Boast in the Cross

Simplicity of the good fight of faith

[dailydisciple]

Blessing or Blesser?

In these days of social media, people tend to highlight pictures from their wedding day. Their profile pictures are of the happy couple, smiling as they got married and they all seem so happy. Sometimes in my mind, I ask; why did you even get married? Or rather, did you want a marriage or a wedding? It’s more rare to see a person uploading and sharing the person. Rather it’s of the day, the glory, the sparkles... The fame... 

Weddings are nice, but they exist for marriage, not the other way around. You got married for the person, not for the wedding itself. It’s like saying, I want to have a baby instead of saying “I want children”. You just want a baby? What happens when the baby grows? Yes, then they get another. Cause you mind was just focused on the baby, not so much on the person. Babies are cute and all that, but it’s only for a time. Just like the wedding or the honeymoon - it’s for a short time. Very short. And if we have our full emphasis on the wedding instead of the marriage, would we have chosen the way we did? If you have a lifelong marriage in mind, you get a little bit more picky than if your aim is simply a nice wedding with a person you have feelings for. 

It makes me wonder sometimes why people leave Christ. Is there something wrong with Christ? No, there’s nothing wrong about Christ. Then there has to be something wrong with us or our idea of Christ. Many look at God as the source of blessing, when we easily forget that He Himself is the biggest blessing. 

Are you just after what He can give you or who He is? It makes me wonder, if people knew what living with Christ really means, if they would even call themselves Christians. 

[dailydisciple]

When you sin, when you blow it, it is the perfect timing to trust Jesus as your savior and declare His lordship. Confess, repent, trust in Him and recieve His cleansing

[dailydisciple]

Don’t take your revelation too seriously

After going to bible school for some weeks, I understood that some of the students had a lot of “revelation”. It is critical that we actually understand what this means. 

I believe that the word of God is inspired and perfect as it is (2. Tim 3:16). Therefore there cannot be more “revelation” from God. He has spoken, and all we need to know for life and Godliness has been given to us (2. Pet 1:3), and we need no new knowledge from God. The only new knowlegde we need is what we yet have not understood, not new knowlegde humanity has not yet seen in the Word of God. 

The prophets of the Old Testament brought forth revelation, that is, new information from God. I don’t believe God does this anymore. However, I do believe that you can see things today in the Word of God that you did not see before. That does not mean it wasn’t readable, but it was not revealed to you. Yet. 

Revelation might not be a good word for this. Illumination is better. Illumination the understanding of the word that is illuminated to your mind, not breathed only to you on the face of the earth. 

Also, if Christians have a sensation of getting something “revealed” from God, that is, something that doesn’t say black or white in scripture, but God shares of His wisdom to you, then that should have some characteristics:

Exalt God Line up with scripture Point to Jesus

If a person is full of revelation, then he is full of understanding of the written word. And if you get a “revelation”, don’t take it too seriously. Some day you might notice that the bible contradicts your revelation. Then it should be easy to let it go and believe the bible and continue to pursue and chase after Christ.

Peace be with you

[dailydisciple]

The cross is the place where the Judge takes the Judgment

Tim Keller

[dailydisciple]

Unworthy, yet thankful

Boast in the Cross

[dailydisciple]

Measure

I saw a quote, saying: "life's not measured by the breaths we take, but by what takes our breath away". False. This is a carnal argument, meaning that you are that which happens to you. Sounds like karma to me. With this thinking, I can be quick to use it to call someone who has been raped, a weak person who didn't know self defense. You will be attached to that abuse for the rest if your life. It sure took your breath away. Or, ask the apostle Paul. He probably had more stuff happen to him than anyone. He didn't let that define him. Jesus, he was killed, lied to, betrayed, and he still shows grace. Don't let that which happens to you define you. Your life is NOT measured by the things that happen to you. Your life is measured by what God says is the truth about you and how you respond to that.

[dailydisciple]

Unworthy, yet faithful #boastinthecross

[dailydisciple]

Steps to live in joy

Did you ever think: “Well, I’m a christian, but all of these God-things bores me”

Or, if you were about to witness, think: “It’s hard for me to promote Jesus, because I really don’t have a good relationship with Him, or don’t even know Him...”

Well, living a life in the joy of the Lord is no easy task. We live in a postmodern society where everything is true, nothing is wrong and temptation to idolatry are around every corner of our lives.

John Piper says is like this: God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.

That is, not in the things He gives us, not in worldly things, not in the church, but in God Himself. And because many people today call themselves a christian, but don’t have joy in God, they stumble, get chained to sin and simply live a miserable life. 

