Showing posts with label 116. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 116. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 2
Wednesday, November 11
DJ Official's New Project EnterMission Crazy Line-Up, Classic 116!!!
So Official's dropping a compilation with many features, reminds me of classic Reach/116 stuff (which I love) here is the Album Artwork, the single and the Tracklisting. This single features LeCrae and Flame, song name is Show Off!! Enjoy see ya soon! Pray for the Brethren in general, we all need it! Oh almost forgot, there is going to be various versions of the project, check em out HERE and Pre-Order too!!
Click for full length listen of the song!
Show Off (ft. Lecrae & Flame) - DJ Official
There's some surprises on the project, that got me wondering (uh, 2/3's of ADF, hint hint) should be interesting, I hope this project isnt disappointing. the single is coo, but I'm looking forward to the Trip Lee, Evangel, Stephen the Levite, & Thi'sl appearances, def interesting!!
Tracklisting:
1. Enter The Mission - Dr. Eric Mason, DJ Official, R-Swift
2. Show Off - Lecrae & Flame
3. Use Me - Tedashii
4. Streets of New York - J.A.Z. & Magellen
5. Get Busy - Trip Lee
6. Go - H.G.A. & Tedashii
7. Not My Own - Stephen The Levite, Phanatik, Evangel
8. Love Fallen - Gems, Jahaziel, Benjah, Dillavou
9. Nothing Without You - JR & Lecrae
10. Chaos - Sho Baraka
11. Chisel Me - Thi'sl, Json, K-Drama, Tedashii
12. On My 116 - Lecrae, Tedashii, Sho Baraka, Trip Lee
13. Streets of Philadelphia - Mac The Doulos, Young Joshua, Ackdavis, R-Swift
14. Missio Dei - God's Servant
15. Forward Me - Cam
16. Outro (Thank You)
Album Artwork by Alex Medina (click on Pic to enlarge)
C'Ya, L
Thursday, October 2
What is Irresistible Grace? Week 4 Day 2
I just added the sermon from last Sunday, if you didnt get to it yesterday, go listen to it now, its the first track on my Media Player on the right. I also added some Lecrae tracks, his album "REBEL" dropped this past Tuesday, and I gotta say that its definitely FIRE!! Cop it HERE!!
Continuing with our series on the 5 pts of Calvin or TULIP, this week we started the "I" which stand for:
Irresistible Grace by John Piper
The doctrine of irresistible grace does not mean that every influence of the Holy Spirit cannot be resisted. It means that the Holy Spirit can overcome all resistance and make his influence irresistible.
In Acts 7:51 Stephen says to the Jewish leaders, "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did." And Paul speaks of grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19). God gives many entreaties and promptings which are resisted. In fact the whole history of Israel in the Old Testament is one protracted story of resistance, as the parable of the wicked tenants shows (Matthew 21:33-43; cf. Romans 10:21).
The doctrine of irresistible grace means that God is sovereign and can overcome all resistance when he wills. "He does according to his will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand!" (Daniel 4:35). "Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases" (Psalm 115:3). When God undertakes to fulfill his sovereign purpose, no one can successfully resist him.
This is what Paul taught in Romans 9:14-18, which caused his opponent to say, "Why then does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" To which Paul answers: "Who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, 'Why have you made me thus?' Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for beauty and another for menial use?" (Romans 9:20f).
More specifically irresistible grace refers to the sovereign work of God to overcome the rebellion of our heart and bring us to faith in Christ so that we can be saved. If our doctrine of total depravity is true, there can be no salvation without the reality of irresistible grace. If we are dead in our sins, totally unable to submit to God, then we will never believe in Christ unless God overcomes our rebellion.
Someone may say, "Yes, the Holy Spirit must draw us to God, but we can use our freedom to resist or accept that drawing." Our answer is: except for the continual exertion of saving grace, we will always use our freedom to resist God. That is what it means to be "unable to submit to God." If a person becomes humble enough to submit to God it is because God has given that person a new, humble nature. If a person remains too hard hearted and proud to submit to God, it is because that person has not been given such a willing spirit. But to see this most persuasively we should look at the Scriptures.
In John 6:44 Jesus says, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." This drawing is the sovereign work of grace without which no one can be saved from their rebellion against God. Again some say, "He draws all men, not just some." But this simply evades the clear implication of the context that the Father's "drawing" is why some believe and not others.
Specifically, John 6:64-65 says, "'But there are some of you that do not believe.' For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that should betray him. And he said, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.'"
Notice two things.
