DA Carson at John Piper's Church .....

Just like to highlight that DA Carson had preached at John Piper's church over the last 2 weekends.
He covered the parables in Matt 24-25. I have heard these sermons... top notch... check it out... esp Matt 25:31-46 (an often misinterpreted, taken out of context passage).

here's the link : http://www.hopeingod.org/SermonDownloads.aspx

Pleasing God Above Pleasing People

In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, He said some pretty profound things that can genuinely help one find the inner sense of peace and contentment that comes from doing right.
here are some of the characteristics of people who please God according to Jesus in Matthew 5:3-10:

- They are poor in spirit, humble before all-powerful God, constantly searching for wisdom, confident, but not conceited.
- They are mournful. That means when they are down they are not knocked out because they are dependent on a loving heavenly Father. They are also sensitive to hurt and pain- other's as well as their own.
- They are gentle, with a servant attitude toward others, understanding other people's sensitivities, and easy-going under pressure.
-They long for righteousness and seek God's guidance. They are intolerant of wickedness and injustice, steadfast in personal morality.
- They are merciful, forgiving wrongs done to them, compassionate toward people who have needs, and responsive to requests for help.
- They are pure in heart, truthful, sincere in their love for others, trustworthy, refusing to play games.
- They are peacemakers, persistent in building harmony,friendly and cooperative even to disagreeable people.
- They are persecuted for righteousness, resistant to harmful peer pressure, faithful to Jesus Christ regardless of the opposition, and courageous when receiving abuse and mockery.

These qualities seem impossible to possess. Well, they are- apart from God's transforming power.

Someone said that the Christian life was hard. It isn't hard to live at all. It's impossible! The only way to please God is to have Him living in you. Then trust Him to produce these qualities in you.

From Overcoming Relationship Regret by Dick Purnell, pg 121-122

Quote of the Day

Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God.
It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, nourishment of mind by His truth, purifying of imagination by His beauty, opening of the heart to His love, and submission of will to His purpose.
And all this gathered up in adoration is the greatest of human expressions of which we are capable.

William Temple

* featured in sermon on 15th Feb 2009

“vanity” of life

From ESV Study Bible.

The “vanity” of life. The book begins and ends with the exclamation, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity” (Eccles. 1:2; 12:8). While “vanity” is obviously a key word throughout the book (its 38 occurrences account for more than half of its total usage in the OT), it is notoriously difficult to translate. Literally the word means “vapor” (see esv footnote on 1:2) and conjures up a picture of something fleeting, ephemeral, and elusive, with different nuances to be ascertained from each context. When applied to human undertakings or the pleasures and joys of earthly life, it indicates that “the present form of this world is passing away” (1 Cor. 7:31); applied to the darker realities of living in a fallen world (e.g., death), it expresses frustration, anger, or sorrow; applied to the Preacher's search for understanding of all things, it indicates something that remained incomprehensible or inscrutable to him (e.g., Eccles. 1:14–15). This last-mentioned usage is particularly significant, as the book presents itself as primarily a quest to “figure out” all of life (see esp. 1:12–18).

The Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11

OT person of faith Reference in Hebrews 11 Reference in OT
Abel 11:4 Genesis 4
Enoch 11:5 Gen. 5:18–24
Noah 11:7 Gen. 5:29–10:32
Abraham 11:8–19 Genesis 12–25; etc.
Sarah 11:11 Genesis 12–23; Isa. 51:2
Isaac 11:17–20 Genesis 17–35; etc.
Jacob 11:21 Genesis 25–50; etc.
Joseph 11:21–22 Genesis 37–50; etc.
Moses 11:23–28 Ex. 2:10 and throughout the Pentateuch; etc.
Rahab 11:31 Josh. 2:1, 3; 6:17–25
Gideon 11:32 Judges 6–8
Barak 11:32 Judges 4–5
Samson 11:32 Judges 13–16
Jephthah 11:32 Judges 11–12; 1 Sam. 12:11
David 11:32 Ruth 4; 1–2 Samuel; etc.
Samuel 11:32 1 Samuel; 1 Chronicles 6; 9; 11; 26; 2 Chron. 35:18

2 Peter 1:1-11: The Long Way Home

HOW DOES A person get to heaven? Is it by proper knowledge of Christian doctrines? Or by godly living? Is it by faith in Christ's gift of salvation? Or by working according to Christ's goals and principles? Is it by God's call to us to be his own? Or by our own endurance with God until the day we die? Weighty issues. And with them, Peter opens his second letter.

