a world of darkness.

Now I have to give you a warning. The world will hate you for this. Recently, a pastor in New Hampshire allowed a man convicted of murdering a child in the 1980’s to live in his house until this ex-convict could find his own housing. The ex-convict became a Christian in prison. The pastor wanted to ensure the ex-convict would continue to pour out his affections to God and others for their good. Therefore, the pastor poured out grace to the ex-convict so he could continue to see the grace of God. The neighbors hate the pastor for doing this. They constantly monitor his house, bought shotguns, and one neighbor when interviewed by ‘Good Morning America’ said of the ex-convict, “Some men just can’t find Jesus.”

“[T]he light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out by God” (John 3:19-21 ESV).

How have you seen God demonstrate His grace in your life? How has that made a difference for you? Is there anyone that you know who is the scandal or estranged as we were in our sins without Christ? Is there anyone coming to your mind right now that your heart burns to help? How could you pour out yourself for them for their good? Could you sit with them and start a conversation when no one else is? Could you invite them to KOS? Could you meet the needs of their family? What kind of joy would there be in helping that person when doing this you will know you are a child of your Father who is in Heaven (Matthew 5:45)?

“We all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2). There will be times the darkness looks so attractive that we will begin to focus on ourselves when we desire to focus on the other. But the one source of our joy, the cross, is also the one source of our constant salvation. When God poured himself out for us on the cross, he poured out his Spirit as well. The Spirit of God now abides in those jealous for God and they can now rely on him for the strength to love as Christ loves. Call out to him in all times and constantly look to the grace of God in Christ. “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?” (Romans 8:32). By God’s grace, be jealous for the name of Christ.

The Cultural Mandate

2009-03-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

"The doctrine of creation also affirms music and the arts. Although there is nothing specific about this in Genesis 1 and 2, what we do with sight and sound is part of the inherent potentiality of creation. Our creator tells us, "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Phil 4:8). And don't just think about them: talk about them, sing about them, dance about them, paint about them, and explore their truth and beauty in all the arts.

"Together these various aspects of human life give us what theologians call the "Cultural Mandate." We have a God-given responsibility to develop the possibilities of creation in ways that reveal our Maker's praise, and thus to fill the whole earth with his glory. We are to do this in science, politics, business, sports, literature, film, and all the arts. It is not just one part of life that ought to glorify God, but all of life, in all its fullness. This is the way that things were meant to be."

What Is The Christian Worldview?, Philip Graham Ryken, pg. 24

Who Agrees With This?

2009-03-08T17:07:00.001-07:00

Comment if you agree or disagree with the following:

God created the world.

God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other.

The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.

God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life, except when needed to resolve a problem.

Good people go to heaven when they die.

They Each Desire You

2009-03-03T11:15:00.000-08:00

This is an excerpt taken from the website for Eden Church:

"Satan hates you.

He will lie to you through what’s cool and what everyone else is doing around you. He will tell you that you are worthless, not loved, stupid and ugly. Or, he might seduce you into thinking that you are cool and that everyone should be doing what you’re doing. He will trick you into thinking you’ve got it all, know it all, and own it all. He’ll make you think that this life and everyone around you is your kingdom to conquer.

All Lies.

Jesus will tell you the Truth. Jesus is the Truth. In a dry and thirsty land, Jesus is the only one who will give you a cup of water. You exist because Jesus wanted you to. He invented you. He made you. He made you for Himself. And He died for you. God’s boot of wrath was coming to your head because of your sin. Jesus took the boot instead of you; He took it for you in your place. Turn to Jesus and He will happily save you.

God treated Jesus on the cross as if He were you so that He can treat you as if you were Jesus.
Now that’s cool."

I know plenty of students who would agree with this quote, but I know very few who actually believe it. They are either consumed with sports, their girlfriend or boyfriend, hanging out with friends, being right, or just having a good time.

The coolest students in the world - and I've met them - are those that agree with Jesus with wild abandon because of the gospel when he says, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?... 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" (Matthew 6:25, 31-33).