First, notice that coming to Jesus is called a gift. It is not just an opportunity. Coming to Jesus is "given" to some and not to others.
Second, notice that the reason Jesus says this, is to explain why "there are some who do not believe." We could paraphrase it like this: Jesus knew from the beginning that Judas would not believe on him in spite of all the teaching and invitations he received. And because he knew this, he explains it with the words, No one comes to me unless it is given to him by my Father. Judas was not given to Jesus. There were many influences on his life for good. But the decisive, irresistible gift of grace was not given.
2 Timothy 2:24-25 says, "The Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to every one, an apt teacher, forbearing, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth."
Here, as in John 6:65 repentance is called a gift of God. Notice, he is not saying merely that salvation is a gift of God. He is saying that the prerequisites of salvation are also a gift. When a person hears a preacher call for repentance he can resist that call. But if God gives him repentance he cannot resist because the gift is the removal of resistance. Not being willing to repent is the same as resisting the Holy Spirit. So if God gives repentance it is the same as taking away the resistance. This is why we call this work of God "irresistible grace".
NOTE: It should be obvious from this that irresistible grace never implies that God forces us to believe against our will. That would even be a contradiction in terms. On the contrary, irresistible grace is compatible with preaching and witnessing that tries to persuade people to do what is reasonable and what will accord with their best interests.
1 Corinthians 1:23-24 says, "We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jew and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." Notice the two kinds of "calls" implied in this text.
First, the preaching of Paul goes out to all, both Jews and Greeks. This is the general call of the gospel. It offers salvation to all who will believe on the crucified Christ. But by and large it falls on unreceptive ears and is called foolishness.
But then, secondly, Paul refers to another kind of call. He says that among those who hear there are some who are "called" in such a way that they no longer regard the cross as foolishness but as the wisdom and power of God. What else can this call be but the irresistible call of God out of darkness into the light of God? If ALL who are called in this sense regard the cross as the power of God, then something in the call must effect the faith. This is irresistible grace.
It is further explained in 2 Corinthians 4:4-6, "The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God...It is the God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."
Since men are blinded to the worth of Christ, a miracle is needed in order for them to come to see and believe. Paul compares this miracle with the first day of creation when God said, "Let there be light." It is in fact a new creation, or a new birth. This is what is meant by the effectual call in 1 Corinthians 1:24.
Those who are called have their eyes opened by the sovereign creative power of God so that they no longer see the cross as foolishness but as the power and the wisdom of God. The effectual call is the miracle of having our blindness removed. This is irresistible grace.
Another example of it is in Acts 16:14, where Lydia is listening to the preaching of Paul. Luke says, "The Lord opened her heart to give heed to what was said by Paul." Unless God opens our hearts, we will not heed the message of the gospel. This heart-opening is what we mean by irresistible grace.
Another way to describe it is "new birth" or being born again. We believe that new birth is a miraculous creation of God that enables a formerly "dead" person to receive Christ and so be saved. We do not think that faith precedes and causes new birth. Faith is the evidence that God has begotten us anew. "Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God" (1 John 5:1).
When John says that God gives the right to become the children of God to all who receive Christ (John 1:12), he goes on to say that those who do receive Christ "were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." In other words, it is necessary to receive Christ in order to become a child of God, but the birth that brings one into the family of God is not possible by the will of man.
Man is dead in trespasses and sins. He cannot make himself new, or create new life in himself. He must be born of God. Then, with the new nature of God, he immediately receives Christ. The two acts (regeneration and faith) are so closely connected that in experience we cannot distinguish them. God begets us anew and the first glimmer of life in the new-born child is faith. Thus new birth is the effect of irresistible grace, because it is an act of sovereign creation—"not of the will of man but of God."
--End of Article--
This was borrowed from John Piper, more from Piper go here!!
C'Ya!
Continuing with our series on the 5 pts of Calvin or TULIP, this week we started the "I" which stand for:
Irresistible Grace by John Piper
The doctrine of irresistible grace does not mean that every influence of the Holy Spirit cannot be resisted. It means that the Holy Spirit can overcome all resistance and make his influence irresistible.
In Acts 7:51 Stephen says to the Jewish leaders, "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did." And Paul speaks of grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19). God gives many entreaties and promptings which are resisted. In fact the whole history of Israel in the Old Testament is one protracted story of resistance, as the parable of the wicked tenants shows (Matthew 21:33-43; cf. Romans 10:21).
