tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37436615790404084032024-03-14T01:30:15.750-07:00Worship HappensHarbor Worshiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07887699050152342775noreply@blogger.comBlogger164125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-3494610974140546392014-04-29T07:00:00.003-07:002014-04-29T07:00:45.952-07:00Individualism Does Not Build Community<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-16522957422758280202014-04-25T10:50:00.002-07:002014-04-25T10:50:54.133-07:00The Greatest Treasure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"As a culture, present-day Christianity has redefined spiritual maturity. The reformers knew we were saved to glorify God. We moderns live to be blessed...We're so committed to discovering and applying God's principles for making life work that we no longer value intimacy with God as our greatest blessing. We're more attracted to sermons, books, and conferences that reveal the secrets to fulfillment in everything we do than to spiritual direction that leads us through affliction into the presence of the Father."</span></i> | Larry Crabb -- The Pressure's Off</blockquote>
Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-57648901834272701372014-04-18T10:27:00.001-07:002014-04-18T10:27:51.870-07:00A Walk Through Holy Week - Post #5<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After readying himself through prayer and receiving the blessing of spiritual strength from the LORD, Jesus hears muffled sounds in the distance and looks to see the dim light of the torches. As expected, the arrest party has secretly come in the cover of darkness. Peter, James, and John awake just in time to see their Rabbi betrayed with Judas' kiss. Startled and afraid, Peter quickly grabs his sword and strikes Malchus, the high priest’s servant, and cuts off his right ear. But Jesus says to Peter, <i><span style="color: orange;"><b>“Put your sword [away]; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”</b> </span></i>And thus begins the most unjust and unmerited arrest and trial in the history of the world.<br />
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<blockquote>
<i>The trial has been assembled hastily and witnesses haven’t been screened well. Testimonies don't line up. Council members look disconcerted. Jesus is silent as a lamb. Irritated and impatient, Caiaphas cuts to the quick: “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God” (Matthew 26:63).</i></blockquote>
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<i>The hour has come. Charged in the name of his Father to answer, Jesus speaks the words that seal the doom for which he had come to endure (John 12:27): <b><span style="color: orange;">“You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven”</span></b> (Matthew 26:64).</i></blockquote>
Then in an act of both manipulative dramatics and law-breaking (Leviticus 21:10), Caiaphas tears his robes and with those gathered at the Sanhedrin declares,<i> “what further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”</i> (Luke 22:71). And with that statement, the Council had the verdict and sentence they had been waiting for. They declared Jesus guilty of blasphemy and sentenced him to death, but they would need the help of Rome because they didn't have the authority to carry out capital punishment.<br />
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What happened next was <i>"a game of political chess"</i> between Pilate, Herod, and the Council. All of them acting as authorities, yet none of them realizing that they were merely pawns in the plan God had established before the foundation of the world. Pilate tried to appease the Council's thirst for blood and justice by having Christ flogged and humiliated...but humiliation wasn't enough. They wanted him dead and nothing would keep them from achieving this end. Pilot even tried to offer Jesus's release as the year’s annual Passover pardoned prisoner, but the Council refused his effort by saying, <i>“Not this man, but Barabbas!”</i> (John 18:40). Their hearts were so hardened by their hatred for Jesus, that they were willing to free a murderous thief instead of Jesus.<br />
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<i>[But] the triune God has the Council, Pilate, and Satan where he wants them. They would have no authority over the Son at all unless it had been given [to] them from above </i>(John 19:11)<i>. </i></blockquote>
Unknowingly, they were all carrying out the plan God had already set in place. They were helping Jesus drink the cup he came down from heaven to drink. It was for this very purpose that Christ became flesh. The Son of God was born...to die. By the Council's unjust and shameful actions and Pilot's cowardly efforts to wash his hands of it all...God's will was being carried out. Once again, God was turning what men meant for evil into good, as they "<i>unwittingly collaborated in executing the only innocent [man] who could possibly grant sinners life."</i><br />
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The rest of the story is one we're well familiar with. Christ's cross was strapped to his already lacerated back and he was forced to carry it to the top of Golgotha. Unable to physically handle the task, a man from the crowd was chosen to help him make the trek. Hung between two thieves, Christ endured more ridicule from the crowd as they mocked him while the centurions cast lots for his garments. In the ultimate act of humility and unconditional love, Christ looked down from the cross at those who mocked him. His heart continued to break for them as he pleaded with his father to have mercy. His words equally sad as they were true, <i><span style="color: orange;"><b>"Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”</b></span></i><br />
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Suffering both from physical pain and thirst, Christ asked for a drink. Physically he was exhausted, but his deeper pain was spiritual. Carrying the sin of the world on his shoulders he was separated from his Father for the first time and last time of eternity. Christ mustered just enough strength to say...<b style="color: orange; font-style: italic;">"It is finished." </b>And indeed it was. Christ successfully drank the cup his father had set before him, and God received his son's death as payment for the sins of the world.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. |</span></i> Rom. 3:23-35</blockquote>
Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-33010073648187334032014-04-17T20:29:00.001-07:002014-04-17T20:29:56.886-07:00A Walk Through Holy Week - Post #4<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." |</span> </i>Luke 22:44</blockquote>
Matthew's and Mark's gospels say that Jesus went off three separate times to pray alone. Before he left, he asked his disciples to pray that they might not fall into temptation. Each time when Jesus returned he found Peter, James, and John asleep. Isn't that amazing? I believe we can gather two things from the disciples choice to sleep instead of pray. First, they must not have understood the reality of what was about to happen to Jesus. While he foretold of his death, their choice to sleep instead of pray reveals that they more than likely didn't understand what was about to happen to their LORD. Secondly, the disciples inability to stay awake reveals that they were were living in the flesh. When Jesus returned to his disciples after praying alone he said to Peter,<i style="color: orange;"> “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” </i>(Matthew 26:40-41). It was the disciple's flesh that was weak and Jesus knew that only by the Spirit could they find the strength and endurance they would need to resist temptation. And as we will later see, their lack of preparation would lead them to fall to all sorts of temptations (i.e. fear, deceit, doubt etc).<br />
