Posted by: jakinnan | March 21, 2013

We Were Once More Than We Are Now

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We all—men and women—were created in the image of God. Fearfully and wonderfully made, fashioned as living icons of the bravest, wisest, most stunning Person who ever lived. Those who have ever seen him fell to their knees without even thinking about it, as you find yourself breathless before the Grand Canyon or the Alps or the sea at dawn. That glory was shared with us; we were, in Chesterton’s phrase, “statues of God walking about in a Garden,” endowed with a strength and beauty all our own. All that we ever wished we could be, we were—and more. We were fully alive.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Gen. 1:27)

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you have set in place—what are mortals that you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us? For you made us only a little lower than God, and you crowned us with glory and honor. (Ps. 8:3-5 NLT)

I daresay we’ve heard a bit about original sin, but not nearly enough about original glory, which comes before sin and is deeper to our nature. We were crowned with glory and honor. Why does a woman long to be beautiful? Why does a man hope to be found brave? Because we remember, if only faintly, that we were once more than we are now. The reason you doubt there could be a glory to your life is because that glory has been the object of a long and brutal war.

-John Eldredge, Waking the Dead

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Posted by: jakinnan | March 21, 2013

03/21/2013 Scripture

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Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
 Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
 For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.
 For I was born a sinner—
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
 But you desire honesty from the womb,
teaching me wisdom even there.

-Psalms 51:1-6 NLT

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Posted by: jakinnan | March 20, 2013

Building God’s Kingdom

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Thy kingdom come – Matthew 6:10

Someday Christ will return to earth to reign in His kingdom. In the meantime He rules in the hearts of those who love Him.

Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus gave us a mandate to evangelize the lost and teach them His Word (Matt. 28:19- 20). When we do, sinners are converted and transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of Christ (Col. 1:13). That’s how His kingdom grows.

Conversion is a work of the Spirit in the heart of unbelievers. He uses a myriad of people and circumstances to accomplish that work, but common to every true conversion are three key elements: invitation, repentance, and commitment.

In Matthew 22:1-14 Jesus, by way of a parable, invites people to come into His kingdom. As an evangelist, you too should not only present the gospel, but also invite others to respond to what they’ve heard.

In Mark 1:14-15 we read, “Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.'” Repentance is feeling sorrow over your sin and turning from it (2 Cor. 7:9-11).

True repentance results in a commitment to respond to the righteous demands of the gospel. In Mark 12:34 Jesus says to a wise scribe, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” The scribe had all the information necessary for entering the kingdom. What he lacked was a commitment to act on what he knew. Luke 9:62 says, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” You might know everything about the kingdom, but Christ’s rule is not established in your heart until you’ve made a complete commitment to it.

When you pray for Christ’s kingdom to come, you are praying an evangelistic prayer that you take part in answering. Be faithful to proclaim the gospel and make intercession for unbelievers a regular part of your prayers.

Suggestions for Prayer:

 

  • Pray for unbelieving family and friends.
  • Ask the Lord for the opportunity to share Christ with an unbeliever today.

For Further Study:

Read John 4.

 

  • How did Jesus broach the subject of salvation with the Samaritan woman?
  • Did He extend an invitation to her? Explain. 
  • How did the townspeople react to her report about Jesus?
  • – John MacArthur

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Posted by: jakinnan | March 20, 2013

Culturally Relevant

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“His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him–though he is not far from any of us. For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.'” -Acts 17:27-28

To reach people with the gospel, we must be culturally relevant. Sometimes we Christians can be paranoid when it comes to knowing anything about our culture. We don’t want to listen to secular music. We don’t want to watch any movies except Christian ones. But to reach someone, we need to know a little about them.

When the apostle Paul spoke at the Areopagus in Athens, he built a bridge with his audience before he brought the gospel message: “For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring’ ” (Acts 17:28). Paul began by quoting one of their Greek poets. He engaged them. He spoke in a language they understood.

