I just read the will! Oh.....My!

Guys, I just read the will of my father's estate. He was vastly wealthy and has left me enough to make many rich. Just reading it has changed me forever. I don't know what to say, but I have decided to be very generous with the select few on my email list. I want you to read it, and I think if you fully comprehend what this is saying, you will NOT be able to contain yourself! I am so happy I can do this for you. Please read it all. I could not be more serious. Here is the essence of it: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.--Eph.1:3-14 Scott "In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."-Psalm 16:11

The Life Cycle of a Democracy

Let's look at Alexander Fraser Tytler's exact full quote: A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to complacency; From complacency to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage.

They're dying next door.

What would you think of someone who had money, and next door there was a building full of children dying by the hour of starvation, and all they needed was a little money each, for bread, but he was using his money to play, say, internet games? Is that what we Christians in America are doing as tens of thousands PER DAY die of starvation and disease in Africa, and worse, several hundred thousand die per day worldwide, and pass into eternal hell...while we could take significant amounts of our discretionary dollars and invest them in ministries like Samaritan's Purse (which has vast numbers of workers meeting both physical and spiritual needs around the globe)??!! This used to not bother me at all. I would hear stuff like this and push it away into some "Not important for me" category. After all, I tithes a tenth. I'll take virtually uninterrupted comfort, throw a little bone, and they can suffer and die, and somehow I'm fine! Out of sight, out of mind. (Some of you will do this right now. And I, myself, am NOT going to do all I can.) But more and more I think this is God's heartbeat and He lives with our apathy, but we could give him so much more pleasure if we shattered our idols and invested like we will wish we did (soon) on That Day! Help me, Father, do whatever it takes to change me! I'm going to give a chunk here right now. In Sudan, children are sting, churches are being burned, and pastors are being nailed to trees (yes): (May have to copy and paste this address to Samaritan's Purse) http://links.mkt1529.com/servlet/MailView?ms=Mzk2NjU4NTAS1&r=MzMyOTc2NTYzNzkS1&j=MTU2ODM4NDgyS0&mt=1&rt=0 Scott "In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."-Psalm 16:11

So why does God say, "No harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent?"

That verse from Psalm 91, and others in the Bible seem to be embarrassing impossibilities in light of all the suffering and calamity that Christians go through! So what's up with that?! How dare God say, "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart?" Here's how...it's all true: (This will only take a few minutes, then a few years.....) First, the "shelter" and "refuge" of Psalm 91 is like the eye of a hurricane-Incredible peace on the inside, incredible destruction all around. Next, look at what Jesus promised us in the last days: Luke 21:16-19 "You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives." Note that He says, "not a hair of your head will perish," yet He says, "some of you they will put to death." What?! Believers aren't gonna suffer severely? Tell that to Job, Stephen, all the apostles but John, and millions around the world even now! So what's the solution? It's in the last 2 words of Luke 21:19 above--"your lives." Now look at Col. 3:3--"You have died, and YOUR LIFE is HIDDEN with Christ in God!" Friends, you are not your body nor are you the interests that claim you in this world. Oh, we suffer here, but the true you--the inner man--isn't touched! And because Paul says, "the peace of God that surpasses all comprehension will guard your heart and your mind...."(Phil 4:7), we know we can walk in the eye of the hurricane any time we choose! Satan and our emotions and our eyes and our memory tell us we can't have supernatural peace! But God says it is ours NOW, and in abundance! Jesus said, "MY peace I give to you." Wow. HIS peace! I think Stephen had that peace as the rocks ended his life, while he gazed at Jesus and saw the invisible world for the first time. We can see Him by faith now and enjoy the peace that surpasses all comprehension, even in the midst of the inevitable suffering that comes our way. In the end we WILL say, "Nothing touched me!" I was safe all along. And to the degree that we appropriate his peace now, we can say now, "No harm OVERTAKES me!" Now go let God rock your world, and stay in the eye of the storm! Scott "In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."-Psalm 16:11

Shame-spawning Parents

Christian parents can set their Christian kids up for great failure if they imply that falling into sin is virtually unpardonable (they wouldn't SAY this, but...) or that it mars you for life. Kids will hide their sin and get under so much shame, it leads to greater problems. Many parents have never faced how horrific their own flesh is in God's eyes, and so they have THEIR socially acceptable sins and YOUR socially UNacceptable sins. They can't relate to testimonies of people who escaped addictions or other wrecks, yet don't realize that 1) they could easily fall into worse and 2) their own sins in God's eyes are far worse than they could ever imagine! The end result is both kids and parents living inauthentic lives and never knowing true freedom!