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We all grow weary, both physically and spiritually, but just as he did for Jesus...the Holy Spirit is able to provide us the strength to endure even when our bodies physically can't do it on their own. Christ, found himself at a point of extreme agony. So what did he do? He prayed. Luke's gospel tells us that his sweat became like <i>"drops of blood"</i> falling to the ground. If anyone needed rest, it Jesus. And yet he knew better. He knew what he needed most could not be found in the comforts of physical rest. The strength Christ needed to endure "the cup" set before him could only be found in God himself...so he prayed.<br />
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And what can we take from Jesus' prayers? According to Matthew, the first time he prayed he said, <i style="color: orange;">“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me” </i>(Mark 26:39). His desire was for God to provide another way. Jesus knew what he was about to endure. It was for this purpose that <i>"Word became flesh and dwelt among us"</i> (John 1:14). Christ came to die, but it was not death which caused Christ such agony. It was something far worse than death. Something Christ had never endured for all of eternity. Separation from his Father. Christ knew he would be taking on the wrath of God, that the sins of the world would be placed upon him. He also knew that because of sin, he would be separated and the loneliness and anguish of that separation would be far more than Jesus' physical body could handle. But the cup couldn't pass from Christ. This was the only way sin and death could be defeated and God's justice satisfied. So, instead of removing the cup from Christ...God sent an angel to come alongside Jesus to strengthen him (Luke 22:43).<br />
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Realizing that "drinking the cup" was the only way to reconcile a relationship between God's and man, Christ's second prayer took a very different tone. The second time he prayed he said, <i style="color: orange;">“My Father, if this [cup] cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done” </i>(Mark 26:42). The prayer was no longer relief from the agony, but instead that God's will be done. Christ's situation didn't change, but his perspective did. No longer was he left with simply agony. The angel of the LORD had given him strength to endure, and to see and embrace the future grace and glory. This was God's will, and Christ desired to live and die for his Father's glory.<br />
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<i style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: orange;">"Jesus did not go on praying for the cup to pass. He went on praying for success in drinking it."</span></b> | </i><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-greatest-prayer-in-the-world-maundy-thursday" target="_blank">John Piper</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote>
<i>Evidently, by the time Jesus was done praying in Gethsemane, the Father had not only made clear that there is no other way than the cross, but also that this way would succeed. The Lamb would have the reward of his suffering. He will “see his offspring; he will prolong his days; the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he will see and be satisfied” (Isaiah 53:10–11).</i><br />
<i><br /></i><i>Surely this is why Hebrews 12:2 could say, <b><span style="color: orange;">“For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross.”</span></b> Beneath the terrors of present agony was the taste of future joy. The angel had come, “strengthening him” — clarifying, confirming, connecting the coming joy. -- </i>source: <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-greatest-prayer-in-the-world-maundy-thursday" target="_blank">DesiringGod.com</a></blockquote>
Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-36844159137344649202014-04-16T10:41:00.002-07:002014-04-16T10:41:19.063-07:00A Walk Through Holy Week - Post #3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today is <i>"Holy Wednesday"</i> also knows as <i>"Spy Wednesday"</i> by many, because the dark and secret plot to kill Jesus is starting to take shape. Yesterday, the chief priests, scribes, and elders were humiliated by Jesus, who compared them to wicked tenants in the parable he told in the temple (<a href="http://biblia.com/books/esv/Mk12.1-12" target="_blank">Matt. 12:1-12</a>). The hatred in their hearts towards Jesus was growing stronger and stronger as they sought ways to defame him and minimize his influence over the people. However, their efforts continued to fall short, and because they feared an uprising among the people Jesus continued to gain favor and converts. Something had to happen to stop Jesus. These men needed a different way to get to Jesus that could be done secretly. They needed a closer connection to him. They needed a spy.<br />
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Enter Judas Iscariot. Judas was one of Christ's twelve disciples. He traveled with Jesus throughout his ministry and was very close to him. But he was also caught up in a grave sin, one which would eventually lead to his own demise. He was the treasurer and <i>"keeper of the moneybag." </i>But the Bible also said that he was a greedy man who was dishonest and a thief. One piece of evidence occurred when Jesus was reclining at a table in the house of Lazareth, Mary, and Martha. Mary approached Jesus, and began to wash Christ's feet with expensive perfume and dry it off with her hair. It is in this story that we get a clearer picture of Judas' heart and motives:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the money bag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, <span style="color: orange;">“Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”</span> | </i>John 12:1-8</blockquote>
In John's gospel we are told that Judas' concern was not for the poor (as he claimed), but was instead concern that he wasn't able to embezzle money from the sale of the expensive ointment which was being "wasted" on the feet of Jesus. John surmised that Judas' heart was hardened by the sin of greed and the evidence we have in scripture, shows that Judas was willing to do anything to fulfil his desire. Even betraying the Messiah. And in the gospel according to Mark, there is no subtle transition between the exchange Judas had with Jesus while Mary was washing his feet and his effort to fulfill his greedy passions.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him. | </i>Mark 14:10-11</blockquote>
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And just like that, the evil plotters had their spy. One of Jesus' inside men was willing to betray him for the small price of (30) pieces of silver, the going price of a slave in Jesus day. Game. Set. Match. Or so they thought. Little did they know that their actions were simply a small piece of a much greater story God had begun to tell before the foundations of the world. Christ came to earth to die for the sins of the world. Those plotting against Jesus needed someone (like Judas) to turn Jesus over to them and for it to be done in secrecy so it wouldn't start an uprising. However, God knew the evil in their hearts and the evil in Judas' heart as well, and he used the sinful desires of these men to accomplish his plan of redemption. And once again we see, what men mean for evil, God will use for good...to accomplish his holy purposes.<br />
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<b style="text-decoration: underline;">Why the Insult of Betrayal?</b> (<a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/spy-wednesday" target="_blank">David Mathis - DesiringGod.org</a>)<br />
