Many Christians around the world are preparing to worship. Nothing as powerful as God’s word to reflect on worship.

When we understand just how sinful we are it is easier to truly appreciate God’s grace in saving us. It is a blessing to gather together as a community of Christians petitioning God directly. An undeserved blessing made possible only through Christ’s life, death and resurrection.

Just how undeserving are we? How much do we realize this? People will talk about how they do not deserves things in life such as spouses, certain friends, family, etc. To the degree to which that is true, how much more do we all not deserve to be adopted children of God looking to inherit eternal life?

Think and reflect on your thoughts and thought life in general. How unholy are your thoughts? Honestly? Think about what you, what we all deserve. Seriously. Honestly. Think.

Now slowly read the passages below and reflect on what Christ has given that you do not deserve. Worship humbly, thankfully and in brotherly love.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:1-11 [ESV]

You might be thinking – Can I really do Christmas for 20 bucks?

Yes, you can. You can do it for someone else. Children. Children in need.

The Christmas list for these children does not include an Xbox, Wii, iPhone, Karaoke machine, laptop, remote controlled helicopter, a robot, DVD, etc. etc. They will not complain nor be disappointed if they get clothes instead of toys.

These are Compassion children and you can read the story, Giving Christmas Back, about how a small (by our standards) gift made a difference. Read more in the archived stories area. It is tough to decide which is harder to believer – that a family of three can barely dine at a fast food joint for under $20 or that only $20 can make a child’s Christmas. What is not tough to decide is which is more memorable.

Whether you sponsor a Compassion child or not, you can make a child’s Christmas for only $20. It’s quick and easy. Just go to their:

• Christmas Gift Program

No wrapping, brainstorming or picking out gifts. Just click and fill-out a few lines and your done.

My wife and I sponsor a Compassion child and it is a blessing to get her letters and send our to her. It is a joy each year to send her a Christmas gift too.

Thanks for considering making a difference for a child at Christmas.

Mark

P.s. I should have posted this sooner. To make sure the gifts get their by Christmas please give as soon as possible.

Doubt sees the obstacles,
Faith sees the way!

Doubt sees the darkest night,
Faith sees the day!

Doubt dreads to take a step,
Faith soars on high!

Doubt questions, “Who believes?”
Faith answers, “I!”

~author unknown

On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther kicked off the Protestant Reformation. His purpose was to reform the church. That did not work, however, and the Catholic church instead responded with the Council of Trent. Today the protest continues as Trent stands in opposition to the biblical and Protestant understanding of the Gospel.

Many of us are thankful what the Lord did through Martin Luther and the other Reformers. Today is a day of celebration for many. For others it is hard to tell if the Reformation really mattered or not. For example, Protestant Timothy George praises the day in his post Reformation Day, but claims that Martin Luther “belongs to the whole church.”

This includes Roman Catholics who anathematized Luther and to whom Luther would not repent of his theological positions.  Or just look through the lack of consensus among “Evangelicals” at the new Evangel blog section at First Things (who many consider to be a Roman Catholic site.)

Who else is scratching their head? Rome’s theological positions have not changed and neither have the Protestant confessions. It is hard to tell what drives people to compromise what both sides once agreed once saw as disagreements over the very thing that defines Christianity: the gospel.  R.C. Sproul gives some insight on theological compromise in his chapter in The Coming Evangelical Crisis: Current Challenges to Authority of Scripture and the Gospel.

All of this being said, it is an immense tragedy when in our day people are making a mad rush to bring peace, seemingly at any price, when there is no real peace. I have frequently felt the burden of pressure to cooperate in this move away from the sufficiency of the gospel now going on in evangelicalism. I feel this burden for the sake of relationships for the sake of peace among evangelicals, and for the sake of simply getting along and not being perceived as a troublesome person. But the gospel and its sole sufficiency demands much more of me than simply “getting along” with everyone. [Armstrong, John H., General Editor. The Coming Evangelical Crisis: Current Challenges to Authority of Scripture and the Gospel. Chicago: Moody Press, 1996. 114.]

I’m sure we have all seen this and felt the pressure. However, trying to erase, ignore, re-write or re-interpret history does not make it go away. It does not make the written infallible dogmas of Rome some how agree with the Protestant confessions in defining the gospel. Whether it is from the pressure of political agendas, friendship or peace there is another side to this. That is those who do agree that Rome and the Protestants have a different gospel, yet are unwilling to say as much. Sproul gives more insight here too.

A friend of mine, another theologian, said to me recently, “R.C., there’s a strange thing going on today.What we have is people who are willing o be evangelicals and to say, ‘Yes, I believe in the gospel of the free grace of Christ,and that justification is by Christ and Christ alone, by faith and by faith alone, by grace and by grace alone.’ These theologians and leaders are willing to say this in their discussions of theology. What they are not willing to do is to speak out against an opposite view.” To put it another way, they are willing to affirm, but they are not as willing to deny. They’re wiling to be positive, but they’re not willing to say anything negative. I have appreciated the way in which theologians involved in the lordship debate of the last ten years or so have frankly admitted that one side or the other is preaching another gospel. At least we are admitting ths this issue is as important and it really is.

I appreciate when people on both sides have been willing to admit, “One of us is not preaching the gospel of the New Testament.” [ibid. 115-116.]

Sproul wrote those words 13 years ago and they are still insightful today. Maybe more so. If the gospel is really at stake, more people like Luther are needed to stand up for this issue which is of eternal significance. I pray for the boldness Luther had in such disagreements. A boldness that is found in Holy of  which the Apostle Paul reminds us.

and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.[Ephesians 6:19-20, ESV]

For the Kingdom.

P.s. Calvin College has put together what looks to be a great online resource: Post-Reformation Digital Library.

P.p.s. Previous Reformation Day posts: 2008, 2007 and 2006.

In An Idol Called Evangelism Dr. Roy Hargrave states that evangelism rather than the glory of God is driving many churches today.

That might be too strong a position for some to fathom. Maybe unbiblical for others. It is not often that evangelism is spoken of in terms of idolatry. It is an uncomfortable question. Evangelism is very important, but people are good at making just about anything into an idol. So – Could there be a valid concern in this area?

Dr. Hargrave understands that evangelism is the “highest and loftiest” in importance for fulfilling the church’s mission. The issue he is tackling is slightly different as expressed on page 8 of An Idol Called Evangelism.

The problem, however, arises when evangelism is considered an end in itself. It is of utmost importance that the church recognizes evangelism as a means to an end-no an end in itself. The end of all things, including evangelism, is God and His manifested glory.