The doctrine of irresistible grace means that God is sovereign and can overcome all resistance when he wills. "He does according to his will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand!" (Daniel 4:35). "Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases" (Psalm 115:3). When God undertakes to fulfill his sovereign purpose, no one can successfully resist him.
This is what Paul taught in Romans 9:14-18, which caused his opponent to say, "Why then does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" To which Paul answers: "Who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, 'Why have you made me thus?' Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for beauty and another for menial use?" (Romans 9:20f).
More specifically irresistible grace refers to the sovereign work of God to overcome the rebellion of our heart and bring us to faith in Christ so that we can be saved. If our doctrine of total depravity is true, there can be no salvation without the reality of irresistible grace. If we are dead in our sins, totally unable to submit to God, then we will never believe in Christ unless God overcomes our rebellion.
Someone may say, "Yes, the Holy Spirit must draw us to God, but we can use our freedom to resist or accept that drawing." Our answer is: except for the continual exertion of saving grace, we will always use our freedom to resist God. That is what it means to be "unable to submit to God." If a person becomes humble enough to submit to God it is because God has given that person a new, humble nature. If a person remains too hard hearted and proud to submit to God, it is because that person has not been given such a willing spirit. But to see this most persuasively we should look at the Scriptures.
In John 6:44 Jesus says, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." This drawing is the sovereign work of grace without which no one can be saved from their rebellion against God. Again some say, "He draws all men, not just some." But this simply evades the clear implication of the context that the Father's "drawing" is why some believe and not others.
Specifically, John 6:64-65 says, "'But there are some of you that do not believe.' For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that should betray him. And he said, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.'"
Notice two things.
First, notice that coming to Jesus is called a gift. It is not just an opportunity. Coming to Jesus is "given" to some and not to others.
Second, notice that the reason Jesus says this, is to explain why "there are some who do not believe." We could paraphrase it like this: Jesus knew from the beginning that Judas would not believe on him in spite of all the teaching and invitations he received. And because he knew this, he explains it with the words, No one comes to me unless it is given to him by my Father. Judas was not given to Jesus. There were many influences on his life for good. But the decisive, irresistible gift of grace was not given.
2 Timothy 2:24-25 says, "The Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to every one, an apt teacher, forbearing, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth."
Here, as in John 6:65 repentance is called a gift of God. Notice, he is not saying merely that salvation is a gift of God. He is saying that the prerequisites of salvation are also a gift. When a person hears a preacher call for repentance he can resist that call. But if God gives him repentance he cannot resist because the gift is the removal of resistance. Not being willing to repent is the same as resisting the Holy Spirit. So if God gives repentance it is the same as taking away the resistance. This is why we call this work of God "irresistible grace".
NOTE: It should be obvious from this that irresistible grace never implies that God forces us to believe against our will. That would even be a contradiction in terms. On the contrary, irresistible grace is compatible with preaching and witnessing that tries to persuade people to do what is reasonable and what will accord with their best interests.
1 Corinthians 1:23-24 says, "We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jew and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." Notice the two kinds of "calls" implied in this text.
First, the preaching of Paul goes out to all, both Jews and Greeks. This is the general call of the gospel. It offers salvation to all who will believe on the crucified Christ. But by and large it falls on unreceptive ears and is called foolishness.
But then, secondly, Paul refers to another kind of call. He says that among those who hear there are some who are "called" in such a way that they no longer regard the cross as foolishness but as the wisdom and power of God. What else can this call be but the irresistible call of God out of darkness into the light of God? If ALL who are called in this sense regard the cross as the power of God, then something in the call must effect the faith. This is irresistible grace.
It is further explained in 2 Corinthians 4:4-6, "The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God...It is the God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."
Since men are blinded to the worth of Christ, a miracle is needed in order for them to come to see and believe. Paul compares this miracle with the first day of creation when God said, "Let there be light." It is in fact a new creation, or a new birth. This is what is meant by the effectual call in 1 Corinthians 1:24.
Those who are called have their eyes opened by the sovereign creative power of God so that they no longer see the cross as foolishness but as the power and the wisdom of God. The effectual call is the miracle of having our blindness removed. This is irresistible grace.
Another example of it is in Acts 16:14, where Lydia is listening to the preaching of Paul. Luke says, "The Lord opened her heart to give heed to what was said by Paul." Unless God opens our hearts, we will not heed the message of the gospel. This heart-opening is what we mean by irresistible grace.
Another way to describe it is "new birth" or being born again. We believe that new birth is a miraculous creation of God that enables a formerly "dead" person to receive Christ and so be saved. We do not think that faith precedes and causes new birth. Faith is the evidence that God has begotten us anew. "Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God" (1 John 5:1).
