"Repentance is not what we do in order to earn forgiveness; it is what we do because we have been forgiven.
It serves as an expression of gratitude rather than an effort to earn forgiveness.
Thus the sequence of forgiveness and then repentance, rather than repentance and then forgiveness, is crucial for understanding the gospel of grace." (emphasis added)
-Brennan Manning
Thought I'd share a quote that has caused me to be thankful...taken from the book "The Ragamuffin Gospel." Anyone wanting to venture out into the deep waters of God's costly and recklessly extravagant grace should pick up a copy and read it.
Repentance is about turning...not earning.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
more.
"It is hard to bear with people who stand still along the way, lose heart, and seek their happiness in little pleasures which they cling to....You feel sad about all that self-indulgence and self-satisfaction, for you know with indestructible certainty that something greater is coming..."
-Henri Nouwen
The Bible says that the path of the righteous grows brighter and brighter. (Proverbs 4:18)
The increase of Jesus' Kingdom government will never end. (Isaiah 9:7)
Dr. Oz, once said during an interview with Oprah that he chose the his career in the medical field because he could study the human body for the rest of his life and never get bored because there would always be something more....a new discovery to pursue, a new fascination to study out further....
While the human body is fascinating and medical science is a truly noble field, I think I will give my life to pursuing the One who created the human body. The One, who for all eternity we will gaze at in awe, wonder, amazement, and worship.
The best thing about longing for more of God...is that there will always be more of God.
-Henri Nouwen
The Bible says that the path of the righteous grows brighter and brighter. (Proverbs 4:18)
The increase of Jesus' Kingdom government will never end. (Isaiah 9:7)
Dr. Oz, once said during an interview with Oprah that he chose the his career in the medical field because he could study the human body for the rest of his life and never get bored because there would always be something more....a new discovery to pursue, a new fascination to study out further....
While the human body is fascinating and medical science is a truly noble field, I think I will give my life to pursuing the One who created the human body. The One, who for all eternity we will gaze at in awe, wonder, amazement, and worship.
The best thing about longing for more of God...is that there will always be more of God.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
game over.
"Grace means that in the middle of our struggle the referee blows the whistle and announces the end of the game.
We are declared winners and sent to the showers.
It's over for all huffing, puffing piety to earn God's favor; it's finished for all sweat-soaked straining to secure self-worth; it's the end of all competitive scrambling to get ahead of others in the game.
Grace means that God is on our side and thus we are victors regardless of how well we have played the game.
We might as well head for the showers and the champagne celebration." -Donald McCullough
When we begin to get a glimpse of the Grace of God it appears almost scandalous and offensive.
It is so recklessly extravagant, completely empowering, and altogether sufficient!
Will the life of a Christ-follower be pain free and full of ease??.....far from it! Jesus said we would face many trials in this life, but to take heart because He has overcome this world.
I know that in the end I will be judged on my reliance on Jesus' performance rather than my own.
Jesus' perfect life, sacrificial death, and miraculous resurrection really was enough.
There is nothing I can add to a perfect sacrifice.
When it looked like "the game" was over for all of us...Jesus hit a home run in our place and now we get to spend our lives rounding the bases for Him.
The rest of my life will be a home run trot because of His work on the cross.
When Jesus said "It is finished" He was simply saying "game over" to man's attempt to earn his own salvation.
We are declared winners and sent to the showers.
It's over for all huffing, puffing piety to earn God's favor; it's finished for all sweat-soaked straining to secure self-worth; it's the end of all competitive scrambling to get ahead of others in the game.
Grace means that God is on our side and thus we are victors regardless of how well we have played the game.
We might as well head for the showers and the champagne celebration." -Donald McCullough
When we begin to get a glimpse of the Grace of God it appears almost scandalous and offensive.
It is so recklessly extravagant, completely empowering, and altogether sufficient!
Will the life of a Christ-follower be pain free and full of ease??.....far from it! Jesus said we would face many trials in this life, but to take heart because He has overcome this world.
I know that in the end I will be judged on my reliance on Jesus' performance rather than my own.
Jesus' perfect life, sacrificial death, and miraculous resurrection really was enough.
There is nothing I can add to a perfect sacrifice.
When it looked like "the game" was over for all of us...Jesus hit a home run in our place and now we get to spend our lives rounding the bases for Him.