When evangelism is seen in this ligh, the motive becomes worship instead of mere duty, and it is properly centered upon God and not the creature.

I mentioned this page 16 booklet back in 2007 and recently took another look at it. Can evangelism become an idol? Is it? What are your thoughts? What does it look like when evangelism is an idol?

Christians are good at replacing the gospel with religious duties. There is a performance aspect to the Christian life that says-I got saved and now I’m going to do all this stuff to give back to God. It is a tendency to become either practical or actual legalists.

Consider this definition of legalism in light of your own life and religious duties. Truly consider your motivations.

Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience to God.

In other words, a legalist is anyone who behaves as if they can earn God’s approval and forgiveness through personal performance. [Mahaney, C.J.. The Cross Centered Life. Sisters: Multnomah, 2002. 25.]

This is an uncomfortable thought that many Christians would probably deny. However, when one realizes that the only religious duty performed is what no Christian could do-Jesus death and resurrection-he is quickly humbled. Think about it. Be honest.

The legalist allows his performance of spiritual duties to become his preoccupation and a source of self-righteous pride. In doing so, he unwittingly walks away from the main thing-the gospel. [Ibid.34-35]

The effects of piety on the Christian life can become a list of joyless duties of obedience. Legalism. Rest in Christ can become a sleepless night when the Christian loses focus. It is a must to return to Christ for strength and trust in the very gospel that sustains.

“Lord, I ask for Your grace and strength as I seek to serve You today,” I pray. “I thank you that all Your blessings flow to me from Your Son’s work on my behalf. I am justified by Your grace alone. None of my efforts to obey You and grow in sanctification add to Your finished work at the cross.”

What a joy the gospel gives me. I can approach the throne of God with confidence. Not because I have done a good job at my spiritual duties, but because I am clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.[Ibid. 35]

Think of the implications of the gospel as you prepare your heart and mind to worship; as well as the implications for the whole Christian life.

Reformation Day UPDATE!

• In celebration of Reformation Day The Listener’s Bible is offering a FREE down load of Martin Luther’s – Here I Stand read by Max McLean.

• David Powlison helps with how to break porn addiction – Part 1 and Part 2.

• Jonathan says to Beware Your Seminary Professors, they are not your church elders. (Excellent!)

• The Reformed Forum discusses church membership with Guy Waters.

• Maverick Philosopher on global warming – definitions examined and then some questions. (I could have used these sooner.)

• Tullian Tchividjian uses the five solas to show how to identify a reliable preacher.

• Catholic site First Things has a new group of Evangelical bloggers for more information overload.

• Aaron notes D.A. Carson on The Intolerance of Tolerance, if you can handle it.

• Trevin interviews editor-in-chief of World Magazine on his conversion to Christ, conservatism, writing and more – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4.

• Tony is giving away the Top 22 Books for Devotional Christians.

• If you have ever wanted your own ATM machine – here is your chance!

The sixth session of the Council of Trent,the Canons Concerning Justification, anathematizes me how many times?

Else where in the meta Dan Phillips mentioned to me that we should have a contest.

“How many Romish anathemas can you rack up?”

I decided to count the number of anathemas that I am under from the 33 canons on justification. My count is 23 anathemas as I understand the canons. I tried to consider any nuances. Keep in mind that this is only 1 of 25 sessions of Trent.

It is a wonder if the doctrines of faith alone and imputed righteousness matter anymore. Trent has not changed so the wondering is of the Protestant side. It would not be difficult to find evidence that the doctrines are minimized today. One example is the upcoming National Conference on Christian Apologetics to be held at a baptist church which includes three (as best I can tell) Roman Catholics presenters. (As James White mentions the speakers may not have known who they were to share the stage with.) Another example comes from one of the observations from a recent evangelical conference on evangelism at the 9Marks blog.

Jonathan Leeman in Beware Your Seminary Professors writes the following.

Most of the speakers seemed only too happy to treat Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox as “brothers and sisters in the faith,” as easily as a Baptist might refer to a Presbyterian. Now, I trust that some RC and GOs are Christians, but such unqualified, unnuanced passing remarks effectively dismiss the Reformation and jeopardize souls. Don’t you realize the effect your passing comments have on sheep?

There are two recent examples from the evangelical side of things that seem to gloss over the differences between Protestants and Roman Catholics. To compromise the theological differences in an apologetics and an evangelism conference makes no sense. In both of these areas the Gospel is central. These mixes are like oil and water.

The canons in question are listed below. Also, here are two resources explaining sola fide: 1 – An mp3 from the Issues, Etc. radio show: The Reformation and Its Theology: Faith Alone. 2 – Justification by Faith Alone: The Relation of Faith to Justification by Dr. Joel Beeke.

Oh Anathema, My Anathema

Canon 4.
If anyone says that man’s free will moved and aroused by God, by assenting to God’s call and action, in no way cooperates toward disposing and preparing itself to obtain the grace of justification, that it cannot refuse its assent if it wishes, but that, as something inanimate, it does nothing whatever and is merely passive, let him be anathema.

Canon 6.
If anyone says that it is not in man’s power to make his ways evil, but that the works that are evil as well as those that are good God produces, not permissively only but also propria et per se, so that the treason of Judas is no less His own proper work than the vocation of St. Paul, let him be anathema.

Canon 7.
If anyone says that all works done before justification, in whatever manner they may be done, are truly sins, or merit the hatred of God; that the more earnestly one strives to dispose himself for grace, the more grievously he sins, let him be anathema.

Canon 9.
If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone, meaning that nothing else is required to cooperate in order to obtain the grace of justification, and that it is not in any way necessary that he be prepared and disposed by the action of his own will, let him be anathema.

Canon 11.
If anyone says that men are justified either by the sole imputation of the justice of Christ or by the sole remission of sins, to the exclusion of the grace and the charity which is poured forth in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, and remains in them, or also that the grace by which we are justified is only the good will of God, let him be anathema.

Canon 12.
If anyone says that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in divine mercy, which remits sins for Christ’s sake, or that it is this confidence alone that justifies us, let him be anathema.

Canon 13.
If anyone says that in order to obtain the remission of sins it is necessary for every man to believe with certainty and without any hesitation arising from his own weakness and indisposition that his sins are forgiven him, let him be anathema.

Canon 14.
If anyone says that man is absolved from his sins and justified because he firmly believes that he is absolved and justified, or that no one is truly justified except him who believes himself justified, and that by this faith alone absolution and justification are effected, let him be anathema.

