Love Doesn't Let Go

Should you marry an unbeliever?

2012-01-30T07:35:00.000-05:00

Kathy Keller answers that question. You can read about it here

The Attributes of God

2012-01-27T10:01:00.000-05:00

Tim Challies has a helpful new series of posts that take theological truths straight from the Bible and uses them in infographics. In other words, it makes it easier to understand.

Check it out here

Friday Worship #8 - Fire Fall Down by Chris Quilala

2012-01-27T06:57:00.000-05:00

This song is originally sung by Hillsong United, but I love this version by Chris Quilala of Jesus Culture. An amazing song, a great worship experience.

"Should I Marry a Man with Pornography Struggles?"

2012-01-25T06:19:00.000-05:00

Russell Moore answers the questions here

President Obama's remarks on Roe v. Wade

2012-01-23T13:12:00.005-05:00

President Obama:

"As we mark the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we must remember that this Supreme Court decision not only protects a woman’s health and reproductive freedom, but also affirms a broader principle: that government should not intrude on private family matters. I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose and this fundamental constitutional right. While this is a sensitive and often divisive issue- no matter what our views, we must stay united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, support pregnant woman and mothers, reduce the need for abortion, encourage healthy relationships, and promote adoption. And as we remember this historic anniversary, we must also continue our efforts to ensure that our daughters have the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities as our sons to fulfill their dreams."

Denny Burk responds:

"It was the last line of the statement that provoked me the most. The President says he wants “our daughters [to] have the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities as our sons.” Who could disagree with that statement? I agree with it totally. The problem is that President Obama does not really mean it. At the same time he calls us to protect our daughters’ rights, President Obama praises the decision that has led to the legal killing of at least 25 million of our unborn daughters. Clearly he does not want to protect the rights of all of our daughters, but only some of them. How can he not see the moral absurdity of his own words?

There was no reason for President Obama to speak today. In fact, I would rather that he would have put his hand over his mouth and kept silent. On today of all days, his calloused indifference toward our unborn daughters is a stunning and sad spectacle."

Abortion: "As American as Applie Pie"

2012-01-23T06:56:00.004-05:00

Al Mohler writes:

"Abortion is now one of America’s most common surgical procedures performed on adults. As many as one out of three women will have at least one abortion. In some American neighborhoods, the number of abortions far exceeds the number of live births.

Most Americans will pay little attention to the 39th anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade decision. In 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that a woman has a constitutional right to arrange the killing of the unborn life within her. Since that decision was handed down, more than 50 million babies have been aborted, at a rate of over 3,000 each day."

Read the rest here

Friday Worship #7 - Awakening by Chris Tomlin

2012-01-20T05:01:00.002-05:00

John Piper: I Was a Racist

2012-01-19T13:11:00.000-05:00

A new excerpt from John Piper's new book Bloodlines:

"I was, in those years, manifestly racist. As a child and a teenager my attitudes and actions assumed the superiority of my race in almost every way without knowing or wanting to know anybody who was black, except Lucy. Lucy came to our house on Saturdays to help my mother clean. I liked Lucy, but the whole structure of the relationship was demeaning. Those who defend the noble spirit of Southern slaveholders by pointing to how nice they were to their slaves, and how deep the affections were, and how they even attended each other's personal celebrations, seem to be naïve about what makes a relationship degrading.

No, she was not a slave. But the point still stands. Of course, we were nice. Of course, we loved Lucy. Of course, she was invited to my sister's wedding. As long as she and her family "knew their place."

A powerful testimony. A topic that is still very prevalent in our culture. Read the rest here

The Big Day is Nearly Here

2012-01-19T08:46:00.000-05:00

Michael Horton on Churches and the Superbowl:

"The Big Day is almost here again: another weekly celebration of Christ’s resurrection. It’s not the only victory that’s interesting, exciting, or important. But it’s the one that determines your identity and destiny forever."

Read the rest here

What do Do If You Wake Up Feeling Fragile

2012-01-17T07:19:00.001-05:00

Encouraging words from John Piper:

"There are mornings when I wake up feeling fragile. Vulnerable. It’s often vague. No single threat. No one weakness. Just an amorphous sense that something is going to go wrong and I will be responsible. It’s usually after a lot of criticism. Lots of expectations that have deadlines and that seem too big and too many."

Read the rest here

Prosperity gospel pastors need the true Jesus

2012-01-17T06:39:00.000-05:00

The Internet is a very powerful tool by which believers can spread the message of the gospel, but just as easily false gospels can be shared with millions. Nothing saddens me more than web sites where a church asks someone to repeat a formulaic prayer (which doesn't even mention repentance) and tell people that they are now Christians. Really?

My main concern is when Christianity is simplified to repeating a prayer you read online inviting Jesus into your heart. If you're thinking that I have a specific church on mind, I sure do. I used to attend a "name it and claim it," prosperity "falsepel" church. Recently I checked their web site and it basically tells the visitors that if they are looking for peace and for something new, then to repeat the prayer below and that would make them Christians. There's no exposition of the gospel, no explanation of repentance, there's no cross, just a magical prayer that will make all their dreams come true.

It doesn't shock me that nowadays many people leave churches or even the faith. My guess is that many of them were never in the faith to begin with. How can they be, when those who are supposed to pastor them and preach to them are not preaching the gospel? How can someone be saved if no one is preaching to them, at least not the truth? (Romans 10:14)

Brothers and sisters, I write these lines with anguish in my heart. I wish that those church leaders would be humbled by the revelation of the Jesus of the Bible, and not their greed. I really pray that their eyes may be opened. Like the church I came from, a while ago, there are thousands of them around the world.

Let's take some time and pray for those leaders. Let's pray for mercy and that God may open their eyes.

There's a Psalm for that

2012-01-16T16:02:00.002-05:00

"Apple used to use that catchy phrase “there’s an app for that.” Need to send flowers to mom? there’s an app for that. Need to know the name of the constellation of stars in the sky overhead? There’s an app for that. Need supper? There’s an app for that.

Well, whatever your circumstance of life, there’s a Psalm for that:"

You can read the rest here

My take on 'Heaven is For Real'

2012-01-16T05:50:00.003-05:00

I wan to be careful here because I don't want to judge anyone without basis. I don't know for sure if Colton Burpo went to heaven or not, but what I can do is look at the Bible and compare his claims. To be fair to you, dear reader, I don't think that Colton went to heaven. That's my personal opinion and I will give you my reasons for believing that. Now, what does that mean? Did he imagine it, is it all made up, or was he deceived? I can't answer those questions, only God can.

Let me be clear on one thing. I do believe that God still does miracles in our lives today. However, that doesn't mean that whenever someone stands up and says they heard from God that we must believe them. Instead, we must go to the Bible and compare their words to what Scripture says. (Acts 17:11)

Yesterday Todd Burpo, Colton's dad and author of the book, along with his wife Sonja and the not so little anymore Colton, hosted an event here in Topeka where they shared their testimony. There were over 2,000 people in attendance and nearly all of them raised their hands when asked if they had read the book. So far it has sold over 6 million copies and it doesn't seem to be slowing down.

My impression of the Burpo's is that they were sincere, that they truly believed that their son had been to heaven. This of course doesn't make it true, but at least it gave me the impression that they hadn't made the whole thing up. Other reviewers have pointed out that Colton's vocabulary in the book seemed too eloquent for that of a four year old. And as respected Bible scholar Tim Challies said, "I’d also point to the fact that dad routinely remembers circumstantial detail that there is very little chance he would remember six or seven years after the fact, something that, at the very least, tells me that he is filling in details where he feels he needs to."

As the Burpo's admit on their ministry web site, "We never pushed or prodded which is why the story unfolded over months and years."

But let's move on to more significant reasons why this account of heaven makes me uncomfortable. First, it's important to note that this book is just one more in the tradition of Don Piper's 90 Minutes in Heaven, which has also questionable aspects to it. With that said, it seems that everyone who goes to "heaven" and comes back has a different version of what it looks like, along with what Jesus looks like. Second, the Bible says that "it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment." (Hebrews 9:27-28) For Colton to visit heaven and come back to this sin-ridden earth seems more like an act of cruelty than one of mercy. It's like getting a demotion, which is not something to be happy and write a book about.

