If You Love Jesus, You Love the Church. If You Don't Love the Church, You Don't Love Jesus.

Mercy Is For the Weak

You gotta love the original "Karate Kid" movie (although, I'm not so sure about the new one that is coming out this year.) Pretty cool picture from one of it's scenes, huh? There is a profound truth to be learned from this sketch about Jesus' relationship with sinners. It's one that we all desparately need to believe and adore. Unlike this picture, Jesus Christ did not come pointing fingers at us sinners saying, "No mercy!" like Sensei John Kreese is doing here to Mr. Miyagi. (Even though Jesus could have done that and been just in doing so.) Rather, Jesus came and undeservingly took our sins on himself. He was hung on a cross and became sin on our behalf. This is where God the Father pointed a finger at His only perfect son as if to say "Guilty. No Mercy!" and condemned Him to death. Three days later, Jesus rose from the grave. Sin and eternal death were forever defeated. But why would Jesus willingly lay down his life for a bunch of sinners who deserve nothing but hell? He did so in order that He could come and say "Mercy!" to all who see that their lives are deeply in need of it. If he wouldn't of died for us, all he could have come saying was "No mercy!" There was no other way. He took our sin to give us His righteousness, and God's wrath is no longer upon those who trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

There is another line in the picture I believe Jesus and Sensei John Kreese would agree on: "Mercy is for the weak." I love Paul's account of his testimony in 1 Timothy: "I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." - 1 Timothy 1:12-17.

Jesus Christ came to save sinners. Jesus Christ came to save me.

Jesus Christ came to bring mercy to the weak. Jesus Christ came to bring mercy to me.

Jesus Christ is available to all who realize they are sinners in need of mercy.

You Need To Give Glory to God!

Music can become boring—Jesus can’t.

"It’s not the latest songs, creative arrangements, or unique sounds that make corporate worship amazing and awe-inspiring. It’s a clear and compelling picture of Jesus Christ, the only Savior of the world. As long as I have that understanding, leading songs will never become routine or banal, and my worship of God will never be dependent on musical innovation. So I value truth over tunes." - Bob Kauflin

http://www.worshipmatters.com/2010/01/07/reflections-on-turning-55/

We Repent, Nashville

“O people of Nashville, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may turn again to the remnant of you who have escaped from the false truths of Bible-belt religion. Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were faithless to the Lord God of their fathers, so that he made them a joyless people, as you see. Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord and come to Jesus, whom he has consecrated forever, and serve the Lord your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you. For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your children will find compassion with their religious captors and return to the grace and love found only in Christ and His Church. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.”
- based on 2 Chronicles 30:6-9

No Small Task

Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.” - John 10:27-30.

"When I deposit my life or my soul in faith into Christ's care as I trust Him for salvation, where does my soul go? The text tells us first that it goes into Christ's hand. Then it tells us that the hand of God the Father is also involved. So my soul is held in the two-fisted grip of the Father and the Son! Good security, wouldn't you say? And the Bible tells me that the Holy Spirit plays a part, also. The Holy Spirit immediately seals me in Christ the very moment I trust Him for salvation (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30). I am sealed in this total arrangement - in Christ's hand and in the Father's hand (in eternal salvation) - by the Holy Spirit.

Now, if the devil is to get me out of this position, what must he do? First, he must break the Spirit's seal. No small task, because the Spirit is fully and totally Almighty as God. But if Satan could break the seal of the Spirit, he then would have to break the grip by which God the Father holds me. No small task! You may be sure that Satan does not have the power to accomplish it. But if he could break the seal of the Spirit and the grip of God the Father, then he would have to break the powerful grip of Jesus the Son. No small task! If Satan accomplished all this, he would have totally overcome God Himself in all of His Personhood and Power. Of course, this is totally impossible. However! If Satan can break the seal and the hold of God on even one of His children, Satan can do it with any and all of God's children!! If Satan can get one saint out of his position of security, he can get all saints out-because no single saint has any more or any less security than any other saint. All born-again people are equally secure in Christ...Thus, if Satan can get one Christian out of his position of security in Christ, and he does not get all Christians out, the only possible reason is that he must not want to (because if he can get one out, he can get all out.) Therefore, if that were true, any person who gets to heaven finally GETS THERE ONLY BY THE GRACE OF THE DEVIL!!! What kind of salvation is that, anyway? No, once the salvation deposit is made, it is secure forever!"
- Herb Hodges, "Fox Fever" pp. 24-25.

Bad News: Santa Clause Is Coming To Town.