Where is the Love? 12/5/13

Where is the Love?

 

Do you remember the popular song "Where is the Love" by the Black Eyed Peas?  I always liked that song.  It had a very catchy tune, with captive lyrics that posed a lot of meaningful questions.  Now, years later, I can still see myself asking that same question. I look at the world’s view of Christ's church, and I can almost picture them asking us that same question.  Where is the Love?  We have professing followers not showing Christ's love toward others. In my own life, I can see the constant struggle to love others. Yet, the way we approach the lost is how we reflect God's love. We are not called to be the moral police to the lost.  We are called to show God's love to others.  Look how Jesus responds to the Jewish religious leaders when asked which of the commandments was the greatest.

 

Matthew 22:37-39

 

³⁷ Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^[38 This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself."
 
^{http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A37-39&version=NIV}
 
Love.  Love the Lord your God, and then love your neighbor.  He goes on to say that all the law and the prophets depend on these 2 commandments. We, as God's people, who have been credited righteousness through faith in His son, are called to love others.  The only way to reach our fallen world is to be an example of Christ's love to the lost.  What does it mean to be a light in the darkness?  Show Christ's love!  How do I become a beacon to the lost? Share Christ's love!  Let's overcome the world by strengthening in the power of God's love.  Put down the picket signs, stop the protest.  The lost are not held to the standard of believers.  They do not yet have the power to overcome sin and death.  This only comes through the grace of God.  Why judge those who are slaves to sin?  We are to love those who are slaves to sin.  How will they know Christ's love if we do not show it to them?
 
We are also called to love each other as believers.  This is the motive/purpose of discipleship.  You cannot make disciples apart from love.  If you do not love the brother/sister who you are discipling, are you truly investing in their lives?  To disciple is to help those grow closer to God's Love, and then teach them how to share God's Love with others.  We are also to love our brothers/sisters in Christ enough to confront sin in their lives and help those who are struggling.  We are family, a united body in Christ, with love as the veins that run the blood of Jesus through us as our life source.
 
Where is the Love?  I know where the love comes from.  A true love for others only comes from God.  He is the source of all love. I personally have to pray earnestly for God to give me a love for others.  God will provide the love for others in your life.  The Holy Spirit is with those who believe to help guide them in sharing God's love.
 
Love is an action!  It is not a emotion, but a devotion.  Be active in love. Feed those who are hungry.  Show grace to those who have harmed you or your family.  Be caring to those who you disagree with.  Have a love for the lost!  Help your brother/sister who is struggling.  Humbly rebuke those entrapped in sin.  Invest in others and share life.  Love your fellow believers!
 
 

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

 

13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

 

 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+13%3A1-3&version=NIV

 

 

Thanksgiving Post 11/27/13

With the Thanksgiving Holiday being tomorrow, I, like many others across America have been thinking of what I am most thankful for.  Of course, the same list always pops up in my mind as the following: Salvation through Christ, Family, Friends, Work, Home, etc.  That is a great list to be thankful for, but I really wanted to zero in on one particular thing I was thankful to the Lord for. 

I have been reading the book of Romans in the morning. This morning I read over Romans chapter 8.  Now, Romans 8 can cause hesitation by some pastors, or carefully breezed over, because of the differences of beliefs among Christians.  I understand the controversy it may cause between congregations.  Yet, it is God's Word through Paul, and as believers, we believe the Bible is the divine word from God.  So as I read over this chapter, I found myself at Romans 8:28-30.