What's mainly wrong with the book is that it has so much extra-biblical things. What I mean is that Colton's revelation of what heaven looks like is nowhere to be found in the Bible. For instance, Colton asserts that everyone in heaven has wings, including God the Father. The Bible clearly teaches that God is Spirit, and of course, there is no mention of anyone having wings except for the Cherubim and the Seraphim. He also claims that people in heaven have halos over their heads, again something that can only be found in artistic representations and not in the canon of Scripture. Also, Colton also says that he felt upset and confused in the presence of God but that "He (God) used people that, people or things that I liked to calm me down. From there on I felt better." It is very doubtful that anyone, no matter how old you are, will feel confused or scared in the presence of God who is perfect peace and perfect love.

And what do we do with these extra-biblical things, do we value them as equally as we do the Bible? Of course not, we shouldn't. But unfortunately it seems that many people do. And that's the underlying message in all these books, isn't it? If those people claim they went to heaven and came back to tell us new things, then logically we must accept their word as canon. That's where the danger is; these people seem to be adding words to the book of Revelation and the Bible in general, where God has strictly forbidden us against it. (Rev. 22:18) Is heaven for real? Yes, it is. But not because a toddler said so, but because God has said so in His word.

Also note that clinically Colton Burpo never died. It seems then that this would be categorized under "near-death experience," which countless people around the world, many of them not Christian claim to have had. These people, again not believers in Christ, claim to have seen a being of light and heaven and were assured that they would be okay. At least in this case, in Heaven is For Real, the Burpo's are believers. There are many other things that could be said, but you get my point. You can read Tim Challies excellent review here. And you can also read Randy Alcorn's review here.

At the end of the night, at the Topeka Performing Arts Center, Todd Burpo, who also happens to be a pastor closed the night by inviting others to Christ. And just as I feared, there was no mention of repentance, no mention of sin, no explanation of what Jesus did on the cross, but just a "invite Jesus to come into your heart."

I don't recommend this book, not even a little.

Loving C.S. Lewis, Hating Rob Bell

2012-01-14T13:05:00.000-05:00

An important question from Michael Patton

"You see, while C.S. Lewis has a great deal of theological foibles, his ministry is defined by a defense of the essence of the Gospel. The essence of who Christ is and what he did are ardently upheld by Lewis, saturating every page of his books. His purpose was clear: to make a compelling case the reality of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ....However, with Rob Bell, the essence of who Christ is and what he did seems to be secondary. "

Read the rest here

Free Audiobook!

2012-01-14T07:32:00.002-05:00

This month Christian Audio has J.I. Packer's Knowing God audiobook for free to download. Don't miss out on the opportunity to download this classic, and for free!

Friday Worship #6 - You Won't Relent by Jesus Culture

2012-01-13T04:47:00.001-05:00

This is one of my all-time favorite worship songs. I first heard the original version with Misty Edwards, right below. And then the longer and amazing version with Jesus Culture, and that would be the second video. A great song to God, straight from the Song of Songs.

And this is the Jesus Culture version, my favorite:

A new feature: Like Box!

2012-01-12T16:27:00.001-05:00

Hi friends of the blog! I really appreciate you reading this blog daily and especially for following me through Google connect. There's a new exciting feature though. You can now 'like' me on Facebook, thus letting your friends know about this blog. Help me spread the good news of the kingdom of Jesus Christ! Like the blog!

Learning from Christopher Hitchens

2012-01-12T06:30:00.002-05:00

Al Mohler writes

"The death of Christopher Hitchens on December 15 was not unexpected, and that seemed only to add to the tragedy. His fight against cancer had been lived, like almost every other aspect of his colorful life, in full public view. He had told numerous interviewers that he wanted to die in an active, not a passive sense. Then again, there may never have been a truly passive moment in Christopher Hitchens’ life."

You can read the rest here

The Universal Cry Answered

2012-01-11T14:31:00.000-05:00

From Jared Wilson:

"What is it that we all want? Significance, yes. Worth, yes. Approval, yes. All of that and more. I think, though, that if we could sum up the varieties of expressions of human desire we would say "real love." I think the cry of every human heart is to be known totally, inside and out, and loved totally anyway. Everything we've done, everything we've said, everything we've thought, everything we are -- everything. And in response: belovedness.

So we test out this cry, to see if it will be answered in some way, in every relationship. We try it with our parents, our children, our spouses, our friends, our church. It frequently, if not always, goes haywire. Sin gets in the way, fear gets in the way, defensiveness gets in the way, stupidity gets in the way, finite capabilities get in the way.

We are not equipped to love each other perfectly, not yet anyway. We are not omnipotent. And we are not love. And we are not omniscient, so we can't know each other perfectly, inside and out, past present future.

But God is and can do all that. And the good news is that God knows every single stinking thing about us . . . and loves us totally, unabashedly, powerfully, savingly. I find this staggering."

Signs Your Marriage is Drifting

2012-01-11T07:38:00.002-05:00

A helpful post form Justin & Trisha

"1. You think that the absence of conflict equals the presence of intimacy.

2. You find yourself keeping certain details of conversations or events from your spouse.

3. You say you forgive but you are really resentful.

4. You care more about being right than being one with your spouse.

5. When you get dressed in the morning, you are hoping that certain person at work notices you.

6. You look for opportunities to run errands, do chores, or work late so you can spend less time at home.

7. You say you’re sorry but you never change.

8. Sexual intimacy is rarely offered or pursued.

9. You are more emotionally connected to another person than you are your spouse.
10. You can’t remember the last time you had a conversation of substance that wasn’t an argument.

11. You haven’t gone on a date with just your spouse in over three months.

This list doesn’t mean that you’re marriage is over. This list means that your marriage is drifting. You don’t avoid these things by accident. You choose to avoid this list. You make a decision every day to walk in the other direction of this list. We are here to help you avoid this list. You don’t have to walk alone."

The Christian Biggest Loser

2012-01-10T07:19:00.000-05:00

Since about a month ago I've been working out by using an excruciating but proven method called P90X. At the same time that I worked out, I started watching the hit TV show "The Biggest Loser" for motivation. Thousands of obese people from across the nation audition, but only 14 get selected and make it to "the ranch." Not only do they work out at least six hours a day, but they learn how to eat healthy, thus hopefully changing their lives for the best. "The Biggest Loser" is the person who survives challenges and eliminations and has lost the most weight overall. This person wins $250,000. Not a bad deal.

During the show though, the contestants have "temptations." These temptations can possibly lead to great benefits, but more often than not people realize they at 1800 calories in brownies for no good reason. Although this is not a perfect example, I started thinking of our spiritual life. How many times does sin tempt us, promising great fulfillment, but in the end we find ourselves feeling guilty and ashamed?

Some of the contestants in The Biggest Loser lose sight of the grand prize and get caught up in the mere temptations. But fellow brothers and sisters, no money in the world can compare to the prize that we have in Christ. No temptation is good enough, no sin is worth it, no matter how enticing it may seem. When you feel tempted, remember that God gave you the strength to get out of the situation. Remember that the greatest prize in the entire universe is found in Jesus Christ.

"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." - Matthew 16:25

According to the verse you just read, we need to be "the biggest losers." We need to renounce the evil of this world and give our entire lives in devotion to Christ, only then, do we realize that what we once called life—living devoted to our sin and the pleasures of this world—was actually servitude and bondage to death. Let us put our trust in Christ so that we can truly find our lives hidden in Him.

And by the way, I always root for team Jillian on the show.

Jennifer Knapp & Larry King: Why We Always Lose This Debate

2012-01-09T06:58:00.000-05:00

This is an old post, but I think it is still worth reading. Trevin Wax has some relevant things to say:

"If we are to reframe this discussion along biblical lines, then we must emphasize the necessity of repentance for the Christian faith. The point is not that the pastor and the Knapp are both sinners. It’s that the pastor agrees with God about his sin, while Knapp remains in her sin without repentance. That is why he is questioning her Christianity, for Christian teaching makes clear the necessity of repentance as the entryway into the Christian family."

Read the rest here

Stop working

2012-01-07T07:03:00.000-05:00

I have written about this subject before, but I find myself inclined to do so again. I know many people who are afraid to get close to God because they feel as if they are not good enough. My response? Welcome to the club. No one is good enough, that's the reason we call it "grace."

The most dangerous lie we can tell ourselves is that we have to outweigh our bad deeds with good ones, and then cross our fingers and hope that God forgets about our evil actions. That's not Christianity. You can't earn your way to heaven. Stop struggling, stop it now. I know that it sounds too good to be true, but yes, it is that simple. The price, the heavy and costly price was paid at the cross 2,000 years ago. All you have to do is come to terms with your sinful nature, repent and put your faith in the resurrected Christ.

You'll never be good enough to earn a one way ticket to heaven, but you don't have to. Accept God's grace and put on the righteousness of Christ and then you'll pure, blameless and holy.