When John says that God gives the right to become the children of God to all who receive Christ (John 1:12), he goes on to say that those who do receive Christ "were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." In other words, it is necessary to receive Christ in order to become a child of God, but the birth that brings one into the family of God is not possible by the will of man.
Man is dead in trespasses and sins. He cannot make himself new, or create new life in himself. He must be born of God. Then, with the new nature of God, he immediately receives Christ. The two acts (regeneration and faith) are so closely connected that in experience we cannot distinguish them. God begets us anew and the first glimmer of life in the new-born child is faith. Thus new birth is the effect of irresistible grace, because it is an act of sovereign creation—"not of the will of man but of God."
--End of Article--
This was borrowed from John Piper, more from Piper go here!!
C'Ya!
Wednesday, June 4
Is This Revival? 13 Letters Curriculum Trailer & The Love of God
In response to a comment in a previous posting (not found in this postings comments section), I am posting this article in which I found to be in line with Biblical proportions concerning Revival. Enjoy, be challenged!
IS THIS REVIVAL?
That is why it behooves us to exercise care and to be discerning in these matters. Following are a number of cautions that bear consideration in light of the current explosion of interest in revival.
- Not everything that is called "revival" is revival. Calling a movement a "revival" does not make it a revival. If it does not bear the marks of biblical revival, we ought to question whether it really is a revival. Corporate revival, in the biblical and historical sense, is a precious term, that ought to be re-served for those "divine moments" when there is a supernatural outpouring of God's Spirit upon His people that cannot be explained in any human terms. If we are too quick to ascribe the term "revival" to various religious happenings or movements, the word will soon lose its meaning, and we will cease to long and seek God for that which truly is revival.
- The fact that a lot of people are talking about and promoting "revival" doesn't necessarily mean that we are, therefore, in the midst of revival. Numerous, respected Christian leaders are declaring that we are in the midst of or on the threshold of a great spiritual awakening. We must be careful about accepting the assessment of men, even those who may be recognized as "authorities" on revival, and must continually evaluate what is taking place through the grid of the Word of God. One of the curses of our age, according to A.W. Tozer, is the assumption that because we know about something, therefore we have it, when, in fact, nothing may be further from the truth.
- Large crowds, intense enthusiasm, stirred emotions, energetic activity, and "signs and wonders" are not necessarily evidence of revival. Nor can they uniformly be attributed to God at work among His people. All these things can be imitated by the world, or even counterfeited by false religions, even as Pharoah's magicians were able to counterfeit the miracles that God did through Moses. Satan is a master deceiver and one of his most effective strategies is to stir up people's passions with programs that substitute noise, applause, activity, and human fervor for the presence of God. Evangelicalism's fascination with the sensational is not new to the 20th century. Back in Jesus' day, people tended to be enamored of the spectacular, the grandiose. "Show us a sign," the Pharisees demanded of Jesus. They wanted to be impressed, to have their senses titillated. Jesus responded by reminding them that "an evil and adulterous generation
seeketh after a sign" (Matt. 12:39).
Today it is relatively easy to pack an auditorium with cheering, chanting "spiritual enthusiasts," if the event has been especially well promoted and the program consists of hyped-up music and big-name speakers who are known for their ability to make people laugh and cry. People will pay large fees and stand in long lines to be entertained or to have an experience that makes them feel good about God and themselves. But the real test is what happens to those crowds when the message of the cross and repentance is proclaimed. What happens when they are asked to take out their Bibles and digest the meat of solid, doctrinal teaching? Unfortunately, as was the case in Jesus' day, it is at this point that the multitudes tend to thin out, and we are left with those who are serious about being disciples of Christ.
- Genuine revival will not be a bandwagon. So-called "revival" is a popular movement in the church today. Everybody seems eager to join in. But genuine revival will not be popular with everyone. It may have a polarizing effect. It will divide between those who are walking after the flesh and those who are walking in the Spirit, between those who want to build their own kingdom and those who want to build the Kingdom of God, between those who are attached to their own ideas and those who are committed to the Word of God.
In the current climate, it is possible to promote "revival" without risking anything--our image, our reputation, our position within the denomination or the evangelical world, our sophistication, our schedule, our convenience, or the respect of others. But when God pours out His Spirit in genuine revival, the participants and leaders of the revival may find themselves losing popularity contests, even in the church. They may be misunderstood, ridiculed, scorned, ignored, or dismissed as fanatics. Yet, though it cost them everything, they must be prepared to speak the truth to the people of God and to our world.