The rest of my life will be a home run trot because of His work on the cross.
When Jesus said "It is finished" He was simply saying "game over" to man's attempt to earn his own salvation.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
treasures of darkness?
My freshmen year of High School I took a photography class.
I thought I'd love it. I loved taking pictures, appreciating good art & creativity, and I was given a free pass to roam around the entire campus to look for great shots.
It was not long before I hated going to photography class. All for one reason...I'd walk into the room with a clear picture in my mind of what I thought was on my film and then would end up walking out of the dark room with something completely different developed on my print.
I did not know how to maximize my time in the dark room.
It was not until I asked the teacher to join me in the dark room for some extra coaching. She wouldn't talk a whole lot (teachers rarely talk while their students are taking tests) and she wouldn't do the work for me, but just knowing that someone was standing next to me that knew how to work in that environment, helped. In the end, my pictures develop with much sharper clarity.
"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." Isaiah 45:3
Light shines the greatest in dark places.
Many times our spiritual valleys are the places most pregnant with fresh vision.
All of us will find ourselves in these dark, difficult, quiet, trying, isolated valleys...but often it's in the the "dark rooms" of our lives that God's call and vision for our lives begins to come into greater focus.
Don't leave your current valley without the treasure and riches stored for you in the dark and hidden places.
I thought I'd love it. I loved taking pictures, appreciating good art & creativity, and I was given a free pass to roam around the entire campus to look for great shots.
It was not long before I hated going to photography class. All for one reason...I'd walk into the room with a clear picture in my mind of what I thought was on my film and then would end up walking out of the dark room with something completely different developed on my print.
I did not know how to maximize my time in the dark room.
It was not until I asked the teacher to join me in the dark room for some extra coaching. She wouldn't talk a whole lot (teachers rarely talk while their students are taking tests) and she wouldn't do the work for me, but just knowing that someone was standing next to me that knew how to work in that environment, helped. In the end, my pictures develop with much sharper clarity.
"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." Isaiah 45:3
Light shines the greatest in dark places.
Many times our spiritual valleys are the places most pregnant with fresh vision.
All of us will find ourselves in these dark, difficult, quiet, trying, isolated valleys...but often it's in the the "dark rooms" of our lives that God's call and vision for our lives begins to come into greater focus.
Don't leave your current valley without the treasure and riches stored for you in the dark and hidden places.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
chewing your own gum
I'm not a germ freak by any means, but I do like to chew my own gum.
I've shared gum with my wife before and had no problem with it. In fact, when your breath is not the greatest and a loved one is trying to look out for you and all that's available is some gum they've already been chewing on for the past hour...you're grateful to take whatever you can get.
But chewing on someone else's gum always come with a downside...less flavor than if you were chewing on your own fresh piece.
There are definitely some similarities when it comes to our spiritual lives.
I'll be the first to say that I love to learn and glean from other Christ-followers, mentors, leaders, etc. Ones that are older, younger, and ones that have been dead for decades.
And although we can appreciate, learn, be inspired by, and even experience a level of transformation from the "gum" others have already chewed on, we must never settle for only living on secondary revelation.
Many times I am so busy learning new things from other great men and women of God that the Holy Spirit has to prompt me to put down the books, turn off the ipod, and shut down the computer.
It's time to "Be still and know [experience] that I am God." Psalm 46:10
Enjoy chewing your own gum this week. There is no substitute for having a personal encounter with the living God.
I've shared gum with my wife before and had no problem with it. In fact, when your breath is not the greatest and a loved one is trying to look out for you and all that's available is some gum they've already been chewing on for the past hour...you're grateful to take whatever you can get.
But chewing on someone else's gum always come with a downside...less flavor than if you were chewing on your own fresh piece.
There are definitely some similarities when it comes to our spiritual lives.
I'll be the first to say that I love to learn and glean from other Christ-followers, mentors, leaders, etc. Ones that are older, younger, and ones that have been dead for decades.
And although we can appreciate, learn, be inspired by, and even experience a level of transformation from the "gum" others have already chewed on, we must never settle for only living on secondary revelation.
"When the religious views of others interpose between us and the primary experience of Jesus as the Christ, we become unconvicted and unpersuasive travel agents handing out brochures to places we have never visited." -Brennan Manning (The Ragamuffin Gospel)
"The culmination of knowledge is not conceptual but experiential."