What legalism is not

2012-01-06T13:08:00.000-05:00

"There are many pastors today who, for fear of being branded 'legalists', give their congregation no ethical teaching. How far we have strayed from the apostles! 'Legalism' is the misguided attempt to earn our salvation by obedience to the law. 'Pharisaism' is a preoccupation with the externals and minutiae of religious duty. To teach the standards of moral conduct which adorn the gospel is neither legalism nor pharisaism but plain apostolic Christianity" - John Stott

Friday Worship #5 - Jesus Paid it All by Kristian Stanfill

2012-01-06T06:23:00.001-05:00

This is a classic, but definitely a great song. I really like this version by Kristian Stanfill. Hope it revolutionizes your youth group or church service. We are free! Jesus paid it all!

Backward Porn Addiction

2012-01-05T13:15:00.000-05:00

Earlier, there was an article mainly addressing men, but Rick Thomas has written one for women to consider:

"I was caring for some friends recently when the wife began to talk about her struggles with what she called a Backward Porn Addiction.

I think I was more amazed by her humility than anything else.

She was sharing how she liked to capture the gaze of men.

She has struggled with a life-long battle of insecurity and her method of 'feeling better about herself' was to dress and present herself in such a way to draw attention to herself.

Ladies, let me ask you some questions:

•When you get dressed in the morning do you think about God’s gaze upon you or someone else’s?

•Do you dress to put God’s name on display or your physicality on display?

•How does the glory of God impact your thought life when it comes to your appearance?

•Would your friends or spouse say you are overly-concerned about how you look?

•Can you go to the store and really not care how you look?

•Are you free to not wear make-up?

•Do you secretly compare yourself to other women?

•What feeds your thinking more:

◦How the culture views beauty?

◦How God views beauty?

You can read the rest here

Arousing Ourselves to Death

2012-01-05T08:44:00.001-05:00

Russell Moore writes:

"The couple will typically tell me first about how stressful their lives are. Maybe he’s lost his job. Perhaps she’s working two. Maybe their children are rowdy or the house is chaotic. But usually, if we talk long enough about their fracturing marriage, there is a sense that something else is afoot. The couple will tell me about how their sex life is near extinction. The man, she’ll tell me, is an emotional wraith, dead to intimacy with his wife. The woman will be frustrated, with what seems to him to be a wild mixture of rage and humiliation. They just don’t know what’s wrong, but they know a Christian marriage isn’t supposed to feel like this.

It’s at this point that I interrupt the discussion, look at the man, and ask, “So how long has the porn been going on?” The couple will look at each other, and then look at me, with a kind of fearful incredulity that communicates the question, “How do you know?” For a few minutes, they seek to reorient themselves to this exposure, wondering, I suppose, if I’m an Old Testament prophet or a New Age psychic. But I’m not either. One doesn’t have to be to sense the spirit of this age. In our time, pornography is the destroying angel of (especially male) Eros, and it’s time the Church faced the horror of this truth."

Read the rest here. Very important and timely article.

God found me at my worst

2012-01-04T12:51:00.003-05:00

In the fall of 2004, I walked down the aisle of a mega-church and repeated a sinner's prayer, while the rest of the congregation quietly cheered me on. A good friend mentioned that to become a Christian, to convert to this "religion" that my Roman Catholic family (and myself) viewed suspiciously, all I had to do was wait for the minister to give the invitation. I don't remember much of the sermon, all I know is that I anxiously awaited the moment of the invitation, the instant where I would bow my head, repeat a prayer and be saved.

I can't tell you honestly if I was saved at that moment or not. There certainly were no angels singing, not even a malfunctioning of the church lights to at least show me a sign that something inside of me had taken place. Not that such manifestations are necessary, but back then, it would have been welcomed by me. Most shockingly, as I prayed the "sinner's prayer," I said that I repented of my sins, but I hadn't really understood what that meant. My self-righteousness was high.

I didn't see myself as such a bad person, when compared to other people that I knew. They surely needed Christ more than me. I couldn't see then that my own "goodness" was hindering from truly understanding the gospel, from seeing that my good works, even my most noble ones, at the root, at the core of my being, had hints of pride. When I did something good for someone else, I was mostly doing it so that they, and others, would see the good I had done. My own ego was being refueled by my actions. I wanted people to think of me a certain way. I wasn't worried about what God thought of me.

I was promised by the lead pastor that Jesus would make my life better, and who wouldn't take an opportunity like that? Did I feel sorry for the wrong things I had done? Absolutely, guilt is a friend to us all who have a conscience. But true repentance is more than saying you are sorry, true, biblical repentance is when you see how awful and offensive your sin is, you admit your guilt, and ask God for forgiveness and strength to never do it again.

Needless to say, after my conversion, or whatever it was, I stayed strong for about 3 months, but soon I found myself struggling with the same issues. There certainly was guilt, especially after I had publicly declared my allegiance to Jesus, but my struggle continued. And even now I see that what bothered me was what people would think about me, after I had publicly declared myself to be a Christian. And so I went for a while like this, for four years to be exact, with good seasons and with bad ones.

One day, I was really angry at many things that weren't going right in my life, or at at least my definition of right. To complicate matters, an old friend of my mother had come to visit her and it seemed to me that his intentions were to be more than friends. This wouldn't have bothered me so much if the guy hadn't been married. In retrospect I know that I was wrong about this assumption, but then, in the midst of my anger, it seemed to me that way. So that same night I decided to go out with some friends and get drunk, to get completely utterly wasted. And that I did. I usually didn't do this, but anger led me down that road where I lost my self-control. When I got back home, much later, I felt so sick that I vomited all over the bathroom floor. It wasn't a pretty sight. I couldn't walk straight, I couldn't think straight. And who do you think it was who helped clean me and put me to my bed? Yes, my mother's friend, the guy I was very angry at. But then he did something that surprised me and changed my life. He took my hand and he prayed for me.

At that moment, even in the midst of my drunkenness, I knew that something happened, something supernatural. There was this conviction of guilt mixed with a celebration of joy. I was mad at myself, but excited about God's mercy. Again, I didn't hear any choir of angels singing my name, but inside my chest, in my heart of hearts, there was an indescribable joy. I couldn't believe that in my worst state, when I felt worthless, when I still smelled of vomit, God could use this person that I didn't like to save my soul. God rescued me when I was in the darkness. He brought me to the light. The next morning, I woke up differently and my life has never been the same. Sure, like any of us, I still have new struggles and issues, but I know that I have the Holy Spirit of God in me, something that I hadn't experienced until that night. When I look at the person I was, I can't even recognize myself because God has changed me so much. This happened in the fall of 2007.

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

Since that night, that verse took on another meaning for me. When I was in a mire of filth, God rescued me. The only bad thing about this experience? Every once in a while, when my mother's friend calls her, he always asks, "Israel hasn't been getting drunk again, has he?" For the record, I haven't.

God's final solution

2012-01-04T06:25:00.000-05:00

From Tulian Tchividjian

"Preachers these days are expected to major in “Christian moral renovation.” They are expected to provide a practical “to-do” list, rather than announce, “It is finished.” They are expected to do something other than placarding before their congregations' eyes Christ’s finished work, preaching a full absolution solely on the basis of the complete righteousness of another. The irony is when preachers cave in to this pressure, moral renovation does not happen. To focus on how I’m doing more than on what Christ has done is Christian narcissism – the poison of self-absorption which undermines the power of the gospel in our lives. Martin Luther noted that “the sin underneath all our sins is the lie of the serpent that we cannot trust the love and grace of Christ and that we must take matters into our own hands.”

In the promise of the resurrection, death loses its power.

Moral renovation, in other words, is to refocus our eyes away from ourselves to that man’s obedience, to that man’s cross, to that man’s blood–to that man’s death and resurrection!

“In my place condemned he stood, and sealed my pardon with his blood–hallelujah, what a Savior!”

Learning daily to love this glorious exchange, to lean on its finishedness, and to live under its banner is what it means to be morally reformed!"

Read the rest

A new year without Facebook

2012-01-03T08:00:00.002-05:00

On Facebook:

"Even more alarming, I can see how I shape my life to fit into a clever little status update, used most often to elicit jealousy (“drinking a french press, listening to Mumford and Sons, and reading Kierkegaard!”) or sympathy (“baby sick, only got 3 hours of sleep last night. Blerg!”). This was not authentic. This was manipulation, done for the benefit of friends and acquaintances. Why was I beginning to view my life through the lens of people who aren’t living in community with me? Instead of worrying about them, my energy could far better be spent on cultivating relationships with those around me—neighbors, church families, the students at my school. They are my real community."