Warming Up to God
Reflect on your life. What qualities of godliness is God developing within you?

Read 2 Peter 1:1-11. »
Discovering the Word

In verses 1-2 we are told that we will receive the gifts of faith, grace and peace through Christ's righteousness and knowledge of God. How does your own spiritual well-being depend in part on Christ's righteousness and in part on your knowledge of God?

Verse 3 speaks of both knowledge and holy living as a part of the Christian life. Think of the balance between knowledge of Jesus and holy living that you have seen in Christians. What happens if one area or the other is weak?

Peter writes in verse 4 that because of God's promises, Christians "may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world." What does he then expect believers to do to nurture their own holy living (vv. 5-7)?

How are knowledge of Jesus and godly living related to each other (vv. 8-9)?

What do you think it means for a person to be called and elected by God (vv. 10-11)?

Applying the Word

Select one of the Christian qualities mentioned in verses 5-7 that you would like to become more prominent in your own life. If you were to practice this quality more faithfully, how would it help you escape the pollution of evil influences around you?

Verse 3 says that the divine power of Jesus has given us everything we need for godliness here and also for eternal life. If you were to draw more fully on this power that Jesus makes available to you, what changes would you hope to see in yourself?

Responding in Prayer

Pray for the inner changes you think God is calling for within you.

ESV Study Bible : Phil 3:9

and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—Phil 3:9

Phil. 3:9 Found in him means being spiritually united to Christ and therefore found not guilty before God as divine judge. Paul had trusted in a righteousness of my own based on obedience to the law rather than the right standing before God that comes through faith in Christ. God “imputes” Christ's lifelong record of perfect obedience to the person who trusts in him for salvation; that is, he thinks of Christ's obedience as belonging to that person, and therefore that person stands before God not as “guilty” but as “righteous.” This is the basis on which justification by faith alone is considered “fair” in God's sight. As explained in Rom. 10:1–8, righteousness cannot come by the law because all human beings sin, and therefore right standing before God as the divine judge is possible only through faith in Jesus Christ, who is the believer's righteousness before God. See note on Gal. 2:16. « Less

Righteousness - John Stott

Commenting on " those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt 5:6)

Righteousness in the Bible has at least 3 aspects: legal, moral and social

Legal righteousness is justification, a right relationship with God. The jews 'pursued righteousness, Paul wrote the later, but failed to attain it because they pursued it in the wrong way. They sought 'to establish their own' righteousness', and 'did not submit to God's righteousness', which is Christ himself.(Romans 9:30- 10:4)...

Moral righteousness is that righteouness of character and conduct which pleases God. Jesus goes on after the beatitudes to contrast this Christian righteousness with pharisaic righteousness(20). The latter was an external conformity to rules; the former is an inner righteousness of the heart , mind and motive. For this we should hunger and thirst.

It would be a mistake to suppose, however, that the biblical word 'righteousness' means only a right relationship with God on the one hand and a moral righteousness of character and conduct on the other. For biblical righteousness is more than a private and personal affair.; in includes social righteousness as well. And social righteousness, as we learn from the law and teh prophets, is concerned with seeking man's liberation from oppression, together with the promotion of civil rights, justice in courts , interigty in business dealings and honour in home and family affairs. Thus Christians are committed to hunger for righteousness in the whole human community as something pleasing to a righteous God.

Righteousness - New Bible Dictionary

Righteousness (Heb. sΩed≈eq, sΩ §d≈aœqa®; Gk. LXX and NT, dikaiosyneœ). The Heb. sΩed≈eq probably derives from an Arab. root meaning ‘straightness,’ leading to the notion of an action which conforms to a norm. There is, however, a considerable richness in the biblical understanding of this term and it is difficult to render either the Heb. or Gk. words concerned by a simple Eng. equivalent. One basic ingredient in the OT idea of righteousness is relationship, both between God and man (Ps. 50:6; Je. 9:24) and between man and man (Dt. 24:13; Je. 22:3).