I am not suggesting that we should compromise with people to share the gospel. Nor am I suggesting that we do things that violate what Scripture says. But I am saying that we have to go where people are, speak in a language they understand, and know a little bit about the culture around us so we can relate in an understandable way. And if Paul did this, then we need to do it as well.

Many churches today are out of touch with their culture. They are answering questions no one is asking, and they are not answering the questions that are being asked. We can’t expect a culture that knows very little about the Bible to understand the terminology we use. In fact, we can end a conversation before it even begins by insulting the people we speak with. We use language they don’t understand. We come off as arrogant or even condescending.

When Paul shared the gospel, he sought to build a bridge, not burn one. And we should do the same.

-Greg Laurie

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Posted by: jakinnan | March 20, 2013

Why are People Poor?

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Why does God allow so many of His children to be poor? He could make them all rich if He pleased; He could lay bags of gold at their doors; He could send them a large annual income; or He could scatter around their houses abundance of provisions, as once he made the quails lie in heaps around the camp of Israel and rained bread out of heaven to feed them. There is no necessity that they should be poor, except that He sees it to be best. “The cattle on a thousand hills” are His–He could supply them; He could make the rich, the great, and the mighty bring all their power and riches to the feet of His children, for the hearts of all men are in His control. But He does not choose to do so. He allows them to experience need; He allows them to struggle in poverty and obscurity.

Why is this? There are many reasons. One is, to give us, who are favored with enough, an opportunity of showing our love to Jesus. We show our love to Christ when we sing of Him and when we pray to Him; but if there were no needy people in the world, we should lose the sweet privilege of displaying our love by ministering by our gifts to His poorer brethren. He has ordained that in this way we should prove that our love stands not only in word, but in deed and in truth.

If we truly love Christ, we will care for those who are loved by Him. Those who are dear to Him will be dear to us. Let us then look upon it not as a duty but as a privilege to relieve the poor of the Lord’s flock, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” Surely this assurance is sweet enough, and this motive strong enough to lead us to help others with a willing hand and a loving heart–recollecting that all we do for His people is graciously accepted by Christ as done to Himself.

-Alistair Begg

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Posted by: jakinnan | March 20, 2013

The Ugly Duckling Becomes a Beautiful Swan

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The Phoenix rises from the ashes. Cinderella rises from the cinders to become a queen. The Ugly Duckling becomes a beautiful swan. Pinocchio becomes a real boy. The frog becomes a prince. The Cowardly Lion gets his courage, the Scarecrow his brains, and the Tin Woodman a new heart. They are all transformed into the very thing they never thought they could be.

Why are we enchanted by tales of transformation? I can’t think of a movie or novel or fairy tale that doesn’t somehow turn on this. Why is it an essential part of any great story? Because it is the secret to Christianity, and Christianity is the secret to the universe. “You must be born again” (John 3:7). You must be transformed. Keeping the Law, following the rules, polishing up your manners—none of that will do. “What counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different people” (Gal. 6:15).

Is this not the message of the Gospel? Zacchaeus the trickster becomes Zacchaeus the Honest One. Mary the whore becomes Mary the Last of the Truly Faithful. Paul the self-righteous murderer becomes Paul the Humble Apostle. Erhaps we have changed a bit in what we believe and how we act. We confess the creeds now, and we’ve gotten our temper under control . . . for the most part. But “transformed” seems a bit too much to claim. How about “forgiven and on our way”? That’s how most Christians would describe what’s happened to them. It’s partly true . . . and partly untrue, and the part that’s untrue is what’s killing us. We’ve been told that even though we have placed our hope in Christ, even though we have become his followers, our hearts are still desperately wicked. And of course, so long as we believe that our hearts remain untouched, unchanged, we will pretty much live untouched and unchanged.

For our heart is the wellspring of life within us.