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Why would God have it go down like this? If Jesus truly is being “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” (<a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Acts%202.23">Acts 2:23</a>), and his enemies are doing just as God’s hand and plan “had predestined to take place” (<a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Acts%204.28">Acts 4:28</a>), why design it like this, with one of his own disciples betraying him? Why add the insult of betrayal to the injury of the cross?<br />
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We find a clue when Jesus quotes <a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Psalm%2041.9">Psalm 41:9</a> in forecasting Judas’s defection: “He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me” (<a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%2013.18">John 13:18</a>). King David knew the pain not just of being conspired against by his enemies, but betrayed by his friend. So now the Son of David walks the same path in his agony. Here Judas turns on him. Soon Peter will deny him, and then the remaining ten will scatter.<br />
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From the beginning of his public ministry, the disciples have been at his side. They have learned from him, traveled with him, ministered with him, been his earthly companions, and comforted him as he walked this otherwise lonely road to Jerusalem.<br />
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But now, as Jesus’s hour comes, this burden he must bear alone. The definitive work will be no team effort. The Anointed must go forward unaccompanied, as even his friends betray him, deny him, and disperse. As Donald Macleod observes, “Had the redemption of the world depended on the diligence of the disciples (or even their staying awake) it would never have been accomplished” (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Person-Christ-Contours-Christian-Theology/dp/0830815376/">The Person of Christ</a>, 173).<br />
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As he lifts “loud cries and tears” (<a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Hebrews%205.7">Hebrews 5:7</a>) in the garden, the heartbreak of David is added to his near emotional breakdown: “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me” (<a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Psalm%2041.9">Psalm 41:9</a>). He is forsaken by his closest earthly associates, one of them even becoming a spy against him. But even this is not the bottom of his anguish. The depth comes in the cry of dereliction, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” (<a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Matthew%2027.46">Matthew 27:46</a>).<br />
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But more remarkable than this depth of forsakenness is the height of love he will show. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends, even when they have forsaken him.<br />
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Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-727932795085263922014-04-15T06:35:00.000-07:002014-04-15T06:35:09.394-07:00A Walk Through Holy Week - Post #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As Jesus and his disciples made their way back to the temple in Jerusalem on Holy Tuesday, they passed the fig tree he had cursed the day before. Peter noticed that this fig tree was withered and mentioned it to Jesus. Jesus took the opportunity to share a truth about faith, forgiveness, and prayer. Pressing on towards the temple, Jesus and his disciples were met by the chief priests, scribes, and elders and asked Jesus by what authority he was doing these things. Knowing the purpose of their questions Jesus said to them,<br />
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Mark 11:29-30<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #990000;">“I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. [30] Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.”</span> </i></blockquote>
After careful deliberation, knowing that Jesus' question had placed them in a conundrum, the chief priests, scribes, and elders decided to avoid giving an answer to Jesus' question. Because of their avoidance of his question, Jesus refused to answer the question they had raised.<br />
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Mark 11:31-33<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>[31] And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ [32] But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. [33] So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, <span style="color: #990000;">“Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”</span></i></blockquote>
Jesus then proceeded to teach through a very pointed parable (Mark 12:1-10) about a man who planted a vineyard, invested into it, and then leased it to tenants and left for another country. The vineyard flourished and when harvest time came the land owner sent a servant to the vineyard to gather some fruits. Instead of giving the servant fruit from the vineyard, the tenants beat him and sent him away empty handed. The land owner then sent another servant and he too was mistreated. This continued, with the landowner sending servants...and each time the tenants either beat or killed the servant. Finally, the land owner sent his son, saying to himself...<span style="color: #990000;"><i>‘They will respect my son.’</i> But those tenants said to one another, </span><i><span style="color: #990000;">‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’</span> </i>So the tenants killed his son and threw him out of the vineyard.<br />
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Then Jesus asked and answered the following question (Mark 12:9-11) of those whom he was teaching (including the chief priests, scribes, and elders):<br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">What will the owner of the vineyard do? <b>He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.</b> Have you not read this Scripture: </span></i></blockquote>
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">“‘<b><u>The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone</u></b>; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”</span></i></blockquote>
Jesus' question, from Psalm 118:22-23, was already known to be a messianic passage. Therefore those listening knew what Jesus was saying in his parable. The <b><i>stone</i></b> refers to the Messiah (i.e. Jesus) and the <b><i>builders</i></b> are the leaders of Israel. The word, <b><i>rejected</i></b>, echoes the theme of the persecution of the prophets of God (Neh. 9:9–35; Acts 7:1–53) by Israel and it's leaders. What Jesus is saying is that the "faithful" in Israel will accept the Son as the rightful messenger, heir, and cornerstone of the messianic kingdom (<span style="color: black;">Jer. 31:26; Zech. 4:7</span>) while the others will reject him. He is also saying that the vineyard, which is the inheritance of Christ, will now be given to <i>others</i> (i.e. Gentiles) because Israel (the tenants) has rejected their God (the land owner) seeking only his blessings (the vineyard) instead of a relationship with him.<br />
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<span style="text-indent: 25.920001983642578px;">Upon hearing these words, the anger and hatred of the chief priests, scribes, and elders towards Jesus grew. They wanted to arrest him (and more than likely kill him) but they were fearful because he was growing in popularity and influence among the faithful in Israel. So, instead of arresting him...they sent Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians to try and trap Jesus in an intellectual debate with questions about taxes, marriage, and the greatest commandment. But Jesus answered each question with wisdom, truth, and grace...gaining favor among the people and gaining hatred from those who sought to destroy him.</span><br />
