Evangelism Article

There's a wonderful article on evangelism HERE.

It's right. Except for the infant baptism thing.

Read it, especially if you're reformed.

Legalizing Polygamy

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/01/21/8101186-ap.html

Now, that's just consistency.

And the end of it is throwing out any sort of morality altogether. Either there is an absolute, personal, knowable standard - or there's no standard at all.

Read: It's the Bible or nothin'.

To the preacher and critical people

And I am both a preacher and a criticizer...

our Lord has said, "Disaster is upon you lawyers, as well, since you load people with burdens that are hard to carry, and you don't raise one of your fingers to help carry the burdens!" (Luke 11:46)

Oh that we would all help each other... that you'd help me and I you. None of us can change our inward sinfulness - only Christ. We need cleansing within, and only One can clean us.

Is what you believe consistent with itself?

A 'worldview' is pretty much the lenses through which a person interprets reality. It's the big 'grand story' that explains everything in reality.

Christianity is a worldview.
Naturalism is a worldview. It says that everything that exists and that happens can be explained through observable, natural causes. It thus denies the existence of anything immaterial or spiritual.
Postmodernism is a worldview. It says that truth cannot be known, and therefore to judge anyone's worldview as false is impossible.
Nihilism is a worldview. It says that there's no meaning in anything. It's atheistic. It says that morality doesn't exist. It leads to despair, for beauty, meaning, morality are all subjective and ultimately pointless.

There are only two worldviews that are consistent with themsleves. Christianity and Nihilism.

Starting Points...

You know, I was thinking about how we should present the Gospel tonight. And I really just had a thought. I mean, surely it's not wrong to seek comon ground, or to start with creation and explain everything....

But really, the good news is about a person: Jesus. It's about him being God. And it's about our Creator freely choosing to die in the place of his creations - for their being with him forever. And it's about him rising to dead and ruling the world forever.

That's good news. And that's the glory of God.

Hellworthy

The nice guy neighbor with the nice family whom he loves - if he loves them for any other reason than the glory of God -

is guilty of rebellion against his maker - just as the man who is living a homosexual lifestyle.

And deserves hell.

And it's because neither of them is giving God the honor due him.

There's only one man who ever did glorify God like we all should.

His name is Jesus.

And he forgives all those who submit themselves to him as Creator, King, God.

Prayer Circles

Here's a helpful tip regarding prayer: think of your life as concentric circles of involvement.

So the inner circle is you. Then the next outer one is your spouse. The next outer one is your immediate family. The next outer one is your local church. The next is the Church. The next is your country. The next is our world.

I start in the inner circle and work my way out. In each circle I have four categories of prayer -

-the manifestation of God's rule (Kingdom) for his glory)
-casting up my anxieties regarding that circle
-confessing sins in each circle
-thanking God for what he's doing in each circle

Hypocrisy about Prayer

So I was going to say something about how we need to pray...

but then I thought, maybe I should say this instead: what's easier for you, criticizing others or turning the sword of God's holy word on yourself (Hebrews 4:12)

and confessing your sins to others (James 5:16)

?

Light and Darkness

Today, part of my daily Scripture reading was 1 John 1. I do hope you'll read it. It begins thus:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

What a punch this has! Jesus IS eternal life. He is God made flesh to show his glory to man to save him! And John proclaims Jesus to people he's not with - and that results in a mystical bond, a friendship, a camaraderie, a love between not only the people - but with God himself.

And that - being in the presence of God the Father and of God the Son with our brothers and sisters in Christ through the Holy Spirit - THAT brings us to fulness of happiness.

Let's look at the message of Jesus as recorded by John. Again, this is God's word. Don't skim it.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

If we're with God in the light, we're truth-tellers, we enjoy the camaraderie of God's Church, and Jesus' blood cleanses us.

But what's this 'light' vs. 'dark' business? Should we just assume we know what it means?

Perhaps this will help us understand the passage.

Darkness is associated with judgment from God, a lack of understanding, the bringing of fear, and gloom. And even Satan. It is associated with hiding one's actions - sinning.

Light is associated with grace from God, wisdom, righteousness, truth and confession, trust in God, the LORD himself, Jesus himself, and the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus.

How'd I get that? Click here.

Now, that helps, doesn't it?

To be in the light... what's it mean? To trust Jesus. To cling to Jesus. To love Jesus, delight in Jesus, and to obey Jesus.

It means to be vitally, vibrantly connected to the life-giver, our creator, Jesus, the Son of the living God.

And if we are, as the song says, we have mystic, sweet communion with Jesus and his people; we have forgiveness of sins; we have eternal life!

Now, I should state, this isn't about wavering between dark and light based on our actions. It's about who we are. It's the gospel. Come to the Light of the World! He will justify you. He will cleanse you. He will be your delight and your joy and your loving King!



Wow. Praise the LORD!

I'm Batman

Right now, I'm watching The Dark Knight, which I must say, I think is one of the best movies of all time.

I think one of the reasons that dudes like stuff like this has to do with our makeup as men. We all want to be Batman. Or Jack Bauer. Or Iron Man. Or James Bond. Or Mark Driscoll, Tim Keller, or even John Piper.

Reason? Those guys exercise authority. Are courageous. They're everything we want to be.

In other words, we want to be them.

But notice something particular about Batman: he's villified. He sacrifices everything he is - a social life, friends, love, esteem - to do what's right.

Are we that way? Or do we want a reward? Recognition, I think, is one of the carrots the devil dangles in front of us.

Even when we're motivated to do good, Kingdom activities. Why do we do them? To honor Christ? Or to honor ourselves?

But maybe we need to be more like Batman. Die to everything we want to do everything Jesus is worth.