Suffering's Goal

There is no distinction between suffering in the sense of persecution for your faith and suffering in general.

Regardless of the kind of suffering, Satan’s goal is always to destroy your faith and God’s goal is always to strengthen your faith.

Tom Bosworth
Notes from Desiring God Conference

God Is The Issue

"We can trace all our human problems to our view of God." ~ Bill Bright

I just discovered a link to a wonderful resourse for every believer. Bradley Brights book God Is The Issue is now available to be downloaded for free at discovergod.com

I encourage you to that advantage of this incredible opportunity. His writing is very powerful, and very needed by every believer.

Trying to suppress cultural symptoms apart from the larger context of God's identity has proven futile. It's like patching the surface cracks in the walls of a house while ignoring an unstable foundation. The cracks will return unless the foundation is repaired.

Too often we find ourselves reacting to symptoms such as abortion and same sex marriage, instead of recognizing the real problem–our view of God. We must stop reacting and begin to reframe just as the Apostle Paul did in Athens.

Making God the issue is the only issue on which all the others issues stand or fall. If we win the battle over who God is, we will win all the other battles. If we lose the battle over who God is we will lose all the other battles. This is the pivotal choice of our time.

Yours for making GOD the issue,

Brad Bright

Bradley R. Bright is President & CEO of the Bright Media Foundation, and the National Director of DISCOVER GOD, a strategy with the goal of changing the way Americans view God - first in the Church and then throughout the culture.

I Believe!

Enjoy "Creation Calls" by Brian Doerksen.

Raising the Dead to Life

“Christianity isn’t merely about making good people better; it’s about raising the dead to life.”

~ Robert Capon

The dead spots in all of our lives are precisely the ones Jesus tends to aim his full focus, for while they remain in us, we can’t be whom we were meant to be. For Jesus wants us whole, and as CS Lewis said in Mere Christianity, He is not going to finish with us until the whole work is done.

When we are willing to come face to face with our individual, unique blind spot, holding our Lord’s hand while we summon this courage, we can find that our worst problem has been trying to tell us something important—as all pain does.

But once we listen to what it has to tell us, willing at last to accept God’s power within us to change it, then the dark cloud over that part of our lives can lift, revealing the brightest of sunshine.

~ Stephen Reed

On Worship

Worship is the believer’s response of all that they are – mind, emotions, will, body – to what God is and says and does.

~ Warren Wiersbe, Real Worship, p. 26

I've been pondering worship today. I participated in worship this weekend - four services in all - and it had an incredible impact on me.

I was profoundly affected by the truths we were singing. Much of what we sang was directly taken from Scripture. All of it was truths about God, His character and His greatness.

Expressing truth thru music and worship has such a way of capturing hearts. I feel it happen in my own heart. My eyes are taken off however I am feeling or anything I have brot with me emotionally to church, and is directed to the only One who is worthy of praise.

I see it in other members the worship team and choir. I see the tears on the faces around me, hear the emotion in voices as the Word move deeply in hearts softened by worship. Words seem to be sung more passionately with each service because they are set deeper in our hearts each time we sing them. That is, at least, what I feel.

There are even moments we can't sing. Twice this happened to Jared this morning. Instead of leading in the next verse he had to simply take a moment and lift his hands to the Lord, as the musicians continuing playing till he could sing again.

I see it in a director that is so moved by the Truth of the words she stops directing the choir in the middle of a song and raised her hands in worship. I have never seen or experienced this type of directing before.

And I see it in the church body as they sing with us. I can't even describe what it is like to see glimpses of what is happening in hearts during worship, but it's amazing, incredible and powerful. I am so blessed to be a tiny part of such a powerful work of God. How great is our God!

Click and enjoy a moment of worship in your day!

How Great is our God

The splendour of the King, robed in majesty

Let all the earth rejoice, all the earth rejoice

He wraps Himself in light, and darkness tries to hide

And trembles at His voice, trembles at His voice

How great is our God,

Sing with me, how great is our God

And all we see how great....how great is our God!