Referred to relations between men, righteous action is action which conforms to the requirements of the relationship and in a more general sense promotes the well-being and peace of the community (1 Sa. 24:17; Pr. 14:34). It is therefore linked in a forensic sense with *justice though even then the idea is less that of conformity to some formal legal norm as the strongly ethical notion of action which is to be legally upheld because it is productive of communal well-being (Dt. 1:16; Am. 5:7). In the prophetic period righteousness comes to include the idea of helping the poor and needy (Dn. 4:27; Am. 5:12, 24), and hence almsgiving (Mt. 6:1f.).

When we move from relations between men to those between God and men (though this distinction is arguably somewhat formal since the thought of God was probably never completely absent whenever the Hebrew used the word sΩed≈eq) righteousness implies a correct relationship to the will of God which was particularly expressed and interpreted by Israel’s covenant with God. Righteous action is hence action which flows out of God’s gracious election of Israel and accords with the law of the covenant (Dt. 6:25; Ezk. 18:5–9). God himself is righteous (2 Ch. 12:6; Ps. 7:9), and hence may be relied upon to act in accordance with the terms of his relationship with Israel. God is therefore a righteous judge who acts for his people (Ps. 9:4; Je. 11:20), and upon whose righteousness his people depend for deliverance and vindication (Ps. 31:1; Je. 11:20).

Thus emerges the conflation of the notions of righteousness and salvation. God is ‘a righteous God and (therefore) a Saviour’ (Is. 45:21; cf. Ps. 36:6; Is. 61:10). For the OT God is Creator and therefore he is the ground and guarantor of the moral order. His righteousness is hence intimately related to other more general moral attributes such as his holiness. The Creator, however, is also the Redeemer, and his righteousness is interpreted by his redemptive activity. Further, Israel’s experience of God’s righteous deliverance in the past led her to an expectation of a future act of salvation. The coming Messianic ruler is seen as the special recipient and instrument of the divine righteousness (Ps. 72:1f.; Is. 11:3–5; 32:1–20; Je. 23:5). The ‘Righteous One’ was a Messianic title (Is. 53:11; cf. Acts 3:14; 7:52; 22:14).

The NT uses righteousness in the sense of conformity to the demands and obligations of the will of God, the so-called ‘righteousness of the law’ (Gal. 3:21; Phil. 3:6, 9; cf. Tit. 3:5). Human attainment of righteousness is at points relatively positively viewed (Lk. 1:6; 2:25; Mt. 5:20), but in the end this attainment in all men falls far short of a true conformity to the divine will (Rom. 3:9–20; Lk. 18:9–14; Jn. 8:7). In contrast to this human unrighteousness stands the righteousness of God (Rom. 1:17) which in consistency with OT understanding conveys the thought of God’s active succour of man in the miracle of his grace.

This righteousness is proclaimed by Jesus as a gift to those who are granted the kingdom of God (Mt. 5:6). By faith in Jesus Christ and his work of atonement man, unrighteous sinner though he is, [1021] receives God’s righteousness, i.e. he is given a true relationship with God which involves the forgiveness of all sin and a new moral standing with God in union with Christ ‘the Righteous One’ (Rom. 3:21–31; 4:1–25; 10:3; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9). By dealing with all the consequences of man’s sin and unrighteousness (both Godward and manward) in the cross, God at once maintains the moral order in which alone he can have fellowship with man and in grace delivers the needy (Rom. 3:26).

The gift of God’s righteousness involves entry into the new realm of divine salvation, the gift of eternal life under the reign of God (Rom. 6:12–23; 2 Cor. 6:7, 14; Phil. 1:11; Eph. 4:24). Hence the extrinsic righteousness imputed through the cross finds inevitable expression in the intrinsic righteousness of a life which in a new way conforms to the will of God, even though the ultimate realization of this conformity must await the consummation of the kingdom (1 Jn. 3:2; Phil. 3:12–14; 1 Cor. 13:12f.; 2 Pet. 3:11–13). (*Justification.)

