tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-169760922024-03-12T20:27:46.176-07:00fröstminster"We are snow-covered dung." - Martin LutherUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger266125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-37397847461099982012011-03-10T10:10:00.000-08:002011-03-10T10:11:48.783-08:00The bible's primary purpose"Scripture is of no use to us if we read it merely as a handbook for daily living without recognizing that its principle purpose is to reveal Jesus Christ and his gospel for the salvation of sinners. All Scripture coalesces in Christ, anticipated in the OT and appearing in the flesh in the NT. In Scripture, God issues commands and threatens judgment for transgressors as well as direction for the lives of his people. Yet the greatest treasure buried in the Scriptures is the good news of the promised Messiah. <br /><br />Everything in the Bible that tells us what to do is “law”, and everything in the Bible that tells us what God has done in Christ to save us is “gospel.” Much like medieval piety, the emphasis in much Christian teaching today is on what we are to do without adequate grounding in the good news of what God has done for us in Christ. “What would Jesus do?” becomes more important than “What has Jesus done?” The gospel, however, is not just something we needed at conversion so we can spend the rest of our Christian life obsessed with performance; it is something we need every day–the only source of our sanctification as well as our justification. The law guides, but only the gospel gives. We are declared righteous–justified–not by anything that happens within us or done by us, but solely by God’s act of crediting us with Christ’s perfect righteousness through faith alone."<br /><br />- Michael Horton, <span style="font-style:italic;">Justified: Modern Reformation Essays on the Doctrine of Justification.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-36802261037836004862011-03-03T12:44:00.000-08:002011-03-03T12:45:10.160-08:00What Does It Look Like to Receive the New Testament for the First Time?<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/w9dpmp_-TY0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-19369998181146018152011-01-18T08:48:00.000-08:002011-01-18T08:52:11.003-08:00The Comforting Doctrine of God's Unconditional Election<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/s87qUlefZwc?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/s87qUlefZwc?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-26309257966136245852010-10-06T15:04:00.000-07:002010-10-06T15:05:22.302-07:00Do it again!H.T. Justin Taylor<br /><br />G.K. Chesteron:<br /><br /> A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life.<br /><br />Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony.<br /><br />But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony.<br /><br />It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun: and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon.<br /><br />It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them.<br /><br />It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.<br /><br />The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore.<br /><br />—”The Ethics of Elfland,” chapter 4 in Orthodoxy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-54908569631567045602010-08-27T08:40:00.000-07:002010-08-27T08:41:08.718-07:00When are you the most happy?“I do not know when I am more perfectly happy than when I am weeping for sin at the foot of the cross.”<br />- Charles SpurgeonUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-26254923727141898792010-08-27T08:26:00.000-07:002010-08-27T08:44:44.952-07:00Theses on how the Christian fulfills the law of liberty, by John Piper• Our fulfilling of the law of liberty refers to a life of real love for people (Rom 13:8,10 / Gal 5:13-18)<br /><br />• It is not the ground of our justification, it is a fruit of it.<br /><br />• It is rendered NOT in our own strength, but by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />• It is rendered by FAITH as we trust Christ. This faith is the faith that justifiies - i.e. it is a gift.<br /><br />• It is NOT a perfect love in this life. (Rom 7, Phil 3)<br /><br />• It will become perfect when I die. (Rom 8:30 / Heb 12:23). It will be perfectly fulfilled in the future. But, we will be no more than justified sinners, and nothing more. Our righteousness is imputed. May Jesus' name be praised alone.<br /><br />• It is sometimes called the "law of liberty", or "the law of Christ".<br /><br />• It is performed by means of trusting another who's obedience was already perfect.<br /><br />• It is always pointing away from me and towards Jesus.<br /><br /><br /><br />"When you pursue love... pursue it as one who is free from the law as the ground of your acceptance with God. Pursue it as the law of liberty!"