The power of God at work, saving everyone who believes!

2 Corinthians 11:3-4 …I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.

It's a big crazy world we live in full of wolves in sheep's clothing. We are surrounded by empty philosophies, false cliches and in every direction the truth is suppressed. Our eyes are blind to the Truth of Jesus Christ until God gives us the grace to see Him. My intent with this blog and my prayer in this moment as I write is that Christ will open your eyes to see the reality and Truth. To see the climate of ideas that surrounds us and the glory of the gospel that endures in the midst of us. It is of fist importance that Christ died for our sins. Lord give us the grace we need!

My greatest advice to you would be to filter culture, filter information, thoughts, ideas, philosophies and teaching through the Bible. It's the only absolute source of Truth we have. Read Psalm 119 and see the glory of God's Word in action. We know from God's Word that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, God's son who gave his life as a ransom for many. We read in Romans that salvation comes by faith alone through grace. I come to you, like Paul, deciding to preach nothing but Christ and Him crucified. And I pray that this message would not come with lofty speech or with eloquent words but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. THE GOSPEL IS THE POWER OF SALVATION TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE!

Don’t put up with teaching
1- That denies that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (John 3:16)
2- That communicates salvation by any means than faith in Jesus by grace. (Ephesians 2:8)
3- That denies the realities of being a Christian and suffering. There's no health & wealth gospel in the Bible (Romans 5:3)

I am committed to preach the Gospel and to share the Truth of the cross every time I teach from the Bible. Do you wonder why? Does it seem elementary to keep mulling over this Truth of Christ killed, buried and risen? When I was younger and dragged to church I hated hearing the gospel over and over. I was like, "Why dont these people talk about something else? I wanna hear about Noah or Jesus walking on water, not the cross."

2 Corinthians 4-6 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

All the rebellion in my heart in those years was a blinding of my eyes to the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. It is my mission to stand in the face of this opposition and speak the cross in a compassionate yet powerful way. Think about the cross, study the cross, sing about the cross, worship Jesus as the one who died and rose again, write about the cross, talk about the cross and live because of the cross! Because the Truth of the cross and life in Christ is the Gospel!

I'm gonna unveil some light on the Gospel with the help of John Piper's book God is the Gospel:

The gospel includes the good news that there is a living God who created heaven and earth. we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. Acts 14:15 WOW, It is good news, it is the gospel that there is a living loving God who sent His Son to redeem us! There simply can be no good news without a living God who created the universe.

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’” Isaiah 52:7 Part of the life of the gospel is to know the good news that Christ has conquered sin and death through the finished work on the cross. This is good news that OUR GOD REIGNS!

Acts 8:12: “Philip... preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ It is an essential part of the gospel to know that Jesus, the Messiah has come for us! Read John 1:14... The Word of God has become flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood! WOW, what a God!

“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you... For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:1-3).
It is the gospel that Christ endured the suffering, the shame and death on a tree for our sins. He didn't deserve to die but He laid down His life as a ransom for us.

But there would be no gospel if Jesus had stayed dead. 1 Corinthians 15:17, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” This is why Paul’s definition of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4 includes both the death and resurrection of Jesus: “I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel... that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”

THE GOSPEL IS NOT GOOD NEWS WITHOUT THE PROMISE OF THE SPIRIT. The Holy Spirit is the down payment, a guarantee of the fullness of joy we will know in the perfected
fellowship with the Father and the Son in the age to come (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5). What makes the gospel good news in the end is the enjoyment of the glory of God in Christ. The Holy Spirit provides the present experience of that enjoyment. Therefore the promise of the Spirit in the gospel is what makes it good news. Ephesians 1:13. “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”

Peter described the gospel that God sent through Jesus as “the word that [God] sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:36).
Wow, we can have peace with God because of the good news, the gospel of Christ.

The effect of this peace with God is eternal life. This too is what makes the gospel of Christ good news. Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:10: “[God’s grace] has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”

This gospel of grace and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ has changed and is changing my life. I will never be the same because of the precious blood of Jesus, that bought me and washed me and gives me life. Oh, that we would fall in love with the Bible, oh, that we would sing praise to the name of Jesus, oh, that we would fall in love with the gospel that is the good news, oh, that we would bring glory to God, the maker of heaven and earth, who loves you and proved that on the cross.

"Behold Your God"

“Behold Your God!”

(things we can know about God from Isaiah 40)

V9- Behold your God!

He is our God! He is the one we’ve been looking for… as we search through life looking for meaning, here in the 40^th chapter of Isaiah God says, “Look at me! I am yours!”

