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Oct 08
Love0

We must move in grace

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It is not an idle life that we live as believers in Christ. Matt Chandler writes on five components all our grace-driven efforts should have.

There are essentially five components to a right understanding of grace-driven effort, and what they all revolve around is not our religious performance but Christ’s saving performance on our behalf. These components are focused Christ’s cross, not our bootstraps.

1. The three weapons of grace

A man who understands Jesus’ gospel and cross will instead fight sin with the weapons that grace gives us. There are three such weapons:

The first weapon is the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13 tells us, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

We have been brought near by the blood and sacrifice of Jesus alone, not by our behavior. The marker of those who understand the gospel of Jesus Christ is that, when they stumble and fall, when they screw up, they run to God and not from him, because they clearly understand that their acceptance before God is not predicated upon their behavior but on the righteous life of Jesus Christ and his sacrificial death.

The second weapon of grace is the Word of God. In 2 Timothy 3:16–17, Paul writes, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

When we begin to know the Scriptures well, we can identify what is true and what is a lie. Here is one truth about truth to think about: the Holy Spirit and the accusations of the Devil can do the same thing. Both can make us aware of our shortcomings and the impossibility of earning favor with God.

The difference between what the Holy Spirit does and what the Devil does is the Spirit’s deliverance of the gospel. The Devil brings up gospel truths to accuse and condemn, whereas the Spirit brings up these truths to convict and to comfort.

Christian, if you are looking at your sins and shortcomings and constantly feeling condemned—not convicted, but condemned—you need to use the Word of God to rebuke the Devil’s accusations. You need to use the Word of God to remind yourself over and over again that the gospel is true.

The third weapon of grace is the promise of the new covenant. Hebrews 9:15 says, “He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”

2. The roots, not the branches

Second, grace-driven effort attacks the roots of our sin, not just the branches. Grace is a heart changer, because the heart is where behavior comes from. Wherever our heart is, that is where our actions will follow. We can manage our behavior until the cows come home and never have a God-loving heart, which is how the Pharisees lived. . . . Grace-driven effort not only uses the weapons of grace, but it also attacks the roots, not just the branches, whereas moralism tries just to subdue behavior.

3. Fear of God

Grace-driven effort fights for a reason that goes beyond a clear conscience and an emotional peace. One of the things I run into over and over again in my counseling role is people who are broken over sin in their life, but as I begin to dig around in there, most of the time, they’re not broken up because they have sinned against a holy God—they are broken up because their sin is costing them something. They see their sin as making life difficult for themselves, but they are not appalled at all at how they have slandered the God of the universe. We must understand that when we sin, we sin against God (Ps. 51:4).

4. Dead to sin

Grace-driven effort doesn’t just forsake sin but is absolutely dead to it (Rom. 6:11). The believer pursuing holiness by grace-driven effort is not going to serve sin, because he is alive to God. What ends up happening to so many of us is that we spend so much time trying to put sin to death that we don’t spend enough time striving to know God deeply, trying to gaze upon the wonder of Jesus Christ and have that transform our affections to the point where our love and hope are steadfastly on Christ. The goal is this: Christ would become more beautiful and desirable than the allure of sin.

5. Gospel violence

Here’s the fifth and last component of grace-driven effort: distinguishing the gospel from moralism. Grace-driven effort is violent. It is aggressive. The person who understands the gospel understands that, as a new creation, his spiritual nature is in opposition to sin now, and he seeks not just to weaken sin in his life, but to outright destroy it.

 

 

This post is excerpted and adapted from The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler.

Oct 02
Love0

Look Away from Yourself

By Uncategorized

 

Wait—stop reading. Look up from this post and fasten your eyes on something else and then come back to your reading.

Do you see that in one very important sense, that’s all that God has required of you? The shifting of your eyes from this post to another object doesn’t require great skill, deep understanding, or monumental strength. It simply requires a desire to do so. That’s what faith is: a looking away from yourself to Someone else. While that is a true definition of faith, it needs to be expanded.

Gazing at the Cross

To help you understand what true faith is, think again about the Israelites in the wilderness. If they had scoffed at the bronze serpent or just glanced at it in curiosity, it wouldn’t have been an agent of healing for them, would’ve it? It didn’t contain any magical powers in and of itself. In the same way, I’m pretty sure there were people standing about at the foot of the cross, watching the Lord die, who did not automatically inherit eternal life. No, the bronze serpent and the crucified Son are agents of healing only when our gaze gives evidence to the simple belief that good will come to us from God.

Faith, then, is a trusting in the love and mercy of God.

It is hoping for an unseen mercy—it is a conviction that God desires to bless us (Hebrews 11:1).

God’s Precious Gift

There is something in the heart of all givers, and in God’s heart in particular, that recoils at the prospect of a precious gift being refused. Just as my mother would be offended if I declined her offer of an inheritance, so God is offended if we refuse to believe that he is merciful and loving enough to give us good gifts, in spite of ourselves.

The writer of Hebrews captures this thought in 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

All That’s Required of Us

In order to find ourselves in the enviable position of “pleasing God,” we must have a faith that believes that the invisible God is really and truly here, and that he’ll reward our seeking of him—that was all that was required of the Israelite children, and that’s all that’s required of us.

We shall have a complete definition of faith if we say that it is a firm and sure knowledge of God’s favor towards us, based on the truth of a free promise in Christ. . . . We are drawn to seek God when we are told that our safety is treasured up in him, and we are confirmed in this when he declares that he takes a deep interest in our welfare. . . . It would be useless to know that God is true, if he did not lovingly draw us to himself. We could not lay hold of his mercy if he did not offer it.

 

This post is an adapted excerpt from Elyse’s book, Because He Loves Me: How Christ Transforms Our Daily Life. 

Oct 01
Love0

What You Need is Love

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Life in this fallen world is hard. Preparation is hard. Change is hard. It’s easy to get discouraged. It‘s easy to feel overwhelmed. It’s easy to remain or revert to being self-absorbed. It’s easy to feel alone. It’s easy to think that no one understands what you are going through.