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<i>With another tension-filled day behind them, Jesus and the disciples begin to head back to Bethany. They stop on the Mount of Olives to rest, giving them a wonderful view of Jerusalem as the sun begins to set behind it in the west. The disciples marvel at the size and the grandeur of these impressive buildings, but Jesus tells them that a day is soon coming when not a single stone will be left upon another. He goes on to explain that his followers will experience increasing persecution and tribulation, leading up to the final Day of Judgment. But their task is to remain vigilant and persist in faith.<br /><br />Tuesday is now done. But Friday is coming. This is not the flannel-board Jesus some of us learned as children. This is the real, historical Jesus: fully in control as he responds with grace and truth to traps on all sides. He knows what he is doing. And he knows what is coming. Every word and every step is for the fame of his Father’s name and the salvation of those willing to pick up their cross and die with him. </i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-escalating-conflict-tuesday-of-holy-week" target="_blank">[1]</a></span></blockquote>
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[1] <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-escalating-conflict-tuesday-of-holy-week" target="_blank">The Escalating Conflict - DesiringGod.org</a></div>
Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-79140647955328833462014-04-14T12:34:00.001-07:002014-04-14T12:35:55.988-07:00A Walk Through Holy Week - Post #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Reflecting on Palm Sunday and today (Holy Monday) I can't help but think about how quickly shouts of praise turned to shouts of "crucify him!". But why the change of heart? How can a people rejoice at the coming of their King on Sunday, and within days turn on him to the point of calling for his execution? I think scripture makes it fairly clear. The people didn't understand who Jesus was or what he truly came to do for them. The Jews looked at their oppression as one mainly of <i>physical</i> bondage. However, Jesus knew the real issue was mainly one of <i>spiritual</i> oppression. The crowds welcomed Jesus on Sunday, because in their minds he was going to liberate them from the oppression of the Roman's (much like Moses did from the Egyptians) but Christ didn't come to save them from men, but instead from the wrath of God because of their sin.<br />
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On Monday, the day after the streets were filled with people shouting, <i><b>"Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"</b>, </i>Christ entered the temple and made efforts to cleanse it by turning over tables of the money changers and running the wicked people out of the doors. This was the first step Jesus took towards his own crucifixion. He knew full well that his efforts to <i>"purify worship"</i> would not be received well by the Pharisees or those who were looking for God's favor because of their efforts and righteousness. While just the day before these people were rejoicing in the "coming of the LORD," the reality is that their hearts were not open enough to see that God cares far more about the inward (condition of the heart) than he does the outward appearance of obedience. Jesus took intentional steps towards cleaning his Father's house, which had been turned into a den of robbers who were filled with greed and vein worship. Christ warned people to "wake up" and see that they were nowhere near where God desired them to be. He didn't want their sacrifices...he wanted them! He wanted their unadulterated affection not ritualistic practices of purification.<br />
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While more often than not, today's church celebrates Palm Sunday as a joyful event...today my heart is filled with sadness, because I see the truth. In many ways, the Church today still struggles with the same sin as the people so long ago. The reality for many of us is that if we would have been there, back on March 29th 33AD, we would have welcomed Christ to the city with shouts of praise...because of our selfish hopes and desires...and without the Holy Spirit, our passion for Christ's triumphant entry would just as quickly turned to shouts for his crucifixion, as his efforts to <i>purify for himself a people</i> began by telling us that we are sinners who need to turn away from our evil towards repentance.<br />
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Jesus knew the hearts of the people. He knew that they weren't truly seeking to honor God, but were instead looking to honor themselves. They didn't want Jesus...they wanted his blessings. But Jesus knew that the true blessing is and always was God, not the gifts that he gives. The people weren't satisfied with God, they wanted the <u>gifts</u> and not the <u>giver</u>. How quickly did they turn on the one they so eagerly praised on Palm Sunday? How quickly do people still turn from Jesus today, when they realize that he requires repentance and a contrite heart. When they figure out that Jesus didn't come to give us what we want, but instead what we need...namely himself. And sadly, for far too many people, this gift simply doesn't meet their expectations.<br />
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<b><u>Jesus Knows What Is in Man (John 2:23-25)</u></b><br />
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<b>23 </b><i>Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. </i><b>24 </b><i>But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people </i><b>25</b><i> and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.</i></blockquote>
Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-62904455034702553982014-04-09T12:57:00.003-07:002014-04-09T12:57:58.988-07:00True Christian Community<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">True Christian Community (koinonia) says, "I gladly lay down my rights...for your good."</span></i></blockquote>
I probably don't have to tell you this, but I'm going to anyway. We are selfish people! Now, before you get offended let me take ownership of my own self-centeredness. We can try to hide behind our "goodness" but deep down if we're willing to be honest with ourselves we have a constant desire to have our needs met, and more often than not that desire comes with an expectation of others to meet our needs.<br />
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So here's the rub. When you look at your life and, more specifically, your relationships are you in them primarily for what you can give or what you can get? Now before you too quickly provide the cookie-cutter answer that you know is "right" take a moment to dig a bit deeper to find the real answer. It is my personal belief that if (and it is a big if) we are willing to be honest with ourselves our relationships are usually centered on our needs and desires instead of others. You don't believe me? Here's a quick test. Think back to your past (3) arguments and then answer these questions:<br />
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1. What was the argument <u style="font-weight: bold;">really</u> about?<br />
2. Did I have expectations of the other person that weren't met?<br />