V10- Behold, the Lord God comes with might

He is mighty! He is mighty to save! He is strong and when He comes into our lives He opens our eyes to see His glory! He is a conquering King!

V10- behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.

He is a generous benefactor to those who trust in Him and put faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ which is the power of salvation to those who believe. He gives grace, He exalts the humble, He is the defender of the weak. He is now, because of the finished work on the cross, because of the innocent blood of Christ our Father.

V11- He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

He is our Shepherd! The same mighty King in V10 leads His family with the gentleness of a shepherd. He takes care of us and feeds us with His Word. He will gather us when we wander and lead us home.

V12- Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?

He is wise in the way He creates and sustains. He is the Creator of all things! This wisdom and precision shows me that He can be trusted!

V18- To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?

He is incomparable! No where outside of the Trinity will you find such power and such glory. In no other name than Jesus can men be saved! Who can compete with His kindness? His grace? His love? His wisdom? His Word?

V21- Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

He is founder, He is from the beginning! There was nothing before Him!

V22- It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,

He is heavenly! His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Our God reigns!

V22- V23 who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

He is sovereign! That means He is in control! That means He will do as He pleases and who can thwart His purposes? Wow, nothing can separate us from that kind of love and authority! Praise and glory to Christ who endured the cross as a propitiation for our sins, that He would bring us to God!

V26- Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.

He is the sky-maker! He is the Creator that imagined the stars and gives source to their light. He knows them by name. Not one is missing, nothing can be plucked from His hand.

V28- The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary;

He is everlasting! That means there is no end in Him! He does not even tire our have need for rest, He doesn’t grow faint of heart or ever unable to love.

V29- He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

He is the source of true power and strength, we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. He is the defender of the week and the giver of grace that brings life… Oh, that we might be to His glory!

V30- Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;

We are not like him. He is the infinite while we are finite. We grow weary and need Him to know and experience life. Without Christ there is no way, no truth and no life.

V31- but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Behold your God! Let the Truth of God’s Word give you hope tonight, that we are loved. He proved it on the cross. Jesus will rescue you if you turn to Him. He will give you the grace to know Him and live for His glory. Wait on Him and He will fill you with hope and renew your strength! Through faith in Christ and the power of His Word we know that He will never leave us or forsake us.

Mainz

Traveled to Mainz, Germany today...

Walking around the Altstadt under the chilly overcast Central European sky, another city, another stretch of cobble stone streets, another cathedral, another market festival with all kinds of quality produce, german sausage, gourmet cheeses, beautiful breads and magnificent pastries. We had a bite to eat that took almost 2 1/2 hours. (these things happen quite often in Europe) I had the Yager Schnitzel with BratKartoffel... yummy! And a nice bottle of water. It's good meals like this that allow you to sink into conversation and spend quality time with good friends.

After lunch we headed across the square to the Gutenberg Museum. Johannes Gutenberg invented to printing press in the 15th Century. I will admit, I thought this museum might be a little boring, but it was awesome! I got to see some of the very first Bibles ever printed. These Bibles were printed in Latin in 1455. We also got to see a demonstration of how the original printing press was used... way cool! ( i got some postcards for a few of my peeps...)

After the museum we headed over to the huge cathedral in Mainz. There were some clergy or what looked to me like monks singing these crazy chants and harmonies. The blend of their voices would echo through the hall while people gathered to pray, take pictures and admire the amazing architecture. It's amazing that a church this big, that was still around in Gutenberg's day... seems more like a tourist attraction than a house of worship.

We decided to get some crepes and stroll down allong the river, taking some pictures and savoring the twilight. The city was buzzing with the transition of daytime market and carnivals to nightlife and fests. We found some German engineered spinning playground tea cup sort of things and spun ourselves into a dizzied frenzy. Followed by a nice walk past the innumerable Doner shops and enticing Italian restaurants.

A great day of memories...

What is a Christian? 10/19/09

Guten Tag! Here's the Club Talk from Monday Night... Just wanted to share it with you!

What is a Christian? 10/19/09 from Rob Scott on Vimeo.

an eloquent testimony of God's power

1 Timothy 1:17, “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” He later wrote,

As I read [these] words, there came into my soul…a sense of the glory of the Divine Being; a new sense quite different from anything I ever experienced before…. I kept saying and as it were singing over those words of Scripture to myself and went to pray to God that I might enjoy Him…. From that time I began to have a new kind of apprehensions and ideas of Christ, and the work of redemption, and the glorious way of salvation by him. And my mind was greatly engaged to spend my time in reading and meditating on Christ, in the beauty of his person and the lovely way of salvation by free grace in Him (from Jonathan Edwards, A Personal Narrative).