It’s tempting to think like Moses that God must have gotten the wrong address, that this trial couldn’t have been intended for your doorstep. It’s easy to give in to wondering if the hardships of the Christian life are worth the trouble. It’s easy to look over the fence and yield to debilitating envy. It‘s easy to let go of good and godly personal spiritual habits. It’s easy, at the end of a long day, to try to numb or distract yourself by whatever temporary pleasure lies within reach.

It’s easy to deceive yourself about the need to change, to grow in godliness. It’s easy to lose your way and give up. But it’s important for you to remember that life and ministry in the fallen world are hard, not only for you, but also for everyone in your care.

That’s why God has designed us to live with others in a community of love. When I read 1 Peter 1, I’m always struck by how God has placed a call to love at the end of a discussion of hardship. As Peter summarizes what God is doing here and now, he uses three words: “suffer, grief, and trial.” None of us wants these things! But Peter reminds us that they’re tools of refinement in the hands of a loving Redeemer intent on completing in us what he’s begun. Then Peter begins to lay out how to live productively in the middle of these hardships.

Listen to his final directive: “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22). Peter is saying something very powerful here. God hasn’t simply called us to endure the refining fires of sanctification. He’s ordained us to incarnate his love through the community he’s placed around us. This community of love gives us hope and strength. But it also encourages us with the reminder that the One who tests and trains is the One who loves.

This community of love is meant to comfort the person who’s discouraged, to strengthen the person who’s weak, to encourage the person who has no hope, to come alongside the person who’s alone, to guide the person who’s lost his way, to give wisdom to the person lost in foolishness, to warn the person who’s beginning to wander, to correct the person turning the wrong way, to give eyes to the person blind to God’s presence, and to physically represent God’s presence and love. No one, including pastors, is wired to live outside this community.

So as you’re living and ministering in this broken world, what does God call you to do? There’s one sure and reliable answer to the question: he calls you to seize every opportunity to be an instrument of his love.

An an ambassador of Christ, you’ve been called to participate in a community of love that is the church:

  • That teenager attracted to the world needs God’s love.
  • That single person facing the death of personal dreams needs God’s love
  • That immigrant brother or sister who feels so out of place and so misunderstood needs God’s love.
  • That mom overwhelmed with her parenting responsibilities needs God’s love.
  • That man tempted to walk out of his troubled marriage needs God’s love.
  • That little boy who lost his father to divorce needs God’s love.
  • That woman living through the ravages of cancer needs God’s love.
  • That couple facing debts they can’t pay needs God’s love.
  • The woman who now faces life without the man who’s been her companion for decades needs God’s love.
  • That pastor carrying a heavy weight of spiritual responsibility needs God’s love.
  • That university student facing spiritual warfare needs God’s love.

We could multiply example after example. There is no location, situation, or relationship this side of heaven where this love is extraneous. This love isn’t about liking people. It isn’t about romantic affection. It’s something more than cultural niceness. It’s deeper than being respectful or mannerly.

This love finds its motivation, hope, and direction at the cross of Jesus Christ. It’s active, persevering, tender, understanding, forgiving, compassionate, and self-sacrificing love. The people in your care need this cross-shaped love, and so do you. You can love others because the One you represent never fails to love you perfectly this way in both your best and worst moments.

 

by Paul Tripp

www.paultripp.com/articles/posts/what-you-need-is-love

Sep 24
Love0

Pre-Marriage Questionnaire

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Please take a few moments to fill this out to the best of your ability. It will help everything in more ways than you can understand right now.
Your answers ARE CONFIDENTIAL and will not be shared with anyone.


Thanks

Sep 24
Love0

Why Do We Say, ‘God Told Me’?

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When someone begins a sentence with “God told me . . .” I have to admit a silent alarm goes off somewhere inside me—unless the phrase is followed by a verse of Scripture. I know that many see this as the way the Christian life is supposed to work—that if we are really in fellowship with God we will be able to sense him speaking to us through an inner voice. But I’m not so sure. And it’s not because I think God is incapable of or uninterested in speaking to his people today. In fact I resist this language precisely because God is speaking to his people today. He speaks to us through the Scriptures.

When we read the Scriptures we are not just reading a record of what God has said in the past. God actively speaks to us in the here and now through the words of this amazing book. The writer of Hebrews makes this point clear when he quotes Old Testament passages and presents them not as something God said to his people sometime in the past, but as something God is currently saying to his people (Hebrews 1:6,7,8, 2:12, 3:7, 4:7). He writes that “the word of God is living and active” (4:12). It is exposing our shallow beliefs and hidden motives. This word is personal.  You and I hear the voice of God speaking to us—unmistakably, authoritatively, and personally—when we read, hear, study, and meditate on the Scriptures.

Something More, Something Different

But many of us want something more, something different. We read the Scriptures and witness God speaking to individuals in amazing ways throughout the history of redemption. Job heard God speaking from the whirlwind. Moses heard him calling from the fiery bush. Samuel heard him calling in the dark. David heard him speak through the prophet Nathan. Isaiah felt the burning coal and heard assurance that his guilt was taken away and sin atoned for. Saul and those traveling with him on the road to Damascus heard Jesus asking why Saul was persecuting him. Prophets and teachers at Antioch heard the Holy Spirit tell them to set apart Barnabas and to send out Saul. John felt the glorified Jesus touch him and heard his assurance that he didn’t have to be afraid.

Many of us read these accounts and assume that the Bible is presenting the normal experience of all who follow God. But is it? Graeme Goldsworthy speaks to this question in his book Gospel and Wisdom. He writes, “Every case of special guidance given to individuals in the Bible has to do with that person’s place in the outworking of God’s saving purposes.” He adds, “There are no instances in the Bible in which God gives special and specific guidance to the ordinary believing Israelite or Christian in the details of their personal existence.”