Here are a few, among millions of thoughts, on how we can life in joy:

Time with God Probably the strongest key is to spend personal and intimate time with the Lord in the word and in prayer. The word is not only read, as in having the word in front of you, but you have to have the word inside  of you (John 15:7)

Here are three ways to read the bible: 1: Read (From a - b) 2: Study (Bring out as many bibles as you have, bring the concordance, lock the room, leave the phone, and be changed) 3: Meditate day and night (Memorize, pluck apart, read verses word for word)

Prayer are also a key part here. And, it’s a two way communication. God is enthroned at our worship, and draws near to us when we “love on Him”.

1: Intercede (For friends, family, church, government, body of Christ, world) 2: Personal prayer (Prayer about personal issues, whatever that may be) 3: Worship. Simply love Him and be thankful to Him.

Recognize the gospel The second thought is, in everything we do, we are thankful to Jesus for His glorious gospel, and what He has done in us and wants to do through us (Kol 3:17). When you’re eating, think thought and meditate on the gospel. that you are forgiven much, and have appointed your life to His service and His child.  When you go to school, the gym, work, home, church, anywhere actually, you recognize the gospel. Recognize Jesus Christ as you Lord, Savior, Prince of Peace, Author and Finisher of your faith, friend, God and source of joy.

May the peace of God be with you. 

[justcallmebishop]

Our greatest fear in life should not be failure, but succeeding at things that don’t matter.

Frances Chan (via justcallmebishop)

[dailydisciple]

All that we are is founded in righteousness

Proverbs 16:12

[justcallmebishop]

The way you truly love God is only reflected when he's your only audience.

[dailydisciple]

Jesus is the foundation of our favor

Proverbs 14:35

[dailydisciple]

Valuable things attract people. A man or a woman who uses his/her looks to gain confidence spoils their value by thinking they can reap some goods from them. However, you don’t let anybody touch your diamond, do you?

What can be more attractive than someone who knows their value, thus not giving themselves to just anybody?

Think about it...

[dailydisciple]

If this doesn’t make you cry, I don’t know. The power of sin is broken!

[dailydisciple]

Rebels look for permissions and loop holes; children utilize grace and power to glorify

[dailydisciple]

Sin pt 2: Do we spit in Jesus’ face?

What is unrepentant sin? What happens if we continue to sin, without shame, without guilt, without a sense that we should not be doing what we’re doing? What happens if we use Jesus’ grace as a safety net, or a green light to live in worldliness? The fact is that it is impossible to do that, and here’s why.

Imagine someone accidentally runs his car over your two year old daughter, and she did not survive the impact. There exist no words to express the pain and grief of this, and imagine the guilt you may feel of not protecting her well enough. 

After realizing what he did, the man approaches you and expresses his hurt over what just happened. The conversation goes on, and you make an agreement that the whole situation was an accident and he is forgiven, but he promises to come to the funeral. 

Clothed in black, the guilty man shows up, and mourns with your family. 

The following week you and your family, still in the aftermath of the funeral, returns to the parking lot to put down flowers at the spot where she died. Suddenly out of nowhere a car comes out and makes a direct hit on your wife. She’s plunges into the air, and hits her head onto the pavement, and she as well is killed. Out of the car steps the same man that just two weeks ago killed your daughter. 

Troubled you ask the man what in the world he was doing. He says: You showed me grace, and it kinda felt good doing something I’m actually not allowed to. So I thought I’d do it again. Since, you know, you got grace to cover me, right?

We must all understand that our sin was what killed Jesus. Jesus was murdered for our sins, a punishment we all must bear if it hadn’t been for His mercy and grace. If we continually live in unrepentant sin, we’re kinda like this man that just uses “goodness” and “grace” and a green light to sin again. Every time we sin on purpose, we like the guy who on purpose put another nail into Jesus’ hands. Every time we carelessly swear, covet, commit idolatry or adultery, we spit in the bloody face of Jesus. 

It is impossible to use grace like this, because if you do this, you have NOT understood what grace really is. Grace is God by His love and mercy, accepting us despite who we are, despite our sin, despite our wickedness, and forgives all unrighteousness. His grace is not only a cover-up; it is Him empowering us to live a holy life in love and worship of Him. Worship is not merely singing songs, it is giving all our enjoyment and satisfaction in Jesus and truly worshiping Him with our lives. 

If God so graciously illumines our hearts to desire him more than our sin, and opens our eyes to gaze upon the cross with hope, and to see His glory, His love, His might, to see His kindness and interest in our lives, we have no problem kneeling at his feet! We would never again desire to spit in His face, but need Him to wipe ours. 

[justcallmebishop]

Faithfulness is what happens when your faith starts to overflow. Faith without faithfulness is optimistic unbelief at best.