EP*C

Reading the New Testament, it’s clear that something is radically different when you compare Jesus and everyone else. The world is largely self-exaltation and self-preservation. Jesus has other ideas. Jesus is all about rejecting what is normal in this world for a life that’s focused on what God would have us do. This usually gets individuals in trouble; it’s kinda why Jesus was killed!

Matthew 5 says Christ-followers are the “salt of the earth” – but what does this mean? If you’ve been in church circles a while you’ve probably heard this phrase repeated and expanded on numerous times. Reading this passage again, it breaks down pretty simply for me.

Salt is a CHANGE AGENT. When salt comes in contact with anything, there is a change that comes about. Salt doesn’t just land on food or on pavement and leave that environment the same as before – it produces change. Salt is a CHANGE AGENT.

YOU are a CHANGE AGENT. When followers of Jesus Christ come into any environment, there is no way that the setting should remain the same. Jesus calls us to the same life that he lived. He calls us to be different from the crowd, whether getting strange glances for our opinion or praise for our loving actions, simply because of the truth of our faith and the action it causes.

How does this practically come about?

To be continued.

Great blog post by Francis Chan over at Catalyst website.

“If I were to ask those closest to you about your relationship with God, what would they say? If I were to ask God the same question, what would He say? If your family, friends, and congregation have better things to say about you than God, it’s because you give them that impression. We do this because we can. God gifted us with an ability to communicate. Too often we use this ability not to convey who we are, but who we want others to think we are.”

You can read the rest here.

Before you think I’m trying to start a massive revolt, wait a second and pop over to read what Jonathan Dodson has to say about going to church vs. being the church.

The church has never been about a building – it has always been about lives transformed by the power of God, and those lives then being used to change the world around them.

Read the article.

(HT: The Resurgence)

One of the greatest thoughts surrounding Christmas is ‘God with us’. Every year we have the privilege of celebrating Jesus Christ’s birth, the coming of our salvation. It’s a pretty amazing thought that the God of the universe would make himself know to mankind, but he did - what an awesome truth!

Here’s a great explanation of ‘Yahweh’ – a Hebrew word for ‘LORD’, the God we celebrate this Christmas.

1 Peter 1:10-12 is a clear description of what we look back to during Advent.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. (1 Peter 1:10-12 )

For four weeks, it’s as if we’re re-enacting, remembering the thousands of years God’s people were anticipating and longing for the coming of God’s salvation, for Jesus. That’s what advent means—coming. Even God’s men who foretold the grace that was to come didn’t know “what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating.” They were waiting, but they didn’t know what God’s salvation would look like.

You can read the complete article from Noel Piper here.

Here’s a great panel discussion about theology (the study of God) from a young adult ministry called CHANGE out in Sydney, Australia. Carve out a few minutes and work through the videos – really interesting and relevant stuff discussed here.

We recently finished up a 2-part series called ‘FANATIC’, looking at how each one of us is fanatical about something in our life.

As I think this morning about fanaticism, it is sad how our passion and energy can be diverted onto something that is not worthy of our all. As I watched this video, I realised once again - hopefully more deeply and more effectively than before – that there is only one person I should be fanatical about.

 There are definitely thousands upon thousands of ways to read the Bible. However you choose to plough through the Scriptures – and I would definitely encourage you to invest time into reading the Bible! – is up to the individual. The most important aspect of Bible intake however,  is what you believe to be the foundational message:

Law & Threat

vs.

Promise & Assurance

Here’s a great blog post from the Resurgence on this topic.

Here’s a question – how often do you think about the gospel? How often does Jesus and what he has done for us come up in your everyday life?

I ask the questions not to condemn, but as encouragement to focus on the important things in life.

Josh Patterson of the Village Church has an excellent post on the gospel, and whether it is something assumed in your life, or purposefully made explicit by you in your life. He says:

” The issue with an assumed gospel is that it is often too personal and, therefore, becomes private. The person who lives under the assumption of the gospel often knows how it relates to their life, but nobody else does…..their co-workers are left to wonder about what makes them different. Those who live under the assumed gospel often find it awkward to bring it up and talk about the work of Christ. Why? Because they never bring it up and learn to articulate the implications of Christ’s work and their life.

On the contrary, those who are explicit about the gospel in their relationships have a different effect. By living out the gospel and speaking about the gospel and working through the gospel (verbally), they are helping to connect the dots for those around them….co-workers are privy to the reality that this person is not simply a moral guy/girl, but one who is forgiven and transformed by the death and resurrection of Christ.”

You can read the rest of the post here.

So, are you explicit or do you assume the gospel in your everyday life? More importantly, how do you plan do become more explicit?

Our world is a strange one. One second we’re living in absolute pleasure, and the next the love of our life has crushed our heart. There’s a constant tension between joy and pain, which for some reason never stops.

Josh Patterson from The Village Church shares about a tension-filled wedding – the joy of love, and the pain of loss at the same time. He says:

“The honest believer has to acknowledge the suffering around him/her or the suffering they are personally experiencing. We live in a world broken and fractured by the fall of Adam. Pain, suffering and grief are our companions in this life. But, the believer doesn’t live wallowing in suffering; rather, we experience the tension of joy and the confidence of hope. Christ is our hope…therefore our grief is shaded differently. So, we live in tension, and this is healthy for us. In fact, this is exactly what we see on the cross of Jesus Christ. There was intense suffering, pain and anguish. There is remarkable joy, hope and grace.”

You can read the rest of this short post here.