3. Evaluating the emotions I was feeling at the time, what was the primary emotion behind them? <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Again, if we're willing to be honest...I believe our answer to these questions will prove that most of the time it is selfishness that drives the negative interactions we have with others.</i></span></blockquote>
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For those of you who may still be lost, let me try to make the connection for you. Picture this: a man comes home from work to a house that's less than clean and kids that are going crazy. His wife asks him how his day is and with a short tone of voice he responds, "fine." You see where I'm going with this right? More than likely you've been on one side or the other of these types of interactions a hundred times of more. So why was his response back to his wife, short? Was it because he always talks in one word sentences, or was it because his expectation of a clean and less rambunctious wasn't met? Only he knows the answer to the question, but I'm hoping this analogy helps connect some dots for you.<br />
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But for Christians, this way of "doing business" ought not be the case. As Christians, we are not living in relationships built on contracts which say, <i>"if you do this for me then I will do that for you." </i>Instead, we are living in covenantal relationships which say, <i>"I gladly lay down my rights for your good and God's glory." </i>This means that even if others are not meeting our needs, we live in such a way that we strive to bless them and encourage them. This means that even if Christ gave us the freedom and liberty to do certain things (i.e. drink a beer, eat bacon, watch R rated movies or hang out at the beach) if these things cause our brothers or sisters to stumble in the faith, then as a blessing to them...we choose not to partake in these things. It's an intentional effort to live selflessly for the blessing and encouragement of others. This is how Christ lived among his disciples, this is how his disciples and the apostles encouraged the early church to live, and this is how local churches are still called to live, today.<br />
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May the words from John Piper and the audio clip from Matt Chandler (below) be the hammer and chisel we need to help us kill the the sin of selfishness that remains in our lives and hearts. May we learn to find joy in living for God's glory and the blessing of others, even at the expense of our own freedoms.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"The root of our sinfulness is the desire for our own happiness apart from God and apart from the happiness of others in God. All sin comes from a desire to be happy cut off from the glory of God and cut off from the good of others."</i> | John Piper</span></blockquote>
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/143893408&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true" width="100%"></iframe>Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-1509454707189385872014-04-09T05:42:00.001-07:002014-04-09T05:42:41.654-07:00A Church of Sinners<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"May a merciful God preserve me from a Christian Church in which everyone is a saint! I want to be and remain in the church and little flock of the fainthearted, the feeble and the ailing, who feel and recognize the wretchedness of their sins, who sigh and cry to God incessantly for comfort and help, who believe in the forgiveness of sins."</i> | Martin Luther</span></blockquote>
Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-71530587878457602382014-04-02T11:54:00.001-07:002014-04-02T11:54:53.665-07:00Our Greatest Loss is Our Greatest Gain.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">When God expelled them from the Garden of Eden, the greatest loss Adam and Eve experienced was not the blessings of the garden. The consequence for their sin was far greater than material things. They lost the blessing of God's presence. They lost the one thing they were created to fully enjoy forever, namely complete and unadulterated intimacy with their Creator. When we struggle to "get back to the garden" what is the true goal in our efforts? Are we seeking the blessings of a prosperous and abundant life or are we seeking an intimate relationship with God? How we answer this question will reveal a great deal about the truest desire of our hearts. Do we desire God more than we desire his blessings? Do we love God more than we love ourselves?</span></i></blockquote>
Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-18595961278592115702014-03-31T10:12:00.001-07:002014-03-31T10:12:54.462-07:00The Disappearance of Discipline<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"We must face the fact that many today are notoriously careless in their living. This attitude finds its way into the church. We have liberty, we have money, we live in comparative luxury. As a result, discipline practically has disappeared. What would a violin solo sound like if the strings on the musician's instrument were all hanging loose, not stretched tight, not disciplined? "</span></i> | Author: A.W. Tozer</blockquote>
Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-61764586113057209532014-02-24T12:18:00.000-08:002014-02-24T12:19:50.296-08:00Jesus Christ. The Foundation of our Worship!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Christ's infinite worth should be the very foundation of our worship songs. When we truly believe in Christ's preeminence, our lips will effortlessly draw worship from our hearts. </i>| (see: Revelation 7:9–12)</span></blockquote>
Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-48328196735304147282014-02-21T13:08:00.000-08:002014-03-18T08:24:31.376-07:00Christ's Mission is The Church's Mission<div>
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Hey Church, have you heard the news? We're on a mission! Yes, I know, this isn't "new" news...we've heard this language for years, but the problem the Church is facing isn't an inability to embrace the mission, instead it's knowing what mission we're truly called to embrace.<br />
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Jesus's mission (as laid out in Luke 4:16-21) was not one driven by politics, social transformation, economic equality or social justice. It reached far beyond the physical and emotional needs of humanity...aiming instead for the heart. Christ's mission was always about spiritual liberation not social liberation. Why? Because Christ's gospel was about eternal restoration not social change. This gospel is for everyone, and regardless of our social or economic status, we all need this gospel...equally. Are you picking up what I'm laying down here? That's right, the honest truth is this: regardless if you're rich or poor, without <b><span style="color: orange;">CHRIST</span></b> you are <i>spiritually poor</i>. God's word tells us that <b><u>all</u></b> have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). This means that without Christ's Salvation, there will be hell to pay. So, in the end, our politics and social status won't matter one ounce...the only thing that will matter is this, <b><i><span style="color: orange;">did I know Christ and did Christ know me?</span></i></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: orange;"><u>Jesus Christ Came to Fulfill a Mission:</u></span></b></div>
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The NT is full of passages that seem to speak of Christ's mission. However, you'd be hard pressed to find a passages in scripture which more clearly captures, in Christ's own words, the mission he came to accomplish through his incarnation then the one we see in Luke 4:16-21. </div>
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<i>And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,</i><br />