If you can't say amen, at least say ouch!

Read the entire article on Relevant magazine here: A new year without Facebook

John Piper - God's Sovereignty and Our Responsibility

2012-01-02T15:39:00.001-05:00

Great and insightful video, do watch.

Why young Christians aren't waiting anymore; a response

2012-01-02T11:09:00.001-05:00

In the October issue of Relevant magazine, there came a revelation that perhaps shocked the older generation, but certainly not people my age or younger. The fact that I wasn't surprised is sad. According to recent studies, over 80 percent of professing evagenlical young adults (18 to 29) admitted to have had sex before marriage. Think about that, that means that 8 out of 10 young adults in your church have had or are currently engaged in pre-marital sex.

It doesn't surprise me because I have heard the stories and later on, when those same people marry someone else, there's guilt, resentment and lots of baggage. I found this article not on Relevant's web page, but actually on CNN's religion blog. After reviewing the magazine article, the writer on CNN's blog asks this question:

"So what should a Christian parent or youth pastor do? How do they convince more young Christians to wait until marriage, or should they stop even trying?"

I think that's a fair question and one that every parent, pastor and church leader needs to wrestle with. What do we do when wearing a purity ring doesn't translate to the bodies of our young people? What are we doing wrong in our churches?

I don't plan to answer all these questions and I don't pretend to know all the answers, but I can look at Scripture and try to rightly address this issue. First, I would agree with one of the article's conclusion (The one on Relevant, I encourage you to read it) that marriage needs to be held in high esteem in our churches and in our homes. Churches should speak more on the meaning of marriage, its purpose, its sanctity and also how couples can apply those things in their homes. This will definitely have an impact on the children who will eventually grow up to be young adults. Of course, this is not the solution, but an important step. The truth is that children in the most loving and supporting Christian homes, homes where a biblical marriage is being lived out, still can grow up to be promiscuous young adults. Setting a right example is important, but it is not the most important thing.

It all comes back to the Gospel. A clear understanding, a clear view of what the Cross means, is what can help young adults when faced with temptation. We are all sinners. Not one of us is good enough. In fact, our own goodness condemns us, because in those good acts we try to masquerade the pride that says, "I deserve heaven because I did this and that, or because I'm better than this person or the other." The Bible is clear though, even our most good is filth when compared to the holiness and goodness of God. We justly deserved to be punished, but here's the wild and wonderful thing, when we were still sinners, Jesus Christ died for us. He took our punishment and imputed his righteousness on us. The price for our freedom from sin was His blood. The price for our freedom from sin is freedom to serve God. Read that last sentence again, we are free to serve God, we now belong to God. He bought us at a costly price.

"You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." - 1 Corinthians 6:20

Such knowledge, that Jesus Christ took our place, should leads us to rejoice and to want to honor Him. When we repent and put our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit, God Himself, comes to reside in our bodies. It is the Spirit who leads us in all truth and helps us when we are tempted. When we are free in Christ, we are no longer slaves to the passions of the body, but instead we bear the fruit of self-control. I believe that many young adults and teenagers lack this basic understanding of the Gospel. Many churches teach sermons on behavior modification, but this won't do any good in the long run. Preach the Gospel and the behavior will follow. For if you love God, then you will serve God and do as He says.

"For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin" - Romans 6:6

It's not too late

Statistically speaking, many of you who are reading this fall into that 80 percent. It is not too late for you. Your next step is called repentance. You need to realize how awful your sin is, how defiling your body offends God, personally. Once you decided to turn away from your sin, to break up with that person or do whatever you need to, all this with the help of the Holy Spirit of course, then you are washed clean by the mercy of God. But note that repentance is not just saying I'm sorry with your lips, there needs to be an internal conviction in your heart. And I believe that when you truly understand with your heart what the Cross means, you will come crying at the feet of Jesus, so thankful for his sacrifice.

I'm not trying to simplify things, just know that although it may difficult to break away from sin, you are not alone, you have the power of God to help you break free. In conclusion, honor God with your body. Understand that now your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, the temple of God.

Here are some verses for you to meditate on:

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." - Galatians 5:16

"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." 1 Peter 2:11

Book Review: Erasing Hell by Francis Chan

2012-01-01T11:06:00.009-05:00

Francis Chan, with the collaboration of Preston Sprinkle, has written an invaluable book to understand what the Bible truly says about hell. Erasing Hell is thoughtfully written and the humility is palpable in every single page. It may be no surprise to anyone that Rob Bell's controversial book Love Wins is heavily scrutinized and rightly criticized in many pages by Chan. In light of that revelation, I can honestly say that Chan did not attack Bell personally, but instead went to Scripture to discern the truth from the many sad, but not new, universalist fantasies that Bell wanted to pass as Christianity.

In the Introduction Francis Chan makes clear how important building a solid theology on hell is. "When it comes to hell, we can't afford to be wrong. This is not one of those doctrines where you can toss in your two cents, shrug your shoulders, and move on. Too much is at stake. Too many people are at stake. And the Bible has much to say."

There are seven chapters in the book and every single one deals with the major questions that people have when thinking on this important subject. There is also an Appendix where Chan tackles some other questions that didn't fully fit with the general flow of the book. Every single chapter is solid and well researched with a notes section at the end, but I found Chapter 2 very fascinating for personal reasons.

I have some friends who champion this recent, and absurd, idea that when Jesus mentions the word hell, or gehenna in Greek, he was referring to a garbage dump outside Jerusalem. Chan addresses this ridiculous theory with methodical research and shows how such fallacy came about.

"The whole theory actually stands on very shaky evidence. Some commentaries and pastors still promote the idea, but there’s no evidence from the time of Jesus that the Hinnom Valley (gehenna literally means 'Valley of Hinnom') was the town dump. In fact, there is no evidence for hundreds and hundreds of years after Jesus that there was a garbage dump in the Hinnom Valley in the first century. Nor is there any archaeological evidence that this valley was ever a dump (if it was a dump, we’d be able to dig around and find evidence). In fact, the first reference we have to the Hinnom Valley, or gehenna, as a town dump is made by a rabbi named David Kimhi in a commentary, which was written in AD 1200.”

Did you read that? Such theory came up about in the year 1200 AD! The rabbi David Kimhi wrote about that in the Middle Ages and in Europe. And like Chan said, there is no evidence whatsoever that this was even the case, especially not in the time of Jesus.

Erasing Hell goes even into more in depth issues and questions that many of us have. Some bloggers have said that the book lacks entertainment value, artistic value. I really don't know where they got that from, and honestly, when it comes to such an important doctrine, I don't want a pretty little story, I want the truth. Jesus spoke in parables, but when he spoke to his disciples, he spoke plainly and even explained the parables that were difficult for the crowds to understand. We can't afford to speak in parables. As Francis Chan writes, "This is not just about doctrine; it’s about destinies. And if you’re reading this book and wrestling with that the Bible says about hell, you cannot let this be a mere academic exercise. You must let Jesus’ words reconfigure the way you live, the way you talk, and the way you see the world and the people around you.”

Buy the book, read it prayerfully and then warn others about the judgement to come, and tell them about the good news of Jesus Christ.

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-01T06:49:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! I pray that God may bless you enormously in this new year and thanks so much for reading. I really appreciate that if you read something you like, that you share the link of Facebook, Twitter or even your own your blog. Stay tuned for my review later today on Erasing Hell by Francis Chan.

To end the old year!

2011-12-31T07:02:00.003-05:00

Have a happy near year everyone! The last post of 2011 for Love Doesn't Let Go. I want to thank everyone who daily takes the time to read this blog and especially to my followers through Google Connect. Thanks also to those who share my link on their Facebook and Twitter. Since this is the last post, I figured I would do the top 5 most visited blog entries of the year. Maybe you missed one or two.

5-The Miracle of Christopher Daniel: A true story on how God used me to save a baby's life from abortion.
4-Dug Down Deep: Review of Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris. A wonderful book. Review went viral.
3-Elephant Room: Matt Chandler and Steven Furtick: An insightful look at these two pastors as they debate.
2-Francis Chan responds to Rob Bell's Love Wins: Francis Chan writes Erasing Hell. Review coming soon!
1-Francis Chan and Rob Bell are like day and night: When Francis Chan was attacked by many, I wrote a blog on his defense based on his books and sermon, which have impacted my life.

Friday Worship #4 - My Soul Longs For You by Misty Edwards

2011-12-30T05:47:00.001-05:00

This song revolutionized my old youth group when I introduced them to it. It is powerful!