Canon 15.
If anyone says that a man who is born again and justified is bound ex fide to believe that he is certainly in the number of the predestined, let him be anathema.

Canon 17.
If anyone says that the grace of justification is shared by those only who are predestined to life, but that all others who are called are called indeed but receive not grace, as if they are by divine power predestined to evil, let him be anathema.

Canon 18.
If anyone says that the commandments of God are, even for one that is justified and constituted in grace, impossible to observe, let him be anathema.

Canon 19.
If anyone says that nothing besides faith is commanded in the Gospel, that other things are indifferent, neither commanded nor forbidden, but free; or that the ten commandments in no way pertain to Christians, let him be anathema.

Canon 20.
If anyone says that a man who is justified and however perfect is not bound to observe the commandments of God and the Church, but only to believe, as if the Gospel were a bare and absolute promise of eternal life without the condition of observing the commandments, let him be anathema.

Canon 23.
If anyone says that a man once justified can sin no more, nor lose grace, and that therefore he that falls and sins was never truly justified; or on the contrary, that he can during his whole life avoid all sins, even those that are venial, except by a special privilege from God, as the Church holds in regard to the Blessed Virgin, let him be anathema.

Canon 24.
If anyone says that the justice received is not preserved and also not increased before God through good works, but that those works are merely the fruits and signs of justification obtained, but not the cause of its increase, let him be anathema.

Canon 25.
If anyone says that in every good work the just man sins at least venially, or, what is more intolerable, mortally, and hence merits eternal punishment, and that he is not damned for this reason only, because God does not impute these works into damnation, let him be anathema.

Canon 26.
If anyone says that the just ought not for the good works done in God to expect and hope for an eternal reward from God through His mercy and the merit of Jesus Christ, if by doing well and by keeping the divine commandments they persevere to the end, let him be anathema.

Canon 27.
If anyone says that there is no mortal sin except that of unbelief, or that grace once received is not lost through any other sin however grievous and enormous except by that of unbelief, let him be anathema.

Canon 29.
If anyone says that he who has fallen after baptism cannot by the grace of God rise again, or that he can indeed recover again the lost justice but by faith alone without the sacrament of penance, contrary to what the holy Roman and Universal Church, instructed by Christ the Lord and His Apostles, has hitherto professed, observed and taught, let him be anathema.

Canon 30.
If anyone says that after the reception of the grace of justification the guilt is so remitted and the debt of eternal punishment so blotted out to every repentant sinner, that no debt of temporal punishment remains to be discharged either in this world or in purgatory before the gates of heaven can be opened,[132] let him be anathema.

Canon 31.
If anyone says that the one justified sins when he performs good works with a view to an eternal reward, let him be anathema.

Canon 32.
If anyone says that the good works of the one justified are in such manner the gifts of God that they are not also the good merits of him justified; or that the one justified by the good works that he performs by the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit an increase of grace, eternal life, and in case he dies in grace, the attainment of eternal life itself and also an increase of glory, let him be anathema.

Canon 33.
If anyone says that the Catholic doctrine of justification as set forth by the holy council in the present decree, derogates in some respect from the glory of God or the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, and does not rather illustrate the truth of our faith and no less the glory of God and of Christ Jesus, let him be anathema.

What did I miss? What did I let slip through?

Thoughts?

Joy and Peace in Believing
By John Newton

1. Sometimes a light surprises
The Christian while he sings;
It is the Lord who rises
With healing in his wings:
When comforts are declining,
He grants the soul again
A season of clear shining,
To cheer it after rain.

2. In holy contemplation,
We sweetly then pursue
The theme of God’s salvation,
And find it ever new:
Set free from present sorrow,
We cheerfully can say,
E’en let th’ unknown to-morrow
Bring with it what it may.

3. It can bring with it nothing
But he will bear us through;
Who gives the lilies clothing,
Will clothe his people too:
Beneath the spreading heavens,
No creature but is fed;
And he who feeds the ravens,
Will give his children bread.

4. Though vine nor fig-tree neither
Their wonted fruit shall bear,
Though all the field should wither,
Nor flocks nor herds be there:
Yet God the same abiding,
His praise shall tune my voice;
For while in him confiding,
I cannot but rejoice.

Today is Blog Action Day 2009. The topic this year is climate change. The most talked about in this area may be global warming. Global warming is here to stay. The question becomes – What are we going to do about it?

Global warming is here, but not necessarily in a literal sense. It exists as an assertion both politically and socially. Recently, Al Gore was asked some inconvenient questions at the Society of Environmental Journalists conference. The British High Court found many errors in Gore’s film and the journalist began asking about those errors until his microphone was turned off.

One of the solutions is an open and honest dialogue without the actions that took place at this conference. The main stream does not even consider sites like Global Warming Hoax or GlobalWarming.org. Instead, Al Gore gets a Nobel Peace prize and the press coverage to push his agenda. It is awfully hard to not call it an agenda when a politician gets his say, turns off microphones to his questioners and recent studies cited from the journal of Geophysical Research Letters get little to no coverage.

A 30-year minimum Antarctic snowmelt record occurred during austral summer 2008–2009 according to spaceborne microwave observations for 1980–2009.

As a Christian, I believe the earth will continue to deteriorate until Christ comes again and brings in the new heaven and new earth. However, this does not diminish responsibility for the world which God has given man dominion over. The disagreement lies with out this is worked out.

The Cornwall Alliance is an organization that offers a more balanced and biblical approach to climate change. Like many issues both sides (the other side) need a better hearing. The proposed solution of government as the solution to alleged global warming may be the easy answer, but not necessarily the right one. It is not clear why so many find comfort in trying to decrease the carbon footprint while increasing Uncle Sam’s. It is a wonder if Al Gore’s carbon footprint has decreased to the point that he calls others’ to since his attempt to fight global warming started.

Thankfully, there are other movements to promote the other side of the debate. One such movement is in the upcoming movie of this trailer promo for the Not Evil Just Wrong: The True Cost of Global Warming Hysteria. Also, more information is available in the press kit.

Praise for the Incarnation
by John Newton

Sweeter sounds than music knows
Charm me in Immanuel’s name;
All her hopes my spirit owes
To his birth, and cross, and shame.

When he came, the angels sung,
“Glory be to God on high;”
Lord, unloose my stamm’ring tongue,
Who should louder sing than I?

Did the Lord a man become,
That he might the law fulfil,
Bleed and suffer in my room,
And canst thou, my tongue, be still?

No, I must my praises bring,
Though they worthless are and weak;
For should I refuse to sing,
Sure the very stones would speak.

