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A CENTURY 21 DISCIPLE OF JESUS

Promoting authentic Christian discipleship.
 

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(Click here for Going The Extra Mile.)

 

"Then he said to the crowd, 'If any of you wants to be my follower,

you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily,

and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.

But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world

but are yourself lost or destroyed?'"

 -- JESUS

(Luke 9:23-25, NLT)
 
'

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

* Thirty-Five Things Worth Knowing About The Bible *
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QUOTEWORTHY THEOLOGY:

UPDATED 01-18-2010

ATTRIBUTES OF SCRIPTURE

The first triad consists of power, authority, and clarity, three qualities of Scripture as God's speech. The second, showing the importance of Scripture to our decisions in life, consists of comprehensiveness, necessity, and sufficiency.

 

Comprehensiveness (4 of 6)

[This means] the relevance of all Scripture to all of life. That is, God's truth is given to us in the whole Bible, not just parts of it, and that truth covers all of human life.

 

If Scripture were a merely human book, we could pick and choose what we find ethically useful. But since Scripture is the word of God, we may not do that. Rather, we must hunger for every word that comes from God's lips.

 

All ethical questions, in the final analysis, are questions about what the whole bible says to people about their situation.

 

[I]n Scripture's view of its own mission, the whole Word applies to the whole world.

 

God's lordship is comprehensive. He demands that every aspect of life be under his authority.

 

God's salvation is also comprehensive. ... Regeneration is radical, affecting our thinking, will, emotions, and actions.

 

[A]lthough there are many subjects that Scripture does not explicitly mention, it speaks of everything implicitly. It does that by providing principles for every ethical decision.

 

So to say that Scripture is comprehensive is to say that the whole Word applies to the whole world. We need to take a broad view of ethics, which encompasses the whole Bible and the whole creation.

 

John Frame, The Doctrine of the Christian Life (pages 150-53)

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SPECIAL FEATURES:

Redeeming the Rainbow:

A Christian Response to the "Gay" Agenda

(by Dr. Scott Lively [810 kb PDF])

The American Heritage Series

(America's truly Christian heritage [10 dvd set])

Manhattan Declaration

(Defending the unborn, marriage, and

religious liberty. [1.15 mb PDF])

The Effects of Pornography on Individuals, Marriage, Family and Community

(from the Family Research Council [175 kb PDF])

INDIVISIBLE: Social and Economic Foundations of American Liberty

(from The Heritage Foundation [880 kb PDF])

  

NOTE: The below featured resources related to government and politics are intended as a call to prayer and responsible civic action.

FEATURED ARTICLES:

'Til Debt Do Us Part ...

(from the Family Research Council)

ADDED 02-07-2010

After Massachusetts, what's next for GOP?

(by Star Parker)

ADDED 02-07-2010

Don't Ask, Don't Tell -- Don't Bother!

(from the Family Research Council)

ADDED 02-05-2010

Obama's HOPE Is That He Gets All of Your CHANGE

(ref: the 2011 budget)

(from the Family Research Council)

ADDED 02-02-2010

Courtroom Cirque du Jihad

(by Michelle Malkin)

ADDED 01-31-2010

Democrats' political suicide pact

(by Matt Barber, Liberty Counsel)

ADDED 01-31-2010

Our Gangster President

(by AC21DOJ)

ADDED 01-31-2010

Obama: The era of big government is ... eternal

(by Larry Elder)

ADDED 01-29-2010

Obama: "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!"

(by Matthew Staver, Liberty Counsel)

ADDED 01-29-2010

Supreme Court slap inappropriate - and wrong

(from OneNewsNow)

ADDED 01-29-2010

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MY CHRISTIAN TESTIMONY:

How Jesus Changed My Life

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n

ALLOW ME TO ILLUSTRATE

UPDATED 01-18-2010

Without Wax

Our English word "sincere" comes from a Latin word meaning "without wax." [REF] [REF] [REF] In ancient Rome dishonest art dealers would use wax to disguise cracks in a statue or vase, then sell it as a perfect piece. The buyer would take his newly acquired artwork home to display in his garden. With the arrival of the next hot day, however, the wax would melt and the piece's imperfections would be revealed. In response to this situation, reputable art dealers began imprinting the word sincerus, meaning "without wax," on their art pieces, thus guaranteeing that they were perfect. [REF]

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excerpts from

Disappointment with God

by Philip Yancey (c) 1992

UPDATED 01-18-2010

The world as it is versus the world as it ought to be -- the constant tension between those two states bursts into the open in the Book of Job. For three long, windy rounds, Job and his friends spar in a verbal boxing match. On the ground rules, they all agree: God should reward those who do good and punish those who do evil.

 

Why, then, is Job, a supposedly good man, suffering so much apparent punishment? Job's friends, confident of God's fairness, defend the world as it is. "Use your common sense," they tell Job. "God would not afflict you without a cause. You must have committed some secret sin." But Job, who knows beyond doubt he has done nothing to deserve such punishment, cannot agree. He pleads innocent.