BIBLIOGRAPHY. G. Schrenk, in TDNT 2, pp. 192–210; N. Snaith, Distinctive Ideas of the Old Testament, 1944; J. Denney, Romans in EGT, 1; idem, The Death of Christ, reprinted 1951; A. Nygren, Commentary on Romans, E.T. 1952; G. Rupp, The Righteousness of God, 1953; H. Seebass, C. Brown, in NIDNTT 3, pp. 352–377.

Following Where Jesus Leads

The Cost of Following Jesus
Matthew , The IVP New Testament Commentary Series Volume 1
By Craig S. Keener

Matthew 8: 18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

Lesson 1: Following Jesus May Cost Us the Most Basic Security (8:18-20)

The scribe no doubt supposes that he is paying a high price in volunteering to follow Jesus; such a decision will cost popularity in some circles, and going through the process of discipleship after already being a scribe would be a humbling experience (like having to repeat high school after finding out that one's school was unaccredited).

Jesus, however, warns his prospective disciple that even such a sacrifice may be inadequate. Jesus is, after all, the Son of Man who must suffer before his exaltation (compare Dan 7:13-22). As the Arab Christian commentator Ibn Sa'id remarked on this passage, the disciple "does not understand that `follow' means Gethsemane, and Golgotha, and the tomb" (Bailey 1980:24). Although Jesus still had a home base in Capernaum (Mt 4:13), his traveling ministry left him and his disciples at the mercy of others' hospitality. In practice, then, Jesus was essentially homeless. Matthew records Jesus' words not merely as a matter of historical interest but as a call to his own generation, and by implication to ours: are we ready to follow Jesus even at the cost of all securities (10:5-14; compare Heb 11:38)?

Lesson 2 : Following Jesus Takes Precedence over All Social Obligations (8:21-22)

Jesus' priority over social obligations includes even those family obligations one's society and religion declare to be ultimate. Let the dead bury their own dead may refer to the "spiritually dead" (compare Lk 15:24, 32); others suggest, "Let the other physically dead in your father's tomb see to your physically dead father," a manifest impossibility characteristic of Jesus' typically shocking and graphic style (compare McCane 1990:41).

Jesus' demand may prove less harsh in some respects than it sounds to us at first. The disciple (by calling him this Matthew makes the narrative explicitly relevant for Christians' commitment) is probably not asking permission to attend his father's funeral later that day; his father likely either was not yet dead or had been buried once already.

When a father died, mourners would gather immediately and a funeral procession would take his body to the tomb (see Mt 27:59-60; Mk 5:35, 38; Lk 7:12), leaving no time for a bereaved son to be talking with rabbis. For a week afterward the family would remain mourning at home and not go out in public (Sirach 22:12; Judith 16:24). But current Semitic idioms show that "I must first bury my father" can function as a request to wait until one's father dies-perhaps for years-so that one may fulfill the ultimate filial obligation before leaving home (Bailey 1980:26).

A custom practiced only in the period immediately surrounding the time of Jesus may illumine this passage more directly, however. In Jesus' day the eldest son would return to the tomb a year after the father's death to "rebury" his father by neatly arranging his now bare bones in a container and sliding it into a slot in the wall. If the father of the man in Matthew's account has died, this young man cannot be referring to his father's initial burial and so must be asking for as much as a year's delay for a secondary burial (see McCane 1990).

At the same time, Jesus' demand also proves harsher than it sounds to us at first. The offense lies not in the immediacy of the demand but in the priority the demand takes over family obligations (Mt 10:21, 35-37). Many Jewish people considered honoring parents the supreme commandment (Ep. Arist. 228; Jos. Apion 2.206) and burial of one's parents one of the most important implications of that commandment, regardless of the circumstances (Tobit 4:3-4; 6:14; 1 Macc 2:70). In most current interpretations of biblical law, only the honor due to God took precedence over the honor shown to parents (Deut 13:6; 4 Macc 2:10-12; Jos. Apion 2.206). Jesus does insist on honoring parents (Mt 15:4-6), yet he demands a greater affection toward himself. Jesus scandalously claims the supreme position of attention in his followers' lives. If we devote ourselves to anyone or anything more than to him, our claim to be his followers becomes hollow, no matter how many "disciples" around us live the same way. And lest we think that Jesus could never demand the immediate abandonment of family obligations we would have otherwise read into the demand, Luke adds a third account that requires just that (Lk 9:61-62; see Keener 1993:215).