And age to age He stands, and time is in His hand

Begining and the end, begining and the end

The Godhead three in one - Father, Spirit, Son

The lion and the lamb, the lion and the lamb

Here's another definition of worship I like:

Christian worship is the response of God’s redeemed people to His self-revelation that exalts God’s glory in Christ in our minds, affections, and wills, in the power of the Holy Spirit.” ~ Bob Kauflin

Christian worship…is different from every kind of worship because it has been made possible through Jesus Christ. Revelation 5:9-10

Is the response…God has already done something outside of us and inside of us that enables us to worship Him. We are not the initiators of worship; God is. Acts 17:24-31

Of God’s redeemed people…Just as God delivered the nation of Israel from Egypt to worship Him Exodus 8:1, so He has redeemed us as a holy nation to declare His praises. 1 Peter 2:9 Worship of God is intended to be corporate, not simply personal.

To his self-revelation…we can’t know God apart from Him revealing Himself to us. He has shown Himself to us in creation, His Word, and ultimately His Son. Romans 1:20

That exalts…the essence of worship is exalting - raising up, lifting high, submitting to, magnifying, making much of, honoring, reverencing, celebrating – the triune God. Psalm 71:19

God’s glory in Christ…Moses asked God to show him his glory and God passed before him and proclaimed his nature. Exodus 34:6-7. God has enabled us to see His glory in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

In our minds…worship involves thinking, meditating, reflecting, processing, evaluating, understanding what God has revealed to us of Himself. Romans 12:1-2

Affections…true worship involves the heart as well as the head. We worship what we love and value the most. (Mt. 22:37-38)

And wills…If we are truly worshipping God, we will truly be transformed. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 Our choices will reflect our profession that God is supreme in our lives. Romans 12:1-2

In the power of the Holy Spirit…We are those who worship by the Spirit of God, Philippians 3:3, and depend on His leading and enabling.

Contentment

How can we learn contentment?

~ J. R. Miller, "The Hidden Life" 1895

"I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." Philippians 4:11

How can we learn contentment?

One step toward contentment, is patient submission to unavoidable ills and hardships. No earthly lot is perfect. No mortal ever yet in this world, has found a set of circumstances without some drawback.

There are . . .trials which we cannot change into blessings, burdens which we cannot lay down, crosses which we must continue to carry, thorns in the flesh which must remain with their rankling pain.

When we have such trials, why should we not sweetly accept them as part of God’s best way with us?

Discontent never made . . . a rough path smoother, a heavy burden lighter, a bitter cup less bitter, a dark way brighter, a sore sorrow less sore.

It only makes matters worse! One who accepts with patience, that which he cannot change–has learned one secret of victorious living.

Another part of the lesson, is that we can learn to moderate our desires. "Having food and clothing," says Paul again, "let us be content with these." Very much of our discontent arises from envy of those who seem to be more favored than ourselves.

Many people lose most of the comfort out of their own lot–in coveting the finer, more luxurious things which some neighbor has. Yet if they knew the whole story of the life they envy for its greater prosperity, they probably would not exchange for it their own lowlier life, with its more humble circumstances. Or if they could make the exchange, it is not likely they would find half so much real happiness in the other position, as they would have enjoyed in their own.

Contentment does not dwell so often in palaces–as in the homes of the humble. The tall peaks rise higher, and are more conspicuous–but the winds smite them more fiercely than they do the quiet valleys. And surely, the lot in life which God makes for us–is always the best which could be made for us for the time. He knows better than we do–what our true needs are.

The real cause of our discontent is not in our circumstances; if it were, a change of circumstances might cure it. It is in ourselves, and wherever we go–we shall carry our discontent heart with us. The only cure which will affect anything–must be the curing of the fever of discontent in us.

A fine secret of contentment, lies in finding and extracting all the pleasure we can get from the things we have–the common, everyday things; while we enter upon no mad, vain chase after impossible dreams. In whatever state we are in–we may find therein enough for our need.

Laminin

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

I dare you to watch this!

"For by Him (Christ) all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.

All things were created through Him and for Him, and He is before all things, and in Him all things are held together."

~ Colossians 1:21

FIREPROOF

There is a new movie coming out September 26 I hope you'll make an effort to see. It's called FIREPROOF.