<br /><br />Our pursuit of love is an "indirect pursuit". We first go through Christ, not directly to the commandment, to love God and neighbor.<br /><br />Your God-dependent, Christ-exalting, Faith-based love for people which is based on your justification, is a REAL kind of love, it's really what the law requires.<br /><br />The goal of the law is Christ for righteousness (Rom 10:4)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-65375202961433693822010-08-10T08:55:00.000-07:002010-08-10T08:56:21.994-07:00all you need is need“If you want God’s grace, all you need is need, all you need is nothing. But that kind of spiritual humility is hard to muster.”<br /><br />- Timothy Keller, Counterfeit GodsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-6992247256226451712009-11-20T10:55:00.001-08:002009-11-20T10:55:27.073-08:00Red Apple Evangelism Part 4<object width="425" height="247" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://blog.harvestbiblefellowship.org/wp-content/plugins/podcasting/player/mediaplayer.swf" id="pod_video_1" style="visibility: visible;"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"/><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"/><param name="flashvars" value="file=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.harvestbiblefellowship.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F10%2Fred_apple_evangelism_part_4.flv&bufferlength=10&screencolor=000000&controlbarsize=40&controlbar=over&stretching=fill&image=http://blog.harvestbiblefellowship.org/wp-content/themes/straightup%20copy/images/video_general.jpg"/></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-62487625370299804312009-11-20T10:54:00.004-08:002009-11-20T10:55:11.054-08:00Red Apple Evangelism Part 3<object width="425" height="247" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://blog.harvestbiblefellowship.org/wp-content/plugins/podcasting/player/mediaplayer.swf" id="pod_video_1" style="visibility: visible;"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"/><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"/><param name="flashvars" value="file=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.harvestbiblefellowship.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F10%2Fred_apple_evangelism_pt_3_re_export.flv&bufferlength=10&screencolor=000000&controlbarsize=40&controlbar=over&stretching=fill&image=http://blog.harvestbiblefellowship.org/wp-content/themes/straightup%20copy/images/video_general.jpg"/></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-53420533108195158752009-11-20T10:54:00.003-08:002009-11-20T10:54:53.571-08:00Red Apple Evangelism Part 2<object width="425" height="247" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://blog.harvestbiblefellowship.org/wp-content/plugins/podcasting/player/mediaplayer.swf" id="pod_video_1" style="visibility: visible;"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"/><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"/><param name="flashvars" value="file=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.harvestbiblefellowship.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F10%2FRed-Apple2.flv&bufferlength=10&screencolor=000000&controlbarsize=40&controlbar=over&stretching=fill&image=http://blog.harvestbiblefellowship.org/wp-content/themes/straightup%20copy/images/video_general.jpg"/></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-17770764635869769852009-11-20T10:54:00.001-08:002009-11-20T10:54:22.858-08:00Red Apple Evangelism Part 1<object width="425" height="247" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://blog.harvestbiblefellowship.org/wp-content/plugins/podcasting/player/mediaplayer.swf" id="pod_video_1" style="visibility: visible;"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"/><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"/><param name="flashvars" value="file=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.harvestbiblefellowship.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F10%2Fevangelism_blog_1_export.flv&bufferlength=10&screencolor=000000&controlbarsize=40&controlbar=over&stretching=fill&image=http://blog.harvestbiblefellowship.org/wp-content/themes/straightup%20copy/images/video_general.jpg"/></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-22342504844121595362009-11-12T08:38:00.001-08:002009-11-12T08:38:54.219-08:00Don Carson: How do I know God exists?<object width="400" height="320"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7415635&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7415635&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="320"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/7415635">How do I know God exists?</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/apassionforlife">A Passion for Life</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-74368066302467210772009-11-12T08:29:00.000-08:002009-11-12T08:30:10.010-08:00Don Carson: How can God allow suffering and evil in the world?