Perry Noble posted this blog entry this morning and I thought I would pass it along.
Jesus made it pretty clear in John 13:34-35 as to how the world would know we are His disciples…notice He did NOT say, “They will know you are my disciples…
#1 – By the way you forward really stupid, ridiculous emails to one another…and if you refuse to forward them to everyone you have in your contact list then you don’t love me.
#2 – By the way you yell at people who don’t know me for living as if they don’t know me.
#3 – By your T-shirts and bumper stickers!
#4 – By the music you listen to!
#5 – By the political party you support.
#6 – By the denomination you belong to.
#7 – By the way you protest.
#8 – By the products and companies you boycott.
#9 – By the way you look down on those whom you perceive aren’t as good as you.
#10 – By the way you take from one another!
Nope…John 13:34-35 is clear, Jesus didn’t mix His Words…we are called to live this out.
On November 25th I created a blog post regarding the Manhattan Declaration. Earlier today I received a note indicating that there are now over 385,000 people that have signed this document.
If you have not already done so, please click on the image above to learn more about the Manhattan Declaration and then add your signature.
Our Bible Study group just started studying the book Crazy Love: Overwhelmed By A Relentless God. The title of chapter 1 is 'Stop Praying', which is a little unusual for a book you are reading as part of a Bible Study. The premise of that chapter is that most of us are saying words by rote memory and not really understanding that through prayer we are praying to God, the creator of he universe. We forget that God is Holy, that God is eternal, that God is all-knowing, that God is all-powerful, and that God is both fair AND just.
One of the group co-leaders brought the video below to help us see a little about who God is. It was so powerful that I thought I would share it on this blog. It is well worth the 6 minutes it will take to watch.
Following a reading plan is a great way to make the Bible part of your daily life. YouVersion has 20+ plans, with options for customization and support to help you stay on track. See what God reveals to you when you spend time in Scripture each day.
Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.
We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:
the sanctity of human life
the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
the rights of conscience and religious liberty.
Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Click on the image above to read and then add your signature to the Manhattan Declaration.
A number of people I respect have recommended this book to me. Here is a chance to get a free audiobook version.
Each month christianaudio gives away a premium audiobook download for free. How does it work? Well, we give away one audiobook download (that we have published or that a partner has allowed us to give away) each month totally free; available only during that month; only once, ever.
Click on the book image to go to the free download.
"Mind-hammering and heart-warming, Desiring God ignites a passion for God that would set the world ablaze if it were the norm and not the exception today." -Os Guiness
"The healthy biblical realism of this study in Christian motivation comes as a breath of fresh air. Jonathan Edwards, whose ghost walks through most of Piper's pages, would be delighted with his disciple." -J.I. Packer
Biblica Announces First Update in Quarter Century of the World's Most Popular Bible CBT to Update New International Version (NIV) for 2011.
The global board of Biblica today announced its intention to update the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible, the first time it has been revised since 1984. The Committee on Bible Translation (CBT), the independent body of global biblical scholars solely responsible for the translation of the world's most popular Bible, is slated to finish its revision late next year, with publication in 2011. The announcement was made at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Ill., the site of the historic first meeting of the CBT in 1965.
"We want to reach English speakers across the globe with a Bible that is accurate, accessible and that speaks to its readers in a language they can understand," said Keith Danby, Global President and CEO of Biblica. "This is why we are recommitting ourselves today to the original NIV charter, complete with its charge to monitor and reflect developments in English usage and Biblical scholarship by periodically updating the NIV Bible text.
"As time passes and English changes, the NIV we have at present is becoming increasingly dated. If we want a Bible that English speakers around the world can understand, we have to listen to, and respect, the vocabulary they are using today."
Click the image above to read the full press release.
I still have not started reading Francis Chan's "Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God", but the more I hear about it the more excited I become (I have 2 other books in process that I would like to finish first).
From childhood I remember hearing Revelation 3:16 quoted:
What does lukewarm really mean? Along with the temperature related definitions Websters also defines it as "lacking conviction". Well, from the point of understanding this verse that definition does not provide a lot of clarity.
This morning my friend Paul did a post about Lukewarm. He listed 18 things from Crazy Love that define a lukewarm person. Unfortunately, it is extremely convicting. Click on the picture above to read Paul's post...and then go buy "Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God".
A number of people I respect have recommended this book to me. Here is a chance to get a free audiobook version.
Each month christianaudio gives away a premium audiobook download for free. How does it work? Well, we give away one audiobook download (that we have published or that a partner has allowed us to give away) each month totally free; available only during that month; only once, ever.
Click on the book image to go to the free download.
North Korea publicly executed a Christian woman last month for distributing the Bible, which is banned in the communist nation, South Korean activists said Friday.
Ri Hyon Ok, 33, was also accused of spying for South Korea and the United States and organizing dissidents. She was executed in the northwestern city of Ryongchon near the border with China on June 16, according to a report from an alliance of several dozen anti-North Korea groups.
Ri's parents, husband and three children were sent to a political prison camp in the northeastern city of Hoeryong the following day, the report said, citing unidentified documents it says were obtained from North Korea. It showed a copy of Ri's North Korean government-issued photo ID. It is virtually impossible to verify such reports about secretive North Korea, where the government tightly controls the lives of its citizens and does not allow dissent.
I just started reading "The Hole In Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns. On page 59 he provides his own translation of Matthew 25:42-43. When I read it it felt like a punch in the gut.
For I was hungry, while you had all you needed. I was thirsty, but you drank bottled water. I was a stranger, and you wanted me deported. I needed clothes, but you needed more clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the behaviors that led to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I deserved.
Click on the image above to go to the books website.
It always amazes me how you can read a verse or chapter in the Bible 10 times and see 10 different things. Vince Antonucci did a blog post this morning that identified something I had missed in my previous readings. Basically, in a passage about spiritual gifts, but God revealed something to him that wasn't about spiritual gifts. You can read his blog post by clicking the link below.
Bible Study Magazine and Eternal Perspective Ministries are giving away signed copies of Randy Alcorn’s book, Bible Study Software, and subscriptions to Bible Study Magazine. Read more at Frugal In Fort Worth.
A blog I follow had a post this morning that I found intriguing. He starts the post with this statement:
My friend Dean Trune teaches that we need to love God and fear God. Our love for God drives us towards Him. Our fear of God drives us away from temptation and sin. He believes that for most who fall away from God, the problem wasn't a lack of love but a lack of fear.
Vince wrote a great book that I think everyone that either is a Christian or knows a Christian should read. Learn more about the book by clicking the image above.