O my Saviour, Shield, and Sun,
Shepherd, Brother, Husband, Friend,
Ev’ry precious name in one,
I will love thee without end.

The painting One Nation Under God by Jon McNaughton promotes a Mormon author.

My initial reaction to the painting was that another Christian is using Jesus and the Bible for political propaganda. It seems I was wrong. The evidence points to the artist, Jon McNaughton, as being a Mormon. The name Jon McNaughton can also be found as a speaker at several Book of Mormon Prophecies Conferences.

The photo on the left is taken from McNaughton’s online image of the painting using the zoom feature. As the caption indicates the book on display is The 5000 Year Leap by Mormon author Willard Cleon Skousen.

Not only does this painting propagate Jesus for conservative politics, but Mormonism as well. Conservative, Mormon Glenn Beck has written the foreword to the 30 year anniversary edition of Skousen’s book. This edition has its own web page 5000YearLeap.net showing Beck’s endorsement as well as a promotion of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence. These U.S. documents are mentioned because some think the Glenn Beck might be positioning himself to save the Constitution via the White Horse Prophecy.

Speaking of prophecies, Skousen was no stranger to them as noted in Meet the man who changed Glenn Beck’s life by Alexander Zaitchik who shows how Skousen influenced Beck.

As Beck knows, to focus solely on “The 5,000 Year Leap” is to sell the author short. When he died in 2006 at the age of 92, Skousen had authored more than a dozen books and pamphlets on the Red Menace, New World Order conspiracy, Christian child rearing, and Mormon end-times prophecy. It is a body of work that does much to explain Glenn Beck’s bizarre conspiratorial mash-up of recent months, which decries a new darkness at noon and finds strange symbols carefully coded in the retired lobby art of Rockefeller Center. It also suggests that the modern base of the Republican Party is headed to a very strange place.

A Christian, Mormon and political conflation is what is happening. A Telegraph UK article calls McNaughton a “Christian” artist. Huffington Post commenters point to Christianity. You can find a mocking photo-shopped picture of “Jesus” in the comments at Mother Jones. The center piece of the painting is ‘Jesus’ holding the U.S. Constitution as if this nation is some sort of covenant nation like Old Testament Israel. (Not to mention ‘Jesus’ looks like some male model-type white guy.) All one has to do is pay attention and connect the dots. The world seems to see no difference between religions like Mormonism and Christianity. They seem to connect as if conservative politics + any religion using ‘Jesus’ = Christianity.  Is this the message that conservative Christians want to portray and/or support in anyway?

Conservative politics are not a bad thing, but they do not equal Christianity. Jesus is not coming back wielding the U.S. Constitution. When political fights overshadow those for the Gospel Christianity adds one more cultural roadblock. Jesus did not say,”Use my image to claim what is Caesar’s.” Christians could benefit by being more out spoken explaining, for example, that this painting does not represent Christianity. Or, that Glenn Beck, as entertaining as he may be, is a Mormon not a Christian. There seems to be  silence on these issues when the goal is political change and engagement. However, Christians can agree with others so as to not conflate or hide the Gospel. Christians can speak up and explain their differences and motivations which are grounded in the Gospel.

What next…

Mark

P.s. There is even a spoof of the painting with new image descriptions.

My friend and brother Nathan and I have had a short twitter discussion on whether Christian hip-hop harms the Gospel.

This issue came up in reference to Mark Dever’s recent interview with Christian rappers Shai Linne and Voice. I actually interviewed Christian hip-hop Artist Sho Baraka. Then, I attended the the Don’t Waste Your Life tour concert and posted a review. This should give the readers an idea of where I stand.

The verdict? I do not think Christian hip-hop harms the Gospel. However, Nathan believes that the medium of hip-hop music contradicts and is inconsistent with the message of the Gospel.

It seems that any style of music has the ability to be inconsistent with and contradict the Gospel.

What do you think? Love to know your answer above and explanation in the comments!

Mark

P.S. Nathan is a good friend and neighbor. Please do not be insulting toward him.

What can Christians learn about the Gospel and change from abortion counseling?

I recently attended a fundraiser for Cobb Pregnancy Services (CPS). It was a great night of fellowship and celebration of what God is doing at this organization. A young pregnant lady gave her testimony of how God used CPS to convince her to return to Christ and keep her baby. Great news, but she spoke of having a boyfriend not a husband.

Do not misunderstand. Praise be to God! She has come back to Christ, is keeping her baby and getting future plans in place the right way. However, she is not the issue. The issue is how she was counseled to keep her baby. Think in terms of the Gospel, morality and political activism.

These three items are fine for Christian involvement, especially evangelism. Some (many) times though Christians get the process a little backwards. Correct morality and political views often get the primary emphasis while the Gospel becomes secondary. Consider the abortion counseling in the above case. The young lady was not told that she first must marry her boyfriend and get her life in the “correct” order before considering keeping her baby. This would actually encourage an abortion so that another pregnancy could then take place in its proper order.

The conversation would sound something like – “I’m sorry. We do not want you to have an abortion, but since you have not done things in the proper order of marriage, sex, pregnancy, etc. you have to start all over and get right for God.” It is a good thing that this is not the counseling process that takes place in these situations. The person is met where they are sins and all, given the Gospel and then motivated to true change through Christ.

Person + Gospel = Change

People do not get right with God based upon proper moral order, etc. God transforms sinners making them right for Himself. This is not to say that Christians should not fight for what is biblically proper for a better society. But this only changes some laws and actions not people. The fight for a moral society must be grounded in the Gospel.

The Gospel is the reason for not aborting a baby just as it is the reason for working for both moral and political change. When the Gospel is assumed and unspoken the Christian offers nothing more than a personal opinion. If the person(s) who is presented with the Gospel rejects it, they will at least know the true motivation is not based on change for the sake of change. They will know it is based objectively on the Person and work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Sinners do not put on clean clothes so Jesus will meet them; Jesus meets them to give them clean clothes.

Tullian Tchividjian will stay as pastor of  Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church per a congregational vote of 69%-31% this morning.

“I’m staying!!,” wrote pastor Tchividjian in the title of today’s blog post about the future of his pastoral role at Coral Ridge.The pressure on this new pastor must have been unbelievable in anticipation of this vote. A great example of trusting God can be seen in a previous post saying, “I am not afraid.” in reference to today’s vote.  His mission is to glorify God regardless of the outcome.

What a great example to clergy and layman alike. There are some humble words by Tchividjian in the official press release.  He understands the difficulty a new pastor poses for a “church which has known only one pastor in its 50-year history.” Tchividjian was already pastoring a 700 member congregation when he took the pastorate at Coral Ridge.