<object width="400" height="320"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7411192&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7411192&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="320"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/7411192">How can God allow suffering and evil in the world?</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/apassionforlife">A Passion for Life</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-4278081580229076582009-11-12T08:28:00.001-08:002009-11-12T08:29:09.342-08:00Don Carson: How can God be loving and yet send people to Hell?<object width="400" height="320"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7415156&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7415156&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="320"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/7415156">How can God be loving yet send people to hell?</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/apassionforlife">A Passion for Life</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-42956519473975351262009-11-03T08:15:00.000-08:002009-11-03T08:21:45.362-08:00Why DID we crucify Jesus?Question: If Jesus is just another great teacher, why did we kill him? William Willimon asks the same question:<br /><br />“It is odd that we have made even Jesus into such a quivering mass of affirmation and oozing graciousness, considering how frequently, unguardedly, and gleefully Jesus told us that we were sinners. Anyone who thinks that Jesus was into inclusiveness, self-affirmation, and open-minded, heart-happy acceptance has then got to figure out why we responded to him by nailing him on a cross. He got there not for urging us to ‘consider the lilies’ but for calling us ‘whitewashed tombs’ and even worse.”<br /><br />As someone else has stated, "God made man in his own image, and we've been returning the favor ever since."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-46284729102825792272009-10-28T15:11:00.000-07:002009-10-28T15:14:01.869-07:00Amaze them with God<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtymp-v-QVlmCxengVLGK4PL5CvwaWlFDTZhbyCP5jsT5RiEJLXtPB5eyUG-du5kk1zr8fBAOGBzV3gz7XlAhgdMx_kJHi7zjn3fiGc5tUKrPmvwc35xyd9OYvWIcnIqIN1-FCA/s1600-h/eye_of_god.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtymp-v-QVlmCxengVLGK4PL5CvwaWlFDTZhbyCP5jsT5RiEJLXtPB5eyUG-du5kk1zr8fBAOGBzV3gz7XlAhgdMx_kJHi7zjn3fiGc5tUKrPmvwc35xyd9OYvWIcnIqIN1-FCA/s200/eye_of_god.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397777316439910706" /></a><br />by Kevin DeYoung<br /><br />I beg of you, don’t go after the next generation with mere moralism, either on the right (don’t have sex, go to church, share your faith, stay off drugs) or on the left (recycle, dig a well, feed the homeless, buy a wristband). The gospel is not a message about what we need to do for God, but about what God has done for us. So get them with the good news about who God is and what he has done for us.<br /><br />Some of us, it seems, are almost scared to tell people about God. Perhaps because we don’t truly know him. Maybe because we prefer living in triviality. Or maybe because we don’t consider knowing God to be very helpful in real life. I have to fight against this unbelief in my own life. If only I would trust God that God is enough to win the hearts and minds of the next generation. It’s his work much more than it is mine or yours. So make him front and center. Don’t preach your doubts as mystery. And don’t reduce God to your own level. If ever people were starving for a God the size of God, surely it is now.<br /><br />Give them a God who is holy, independent, and unlike us, a God who is good, just, full of wrath and full of mercy. Give them a God who is sovereign, powerful, tender, and true. Give them a God with edges. Give them an undiluted God who makes them feel cherished and safe, and small and uncomfortable too. Give them a God who works all things after the counsel of his will and for the glory of his name. Give them a God whose love is lavish and free. Give them a God worthy of wonder and fear, a God big enough for all our faith, hope, and love.<br /><br />Do your friends, your church, your family, your children know that God is the center of the universe? Can they see that he is at the center of your life?<br /><br />Imagine you had a dream of someone sitting on a throne. In your dream a rainbow encircled the throne. Twenty-four men surrounded the throne. Lighting and thunder issued from the throne. Seven lamps stood blazing at the foot of the throne. A sea of glass lay before the throne. Four strange creatures were around the throne, giving thanks to him who sits on the throne. And twenty-four old dudes were falling down before the one who sits on the throne. You wouldn’t have to get Joseph out of prison to figure out the point of this dream. The throne is the figurative and literal center of the vision. The meaning of the dream is God.