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Dull of hearing…

May 1, 2012 in Bible, church, God, Jesus with 0 Comments

“About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food……” (Hebrews 5:11-12)

I read this yesterday morning…….wrestled with it all day………it’s still troubling me!

In the NLT Bible the words that stuck in my head say “…….since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen…………you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word.”

May we realise now, if we need to return to the ‘basic things about God’s word‘

The Gospel alone can free us….

April 30, 2012 in Bible, church, God, Jesus with 0 Comments

“…..because of Christ’s finished work for me, I had nothing to prove or protect. I didn’t need to pretend anymore that I was strong. I was being set free from the narcissistic impulse to impress people, appease people, measure up for people, or prove myself to people. The gospel alone can free us from the burden of trying to control what other people think about us. It frees us from the miserable, unquenchable pursuit to make something of ourselves by using others.”  Tullian Tchividjian

This article originally appeared in the “Exit Interviews” March/April 2012 Vol. 21 No. 2 Page number(s): 39-41 edition of Modern Reformation and is reprinted with permission. For more information about Modern Reformation, visit www.modernreformation.org or call (800) 890-7556. All rights reserved.

Things I learned on Sunday…

April 30, 2012 in Bible, church, God, Jesus, Things I learned on Sunday with 2 Comments

This is only a snapshot of yesterdays morning sermon but, this challenge continues to grip me and cause me to ask myself serious questions….

“Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” [Joshua 3v5]

[Con•se•crate: To declare or set apart as sacred/To dedicate solemnly to a service or goal]

That challenge does not go away!!

Are there things in our lives that are keeping us from Jesus?

Joshua was encouraging the people to be distinctively different – are we distinctively different? Set apart? Dedicated?

Do we need to hear this command to ‘consecrate‘ ourselves afresh?

Are there things in our lives that are holding us back individually but, also holding back the church around us? Affecting other believers around us? Influencing others negatively?

The conversations we engage in, the tweets, the facebook updates, the books we recommend, the films we endorse, the music we promote, the way we spend our money, the clothes we wear………..this list could go on and on…..

This should be a serious subject for christians……often it is not……………and, I’m aware of the danger of becoming a ‘broken record’ but, this challenge does not go away for you or for me!

Kitsch and popular books….

April 24, 2012 in Bible, Books, church with 4 Comments

This quote may be describing Christian bookstores in an American context but, the problem is here……..food for thought…….

“…..the Christian bookstore these days, where the theology section is paltry, and what’s in it you may not think is even theology; then there are whole other sections of kitsch and popular books on how to live your life successfully. In general, increasingly, I think that what’s demanded by Americans out of religion is moralism. They want help to live a moral life and have social control; they want help to cope and get their worst impulses under control. It’s kind of self-management, therapeutic stuff as we’ve talked about in the past. And the book publishing industry is highly responsive to that. That’s what sells, so that’s what’s out there on the Christian bookstore shelves.”

This article originally appeared in the “Exit Interviews” March/April 2012 Vol. 21 edition of Modern Reformation and is reprinted with permission. For more information about Modern Reformation, visit www.modernreformation.org or call (800) 890-7556. All rights reserved.

Sure, I believe – so what!

April 23, 2012 in Bible, church, God, Jesus with 0 Comments

“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless.” (James 2: 19-20)

Are we found to be in agreement with certain truths yet never changed by them? Able to read the script……learn the script……join the club but, never ‘made complete?‘

“You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” (v22)

My faith and my actions?

Are they working together?

Or am I just part of a club that only asks if I believe?

[For a closer look at the book of James - pick up this great little book]

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