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<i><span style="color: orange;">“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”</span></i></blockquote>
<i>And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, <span style="color: orange;">“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”</span></i></div>
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In this passage we are reminded that Christ gave up his throne and descended from heaven with the purpose of fulfilling the prophecy foretold by Isaiah. Christ came as the messianic King and Lord of the Church. God (the Father) sent his Son and gave him a mission...and before Christ ascended into heaven, he sent his disciples to continue this good endeavor (John 20:21). Christ commissioned his church to continue his mission.<br />
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Nowhere in the words Jesus read in the OT scrolls do we see phrases like, <b><i>usher in the Kingdom</i>, <i>restore peace</i>, <i>bring justice, abolish corruption etc. </i></b>In fact, if we look closely, the words in Luke seem to indicate that Christ's mission was more about <i>proclamation </i>then it ever was about revolution. In their book, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Is-Mission-Church-Commission/dp/1433526905" target="_blank">What is the Mission of the Church</a></i>, pastors Kevin DeYoung & Greg Gilbert make the following statement:<br />
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<i><span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">"The messianic mission statement in Luke 4 highlights the announcement of good news. If Luke 4 sets the tone for the mission of the church, then the center of the church's mission should be the [proclamation] of the gospel."</span></i></blockquote>
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<b><u><span style="color: orange;">Does it Really Matter?</span></u></b></div>
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Why does any of this really matter? Is it really that important for a church to get so deeply theological about things like this, or is it just a waste of our time? These are fair questions and I hope to provide answers that are equally as fair. </div>
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The reason I believe this issue matters is because of what has seemingly become a trend in the church today. You would be hard pressed to find a church that isn't deeply immersed in the language of <i>vision</i> and <i>mission</i>. In fact, Harbor has a Kingdom Concept that its leadership team worked to put together, which is closely related to a mission statement. However, the startling thing about churches casting vision is that often times their mission stems from a perception of Christ's mission that simply doesn't line up very well with what is seen in scripture. While the Bible has plenty of evidence which reveals Christ's pursuit of and compassion for the poor, his primary focus was always on people's spiritual condition. This is where many churches seem to be missing the mark. Churches have increasingly placed an unhealthy emphasis on the physical, social, and economic conditions...while avoiding the reality that in a very real sense, everyone who is without Christ is poor. The Greek word<i> ptōchós</i> (poor) as used in Luke 4:18—<i><span style="color: orange;">"proclaim good news to the poor [ptōchós]"</span></i>—is not primarily describing a physical or economic condition, but instead a spiritual one. In fact, many Greek lexicon tools define <i>ptōchós</i> as: <i><span style="color: orange;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/ptochos.html" target="_blank">lowly, afflicted, destitute of the Christian virtues and eternal riches</a></span></i>. This is important because many churches today seem to fall into the trap of believing that Christ's mission was to reach the <i>materially</i> poor. I believe this is an unhealthy view of scripture, which has unfortunately skewed the mission of the church over the years. The word, <i>poor, </i>both in Luke and Isaiah can best be defined as one of spiritual status, which covers a extremely wide range of people, equally. It refers to those who are open to God, responsive to him, and who acknowledge their dependence upon him and need for him. It is to these people whom Christ came to <i><span style="color: orange;">proclaim</span> </i>the year of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jubilee_(biblical)" target="_blank">Jubilee</a> (i.e. the Lord's favor). This was Christ's mission and it is also the mission of the church today.</div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"Jesus's mission laid out in Luke 4 is not a mission of structural change and social transformation, but a mission to announce the good news of his saving power and merciful reign to all those brokenhearted—that is, poor enough to believe."</i></span></span> | What is the Mission of the Church (DeYoung & Gilbert)</blockquote>
We must be careful. While there is certainly great virtue in serving the broken, impoverished, and socially downtrodden...the gospel of Jesus Christ is not partial. While salvation can only be found through Christ, it is offered freely to all people, regardless of their social or economic circumstances. The scriptures tell us to be careful not to show partiality to the rich (James 2:2-4), but in our efforts to avoid this snare...we must be equally careful not to show partiality to the poor by ignoring those who are considered rich.<br />
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In his recent blog post (<a href="http://theresurgence.com/2014/02/20/the-sin-of-reverse-partiality" target="_blank">The Sin of Partiality</a>), Sutton Turner made the following statement,<br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><i>"Fear of committing the sin of partiality leads some Christians to commit the sin of reverse partiality."</i></span></blockquote>
Think about this question for a moment. Why is it that the mission statements at many churches proudly and intentionally make efforts to reach the poor, while avoiding intentional efforts to reach the rich? This ought not be the case. This double standard leaves a portion the community ostracised by the church's mission while inadvertently creating unhealthy marginalizations within the church as well. Here's the deal...like it or not, we're all in this mess, together. Wealthy men and women are just as prone to struggle in their efforts to find an identity rooted in Christ, as poor men and women are. Social stigmas and economic affluence are both meaningless at the foot of the cross. <b><i><span style="color: orange;">We all need Jesus, equally, and this truth must never be lost in any efforts a church makes to live into Christ's mission.</span></i></b><br />
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When Christians put an unhealthy emphasis on social and/or economic status, rich or poor, they inadvertently detach themselves from making disciples of all nations (and all peoples) as Christ commissioned his Church to do (Matthew 28:19).<br />
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<i>"Poverty theology considers those who are poor to be more righteous than those who are rich; it honors those who choose to live in poverty as particularly devoted to God. Conversely, prosperity theology considers those who are rich to be more righteous than those who are poor; it honors those who are affluent as being rewarded by God because of their faith. In fact, both poverty and prosperity theology are half-truths because the Bible speaks of four ways in which treasure can be stewarded...righteous rich stewards, righteous poor stewards, unrighteous rich stewards, and unrighteous poor stewards." | </i>Mark Driscoll - <a href="http://relit.org/doctrine/">Doctrine</a>, pg. 388-389)</blockquote>