<br /><br />This, of course, is no ordinary dream. It is John’s vision from Revelation 4. And it is reality, right now. More substantial and more lasting and more influential than your pain, or fear, or temptation, or opposition, or make-up, or clothes, or boyfriends, or video games, or iPods, or whatever else our culture says should be important to young people is God. What matters now and for eternity is the unceasing worship of him who sits on the throne.<br /><br />As you try to reach the next generation for Christ, you can amaze them with your cleverness, your humor, or your looks. Or you can amaze them with God. I need a lot of things in my life. There are schedules and details and a long to-do list. I need food and water and shelter. I need sleep. I need more exercise and I need to eat better. But this is my greatest need and yours: to know God, love God, delight in God, and make much of God.<br /><br />We have an incredible opportunity before us. Most people live weightless, ephemeral lives. We can give them substance instead of style. We can show them a big God to help make sense of their shrinking lives. We can point them to transcendence instead of triviality. We can reach them with something more lasting and more powerful than gimmicks, gadgets, and games. We can reach them with God.<br /><br />Imagine that. Reaching the next generation for God by showing them more of God. That’s just crazy enough to work.<br /><br />HT Brian FrahmUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-5945262627938164932009-10-27T13:30:00.000-07:002009-10-27T13:34:43.003-07:00Our Substitute brings peace<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYBYuJwNG4rrNsgEO_Z8jSgtryy5S09vjwWV0if0pPld1M-KaV45Mbq3acxgzvdx2n9jqTQuVT04kKFh7VyoLrdL2MKYfkKOC25RQPwK81sKVCCr3fskUXdYoYArFn3Y2pNMWOQ/s1600-h/Picture+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYBYuJwNG4rrNsgEO_Z8jSgtryy5S09vjwWV0if0pPld1M-KaV45Mbq3acxgzvdx2n9jqTQuVT04kKFh7VyoLrdL2MKYfkKOC25RQPwK81sKVCCr3fskUXdYoYArFn3Y2pNMWOQ/s400/Picture+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397380555854640322" /></a><br />“From beginning to end what Jesus Christ has done for you he has done not only as God but as man. He has acted in your place in the whole range of your human life and activity... in all of which he has been fully and completely accepted by the Father, so that in Jesus Christ you are already accepted by him. Therefore, renounce yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus as your Lord and Saviour.”<br /><br />- TF TorranceUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-1051219952334502212009-10-15T16:35:00.001-07:002009-10-15T16:35:40.121-07:00Give Me Jesus<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1746209&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1746209&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/1746209">Fernando Ortega - "Give Me Jesus"</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/adamson">Adamson.TV</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-88355072489855270762009-10-15T15:49:00.000-07:002009-10-15T15:50:55.601-07:00James, the Importance of Good Works and Seeking GodHere's a great excerpt from a sermon on James by Kim Riddlebarger:<br /><br />"While some have thought that the Book of James is nothing more than warmed over Jewish legalism, we have seen how that sentiment could not be further from the truth. James does not contradict Paul when it comes to justification, and when interpreted correctly, James reminds us of the importance of good works, as well as the need for us to be more than mere “hearers” of the word. In fact, James has taught us that it is God who brings us forth (from death to life) through the preached word, then implants that word with in us, thereby ensuring that we hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. James exhorts struggling Christians to draw near to God, because James knows God’s promise that God will draw near to us whenever we seek his face. James reminds that when we humble ourselves, God responds by exalting us. James tells us that whenever we seek God’s grace, God is willing to give us even more grace. James is very clear that from beginning to end, the Christian life is grounded in the grace of God, who has promised to see us through all of the trials of life. And the way in which God sees us through the trials of life is through prayer..."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-55069179985879856142009-10-13T08:31:00.000-07:002009-10-13T08:40:28.381-07:00Christianity Declining in the West?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJJgSe3dDu2ZQZ7Xmc8FQvjDsFXSjryrawDhzPOSOQsu4RSeEgfKGxGzGlzBp1gH0UIJfm2_JCTGjbe9vdKErkjSwunmmCXD_olLsqniNMLOrAC7prvEImAMZETbjrGfwQyvw2g/s1600-h/story.