- We must guard against "revival" becoming just another popular program or emphasis in the church. In its quest for results and success, the church tends to gravitate to trends and to jump from one new thrust to the next. Much like the world, we have an obsession with novelty. In the 70s, we were into soulwinning; in the 80s, we got into discipleship, small groups, and church growth; the 90s brought us cell churches and seeker-sensitive services. Now, we're into revival.
The church of Jesus Christ does not need one more novel idea or approach. "The answer" is not a program or an effort. What we need is the presence and power of God. And that cannot be acquired by launching another emphasis; we must seek His face.
- Revival is not an end in itself. That mind set ultimately leads to self-absorption, which is a form of idolatry. Revival in the church is merely a means by which God is glorified in His people and His kingdom advanced in our world.
Our mission is not to seek revival, but to seek the Lord. When we set ourselves to seek His face, we likely will experience the by-product of revival.
- There is nothing we can do to coerce or manipulate God to send revival. All our prayers, our fasting, our gatherings, our efforts to promote revival are no guarantee that God will indeed be pleased to send revival. While it is unlikely that God will revive a people who have not earnestly sought Him, revival remains a sovereign, independent work of God.
- Corporate revival is no substitute for personal revival. Further, corporate confession is no substitute for personal confession. And corporate prayer is no substitute for private prayer.
We rejoice in the many gatherings that are taking place for the purpose of repentance and prayer for revival. But it is possible to participate in many such events without ever experiencing personal revival, confessing our own sins, or having a personal prayer life.
It is possible to focus earnestly on the need for corporate revival in "the church" and in our nation, while overlooking the need for personal revival right where we live--in our own lives and homes. It is easy to talk about "the church" needing revival. But the church is made up of individuals. What about my life? Do I need revival? Does my family need revival? If we get excited about attending conferences and services where God is moving in a significant way, while failing to deal with the issues of pride, selfishness, bitterness, greed or immorality that are affecting our own homes, we have missed the point of revival. Could we be so preoccupied with confessing the sins of others that we are overlooking our personal sins that need to be confessed?
Of what use is racial reconciliation or unity between denominations, if we have contention, strife, and unresolved conflicts in our own homes or churches?
- There are no shortcuts to revival. We may be so eager to experience the fruit of revival that we bypass God's conditions for revival: humility, repentance, contrition, prayer, and obedience. There is no such thing as a "painless Pentecost." Weeping comes before joy. The cross comes before the resurrection. Death comes before life. Brokenness comes before wholeness. As Sammy Tippit reminds us, "When God sends revival, there will be a lot less laughter and a lot more weeping." We cannot arrive at the desired result of revival if we are unwilling to walk through the process that God requires.
In many ways, evangelicalism today has embraced the quick-fix mind set of the world. We are so bent on eliminating our problems that we gravitate to promises of immediate relief and deliverance. The "name it and claim it" theology has thrived in such a climate. Christians with problems that are the fruit of years of fleshly choices want someone to wave his hand over them or bind a demon of lust, rather than walking through the difficult, less dramatic process of repenting and renewing their minds with the Word of God. Quick fixes may provide temporary relief. But they will not provide the lasting transformation of heart and life that we really need, both person-ally and corporately.
- God is unlikely to send revival to those whose real heart motive is to build or enhance their own reputations or ministries or to reap blessing for themselves. We must ask ourselves, why do we want to see God send revival? Revival is not primarily a way to get rid of our problems, to make our lives easier, to increase giving, to get people to respond, or to increase the fruit of our ministries. The ultimate purpose of revival is for the glory of God--that His name might be
known and reverenced in our world, that His Kingdom would rule and reign in the hearts of men, and that His will might be done on earth as it is in heaven.
A. J. Gordon reminds us, "Not for ourselves, and that we may enjoy the holy luxury of communion with God, are we to seek for the times of refreshing. If so, doubtless we shall fail of them, for even spiritual blessings we may ask and receive not, if we only ask that we may consume them upon ourselves."
- The fact that we agree about the need for repentance in the church does not mean that we have, in fact, repented. Talking about repentance is far easier than actually repenting. We may, in fact, be calling others to repentance, while failing to repent of our own sinful attitudes, values, habits, or actions. Repentance means choosing to utterly forsake our sin and to walk in absolute obedience and holiness.