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

^{http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A28-30&version=NIV}


As I read over this text written by Paul, I couldn't help but be thankful to our Lord, who brought me out of my sinful nature that leads to death and destruction. Where I once was a slave to sin under law, I'm now a slave to righteousness under faith in Christ Jesus.  I am thankful for my God being the all-knowing, all-powerful God that HE is.  He knew that He would call me, and I would follow Him.  He predestined me to be created in His image to spread His gospel to the world.  Then He also promises us that He works for the good of those who love him.  Yes, I am thankful to the Lord for my salvation.  I am thankful for Jesus!  I do not try to use my human logic to describe this subject in a manor where we can put a man created word to label this.  I know my understanding and God's understanding are not even close. Yet, I am thankful regardless.  Is there free will?  Is there limited atonement?  Why are we dividing over this?  Are we reading this text just to prove that we are right in what we believe? Or, are we reading this text with a thankful heart, saying God I am not worthy of the grace that was given to me from Jesus your son, but I am so thankful for my righteousness that was provided to me through faith in Christ Jesus.

Lets be thankful to the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent God that He is.  Thankful for the call to receive his grace. Thankful enough to obey his command to go and share this truth with others.  Like always, I mention the call to share the gospel to the lost.  We are predestined to be like Christ, to share Christ and show His love to others, 

I say these things with a thankful heart, and in love to my brothers/sisters in Christ.

sf

Sin is inevitable 11/22/13

Sin is inevitable.  In Romans, Paul said that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  He also states the wages of sin is death. We all sin, therefore what waits for us is eternal death.  As sin entered into the world through one man (Adam), so followed death and destruction for all mankind.

How scary would it be if the story ended there?  Reality is, that the story does end there for majority of people here on earth.  Eternal death and destruction is what awaits those who are not re-born followers of Jesus. That is why for those of us who are followers should be burdened with the task of spreading the gospel.  To withhold the gospel, is to help send those unto a path of sin and destruction.  We as Jesus' disciples, are to share the same love that He had for the lost. Disciples make Disciples!

For those of us who have put our faith in the grace shown by Jesus on the cross, the story goes on.  "Just as the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one man, many were made righteous." Romans 5:19.  Through Jesus, taking on the wrath of God for our sins, He took the death and destruction that was meant for us.  Then by rising from the dead, He conquered death and made it possible for those who believe and follow Him not to be slaves of sin any longer, but to be slaves to righteousness.  Baptism gives us the perfect illustration.  As we are submerged into the water, we represent our old sinful nature being deceased.  Then as we rise out of the water, it represents being born into a new life, a life through Christ, a life of righteousness.

Yet again, sin is inevitable.  Even after you are a born again follower of Christ, you are still left with the old sinful nature that you have called to die.  Yet this time, death and destruction do not await you.  Jesus paid the price for your sin, you no longer have to pay the eternal penalty for sin.  Is there still consequences for sin?  Yes, but these are worldly consequences; your eternity is set, your wages of sin have been paid.  So are we free to sin as we please? No, Christ calls all of his believers to be His disciples, and experience His abundant life.  As His disciples we are to grow to be like Him.  We align our lives to His. So when you give into temptation, in your sin, remember that your sin has already been paid for.  Repent of that sin, confess it to someone who you trust to hold you accountable. In that way we release the guilt of our sin.  Then continue to grow and focus on Christ.

I say these things in love to my fellow brothers/sisters in Christ!

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Untitled Letter 11/13/13

To the Average Modern American Church:

How blessed are we to be able to come together and worship God without persecution.  I see churches being planted and believers who are committed to the church.  We smile, we show love, we are concerned about others. We strive to perform/lead the best possible praise music and worship.  We try to provide the most comfortable atmosphere for our visitors in Sunday School.  We sign up for everything as we are willing to go and help on various projects.  We have men of God pastoring, who are blessed with ability to deliver God's word.  Yet, there is a problem. 

We are not making disciples.  We are not changing lives.  We have believers getting fed in church and proclaiming Jesus, but not following Jesus.  Jesus is a part of their life, but not their whole life.  Christ is my personal Lord and Savior.  No, Christ is Lord, regardless, and if He was Lord over your lives, then you are stating He is your master and you are His servant.  Are we as believers in the modern day American church truly servants of Jesus? Maybe we have watered down what it means to be a follower/disciple of Jesus, therefore we cant truly follow his command to make disciples. Disciples make Disciples!