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJJgSe3dDu2ZQZ7Xmc8FQvjDsFXSjryrawDhzPOSOQsu4RSeEgfKGxGzGlzBp1gH0UIJfm2_JCTGjbe9vdKErkjSwunmmCXD_olLsqniNMLOrAC7prvEImAMZETbjrGfwQyvw2g/s320/story.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392109885318829506" /></a><br />"If one is hapless enough to watch television or listen to conservative or religious (or conservative religious) radio, one hears endless rhetorical prefaces that assert the decline of Christianity in the industrialized West (or any of its sub-parts). In almost every case, this narrative of decline and fall is <a href="http://www.opc.org/os.html?article_id=44">READ MORE</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-90050626288550979542009-09-01T13:22:00.000-07:002009-09-01T13:26:30.417-07:00Bono on Karma & Grace<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMKyA5RY3lWAWQ0eDYLa_p6yZMMTUSLc3lR_L6KpSVL5SWmwOPC9__mpptj3cLKIq-B8PIaxB7vBWP5zDGnX2WLD78BEN9Yq5fRX8X_02yFO_6iLIxxgQZENL6YOgQXJzwtx7Vg/s1600-h/bono200x319p-5.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 189px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMKyA5RY3lWAWQ0eDYLa_p6yZMMTUSLc3lR_L6KpSVL5SWmwOPC9__mpptj3cLKIq-B8PIaxB7vBWP5zDGnX2WLD78BEN9Yq5fRX8X_02yFO_6iLIxxgQZENL6YOgQXJzwtx7Vg/s400/bono200x319p-5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376598052360802706" /></a><br />Shortly after the Madrid train bombings of March 2004, Bono and French music journalist Michka Assayas had a series of conversations. Here is a selected excerpt:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Assayas</span>: I think I am beginning to understand religion because I have started acting and thinking like a father. What do you make of that?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bono</span>: Yes, I think that’s normal. It’s a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Assayas</span>: I haven’t heard you talk about that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bono</span>: I really believe we’ve moved out of the realm of Karma into one of Grace…You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics–in physical laws–every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It’s clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I’m absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that “as you reap, you will sow” stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I’ve done a lot of stupid stuff.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Assayas</span>: I’d be interested to hear that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bono</span>: That’s between me and God. But I’d be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I’d be in deep s – - -. It doesn’t excuse my mistakes, but I’m holding out for Grace. I’m holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don’t have to depend on my own religiosity.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Assayas</span>: The Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. I wish I could believe in that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bono</span>: But i love the idea of the Sacrificial Lamb. I love the idea that God says: Look, you cretins, there are certain results to the way we are, to selfishness, and there’s a mortality as part of your very sinful nature, and, let’s face it, you’re not living a very good life, are you? There are consequences to actions. The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That’s the point. It should keep us humbled. It’s not our own good works that get us through the gates of heaven.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Assayas</span>: That’s a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is wonderful, even though it’s close to lunacy, in my view. Christ has his rank among the world’s great thinkers. But Son of God, isn’t that far-fetched?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bono</span>: No, it’s not far-fetched to me. Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: he was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn’t allow you that. He doesn’t let you off that hook. Christ says: No. I’m not saying I’m a teacher, don’t call me teacher. I’m not saying I’m a prophet. I’m saying: “I’m the Messiah.” I’m saying: “I am God incarnate.” And people say: No, no, please, just be a prophet. A prophet, we can take. You’re a bit eccentric. We’ve had John the Baptist eating locusts and wild honey, we can handle that. But don’t mention the “M” word! Because, you know, we’re gonna have to crucify you. And he goes: No, no. I know you’re expecting me to come back with an army, and set you free from these creeps, but actually I am the Messiah. At this point, everyone starts staring at their shoes, and says: Oh, my God, he’s gonna keep saying this. So what you’re left with is: either Christ was who He said He was the Messiah or a complete nutcase. I mean, we’re talking nutcase on the level of Charles Manson. This man was like some of the people we’ve been talking about earlier. This man was strapping himself to a bomb, and had “King of the Jews” on his head, and, as they were putting him up on the Cross, was going: OK, martyrdom, here we go. Bring on the pain! I can take it. I’m not joking here. The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me, that’s farfetched.