FIREPROOF is the third feature film from Sherwood Pictures the creators of FACING THE GIANTS and FLYWHEEL. Described as a hope-filled, heartfelt storytelling from the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church.

Here's a glimpse of the plot:

At work, inside burning buildings, Capt. Caleb Holt lives by the old firefighter's adage: Never leave your partner behind. At home, in the cooling embers of his marriage, he lives by his own rules.

Growing up, Catherine Holt always dreamed of marrying a loving, brave firefighter...just like her daddy. Now, after seven years of marriage, Catherine wonders when she stopped being "good enough" for her husband.

Regular arguments over jobs, finances, housework, and outside interests have readied them both to move on to something with more sparks.

As the couple prepares to enter divorce proceedings, Caleb's father challenges his son to commit to a 40-day experiment: "The Love Dare."

Wondering if it's even worth the effort, Caleb agrees-for his father's sake more than for his marriage. When Caleb discovers the book's daily challenges are tied into his parents' newfound faith, his already limited interest is further dampened.

You can visit their web site to view the trailer...and here's a great article from Family Life's Dennis Rainey "Nine Steps To Fireproof Your Marriage."

Vitamins For Your Marriage

I really had to laugh when I read Beth Moore's oldest daughter Amanda describe this book as being "like vitamins for your marriage", but it's so true!

I too, highly recommend "Devotions For A Sacred Marriage" by Gary Thomas.

Here's a marriage vitamin for your day:

"Personal worship is an absolute necessity for a strong marriage. It comes down to this: If I stop receiving from God, I start demanding from others.

Instead of appreciating and loving and serving others, I become disappointed in them. Instead of cherishing my husband, I become aware of his shortcomings. I take out my frustrations with a less-than-perfect life and somehow blame him for my lack of fulfillment.

But when my heart gets filled by God's love and acceptance, I'm set free to love instead of worrying about being loved. I'm motivated to serve instead of becoming obsessed about whether I'm being served. I'm moved to cherish instead of feeling unappreciated."

A Soul Filled With God - Pg 9

P.S. I'm looking forward to an afternoon seminar by Gary Thomas at my Church - Bellingham CTK - on October 12.

His Bigness...My Smallness

I've been following Dr Del Tackett's trip to the Grand Canyon on his personal blog. He traveled there with other scholars and professionals to examine the geographical evidence as it relates to the Great Flood. It is a fascinating read.

Having spent some time in the canyons these past two summers I have truly enjoyed following his experiences and insights.

He recently posted his "final reflections" and this was his closing comment.

"I learned a lot of lessons in the Canyon. The biggest was my smallness…the ultimate smallness of man in the face of an infinite, holy and just God. The unthinkable might and power of God as He uses the physical elements of His creation in contrast to my own personal smallness and weakness.

Jesus said that apart from Him, we can do nothing…we are nothing.

Funny, isn’t it? It was there in the book all the time."

So true! I have felt it.

As the Hurricane Approaches

By: Jon Bloom

Like many of you, we have relatives and friends that live directly in the path of this storm. Events like this remind us that “here we have no lasting city” (Heb. 13:14). Everything can shake. Everything can be destroyed. We are very small and not in control.

The Lord wants us to remember those in distress and pray for them. He loves to answer prayer. We don’t want to fail in doing that.

And he also wants us to take shelter in his massive sovereignty. Here is what I wrote this morning to a dear friend who lives in the path of the storm’s eye:

The Lord of every storm and every rain drop and every wind gust and every house and every street and every tree and every power line and every car and every life will “never leave you nor forsake you. Therefore we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not fear, what can man [or nature] do to me’” (Heb 13:5-6).

For I am sure that neither tribulation nor distress nor persecution nor famine nor nakedness nor sword nor death nor life nor angels nor rulers nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:35, 38-39).

Ike is no match for Jesus Christ. Even the winds and water obey his commands (Luke 8:25). All his disciples are safe in his boat, even as the winds rage and the waves slap over the sides.