God's Workmanship

2009-02-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/265763main_carina07_hst_big_full.jpg

John 1:1-5

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

As A Bride Led To A Dance

2009-02-07T06:17:00.000-08:00

Martin Luther in his sermon on John 15:2 tells a story of an incredible 15-year-old girl,

"Thus we also read that when St. Agatha, a girl fourteen or fifteen years old, was being led to imprisonment and torture, she went cheerfully and said that she felt as though she were being escorted to a dance. These are surely words of comfort and defiance from a young girl who regards the torment and death to which she is being led as no different from a wedding and an occasion for the greatest joy. This is due to faith, which has averted the eyes from the physical appearance and sensations and has directed them upward to the life beyond. It has concluded: "What can they accomplish, even if they do their worst and afflict me with every misfortune? They only usher me quickly from this misery to Christ in heaven." It is the sole purpose of all the sufferings of Christians to promote our Christian life and to bear fruit for a fuller knowledge and a stronger confession of the Word, a more certain hope, and a wider expansion of the kingdom of Christ. The world, to be sure, intends to do us harm, but it really accomplishes no more than what the church sings about the martyrs: "Unknowingly they lead us into eternal joys." Unknowingly and involuntarily the world leads the Christians through torture and death to eternal joys. Such tortures are nothing else, as St. Agatha said, than taking our arms in a friendly way and leading us to heaven as a bride is led to a dance. Whatever harm is done to Christians by the world, God turns back their anger and lets the harm redound to their advantage." - Luther's Works, Volume 24, pg. 196-197

Why would this 15-year-old girl react like this? Luther writes that through her faith she set her eyes from "the physical appearance and sensations and has directed them upward to the life beyond." What would make St. Agatha do this? Like all the other saints that sing with the Apostle Paul, this 15-year-old girl held firm to Philippians 3:8, "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." St. Agatha knew that whatever trials she endured for her Christian faith, whether through killing sin or the hatred received by others for simply telling them about the cross, she would endure joyfully because there is more value in knowing Jesus Christ as Lord than any gold or currency in the world.

So, kill what you know is sin for the joy of knowing Christ by walking deeper with him.

Refuse to get drunk on alcohol because you have a far better substance to drink of knowing the satisfaction Christ grants his saints when they take pleasure in the kingdom and not the world.

Forsake the pleasures of the flesh manifested in ways such as pride and sex by knowing Christ will supply all your needs to bring you joy.

Hate the myth that says young people are only expected to show up and listen and be jealous to do good works that will let you know Christ greater by seeing God work to provide all your needs to make others glad in God.

Be willing to endure the hatred of friends because you simply love Jesus Christ.

Set your eyes upward to the life beyond where Jesus Christ, our great God, King, and Savior is. We want to be there and will endure anything to arrive there with joy and assurance.

A God Who Is Not Obligated

2009-02-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

I'm reading through The Pleasures Of God by John Piper (I know, big surprise). The truths Piper exhorts from Scripture are so incredible...

"But the gospel is the good news that God is the all-satisfying end of all our longings, and that, even though he does not need us, and is in fact estranged from us becaouse of our God-belittling sins, he has, in the great love with which he loved us, made a way for sinners to drink at the river of his delights through Jesus Christ. And we will not be enthralled by this good news unless we feel that he was not obliged to do this." - Pg. 196

The Serpent Crusher

2009-01-26T18:31:00.000-08:00

Sit down with a person of the Jewish faith, say to them, "Jesus is all over the Old Testament," and strap yourself in for a long talk.

Christian and Jewish theologians have somewhat drawn a line in the sand. For Jewish theologians, I think, they firmly believe and are able to articulate well that the Old Testament does not directly reference Jesus. Some Jewish theologians and people of the faith would say that Christians look at the Old Testament through the lens of Christianity and naturally see Jesus. It is not a charge that Christians are making things up, but rather, an argument that Christians misinterpret the Scriptures. One of the biggest examples is the virgin reference in Isaiah. Isaiah states that the Messiah will be born of a virgin. Christians point to that as an example of the Old Testament foretelling of Jesus' birth by the virgin Mary. Jewish theologians will and do say that the Hebrew word used for virgin actually means young woman.

The issue of the Old Testament pointing to Jesus is not a cut-and-dry issue. People of other faiths offer legitimate ways of looking at the Old Testament that would support it is not pointing to Jesus.

What do we do? Who is right?

Perhaps that is the wrong question. Christians can argue all day with people of other faiths that Jesus is in the Old Testament and that he is God, but that is not how people will begin to treasure Christ.

Rather, this should be a personal issue for Christians. The New Testament makes it clear (1 Corinthians 1:16-27) that people are not won over to Christ by arguments. People are chosen and elected and the Christian life marked by the Calvary road is to stand as a light to everyone else that Jesus Christ must be a treasure if He is worth so much suffering.

So, the question, "Is Jesus in the New Testament?" should not be an academic one where Christians think they can settle it and therefore convince everyone with their great arguments and logic. The question should be for a Christian, "What are the promises Christ fulfilled that I can set my eyes on in order to run the race well?"

A great example is with John the Baptist.