This is something I have enjoyed writing and then tweaking a little through time! The New Me, The True Me... In Christ! "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." - II Corinthians 5:17 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself up for me." -Galatians 2:20 I was spiritually dead; now I am live. - Eph 2:1,4-5; Rom 6:11 I was in Adam; now I am in Christ. - Rom 5:14-18; I Cor 15:22,45; II Cor 5:16,17 I was alive to sin; now I am dead to sin. - Rom 6:2,11 I was, by nature, a child of wrath, walking in trespasses and sins; now I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. Eph. 2:1,3,10 I was essentially earthly; now I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm. - John 3:3; Eph 2:1,5,6; II Cor 5:16; Col 3:1-4 I was in the flesh, now I am in the Spirit. Rom 8:9; 7:5 Now my life is hidden; one day I will be revealed (when He returns and is revealed). Col 3:3,4 The old man was alive; now the old man is dead. Rom 6:2-4,6,8 It was I (my true self) that sinned; now it is no longer I that sins, but rather sin that dwells in me. Rom 7:17,20; II Cor 5:17,18 I was under condemnation; now there is no condemnation. Rom 8:1 I was under the authority of darkness; now I have been transferred to the kingdom of God's son. Col 1:13 I was slave to sin; now I have been set free (I used to have to sin; now I don't have to sin.). Rom 6:6-7,14,17; 8:1-4,12,13 I was powerless to live righteously; now I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Rom 8:8; Phil 4:13 "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete." Col 2:10,11 "Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous……As He is, so also are we in this world." I John 3:7; 4:17 "I am the Vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Here is what one man did and then said!

Here is what the great preacher, George Whitefield, said the day after his 36th birthday, in 1750. (Been reading the 2 volume biography by Dallimore) Keep in mind that he had already graduated from Oxford, preached extensively both in Britain and in America, traveling in harsh conditions by horseback or carriage, building the first orphanage in America and maintaining it, writing extensively while being harshly criticized in the media, and often preaching twice a day every day of the week, often outside in the open air, to crowds of thousands, including in the very early morning hours. Genuine change in whole societies was being accomplished, with tens of thousands of people born again (His message focused on, among other things, the absolute necessity of the new birth.) When he wrote this, he had just finished going through a very serious illness that kept him confined to bed for 2 weeks: "My disorder was a violent fever. Jesus hath rebuked it. I am raised up once more. O may it be that I may minister unto Him! For me to live is Christ. But alas! how little do I live to His glory! Yesterday I entered upon my 37th year. I AM ASHAMED TO THINK I HAVE LIVED SO LONG AND DONE SO LITTLE...." God, forgive us for aiming low and believing You for so little! Scott Keep looking down. "...He raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus..."-Eph 2:6

Who Caused Job's Suffering?

Or....How sovereign is God, really? OK, guys, this will test your theology! I had a conversation with a friend recently, and it got very interesting as we talked about God's role in Christians' suffering! He was struggling to believe that the following verses were in the Bible. It's the book of Job, and it is a fascinating glimpse into reality. It's actually the first three verses of chapter 2, right after God suckered Satan into the bet, and he destroyed all Job’s stuff and all his children. Then 2:1-3a are a word for word repeat of 1:6-8a, and that is where God says it: “Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." And the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although YOU INCITED ME AGAINST HIM TO DESTROY HIM without reason."-Job 2:1-3 So God says Satan incited Him to destroy Job! And good interpretation of the passage sees this verse saying that in fact, God destroyed Job. (Actually the physical destruction of Job doesn’t start until God baits Satan into another round!) And He tells Satan, “YOU INCITED ME!” I love the irony! And of course, God knew this whole thing would play out just like that, about a billion years before it happened. I have read those first two chapters quite a few times, and it seems clear to me that though Satan will answer for all the evil he commits, God is the instigator of Job’s affliction. Job didn’t even know this conversation was going on, of course, and neither do we. It goes on every day. Revelation says Satan accuses the saints before the throne “day and night.”(Rev 12:10) We often have no clue what God’s high, high purposes are in sovereignly sending affliction our way. We are so man-centered, it is hard for us to conceive of affliction as God’s sovereign work, rather than simply something that went horribly wrong. I think we are going to be thankful one day for every bit of affliction we experienced, where we were able to give God a quality of praise and thanks and obedience that is impossible in good times. Face it: God gets one level of joy out of hearing a millionaire in good health, with a healthy family, sing praise and say He is a follower of Jesus. But I think the joy that comes to God when he hears praise and thanks from someone who loses ALL that, knowing God could have prevented it…..well, that is something in another ball park all together! (Actually, we ALL suffer, and it is hard to compare one man’s suffering to another’s!) By the way, who killed Jesus? Did God “allow it?” The Romans killed Him. Well, the Jews did. Both are true. But in reality, God drove the nails into his own Son’s hands and feet. God killed Jesus, and Isaiah 53 says this about the Sovereign One: "All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. But THE LORD WAS PLEASED TO CRUSH HIM, PUTTING HIM TO GRIEF; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand." Obviously God doesn’t get pleasure from our suffering, nor from Jesus’, but He gets great pleasure from what it brings about —His glory, faith more pure and valuable than 14 karat gold, and a family of children who trust Him NO MATTER WHAT!!