Then, approximately six months* later he finds himself at the displeasure of six members. The reasons? According to the press release Tchividjian’s failings included changes in the “traditional style of worship and certain personnel changes.” Unfortunately, these are some what understandable since they are common complaints when such changes occur. However, the most unbelievable charges were:

Tchividjian’s failure to address issues such as “The Freedom of Choice Act, The Fairness Doctrine, Hate Crimes legislation and all kinds of efforts to promote socialism” from the pulpit.

This does make sense in light of how former pastor Kennedy approached such issues. Generally speaking one would hope the average church goer would reply with, “Huh?” This is not to say that these are necessarily bad causes. Yet, the Gospel must be at the center of such change.

Voting changes the rules not the heart. One might argue that to present the Gospel along side such legal/social issues is the real answer. Why? Does the Gospel alone change hearts? And then the biblical discipleship that takes place to shape that changed heart?

Yesterday’s post included Ephesians 4:12 “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (ESV). This is a good description of what is desired from the pulpit. Including those American political/social issues as Tchividjian’s detractors wanted only takes away from the time the pastors preaches from the Bible. Not to mention the potential to blur the lines between Gospel and political action.

This seems the very thing the emergent crowd has complained about concerning conservative Christians. Some younger conservative Christian’s today seems to find a bit of agreement here. What might be called the “missional” (even if a bit over used) movement seem to agree that church is not a Political Action Committee.

The tough question is: What lessons can be learned from this whole experience?

*Corrected: Tchividjian was approved as pastor on March 15, 2009. Kennedy passed away approximately two years ago in Sept. 2007.

The Apostle Paul on unity and community in the local church.

Volumes have been written about the text of the Bible. Sometimes Scripture gets overlooked for these volumes about Scripture. Sometimes Christians get too caught up in reading these other works. Upon returning to Scripture they find that there is nothing as sweet as reading the God’s inspired word.

All that is contained below in Ephesians 4:1-16 (ESV) is because of Christ bringing us to Him. It is based on our identity being in Christ through which is the only way any of it can be achieved.

Before reading here are a few things to think about while keeping this in mind:

• Life vs. calling
• Unity
• God’s grace
• What Christ has done
• Who works to serve you?
• Who do you work to serve?
• Daily ministry
• Knowing God
• Doctrine
• Maturity
• Truth in love
• Growth in love
• One body

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”

9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Christianity In Crisis: The 21st Century By Hank Hanegraaff.  Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2009. 432 pages.

Hank Hanegraaff has updated the 1993 edition of Christianity in Crisis to keep up with the “Word of Faith” movement and its teachers. The author exposes the continued growth and danger of these teachings. The book is divided into seven parts and three appendices. It is well documented with 54 pages of footnotes and 17 pages of bibliography. In his usual style, the author provides several acronyms to help the reader remember key themes.

In this edition, Hanegraaff leaves the core of the first edition in place while tackling a “new breed of prosperity preachers.” (ix) He gracefully explains that what must be done is to “judge the theology of the Faith Movement rather than those being seduced by it.” (8)

After explaining the differences between ‘cult’ and ‘cultic’ as well as ‘charismatic’ and ‘cultic’ he works through the cast of characters. They are the following: E.W. Kenyon, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, John Hagee, Creflo Dollar, T.D. Jakes, Rod Parsley, Frederick K. C. Price, John Avanzini, Robert Tilton, Marilyn Hickey, Charles Capps, Jerry Savelle, Morris Cerullo, Paul Crouch, Juanita Bynum, Paula White, Todd Bentley.

A few examples of Hanegraaff’s criticisms of what he considers dangerous theology should help the reader understand the content.

• Benny Hinn – frequents the grave sites of Kathryn Kuhlman and Aimee Semple McPherson to get “anointing” from their bones. (29) “You’re going to have people raised from the dead watching TBN…I see this in the Spirit.” (32)

• Joel Osteen – On why Mary could not touch Jesus after the resurrection, “He still had His Holy blood on Him…He was going to use as a sacrifice for our sins” because a “blood sacrifice” was still needed to pay the price for our sins . (36)

• Joyce Meyer – Jesus was the “first born-again man” who paid the price by suffering in hell so people could be born again. (42) “I am not a sinner.” (43)

• John Hagee – Jesus had a big house, wore a designer rob and was not poor. (45) Christians “live under the financial curse of God” when they don’t tithe. (46)

Those are just a few documented examples of what Hanegraaff exposes in the book. He then moves on to exposing some of the key doctrines of the Word of Faith movement. These include parts two through six which spell the acronym F-L-A-W-S: Faith In Faith, Little Gods, Atonement Atrocities, Wealth and Want, Sickness and Suffering. The reader will better understand these false teachings and how they are corrected in light of the Bible. At times, the reader may feel lost as if in the pages of a novel due to the unbelievable theological claims Hanegraaff exposes.

Part seven is the Back to Basics section. Hanegraaff offers another acronym, A-B-C-D-E, to help the reader remember and stay on track. This section begins with the importance of prayer and Bible study. He offers advice on which tools to use for Bible study. The author then moves to the importance of church, apologetics and a lesson on essentials. The last part caps off the book well to help those who might be lead astray by false Word of Faith teachings.

Hanegraaff has done a great service with this book. It is essentially a handbook of apologetics against the Word of Faith movement. Yet, the information is invaluable and well documented. Though it does not read like one, it would make a great reference book in any Christian’s library.
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P.S. Check me out as the Atlanta Evangelical Perspectives Examiner!

Mirror, mirror on the wall. How can God accept me at all? As Christians grow in their walk with Jesus they become more and more aware of their sinfulness. This is certainly my experience. As Christians gather to worship corporately what does each person bring with them? Do Christians gather with others in mind? With God in mind?

What will you bring to worship with your church family? What motivates you? What makes your worship acceptable? How are these questions answered in light of your sinfulness?

It is only through the Gospel that God transforms us so that our worship is acceptable. Bryan Chapell on page 109 in Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice* offer some good insight. Chapell is referencing Paul writing in the book of Romans.

He does not say we should offer our bodies to God so that we will become acceptable “living sacrifices.” Paul says that we should offer our “bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God” (12:1). “Holy and pleasing” are not descriptions of what we will become; they are declarations of what we are. Before we have performed our religious duties, God makes us holy and pleasing to himself.

The Christian’s identity is in Christ. It is amazing that such sinful people can offer any acceptable worship to God. We can not do this on our own. Only through the Gospel can this happen.