We need to get back in God's word, and read the plan that was laid out for believers.  God's plan is not outdated, its everlasting.  We have the outline, we have the blueprint.  Jesus said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men," Matthew 4:19.  A disciple is a student of his master.  Jesus is our master and we are to be students of Him.  We are to learn how to become more like Him, for our lives to align with His.  His love becomes our love, his passion becomes our passion, His desires are our desires, and we live to follow His will.  Then we are to invest in people He has put in our lives, and teach them how to do the same.  We need to show others how to study His Word, how to pray earnestly, and the importance of sharing His gospel.  We are to disciple others.

As a church, we are to be a place where disciples are making disciples.  A place where the gospel is at the forefront and we are focused on changing lives.  We need to be sending out more on missions.  We need to be rebuking brothers/sisters going down sinful paths that leads to death and destruction.  We need to be caring for those in need.  We need to be teaching God's Word not for information, but for transformation.  We are the light in the darkness, the salt of the earth.  We are Christ's bride as the church.  The world should look at us and see His love.  We are the beacon for the lost.  Lets get back to making disciples, and giving up our lives for the spreading of Jesus to all nations. Let's get back to being God's design for His church.


" By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples."
- John 15:8

David Platt's "Follow Me" Chapters 7-9 Notes

Chapter 7 "The Body of Christ"

- It is biblically, spiritually, and practically impossible to be a disciple (let alone make disciples) of Christ apart from total devotion to a family of Christians
- Isn't the church the bride of Christ?
- to come to Christ is to become part of his church
- planting a "church" these days has almost become only associated with erecting a building
- instead of a building, the New Testament has a different picture of the church, you see a body made up of believers/family, brothers/sisters of Christ who have died together & our living in Christ
- church discipline is fundamental and essential
- handled biblically, church discipline & restoration is one of the closest expression of the love of God on earth
- nothing shows more compassion than to rebuke a brother/sister away from the path of sin
- we reflect grace when we care for brothers/sisters in Christ caught in sin
- people use Matthew 7:1 (speck in your brothers eye, while plank in your own) to not get involved but if you read further in verse 5 Jesus says "First take the plank out of your own eye, & then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye"
- in church we long to love one another, and care for one another in such a way, that we are responsible for one another
- responsible for helping brothers/sisters around us to grow as disciples of Jesus
-  we can spend our time and resources on doing what we think is best or spend our time and resources trusting that God knows what is best
-  God grows his church through holiness in Christians
- God's grace is at the heart of church discipline
- when people in the world see the life of Christ in the church, they will believe the love of God for the world
- his plan is to take people like you and me, once objects of his wrath, and transform us into objects of his affection

-Chapter 8 "A Vision of the Possible"
- His commission becomes our consuming ambition
- the spread of the gospel in book of Acts took place primarily because ordinary people who where encouraged by extraordinary presence were proclaiming the gospel everywhere they went
- persecution is often a sign that the gospel is progressing
- making disciples involves baptizing them & teaching them to obey everything Christ has commanded
- sewing Gospel threads (putting pieces of gospel story in all of our everyday conversations)
- pastors teach his word formally, He has commanded all of us in his church to teach his Word relationally
- Bible teachings should cut to the heart of American Christians, by all measures we are the richest people to ever walk the earth
- God has given his people wealth on purpose, to spread his world-wide worship
- every disciple is a disciple maker