Jesus' words in Matthew 8:18-22 were probably intended mainly to weed out would-be disciples who would prove weak in commitment. Jesus wanted people to follow him and welcomed the masses; he did not actually want prospective disciples to abandon him. Mark tells us that Jesus loved a prospective disciple-just before he effectively discouraged the man from following him (Mk 10:21-22). But those who would genuinely be disciples of the King must count the cost before they begin following him (Lk 14:26-35). (Parallels from some other radical ancient teachers demonstrate that commitment rather than harshness was Jesus' intent; see comments on Mt 19:16-22.)

The Demands of Discipleship (9:57-62)

The Demands of Discipleship ( Luke 9:57-62)

Luke, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series Volume 3
By Darrell L. Bock

In the midst of rejection, it becomes crucial to understand the nature of discipleship. The three sayings of these verses stress what discipleship requires. The presence of the kingdom means not instant power and position but rejection by the world. It requires a focused commitment to be a disciple.

The key to this section is the verb follow, which appears in verses 57, 59 and 61. The three examples parallel the threefold call of Elisha by Elijah, except in Luke three different persons are called (2 Kings 2:1-6; L. T. Johnson 1991:162). The three cases are all different. In one case Jesus makes the call (v. 59). In another a disciple offers to follow wherever Jesus goes with no excuses (v. 57). In the third case the disciple has a priority that stands before his desire to follow Jesus (v. 61). The first and third scenes are the only two records of someone offering to follow Jesus. Whatever the approach to discipleship is, the requirement is the same: following Jesus is a priority.

The first volunteer's offer is open-ended; he will go anywhere Jesus goes. Matthew 8:18-19 makes it clear that he is approaching Jesus as a student would approach a rabbi, since Jesus is addressed as "Teacher." Students in Judaism lived with their teachers to learn Torah and see a model of a righteous life. But there is more to discipleship with Jesus than being a student. Jesus' response makes it clear that discipleship is a demanding affair. To follow Jesus is more like following an Old Testament prophet than like studying with a rabbi (Hengel 1981). Jesus, calling himself the Son of Man, says that he has no home. Even foxes and birds have more of a home than Jesus does. Discipleship requires resolve because it means rejection. The premise behind the remark is that disciples will have to follow the same path as the Son of Man. Discipleship requires trusting God in the midst of rejection.

The second scene involves a man who wishes to bury his father before he comes to follow Jesus. Though the request seems reasonable, the potential disciple's premise is that family comes before Jesus. In Judaism, burying family members is a priority (Sirach 38:16; Tobit 4:3-4; 12:12). The request also parallels Elisha's request to Elijah (1 Kings 19:19-21). Jesus, however, represents the arrival of a new, more demanding era. So even carrying out such a burial is insignificant in the face of discipleship. The task must be left for others: "Let the dead bury their own dead."

Jesus' response seems so harsh that some have argued the man's wish is to wait until his father has died and can be buried--something that could take years. But nothing in Jesus' request or the reply suggests such a delay. Jesus' command is heavily rhetorical, since the dead cannot bury anyone. It means either that the spiritually dead should be left to perform this task or that such concern is inconsequential in the face of the call to discipleship. As important as taking care of a family member's death is, it is a lower priority. Either way, Jesus makes it clear the request should not be honored. Even the "best excuse" possible should not get in the way of discipleship.

Instead, the call is to go and proclaim the kingdom of God. This is the responsibility of all disciples. All must be prepared to share the message of God's goodness in Christ. The remark raises questions about the nature of the kingdom. What does such preaching emphasize? The best examples of it, in light of the additional revelation of the cross, are the speeches in Acts. Central to these speeches is the authority of Jesus Christ as Messiah and Lord. He is the mediator of divine blessing and the returning Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 2, 3, 10).