How does God make us holy apart from our obedience? Paul has already explained that righteousness for the Jews does not come from their obedience but from faith in the righteousness God provides for them (10:1-3). Now, the apostle says, this merciful covenant that God established to bless his chosen people has been extended to all nations (11:25-32). Because God embraces us in this mercy, he also declares us “holy and pleasing” to himself. Our obedience does not make our worship acceptable; our worship is acceptable because God has made us holy. He accepts our obedience as spiritual worship (and we delight to give it) “in view of God’s mercy” that has made fallible people’s praise pleasing to him (12:1).

Think about where your identity lies. Do you live to become pleasing to God? Or has God given you life so that you may please Him?

Praise Jesus.

*Chapell, Bryan. Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 2009. 320 pages.

Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear By Max Lucado, Thomas Nelson, 2009, 224 pages.

Fearless is a practical book addressing various fears in life by pointing to Jesus as the answer to those fears. The book is filled with real-life illustrations of fear and the things people do to run or hide from those fears. Lucado answers those fears with examples of biblical stories and Bible verses. He does use a variety of translations to make his points which might give pause to some readers. However, there are a few other speed bumps to give the reader pause.

Full disclosure: This was the first book by Max Lucado I have ever read.

Lucado does a good job of pointing out the fears people struggle with in life. When those fears become the center-piece life they lead to sin to cover them up in some way or another. Those fears lead one away from trusting Jesus. This is where Lucado is very good at using life illustrations. He offers a helpful “eight worry-stoppers” that are abbreviated in the acronym “P-E-A-C-E-F-U-L.”

He tackles these practical fears in life and points the reader to Jesus. The book certainly shows Christ to be the hope of the world in this life and after. The reader is pointed to the fact of the resurrection and the reliability of Jesus’ loving promises. In this light, the book exposes peoples’ problems and exhorts them to trust Christ.

Fear, mismanaged, leads to sin. Sin leads to hiding. Since we’ve all sinned, we all hide, not in bushes, but in eighty-hour workweeks, temper tantrums, and religious busyness. We avoid contact with God. We are convinced that God must hate our evil tendencies. We sure do. We don’t like the things we do and say. We despise our lustful thoughts, harsh judgments, and selfish deeds. (35)

Jesus loves us too much to leave us in doubt about his grace. His “perfect love expels all fear” (1 John 4:18 nlt). If God loved with an imperfect love, we would have high cause to worry. Imperfect love keeps a list of sins and consults it often. God keeps no list of our wrongs. His love casts out fear because he casts out our sin! (37)

Lucado offers a very surface level approach to trusting Christ in life’s trials while exhorting people away from sin. This is a reason many will find this book encouraging and engaging. A few issues were not very clear though.

What is unclear in the book is man’s sinful position in relation to God. As in the above quote from page 37 it is as if sin is minimized. God may not keep a ‘list of sins’ but He does care about sin so much that Christians should be mindful of their lives. It might be asked if Lucado is speaking solely to Christians or to non-Christians or both.

While Lucado does present life’s fears and difficulties it is almost as if man is a victim. Although he does use the language of choosing to live for God which shows some level of responsibility. What is not stressed is the sinfulness of man as the reason for his hopelessness. It is not just that people do not trust God and sin. It is that people actively rebel against God. People are much worse than they think.

Another aspect of the book that wasn’t entirely clear is concerning hope after death.

Suppose death is different from how they thought of it, less a curse and more a passageway, not a crisis to be avoided but a corner to be turned? What if the cemetery is not the dominion of the Grim Reaper but the domain of the Soul Keeper, who will someday announce, “O dwellers in the dust, awake and sing for joy!” (Isa. 26:19 rsv)? (117)

Lucado goes on to say that this is the promise of Christ. It is clear that this afterlife is the promise of Christ. It is not clear that this promise is exclusively for Christians. It is good to trust Christ to overcome sin. The missing component is that the reader is not told what the wages of sin brings which is death. This is missing from the book.

The consequences of sin which would have fit nicely with the biblical illustrations. Even in the context of arguably the most quoted Bible verse, John 3:16, verse 18 (ESV) states, “…whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not o believed in the name of the only Son of God.” The fallen state of humanity is very important to understanding how Jesus saves people in spite of self.

Lucado does give a good warning in the last chapter about putting Jesus in a box. It is agreed that Jesus should not be aligned with a certain political party nor should He be created according to one’s own preconceptions. He then offers an ambiguous statement.

About putting Jesus in box “Define Jesus with a doctrine or confine him to an opinion? By no means.” (171)

It is hard to understand what is meant by defining Jesus with a doctrine. It is difficult to divorce theology from the Person of Jesus. While not desiring to put Jesus in our own boxes He must be understood as He is revealed in the Bible.

There is a study guide at the end of the book. It fits well within the context of the practical issues of fear that the book addresses. One disturbing recommendation in the study guide is Roman Catholic theologian Peter Kreeft’s book Love Is Stronger Than Death. (For more on this see the Amazon review of Kreeft’s Ecumenical Jihad where potential  universalism along with an out of body experience are documented.)

The book does point to Jesus and His work on the cross. It is missing the clarity of the bad news of sin and death which makes the sweetness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that much clearer as the worlds only hope.

If the messages on the signs are not disturbing enough, how about the people holding them? They are children! My heart breaks to see a picture like this just hoping it is a photo-shopped picture. Unfortunately, it is not.

Last week I wrote Westboro Baptist To Share Hate In Atlanta to give folks a heads up. There are several recent church plants in Atlanta that are trying to save the city, so to speak, that it is sad that the Westboro folks come here allegedly in the name of Christ. It just ruins the witness of what Christians are seeking to do with bringing the Gospel to a broken city.

Thankfully, last year Pastor Josh Buice evangelized, interviewed and then reviewed the Westboro folks. I’ve provided links below to his posts. The series of posts is very insightful. It might help some of you Atlanta folks who might want to approach Westboro. I might be there myself, Lord willing. Though that is still being worked out.

• Why I Witnessed To Westboro ‘Baptist’
• OFFICIAL: Westboro Baptist Church Interview – PART I
• OFFICIAL: Westboro Baptist Church Interview – Part II
• RESPONSE #1: Westboro’s Gospel Error
• RESPONSE #2: Westboro’s Great Commission Error

UPDATE: I’ve compiled the above posts into one pdf file. Thanks again to brother Josh for his hard work in this area. Download here: Westboro Baptist Church Revealed

I’d love to hear some feedback on the above or if anyone has had any personal interactions.

