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What I’ve Learned Since I Kissed Dating Goodbye (Josh Harris)

What I’ve Learned Since I Kissed Dating Goodbye (Josh Harris)

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The Gospel Coalition

The Gospel Coalition

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Biblical Productivity Series PDF

Biblical Productivity Series PDF

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The Quiet Time

Of late i’ve been thinking alot about what we Christians call “a quiet time”… What does the Word of God have to say about having a quiet time? How do i or should i be spending time with God? Is it something i need to do every single day? And what if i skip a day, do i have to spend twice as long with God the next?

I remember shortly after Jesus saved me, i was given a Bible, told to read it and also told to spend time in prayer. But, no-one really showed me ‘how’ to do this… So i fumbled through Genesis, Exdodus and came to Leviticus… Mmmm, now what has all of this got to do with me? Sheesh, there are LOADS of laws in here! SO i skipped over to Matthew and then Mark and said to myself, “Where have i read this before?” Are these the same stories told four times over!? Why?

Coming back to have a ‘Quiet Time”, Jerry Bridges in his book “Discipline of Grace” offers some helpful thoughts:

A good day:

“You get up promptly when your alarm goes off and have a refreshing and profitable quiet time as you read your Bible and pray. Your plans for the day generally fall into place, and you somehow sense that presence of God with you. To top it off, you unexpectedly have an opportunity to share the gospel with someone who is truly searching. As you talk with the person, you silently pray for the Holy Spirit to help you and to also work in your friend’s heart.” We’ve all had days like that.

A bad day:

But we’ve also all had days like this: “You don’t arise at the first ring of your alarm. Instead, you shut it off and go back to sleep. When you awaken, it’s too late to have a quiet time. You hurriedly gulp down some breakfast and rush off to the day’s activities. You feel guilty about oversleeping and missing your quiet time, and things just generally go wrong all day. You become more and more irritable as the day wears on, and you certainly don’t sense God’s presence in your life. That evening, however, you unexpectedly have an opportunity to share the gospel with someone who is really interested in receiving Christ as Savior.”

Bridges then asks if you would enter into those two witnessing opportunities with a different degree of confidence. Think about it for a moment. If you’re like most Christians, I suspect you would feel less confident about witnessing on a bad day then on a good day. You would feel less confidence that God would speak in and through you and that you would be able to share your faith forcefully and with conviction.

Why is it that we tend to think this way? According to Bridges, we’ve come to believe that God’s blessing on our lives is somehow conditional upon our spiritual performance. In other words, if we’ve performed well and done our quiet time as we ought to have done, we have put ourselves in a place where God can bless us. We may not consciously articulate this, but we prove that we believe it when we have a bad day and are certain that on this day we are absolutely unworthy of God’s blessings. This attitude “reveals an all-too-common misconception of the Christian life: the thinking that, although we are saved by grace, we earn or forfeit God’s blessings in our daily lives by our performance.”

Makes you think doesn’t it?

Pyromaniacs: Paper pastors

Pyromaniacs: Porn and paper pastors

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Christian on Trial – Week 3 – The Miracle of the Scarlet Thread

The Miracle of the Scarlet Thread is a great book by Richard Booker and is available from Kalahari here: The Miracle of the Scarlet Thread

1 Peter 1:10-12
“Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.”

A brief overview of the Bible:

1. The Bible is made up of 66 books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.
2. The books have been arranged by “type of writing” and not in chronological (date) order.
3. The Bible was written between a period of 1000-1500 years ago, by 40 different authors, in 3 different languages namely Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic.
4. It is the bestselling book of all time.
5. It’s been translated into more languages in the world than any book.
6. The Bible was only divided into chapters by Stephen Langton early in the 1200s.
7. Robert Stephanus, a book printer from Paris then divided the chapters into verses in 1551.
8. The first complete printed Bible using the chapter and verse divisions was the Geneva Bible of 1560.

Let’s see how the books of the Bible have been grouped:

OLD TESTAMENT

The Law (Also known as the Pentateuch which means The Five Books, or the Torah)
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

History Books
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, First Samuel, Second Samuel, First Kings, Second Kings, First Chronicles, Second Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther.