Are there instances in the Scriptures in which people describe a sense of God speaking to them through an inner voice? We read accounts of God speaking in an audible voice, through a supernatural dream or vision, a human hand writing on a wall, a blinding light, or a thunderous voice from heaven. This is quite different from the way most people who say that God has told them something describe hearing his voice—as a thought that came into their mind that they “know” was God speaking. One prominent teacher who trains people on how to hear the voice of God writes, “God’s voice in your heart often sounds like a flow of spontaneous thoughts.” But where in the Bible are we instructed to seek after or expect to hear God speak to us in this way?

Some who suggest that a conversational relationship with God is not only possible but even normative point to John 10 in which Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd, saying, “My sheep hear my voice.” However, in this passage Jesus is not prescribing a method of ongoing divine communication. He is speaking to the Jews of his day using a metaphor they understand—a shepherd and his sheep. His point is that the elect among the Jews will recognize him as the shepherd the prophets wrote about and will respond to his call to repent and believe, as will the elect among the Gentiles so that they will become one flock, one church, with him at the head.

Longing for God’s Guidance

So why do we speak about hearing God in this way? We grew up being told that we must have a “personal relationship with God,” and what is more personal than hearing him speak to us about our individual issues and needs? Sometimes if we dig deep we realize we speak this way because we want to impresses others with our close connection to God and make sure they know we’ve consulted with him on the matter at hand. Another reason may be that to say, “God told me . . .” can prove useful to us. If you’ve asked me to teach children’s Sunday school this fall, it sounds far more spiritual and makes it far more difficult for you to challenge me if I say that God told me I need to sit in adult Sunday school with my husband than if I simply say that I don’t want to or have decided not to teach.

But I think there is something more at work here than simply our desire to sound spiritual or to make it difficult for someone to challenge our preferences or decisions. We genuinely long for God to guide us. We genuinely long for a personal word from God, a supernatural experience with God. Yet we fail to grasp that as we read and study and hear the Word of God taught and preached, it is a personal word from God. Because the Scriptures are “living and active,” God’s speaking to us through them is a personal, supernatural experience.

God has spoken and is, in fact, still speaking to us through the Scriptures. We don’t need any more special revelation. What we need is illumination, and this is exactly what Jesus has promised the Holy Spirit will give to us as his word abides in us. The Holy Spirit of God works through the Word of God to counsel and comfort and convict (John 16:7-15). Through the Scriptures we hear God teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training us in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The Word of God transforms us by renewing our minds so that we think more like him and less like the world. Instead of needing God to dictate to us what to do, we become increasingly able to “discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

I appreciate the way John Piper described his experience in hearing God speak through the Scriptures in his message “How Important is the Bible?” given at Lausanne 2010:

God talks to me no other way, but don’t get this wrong, he talks to me very personally. I open my Bible in the morning to meet my friend, my Savior, my Creator, my Sustainer. I meet him and he talks to me. . . . I’m not denying providence, not denying circumstances, not denying people, I’m just saying that the only authoritative communion I have with God with any certainty comes through the words of this book.

And if we want to go back a little further, Jonathan Edwards warned:

I . . . know by experience that impressions being made with great power, and upon the minds of true saints, yea, eminent saints; and presently after, yea, in the midst of, extraordinary exercises of grace and sweet communion with God, and attended with texts of Scripture strongly impressed on the mind, are no sure signs of their being revelations from heaven: for I have known such impressions [to] fail, and prove vain.

What Difference Does It Really Make?

Does it really make a difference when we expect God to speak to us through the Scriptures rather than waiting to hear a divine voice in our heads? I think it does.

When we know that God speaks personally and powerfully through his Word, we don’t have to feel that our relationship to Christ is sub-par, or that we are experiencing a less-than Christian life if we don’t sense God giving us extra-biblical words of instruction or promise. When we know God speaks through his Word we are not obligated to accept—indeed, we can be appropriately skeptical toward—claims by any book, teacher, preacher, or even friend when they write or say, “God told me . .  .” We don’t have to wait until we hear God give us the go-ahead before we say “yes” or “no” to a request or make a decision. We can consult the Scriptures and rest in the wisdom and insight the Holy Spirit is developing in us and feel free to make a decision.

As we delight ourselves in the law of the Lord day and night, we can expect his Word to be living and active in our inmost parts. As that Word transforms us by the renewal of our minds, we will find that our thoughts and feelings, dreams and desires, are being shaped more by his Word than by our flesh. We will find that we are more drawn to obey his commands than to follow the culture. We will ask him for wisdom and receive it out of his generosity.

 

Nancy Guthrie and her husband, David, and son, Matt, make their home in Nashville, Tennessee. She and David are the co-hosts of the GriefShare video series used in more than 8,500 churches around the country and host Respite Retreats for couples who have experienced the death of a child. Nancy is the author of numerous books, including Holding on to Hope and Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrowand is currently working on the five-book Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament Bible study series.

Sep 23
Love0

Kissing the Wave

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Fighting for perspective in times of suffering…

 

“How long, O Lord?” is a familiar cry to those who experience suffering and despair. In my own experience this question can be asked in both steadfast faith-filled hope and in faithless unbelief. I’ve asked it in both ways in the same hour or minute.

Trials teach hard lessons, as Charles Spurgeon said: “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.”

And sometimes you get seasick when you’re learning to “kiss the wave.”

Kissing the Wave?

But what can Spurgeon mean, to learn to kiss the wave?

One thing he cannot mean is to call evil good. God’s word forbids us to do such a thing: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). After he revealed his true identity to his brothers who had sold him into slavery, Joseph said, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20). Despite all of his hardship, Joseph was encouraged because he knew God was sovereign over his past, and he saw some of the good work God had already done through his trials.

Hindsight is 20/20, though, right? Where do we find comfort when we’re in the thick of trials in which we can’t see any good (at least not yet)? I think the answer to this question is also in Joseph’s story.

