Gospel Living

Here is a quote that I came accross the other day.  It is from a book by Jerry Bridges & Bob Bevington called 'The Bookends Of The Christian Life'. 

Much Blessings

Jim  

"Faith involves both a renunciation and a reliance. First, we must renounce any trust in our own performance as the basis of our acceptance before God. We trust in our own performance when we believe we've earned God's acceptance by our own good works. But we also trust in our own performance when we believe we've lost God's acceptance by our bad works--by our sin. So we must renounce any consideration of either our bad works or our good works as the means of relating to God.

Second, we must place our reliance entirely on the perfect obedience of the sin-bearing death of Christ as the sole basis of our standing before God--on our best days as well as our worst."

Man Looks on the Outside

It's amazing what you learn watching Britain's Got Talent! I was watching the show at the weekend when I thought of David and Saul. Perhaps you remember the story from 1 Samuel 16. God had sent Samuel to anoint one of the sons of Jesse as the next King of Israel. He arrived at Jesse's home took one look at Eliab and thought he must be the one, tall and handsome just as a king should be. Then God said, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things a man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

All of Jesses' sons were brought before Samuel before he got to David, the youngest, the one who looked least like a King in the making and God said, "He is the one."

On Saturday night Susan Boyle from Blackburn in West Lothian walked onto the Britains Got Talent stage. She looks somewhat older than her 47 years, she does not look like a star in anyway. The judges, the audience and me sitting at home were waiting on a awful (but perhaps humorous) performance. She opened her mouth and out came an utterly stunning and beautiful voice. Truely 'man looks on the outside' and what a mistake that is! The wee wumin from Blackburn is headed for stardom and isn't that great.

We all need a reminder that the plastic world of perfect celebrity is just an illusion and we all need a reminder that too often we make judgements based on the outward appearance, man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart. You can view Susan's wonderful performance below. Get your hanky ready!

Martin Luther's Challenge to Leaders!

Hi folks,

here is a great quote I read today from Martin Luther no less!  I hope you find it as challenging as I did

"Some pastors and preachers are lazy and no good. They do not pray; they do not read; they do not search the Scripture... The call is: watch, study, attend to reading. In truth you cannot read too much in Scriptures; and what you read you cannot read too carefully, and what you read carefully you cannot understand too well, and what you understand well you cannot teach too well, and what you teach well you cannot live too well... the devil... the world...and our flesh are raging and raving against us. Therefore, dear sirs and brothers, pastors and preachers, pray, read, study, be diligent... This evil, shameful time is not the season for being lazy, for sleeping and snoring" --Quoted in John Piper, The Legacy of Sovereign Joy (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2000), 101.

God Bless
Jim

Deborah Drapper - Teen Evangelist!

Here is an entry for the yoof among us!

Some of you may or may not have seen this young Christian in a recent BBC documentary but to say the least this young girl and her passion for the lost and confidence in the Gospel is a real challenge and inspiration!  Check out out some more here:


Also Check out her Blog here: http://deborahdrapper.com/
Another cool place to check out for the younger folks among us is this site:
http://www.therebelution.com/
Enjoy!