The Glory of Grace

Let Christ be magnified.
May His name be praised
Let our lives sing of His glory.
Perfection, set apart, ...Holy.

Jesus, you are my sustenance.
You are the grace that has given me life.
You are the joy that saturates my heart.
You are the hope of a future.
You are the sovereign, undisputed King.

You've opened my eyes to see you.
You've called my ears to hear you.
You've spoken Your Word.
You've shown yourself True.
Jesus, you are my strength.

Father, the earth is silent before You.
The water, land and sky.
The heavenly realms adore You.
Your blood testifies.
Let your Majesty shine!

Take my simple mind.
Teach me to be wise.
Protect my wandering heart.
Guide me by Your light.
Show me how to lay down my life.

Ask yourself this.

WOULD YOU BE HAPPY IN HEAVEN IF CHRIST
WERE NOT THERE?

The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—
is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the
friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and
all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties
you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no
human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with
heaven, if Christ were not there?

-from "God is the Gospel" by John Piper

Only God can make the Gospel GLORIOUS!

Coming home from two days in Bonn, Germany discussing God's glory I allowed myself to rest last night and let this truth marinate on my heart. Now as I wake to this Truth simmering with Joy and Praise for the One I write to share this with you. That you may know the Glory of the Gospel. Most of this lesson was taught by John Piper at the Shepherd's Conference and I just listened, prayed and tried my best to copy down notes!

5 Observations for PREACHING CHRIST.

1. Preaching Christ involves preaching the truth that God's ultimate goal is the display of His Glory.
What does this do?
a. Preaching the Glory of the Gospel protects the Gospel from a man-centered view of the Gospel.
We are constantly moving to a man-centered view of the Gospel. We like to think in terms of ourselves, I think it mirrors our selfishness. We love to think how Christ died for us, he forgave us, he made the world for us instead of thinking how glorious He is. He died because He is glorious and His glory had to conquer sin. He forgave us because His ultimate desire is for us to behold his glory and be changed into His glory.
b. It allows us to see sin for what it really is. Romans 3:23 is the most commonly preached verse regarding sin. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 Yet, most people think of sin as hurting someone else. Sin is not hurting someone else. Sin is falling short of the glory of God. So from this we can see that you can't understand sin without knowing what "falling short" of His glory means. Romans 1:23 helps us to understand Romans 3:23. Romans 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. When we exchange God's glory for something else we are sinning. Sin is preferring anything above God. When we exchange God's glory for our own, this is sin. The average person does not understand what trouble they are in before God.
c. It allows us to see the cross. Romans 3:25-26 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. To understand the cross we must understand the meaning of sin and the centrality of God. What is the righteousness of God? It is God doing what is right. What is right with God is what accords with the infinite value of His glory. v25-26 only makes sense through the death of Christ on the cross. God is center throughout the Bible, not man.

Let's look at Isaiah:
Isaiah 43:7 "whom I created for my glory",

43:21 "the people whom I formed for myself",

46:13 "for Israel my glory", and...

Isaiah 48:9-11 “For my name's sake I defer my anger,
for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,
that I may not cut you off.
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.
For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
for how should my name be profaned?
My glory I will not give to another.



When we share the Gospel we should share with people the supreme value of the glory of God.

2. Showing God's glory shows his love. Most people don't get this! We are loved by God when He shows us His glory! The love of Christ is probably not what most people think it is. Read John 11:1-6. Jesus loved them, SO... He showed them His glory. Jesus says, "It's all about my glory!" Love is not... sparing us pain. Love is making His glory plain to us. Most people including myself usually do not view love this way. We usually think of love with ourselves at the center and someone giving affection to us. Admiration for a glory outside of us is what we were made for. We were created by Him for Him. It is loving for God to do what He has to do in order for us to see His glory.

