Thursday, April 28, 2011
Albert Mohler's One Great Lesson
"I think the one great lesson the Lord has taught me over these years is that the importance of the family and the local congregation supersedes every other relationship to which the Christian is called. Christians demonstrate the glory of God and the power of the gospel by the way we marry and stay married, by the way we raise our children, by the way we love each other, and by the way we live faithfully in the congregation of believers. In the end, I fear that far too much energy is devoted to and far too many hopes are invested in institutions, programs, and projects that will not last. The centrality of Christ’s purpose to glorify himself in His church and the blessings of God that are directed to the precious gift of the family — these far exceed our other allegiances." - Albert Mohler
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Facebook and Divorce
http://www.crosswalk.com/family/marriage/divorce-and-remarriage/facebook-divorce-stats-couples-be-wise-experts-say.html
The article above is pretty fascinating, but it merely confirms what the Bible says about the ease with which temptation presents itself initially as a totally benign act or decision... and eventually leads to death, including to the most sacred of human relationships, a marriage.
"It can almost be done on a whim, and that's part of the problem," Martin said. "A thing done on a whim can evolve into a secret relationship that evolves into an emotional attachment that then leads to a divorce. There are some early warning signs that a person should note in order to avoid that kind of thing happening."
Sounds a lot like James 1:
"When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." - James 1:13-15
"A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man." - Proverbs 24:33-34
But God gives us a way out:
"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." - 1 Corinthians 10:12-13
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen." - 1 Peter 5:8-11
Be vigilant! And rest in Jesus.
The article above is pretty fascinating, but it merely confirms what the Bible says about the ease with which temptation presents itself initially as a totally benign act or decision... and eventually leads to death, including to the most sacred of human relationships, a marriage.
"It can almost be done on a whim, and that's part of the problem," Martin said. "A thing done on a whim can evolve into a secret relationship that evolves into an emotional attachment that then leads to a divorce. There are some early warning signs that a person should note in order to avoid that kind of thing happening."
Sounds a lot like James 1:
"When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." - James 1:13-15
"A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man." - Proverbs 24:33-34
But God gives us a way out:
"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." - 1 Corinthians 10:12-13
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen." - 1 Peter 5:8-11
Be vigilant! And rest in Jesus.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Leadership
"The greatest and most pressing need in the body of Christ today is an army of leaders who have a vision of a desired future and are called and anointed by God. These leaders possess a fire burning in their hearts that can't be extinguished. They are motivated and led by God to intentionally, passionately, and effectively influence others." - Dave Kraft, Leaders Who Last
Phew!
It's been a busy 3+ months, to say the least. I'm now comfortably settled in Houston, and have been really for several months! It's not surprising this is my first entry of 2011 simply because the first three months have been incredibly busy and fruitful for me. Between Bible studies, small groups, work, dating, reading, personal time, reflection, prayer, and fellowship, there just isn't a lot of time left over to write. There have been plenty of ups and downs, joys and heartaches to share, but most of them have made it only into memory or personal journals, which is where most of them will remain, though the occasional story may just make it out here onto the blog. Coming soon: A really great quote on leadership from "Leaders Who Last" by Dave Kraft. Fantastic book so far, and I've only read the introduction!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Today's Thought: December 27th
Couple of thoughts today:
Been reading Dallas Willard's "The Divine Conspiracy" the last couple of days. Highly recommended. For the first time, I'm not only underlining but even making notes in a book. This is totally new ground for me. I have some sort of hallowed view of books, as if notes are ugly and necessary. But it's so much more fun to write in a book. I feel like I'm actually encountering the text instead of simply attempting to absorb it. Anyways, I was reading this book and something Mr. Willard wrote prompted me to write this in the margins: "If all are extraordinary, then all are, in fact, ordinary."
Also just re-listened to probably my favorite voicemail ever. All 1:49 of it. I'm putting the rest of my friends on notice. You have a lot to live up to, so I expect some creativity. Stat (can you tell I've been watching too much House the last 4 weeks? Sigh).
Finally, I love when an online form asks for my passport number. Does anyone ever know their passport number well enough to recall it from memory? I have a limited sample size of one, but I say no. As a general rule. There probably are people who know this. These are the people who instantly "...know Pi to 1,000 places".
Been reading Dallas Willard's "The Divine Conspiracy" the last couple of days. Highly recommended. For the first time, I'm not only underlining but even making notes in a book. This is totally new ground for me. I have some sort of hallowed view of books, as if notes are ugly and necessary. But it's so much more fun to write in a book. I feel like I'm actually encountering the text instead of simply attempting to absorb it. Anyways, I was reading this book and something Mr. Willard wrote prompted me to write this in the margins: "If all are extraordinary, then all are, in fact, ordinary."
Also just re-listened to probably my favorite voicemail ever. All 1:49 of it. I'm putting the rest of my friends on notice. You have a lot to live up to, so I expect some creativity. Stat (can you tell I've been watching too much House the last 4 weeks? Sigh).
Finally, I love when an online form asks for my passport number. Does anyone ever know their passport number well enough to recall it from memory? I have a limited sample size of one, but I say no. As a general rule. There probably are people who know this. These are the people who instantly "...know Pi to 1,000 places".
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Sunday, December 26, 2010
Today's Thought: December 26th
Experience, if we let it, can draw us closer to the truth; it can never, by itself, establish the truth.
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Friday, November 26, 2010
Love of Money
Why did Jesus teach so much on money and our love of it? I have one guess: because we all love money. If you have money and want more of it, they call it greed; if you have no money and want more of it, they call it envy. And rightfully so. Neither gets you a step closer to Christ.
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