What Does It Mean to Be Biblically Balanced?-Tullian Tchividjian

TULLIAN TCHIVIDJIAN|8:12 AM CT What Does It Mean To Be Biblically Balanced? I increasingly hear people talking about the need to be “Biblically balanced” and I think I’m starting to understand what they mean. As I talk to people who speak about the need for our theology and preaching to be “balanced”, they mean that we need to spend the same amount of time talking about everything the Bible talks about. So, for example, since the Bible talks about what God in Christ has done and also what we ought to do in light of what Christ has done, to be balanced we need to give both themes equal airtime. Since the Bible talks about Jesus and it talks about us, to be balanced we need to spend the same amount of time talking about both. The list could go on: since the Bible talks about x and y, to be balanced we need to talk about x and y the same amount. But, this is NOT the balance of the Bible. While the Bible talks about a lot of things it does not give all of its themes equal airtime. The overwhelmingly dominate message of the Bible is that God loves (and in Jesus) justifies sinners. There are tons of ways the Bible says this: the whore is made a bride, the dead are raised, the unrighteous are declared righteous, slaves are made sons, the blind see, the sick are healed, the unclean are made pure, the guilty are forgiven, sinners are saved, and so on. Obviously, no Christian denies that the Bible says more than this. But the work of Christ on behalf of sinners is clearly the emphasis of Scripture from beginning to end. What we do in light of what Jesus has done is important. But it’s not more important than (or even equally important as) what Jesus has done for us. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…(1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Martin Luther said, “Remove Christ from the Scriptures and there is nothing left.” The emphasis of the Bible, in other words, is on the work of the Redeemer, not on the work of the redeemed. As important as how we live is, the spotlight of Scripture is on Christ, not the Christian. “The Bible is not fundamentally about us. It’s fundamentally about Jesus.” (Tim Keller) My point is simply this: to be “Biblically balanced” is NOT to allot equal airtime to every Biblical theme. To be Biblically balanced is to let our theology and preaching be proportioned by the Bible’s radically disproportionate focus on God’s saving love for sinners seen and accomplished in the crucified and risen Christ.

What's worse than not being saved?

Guys, how could ANYTHING be worse than not being saved? I've always thought this one thing IS worse: Not being saved but THINKING you are! Jesus said MANY (not few) will say to him on the last day, "But Lord, I did...." but He will say to them, "Depart from Me. I never knew you." Wow. Make sure you know that you KNOW you have been born again. There is no second chance. Jesus said, "What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?" Let me know if you need help with this.

Promises That Encourage Me To Abide

“I came that they might have life and have it abundantly.” “Abide in Me….for apart from Me you can do nothing! “ “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” “…and I will give you rest…and you will find rest…My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” “To those who fear Him there is no want.” “You are My friends, if you do what I command you.” “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you.” “Abide in My love.  If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” “These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full.” “…that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” “He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water…and whatever he does will prosper.” “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.” “He that loses his life for my sake will find it.” “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole world to show himself strong on behalf of him whose heart is perfect toward Him.” “For God has not given us a Spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”