There is alot of bad news in the world today, but there is also good news. In fact there is a website that has nothing but good news stories on it daily. It is called "Happy News". They report on uplifting and positive stories from around the world. We all need a good dose of good news every day - but that's not good enough...
As followers of Christ, we believe that the church has the best news in all the world, the real GOOD NEWS and that good news is: 1 Corinthians 15:1 Now let me remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then and still do now, for your faith is built on this wonderful message. 2 And it is this Good News that saves you if you firmly believe it—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. 3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me—that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said.
We believe that the mission
of the church is to proclaim the Good News and to be a sign of the
kingdom of God. Christ has commissioned the church to make disciples of
all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to observe all things he
has commanded. This is Article 10 in our Confession of Faith.
Here's THE good news in a nutshell: "God loves you. He isn’t mad at you. Jesus died for you because sin is destroying your life. God loves you so much he has saved you from everything that is destroying you. So why should you keep on living as though this unpredictable and unforgiving world is all you’ve got? Why don’t you come and start experiencing God’s love and enjoying the blessings of his kingdom? You already belong to him. He made you. He’s already paid for your sins. What are you waiting for? He’ll turn your sorrow into joy, your pain into purpose. He’ll give you peace like you've never known. He’ll bring meaning to your life. He’ll help you reconcile your relationships. He’ll give you rest. Trust him. He’s waiting for you."
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
A Life Where Christ is King
In this post I would like to share an article written by Fred Liggin concerning the shootings in Aurora, CO.
We are shaken by mourning as we hurt for those suffering due to the horrific events in Aurora Colorado on July 20. And I am reminded of a most sobering reality.
No government, regardless of how strong or well-meaning can thoroughly legislate morality. To be sure, it can create laws that limit behaviors destructive to society (“You shall not steal”). But as a Christ-follower I am led to believe that what will bring lasting and systemic change is Jesus (“You shall have no other gods before Me”); by how He lived–bringing peace through a life of sacrificial love that paves the way toward a humanity invited to live for a cause greater than self. His life gives breadth and depth to both how and why He died and was risen. It is His life, death, resurrection and ascension as Lord that makes possible eternal realities in our present world; God’s love, righteousness and peace, indeed God Himself, accessible to all of humanity in tangible ways. It makes these eternal realities present because it is a life that follows Jesus as Lord out of hatred into sacrificial love; out of violence into peace; out of judgment into mercy; out of darkness into light. Jesus as Lord and Creator shows us what kind of life really works when God is King.
The events of July 20 remind us that there is too much godless, dehumanizing, hatred and injustice in the world filled with lost hearts for Christ-followers to lose this focus. Too much is at stake to be tangled up in various debates. If Jesus truly is King of kings and the only hope for the world, we must live like it as everyday people in every day places in every day ways. As Christ-followers our lives must be the proof of our theology. Not just our words or persuasive arguments. For what cannot be up for debate is that “faith without works is dead” and the world will know us by our love. (James 2:14-26; John 13:35).
So we must go. Go into the public square, the city streets, the cubicle next to yours, your neighbor’s house, your child’s bedroom, and tell the story of the One who brought peace through sacrificial love, and not through violence. Offer them Jesus the Son of God and Son of Man, not just a plan. If Christ-followers want lasting change in this present world, then we must tell His story because only it can shine a light on where true hope, restoration, redemption and salvation is found.
May His Kingdom come and His will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. And may God’s comfort be known in the hearts of those suffering due to the brokenness and depravity of this rebellious world.
We are shaken by mourning as we hurt for those suffering due to the horrific events in Aurora Colorado on July 20. And I am reminded of a most sobering reality.
No government, regardless of how strong or well-meaning can thoroughly legislate morality. To be sure, it can create laws that limit behaviors destructive to society (“You shall not steal”). But as a Christ-follower I am led to believe that what will bring lasting and systemic change is Jesus (“You shall have no other gods before Me”); by how He lived–bringing peace through a life of sacrificial love that paves the way toward a humanity invited to live for a cause greater than self. His life gives breadth and depth to both how and why He died and was risen. It is His life, death, resurrection and ascension as Lord that makes possible eternal realities in our present world; God’s love, righteousness and peace, indeed God Himself, accessible to all of humanity in tangible ways. It makes these eternal realities present because it is a life that follows Jesus as Lord out of hatred into sacrificial love; out of violence into peace; out of judgment into mercy; out of darkness into light. Jesus as Lord and Creator shows us what kind of life really works when God is King.