Exodus 34: 6-7

From Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology Pg 209 Chpt 12 Communicable Attributes of God

Scripture Memory Passage

Exodus 34: 6-7 : The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Note: The last section of this passage speaks of God "visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children. Some might want to stop short of this part in memorizing the passage, but we should remember that this, too, is Scripture and is written for our edification. This statement shows the horrible nature of sin in the way it has effects beyond the individual sinner, also harming those around the sinner and harming future generations as well. We see this tragic ways in ordinary life, where the children of alcoholics often become alcoholics and the children of abusive parents often become abusive parents.

Christians who are forgiven by Christ should not think of these phrases as applying to them, however, for they are in the other category of people mentioned just before this section on "the guilty": they are among the "thousands" to whom God continually shows "steadfast love", and is continually "forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin" (v.7). When someone comes to Christ the chain of sin is broken. Here it is important to remember Peter's words: 1 Peter 1: 18- 19 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

A question of vision.

A question of vision.
John Stott's Bible Speaks Today : The Message of Sermon on the Mount pg 156

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Matthew 6: 21-23

Jesus turns from the comparative durability of the 2 treasures to the comparative benefit to be derived from 2 conditions. The contrast now is between a blind person and a sighted person, and so between the light and darkness in which they respectively live. THe eye is the lamp of the body. This is not literal, of course, as if the eye were a kind of window letting light into the body, but it is a readily intelligible figure of speech. ALmost everything the body does depends on our ability to see. We need to see in order to run,jump, drive a car, cross a road, cook, embroider, paint. The eye, as it were, 'illuminates' what the body does through its hands and feet... A sighted person walks in the light, while a blind person is in darkness. And the great difference between the light and the darkness of the body is due to this small but intricate organ, the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be fill of light; but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. In total blindness, the darkness is complete.

All this is factual description . But it is also metaphorical. Not infrequently in Scripture the eye is equivalent to the heart. That is to 'set the heart' and to 'fix the eye' on something are synonyms. One example may be enough, from Psalm 119. In v.10 the psalmist writes: 'With my whole heart i seek thee; let me not wander from thy commandments,' and in v.19, 'i have fixed my eyes on all thy commandments.' Similarly, here in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus passes from the importance of having our heart in the right place(21) to the importance of having our eye sound and healthy.

The argument seems to go like this: just as our eye affects our whole body, so our ambition (where we fix our eyes and heart) affects our whole life. Just as a seeing eye gives light to the body, so a noble and singleminded ambition to serve God and man adds meaning to life and throw light on everything we do. Again, just as blindness leads to darkness, so an ignoble and selfish ambition(eg. to lay up treasures for ourselves on earth) plunges us into moral darkness. it makes us intolerant, inhuman, ruthless and deprives life of all ultimate significance.

It is all a question of vision. If we have physical vision, we can see what we are doing and where we are going. So too if we have spiritual vision, if our spiritual perspective is correctly adjusted, then our life is filled with purpose and drive. But if our vision becomes clouded by the false gods of materialism, and we lose our sense of values, then our whole life is in darkness and we cannot see where we are going. Perhaps the emphasis lies even more strongly than i have so far suggested on the loss of vision caused by covetousness, because according to biblical thought an 'evil eye' is a niggardly, miserly spirit, and a 'sound' one is generous. At all events Jesus adds this new reason for laying up treasure in heaven. THe first was its greater durability; the second the resulting benefit now on earth of such a vision.

1 Samuel 18: Bitterness

ONE OF THE darkest times in my life was when I allowed bitterness to root and grow in my heart. I was hurt. I refused to forgive or to risk being hurt again. My whole person was becoming engulfed by this monstrous plant that was growing inside of me. Others were defiled by it. If I had continued to disobey God in this way, I would have been destroyed.

Saul, ancient Israel's first king, knew those feelings. They were directed toward David, a young man from the hill country. David had changed the course of a forty-day stand-off with the Philistine army by singlehandedly killing their giant leader. Suddenly, all the people were praising this boy from the sheep pastures. Rumor had it that David would someday be king.

Warming Up to God
How do you usually respond when you are afraid that someone or something important to you will be taken away?

Read 1 Samuel 18. »
Discovering the Word

What causes can you find for Saul's hostile feelings?

Often, if not always, behind anger is fear. What specifically was Saul afraid of (vv. 8,12, 15, 28)?