<br />…<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bono</span>: If only we could be a bit more like Him, the world would be transformed. When I look at the Cross of Christ, what I see up there is all my s – - – and everybody else’s. So I ask myself a question a lot of people have asked: Who is this man? And was He who He said He was, or was He just a religious nut? And there it is, and that’s the question. And no one can talk you into it or out of it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-18609292986864703792009-08-24T07:14:00.000-07:002009-08-24T07:16:10.560-07:00Bubble Creek Canyon<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/svp3X68ZQ7M&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/svp3X68ZQ7M&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-12797055892529365722009-08-18T08:13:00.000-07:002009-08-18T08:14:34.318-07:00God is far more“The gospel shows us that God is far more holy and absolute than the moralists’ god, because he could not be satisfied by our moral efforts, even the best! On the other hand, the gospel shows us that God is far more loving and gracious than the relativists’ god. They say that God (if he exists) just loves everyone no matter what they do. The true God of the gospel had to suffer and die to save us, while the god of the relativist pays no price to love us.”<br /><br />- Timothy KellerUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-65845171171689363272009-08-10T12:18:00.000-07:002009-08-10T12:20:06.699-07:00James May rides in a U2 spy planeI totally envy this guy. He gets to see what few of us do.<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/x6cZLfK4Zjk&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/x6cZLfK4Zjk&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16976092.post-23011304166008873782009-08-09T15:21:00.000-07:002009-08-09T15:58:08.449-07:00I'm an ambassador for Christ, cleverly disguised as _________... you fill in the blank. <br /><br />Our pastor today said something that really got me thinking. He asked us what the primary goal of the church in this age was. "Well", I thought, "To glorify God and enjoy Him forever". Yes, I suppose that's the chief end of man, sort of the ultimate goal in the grand picture, but the primary (to be more specific: immediate goal) here on earth now is to make disciples, which consequently glorifies God - all the other valuable things the church does on earth support that. Worship, study, etc... are to prepare us for and motivate us to... missions.<br /><br />If the church's main goal here on earth was to study God's word (and I don't diminish the importance of this for a second), wouldn't it have been better for Him to take us to heaven immediately, so we could study in a more perfect and accommodating context? Yes. What about worship? Well, praising God is wonderful, but some Sundays my flesh really takes all the joy out of worship. I really get a sense of just how much better worshipping God in song will be on the new heaven and new earth.<br /><br />So, why leave us on earth after He regenerates us and makes us His followers? To love, and share the good news with my neighbor (Christian and non-Christian alike) and work to see His kingdom spread, all under His power and direction. He IS returning someday, but we don't always act like we're on mission. You know, it might be easier to have that attitude if I WERE in a foreign land. To always have the feeling of being "sent" at every turn. Here's the challenge: whatever situation He's sovereignly set us, we are to be "on mission". <br /><br />Does this mean obnoxiously cramming the gospel down someone's throat? No, but it does mean hanging out with people (like Jesus did), speaking the truth in love when the opportunity arrives (like Jesus did) and joyfully welcoming people into our company and kingdom (like Jesus did). ...and yes, you can have fun doing it. Find something you like to do, invite some non-believers to join you, and voila let the Holy Spirit bring opportunities to engage them! Genuine friendship is the goal. Even if they never become a follower of Christ, that's not your responsibility. I'm NOT talking about looking at people as "converts", "notches on your belt", etc... that's NOT loving people, that's legalism.<br /><br />Think about your own life and vocation. Are you a stay-at-home-mom? A designer? A store manager? You might want to start thinking of yourself as an ambassador for Christ cleverly disguised as one of these vocations. Just something to think about...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1