Also, are there any Atlanta folks out there that would like to evangelize Westboro?

Bonus: Check out this Interview with Shirley Phelps-Roper of Westboro Baptist Church Chris Rosebrough did.

It’s Sunday morning and you have just whacked your alarm clock with a hammer. The alarm keeps buzzing. You continue wielding the hammer until the alarm clock is in 100 pieces. The alarm still will not stop! Finally, you awaken to realize that it was only a dream and it’s time to get ready for church.

Thoughts of Bedside Baptist cross your mind. It feels so good just to close your eyes as sleepiness calls you back. You begin to think of how God will understand. It has been a long, busy week. It is easy to tell the church folks you over slept.

Have you ever thought that it is not God, but you who goes home thankful and blessed after worship service? Have you ever thought that attending service is an act of love towards God and your fellow church members? It is one way Christians express love for each other. Christians need each other. We are a family. Let’s consider some thoughts from The Complete Works of Thomas Manton, Vol. 21, 1874, pages 90-91.

The impartiality of this love; we must love those without exception who are godly, whether rich or poor, prosperous or afflicted.

This reflects the type of love Christ displayed on the cross for undeserving sinners.

Whether rich or poor; for we must not have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of persons, James ii. 1. No; if it be sincere, it must be love to all the saints, Eph. i. 15, to the meanest as well as the greatest, otherwise we despise the church of God, 1 Cor. xi. 20. Meanness doth not take away christian relations. There are many differences in worldly respects between one of God’s children and another, and in spiritual gifts some are weak and some are strong; yet we must love all, for all are brethren ; all are children of one Father, all owned by Christ; co-heirs not only with the richest and strongest Christians, but with Christ himself; therefore we should love them without respect of persons, yea, love them when no respect of our own doth invite us thereunto ; for love is not to be measured by our profit, but by a desire to profit others.

We should love them all, whether we be obliged or disobliged ; for in brotherly kindness we are not to mind our own things, but the image of God and the glory of God, and the good and benefit of others: Phil. ii. 4, ‘ Look not every one upon his own things, but every man also upon the things of others.’ Whether we are invited to this love by benefits or courtesies done to us, or discouraged by neglects, we are to consider our duty to people as they stand related to God, otherwise we know one another after the flesh, when we value men by personal respects to us rather than by what of God we find in them: ‘ If you love them that love you, do not even the publicans the same ?’ Mat v. 46. What singular thing do we ? We are monsters of ingratitude if we should do otherwise.

Should Christians feel guilty about just saying ‘no‘ when asked to do something for the church/member? When the answer is ‘no‘ is an explanation needed? Do you feel an explanation is demanded? Do you feel like you’re sinning if you just say ‘no‘?

Do you feel the need to explain every detail of the last week of your life to explain why your simple answer is ‘no‘?

Must we explain ourselves? I’m curious. What do you think?

Feel free to share your feelings too!

~Please answer the poll below~

Thanks to Lecrae for the video below. You can hear everyone yelling, “Send me. I’ll go.” It was an awesome night! We took some of our youth group and they really enjoyed it. Even one of my pastors was there who is a few generations removed from the hip-hop era. It was a good night of Christ-centered music and fellowship.

Check out more about the night at Don’t Waste Your Life Tour Atlanta: Mission Accomplished.

Below is an excerpt of the sermon A Penitent Heart The Best New Year’s Gift by George Whitfield. The humility that Jesus’ love brings when realizing no one deserves it is astounding. Can we really even begin to consider what He has done in dying for such sinners as us? Do we feel joy in our souls? Does the world really have anything to offer? Let us rejoice in the grace that God has worked in our lives.

Let the love of Jesus to you, keep you also humble; do not be high-minded, keep close unto the Lord, observe the rules which the Lord Jesus Christ has given in His Word, and let not the instructions be lost which you are capable of giving. Oh, consider what reason you have to be thankful to the Lord Jesus Christ for giving you that repentance you yourselves had need of; a repentance which worketh by love. Now you find more pleasure in walking with God one hour, than in all your former carnal delights, and all the pleasures of sin. Oh, the joy you feel in your own souls, which all the men of this world, and all the devils in hell, though they were to combine together, could not destroy. Then fear not their wrath or malice, for through many tribulations we must enter into glory.

So I’m driving. I hear “Lord kill me If I don’t preach the gospel.” What? Did I hear that right? Rewind! Again. Yep! That line really hit me. It made me think. Imagine singing that in church to the tune of Amazing Grace.

This was not from a hymn though. (Maybe we can add it somewhere?) “Lord kill me If I don’t preach the gospel” is the first verse in Lecrae’s song Go Hard from his album Rebel. Lord willing, I will be at the Don’t Waste Your Life concert this weekend hearing it live. That’s right, this not-so-old yet not-so-young white guy will be there.

So, this week I’ve been listening to music while driving rather than my normal geeked out theology podcasts. And don’t picture me as Michael Bolton in Office Space sitting in traffic listening to Scarface. I’ve been listening to Lecrae and Sho Baraka. I had the pleasure of interviewing Sho this week which was awesome.

I already knew the lyrics of these hip-hop artists were theologically solid. You’re not going to find any ‘God is my girlfriend’ songs as my friend Steve Camp puts it.

Instead, you will find verses like in my title. Or from Lecrae’s Change, “Now you got oprah on,thinking maybe she can help you out your hopeless zone.” Or Tedashii’s Make War, “Whatever the sin is we gotta go go go harder, By His grace no time to waste and just just just like there’s no tomorrow.” Or Sho Baraka’s 100, “Sometimes I see the wicked and I lust for their things, but then I see the Lord and I trust in the King.”

Not everyone is going to get the lyrics right away nor will everyone appreciate the sound. I get that. Since country music exists I really do understand! However, the target audience will like the sound and get the lyrics. I’m thankful these brothers in the Lord are out there reaching into a hip-hop culture of those who otherwise might be over looked.

I still can’t get that line out of my head. “Lord kill me If I don’t preach the gospel.” It might be a slightly different perspective, but what a thought. What a great reminder of our sovereign God who saves sinners through the preaching of the Gospel. A great reminder to preach the Gospel to ourselves and others.

For what it’s worth…

Mark

I gave this devotional for our Sunday evening service on August 16. My previous devotion was the evening of April 5 if you’d like to listen.

My text for this devotion was Isaiah 24:23 The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously. (NIV)

I hope this is edifying to those who listen. I would love to hear any feedback whether encouraging or constructive.