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<b><u><span style="color: orange;">The Challenge</span></u></b>:<br />
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In his recent blog post titled, <i><a href="http://www.reformation21.org/blog/2014/02/the-cult-of-the-visioneer.php" target="_blank">The Cult of the Visioneer</a></i>, Todd Pruitt gives some very insightful thoughts for the Church to consider:<br />
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There is simply not a category in Scripture for a pastor who receives, by way of revelation from God, a particular mission for his church. It is not there. So why does this notion continue to flourish? There are at least three reasons:</blockquote>
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<li><i><b><u>A misunderstanding of how God speaks</u>:</b> The visioneering pastor and his church operate under the mistaken notion that God speaks to us outside His Word. As a result the pastor is able to act under a sense of Divine fiat - "God told me"</i></li>
<li><i><b><u>Ignorance of the Scriptures</u>:</b> Too many church members (and pastors) do not know the Bible well enough to know that this approach to vision and mission is not found in the Bible.</i></li>
<li><i><b><u>A preference for the sensational</u>:</b> The visioneering pastor and his church risk missing the blessing of God's ordinary means of grace. The desire instead is for a divinely spoken vision. Within this way of thinking is the prideful assumption that there is something special about my church. </i></li>
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When making efforts to pursue Christ's mission, a local church must be intentional to ensure they are truly pursuing Christ's mission and not their own. While all biblical efforts to share the love of Christ with one another should be considered, the church's sights should be squarely centered on the proclamation of the gospel. This gospel, while explicit in what it claims (i.e. Jesus is the only way, truth, and life - John 14:6), is inclusive in whom it aims to reach. God's love for the world extended to the whole world. No people, tongue, tribe, nation, or social group can claim exclusive rights to Christ's glorious salvation and the mission statement of any church must embrace this truth and live intentionally into this reality. While there will certainly be diversity in the Church, the mission of the Church is never unique. Christ sent his disciples into the world to <i>make disciples</i>. This is the mission of the church and it is clearly defined in the scriptures. While churches will certainly be drawn to live into this mission in unique ways, their vision must be grounded firmly in God's word. Instead of seeking to hear a <i>new word</i> or receive a <i>new vision</i> from God, the local church must embrace the reality that God has already spoken to his Church and his words have been captured and sealed in the scriptures. Christ's mission has been at work in the world for centuries and the Church's only obligation is to live into this mission faithfully and obediently. The danger comes when pastors and churches feel they have a unique mission given specifically to them by God. This line of thinking is very dangerous because Christ's mission for his Church moves from the objective truths of God's word to subjective truths that can only be validated by individual(s).</div>
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It is a blessed thing for a church to know and live into it's mission, but the mission of the church has always been the same. Christ came to earth to, <i><span style="color: orange;">"proclaim good news to the poor...proclaim liberty to the captives...[restore] sight to the blind...set at liberty those who are oppressed...and proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”</span></i> This is the mission Christ sent his disciples into the world to proclaim and it is the mission he expects today's Church to live into as well. It is my prayer that instead of seeking unique missions, local churches will instead embrace the mission we've always had...and live into it faithfully and obediently!</div>
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For His Glory,<br />
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Jason </div>
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Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-39225907462729297182014-02-17T07:39:00.000-08:002014-02-17T08:48:37.916-08:00Set Apart For God's Glory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOfCvAdrJ98KDWMTXy6GuWG6w9eaYBUsgX9v5AMClzDv3IitSNQcGHtXp4awvCWUInb35vQVA-xCA_pZODMhLhs6KPTTJJUb76iVkK8crIZPPEAe-0q_dg74sxfkCrx6yHe1ufSr9FTg/s1600/steeple_words.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOfCvAdrJ98KDWMTXy6GuWG6w9eaYBUsgX9v5AMClzDv3IitSNQcGHtXp4awvCWUInb35vQVA-xCA_pZODMhLhs6KPTTJJUb76iVkK8crIZPPEAe-0q_dg74sxfkCrx6yHe1ufSr9FTg/s1600/steeple_words.jpg" height="185" title="Set Apart for God's Glory" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>The mission of every Christian (and every Church) is to be a tangible display of God's glory, both to believers and unbelievers (John 13:34-35; Eph. 3:10-11). There are countless ways for this to happen (i.e. evangelism, missions, worship, fellowship, service, social justice etc) but what must never be lost in our efforts is a realization that <b><span style="color: orange;">we have been set apart by God, for His holy purpose</span></b>. Therefore if a Christian or a church plan to fulfill their mission, they must first be willing to submit to the scriptures as their guide for meeting God's mission (missio dei) and His ecclesiastical desire and design.</i></blockquote>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/26481607" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/26481607">The Mission of the Church</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/gospelcoalition">The Gospel Coalition</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div>
Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-53452408417913581792014-02-11T08:17:00.003-08:002014-02-11T08:28:21.864-08:00Worship: It's Not About Me! (It's About Us)<div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"On Sundays God wants us to do more than sing songs together and have wonderful worship experiences. He wants to knit the fabric of our lives together. For many, church has become all about me – what I’m learning, what I’m seeking, what I’m desperate for, what I need, how I’ve been affected, what I can do. We see ourselves as isolated individuals all seeking personal encounters with God, wherever we can find them. Sadly, this reflects our individualistic, me-obsessed culture. Rather than seeing ourselves as part of a worship community, we become worship consumers. We want worship on demand, served up in our own time, and with our own music."</span></i> | Bob Kauflin -- Worship Matters</blockquote>
Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-34760329063187986552014-02-06T13:09:00.000-08:002014-02-06T13:14:32.133-08:00The Marks of the True Church (Belgic Confession)<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">The marks by which the true Church is known are these: If the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached therein; if she maintains the pure administration of the sacraments as instituted by Christ; if church discipline is exercised in punishing of sin; in short, if all things are managed according to the pure Word of God, all things contrary thereto rejected, and Jesus Christ acknowledged as the only Head of the Church. Hereby the true Church may certainly be known, from which no man has a right to separate himself. | </span></i>Belgic Confession</blockquote>
Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-35848098410178863622014-01-31T12:53:00.002-08:002014-01-31T12:53:43.855-08:00The Church Belongs to God and We Exist for His Glory<span style="background-color: white; color: #363030; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.464000701904297px; text-indent: 25.920001983642578px;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.</i></span> | 1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)</blockquote>
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Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-40936337939163950812013-12-17T05:49:00.003-08:002013-12-17T05:49:54.167-08:00Grace Unmeasured<iframe seamless="" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1126475606/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=e99708/notracklist=true/t=11/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 470px; width: 350px;"><a href="http://sovereigngracemusic.bandcamp.com/album/worship-god-live">Worship God Live by Sovereign Grace Music</a></iframe>Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-47196385192536265692013-10-18T08:38:00.002-07:002013-10-18T08:38:40.635-07:00Missions Exists Because Worship Doesn't.<div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"A God-centered theology must be a missionary theology. If you say that you love the glory of God, the test of your authenticity is whether you love the spread of that glory among all the peoples of the world. Or another way to say it is that worship is the fuel and the goal of missions. Missions exists because worship doesn't. God's passion is to be known and honored and worshipped among all the peoples. To worship him is to share that passion for his supremacy among the nations."</i></span> | John Piper</blockquote>
Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-18227495438796026282013-08-23T06:56:00.000-07:002013-08-23T06:56:01.879-07:00We Praise What We Enjoy<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! </i>(Psalm 67:3, 5)</span></blockquote>
Why does God demand we must praise God?<br /><br />C.S. Lewis:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: “Isn’t she lovely? Wasn’t it glorious? Don’t you think that magnificent?”<br /><br />The Psalmists in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about. My whole, more general, difficulty about the praise of God depended on my absurdly denying to us, as regards the supremely Valuable, what we delight to do, what indeed we can’t help doing, about everything else we value.<br /><br />I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.</i></blockquote>
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There is the solution! We praise what we enjoy because the delight is incomplete until it is expressed in praise. If we were not allowed to speak of what we value and celebrate what we love and praise what we admire, our joy could not be full.<br /><br />So if God loves us enough to make our joy full, he must not only give us himself; he must also win from us the praise of our hearts — not because he needs to shore up some weakness in himself or compensate for some deficiency, but because he loves us and seeks the fullness of our joy that can be found only in knowing and praising him, the most magnificent of all beings.<br /><br />If he is truly for us, he must be for himself! God is the one Being in all the universe for whom seeking his own praise is the ultimately loving act. For him, self-exaltation is the highest virtue. When he does all things “for the praise of his glory,” he preserves for us and offers to us the only thing in all the world that can satisfy our longings.<br /><br />God is for us! And the foundation of this love is that God has been, is now, and always will be for himself.<br /><br /><br />John Piper - Desiring God (pg. 48-49) - Original Post [ <a href="http://solidjoys.desiringgod.org/en/devotionals/--133" target="_blank">HERE</a> ]</div>
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Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-57972975567864928232013-07-26T11:43:00.003-07:002013-07-26T11:43:54.192-07:00Worship Starts with Reverence <blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">"Without such a vision of God’s holiness, true worship is not possible. Worship is not giddy. It does not rush into God’s presence unprepared and insensitive to His majesty. It is not shallow, superficial, or flippant. Worship is life lived in the presence of an infinitely righteous and omnipresent God by one utterly aware of His holiness and consequently overwhelmed with his own unholiness… If you have never worshiped God with a broken and contrite spirit, you have never fully worshiped God, because that is the only appropriate response to entering the presence of Holy God."</span></i> | John MacArthur</blockquote>
Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-18611634603943271622013-07-02T17:06:00.001-07:002013-07-02T17:06:09.133-07:00Get To Know Him<p><i>“Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable.”</i> (Job 36:26) <br>
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It is impossible to know God too well.</p>
<p>He is the most important person who exists. And this is because he made all others, and any importance they have is owing to him.</p>
<p>Any strength or intelligence or skill or beauty they have comes from him. On every scale of excellence, he is infinitely greater than the best person you ever knew or ever heard of.</p>
<p>Being infinite, he is inexhaustibly interesting. It is impossible, therefore, that God be boring. His continual demonstration of the most intelligent and interesting actions is volcanic.</p>
<p>As the source of every good pleasure, he himself pleases fully and finally. If that’s not how we experience him, we are either dead or sleeping.</p>
<p>It is therefore astonishing how little effort is put into knowing God.</p>
<p>It’s as though the President of the United States came to live with you for a month, and you only said hello in passing every day or so. Or as if you were flown at the speed of light for a couple of hours around the sun and the solar system, and instead of looking out the window, you played a computer game. Or as if you were invited to watch the best actors, singers, athletes, inventors, and scholars perform their best, but you declined to go so you could watch the TV season’s final soap.</p>
<p>Let us pray that our infinitely great God would open our eyes and hearts to see him and seek to know him more.</p>
<p>John Piper - The Pleasures of God</p>
Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-88561583104304772822013-06-27T08:01:00.000-07:002013-06-27T08:01:01.007-07:00Worship is Not Just About Singing on Sunday Mornings.<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/PdwCFuj40VY?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-22203708170999807502013-06-18T08:19:00.001-07:002013-06-18T08:19:27.983-07:00Nothing in Your Life Has Ever Taken God by Surprise.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Take heart beloved. Nothing in your life has ever taken God by surprise. <i>"In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other..."</i> | Ecclesiastes 7:14</span></blockquote>
Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3743661579040408403.post-42096639400286739922013-06-04T12:28:00.001-07:002013-06-04T12:28:49.957-07:00We Were Made for Him.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">When we believe that we should be satisfied rather than God glorified in our worship, then we put God below ourselves as though He had been made for us rather than that we had been made for Him.</span></i> | Stephen Charnock</blockquote>
Jason W. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717316270630744751noreply@blogger.com0