Spiritual Stirrups

The quote I have pondered today:

"Luther said the devil doesn't care which side of the horse we fall off of—as long as we don't stay in the saddle. A saddle has two stirrups. To stay in the saddle, the church needs to mount the horse with one foot solidly in the stirrup of truth, and the other solidly in the stirrup of grace."

From Randy Alcorn's "The Grace And Truth Paradox"

A Treasure!

I just found the link to an amazing web site - the complete English Standard Version Bible is available on-line. You can read is, browse it, search it, compare it, print it, study it...and even hear it! I just listened to Ephesians 1.

Described as " a new, essentially literal translation that combines word-for-word precision and accuracy with literary excellence, beauty and readability".

This is an incredible resource for every believer. I am so excited! Check it out and see what you think.

http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/

“The ESV satisfies the preaching, memorizing, studying, and reading needs of our church, from children to adults. We are building all of our future ministry around it.” ~ John Piper

“After twenty years of teaching God’s Word and changing translations I have found at last, by God’s grace, a translation that is easy to read and immensely accurate. The ESV is the new first choice for serious students and careful communicators of God’s unchanging Word.”
~ James MacDonald

“Having now read through the ESV several times in my personal devotional life, I have adopted it as the primary text for my teaching and writing ministry. My hope is that the ESV will draw millions of people into the reading and study of God’s Word and into a more intimate relationship with the God of the Word.”
~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss

“Retaining the majesty of language with the clarity of thought, the English Standard Version is a grand accomplishment.”
~ Dr. Ravi Zacharias

“The ESV represents a new level of excellence in Bible translations—combining unquestionable accuracy in translation with a beautiful style of expression. It is faithful to the text, easy to understand, and a pleasure to read. This is a translation you can trust.”
~ Dr. R. Albert Mohler

I Choose to Trust

This post is for anyone who needs to know today that you can trust your God. He is near.

"Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10

"Trust is the antidote to anxiety; it's the resolution of worry and the destruction of fear.

Trust is the act of my will to give my burdens to God. It's like a muscle--as you exercise it, trust gets stronger.

Trust is walking forward moment by moment, having rolled your burden onto God. You've no doubt said, "I gave it to God once, but here it is again in my grip." When you sense that you've taken it back again, get back on your knees, get the burden back on God, get on your feet again, and continue to trust.

Trust means you anchor your heart in the reality of God's awareness of your situation. He sees more than you can ever see.

God, who loves you and is committed to you, will not disappoint you now or in the future if you put your weight fully on Him."

~ James MacDonald

I wonder.....

Ok, this is a random post, but thot I would just get it out there, cause I've been wondering about this for nearly three weeks now:

I was holding my Bible in church a few weeks ago, slowly paging thru it, enjoying all the familiar verses, words and phrases on each page, when suddenly I wondered how much of the Bible I have actually read....and how much I have missed?

Wouldn't it be interesting if everything in the Bible that I have ever read would be suddenly be highlighted in yellow so I could see exactly what parts I have read...and missed.

And then it occurred to me: I have never ever actually, physically, deliberately, succinctly read thru the entire Bible.

Wow, that really hit me hard. I grew up in the church, had 12 yrs of Christian education, have studied and taught the Word ever since then...I absolutely know I have read most of the Bible....but I am also absolutely sure I haven't read it all....and that is a very hard thot for me.

In fact, this has nearly consumed thinking. Oh...what have I missed?

I am now making it my goal to read completely thru the Bible....this year, and I can't wait. Anyone willing to join me?

Quote to Ponder

"As long as we are finite and fallen, Christian faith will mean both delighting in the (past) incarnation and desiring the (future) consummation.

It will be both contentment and dissatisfaction. And the dissatisfaction will grow directly out of the measure of contentment that we have known in Christ."

~ John Piper
A Hunger for God, p. 43.

What Impresses God

Thot I would pass on this recent post from Mark Altrogge:

Last week I caught part of the opening ceremony of the Olympics, reportedly planned and rehearsed for 5 years, and costing $300 million to stage.

It featured 15,000 Chinese performers. 33,866 fireworks were fired off – almost as many as our local Indiana County Fair on July 4th. It was probably the largest and most expensive show ever produced. Especially cool was the performance of 2000 drummers in playing in perfect synchronization. Obviously, China wanted to impress.