In recent years, the Christian world has witnessed occasions of extended times of public confession of sin. There is certainly a scriptural basis for such confession. However, in the midst of such times, there is a danger of people "venting" instead of truly "repenting." Confession, whether public or private, is not for the purpose of providing an emotional catharsis for the sinner. And the sinner's guilt will not be assuaged if, in his confessing, he stops short of full repentance. The evidence of genuine repentance is not merely that an individual has confessed his sin, but that his life has been transformed and he is now walking in the light.
- There is no revival where there is not deep brokenness and contrition over the seriousness of our sin against a holy God. God said to Ezekiel, "Is it a light thing [a trivial matter--NIV] to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here?" (Ezek. 8:17). Brokenness implies mourning and grieving over our sin and hating everything that does not please God. All of us have, at times, been sorry about the consequences of our sin (e.g., the mess we're in, the problems and conflicts we are experiencing in our relationships). But when is the last time we grieved over the nature of our sin, over our rebellion against a holy, loving God? Do we realize the depth and extent of our personal and corporate sin against God? Do we realize how far we have strayed from the Word and the ways of God?
- Not all prayers and prayer meetings bring us closer to experiencing revival. If we are praying for revival, while failing to deal with those things in our hearts, lives, and relationships that are standing between us and the Lord, then we are wasting our breath. Tozer suggested that we will experience revival when we stop using prayer as a substitute for obedience. Charles Finney, who understood the importance and power of prayer, once said that he would not go across the street to attend an all-night prayer meeting if those gathered were not serious about obeying God. All the prayer meetings in the world cannot take the place of obedience.
13 Letters Curriculum Coming in the Fall!
I been awaiting this curriculum since the release of the Project "13 Letters". Basically its a curriculum that follows the 13 Letters Paul wrote in the New Testament, this curriculum is great for the hood, inner city, and desperately necessary for the youth of this time and age we are currently dwelling in!
The WORD is self sufficient, the person who places his trust in Christ needs to solely rely in the power of the transforming WORD, anything and everything the LORD wants to communicate to us will be found in His WORD! Don't get caught up with the trends of the modern day church who has neglected the simple message of the Gospel for a emotional, sensory driven, mystical and self fulfilling experience thats so called attributed to God. My response to those is: Prove it and support your views through Scripture, I've yet to meet someone that can actually make me think twice. The SCRIPTURES are SELF SUFFICIENT, Sola Scriptura! WON!
13 Letters | The Curriculum Trailer from ReachLife Ministries on Vimeo.
The Love of God by Spurgeon
Whatever I believe, or do not believe, the command to love my neighbor as myself still retains its claim upon me, and God forbid that any views or opinions should so contract my soul, and harden my heart as to make me forget this law of love! The love of God is first, but this by no means lessens the obligation of love to man; in fact, the first command includes the second. We are to seek our neighbor’s conversion because we love him.
Until Next Time, Go Serve Your King!
IS THIS REVIVAL?
That is why it behooves us to exercise care and to be discerning in these matters. Following are a number of cautions that bear consideration in light of the current explosion of interest in revival.
- Not everything that is called "revival" is revival. Calling a movement a "revival" does not make it a revival. If it does not bear the marks of biblical revival, we ought to question whether it really is a revival. Corporate revival, in the biblical and historical sense, is a precious term, that ought to be re-served for those "divine moments" when there is a supernatural outpouring of God's Spirit upon His people that cannot be explained in any human terms. If we are too quick to ascribe the term "revival" to various religious happenings or movements, the word will soon lose its meaning, and we will cease to long and seek God for that which truly is revival.
- The fact that a lot of people are talking about and promoting "revival" doesn't necessarily mean that we are, therefore, in the midst of revival. Numerous, respected Christian leaders are declaring that we are in the midst of or on the threshold of a great spiritual awakening. We must be careful about accepting the assessment of men, even those who may be recognized as "authorities" on revival, and must continually evaluate what is taking place through the grid of the Word of God. One of the curses of our age, according to A.W. Tozer, is the assumption that because we know about something, therefore we have it, when, in fact, nothing may be further from the truth.
- Large crowds, intense enthusiasm, stirred emotions, energetic activity, and "signs and wonders" are not necessarily evidence of revival. Nor can they uniformly be attributed to God at work among His people. All these things can be imitated by the world, or even counterfeited by false religions, even as Pharoah's magicians were able to counterfeit the miracles that God did through Moses. Satan is a master deceiver and one of his most effective strategies is to stir up people's passions with programs that substitute noise, applause, activity, and human fervor for the presence of God. Evangelicalism's fascination with the sensational is not new to the 20th century. Back in Jesus' day, people tended to be enamored of the spectacular, the grandiose. "Show us a sign," the Pharisees demanded of Jesus. They wanted to be impressed, to have their senses titillated. Jesus responded by reminding them that "an evil and adulterous generation
seeketh after a sign" (Matt. 12:39).