Senator Kennedy has left this world to face whatever is next on his path. He was 77 years old. Was he really old? He wasn’t young. Life is fleeting. It’s here today and you wonder where yesterday went. I have almost 40 years before I reach 77, if the Lord so allows.

Seems like a long time. How many of us feel like just yesterday we were 18 or 25 or 35 or 45? Where did the time go? What will you do with the time left? Of all the battles in life Sen. Kennedy fought this last one had the only sure outcome. Whether because of his cancer or not, death was assured. No doubt he will be in the history books for various things. Some good. Some not so good. Some indifferent. Take a moment to read about his life at Sen. Ted Kennedy dead at 77 and ponder his legacy. Think. What will your legacy look like?

Kennedy was a very popular Senator. Prior to being diagnosed with cancer he always seemed to have the spotlight. He was very outspoken and a good target for conservative political pundits. Once diagnosed with cancer he pulled back from the public life a bit. I understand that. Who wouldn’t pull away and get the treatment needed? Not everyone does this the same way though. I’m reminded of John Piper’s provocative article Don’t Waste Your Cancer. Piper’s article is a bold one. It’s not your everyday cancer patients’ thoughts.

The problem is that we are all dying of a cancer. It’s called sin. Sin. Just think about it. We have all been diagnosed with sin. We are all going to die even if some of us live to be 100. The only answer to our sins which bring death is found in Jesus Christ. What if we took 60 seconds to preach the Gospel to ourselves daily. Would it give us a renewed daily outlook?

Are we willing to take this cure, the Gospel, with us and share it with others? Or will we hide our cancer and go along like everything is okay? Do I keep doing stuff while pointing to my things, myself? What can all of this do for you or me?

If the causes I champion in this life point to me when I’m gone then they point to nothing. My body will be buried in a casket. What can I do then? A true legacy will be if my life points to Christ. He is not in a casket. His tomb is empty.

I often think – Will it by my legacy or Christ’s that my life points to?

Life is short. Consider your life. Don’t waste it. Hold onto Christ.

For what it’s worth…

Mark

I need your help!
Sandy Springs Mission needs your help!

Who? What?

The Sandy Springs Mission needs help for their after-school program. They minister to low-income elementary and middle-school children and their families in this Metro Atlanta community.These young people get help they might not otherwise receive. The mission helps in these areas.

• homework in general
• reading
• writing
• communicating
• math
• a summer camp

Over 50 children in the summer of 2008 came to faith in Jesus Christ through the Sandy Springs Mission. We pray the Lord would bring more to repent and believe through this mission.

The Goal?

The goal is to raise $50,000 by September 21, 2009.

FULL DISCLOSURE: This donation drive is through Sept. 21 because on that day there is a golf tournament. As of now, I am not playing because I am short on money just as is the mission. If enough people donate through me I might get to play.  I say this in the interest of full-disclosure. However, I did not make the rules I was only asked to help. My wife and I are still donating regardless.

Of course, donations are always accepted and appreciated after Sept. 21st!

Bottom Line

This fund raising drive is designed to help Sandy Springs Mission raise the critical funds they need like many in this economy. My goal is to challenge friends like you to help with any amount whether is be $10 or $500.

A Straightforward Request

First, please pray. Pray that the Lord would provide the means whether it be through money or otherwise. Pray about whether or not you might give.

If you would like to give to the Sandy Springs Mission please click and fill-out the Sandy Springs Mission 2009 Donations form. I will get back to you with further instructions once the form is submitted.

If you have any further questions please use my Contact Page.

Thanks so much for your consideration!

His servant,

Mark

What do we do to be holy? What abilities do we have to achieve holiness? None! It is Jesus who is holy. It is He who makes us holy. It is only because of Him and his work on the cross for us. As we go to worship this weekend here is something to think about from The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks, Vol 4, pages 241, 244. Think of your life before and without Christ. What could we do on our own to be pleasing to God? To be holy?

Object. We have no power to make ourselves holy; we are as well able to make a world, to command the winds, and to raise the dead, as we are able to cleanse our own hearts, or change our own natures, or sanctify our own souls ; and therefore, to which purpose should we be so strongly pressed to do that which we have no power to do to?

We have no power or ability in and of ourselves to be holy and pleasing to God.

Certainly all unholy hearts are spiritually dead, and till Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, comes to roar over them, by uttering his voice in the gospel, they cannot live, John v. 25. It is Christ only that can quicken the dead. It was never known since the creation of the world that ever a dead man could make himself alive. Sin in dominion is the plague of the heart, 1 Kings viii. 38. Now as there is no disease so deadly as the plague, so there is no plague so deadly as the plague of the heart. Oh, this is a disease that none can cure but he who is the physician of souls.

Think. Has Christ saved you? Has He given you new life? How shall you worship and serve Him with this new life He’s given you?

Oh, go to God, and tell him that what he has commanded in some scriptures, he has promised to give in other scriptures, and therefore press him to make good his promises, that so you may obey his precepts.

Read God’s word. Realize His promises. Be grounded in them. Take comfort. Know what God has saved you from and for and rejoice.

Let us rest in Jesus as we worship.

Examiner.com currently reaches 110 cities across the county. It is a growing community with a national reach. This is done through the many local examiners it employees through those 110 cities. The examiners cover issues in each city under 25 different topics. They have openings so I applied.

Guess what happened? I are one now! I am officially the Atlanta Evangelical Perspectives Examiner. Cool, huh? Well, I thought so. The plan is to write 2-4 articles a week. If any of you Metro Atlanta folks have any thing you deem news worthy please let me know.

Even cooler? It pays! Yep, it’s a paying gig. I found out about this from my distant neighbor Marty Duren. I figured I had as good a chance as anyone to get hired. I have a little online presence with my writing and some regular readers. I applied. They replied. Thankfully, with yes. That’s not all though.

Cooler yet? You too may write! If you like to write and have some insight on your city this might be for you too. It sure can’t hurt to apply if you’re interested. Look around the site. See what you think. Give it a shot!

Can you help? As I said above, this is paying gig. I can’t tell you exactly how that works. All I know is that somehow the page views and number of subscribers are used to calculate the amount. There are also referral fees I can make. So I ask.

• Would you please consider subscribing to my articles?
• Considering sharing with your friends?
• Would you mind dropping a comment below with the type of articles you’d find most interesting?
• If you decide to sign up please let me refer you. Contact me to let me know and I will give whatever advice I can.
• Most importantly, please pray that this would be an edifying endeavor through which Jesus can be glorified.

Thanks for the consideration to help. I’m looking forward to extending my writing ability and its reach.

For what it’s worth…

Mark