Chapter 9 "Born to Reproduce"
- every person who is born into God's family is to "Multiply"
- life of a disciple, is a life of a learner
- look for verses, paragraphs, or even chapters that seem significant to you, and commit to them to memory
- disciples read the bible not just for information but for transformation
- we are not only to hear the truth but we are to apply the truth
- consider what things you can do as followers to build up the body of Christ (local church)
- plan to deliberately pray significantly for unreached people groups
- plan to sacrifice & spend for the sake of the nations
- Jesus spent his life sharing gospel to many, but investing in a few

 the call is worth dying for
 the king is worth living for

David Platt's "Follow Me" Chapter 4-6 Notes

Chapter 4 (Title) Don't Make Jesus Your Personal Lord & Savior
- none of us can decide to make Jesus Lord, He is Lord regardless
- real questions is whether you will submit to His lordship, which is the very essence of conversion
- Hell is real! "there is a never ending wrath awaiting lost sinners before a holy God, He has spoken that clearly
- we are encouraged by the hope of heaven, and compelled by the horror of hell
- we must tell them (lost sinners) about Christ
- Jesus died so that repentance and forgiveness would be preached in his name to all the nations
- we make disciples because it has become our soul's supreme desire

Chapter 5 Children of God
- 1 John 3:1
- true intellectual knowledge of God naturally and necessarily involves deep emotional desire for God
- Jesus said, "I am the bread of life, he is the provision of God to satisfy our souls
- the way to conquer sin is not by working hard to change our deeds, but by trusting Jesus to change our desires
- passionate pursuit of true, lasting satisfaction always leads to Christ
- Disciples of Jesus crave communion with God
- making disciples of Jesus is the overflow of our delight in being disciples of Jesus
- Heart of following Jesus = enjoying God the father through Christ the Son

Chapter 6 God's Will for your Life
- As Jesus transforms the thoughts & desires of our lives, He changes our reason for living
- more important then looking/searching for God's will, its simply knowing and trusting God
- outside commands of Christ in scripture, we have no specific rules, regulations of how radical commands of Christ apply to our lives today, instead we have a relationship with Jesus
- the goal of the disciple is not to answer "What is God's will for my life?" but to walk in God's will, moment-by-moment, day-by-day basis
- He reveals His will for us in his Word (Bible) God's desire for us to know his will, is greater than our desire to find  it
- God's will is to be worshiped, & he wills for all people to hear, receive, embrace, & respond to the gospel
- God's will is not intended to be found, but to be followed
- we ask for God to align our lives with the will He has already revealed
- we know God's will through the Holy Spirit in us
- to witness is to Speak
- the Spirit lives in us for the explicit purpose of spreading the gospel through us
- when you share the gospel with others, your carrying out His will
- we discover delight not in searching for God's will, but experiencing it

Review on Kirk Cameron's movie "Monumental"

I have to admit, if this video was not $5 dollars at Lifeway, it would probably not be in possession as of right now.  Yet, indeed it was only $5, and after watching it, I would definitely pay full movie price for this film.

Kirk goes on a intellectual journey to find out what made this country so great when it was founded, what was the secret in keeping the country grounded and blessed while in today's times we are struggling as a country.

He decided to go back to the very beginning and find out who really were the Pilgrims who came over to America on the Mayflower.  He discovered that these awkward looking buckle wearing folks were not exactly what is pictured to us on thanksgiving and in grade school.  These were what we called Puritans in England at the time.  Folks who smuggled in bibles translated into English so that they to can learn and grow in Christ, instead of only hearing from the English church clergy.  These were people who were persecuted for having personal relationships with Christ and worshiping themselves in secret.  They tried to escape couple of times, and were caught and thrown into prison.  They finally escaped to Holland, where there they developed a system where they would print bibles and hide them in cakes and send them back to England. They eventually got caught and King James sent his soldiers over to destroy the printing press and retrieve the Puritans, so they had to leave Holland.  Then they made their escape to America, where only half of them could make the trip because the other vessel had sprung a leak.  They traveled on a ship that was built to carry wine along the coast, to across the Atlantic to America.  There were over hundred of Puritans on the bottom of the boat, constantly getting soaked from all the water, getting sick, and having to be on top of each other.  I can only imagine the horrifying trip they had to go through to get to America, which was an unknown land in itself where uncertainly was the least of their worries.  When they got to America, half of them died the following winter, but somehow they still proceeded on and established a society on biblical truth and law.

