Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY BEING DIFFERENT
From Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones:
“The glory of the gospel is that when the Church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first. That is how revival comes. That must also be true of us as individuals. It should not be our ambition to be a much everybody else as we can, though we happen to be Christian, but rather to be as different from everybody who is not a Christian as we can possibly be. Our ambition should be to be like Christ, the more like him the better. And the more like Him we become, the more useful to the world we will be.”
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
WITNESS AND JAMES 1:17-18
In the course of preparing for January 25th’s message on witnessing I was thinking about how the stupendously great calling and privilege of being witnesses for Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8) has not changed. Change in our lives is a constant challenge but God does not change (Malachi 3:6) and His Son does not change (Hebrews 13:8) and the Truth does not change (Isaiah 40:8)!
And I read another biblical text containing the word change, a marvelously assuring passage about the immutable character of God, James 1:17-18—
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”
We can bank on this—God does not change and His will does not change! By His will He brings forth (this is birthing language) His people by the word of truth (that is, the gospel). What a miracle! By the power of His Word He makes dead people alive! And He does so for this purpose: “…That we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” “Firstfruits” is a farming word that describes the crops that ripen first at harvest time. It carries with it the idea of expectancy that more crops will ripen and be ready to reap. In other words, by the power of His gospel truth, God will keep on birthing dead people from death to life—this is His will.
And as His witnesses we have the high privilege of being the means God uses to bring the life-giving truth to those whom God will saves.
“O God, I long for this, that you would please use the people of Rocky to deliver the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people around us, and that you would please grant us the blessing of bearing fruit for your kingdom and glory. In the Son’s Strong Name, Amen.”
Thursday, January 22, 2009
…The Horrible Impacts of Roe v. Wade.
Princeton professor, Dr. Robert George, writes about the horrible impacts of Roe v. Wade.
Article: “Robert George on Roe v. Wade”.
Read, weep, pray, and act for the sake of babies, mothers, and the glory of the Creator and Giver of life.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Worship and Witness
There is a seamlessness about worship and witness in the Christian life. They both flow out of lives pursuing Christ in the obedience of faith. When we live to magnify the supreme value of Jesus Christ, it is worship to Him and witness to those around us.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Marking a glorious, excruciatingly wonderful day in missions
Blog: Between Two Worlds
Post: Jim Elliot
Monday, January 5, 2009
On Sunday we saw in Psalm 1:1-2 that meditating on the Word and delighting in it go together.
Dr. Don Whitney provides helpful "how-to's" for meditation on the Scriptures.
Blog: Between Two Worlds
Post: Meditating on God's Word