3. Let's look at the Gospel closer:
a. The cross was planned "in accordance with the scriptures" 1 Corinthians 15:3 Christ's death on the cross didn't just happen! It was planned.
b. The Gospel is a historical event. "Christ died" 1 Corinthians 15:3 If Christ hadn't died, there would be NO GOOD NEWS!
c. It achieved something:
1) The wrath of God was absorbed by Christ.
2) Sins were covered.
3) His righteousness was completed and secured.
d. That achievement is freely offered for faith alone. You can't work for it. Salvation is a gift from God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
e. When I receive the Gospel by faith the achievement is applied to me! Awe Yeah! God is good!
1) I am reconciled. (by faith in Christ)
2) I am forgiven. (by faith in Christ)
3) I am justified. (by faith in Christ)
4) I have eternal life. (by faith in Christ)

Why were you forgiven? 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, This is why Christ suffered... That He may bring us to God. The book of Hebrews resonates this message. He is the mediator between God and man. There is no other way to God unless Jesus brings you to Him. Unless God is our highest treasure, the Gospel is not good news. The end of the gospel is to see and enjoy the glory of God.

4. Preaching Christ involves opening blind eyes. 2 Corinthians 4-6 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. If you do not know Jesus with opened eyes because of faith than you cannot see His beauty or glory, it would be boring to you. Most of the people we share the Gospel to are in this very state of blind perception. I was there! The Gospel was boring to me all my life till the day God opened my eyes and showed me my sin. Then I had to turn toward His son and His glory. It was faith in Christ because of grace that opened my eyes to see! Note that, we have no power of our own to open people's eyes. Only God can make the Gospel glorious. That is why we should pray earnestly for the Holy Spirit to do it's work as we faithfully share the good news of Jesus Christ.

5. We must preach sanctification as the effect of the opening of our eyes. 2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. Help people to see Christ and He will change them! If we behold the glory of God we will change. If verse 18 happens... sanctification happens. When we see His glory we are satisfied in Him. When we are satisfied in Him, the power of sin and greed is broken. I have struggled in my walk with God to protect my eyes and remain pure as a christian man. Yet, as I have learned and am still learning to behold the glory of God, everything is changing. I don't want to be the kind of guy that would exchange God's glory for that of my own. I pray that today we would see God's glory and be changed even further from this degree to another.

RECAP:

1. God's ultimate goal is the display of His glory.
2. Love is His glory displayed.
3. The cross is the infinite price paid that we might see.
4. Conversion is the gift of God opening our eyes.
5. Sanctification is the effect of seeing God.

Homesick but PRESSING ON!

Top two most homesick moments of the year:

1- Missing the epic surf sessions from Hurricane Bill.
2- Missing the opportunity to go to Catalyst with my best friends.

Now I sit here and pray for obedience in my life to walk the steps that God has for me. To speak the words that God gives me. To encourage others and overcome the sinful nature that I battle every waking day.

I listened to two sermons by my best bud Sean Byers tonight... The common denominator podcast and a message called Live 2 Die. http://providencebiblechurch.com/?page_id=96 It's a crazy feeling when you hear and know that God is molding one of your best friends for something greater. Just as I also am aware of the mighty hand of God on the life of my friend Kevin Connell and his ministry at East Coast Church. They may not know it but their faithfulness continues to spur me on toward Christ. The message of the gospel that flows from their lives encourages me even if I'm an ocean away.

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:3-11

The future is all about His Glory. Christ had died and Christ is Risen! Christ will come again!

The Christian Life

Walking on Water Family Update. Please Watch This!

Britt Merrick and his family found out this past week that their five year old daughter Daisy has cancer. I really encourage you to watch this message given by Britt the following Sunday. It is very powerful and we all should allow this message to sink deep into our hearts and minds and lives! Please be praying for the Merrick family and especially for Daisy!

When My Heart Is Overwhelmed from Reality on Vimeo.

It's October in Germany!

Saturday: Me and my friend Scott aka the new guy on Staff with MCYM/Club Beyond traveled to Vilsek/Graf in Bavaria to watch the Heidelberg Lions football team block a punt with 7 minutes left in the 4th quarter then score to win the game by 1 point. We enjoyed a good Doner and the sun was breaking through and saturating the countryside as we listened to a great sermon by David Nasser on the ride home.

Sunday: Up before dawn I scooped up my friend Lindy in my 23 year old BMW and we headed toward the Rhine River for a day on the water, a day near the castles, a day in the big hills under a chilly sky. We Rhine River cruised and had a great breakfast on the boat, overcame many small obstacles and had a great time exploring this beautiful area of Germany. A day that good will be hard to forget!

Home from a weekend of travels it's back to the cause. Last night at Club Scott gave a great Club Talk on our value to God preceded by small groups that allowed students to process through the verses before we even heard them preached. We have a lot of students that need the Way, the Truth and the Life. Needless to say ...God is stirring hearts in us and all around us. I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God.