Tuesday, January 28, 2014
" A Tale Of Two Souls" By Jackie Hill (@jackieehill)
I came across this video after hearing a tale of religious persecution from at a local school. I thought I would share it as an encouragement for young believers everywhere. Young believers, Christ remains relevant even today. But He told us in John 16-17 that the world would not like us for it did not like Him. But as Paul says (2 Cor. 4.17; Rom. 8.18), enduring the afflictions we experience in this life in a God glorifying manner warrants for us great eternal comforts in the life to come.
See also: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-effect-of-your-life-in-1-400-years
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Priesthood of the Believer: Prioritizing Your Created Purpose
From a church newsletter issued Fall 2013:
Fall is officially
here with its dazzling changes in foliage, the celebrating of the harvest, and
the settling back into our regular routine of school, work, and church. Now that, both our pews and our calendar are
filling up once again I hope the passage above will remind you of a key
Christian doctrine, the priesthood of the believer.
And He gave some as
apostles, and some as prophets,
and some as evangelists, and
some as pastors and teachers,
for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up
of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of
the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the
stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-13
In short, this
doctrine states that God has made you a member of Christ’s universal Church—and your local church—to play a vital role in engaging
the faith and engaging people for the glory of God! Without you, the Church, local and universal, is weakened just
as when the members of your own body are lost or impaired.
So as you
prioritize your schedule this fall, be sure to put God first and your priestly
service in His Church close behind.
Godspeed!
Pastor Daniel
A solemn message is on the hearts of pastors across our nation. The message is that the Christian era of the U.S. is now a bygone; a page in our history books. We are now in a post-Christian era in which Christians no longer enjoy a mainstream status.
But there is a silver lining. The historical record shows that it is in such times of persecution and adversity as these that the church has grown the most. We have been praying for a revival in the church for a long time. I believe the LORD is answering that prayer, albeit most mysteriously through the deprivation of our mainstream status.
Though I have described them briefly for you here, I encourage you to read the articles linked below for the full breadth of this message.
The first article describes our new reality in great detail and then calls us to action. It calls us to prepare our hearts and souls to be society’s laughingstock as well as to strengthen our resolve not to cave to the pressure to make Christ more palatable by weakening the gospel.
The second article reminds us that such steadfastness in the faith is impossible to achieve by legalism. Rather, we must depend wholly upon God’s grace both personally and in relating to the lost, especially our persecutors.
The final article reminds us that being the salt and light of the earth is best achieved by reaching the lost first and countering culture second. This is to say, that the only way for self-worshipers to become God-worshipers is by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.
My brethren, let us therefore renew today our commitment to be unashamed workmen donned with the armor of God. May we also find solace in the words of the psalmist:
1. Christians Are No Longer Mainstream: Prepare For And Embrace Our New Reality m.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=41833
2. Dr. Billy Graham’s Grandson Emphasizes Grace Over Legalistic And Moralistic Performance jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/10/02/tullian-tchividjian
3. Dr. Thom Rainer’s Open Letter: Let Us Return to Our First Love
m.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=41824
Godspeed!
Pastor Daniel
But there is a silver lining. The historical record shows that it is in such times of persecution and adversity as these that the church has grown the most. We have been praying for a revival in the church for a long time. I believe the LORD is answering that prayer, albeit most mysteriously through the deprivation of our mainstream status.
Though I have described them briefly for you here, I encourage you to read the articles linked below for the full breadth of this message.
The first article describes our new reality in great detail and then calls us to action. It calls us to prepare our hearts and souls to be society’s laughingstock as well as to strengthen our resolve not to cave to the pressure to make Christ more palatable by weakening the gospel.
The second article reminds us that such steadfastness in the faith is impossible to achieve by legalism. Rather, we must depend wholly upon God’s grace both personally and in relating to the lost, especially our persecutors.
The final article reminds us that being the salt and light of the earth is best achieved by reaching the lost first and countering culture second. This is to say, that the only way for self-worshipers to become God-worshipers is by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.
My brethren, let us therefore renew today our commitment to be unashamed workmen donned with the armor of God. May we also find solace in the words of the psalmist:
They almost destroyed me on earth,
But as for me, I did not forsake Your precepts.
Revive me according to Your lovingkindness,
So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth. - Ps. 119:87-88
But as for me, I did not forsake Your precepts.
Revive me according to Your lovingkindness,
So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth. - Ps. 119:87-88
The titles below are in part my own summary descriptors and may not reflect in total the personal thoughts of the related article's author.
1. Christians Are No Longer Mainstream: Prepare For And Embrace Our New Reality m.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=41833
2. Dr. Billy Graham’s Grandson Emphasizes Grace Over Legalistic And Moralistic Performance jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/10/02/tullian-tchividjian
3. Dr. Thom Rainer’s Open Letter: Let Us Return to Our First Love
m.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=41824
Godspeed!
Pastor Daniel
Prayer & Fasting: Thoughts From Scripture & Church History
I found Ronnie Floyd's The Power of Prayer and Fasting: God's Gateway to Spiritual Breakthroughs (Revised & Expanded) to be particularly inspirational and insightful over these past several months as God has had me on a journey to a deeper, more vibrant prayer life. The Holy Spirit has coupled this book with a fresh hunger for Psalms to bring about a truly wonderful season of rejuvenation and spiritual growth. A number of life and ministry circumstances have also played a role. Yet in hindsight, the LORD, in His infinite wisdom, graciously prepared me for them via the journey. Either way, I'm the better for it.
The following thoughts are drawn from Rev. Floyd's book though their organization here is mine in part. I have used quotation marks and references to give proper credit where due.
History’s greatest church leaders share a single commonality: "they answered the call to prayer and fasting permitting God to show them much more of what He wanted to do with and through them." Andrew Murray, an imitable missionary to South Africa, wrote of surrendering to this call of God:
(Andrew Murray, Great Evangelical Teaching: Absolute Surrender (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1988), 718.)
Alone and fasting Moses saw the loving God who gave the law; and to Elijah, fasting, came the steeds and chariots of flame. So Daniel trained his mystic sight, delivered from the lions’ might; and John, the Bridegroom’s friend, became the herald of Messiah’s name.
Then grant us, Lord, like them to be full oft in fast and prayer with thee; our spirits strength with thy grace, and give us joy to see thy face. Father, Son, and Spirit blest, to thee be every prayer addressed, who art in threefold Name adored, from age to age, the only Lord. (Floyd, 108-09)
("Hymn," The Magnificant, February 27, 2009, 371.)
http://www.christianbook.com/fasting-gateway-spiritual-breakthroughs-revised-expanded/ronnie-floyd/9780805464832/pd/464832
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Prayer-Fasting-Ronnie-Floyd/dp/0805464832
http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Power_of_Prayer_and_Fasting.html?id=RWb1hti3PqwC
Godspeed!
Pastor Daniel
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)