Joseph’s Story

There’s a common thread that runs through each account of Joseph’s ordeals from his being sold into Egypt as a slave to being wrongly incarcerated.

  • “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him” (Acts 7:9).
  • “The Lᴏʀᴅ was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master” (Genesis 39:2).
  • “His master saw that the Lᴏʀᴅ was with him and that the Lᴏʀᴅ caused all that he did to succeed in his hands” (Genesis 39:3).
  • “But the Lᴏʀᴅ was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison” (Genesis 39:21).
  • “The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lᴏʀᴅ was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed” (Genesis 39:23).

There’s no doubt about it — the Lᴏʀᴅ was with Joseph. He was with Joseph in the pit. He was with Joseph in the house where he worked as a slave. He was with Joseph in jail. He was with Joseph in the court of Pharaoh. He was with Joseph in the most dramatic confrontation of his entire life. The waves kept throwing Joseph against the Rock of Ages.

God’s Nearness

I don’t think Spurgeon’s comment came from a sarcastic “Pucker up, Waves!” perspective, but one of humble sobriety and childlike faith in God who works all things for our good. Whenever we encourage one another in our home with “kiss the wave,” the words are often spoken into a tearful conversation as a lump rises in our throats and our hearts feels like they are being squeezed in a vice.

The nearness of God is our good. And the trials we endure in this fallen world, perhaps more than most other things, have a tendency to awaken us to this truth. We remember Jesus, who is called Immanuel (“God with us”), and the cross he bore for our sake. Can the waves of trials then drown us if we have a Substitute who endured the greatest trial in our place?

We can “learn to kiss the wave” because Christ is near to us and supreme over all things. He died and rose again to vanquish evil forever. Christ is to us wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). You can’t get much nearer than that.

When there’s nothing in heaven or on earth or under the earth that can separate you from Christ’s love, waves of trials can only throw you onto the Rock of Ages. Resting on that Rock is where I’d like to be and stay forever, and may the Lord bless the means he uses to remind me of that.

 

This article was originally posted on www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/kissing-the-wave

 

Sep 12
Love0

Camo and the art/skill/sin of hiding

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Calling All Men Of Heritage…(CAMOHeritage-camo). Camouflage is extremely helpful when blending in to your surroundings on a hunt. There’s something about blending in that’s naturally comforting and appealing to most men, but as men of God we are called out of darkness and into light…from blending in to leading out…from hiding to leading.

camo

With this is mind, we are challenging all the men of Heritage to set aside a few hours on October 6th, 6-8pm to attend a special evening that is sure to help you fight the good fight and equip you to help others do battle as well.

It appears that one of the Enemies most effective weapons of mass destruction for our generation is pornography.  Survey after survey indicates that 50% of all Christian men struggle with pornography.  That number goes up to 67% when just considering those between the ages of 18-35.  Marriages are being destroyed, families and are being ripped apart, men are suffering in silence with guilt, shame and depression.  As the church, as men of God, we must engage in this battle—for our sake and for the sake of our sons and grandsons and neighbors.  Whether you personally struggle or not, the reality is people all around you are. We ALL MUST be equipped and educated to fight the good fight.  Our fellowship with the Lord, our relationships with one another, and our effectiveness for the Kingdom are all being destroyed as we sit back while so many are entangled in this secret sin.

Our special guest October 6th will be Jerry D Wright. Jerry Wright is a minister and also serves as a speaker and venue moderator at one of America’s largest Christian men’s gatherings at Falls Creek’s “MenRewired.” He is the founder, editor, and publisher of “Men Living Up,” a resource for the most challenging issues for today’s men including sexual addiction topics.  He has written an excellent book entitle, “My Father’s Stash,” which chronicles his journey into and out of sexual addiction.  It truly is a tremendous resource that I believe every man should read.

We are Calling All Men Of Heritage to attend October 6th 6-8pm in the HBC Chapel.  We are NOT asking you to come and talk or share your struggles or break up into small groups.  The entire agenda for the evening revolves around us hearing Jerry’s story and being equipped and educated. Topics to be covered are: the effects of pornography on our brain and heart, how this kind of addiction works, what to do if you’re struggling, how to help those that are struggling, and how to avoid this kind of struggle all together.

Let’s stop blending in and start leading out—as individuals and as a church. May we all take a stand and fight to walk in purity and honor the Lord in all we do.

NOTE:  Guests are welcomed. The content will be best suited for those 16 and older.
For resources or more information about Jerry Wright please visit www.menlivingup.org. Resources include seminars, workshops, website, blog, and free podcasts on ITunes®.   Jerry recently launched Men Living Up Radio, with Internet broadcasted programming designed specifically for men.

Sep 05
Love0

Shepherding the “ewes” – September 15

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Impact a Younger Gal by Unwrapping Your Life

You’ve learned life. Bible studies and times in the Word have changed you because you heard Him speak to you and you obeyed. God’s truths have molded, refined, changed you…the life of Christ impacting your life through your obedience and His grace.  And the hard knocks of life have done their part. You’re ready. It’s time to be emptied and poured out so He can fill you again.

His life, truths, and wisdom, plus practical experience gained through years…will you open up, walk with a younger gal along her journey, and share what He’s taught you? We call it “Shepherding the Flock: 2gether, Growing in Godliness.”

Our next session on shepherding (mentoring/discipling) our young “ewes” is on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 15, 4 to 6 in Room 104. Our first session was introductory; this session will get down to some “how-to’s”; some resources; and some testimonies of those who’ve been “shepherding” a long time.

Sep 05
Love0

Upcoming Game Night

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Game Night – September 22

This is what FUN is all about! Mix and mingle with some “fresh” fellowship…meet some new faces… learn a new recipe…laugh about winning OR  losing! It’s Game Night for the ladies comin’ up soon.  Bring a friend; bring some munchies; bring a game if you want. Show up at 6:30 on September 22 (a Sunday night) in the café/chapel to join in the fun. We’ll see ya at the boards!