The events of July 20 remind us that there is too much godless, dehumanizing, hatred and injustice in the world filled with lost hearts for Christ-followers to lose this focus. Too much is at stake to be tangled up in various debates. If Jesus truly is King of kings and the only hope for the world, we must live like it as everyday people in every day places in every day ways. As Christ-followers our lives must be the proof of our theology. Not just our words or persuasive arguments. For what cannot be up for debate is that “faith without works is dead” and the world will know us by our love. (James 2:14-26; John 13:35).
So we must go. Go into the public square, the city streets, the cubicle next to yours, your neighbor’s house, your child’s bedroom, and tell the story of the One who brought peace through sacrificial love, and not through violence. Offer them Jesus the Son of God and Son of Man, not just a plan. If Christ-followers want lasting change in this present world, then we must tell His story because only it can shine a light on where true hope, restoration, redemption and salvation is found.
May His Kingdom come and His will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. And may God’s comfort be known in the hearts of those suffering due to the brokenness and depravity of this rebellious world.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
The Difference
There is a lot of talk about the difference between "religion" and relationship". I grew up in a church that focused much more on religion than relationship. It was all about following the rules. Many of you have been there. If you talked about having a relationship with God, it was seen as weak. That wasn't enough. It couldn't be that easy. You had to do something in order to gauge how "Christian" you really were in comparison to others. It was "salvation through moral effort". That seems to be what Isaiah is saying about the people of Jerusalem.
Isaiah 29:13 says, “And so the Lord says, “These people say
they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote".
Religion doesn't engage the heart, but relationship does. Just going through the motions of "going to church, praying, giving money, teaching Sunday school, etc" can't earn a special place in God's heart. We already have it because of what Christ first did for us.
In Timothy Keller's book, The Reason for God, he says, "Self-salvation through good works may produce a great deal of moral behavior in your life, but inside you are filled with self-righteousness...you are miserable. You need a complete transformation of the very motives of your heart". Keller is saying that as long as we focus on the outside rules, we will never experience the internal change from the free grace that God offers. "Religion operates on the principle "I obey - therefore I am accepted by God." But the operating principle of a grace-filled relationship with God is "I am accepted by through what Christ has done - therefore I obey", says Keller.
Following the rules might make a difference for awhile, but following Christ and having that relationship based on what He has done will make a difference for eternity!
In Timothy Keller's book, The Reason for God, he says, "Self-salvation through good works may produce a great deal of moral behavior in your life, but inside you are filled with self-righteousness...you are miserable. You need a complete transformation of the very motives of your heart". Keller is saying that as long as we focus on the outside rules, we will never experience the internal change from the free grace that God offers. "Religion operates on the principle "I obey - therefore I am accepted by God." But the operating principle of a grace-filled relationship with God is "I am accepted by through what Christ has done - therefore I obey", says Keller.
Following the rules might make a difference for awhile, but following Christ and having that relationship based on what He has done will make a difference for eternity!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
A Bold Prayer of Contentment
Our reading for today is from Proverbs 30 written by a guy named Agur. Not much is said about him, but he obviously has the gift of wisdom. I was especially struck by verses 8 and 9 this morning:
"First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?" And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name.
I'm not sure I've ever prayed this kind of prayer (give me neither poverty nor riches). I take that back; I have prayed that God would not give me poverty, but I've never prayed that God would NOT give me riches. In fact, I can't help but think of Tevye from "Fiddler on the Roof":
Tevye: Again with the rich. What is wrong with being rich?
Perchik: It's no reason to marry. Money is the world's curse.
Tevye: May the Lord smite me with it. And may I never recover.
Agur states the reason for praying such a bold prayer. It is so he would not forget who the LORD is. If he were to be rich, he would rely on his riches instead of God. If he were poor, he would rely on himself to provide by stealing. He simply asks God to provide what he NEEDS. That's it.
Sounds like another prayer we all know well:
Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
I guess if it was good enough for Agur and Jesus, then I should be doing it too. How about you?
"First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?" And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name.
I'm not sure I've ever prayed this kind of prayer (give me neither poverty nor riches). I take that back; I have prayed that God would not give me poverty, but I've never prayed that God would NOT give me riches. In fact, I can't help but think of Tevye from "Fiddler on the Roof":
Tevye: Again with the rich. What is wrong with being rich?
Perchik: It's no reason to marry. Money is the world's curse.
Tevye: May the Lord smite me with it. And may I never recover.
Agur states the reason for praying such a bold prayer. It is so he would not forget who the LORD is. If he were to be rich, he would rely on his riches instead of God. If he were poor, he would rely on himself to provide by stealing. He simply asks God to provide what he NEEDS. That's it.
Sounds like another prayer we all know well:
Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
I guess if it was good enough for Agur and Jesus, then I should be doing it too. How about you?
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