-Philosopher Jacques Maritain
-Philosopher Jacques Maritain
Many times I am so busy learning new things from other great men and women of God that the Holy Spirit has to prompt me to put down the books, turn off the ipod, and shut down the computer.
It's time to "Be still and know [experience] that I am God." Psalm 46:10
Enjoy chewing your own gum this week. There is no substitute for having a personal encounter with the living God.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Representing Love.
When you read through the New Testament it is easy to see that being a Christ-follower is all about love. Love for God and love for other people.
Love is the focus of the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
The apostle Paul gave a pretty elaborate description of this kind of love in his letter to the Corinthians.
For a challenging exercise to see how you are doing on representing God's love to the world around you...you can insert your name every place where the word "love" appears. None of us are completely there yet, but this is exactly what the Holy Spirit is working towards in our hearts and lives.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Give it a try. Let it stretch you as you think about representing God's love.
Love is the focus of the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
The apostle Paul gave a pretty elaborate description of this kind of love in his letter to the Corinthians.
For a challenging exercise to see how you are doing on representing God's love to the world around you...you can insert your name every place where the word "love" appears. None of us are completely there yet, but this is exactly what the Holy Spirit is working towards in our hearts and lives.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
4Love [Joshua] is patient, love [Joshua] is kind.
It [Joshua] does not envy, it [Joshua] does not boast, it [Joshua] is not proud.
5It [Joshua] is not rude, it [Joshua] is not self-seeking, it [Joshua] is not easily angered,
it [Joshua] keeps no record of wrongs.
6Love [Joshua] does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7It [Joshua] always protects, [Joshua] always trusts, [Joshua] always hopes,
[Joshua] always perseveres.
It [Joshua] does not envy, it [Joshua] does not boast, it [Joshua] is not proud.
5It [Joshua] is not rude, it [Joshua] is not self-seeking, it [Joshua] is not easily angered,
it [Joshua] keeps no record of wrongs.
6Love [Joshua] does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7It [Joshua] always protects, [Joshua] always trusts, [Joshua] always hopes,
[Joshua] always perseveres.
Give it a try. Let it stretch you as you think about representing God's love.
Monday, November 2, 2009
"In my own language please."
I heard some commotion in the living room this afternoon.
My oldest son Judah was extremely frustrated with his brother Jesse. They had been watching a dvd together and at first I couldn't figure out what the problem was. For some reason the show wasn't as engaging as it had been on previous occasions. TV still on: check, volume still good: check, sippy cups in sight: check....so what was the deal with all the racket??
Then as I listened closer I realized that my youngest son must have hit something on the game controller (yeah...we're pretty ghetto and use an old ps2 as our dvd player:) because the animated characters on the screen were no longer speaking in English.....and Judah quickly realized that he didn't understand French!!
As a preacher, I continually find myself asking God for His Grace to to keep this principle in mind whenever I am preparing to communicate His Word.
The Levites involved in the work of the ministry during Ezra's day seemed to get this principle down....the principle of communicating God's Word in a way that their audience to understand it, internalize it and have a chance to apply it.
My oldest son Judah was extremely frustrated with his brother Jesse. They had been watching a dvd together and at first I couldn't figure out what the problem was. For some reason the show wasn't as engaging as it had been on previous occasions. TV still on: check, volume still good: check, sippy cups in sight: check....so what was the deal with all the racket??
Then as I listened closer I realized that my youngest son must have hit something on the game controller (yeah...we're pretty ghetto and use an old ps2 as our dvd player:) because the animated characters on the screen were no longer speaking in English.....and Judah quickly realized that he didn't understand French!!
As a preacher, I continually find myself asking God for His Grace to to keep this principle in mind whenever I am preparing to communicate His Word.
The Levites involved in the work of the ministry during Ezra's day seemed to get this principle down....the principle of communicating God's Word in a way that their audience to understand it, internalize it and have a chance to apply it.
"They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read." (Nehemiah 8:8)
The greater teacher of preaching, Hadden Robinson said, "If it's a mist in the pulpit, it will be a fog in the pew."
God help all of us preachers!! What an amazing challenge and privilege...to present the most timeless and transformative text in a language our culture can comprehend.
God help all of us preachers!! What an amazing challenge and privilege...to present the most timeless and transformative text in a language our culture can comprehend.
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