Also Kirk goes to Texas to talk to a well known collector of early American historical items.  He had a huge bible that notable founding fathers such as (Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, etc.) had funded to be translated into English.  Also he has a small bible in which Congress had published, where in that time Congress issued bibles to all the schools to be used for education purposes.  It was until the 1960's where the bible was taken out of schools.  He addressed the issue of popular belief that most of founding fathers were deist, atheist, etc.  When on the contrary most of the founding fathers had a seminary degree, and pushed for God to be center of the country and recognized biblical law as a foundation for a country.  There are hundreds of historical documents to prove such arguments verses a handful of those who say different.  He also travels to Harvard where he meets a professor who shows him the entry gate of Harvard University, which reads a statement about God and also shows the crest of Harvard where the mission statement says Christ, the Church, and Truth.  Since then it has been changed to just Truth, but the crest at the gate entry still shows the old statement.

Then you are introduced to a monument that frankly I never knew existed, but I don't feel to ignorant, because Kirk didn't know about it either, and apparently most Americans do not.  It is called the Forefather's Monument, located in Plymouth, MA.

The composition is figurative, with a great granite statue of Faith surrounded by smaller figures of Liberty (with Peace and Tyranny Overthrown), Law (with Justice and Mercy), Education (with Wisdom and Youth), and Morality holding the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) in the left hand and the scroll of Revelation in the right.
http://www.newenglandtravelplanner.com/go/ma/southshore/plymouth/sights/forefathers.html

This statue is what the pilgrims wanted to leave behind for the future generations of Americans, a symbol if we are ever to lose our way.  I am with Kirk when he says that we should start to heal this country by first starting with our own families and go back to these early principles in which we founded this great country on.  We need to have faith in Christ, that empowers us and gives us the morality we need as a society.  Then its translates into our law and our education, which equals Liberty.  The statue is relevant today, Monumental  movie is a hidden secret just like this statue.  I encourage you to rent, buy, share the movie.  Lets start investing in things that change/transform lives.  Lets make priorities of eternity instead of worldly things that fade away.  Let's not give up on a country that we have to leave to our children and start another great revival as a nation.

David Platt's "Follow Me" Chapters 1-3 Notes

Chapter 1
- Initial call to Christ, is inevitable call to die
- "Repent" (running away from sin, running towards Christ)
- Paul wrote that we are crucified w/ Christ, & we no longer live, but Christ lives in us
- we are to lay down are lives in love for one another, as we spread the gospel

Chapter 2
- God uses the illustration of adoption to describe his relationship with his people
- Christianity does not begin with our pursuit of Christ but w/ Christ's pursuit of us
- Our problem is that at our core we are rebels against God, and utterly unable to turn to him
- Penalty of sin is not measured by our measure of it, but measured by the magnitude of the one who is sinned against

Chapter 3
- Superficial Religion vs. Supernatural Regeneration
- Unlike religions of this world where you follow certain rules, paths, steps in order to find truth of life, Christ says I am the way, the truth, and the life  "Follow me"
- Forgiveness is God's greatest gift because it meets our greatest need
- " I will give you a new spirit" The magnitude of Jesus putting the source of his life in the center of yours
- Jesus doesn't merely improve your old nature, but imparts you to an entirely new nature
- His love, joy, mind, desires, will, power, and purpose become yours
- When Jesus said "Follow me, & I will make you fishers of men", he doesn't tell his disciples what he will call them to do, but he says what he will cause them to do
- giving their lives is not simply for being disciples, but for sacrificially making disciples
- Everyone who follows Jesus biblically, will fish for men globally

intro

Repent- [re-pent] to turn away and go in the opposite direction

When Jesus initiated a call to repent in me, I was 8 years old.  It took me 16 more years before I decided to totally give my life to him.  To die as the person I was before, and be alive in the resurrection of Christ, where he lives through me, and my desire, my passion, my will, all align with God's purpose.

To live life this way, the bible tells us we experience the abundant life. 

John 10:10
 "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."