Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked," declares the Lord GOD, "rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?
Ezekiel 18:23
As we process the death of our country's most wanted man, I want to remind you that as a Christ-follower, we must process this information through the lens of Scripture. Therefore...
Without a professing, authentic faith in the substitutionary atonement of Christ, Osama Bin Laden woke up in an eternal hell.
While eternal death and destruction are the wages that are paid for sin (Romans 3:23), it is not something that even God delights in. His justice demands it; His love put His Son on the cross to give humanity a chance to escape it. With his rejection of Christ, Osama is experiencing it now and forevermore.
1. May we not "wish" this even on our worst enemy.
2. May we pray that ALL would place faith in the person and work of Christ-even our enemies.
3. May we be reminded that just one sin (no matter its physical results) is worthy of eternal punishment.
4. May we be driven to worship when we consider Christ paid the penalty for our sin giving us an escape from eternal hell.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
freedom from tyranny
"By his willingly renouncing self-defiance, the Christian affirms his absolute adherence to Jesus, and his freedom from the tyranny of his own ego."
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Payback, getting even, revenge - no matter what you call it - is an exaltation of self. It communicates who is truly on the throne of your heart, you. And when you are driven by revenge, you live in tyranny. You are ruled by an evil master who deceives you into believing that revenge is the key to your cell.
Instead of seeking the opportunity to "repay evil with evil", remember that the key to the prison of revenge is forgivness. The door is unlocked when you...
Love your enemy. Pray for those who persecute you.
-Jesus (Matthew 5)
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Payback, getting even, revenge - no matter what you call it - is an exaltation of self. It communicates who is truly on the throne of your heart, you. And when you are driven by revenge, you live in tyranny. You are ruled by an evil master who deceives you into believing that revenge is the key to your cell.
Instead of seeking the opportunity to "repay evil with evil", remember that the key to the prison of revenge is forgivness. The door is unlocked when you...
Love your enemy. Pray for those who persecute you.
-Jesus (Matthew 5)
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
getting over the hump...
I am often asked, "Mike, I can't seem to get control over a particular sin. Any suggestions?"
For many the answer might be...
TRY HARDER
May I suggest something else....check out Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
Notice what "instructs us to deny ungodliness and worldy desires"...the grace of God. That grace of God is the Gospel story. It's the reality that you and I are not capable of meeting God's standard and are in need of a substitute to meet that standard. It's the truth that THE ONLY substitute is Christ. We put full confidence in His death and resurrection thus eliminating the "try harder" mentality.
It is Christ who "redeemed us" and "purifies us." When we are concentrating on the sin we commit, we are blinded to the One who has already conquered that sin. Sin is not eliminated by our effort to remove or resist it. Sin is conquered when we are so concentrated on Christ and His cross that sin phases out of our life. The sin that controls us is then replaced with an life that is "zealous for good deeds."
For many the answer might be...
TRY HARDER
May I suggest something else....check out Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
Notice what "instructs us to deny ungodliness and worldy desires"...the grace of God. That grace of God is the Gospel story. It's the reality that you and I are not capable of meeting God's standard and are in need of a substitute to meet that standard. It's the truth that THE ONLY substitute is Christ. We put full confidence in His death and resurrection thus eliminating the "try harder" mentality.
It is Christ who "redeemed us" and "purifies us." When we are concentrating on the sin we commit, we are blinded to the One who has already conquered that sin. Sin is not eliminated by our effort to remove or resist it. Sin is conquered when we are so concentrated on Christ and His cross that sin phases out of our life. The sin that controls us is then replaced with an life that is "zealous for good deeds."
Monday, April 25, 2011
may it be said of me...
As a pastor, I have a lot of hopes and dreams. There are goals I want to acheive, and places I want to impact with the Gospel. But as I discussed with Sara Beth last night, there are two things I really want as a pastor.
As a pastor, I want to never tire of preaching the Gospel.
As a pastor, I want humility to be my foundational characteristic.
I want the people God gives me to shepherd to love Jesus more than me. I want them to crave His teaching and not mine. I want them to follow His leadership not mine.
With the Gospel as the message and humility as the method, I believe God's get all the glory and my life is fully satisfied.
As a pastor, I want to never tire of preaching the Gospel.
As a pastor, I want humility to be my foundational characteristic.
I want the people God gives me to shepherd to love Jesus more than me. I want them to crave His teaching and not mine. I want them to follow His leadership not mine.
With the Gospel as the message and humility as the method, I believe God's get all the glory and my life is fully satisfied.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Invitation of Jesus
"Ultimately Jesus was calling them (His followers) to abandon themselves. The were leaving certainty for uncertainty, safety for danger, self-preservation for self-denunciation. In a world that prizes promoting oneself, they were following a teacher who told them to crucify themselves. And history tells us the result. Almost all of them would lose their lives because they responded to his invitation."
David Platt, Radical
The inviation has not changed in 2000 years. We are to abandon ourselves, our desires, our pursuits, our lives in exchange for Him, His desires, and His pursuits. It is only when we abandon ourselves do we gain Jesus.
David Platt, Radical
The inviation has not changed in 2000 years. We are to abandon ourselves, our desires, our pursuits, our lives in exchange for Him, His desires, and His pursuits. It is only when we abandon ourselves do we gain Jesus.
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