Aug 19
Love0

50 Rules for Dads of Daughters

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This was originally posted here and is worth your time.

50 Rules for Dads of Daughters

1. Love her mom. Treat her mother with respect, honor, and a big heaping spoonful of public displays of affection. When she grows up, the odds are good she’ll fall in love with and marry someone who treats her much like you treated her mother. Good or bad, that’s just the way it is. I’d prefer good.

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2. Always be there. Quality time doesn’t happen without quantity time. Hang out together for no other reason than just to be in each other’s presence. Be genuinely interested in the things that interest her. She needs her dad to be involved in her life at every stage. Don’t just sit idly by while she adds years to her life… add life to her years.

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3. Save the day. She’ll grow up looking for a hero. It might as well be you. She’ll need you to come through for her over and over again throughout her life. Rise to the occasion. Red cape and blue tights optional.

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4. Savor every moment you have together. Today she’s crawling around the house in diapers, tomorrow you’re handing her the keys to the car, and before you know it, you’re walking her down the aisle. Some day soon, hanging out with her old man won’t be the bees knees anymore. Life happens pretty fast. You better cherish it while you can.

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5. Pray for her. Regularly. Passionately. Continually.

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6. Buy her a glove and teach her to throw a baseball. Make her proud to throw like a girl… a girl with a wicked slider.

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7. She will fight with her mother. Choose sides wisely.

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8. Go ahead. Buy her those pearls.

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9. Of course you look silly playing peek-a-boo. You should play anyway.

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10. Enjoy the wonder of bath time.

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11. There will come a day when she asks for a puppy. Don’t over think it. At least one time in her life, just say, “Yes.”

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12. It’s never too early to start teaching her about money. She will still probably suck you dry as a teenager… and on her wedding day.

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13. Make pancakes in the shape of her age for breakfast on her birthday. In a pinch, donuts with pink sprinkles and a candle will suffice.

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14. Buy her a pair of Chucks as soon as she starts walking. She won’t always want to wear matching shoes with her old man.

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15. Dance with her. Start when she’s a little girl or even when she’s a baby. Don’t wait until her wedding day.

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16. Take her fishing. She will probably squirm more than the worm on your hook. That’s OK.

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17. Learn to say no. She may pitch a fit today, but someday you’ll both be glad you stuck to your guns.

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18. Tell her she’s beautiful. Say it over and over again. Someday an animated movie or “beauty” magazine will try to convince her otherwise.

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19. Teach her to change a flat. A tire without air need not be a major panic inducing event in her life. She’ll still call you crying the first time it happens.

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20. Take her camping. Immerse her in the great outdoors. Watch her eyes fill with wonder the first time she sees the beauty of wide open spaces. Leave the iPod at home.

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21. Let her hold the wheel. She will always remember when daddy let her drive.

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22. She’s as smart as any boy. Make sure she knows that.

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23. When she learns to give kisses, she will want to plant them all over your face. Encourage this practice.

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24. Knowing how to eat sunflower seeds correctly will not help her get into a good college. Teach her anyway.

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25. Letting her ride on your shoulders is pure magic. Do it now while you have a strong back and she’s still tiny.

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26. It is in her nature to make music. It’s up to you to introduce her to the joy of socks on a wooden floor.

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27. If there’s a splash park near your home, take her there often. She will be drawn to the water like a duck to a puddle.

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28. She will eagerly await your return home from work in the evenings. Don’t be late.

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29. If her mom enrolls her in swim lessons, make sure you get in the pool too. Don’t be intimidated if there are no other dads there. It’s their loss.

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30. Never miss her birthday. In ten years she won’t remember the presentyou gave her. She will remember if you weren’t there.

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31. Teach her to roller skate. Watch her confidence soar.

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32. Let her roll around in the grass. It’s good for her soul. It’s not bad for yours either.

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33. Take her swimsuit shopping. Don’t be afraid to veto some of her choices, but resist the urge to buy her full-body beach pajamas.

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34. Somewhere between the time she turns three and her sixth birthday, the odds are good that she will ask you to marry her. Let her down gently.

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35. She’ll probably want to crawl in bed with you after a nightmare. This is a good thing.

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36. Few things in life are more comforting to a crying little girl than her father’s hand. Never forget this.

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37. Introduce her to the swings at your local park. She’ll squeal for you to push her higher and faster. Her definition of “higher and faster” is probably not the same as yours. Keep that in mind.

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38. When she’s a bit older, your definition of higher and faster will be a lot closer to hers. When that day comes, go ahead… give it all you’ve got.

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39. Holding her upside down by the legs while she giggles and screams uncontrollably is great for your biceps. WARNING: She has no concept of muscle fatigue.

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40. She might ask you to buy her a pony on her birthday. Unless you live on a farm, do not buy her a pony on her birthday. It’s OK to rent one though.

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41. Take it easy on the presents for her birthday and Christmas. Instead, give her the gift of experiences you can share together.

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42. Let her know she can always come home. No matter what.

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43. Remember, just like a butterfly, she too will spread her wings and fly some day. Enjoy her caterpillar years.

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44. Write her a handwritten letter every year on her birthday. Give them to her when she goes off to college, becomes a mother herself, or when you think she needs them most.

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45. Learn to trust her. Gradually give her more freedom as she gets older. She will rise to the expectations you set for her.

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46. When in doubt, trust your heart. She already does.

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47. When your teenage daughter is upset, learning when to engage and when to back off will add years to YOUR life. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

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48. Ice cream covers over a multitude of sins. Know her favorite flavor.

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49. This day is coming soon. There’s nothing you can do to be ready for it. The sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be.

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50. Today she’s walking down the driveway to get on the school bus. Tomorrow she’s going off to college. Don’t blink.