Heavenly minded

2011-12-30T04:46:00.002-05:00

This year coming up, I want to be more heavenly minded. I hope that you can join me in this life-long quest. As C.S. Lewis said once:

"If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth “thrown in”: aim at earth and you will get neither."

My Birthday!

2011-12-28T04:19:00.001-05:00

Thank you Lord for one more year of life. Thank you for all the blessings in my life. Thank you for my family and friends, and thanks for my beautiful wife and my soon-to-be-born daughter.

Francis Chan on Unanswered Prayer

2011-12-26T06:13:00.002-05:00

Why Jesus was born

2011-12-25T01:57:00.001-05:00

Preach the gospel to yourself daily. Doing so will keep you humble and in check. I am a prideful man and have tons of other flaws, and it wasn't for the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I don't know the kind of person I would be.

After you go to church for years, it's easy to fall into a routine; sing the songs, raise your hands, etc. It's easy to buy a thousand presents for Christmas and forget that the Christ part is what truly matters. Presents are a great thing, I love presents (I even have my Amazon wish list at the bottom of the blog), but Christianity is not so much about receiving, but it is more so about giving. God gave us creation and gave us everything we have and will ever have, and he also gave us the Cross, so that we may be reconciled with him.

Preach the gospel to yourself daily. When we were filthy sinners, worthy of death, Jesus Christ took our place on Calvary. Remind yourself of that daily. Even if you become a master theologian and learn Greek and Hebrew, don't forget the simple and costly gospel truth.

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." - Romans 1:16

No, I am not ashamed of the gospel, because my life has been forever changed. Today, and really, every single day, remember why Jesus was born.

John Piper on How and Why God Changes People

2011-12-24T07:42:00.000-05:00

"When Paul calls the power of Christ which changed him from great sinner to great apostle — when he calls this power "mercy," he exalts not himself but the Savior. The Christmas gift of change is always a gift, and never a wage. It can never be boasted in. It can be sought after the way a helpless, hungry man seeks food; and it can be accepted by faith. But it can never be earned. And so none of the changes God gives can be the basis of pride. The more like Christ you become, the more you exalt Christ and not yourself.

What God did on the first Christmas and what he does in forgiving and changing people today he did and does in utterly free, sovereign mercy, so that all his people will end the paragraphs of their lives with the words like 1 Timothy 1:17: "To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."

We are not saved from sin and changed into righteousness for the sake of pride but for the sake of praise. And when God's work on us is done and we stand perfected before Christ in the last day, we will not exult in our worth but will sing with millions of angels: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and honor and glory and blessing." Praise to you, O Lord. Amen."

HT: Desiring God

Friday Worship #3 - Hillsong United - Take All of Me

2011-12-23T15:27:00.000-05:00

Two worships songs today!

This one in particular just makes you want to raise your hands and surrender, and say Take All of Me, Lord! Take the good, take the bad, take all of me and transform me, make me new.

Friday Worship #2 - In Your Presence by Jason Upton

2011-12-23T04:26:00.000-05:00

Jason Upton's song are all about getting to the core of your being and exposing all that, the truth of who you are at the feet of Jesus. This song is powerful, lovely and so comforting. When we are in the presence of God, there is no fear, there is only Him and his majesty.

Francish Chan - Redefining normal

2011-12-22T13:25:00.000-05:00

Great clip, ties with my earlier blog entry. Worth the 7 minutes.

It's time to grow up

2011-12-22T08:45:00.001-05:00

Ecclesiological buffet is a term that is commonly used today by many pastors. It's a disease that plagues a large percentage of the church-going population of our country. In essence, it means that people go hopping from church to church as if it were a buffet, cheap food that is produced en masse. There are legitimate reasons to leave a congregation, and in my view, the main reason, and maybe even the only really valid one, would be if the pastor and elders are leading the church astray. In other words, if there is consistent disregard for the word of God in their teaching and in their lives.

Unfortunately, nowadays, people leave church for the most banal reasons. If the music is too loud, or if the sermon is too long, people just take off and leave and go to the next church down the block. The cycle just keeps going on and on. I think the significance of the Church has been lost in a large segment of our culture.

Now, if you move to a new area, then sure, find a church where the bible is preached truthfully. It may take you a while to find a place where you feel comfortable, but once you find a church where God has placed you, then, well, you should stay, unless you have a valid reason for moving. Don't stay in a church for five months and then leave because you don't like the new songs they are singing. You are supposed to plant your roots in your congregation and serve others around you. Don't go from church to church criticizing the former pastors just because your taste in music was different. Take time to mature and grow up in one place and see how God can use you there.

We are all sinners, and if you take a good look at your own heart, you may find that many times the reasons you leave a church are not the right ones. Some people leave because the church is too focused on evangelism. What does that say about them? It probably makes them uncomfortable because the last time they shared the gospel was 10 years ago. Other people leave church because the leaders start digging deep into theology. What does that say about them? Well, they probably don't want to grow up and want excuses for their sins. Just be honest with yourself and pray to God for guidance.

5 Ways to Encourage your Husband

2011-12-21T16:03:00.002-05:00

A helpful and encouraging blog from Jared Wilson. You can read it here

Albert Mohler on Joel Osteen's take on Mormonism

2011-12-21T14:24:00.000-05:00

"Mormonism does not differ from historic biblical Christianity in only the “little details,” and a faithful Mormon would be the first to point this out. Mormonism begins with a plurality of gods, not with the monotheism of the Bible. Jesus Christ is an exalted man — not the incarnate Word. The list of categorical doctrinal differences continues throughout the entire belief system.

The very essence of Mormonism is the claim that historic Christianity is fundamentally in error, and that true Christianity did not exist on earth from the time of the Apostles until Joseph Smith. Mormonism can hardly be charged with hiding their movement’s teachings — the Book of Mormon and the other fundamental texts of the Latter Day Saints are published in plain sight."

Read the entire article here

More book reviews soon!

2011-12-20T15:54:00.000-05:00

I know that a very popular section of this blog is the Book Reviews tab. With that in mind, I plan to update it more frequently and review more books. Thank you for trusting my opinion and my recommendation. I also added a new feature in the Book Reviews tab where you can see and buy the books I highly recommend. Thanks for reading!

Joel Osteen on Mitt Romney's faith

2011-12-19T14:53:00.000-05:00

This is sad, that a well known pastor like Joel Osteen equates Christianity to Mormonism.

The perversion of the prosperity gospel made its way to Nigeria

2011-12-19T08:57:00.002-05:00

This is a very sad but a must watch documentary. Although this is about Nigeria, I can attest that this same kind of erroneous teaching plagues many Hispanic congregations in Miami.

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Doug Wilson on the death of Christopher Hitchens

2011-12-17T18:35:00.000-05:00

"Christopher knew that faithful Christians believe that it is appointed to man once to die, and after that the Judgment. He knew that we believe what Jesus taught about the reality of damnation. He also knew that we believe—for I told him—that in this life, the door of repentance is always open.

Read the rest here

Unity in the blood

2011-12-16T13:24:00.000-05:00

"And they sang a new song: 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.'" - Revelation 5:9 (emphasis mine)

In Miami, Cubans, and Hispanics in general are the majority. Now that I live in Topeka, I see what being a minority truly means. Not that I didn't experience it before, in high school and in other places around Miami, I felt the lingering looks of those around me. But now I can say that I'm definitely the minority in any room that I walk into. Although that reality and all that it means is always present, I also know that what's more important is my citizenship in heaven.

There will be no black church, or white church, or Hispanic church in heaven. There is only one church, one body, one people all bought by the blood of Jesus. It is not a matter of race or ethnicity, it is a matter of blood. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ and that reality came true when he purchased our souls on the Cross and we should start applying it in our lives the moment we believe. Let us not be divided.

Friday Worship #1 - You're Beautiful by Phil Wickham

2011-12-16T04:09:00.002-05:00

This song is one of my favorites, ever. During my wedding, my wife and I lit a unity candle and we prayed, and while that was going on, this song was playing in the backgroud. It is a beautiful and intimate worship song to Jesus.

Defining Marriage in a Kardashian World

2011-12-15T06:23:00.007-05:00

Tim Keller has a new book out and it is on marriage. I'm excited to get it soon. You can get a copy here.

10 Painful Lessons from the Early Days of Mars Hill Church

2011-12-15T01:57:00.000-05:00

A very interesting read from Mark Driscoll

A beautiful mystery

2011-12-14T10:43:00.000-05:00

"Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory." 1 Timothy 3:16

A child is born

2011-12-13T10:12:00.000-05:00

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

A matter of worship

2011-12-12T05:58:00.000-05:00

Now that I'm living in Topeka, I'm attending Topeka Bible Church, which is a wonderful place where the word of God is taught and His glory is proclaimed. Last night though, I attended a nearby place, Fellowship Bible Church, for an event called "Overflow." This event is basically a two-hour worship service where believers from different churches, including TBC, can spend time in fellowship and exalting God.

