Only One Issue

the CASE for LIFE: Like You Have Never Heard It Before.

Another Arresting Thought

Daniel Webster once said, “The greatest thought that has ever entered my mind is that one day I will have to stand before a holy God and give an account of my life.” He was right. 2 Corinthians 5:10 – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

An Arresting Thought

Ask yourself: “Is this what I want to be doing when Christ comes back?” Truly, Christ has said, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13).

Are We In Love With God Or Just His Stuff?

The following is taken from Crazy Love by Francis Chan pages 62-63. Take a moment to look over it and examine heart:

If someone asked you what the greatest good on this earth is, what would you say? An epic surf session? Financial security? Health? Meaningful, trustful friendships? Intimacy with your spouse? Knowing that you belong?

 The greatest good on this earth is God. Period. God’s one goal for us is Himself (emphasis mine).

The Good News – the best news in the world, in fact – is that you can have God Himself. Do you believe that God is the greatest thing you can experience in the whole world? Do you believe that the Good News is note merely the forgiveness of your sins, the guarantee that you won’t go to hell, or the promise of life in heaven?

The best things in life are gifts from the One who steadfastly loves us. But an important question to ask ourselves is this: Are we in love with God or just His stuff?

Imagine how awful it would feel to have your child say to you, “I don’t really love you or want your love, but I would like my allowance, please.” Conversely, what a beautiful gift it is to have the one you love look you in the eye and say, “I love you. Not your beauty, your money, your family, or your car. Just you.”

Can you say that to God?

Our love for Him always come out of His love for us. Do you love this God who is everything, or do you just love everything He gives you? Do you really know and believe that God loves you, individually and personally and intimately? Do you see and know Him as Abba, Father?

 

 

Celebrating Unanswered Prayer

Comments from C.J. Mahaney on Mark 10:35-44 about the blessing of unanswered prayer:

I want to celebrate unanswered prayer. I want to…thank God for all the prayers I have prayed sinfully motivated, that the Savior hasn’t answered. I want to thank God that he is sovereign, not sentimental. I want to thank God for all the times when…I have approached the Savior demanding that he do for me whatever I ask, …that the Savior’s response was not simply, “You don’t know what you’re asking,” but that he withheld an answer to prayer. I am grateful to God for unanswered prayers. Here’s a question, though: how do you respond to unanswered prayer? I believe how we respond to unanswered prayer normally reveals our motive and ultimately reveals the purpose of our prayers. If I encounter someone who is bitterly declaring, “I have prayed…and the Lord hasn’t provided,” that is usually the voice of someone who wants to use God…rather than serve him for his glory. I find unanswered prayer purifies my motive, and often alters the very content of my prayer as well.

Praise God for the blessing of unanswered prayer!

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed By A Relentless God

I picked up a copy of Francis Chan’s book, Crazy Love yesterday and I am very impressed with it. Here is the blurb on the back of the book:

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed By A Relentless God

God is love: crazy, relentless, all-powerful love.

Have you ever wondered if we’re missing it?

It’s crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe – the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and E-minor – loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss.

Whether you’ve verbalized it yet or not…we all know something’s wrong.

Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions? God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn’t working harder at a list of do’s and don’ts – its falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love, as Francis describe it, you will never be the same.

Because when you’re wildly in love with someone, it changes everything.

Here is Francis Chan’s own stated reason for writing this book:

I hope reading this book will convince you of something: that by surrendering yourself totally to God’s purposes, He will bring you the most pleasure in this life and the next. I hope it affirms your desire for “more God” – even if you’re surrounded by people who feel they have “enough God.” I hope it inspires confidence if you have questioned and doubted the commitment of the American church [Don't get to alarmed by this statement, Chan loves and affirms the value of the church]. I want to affirm your questioning, even while assuring you there is hope (Preface, 21).

Later Francis Chan nails the fundamental problem with many Christians and churches today right on the head when he says:

But before we look at what is wrong and address it, we need to understand something. The core problem isn’t the fact that we’re lukewarm, halfhearted, or stagnant Christians. The crux of it all is why we are this way, and it is because we have an inaccurate view of God. We see Him as a benevolent Being who is satisfied when people manage to fit Him into their lives in some small way. We forget that God never had an identity crisis. He knows that He’s great and deserves to be the center of our lives. Jesus came humbly as a servant, but he never begs us to give Him some small part of ourselves. He commands everything from His followers (Preface, 22).

Here is a video of Francis Chan introducing his book:

 

Want to know more about it? Here is a helpful review over at challies.com. Or, go straight to the source at www.crazylovebook.com.

Want to buy it? Click here.

Shift Happens

This is another official update to the original “Shift Happens” video. This completely new Fall 2009 version includes facts and stats focusing on the changing media landscape, including convergence and technology.

A New Face for The Gospel Coalition

The Gospel Coalition has a new design for their website. It looks pretty nice. I strongly encourage you to take a few moments and check this website out. It is full of articles, videos, sermons, books that are well worth your time to digest!

Here is their reason why:

Welcome!

Welcome to TheGospelCoalition.org! Today marks the launch of our redesigned homepage—a homepage that will better serve you as we strive to promote gospel-centered ministry for the next generation. We believe these upgrades will enhance our ability to serve as one of the Internet’s most trusted destinations for biblically saturated, theologically robust, gospel-centered resources.

The new additions to the homepage will give us sufficient flexibility to be at the forefront of what is happening in the global church. And as you visit TheGospelCoalition.org to stay up on what’s current in Christianity, our hope is that the new homepage will serve as a gateway into the broader universe of content on the site.

As you survey the new homepage you will notice content sections including articles, opinions, interviews, Q&As, book reviews and excerpts, events, headlines from around the Web, and our Twitter feed. In addition, we’ve created a ministry blog that will have contributions from our staff, council members, and friends of The Gospel Coalition. One of the things we’re most excited about is the addition of Justin Taylor to our featured blogger platform. Between Two Worlds has become one of the most trusted Christian blogs on the Internet. We are honored and humbled to have this close association with Justin Taylor’s ministry.

No Website redesign is done in a vacuum. We would like to thank the following people: Matt Perman (Desiring God) for his ongoing, masterful help in site architecture and usability; Matthew Taylor (TaylorDesignWorks.com) for designing the new look and displaying a unique gift for finding visual ways to accomplish our desired site-functionality; and Joshua Sowin (Rainsong Media) for building the new homepage and blogs, updating the resource library and countless other web needs. Josh is an amazingly efficient and competent web-builder. We are profoundly grateful to these guys for their excellent service.

We are committed to ongoing, prayerful evaluation of this Website so it can better advance our goal of promoting gospel-centered ministry for the next generation. In this we welcome your input and covet your prayers. 1 Corinthians 10:31 states, “So then, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything to the glory of God.” And this includes Websites. By the grace of God we will steward this url to the glory of God.

Working with you for the advance of the Gospel,

Ben Peays (Executive Director) & Mike Pohlman (Executive Editor)

Mini Books to Strengthen Your Faith and Walk

Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF) has published 5 new mini books! Take a look:

There are plenty more to look at! Go there now!

A Little Humor

Two men were walking through a field one day when they spotted an enraged bull. Instantly they darted toward the nearest fence.  The storming bull followed in hot pursuit, and it was soon apparent they wouldn’t make it. 

Terrified, the one shouted to the other, “Put up a prayer, John. We’re in for it!” 

John answered, “I can’t. I’ve never made a public prayer in my life.”

“But you must!” implored his companion. “The bull is catching up to us.”

 ”All right,” panted John, “I’ll say the only prayer I know, the one my father used to repeat at the table: ‘O Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly thankful.’”