John the Baptist grew up believing that his cousin, Jesus, is the Messiah and that he would be the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). John baptizes Jesus, 40 days later Jesus begins his ministry, John continues to preach repentance, calls out Herod for his adultery, and Herod arrests him. John is now in a jail cell most likely believing that Herod will execute him at any point and John's disciples are telling him about Jesus: He's talking in parables and healing everyone. It is easy to imagine the questions running through John's head, "Isn't he suppose to be redeeming mankind? Why is he just healing anyone that comes in front of him?" This line of thinking going through John's mind could be completely wrong on our part, but for whatever the reason John the Baptist doubted Jesus.

LUKE 7:18-23

'The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" And when the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, 'Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?'" In that hour, he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blinded he bestowed sight. And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.'

Why did Jesus respond this way? Why did He heal people and then tell John the Baptist's disciples to go back to John and report what they saw Jesus do? Matthew helps us here.

MATTHEW 5:17-20

'[Jesus said,] "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.'

"I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Jesus responded the way he did to the question posed by John the Baptist so that John would see Isaiah 35:4-6 come alive and thus know Jesus is the promised Messiah and be able to suffer well with this knowledge.

ISAIAH 35:4-6

'Say to those who have an anxious heart,
"Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance
with the promise of recompense of God.
He will come to save you."

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.'

Each element in this passage is fulfilled by Jesus in Luke 7:18-23 alone, not to mention in all of the gospels. The Old Testament states the Messiah would come to redeem His people from sin and when He arrives He will heal the blind and cure the deaf and heal the lame man to show that Life has come and the effects of sin will crumble in its presence as a forecast to the time when all of creation will be restored.

What happens to John? He is executed by Herod and he goes to grave never denying Jesus by grabbing hold of the promise that not only did Jesus fulfill part of Isaiah 35, but that he would fulfill all of it and that John would be raised in the later days that have yet to come as a son of glory through the cross of Jesus.

Let the assurance that the Old Testament points to Jesus be an anchor for you to attach between yourself and Jesus. We all slip away so easily from Jesus by our own choosing that we desperately need to do what we can just to stay close to Him. Knowing that Jesus fulfilled everything in the Old Testament and calls us to embody His life is one way that we can attach ourselves to Him.

Remember, Scripture is our only weapon against Satan and our flesh (Ephesians 5). If we want any chance to stand against either of them without betraying Jesus with our deeds and actions, we need to take hold of this promise of Jesus that He truly did fulfill all the requirements to bring us to God.

Where else is Jesus in the Old Testament? Here are a couple examples:

GENESIS 3:15
PSALM 22
DANIEL 7
ISAIAH 52

Renew your mind with these passages. Ask yourself, "Who is this man God promises to crush the Serpent's offspring?" So what? Since Jesus fulfilled all of these passages, it means we are not helpless and have a defender on our sides against Satan, sin, and death.

It is my prayer that the youth of NMCC would be egomaniacs for heaven; that they desire to be the greatest in heaven knowing in order for that to happen they must be the least in this world by wielding the sword of Scripture against Satan and flesh well.

Attention USA Today: Obama Is Not Jesus

2009-01-20T14:52:00.000-08:00

Over the course of the 2008 campaign, I heard the accusations that the supporters of Obama and the media painted and treated Obama as Jesus. I could understand these accusations considering so many of Obama's supporters based their support of him on his powerful words, message of hope and change, and the promise to save us from the hell of war and economic turmoil.

But today it just got stupid not because of how Obama's supporters reacted, but because of the media's portrayal of Obama as Jesus.

Don't believe me? Check it out:

So, I would like to remind the media and all others that even if Obama does deliver the country from its current turmoil, he is not the messiah nor is Jesus just some guru teacher preaching peace. He is much cooler.

Revelation 19:11-16 (ESV)

'Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word Of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.'

Remember The Obama Challenge

2009-01-14T18:36:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday, I taught through Matthew 16 during CRAVE. The chapter ends with this:

Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

The immediate question that comes from this statement is, "How?" One way is obedience to Scripture, specifically what Jesus has to say about specific subjects.

To bring this closer to home and take a step to pick our cross, I'm challenging my CRAVE class to take a moment and write down their thoughts about the upcoming Obama presidency and then see what the Bible / Jesus has to say about governmental authority and how we are to live in accordance with it. Then I'm challenging my CRAVE students to bring in their thoughts and the Scripture they've found in this Sunday and we'll talk about it.

So, take a moment and write down any and all thoughts you have about Obama's presidency. Stop and then pray saying something like, "Holy Spirit, show me how Jesus wants me to live in response to this." Then search your Bible and write down any verses that are revealed to you and bring them in Sunday.

The Difference Between Batman And A Christian

2008-12-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-18T13:22:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-03T21:04:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-28T20:30:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-20T14:43:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-13T16:10:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-12T14:00:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-11T14:50:00.000-08:00

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...'

2008-11-10T15:27:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-06T14:15:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

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.