How was Saul affected by the bitterness that he allowed to grow within himself?

What do you think is the difference between anger and bitterness?

What evidence is there that the problem became not only an emotional but a spiritual battle (vv. 10, 12, 28)?

What warnings do we get from this passage about the destructive nature of bitterness?

Applying the Word
Think about a time when you were bitter. What were you afraid of?

How was your relationship with others affected?

How was your relationship with God affected?

Responding in Prayer
Ask God to help you recognize the fears and/or anger in you that could lead to bitterness. Ask him to make you sensitive to those fears in others.

The Golden Canon

2008 Leadership Book Awards.
posted 12/26/2008



Charles Spurgeon counseled his students to be discriminating about what they read, and to bathe in good books "until they saturate you." He said, "A student will find that his mental constitution is more affected by one book thoroughly mastered than by twenty books merely skimmed." But which books to choose? Each year in ministry, leaders find there are more books to read and less time to read them. That is why Leadership is presenting the ten books of 2008 deemed most valuable for church leaders. The titles were compiled from submissions by a diverse group of more than 100 pastors from across the country. Our contributing editors then voted to determine the winners in two categories: The Leader's Inner World, and The Leader's Outer World. We hope this canon contributes to your development as both a follower of Christ and a leader of his church. And yes, we know canon means "list" and not "artillery," but we still liked the image.

THE LEADER'S OUTER WORLD
The Reason for God
Belief in an age of skepticism by Tim Keller (Dutton)
"Tim Keller models for pastors how to thoughtfully and winsomely respond to the most common questions that people ask." –Rich Nathan

Also recommended:

Culture Making
Recovering our creative calling
by Andy Crouch (IVP)

"This book transcends the twin perils of Christian cultural engagement, lament and mimicry, with a wise and bold call to fully live out our creational mandate and go make something." –Mark Buchanan

Axiom
Powerful leadership proverbs
by Bill Hybels (Zondervan)

"This book truly helps Christians become more skilled leaders by offering practical wisdom that can be readily applied." –Sarah Sumner

Consuming Jesus
Beyond race and class divisions in a consumer church
by Paul Louis Metzger (Eerdmans)

"Consuming Jesus sounds the death knell for a paradigm of church growth driven by the homogeneous unit principle and that measures success by numbers, dollars, and buildings." –Mark DeYmaz

Church Unique
How missional leaders cast vision, capture culture, and create movement
by Will Mancini (Jossey-Bass)

"Remissionalizing established churches can be rough going. If leaders are to successfully steer through the spiritual, cultural, and institutional challenges of the 21st century, they will need help. Will Mancini is a savvy navigator and Church Unique is an impressive blueprint for renewal." –Alan Hirsch

THE LEADER'S INNER WORLD
Surprised by Hope
Rethinking heaven, the resurrection, and the mission of the church
by N.T. Wright (HarperOne)
"Engaging the mind and soul, Surprised by Hope is an invigorating read that places the mission of the church within the massive context of God's redeeming work through the resurrection of Christ." -David Swanson

Also recommended:

The Jesus Way
A conversation on the ways that Jesus is the Way
by Eugene Peterson (Eerdmans)

"Eugene Peterson has a way of asking pointed questions but allowing the answers to surface conversationally, much like Jesus. Peterson lives what he writes, which means his tough questions come attached with redemptive motives." –Clark Cothern

The Attentive Life
Discerning God's presence in all things
by Leighton Ford (IVP)

"The school of spiritual formation is in session in the mundane rhythms of life, and Ford reveals how the Spirit intends to shape us through our attentiveness to God's movements in our ordinary life." –Matt Tebbe

Life with God
Reading the Bible for spiritual transformation
by Richard Foster (HarperOne)

"Foster helps us apply the Bible on a deeper level. He teaches us to read the Bible for transformation not just information. It should fill our lives and not just our brains." –Benny Perez

Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor
The life and reflections of Tom Carson
by D.A. Carson (Crossway)

"In an age when pastors are told that in order to be successful we must seek power, recognition, and status, Carson shows us that God defines success in terms of giving, not taking; self-sacrifice, not self-indulgence; going to the back, not getting to the front." –Tullian Tchividjian

Copyright © 2008 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal.
Click here for reprint information on Leadership Journal

THE NEW TESTAMENT DOCUMENTS Are they Reliable? By F. F. BRUCE,

Hi Andrew... here's the link that i talked about.. FF Bruce writes on issues with regards to canonicity...