Today it is relatively easy to pack an auditorium with cheering, chanting "spiritual enthusiasts," if the event has been especially well promoted and the program consists of hyped-up music and big-name speakers who are known for their ability to make people laugh and cry. People will pay large fees and stand in long lines to be entertained or to have an experience that makes them feel good about God and themselves. But the real test is what happens to those crowds when the message of the cross and repentance is proclaimed. What happens when they are asked to take out their Bibles and digest the meat of solid, doctrinal teaching? Unfortunately, as was the case in Jesus' day, it is at this point that the multitudes tend to thin out, and we are left with those who are serious about being disciples of Christ.
- Genuine revival will not be a bandwagon. So-called "revival" is a popular movement in the church today. Everybody seems eager to join in. But genuine revival will not be popular with everyone. It may have a polarizing effect. It will divide between those who are walking after the flesh and those who are walking in the Spirit, between those who want to build their own kingdom and those who want to build the Kingdom of God, between those who are attached to their own ideas and those who are committed to the Word of God.
In the current climate, it is possible to promote "revival" without risking anything--our image, our reputation, our position within the denomination or the evangelical world, our sophistication, our schedule, our convenience, or the respect of others. But when God pours out His Spirit in genuine revival, the participants and leaders of the revival may find themselves losing popularity contests, even in the church. They may be misunderstood, ridiculed, scorned, ignored, or dismissed as fanatics. Yet, though it cost them everything, they must be prepared to speak the truth to the people of God and to our world.
- We must guard against "revival" becoming just another popular program or emphasis in the church. In its quest for results and success, the church tends to gravitate to trends and to jump from one new thrust to the next. Much like the world, we have an obsession with novelty. In the 70s, we were into soulwinning; in the 80s, we got into discipleship, small groups, and church growth; the 90s brought us cell churches and seeker-sensitive services. Now, we're into revival.
The church of Jesus Christ does not need one more novel idea or approach. "The answer" is not a program or an effort. What we need is the presence and power of God. And that cannot be acquired by launching another emphasis; we must seek His face.
- Revival is not an end in itself. That mind set ultimately leads to self-absorption, which is a form of idolatry. Revival in the church is merely a means by which God is glorified in His people and His kingdom advanced in our world.
Our mission is not to seek revival, but to seek the Lord. When we set ourselves to seek His face, we likely will experience the by-product of revival.
- There is nothing we can do to coerce or manipulate God to send revival. All our prayers, our fasting, our gatherings, our efforts to promote revival are no guarantee that God will indeed be pleased to send revival. While it is unlikely that God will revive a people who have not earnestly sought Him, revival remains a sovereign, independent work of God.
- Corporate revival is no substitute for personal revival. Further, corporate confession is no substitute for personal confession. And corporate prayer is no substitute for private prayer.
We rejoice in the many gatherings that are taking place for the purpose of repentance and prayer for revival. But it is possible to participate in many such events without ever experiencing personal revival, confessing our own sins, or having a personal prayer life.
It is possible to focus earnestly on the need for corporate revival in "the church" and in our nation, while overlooking the need for personal revival right where we live--in our own lives and homes. It is easy to talk about "the church" needing revival. But the church is made up of individuals. What about my life? Do I need revival? Does my family need revival? If we get excited about attending conferences and services where God is moving in a significant way, while failing to deal with the issues of pride, selfishness, bitterness, greed or immorality that are affecting our own homes, we have missed the point of revival. Could we be so preoccupied with confessing the sins of others that we are overlooking our personal sins that need to be confessed?
Of what use is racial reconciliation or unity between denominations, if we have contention, strife, and unresolved conflicts in our own homes or churches?
- There are no shortcuts to revival. We may be so eager to experience the fruit of revival that we bypass God's conditions for revival: humility, repentance, contrition, prayer, and obedience. There is no such thing as a "painless Pentecost." Weeping comes before joy. The cross comes before the resurrection. Death comes before life. Brokenness comes before wholeness. As Sammy Tippit reminds us, "When God sends revival, there will be a lot less laughter and a lot more weeping." We cannot arrive at the desired result of revival if we are unwilling to walk through the process that God requires.