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Photo Credits

I was unable to find the original source for #’s 1, 3, 7, 16, 20, 42, and 47. If you know the source for any of these, please tell me so I can give the photographers credit. Here are the rest:

4. Father of the Bride

14. The Life of Rachel

15. Danielle Toews

24. A Peakin To Our Lives

26. Dear Baby Blog

28. Baby Love Blog

32. My Blackbird Photography

34. Emily RC Photography

35. It’s What Makes Me Me

39. Popsicles and Pigtails

43. Sandy Honig

50. Lil Miss Bossy

And #’s 8, 10, 13, 27, 29, and 36 were taken by yours truly.

If a number is not listed above, the image came from Life Magazine’s online database of pictures hosted by Google Images.

May 09
Love0

Seeing the Fruit

By Uncategorized

by Eddie Cox, editor

The phone rang and her voice was faint on the other end of the line. She told me that she was very sick. I prepared my heart and mind to visit her the next day. “C” is a precious friend who has battled so many personal and physical trials but never appears weak for the sake of her position in the community.

I went to see her in the market at her store. I went at the hottest time of the day because I knew that customers would not be present then. My friend “Z” and I sat on the bales of clothing, bare feet on cool concrete, sweat dripping from our foreheads, and began to ask her what was going on. “C” explained her lack of appetite and headaches. She had feared to go to the hospital because she is sure that she knows what is really going on. She is more than likely going to be one of the millions that are plagued with the virus that has no cure and is killing hundreds of thousands young and old. The day before, “Z” had spent a great amount of time with “C” encouraging her to go to the hospital. So we asked the question, “Did you go to the hospital?” The silence hung for a second and then she reached over to the plywood counter and grasped a flimsy brown notebook that held her medical records from the hospital and she answered, “Yes.” She then explained that they wanted to test for HIV, malaria, and other things. The appointment for more tests was that afternoon.

Thirty minutes later, we climbed into the truck and drove “C” to the hospital. She walked in with hesitation, unlike her normal demeanor. My heart was broken for my precious friend as her life may begin to be drastically different now living with this disease. I was thankful for the opportunity to minister to patients in the villages to better understand the disease and the side effects of the medicines. “Z” and I left “C” at the hospital and drove away. The conversation that occurred on the drive back home was a blessing from the Lord.

“Z” said, “‘C’ knows that she is sick and she wants to run but she can’t run from herself. She has to accept what is happening to her and learn to live with this disease. You have taught me how to encourage and love patients. When we went to the villages I saw how you sat and talked with them about life and asked them if they were taking their medicines and then shared Scripture with them. That is what I need to do for ‘C.’ I know that she thinks that her life is coming to an end, but it’s not. I have seen all of those patients in the villages that are living a good life although they are sick. She can, too. I just have to stay close with her to encourage her. I am going to go to her house once a week to sit with her to laugh with her and encourage her. I have learned what to do now.”

I looked at her and nodded and said, “You are so right. You have learned so much and you can always take that with you because you have learned how to share God’s love and minister to those outside of the church. That is what it means to be a child of God – always being prepared and ready to love those in need and to encourage them!”

We arrived at her home and we said our goodbyes. I drove home. My heart was full, overflowing. How good is our God that He has allowed me to continue to minister and love my sister and neighbor right up until the last week we were here in Africa? The magnitude of the blessing of seeing the fruit of our labor is an added blessing! All along, I thought that I was taking “Z” to the village to help me, but in reality, she was learning and grasping how to apply God’s Word to life. Praise the Lord…GREAT things HE has done!

“Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our hearts before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.” 1 John 3:18-20

Editor’s Note: Praise God for the fruit evident in Z’s life as she uses what she learned from this missionary to be a blessing to others. Praise God that his work continues in our absence!

http://missionaryblogdigest.wordpress.com/2013/05/07/seeing-the-fruit/

Mar 30
Love0

Testimony from a Roman

By Uncategorized

As I write this, it is Saturday March 30.  Tomorrow is Easter for those denominations who use the Easter dates established by the Gregorian calendar.

Easter.  What a joyous word for Christians, recalling as it does the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead after His crucifixion.  During the early church, Easter was the most important celebration of the year, bar none.  Christmas celebrations were not evident until sometime in the 300s, but the events of Easter, being as they were the foundation of Christianity, resonated within the church from its earliest days.

Yet I am always mindful that Easter, with all its joy, is a culmination.  It is Act 2, if you will, of a play written and directed by God the Father, in which God the Son was the sole star.  And I cannot think of Act 2, without thinking of Act 1.  Without the Crucifixion, there would be no Easter.

So walk with me as I muse on some aspects of the Crucifixion that don’t always receive a lot of attention.

The Roman legions were the finest military on the face of the Earth at that time.  Their soldiers were very hard, very tough men, who served a 25 year enlistment.  And unlike modern American military practice, they were not usually transferred from station to station.  They tended to stay in one location for years.  The legion assigned to the area including Judea was the Legio VI Ferrata, or the Legion VI Ironclad.  It was primarily based in Syria, near Damascus, but there were detachments of troops in various places, including Jerusalem.

Why do we care about Roman soldiers?  Because they are laced throughout the Crucifixion accounts, beginning with the arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Judas then, having received the Roman cohort, and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons….So the Roman cohort and the commander, and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him, and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.  John 18:3, 12-14 NASB

The Passion begins with a Roman cohort being part of the people sent to arrest Jesus.  It may have been the cohort of legion auxiliaries (think of them as non-Roman citizens serving in the Roman army) that was the normal garrison in Jerusalem, or it may have been a cohort of regular legionaries brought down from Damascus by Pilate when he came to Jerusalem at this time.  It doesn’t matter which.  They were there when Christ was arrested, and they delivered him to the priests who had ordered the arrest of Jesus.

After the farce of a trial that Jesus endured, Matthew, Mark, and John all record that Jesus was severely beaten and whipped by the Roman soldiers.  Matthew and Mark record that the entire Roman cohort was gathered to participate in this.  If the cohort was at full strength, this would have been close to five hundred men.