THE NEW TESTAMENT DOCUMENTS
Are they Reliable?
By F. F. BRUCE,

http://www.worldinvisible.com/library/ffbruce/ntdocrli/ntdocont.htm

Psalm 146: The Source of Hope

Here's the study that we did on monday at NUS law school ... for jeremy's information.

Psalm 146: The Source of Hope
"MY OWN MOM and Dad failed me," Linda said in her support group meeting. "Then my marriage fell apart. And then my health fell apart. Life has always been hard. I don't see why I should expect it to ever get any better. If anything, it will probably get worse. How is it possible for me to have hope?"

The Bible teaches that there is more to the story of our lives than our experiences of loss and disappointment. The planet may be fallen, but it is not forsaken by God. God is actively present in our lives, bringing gifts of life and joy into the midst of our darkness. We can dare to hope because of who God is.

Warming Up to God
In what area of life is it hard for you to find hope?

Read Psalm 146. »
Discovering the Word
How does this psalm contrast the experience of hoping in God with the experience of hoping in people?

The psalmist mentions eight kinds of circumstances that might seem hopeless. List these situations/conditions and the reasons why they might seem hopeless.

Describe how God responds to people in each of these situations.

What do these responses from God to people in hopeless situations suggest to you about God's character?

Applying the Word

Which of the eight images of hopelessness do you most strongly relate to at this time? Explain.

Take a few minutes and allow yourself to picture God responding to you in the way this text describes God's response. What thoughts and feelings do you have in response to this image of God's care for you?

Responding in Prayer
What would you like to say to God who is the source of your hope?

Some stuff about Matthew

Hi folks,
it has been a while since there are posts here... and i discovered something about Matthew worth sharing...

Each of the four Gospels highlights or foregrounds things that distinguish it from the others. Matthew’s Gospel is written for the Jews, stressing Jesus as King and as the fulfillment of OT prophecy. It has apocalyptic and ecclesiastical interests as well. The arrangement of material bears the imprint of an orderly mind and a penchant for tidy organization and grouping, traits in keeping with the tradition that the author was Matthew the tax collector and bookkeeper.

The most important feature of the book’s structure is its arrangement on a principle of alternating sections of narrative and discourse, with the two loosely related in each unit, as follows: narrative of Jesus’ early years (Mt 1–4) and his inaugural demands for those who wish to live in the kingdom of God (the Sermon on the Mount in Mt 5–7); the miracles of Jesus as he travels about (Mt 8–9) and the discourse about how his disciples are to conduct themselves on their travels (Mt 10); Jesus’ conflicts with the Jews (Mt 11–12) and his parables about entering the kingdom (Mt 13); experiences with the disciples as the core of the new community (Mt 14–17) and a discourse about the duties of discipleship within the new community (Mt 18); events surrounding Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem (Mt 19–23) and eschatological instruction (the Olivet Discourse in Mt 24–25); the events of Passion Week, ending with the resurrection (Mt 26–28).

While it is speculative to ascribe the five-part arrangement of discourses to a conscious imitation of the five books of the Pentateuch (though this would fit the Jewish orientation of the Gospel), the convenience of the scheme (perhaps an aid to the memory of new converts being instructed) is unmistakable. One can count off the five discourses on the fingers of one’s hand, each one answering a question. The question of how citizens of the kingdom are supposed to live is answered by the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5–7). The question of how disciples are to conduct their travels is answered by the missionary discourse on servanthood (Mt 10). Those wanting to know what parables Jesus told about entering the kingdom will find some of them collected into a single chapter (Mt 13). The question of how disciples should live with each other finds an answer in the discourse about humility and forgiveness (Mt 18). The question of how it will all end receives its answer in the Olivet Discourse on the end of the age (Mt 24–25). The tidiness of the arrangement is highlighted by the way each of these sections ends with the formula “when Jesus had finished these sayings” [543] (see Mt 7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1).