I enjoyed every minute of it. I'm the type of person that gets renewed spiritually when I spend a good amount of time just singing songs to the Lord. There's just something beautiful that happens, a mysterious exchange takes place when I raise my hands and sing to God. Looking back at earlier years, I have seen how God used me to introduce new songs, or new to those churches, that God used to revolutionize those places, especially the youth group.

With that in mind, and knowing that many people around the world read this blog, I plan to put up a new praise and worship song every Friday. I hope that those songs may bring a new breath of fresh air to your intimate worship time with God, or you regular Sunday service.

Loving the 1%

2011-12-06T07:18:00.000-05:00

An interesting take on a largely unreached part of the population.

Loving the 1%

The real story

2011-12-03T17:23:00.000-05:00

The last paragraph of the last book of The Chronicles of Narnia:

"All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before."

The real story begins when we meet God, face to face.

How to save a life

2011-11-24T05:34:00.001-05:00

When you feel the Holy Spirit telling you something, just do it. It may not make any sense to you, but there's always a reason. Some years ago, I was part of a young adults Bible study group. We met on every Tuesday but because of my work schedule, I wasn't always able to make it. On one of those nights when I wasn't able to go, I felt that God was specifically telling me to send an encouraging text to someone in the group. I had no idea what this person was going through, but I had to be obedient.

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." - Psalm 34:18

That was it, that was the entire text. Just the word of the Lord. Then about five minutes later, this friend calls me in tears and asks me, "Why did you send me that? How did you know?" I told her that I didn't know what was going in her life, but that I felt God told me to text her that. She didn't go into details, but she thanked me profusely for the text. Much later that night, I got a text from another friend who goes to the same Bible study. He said, "You just saved her life tonight."

Later, I found out that she was going through some horrible times and she was about to give up on God and on life. In the middle of her tears and desperation, she received my text saying, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted..." It changed her life, she went to the Bible study filled with hope and joyful because she knew that God was with her.

I share this story to encourage you to obey the voice of God. No matter how crazy or unlike you a task may seem, just obey because you never know whose life is at stake.

Quotes to Ponder

2011-11-21T13:19:00.000-05:00

"Faith is the mother of virtues. Faith is the fire which consumes sacrifice. Faith is the water which nurtures the root of piety. If you have not faith, all your graces must die. And in proportion as your faith increases, so will all your virtues be strengthened, not all in the same proportion, but all in some degree." - Charles H. Spurgeon

Taking our spouse off the pedestal

2011-11-21T06:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Elena and I went to our first church service as a married couple living in Topeka. We also went to a young married couples Bible study. Although we don't really know anyone yet, and there's always that awkward feeling in the beginning when everyone is talking to each other and you just stare at the floor. But well, that's how it is always in the beginning. Besides that, the class was really great and it touched on a subject I wrote about sometime last year.

When we marry someone, we often wrongly believe that our spouse is going to fulfill every single need that is deep in our hearts. Sometimes we manipulate them or we manipulate situations to get our way, but in the end we still come out disappointed, and that's a good thing. No one is perfect and the sooner we realize that, the less pressure we'll put on our spouse and we'll learn to love them and accept them. Only when we come to God and seek more of Him, can our horizontal relationships be healthy and godly.

Like I said, I wrote about this last year, and you can read more here

Erasing Hell: Francis Chan speaks

2011-11-19T12:14:00.001-05:00

Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle, both authors of Erasing Hell, explain more about why they wrote this particular book.

Learning to walk again

2011-11-16T11:38:00.000-05:00

Now that in about 5 months I will become a father, people warn my wife and I about sleepless nights. "Get all the sleep you can now, because when the baby is born, you won't be able to sleep at all."

When a baby is hungry for milk, he or she will let you know. A newborn will not hesitate when it comes to his nourishment and the minute he's hungry, you can be sure that there will be loud tears. With that in mind, I started thinking about the spiritual hunger of the believer. The Bible, the word of God, is our milk, our nourishment and our sustenance. The same way a baby depends on milk and desperately wants it, so should we long and seek the word of God.

Think about this. Will a newborn grow to be strong and healthy if he or she has no food? Of course not. Then, how can we as born again believers survive and mature in our faith without a daily reading of the Bible? Just the term that Jesus used, "born again," should make us realize that we are like that brand new baby, in need of sustenance.

Going further along with the born again analogy, this also means that we must learn to talk and walk in the spiritual, just like we did when we were small children in the physical. By spending time with God, as we grow in Him, the way we talk will be noticeably different from before we were saved. Then of course, we must learn to walk with Him. And yes, you guessed right, at times you will fall when you try to walk. But this time around our heavenly Father is there to pick us up.

Quotes to Ponder

2011-11-06T03:00:00.000-05:00

"It is not the punishment but the cause that makes the martyr." - St. Augustine

Kim Kardashian and the sanctity of marriage

2011-11-05T13:32:00.001-04:00

Two wrongs don't make a right. Even children know that the previous statement is true. The institution of marriage has been under attack for a long time, from the diminishing of the true roles of men and women, to the forceful agenda of gay marriage. Recently, marriage has come under close scrutiny again thanks to Kim Kardashian. She's a reality TV "star," who rose to notoriety in a very demeaning way. Kim was married recently, but 72 days later she is now filing for divorce.

The reason I'm writing about this is because there's a sentiment going around now that says something like this, "Kim Kardashian made a lot of money from her wedding and then she divorced 72 days later. And people are making a big deal out of gays ruining the sanctity of marriage?"

Again, to that sentiment I say the same thing: Does two wrongs make a right?

It's very possible that Kim's "marriage" was only a publicity stunt or a way for her to make money through television deals, but just because she may not value the institution of marriage, it does not mean that one should favor homosexual marriage. How can those two things even be compared? If she did marry for publicity then it is wrong. And you know what? That does not make gay marriage any less wrong.

The sanctity of marriage is under attack from many different fronts and unfortunately there are plenty of Kim Kardashians in the world, but out resolve as Christians should be the same in all fronts. We look at the word of God and we believe what it says is true and we call it like it is.

God has no comparison

2011-11-03T13:11:00.000-04:00

Have you ever been around people who speak about the "old days" (in this case before they became Christians) and speak of their partying and crazy days with nostalgia and not disgust? I'm sure you have, or at one point you were one of those people. I think that happens because of our lack of understanding of the treasure that God is.

Our past live of ruin and sin, devoid of the grace of God, should not be something we look back on with nostalgia or love. Instead, we ought to say, "wow, I can't believe I did all those evil things and God still showed me grace." I think that should be the attitude that we should have as believers. And when the temptation comes to romanticize the things we have done, we should pray and ask God for strength and a clear mind. Let's not compare God in the same sentence or thought as sin. He is better than all that, He is better than life itself.

Quotes to Ponder

2011-10-26T16:00:00.001-04:00

"It is not the punishment but the cause that makes the martyr." - St. Augustine

For those who want to believe

2011-10-17T11:29:00.000-04:00

There is a dangerous lie that always attacks those who are wanting more of God. The lie is this; you are not good enough so you can't get close to God. Now, the beautiful thing about Christianity is that no one is good enough. We never get close to God because our good outweighs our bad, or because we think we are better people than our neighbors. We can grow in the knowledge of God because He lived a perfect life, took our punishment on the cross and raised from the dead.

So, it doesn't matter what you have done in your past, because not even the most awful and terrible thing can keep you from God. His grace and love cover all our sins. You don't need to punish yourself and try to be a better person. You don't have to think, "God won't take me like this. I need to get my act together." That's a lie because you will never get your act together. God wants you to come to Him as you are, broken, so that He can heal you and transform you. What you need to do is repent and accept His grace.

The love of all loves

2011-10-13T07:15:00.001-04:00

I, as any caring man, am protective of my family, especially my wife. Now that she's pregnant, my protective instincts have certainly increased by a hundred percent. It reminds me of this scene in The Blind Side, when Sandra Bullock's character reveals that Michael tested 98 percentile in "Protective Instincts."

That is our nature, not only as men, but also as human beings. We were designed with an instinct to protect our own. My child is not yet born, but I already love him or her. I can only imagine the wonderful feeling that will overcome me when I see his or her tiny feet, or when I feel the small hands grasping my fingers. Those of you who are parents can certainly identify with what I'm saying.