So as many as five hundred men participated in systematically beating and abusing Jesus, and according to scripture they laughed and jeered as they did it.

Once they had had their fun, Jesus was taken to be crucified.  That was also done by Roman soldiers.  We know this for two reasons:  first, the Jewish courts did not have the authority to exact capital punishment.  The Romans had reserved that right to themselves when they took over Judea, Samaria, Galilee, and the surrounding regions after the death of Herod the Great.  So the Crucifixion was ordered by Pilate and would have had to have been carried out by Roman soldiers.  Second, we know the Roman soldiers did it because all four of the gospels record them as being involved.

Mark records that Jesus was crucified about the third hour of the day (Mark 15:25), and that He died about the ninth hour (Mark 15:33-37).  The atoning work of Jesus, necessary for the salvation of all believers of all lands of all history, was compressed into six hours.

And the thing that I want to end with, the thing that I want you to see, occurred at the end of that six hours.

Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.”  Luke 23:47-48 NASB

And when the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”  Mark 15:39 NASB

What I want you to consider was what kind of man this centurion was.  His rank is roughly analogous to a captain in the modern U.S. Army.  He probably had around 80 men under his command.  And to maintain order and discipline in this group of hard, tough men—men who had just beaten and punched out and flogged Jesus—he had to be harder and tougher than they were.  He probably started at the bottom and rose through the ranks.  This was a man who led from the front on the battlefield, who had run his sword into enemies and watched them die.  This was a man who flogged troops guilty of serious infractions of army rules.  This was a man to whom crucifixions were a common occurrence.  This was a hard, hard, hard man, who had no reason to consider Jesus as anything other than foreign trash from a province that had given them trouble in the past.  This was a man who carried out Pilate’s orders to crucify Jesus as a matter of course, handling it in a routine business-like manner, who would ordinarily go back to his room that night and sleep well.

He had crucified men before, maybe dozens of them.  What kind of impact did this crucifixion have—this execution of a wandering itinerant holy man from some scruffy village in Galilee—that it caused this man to take note of it?  This hard man—this hard as nails, hard as a hammer officer to whom blood and death was all part of a day’s work—this man stood looking up at the cross as Jesus died, and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”

A testimony from a Roman.

Even in the moment of His death, Jesus touched a man and changed him.

He would change a world on the third day.

Soli Deo Gloria.

David

 

Mar 28
Love0

Maundy Thursday?

By Uncategorized

Wash

Today is Thursday. Generally a ho-hum day. There is really nothing special about a Thursday. For most it is just another step towards the weekend, another grind to get through. And that is exactly why we need to pay close attention.

This is Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday or Covenant Thursday. Maundy refers to foot washing and specifically to Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. Now there, in this account of Jesus serving these boys, is the colliding of the mundane and the magnificent, the ho-hum and the jaw-dropping.

Foot washing – The ugly step-brother to taking out the trash. The lowest of chores. The thing that had to be done, but no one ever wanted to do it. The job you paper/rock/scissor to get out of. The no praise, no glamour, no fun task that no one signed up for and everyone dropped their heads hoping not to get assigned.

Jesus – THE Firstborn of all creation. THE Author and Perfecter of our faith. THE only child of THE Most High God. THE spotless Lamb. THE Way. THE Truth. THE Life. THE And…

Foot washing and Jesus are a strange combination and yet we all know about it. Let’s be honest we only know about foot washing because of what Jesus has done. The only reason people have painted pictures of it, written songs, and carved statues is because we are humbled and amazed by what Jesus has done.

Last year we studied the book of Revelation with the college students.  When studying Revelation there is no avoiding the wrath of God. Maundy Thursday is a great reminder that One has taken our place, has paid our debt, has become a curse, and suffered the wrath of God so we would not.

Revelation 16 speaks of blood as part of the judgment the world will face. The waters will be turned to blood and there will be nothing else to drink. It even goes on to say “They deserve it“.  Ironically, on that same Thursday where Jesus washes His disciples feet He calls them to drink His blood (Matt 26:27-28, “ And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”). He leaves for the garden and sweats blood (Luke 22:44, “And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.”)

Jesus was crushed for our sins. He took our shame, our curse, our punishment which we deserved. He took the very form of a servant and modeled for us how to follow.

Colossians 2:13-15 says,

“When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.“

Let us not miss the beauty of what God has done by moping through another Thursday.

It is not mundane. It’s Maundy Thursday.

His foot washing was not just another thing. It was the Lamb/King humbly serving those who deserved punishment. We deserve punishment, but in His grace we find rescue. It’s not ho-hum, but rather humbling and truly awe-inspiring.

Mar 28
Love0

What Rob Bell Talks About When He Talks About God

By Uncategorized
by Kyle Beshears

Rob Bell’s latest work What We Talk About When We Talk About God is his first book after the controversial Love Wins.

Bell, former evangelical pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan, moved to California after Love Wins became too divisive of an issue within the church.

Since his departure from his pastoral role, some individuals in the evangelical community have questioned his relevance. Does he even matter any more? Others argue that he does still matter.

I tend to agree with the latter – Bell still matters to our culture, and we need to be keenly aware of his sway over the spiritual matters of our day. So, when Rob Bell writes a book about God, I think it’s important to give it a look and separate the good from the bad and the ugly.

Others have already given much better reviews than I could ever give. There will no doubt be many more reviews coming, but there are a few things that crossed my mind as I read through the book that I wanted to share.

So, what does Rob Bell talk about when he talks about God?

SUMMARY

First, a quick summary of the book. What We Talk About is a quick read – don’t let the 207 pages fool you. In typical Rob Bell form, the book is

empty and

white and

small and

bite-size and

filled with run-on sentence after run-on sentence to give you a sense of urgency! followed bycalmness and reflection because Rob Bell is avant-guard.

So, if you choose, pick up a copy and skim through it in a couple of hours.

But, when it’s all said and done, What We Talk About argues that science is slowly proving that God exists. The God that science is discovering is a God who is for us as humanity and will save the world by pulling us forward through history to a more evolved, enlightened, and better future.