 

Gradually, however, the suffering wears down Job's most cherished beliefs. How can God be on his side? Job wonders. He is, after all, squatting in a heap of ashes, the ruins of his life. He is a broken, despairing man, "betrayed" by God. "Look at me and be astonished; clap your hand over your mouth," Job cries.

 

A crisis of faith brews inside him. Is God unfair? Such a notion calls into question everything Job believes, but how else can he explain what has happened? He looks around for other examples of unfairness and sees that evil people sometimes do prosper -- they don't get punished, as he'd like to believe -- while some godly people suffer. And many other people live happy, fruitful lives without ever giving a thought to God. For Job, the facts simply do not add up. "When I think about this, I am terrified; trembling seizes my body."

 

The reason the Book of Job seems so modern is that for us, too, the facts do not add up. Job's strident message of life's unfairness seems peculiarly suited to our own pain-racked century. Simply plug contemporary illustrations into his arguments: "innocent" but starving children in the Third World; faithful pastors imprisoned in South Africa; Christian leaders who die in their prime; Mafia dons and spoiled entertainers who profit obscenely from flouting God's rules; the millions in Western Europe who live quiet, happy lives and never give God a thought. Far from fading away, Job's questions about this world's unfairness have only grown louder and shriller. We still expect a God of love and power to follow certain rules on earth. Why doesn't he? (pages 197-98)

 

AC21DOJ DISCLAIMER: While Philip Yancey writes about some profound theological concepts, he is not a theologian. In his own words, he writes "as a pilgrim, not an expert." His writing reflects a nonjudgmental, humble willingness to learn from others. His writing style is warm and engaging, and his thorough research results in many beneficial insights. All that said, not everyone will agree with every word he writes.

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excerpts from

Pray for Our Nation:

Scriptural Prayers to Revive Our Country

(Tulsa: Harrison House Publishers (c) 1999)

UPDATED 01-18-2010

 

Part 1: Prayers for the Leaders of Our Nation

 

10

Safety of Diplomats

 

 

Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray that You would exalt our nation to such a degree that even the most fanatical of our enemies would fear attacking our embassies and their personnel.

 

Rather, Lord, let our enemies begin to see our nation as an ensign of peace to the world and realize that living in peace is preferable to living in fear and bondage.

 

Supernaturally alert our personnel of any potential attacks, and give them the power to quell them before they happen.

 

Father, I ask You to send laborers for the Lord to embassy personnel worldwide so they may hear the gospel and find the divine protection You provide for believers.

 

 

---------

Scripture References

Proverbs 16:7

Matthew 28:18, 19

Mark 16:15

---------

 

 

We all can pray. We all should pray.

We should ask the fulfillment of God's will.

We should ask for courage, wisdom,

for the quietness of soul which comes alone

to them who place their lives in His hands.

 

-- HARRY S. TRUMAN,

33RD U.S. PRESIDENT

 

OF SPECIAL NOTE:

 

Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?

In his most powerful book since What's So Amazing about Grace? and The Jesus I Never Knew, Yancey probes the most fundamental, challenging, perplexing, and deeply rewarding aspect -- the very heartbeat -- of your relationship with God: prayer. In theory, prayer is the essential human act, a priceless point of contact between you and the God of the universe. In practice however, prayer is often frustrating, confusing, and fraught with mystery. Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? explores the mysterious intersection where you and God meet and relate. Writing as a fellow pilgrim, Yancey explores the questions surrounding prayer that you may wonder about but not know how to express. Above all, Yancey shows you how to pray to a God who sees what lies ahead of you, knows what lies within you, and who invites you into an eternal partnership with Him -- through prayer.

** For excerpts see Prayer. **

AC21DOJ DISCLAIMER: While Philip Yancey writes about some profound theological concepts, he is not a theologian. In his own words, he writes "as a pilgrim, not an expert." His writing reflects a nonjudgmental, humble willingness to learn from others. His writing style is warm and engaging, and his thorough research results in  many beneficial insights. All that said, not everyone will agree with every word he writes.

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FEATURED BIBLE STUDY RESOURCE

(Click here for a complete listing.)

(UPDATED 01-18-2010)

 

TITLE: A General Introduction to the Bible, revised & expanded

CATEGORY: Historical Background and Church History

DESCRIPTION: Your starting point for Bible study is right here. All your "beginning" questions are answered: Who wrote the Bible? Which books belong in it? Has it been accurately preserved and translated? This edition includes new sections on the inerrancy of the Bible, recent trends in textual criticism, a review of modern English translations, and more.

 

Click on the title to learn more about and/or purchase

this resource from Christian Book Distributors.

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Powered by God

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

(2 Timothy 1:7, NLT)

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