-John Eldredge, Waking the Dead

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Posted by: jakinnan | March 20, 2013

03/20/2013 Scripture

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When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

-Romans 5:6 & 11 NLT

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Posted by: jakinnan | March 19, 2013

Forsaking Self-Centered Prayer

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“Thy kingdom come” (Matt. 6:10).

Attempting to explain all that is involved in the phrase “Thy kingdom come” is like a child standing on a beach attempting to scoop the entire ocean into a little pail. Only in eternity will we grasp all that it encompasses, but the poem “His Coming to Glory” by the nineteenth-century hymnwriter Frances Havergal captures its essence:

 

Oh the joy to see Thee reigning,
Thee, my own beloved Lord!
Every tongue Thy name confessing,
Worship, honor, glory, blessing
Brought to Thee with glad accord;
Thee, my Master and my Friend,
Vindicated and enthroned;
Unto earth’s remotest end
Glorified, adored, and owned.

Psalm 2:6-8 reflects the Father’s joy on that great day: “I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain. I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord; He said to Me, ‘Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Thy possession.” God will give the kingdoms of the world to His Son, who will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16).

With that promise in mind, beware seeing prayer primarily as an opportunity to inform God of your own plans and to seek His help in fulfilling them. Instead, pray “Thy kingdom come,” which is a request for Christ to reign. In its fullest sense it is an affirmation that you are willing to relinquish the rule of your own life so the Holy Spirit can use you to promote the kingdom in whatever way He chooses.

That kind of prayer can be difficult because we tend to be preoccupied with ourselves. But concentrate on conforming your prayers to God’s purposes. Then you will be assured that you are praying according to His will.

Suggestions for Prayer:

 

  • Praise God for the hope of Christ’s future reign on earth.
  • Ask Him to use you today as a representative of His kingdom.

For Further Study:

According to Ephesians 4:17-5:5, how should citizens of Christ’s kingdom behave?

-John Macarthur

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Posted by: jakinnan | March 19, 2013

Carrot Cake in a Bowl

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Ingredients

1⁄2 c old fashioned oats
2 T diced dried carrots
3 T brown sugar
2 T raisins
2 T dry milk
1⁄4 t ground cinnamon
1 ds salt
2 T shredded coconut

Notes

For a less strong carrot taste only use 1 Tablespoon.

For a vegan version use rice or soy milk powder.

Instructions

At home:
Whirl the oats in a blender until about 1/3 of the original size. Put them in a quart freezer bag. Process the carrots in the same manner, adding them to the bag along with the other dry ingredients.

In camp:
Bring 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in your pot. Add in the dry ingredients; stirring well and let come back to a boil. Take off the stove, cover tightly and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir well and top with coconut.

Courtesy of trailcooking.com

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Posted by: jakinnan | March 19, 2013

Dialogue, Not Monologue

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When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. – 1 Corinthians 9:22.

Our world today is full of religious people, but they don’t use that word to describe themselves. They use a different word: spiritual. They will describe themselves as very spiritual and then will add, “But I’m not into organized religion.”

Statements like this can become a segue for sharing the gospel. As believers we can say, “Really? I am a spiritual person too. In fact, I am really into spiritual things, and I want to talk to you a little bit about some really important spiritual truth I have discovered.”

This isn’t compromising. Rather, it is simply using understandable language to build a bridge so you can talk about your relationship with Jesus Christ.

When the apostle Paul addressed the men of Athens, he said, “I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about” (Acts 17:22–23).

Paul didn’t say, “Hey, what you are doing is legit.” He simply used language they could understand to connect with them about the most important message. Evangelism is a dialogue, not a monologue. You ask a question, and they give you an answer. Then you respond to what they said. They say something, and you say something.

This is what Paul was talking about when he said, “Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). One of the best ways to reach someone is to just listen.

However, we must never lower our standards to extend our reach. Don’t compromise your message, but try to establish a dialogue.

-Greg Laurie

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