In many ways, evangelicalism today has embraced the quick-fix mind set of the world. We are so bent on eliminating our problems that we gravitate to promises of immediate relief and deliverance. The "name it and claim it" theology has thrived in such a climate. Christians with problems that are the fruit of years of fleshly choices want someone to wave his hand over them or bind a demon of lust, rather than walking through the difficult, less dramatic process of repenting and renewing their minds with the Word of God. Quick fixes may provide temporary relief. But they will not provide the lasting transformation of heart and life that we really need, both person-ally and corporately.
- God is unlikely to send revival to those whose real heart motive is to build or enhance their own reputations or ministries or to reap blessing for themselves. We must ask ourselves, why do we want to see God send revival? Revival is not primarily a way to get rid of our problems, to make our lives easier, to increase giving, to get people to respond, or to increase the fruit of our ministries. The ultimate purpose of revival is for the glory of God--that His name might be
known and reverenced in our world, that His Kingdom would rule and reign in the hearts of men, and that His will might be done on earth as it is in heaven.
A. J. Gordon reminds us, "Not for ourselves, and that we may enjoy the holy luxury of communion with God, are we to seek for the times of refreshing. If so, doubtless we shall fail of them, for even spiritual blessings we may ask and receive not, if we only ask that we may consume them upon ourselves."
- The fact that we agree about the need for repentance in the church does not mean that we have, in fact, repented. Talking about repentance is far easier than actually repenting. We may, in fact, be calling others to repentance, while failing to repent of our own sinful attitudes, values, habits, or actions. Repentance means choosing to utterly forsake our sin and to walk in absolute obedience and holiness.
In recent years, the Christian world has witnessed occasions of extended times of public confession of sin. There is certainly a scriptural basis for such confession. However, in the midst of such times, there is a danger of people "venting" instead of truly "repenting." Confession, whether public or private, is not for the purpose of providing an emotional catharsis for the sinner. And the sinner's guilt will not be assuaged if, in his confessing, he stops short of full repentance. The evidence of genuine repentance is not merely that an individual has confessed his sin, but that his life has been transformed and he is now walking in the light.
- There is no revival where there is not deep brokenness and contrition over the seriousness of our sin against a holy God. God said to Ezekiel, "Is it a light thing [a trivial matter--NIV] to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here?" (Ezek. 8:17). Brokenness implies mourning and grieving over our sin and hating everything that does not please God. All of us have, at times, been sorry about the consequences of our sin (e.g., the mess we're in, the problems and conflicts we are experiencing in our relationships). But when is the last time we grieved over the nature of our sin, over our rebellion against a holy, loving God? Do we realize the depth and extent of our personal and corporate sin against God? Do we realize how far we have strayed from the Word and the ways of God?
- Not all prayers and prayer meetings bring us closer to experiencing revival. If we are praying for revival, while failing to deal with those things in our hearts, lives, and relationships that are standing between us and the Lord, then we are wasting our breath. Tozer suggested that we will experience revival when we stop using prayer as a substitute for obedience. Charles Finney, who understood the importance and power of prayer, once said that he would not go across the street to attend an all-night prayer meeting if those gathered were not serious about obeying God. All the prayer meetings in the world cannot take the place of obedience.
13 Letters Curriculum Coming in the Fall!
I been awaiting this curriculum since the release of the Project "13 Letters". Basically its a curriculum that follows the 13 Letters Paul wrote in the New Testament, this curriculum is great for the hood, inner city, and desperately necessary for the youth of this time and age we are currently dwelling in!
The WORD is self sufficient, the person who places his trust in Christ needs to solely rely in the power of the transforming WORD, anything and everything the LORD wants to communicate to us will be found in His WORD! Don't get caught up with the trends of the modern day church who has neglected the simple message of the Gospel for a emotional, sensory driven, mystical and self fulfilling experience thats so called attributed to God. My response to those is: Prove it and support your views through Scripture, I've yet to meet someone that can actually make me think twice. The SCRIPTURES are SELF SUFFICIENT, Sola Scriptura! WON!
13 Letters | The Curriculum Trailer from ReachLife Ministries on Vimeo.
The Love of God by Spurgeon
Whatever I believe, or do not believe, the command to love my neighbor as myself still retains its claim upon me, and God forbid that any views or opinions should so contract my soul, and harden my heart as to make me forget this law of love! The love of God is first, but this by no means lessens the obligation of love to man; in fact, the first command includes the second. We are to seek our neighbor’s conversion because we love him.
Until Next Time, Go Serve Your King!
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