So, Bell invites (or warns), join in the trajectory that God is pulling culture or be left behind.

THE GOOD

There are good aspects to What We Talk About. Like most of Bell’s writing, I agree with about 50% of what I read. I want to like him for his amazing communication skills and boldness to maintain (if even loosely) a Christian identity, but it’s that other 50% that makes me cringe at the thought that people might be influenced by the theologically baneful aspects of his writings. Especially because of that Christian identity.

So what was the good?

Bell kicks off the book by bringing to the reader’s attention current scientific discoveries that are forcing us to realize that the universe is much, much weirder and unpredictable than we ever thought. He argues that there is plenty of room for God in science. Indeed, science is actually providing evidence that such a being could exist.

This is great stuff for conversations with atheists and agnostics. It’s very compelling and begins to break down the rigid divide of Science v. Faith.

Also, along the same lines, Bell reminds his readers that the spiritual isn’t categorically separated from everything else. We don’t have a spiritual life – life itself is spiritual.

In fact, God’s creation of the human body and soul are connected to each other, which is why the resurrection of Jesus was a real, physical and spiritual event. It’s also why the resurrection at the end will be both a physical and spiritual event. Heaven is not simply a spiritual, ethereal dimension lacking any tangible matter. Heaven will be a combination of both – much like it is now – only recreated without sin and death.

But just before the reader begins to think along the lines of pantheism, that God is literally everything, Bell puts the kibosh on that (Pg. 109) and maintains that God is both separate from creation as its Creator yet intimately involved.

This is a reminder I think we all need once in a while. The spiritual and the material aren’t categorically separated. Need proof? Just look at the incarnation of God where the spiritual meets the physical in Jesus.

THE BAD

Unfortunately, What We Talk About seems to be a continued departure of Rob Bell from biblical Christianity. Of the many examples in the book, the one that stuck out the most to me was on Pg 128.

“It’s time for a radical reclaiming of the fundamental Christian message that God is for us. God, according to Jesus, is for us because God loves us.”

This sounds great, but it’s also greatly misleading. Yes, God loves us, but God isn’t necessarilyfor us; rather, God is absolutely for Himself and His glory.

Why? Because God, according to Jesus, is for His own glory and invites us along in a radical reformation of our lives, minds, and souls for now into eternity.

God is not on anyone’s side but His own. If we claim otherwise, we fall into the very same tribalistic trap that Bell has accused many religious institutions of falling into – God is on my side but definitely not theirs. Or we might believe that God is our own personal, divine life coach – God is on my side to make me a better me.

*cue applause from Joel Osteen fans*

On the other hand, if we believe God is on God’s side and invites us along, then we will come to understand that everything we do and are we owe to Him.

This dramatically shifts our focus off ourself and onto God. Because, at the end of the day, we were created by God to worship Him and to reflect His glory. We messed that up, but by God’s grace, we’re invited to participate in how He’s fixing it.

This is displayed in a very intimate prayer that Jesus prayed before His crucifixion. John 17:1-2(emphasis added) reads:

“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to…”

Pause there for a second. What do you suppose comes after?

God gave Jesus authority over us all to be for us? To encourage us to be the very best us we can be? To pull us forward in a trajectory of an ever-evolving culture? No…

“…to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.”

There it is. Eternal life through Jesus to the glory of God. That is the fundamental Christian message – not that God is for us, but that God is for His own glory and invites us to experience that glory through eternal life starting now and spanning through eternity.

THE UGLY

I have to admit, Bell has four really great lines about the gospel in What We Talk About. But then later deflates the amazing point these first four make, which turns out to be the ugliest part of the book in my opinion.

“Gospel insists that God doesn’t wait for us to get ourselves polished, shined, proper, and without blemish – God comes to us and meets us and blesses us while we are still in the middle of the mess we created.”

Absolutely.

“Gospel isn’t us getting it together so that we can have God’s favor; gospel is us finding God exactly in the moment of our greatest not-togetherness.”

Amen!

“Gospel is grace, and grace is a gift. You don’t earn a gift; you simply receive it. You don’t make it happen; you wake up to what has already happened.”

Hallelujah!!

“Gospel isn’t doing enough good to be worthy; it’s your eyes being opened to your unworthiness and to Jesus’s insistence that that was never the way it worked in the first place.”

Preach it, brother!!!

But then, the ugly. Bell later concludes that the gospel accomplishes all this through Jesus, “announcing who we truly are and then reminding us of this over and over and over again (Pgs 151-152).”

This is completely contrary to the gospel.

Jesus accomplished (past tense) our liberation from sin and death on the cross, then proved it by His resurrection three days later. Now, today, God saves us by that work, His grace, and through faith. He then sustains us in our salvation through Jesus, announcing who He truly is and then reminding us of His person and work over and over and over again.

Throughout What We Talk About Bell has shifted the focus of the gospel away from Jesus and onto the individual. This is perhaps the most dangerous aspect to the entire book.

We cannot take the focus of the gospel off Jesus and onto ourselves, even for a moment. The gospel is about Jesus, not about us. But the gospel is for us. If Bell wanted to write about what isfor us, then he could have picked the gospel.

Bell has blurred a very fine line that can cause a lot of confusion in our lives. God is not for us, God is for His glory. The gospel is not about us, but it is for us.

Bell needs to shift the focus off of us and back onto God – that’s truly avant-guard, revolutionary, controversial, novel, fresh. In today’s modern (evolved and trajectory-driven) world, we are becoming more and more humanity-centered. It’s all about us. And Bell falls right in line with this us-centeredness.

So, what does Rob Bell talk about when he talks about God?

Us. And God is simply the supporting actor.

———-

Kyle Beshears lives in Cambridge, England, is the author of Robot Jesus and Three Other Jesuses You Never Knew and blogs at Dear Ephesus on church issues and apologetics. This article was originally posted here.

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