Poetry books
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

Prophetic books
Major Prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
Minor Prophets – Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

NEW TESTAMENT

The Gospels
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

History Book
Acts

Pauline Epistles (letters)
Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon

Non-Pauline Epistles (letters)
Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation (Apocalyptical book)

Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming of Jesus:

Psalm 41:9 (1000 years before Jesus)
Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.(NIV)

Fulfilled in:
Luke 22:3-4
Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.(NIV)

Zechariah 9:9 (500 years before Jesus)
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.(NIV)

Fulfilled in:
Matthew 21:6-8
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.(NIV)

Isaiah 7:14 (700 years before Jesus)
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.(NIV)

Fulfilled in:
Matthew 1:21-23
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.”(NIV)

Micah 5:2 (700 years before Jesus)
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”(NIV)

Fulfilled in:
Matthew 2:1
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem(NIV)

Malachi 3:1 (400 years before Jesus)
“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.(NIV)

Fulfilled in:
Matthew 3:1-3
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, `Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'”(NIV)

Isaiah 35:5-6 (700 years before Jesus)
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.(NIV)

Fulfilled in:
Matthew 9:35
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.(NIV)

Zechariah 11:12-13 (500 years before Jesus)
I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”–the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter.(NIV)

Fulfilled in:
Matthew 27:3-5
When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.(NIV)

Psalm 22:16 (1000 years before Jesus)
Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.(NIV)

Fulfilled in:
Matthew 27:31
After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.(NIV)

Isaiah 53:6-11 (700 years before Jesus)
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.(NIV)

Fulfilled in:
Matthew 27

Isaiah 11:2 (700 years before Jesus)
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him– the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD–(NIV)

Fulfilled in:
Matthew 3:16-17
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”(NIV)

And just in-case you didn’t get it, the Bible is all about Jesus!

Christian on Trial – Week 2

1 Peter 1:3-9
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

What are some of the trials these Christians were facing? What are some of the trials we face?

• Verbal
• Physical
• Financial
• Relational
• Marital
• Children
• Spiritual

What we FEEL

Verse 6: In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials
The Bible considers our emotions.

Mark 12:29-30
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart [sincerity/truth] and with all your soul [emotions] and with all your mind [intelligence] and with all your strength.”

How did they feel? They felt grieved.

Verse 6, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.”

We know that the Bible says that even Jesus Christ suffered. He also felt grief, and pain, and sorrow, and hunger, and deserted and despised…

Isaiah 53:3
“He [Jesus] was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

What we DO

Verse 6: In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials

We can respond to trial in two ways.
We can respond negatively by:

Judging God
But God, I thought you loved me? I thought you were good.

Envying others
I wish I had his wife, or her husband, or her body, or  family like theirs, or kids like theirs

Self-pity
You become the center of your life. It’s not about God or others, it’s all about you and how you feel, and what you want

Turning to a ‘functional saviour’
Drugs, alcohol, entertainment, gambling, crazy spending etc.

Or we can respond with rejoicing!

Ten reasons s to rejoice:

1. Because of God’s great mercy
1 Peter 1:3
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”

2. Because I have been born again
1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”

3. Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ
1 Peter 1:3
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”

4. Because of the eternal inheritance I have
1 Peter 1:4
“…and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you…”

5. Because my inheritance is kept safe in heaven
1 Peter 1:4
“…and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you…”

6. Because I am shielded by God’s power
1 Peter 1:5
“…who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time”

7. Because I will only suffer for a little while
1 Peter 1:6
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials”

8. Because my faith is of greater value than gold
1 Peter 1:7
“These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed”

9.  Because I love God
1 Peter 1:8
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy…”

10. Because I believe in God
1 Peter 1:8
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy…”

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Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Charles Haddon (C.H.) Spurgeon (June 19, 1834 – January 31, 1892) was a British Baptist preacher, still known as the “Prince of Preachers”. In his lifetime, Spurgeon preached to around 10,000,000 people, often up to 10 times a week at different places. His sermons have been translated into many languages.

Spurgeon was the pastor of the New Park Street Chapel in London for 38 years. He was part of several controversies with the Baptist Union of Great Britain, and later had to leave that denomination. Throughout his life, Spurgeon suffered from depression and other mental illnesses. In 1857, he started a charity organisation called Spurgeon’s which now works globally. He also founded Spurgeon’s College, which was named after him after his death.

Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening Devotions

Spurgeon’s Sermons

More about Spurgeon