This new stage in my life, which I'm preparing for, makes me think of The Cross. As imperfect and flawed as I am, I love my wife and unborn baby very much. Can you imagine how much God loves his Son? God, who is love Himself. And yet, in order to save us, in order to restore all things, he sacrificed his own son. Now, that alone should make all of us drop to our knees and thank Him.

Some news!!!

2011-10-08T14:14:00.000-04:00

God has been enormously gracious. My wife and I are expecting our first baby! We are so excited and thankful to our heavenly Father that words are not enough to describe it. My wife has written a lovely blog entry with more details and the first ultrasound picture of our child. A child that we will raise in the ways of the Lord.

Thoughts on Grace

2011-10-03T12:13:00.000-04:00

God's grace always reminds us that we can start over again. It reminds us that our efforts don't count when it comes to God's favor. Anything earned is not a gift. And that's precisely what grace is, a gift from God. Grace is the most welcomed, most desired and most unexpected gift. Grace daily offers up what every person since the fall wished to do: to start over again.

Most Popular Blog Entries

2011-09-28T13:45:00.001-04:00

Thus far, these are the most popular entries on the site. If you haven't done so, read on and please pass the link that most interests you (or all) to your friends:

1-Francis Chan and Rob Bell are like day and night
2-Francis Chan responds to Rob Bell's Love Wins
3-Dug Down Deep (A book review)
4-The Miracle of Christopher Daniel (a true story)
5-Elephant Room: Session 1, Matt Chandler and Steven Furtick

Sincerely rejoicing

2011-09-27T08:24:00.000-04:00

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." - Romans 12:15

At first glance, it may seem odd that God is telling us to be happy for those who are happy. Does he really have to tell us that? If anything, it's easier to rejoice for others than to mourn with them, or is it? Let's say that you've been faithful to God all your life, but things just aren't going well in your life at the moment. To make things worse, your car completely broke down and now you're on foot. Next day you get a call from a friend, a new believer who tells you, "You won't believe what happened! Someone just gave me a brand new car! I didn't even really need it, but now I have my own car!"

How would you react? Would you let your sinful nature take control and envy or even resent your friend? Or would you remember what God's word said and rejoice?

As you may see, it isn't always easy to rejoice, which is why we need God's help to do so. We need God's help so that our rejoicing may be sincere and honest. Would you pray about that today?

Quotes to Ponder

2011-09-26T09:02:00.000-04:00

"God is not silent. It is the nature of God to speak. The second person of the Holy Trinity is called 'The Word.'" - A. W. Tozer

Back from the Dead (Devotional)

2011-09-21T05:04:00.000-04:00

I'm part of a team of devotional writers for my church here in Miami. Yesterday, I wrote one that was featured in the email newsletter.

Ephesians 2:1-3

All of us at one point were dead in sin. Not injured, not barely hanging on, but we were dead. And not only were we dead, but we were kept as such by “the prince of the power of the air.” Satan had control of our lives and there was nothing we could do. How can dead people bring themselves back to life? How can a deceased person choose to live? It is impossible. Something or someone must save us.

That’s when Jesus stepped in. We were powerless against the enemy, but Jesus is power. We were defenseless against the dark forces, but Jesus is our defender. We were dead in our sins, but Jesus is life. That’s how radical our conversion is. We passed from death to life. What’s amazing is that, in our wretched state, in our spiritual deadness, God extended his mercy towards us and brought us life.

The most dangerous vanity

2011-09-19T12:45:00.000-04:00

The most dangerous vanity is taking credit for God's work. This taking, of course, is only real in the mind of the perpetrator, since God obviously knows that He is the one in control, the one building and destroying, the planting and uprooting. This doesn't make the offense less severe because the person boasting has defied God and in essence told him that he is not needed.

When we face success in our lives, it is easy to be persuaded by pride and claim all the attention and praise. Our prayers are most easily forgotten when we finally have the answers. We must not fall into that temptation.

Have we easily forgotten what the Bible says?

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'” (James 4:13-15)

When you get that promotion, that diploma or find that person you are going to marry, don't spend all your time admiring your hard work, your studious nights and charming personality, but instead, focus on thanking God. I'm not saying that feeling accomplished is evil, but what I'm saying is that in the midst of your sense of accomplishment, you should remember God, who after all, created you and gave you the faculties necessary to do, move and be.

Another update!

2011-09-15T16:52:00.000-04:00

Two more reviews added, though from the same book. I wrote them a while ago, but just now I added them under the tab "Book Reviews." Enjoy!

Taking back your time

2011-09-14T13:53:00.000-04:00

All of us have probably heard the saying, "the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist." Isn't that the truth though? As Christians, more than anyone, we should be aware of the reality of the spiritual realm around us. That's not to say that we should blame every little thing on the devil, there are things that happen because of the state our fallen world, and other things can be credited to human folly, but there certainly are principalities and rulers of dark places.

I'm calling for us to be aware and alert. It's easy to go through life disconnected from all this, even disconnected from our heavenly Father. And perhaps that is the greatest trick or lie, that we can go through life without relying on God. Sure, we can go through the motions and fill our lives with empty pleasures. How many times has your spiritual life felt dead and dry? Maybe that's the way you feel right now. My challenge to you is to not believe the lie. Don't believe that there's nothing you can do, or that you are too far away from God. You are never far enough. He can always reach you. Just take that first step, pray, or open your Bible.

Distractions can keep you from spending time with God. We complain that we don't have time, but that is another lie from our day and age. The truth is that we do have time, we are just employing it on the wrong things. Maybe don't update your Facebook as often, maybe don't Tweet all the time, or perhaps you should turn off the TV. None of these things are inherently wrong, but if they are taking away from your time with God, if they are distracting you, then they have to go or take a secondary place. I have found that distractions are one way that the enemy uses to keep me feeling dry and far from God. But enough is enough. I'm going to do something about it. How about you?

Quotes to Ponder

2011-09-13T13:19:00.001-04:00

Thoughts while flying

2011-09-12T10:50:00.000-04:00

Last week my wife and I flew to Kansas to visit her parents. We had a wonderful time and are looking forward to seeing them again. To get there from Miami, we need to take two planes and spend an uncomfortable amount of time in airports. When we finally board a plane, I always get the feeling that I'm in between places, as if when I'm suspended in the air, I'm somewhere in the middle of life. I'm not really in Miami and I'm not really in Kansas.

Isn't that the same with our life here on earth? Our final destination as Christians is heaven with our Lord, but while here on the earth, we don't feel like we belong. We are in the world, but we are not of the world. We feel like we are on that airplane, suspended somewhere in the middle. Our citizenship is in heaven, our loyalty is not to a specific part of the country, but to the kingdom of heaven.

I pray that we may not forget that. I pray that while life and the devil try to distract us, we can, with the help of the Holy Spirit, continuing moving forward with our gaze up to heaven.

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" - Philippians 3:20

Quotes to Ponder

2011-09-10T17:49:00.001-04:00

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

A quick response on Love Wins and why Jesus is the way

2011-09-02T11:54:00.000-04:00

Does love win in the end? If by love, you mean the God that sacrificed his son on the cross for sinners, so that now all who believe in Him, and Him only, can enter paradise and live eternally, then yes. People accuse us Christians of being elitists, of judging who goes to heaven or not. But that's far from the truth. There is one that judges, and that is God.

However, Jesus did make it clear when he said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." And that's what we, as Christians, preach. We don't decide who goes to heaven or not, but God does, and he made it clear that only those who put their trust in Jesus can go to the Father. Anyone who preaches something else, whether he's a gifted speaker or the most popular author in the world, is teaching a false doctrine.

Let us stand in truth, like our past brothers and sisters did, whether it may costs us insults, persecution or even our own lives.

Quotes to Ponder

2011-08-30T11:01:00.002-04:00

"If you want a religion to make you feel comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity." —C.S. Lewis

A reminder of trust

2011-08-29T10:58:00.000-04:00

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song." - Psalm 28:7

When problems arise

2011-08-24T13:56:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had such a bad day, or week that when something else bad happens you actually laugh, thinking, "of course, why wouldn't this happen too?"

It is in times like these, when our faith gets put to the test. Sure, we read about Job and other people in the Bible, but unless we go through some difficulty, those stories seem distant and one dimensional. Oh, but when it is our turn, when the story of our life takes a tragic turn, when the tears stream down our cheeks like a fountain, only then can we relate.

It is in times like these that we need to put our faith in our Lord, our Savior and our Redeemer. He has rescued us before and He will do it again.

