Lord, Lord

This morning I began preparations for Sunday's sermon, but I didn't get very far. Jesus' words pierced me. Not the William Wallace kind of piercing, but more of a surgical incision. I'm still not sure everything that Jesus plans to expose in me but right now this question continues to echo in my heart:

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and don't do what I tell you?"

Paul's Prayer for the Ephesians - Ephesians 3.14-21

"I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Dancing in the Minefields

Andrew Peterson never disappoints. This is a great song of his Counting Stars album.

“If Only . . .” Living with Regrets | CCEF

Here's a great article by Ed Welch

“If Only . . .” Living with Regrets | CCEF

Be Filled With the Spirit - Ephesians 5:18

The Christian who is filled with the Holy Spirit can be compared to a glove. Until it is filled by a hand, a glove is powerless and useless. It is designed to do work, but it can do no work by itself. It works only as the hand controls and uses it. The glove’s only work is the hand’s work. It does not ask the hand to give it an assignment and then try to complete the assignment without the hand. Nor does it gloat or brag about what it is used to do, because it knows the hand deserves all the credit. A Christian can accomplish no more without being filled with the Holy Spirit than a glove can accomplish without being filled with a hand.

(MacArthur, Ephesians, 250)

What Are We Doing?

David Platt in his book Radical writes,

One of my good friends spent time recently among unreached and unengaged peoples in Southeast Asia. As he talked with villagers in one remote area, he tried to uncover their core beliefs. he asked them, "How were we created?"
They responded, "We don't know."
He asked, "Who sends the rain for the crops?"
They responded, "We don't know that either."
Then he asked, "What happens when we die?"
They looked back at him and said, "No one has come to tell us about that yet."

Soon thereafter he found himself in another remote village with people who had never heard the gospel. They were warm and hospitable, and they invited him to share a drink with them. One man went into his small shop and reappeared moments later with a classic red Coke can. Immediately, it hit home with my friend. A soft-drink company in Atlanta has done a better job getting brown sugar water to these people than the church of Jesus Christ has done in getting the gospel to them. (Radical, 158)

Repentance - Part Three

So how do we repent? James MacDonald suggests that the best biblical model for repentance is the story of the prodigal son found in Luke 15:11-32. (let me encourage you to take some time and read through that text) MacDonald then writes that repentance involves the mind, the emotions, and the will. (I Really Want to Change...So, Help Me God, 92)

First is the mind. In the story of the prodigal son verse 17 says that he "came to his senses." We too must come to our senses we must begin to see our sin for what it really is - disgusting and destructive!

Second is the emotions. As we discussed earlier, grief is the appropriate emotion (2 Corinthians 7:10). Our sin should grieve us and not just because we suffer the consequences of it, but because it displeases and grieves our Father. The prodigal was grieved by his sin; he returned home guilty, humble, and weeping.

Third is the will. Here is where the rubber meets the road; here is where plans begin to form, that is, plans to avoid our specific sin in the future. So, what will you do to avoid your sin in the future? Let me give you a few suggestions:

1. Accountability is a must. Find someone you can depend on to provide you with biblical encouragement.
2. Renewing your mind with Scripture is also vitally important. You must continue to remind yourself what God has to say about your sin. (Ephesians 4:20-24)
   
3. Finally radical amputation may be necessary (Matthew 5:29-30).

I know this is a pretty simplistic approach to a big issue, but my hope is you might find some help in these posts. If you are struggling and need some one on one counsel don't hesitate to let me know.