But China’s government is not impressive.

“They hung me up across an iron gate, then they yanked open the gate and my whole body lifted until my chest nearly split in two. I hung like that for four hours.”

This is how Peter Xu Yongze (age 61), describes how he was treated during one of five jail sentences in China because of his belief in Christ. Christians are not allowed to evangelize in China, and it’s against the law to worship in any group or home outside state sanctioned churches. To do so is to risk fines, imprisonment, torture and even death.

While he was in prison, one of the jailers told Mr. Xu the only way to avoid breaking the law would be if he prayed under the covers in bed.

“A believer was praying, so a jailer made other prisoners lift him up to the ceiling and drop him to the ground many times until he died,” Mr. Xu said. (BBC News, Nov 9, 2004)

House church leader Zhou Heng, who manages a state registered bookstore, was arrested on Aug. 31, 2007, for receiving 3 tons of Bibles that had been donated by South Korean churches and intended for free distribution to local Christians. The government only allows state churches to print and distribute a limited number of Bibles yearly. It is reported that in prison Zhou was beaten severely by both guards and inmates. He was still in prison as of this past February. (The Christian Post, Feb.7, 2008)

The Lord who spoke the worlds into existence is not impressed by our pomp and technology and fireworks. But he is impressed by his people glorifying him despite persecution by a wicked government. His eyes are on his precious sheep singing his praises behind closed doors of their homes or praying under their prison covers.

When you watch the Olympics this week, lift up a prayer for the persecuted saints in China. Ask Jesus to have mercy on them, fill them with his joy and give them the grace to persevere. Ask Jesus to bring his kingdom, the most impressive kingdom of all, to earth.

Worth More Than Gold

As the eyes of the world focus on China during the Olympic games, may the heart of God's people focus on prayer for China.

More than 1.2 billion Chinese - nearly one-fifth of the world population - do not know Christ! Many have never even heard.

Will you intercede? Will you join me in praying for China.

Praying...for the glory of God

This summer I have undertaken an intense study of the Lord's Prayer inspired by a powerful message Pastor Jason Hubbard presented on Fathers Day. It changed me.

Tonite I was reading thru a sermon by John Piper and found this on mature prayer. I challenge you to ponder it with me. Enjoy!

We all know the difference between immature prayer and mature, God-centered prayer. We know we are in a different atmosphere—a higher one—when we hear someone pray with the priorities that Jesus teaches. It sounds something like this:

"Father, we long to see you honored more and more in our church and our city. Cause your name to be hallowed among us. Magnify your worth and your glory in our midst. And let your kingdom come. Take up your kingly rule more and more fully over our church and our lives and our families and our city. And hasten the day of Christ's final appearing. Meet our physical needs we pray, so that we can press on with joy in the work you call us to for your name's sake. Forgive us, O Lord, where we have sinned and fallen short of your glory. And keep us from entangling temptations that will trip us up and bring reproach upon your name. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen."

There are a thousand ways to say that. My plea is not that you use my words, but that you have Jesus' priorities and that you express them in your praying, namely, that the Father's name be hallowed and that his kingdom come.

If this feels foreign to you, if you never plead for the name of God to be hallowed or the kingdom of God to come, don't be content today to stay stuck at that immature level of praying. Instead say in a fresh, new way to God this week: Father, hallow your name IN MY LIFE, IN MY PRAYING this year as never before.

The promise that will encourage you in following Jesus' direction on this first point comes from Ezekiel 36:23, "I will vindicate the holiness of my great name . . . and the nations will know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes." God's name WILL be vindicated among all the nations as true and glorious. But he has decreed that we will have a hand in this triumph through prayer.

So make the glory of God the center of your prayers. Pray again and again, with as many different words as you can think of, "Father, let your name be hallowed and let your kingdom come!"

Brokenness

Have you ever been broken? Brokenness is empty-handedness before God. It has no demands; it make no requests. It is falling into the embrace of your loving Father and finding Him to be enough. It is not just saying, “God, I need You,” but “God, You are all I need.”

~ James MacDonald