Why some people are atheists

2011-08-15T11:19:00.000-04:00

On a recent Christianity Today article, I read an interesting take on why people are atheists. Basically, the article said that one of the main reasons behind people's denial of God is that they don't want to feel guilty about indulging in the desires of the flesh. Although no doubt many atheists would deny it, this makes perfect sense and I believe that it is at the root of the problem.

When you accept and believe that there is a God, then you must find out who He is and what He demands of you. Once Jesus Christ becomes your Lord, and that means ruler, then you must submit to this authority. Since we are all sinners by nature we certainly are not going to desire the things of God. We actually wage war against God, we are in rebellion against him.

All these intellectual assaults against God and Christianity are merely a facade. The root reason, the hidden motivation is the desire to not be accountable for ones' actions. The real sin behind unbelief is the not wanting to belief what is evident in nature, what is obvious all around us. Lust and pride can be deathly traps and they can ensnare all of us, which is why as believers, we have the power to defeat it, thanks to the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. But only as believers, only when we humble ourselves and repent.

The Words of Jesus

2011-08-10T12:24:00.000-04:00

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.'” - Matthew 19:23-24

From many pews and Bible studies, I've heard many people say that when Jesus said that, he was talking about a gate called "the eye of the needle." Supposedly, this gate was very narrow and close to the ground, which forced the camels to "humble" themselves and basically crawl through the gate. As pretty and pious as this may sound, it is wrong. No such gate existed in the time of Jesus and in fact no such gate has ever existed.

That's the thing. We try to take the words of Jesus and lessen their shocking message. We don't want Jesus to be so demanding, to be so radical, so we attempt to explain away what is clear and evident.

How many times have we been guilty of that? Let's repent and ask God for the strength and for His spirit to guide us in all truth.

When we gather to worship

2011-08-06T11:18:00.000-04:00

As my wife has affirmed numerous times, I have a teaching gift. Naturally, I enjoy participating in Bible studies and especially preparing and sharing them. However, I must say that I really love times of just worship to God. By that I mean, going to a friend's house, like what we did last night, and just spend an hour or two singing songs to the Lord.

We had some time of fellowship and catching up, some food, and even partook in communion. Later on, we spend some time worshiping our Father in heaven. It was wonderful. It was refreshing. It was a breath of fresh air. If you haven't done something like this recently, then I suggest you do. Bible studies are of the utmost importance, but equally important are times of praise and worship with believers, when we just come before God with no plans, with no agenda, but with open arms and open hearts.

Amazon Wish List

2011-08-04T13:09:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to share that "My Amazon Wish List" is now at the bottom of every page! That list comprises of items that both my wife and I wish to have. Thanks!

An early review on "Erasing Hell" by Francis Chan

2011-08-04T12:18:00.000-04:00

Interesting book review here

"But though this book is a perfectly appropriate response to Love Wins at one level, it misses the point at another level. Before I proceed any further, allow me to explain why I am about to break one of the cardinal rules of book reviewing. A good book review appreciates and critiques the book that is written, not the book that the reviewer thinks should have been written. I’m about to break that rule..."

A Monday morning reminder of God's love

2011-08-01T08:59:00.000-04:00

If God's grace was not a gift, if His mercy was not new every morning, then where would we be? Thankfully for us, God's love for us goes beyond what the most loving person in the world can even begin to comprehend. God's love for us is more powerful that whatever guilt or remorse may hang over our heads. God's love for us is stronger than death. We are made new in Jesus Christ. He is our Savior. He is our Lord.

Lust doesn't affect men only

2011-07-26T10:56:00.000-04:00

An insightful article by Carolyn McCulley:

"We're well into the heat of summer now, and that means many churches across the American landscape have, at some point, reiterated the modesty message for the good church ladies everywhere.

Wait. I can actually see that eyeroll of yours even from here. But, friends, don't click away just yet. Because I am going to go where large swaths of American church culture need to go on this topic … but often don't.

I'm talking about lust. And women."

Click on the link above to read the rest.

An update

2011-07-25T10:17:00.002-04:00

My dear readers, I apologize that I could not write last friday. My Internet situation at home is non-existent at the moment, so it makes it harder to blog. Thanks for checking back though.

Is it okay to accept a doctrine and not like it?

2011-07-16T05:07:00.000-04:00

Kevin DeYoung writes:

"It takes a certain courage to look at what the Bible teaches, not like it all that much, and still believe it. I am thankful for brothers and sisters who believe in hell or believe in complementarianism or believe in election and reprobation or believe homosexuality is a sin despite their internal protestations. It’s a good sign when we take our stand on the Bible even when we’d prefer to take our stand somewhere else.

But it’s a better sign when we take our stand on the Bible and learn to love where the Bible stands."

Romans Firday, R 1:3

2011-07-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David"

a)The Gospel is about Jesus Christ. It's about a Holy God (the Father) appeasing his wrath by sending His son to take our punishment on the cross. If you ever remind yourself of something, always remember the cross and what Jesus Christ did for you.

b)"who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David." Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies of being from the lineage of David (see Matthew 1). Also, it is fascinating to look back in the Old Testament and see all the prophecies referring to Jesus and his earthly lineage. For instance:

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,

“When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch;
And He will reign as king and act wisely
And do justice and righteousness in the land.
“In His days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell securely;
And this is His name by which He will be called,
"The Lord our righteousness.’” (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

My dear readers

2011-07-12T12:55:00.000-04:00

As you know, I haven't been updating the blog lately because I've been concentrating on the book that I'm writing. Thanks for checking back though, and remember that you can also browse through the Archives and read entries you may have missed.

I will be taking a break from the book soon, and shall come back with more regular posts. Thanks again and God bless!

Finding the real Jesus

2011-07-09T05:08:00.001-04:00

"I confess to the church, I know I have backed away from certain things because of my arrogance I thought I could attract more people to Jesus by hiding certain things about him.” - Francis Chan

Via Justin Taylor

Love Doesn't Let Go

Should you marry an unbeliever?

The Attributes of God

Friday Worship #8 - Fire Fall Down by Chris Quilala

"Should I Marry a Man with Pornography Struggles?"

President Obama's remarks on Roe v. Wade

Abortion: "As American as Applie Pie"

Friday Worship #7 - Awakening by Chris Tomlin

John Piper: I Was a Racist

The Big Day is Nearly Here

What do Do If You Wake Up Feeling Fragile

Prosperity gospel pastors need the true Jesus

There's a Psalm for that

My take on 'Heaven is For Real'

Loving C.S. Lewis, Hating Rob Bell

Free Audiobook!

Friday Worship #6 - You Won't Relent by Jesus Culture

A new feature: Like Box!

Learning from Christopher Hitchens

The Universal Cry Answered

Signs Your Marriage is Drifting

The Christian Biggest Loser

Jennifer Knapp & Larry King: Why We Always Lose This Debate

Stop working

What legalism is not

Friday Worship #5 - Jesus Paid it All by Kristian Stanfill

Backward Porn Addiction

Arousing Ourselves to Death

God found me at my worst

God's final solution

A new year without Facebook

John Piper - God's Sovereignty and Our Responsibility

Why young Christians aren't waiting anymore; a response

Book Review: Erasing Hell by Francis Chan

Happy New Year!!

Top 10 News Stories of 2011

To end the old year!

Friday Worship #4 - My Soul Longs For You by Misty Edwards

Heavenly minded

My Birthday!

Francis Chan on Unanswered Prayer

Why Jesus was born

John Piper on How and Why God Changes People

Friday Worship #3 - Hillsong United - Take All of Me

Friday Worship #2 - In Your Presence by Jason Upton

Francish Chan - Redefining normal

It's time to grow up

5 Ways to Encourage your Husband

Albert Mohler on Joel Osteen's take on Mormonism

More book reviews soon!

Joel Osteen on Mitt Romney's faith

The perversion of the prosperity gospel made its way to Nigeria

Doug Wilson on the death of Christopher Hitchens

Unity in the blood

Friday Worship #1 - You're Beautiful by Phil Wickham

Defining Marriage in a Kardashian World

10 Painful Lessons from the Early Days of Mars Hill Church

A beautiful mystery

A child is born

A matter of worship

Loving the 1%

The real story

How to save a life

Quotes to Ponder

Taking our spouse off the pedestal

Erasing Hell: Francis Chan speaks

Learning to walk again

Quotes to Ponder

Kim Kardashian and the sanctity of marriage

God has no comparison

Quotes to Ponder

For those who want to believe

The love of all loves

Some news!!!

Thoughts on Grace

Most Popular Blog Entries

Sincerely rejoicing

Quotes to Ponder

Back from the Dead (Devotional)

The most dangerous vanity