Wednesday, March 31, 2010

I am important... so are you!

WARNING: Long Post Ahead!

I am currently in the midst of a few writing projects (I have eclectic tastes) and for one I am working on this thought came to mind:

I am important... so are you!


http://cfa.uaeu.ac.ae/dnh/images/useful_links.jpgWe all like to think that we are a linchpin (yes... that's a Seth Godin-ism for those who are taking note)... we all like to think we are indispensable.  And we should be... whether we think we are or not.

Please don't misunderstand me here.  There are many exhortations in the Scriptures, calling us to humility.  I am not talking about thinking of yourself as being better than anyone.  Actually... I am talking about interdependence.



My wife home schools our 4 children and I assure you... she is filling a great role in society and is very important to me, our children, and the people my kids will one day influence.

I know public school teachers that are on the cutting edge of integrating new technologies and tried and true teaching methods and are producing amazing things!

The next time you stop by Burger King for a Whopper, remember all those horrible jokes you told or heard about "flipping burgers".  For the moment... the burger flipper is indispensable to your day.

What does this have to do with the season we find ourselves in?  Everything!

What's your role in the body of Christ?  Are you content with it?

Consider the following from 1 Corinthians:

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.


1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (New International Version)

YOU are important.

Be blessed... be a blessing!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Palm Sunday 03-28-10


Palm Sunday 03-28-10 from Chris Johnson on Vimeo.

You and a donkey have more in common than you think!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

At the mall...

Preparing Our Hearts for Tomorrow

Powerful.

Disturbing.

True.


Everything from SouthLake on Vimeo.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Friday Funnies.



Sometimes... you need a break.

Take a few minutes and watch this!

Sorry about the advertisement at the beginning... there is nothing I can do (that I know of) to remove it.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Happier than an Pachyderm under a waterfall?

It has been a while since my last written entry.  There has been so much going on.  I have been thinking through a lot these days and I am so glad that our joy is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Take heart, you who are hurting.

Be comforted, those who are troubled.

Find rest, those who are anxious.

Be bold, you who are weary.

For Christ is our Rock.

As the great hymn of yesteryear so aptly declares:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus' Name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

Until next time...

Be blessed y'all.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

From a good friend TOMMIE ZITO

Miami Campmeeting from Tommie Zito Ministries on Vimeo.


This is a promo video that was made by/for a dear brother in Christ and soldier of the cross: Tommie Zito.

His ministry info can be found at www.tommiezito.com

Be blessed y'all.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Do yourself (and the church) a favor

Do yourself (and the church) a favor and do the following:

1. Block out two hours.

2. Spend the first 30 minutes of this block of time to pray... asking the Lord to open your heart and eyes.

3. Watch Hell's Best Kept Secret below.

4. Stop. Think about what you just saw and heard.

5. Spend the rest of the block of time in prayer.

I would love to hear how this teaching affects you.

Be blessed... be encouraged... be real!


Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The Consequences of Sin

The Consequences of Sin 03-14-10 from Chris Johnson on Vimeo.



Preached at Bethany Baptist on 03-14-10

Saturday, March 13, 2010

A Graphic Scene (part 4)

Luke 16...

As I reflect on this passage at least 2 things become clear.

1. While it is true that the Lord wants to bless His children, we are
also tasked with proclaiming the Gospel.

2. It is obvious from the (formally) rich man's cries that the
residents of heaven and hell want the Gospel to be shared.

May the Lord grant you boldness as you tell others of Him.

(sent from a spellcheckless device)

Thursday, March 11, 2010

A Graphic Scene (part 3)

Luke 16:19 - 31...

Abraham said "remember my son..." He saw... felt... touched... AND HE STILL DOES!!! Imagine an eternity of anguish involving the senses! That is horrible.

But the retention of memory.

In heaven all tears are gone for, we believe, the thoughts of our
former life will be wiped away.

"And there will be NO MORE death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the
old world and its evils are gone forever."
Revelation 21:3-4

God certainly does not remember our former life or our sins.

In hell you will remember every sin and worse still, every opportunity
you had to reject the Gospel. You will remember the faces of those
who confronted you with the life giving Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As a believer, I am haunted by the thought that there will be people
in hell who remember my face and wonder why I never told them about
Jesus.

Let us be bold in our witness and in our willingness to serve the King of kings.

Until tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

A Graphic Scene (part 2)

Luke 16:19 – 31 . . . Yesterday we began a short look at this passage and we left with the following charge:


It would be wise to put the things entrusted to your stewardship to eternal use... missions... the proclamation of the Gospel... these sort of things.

Today, let’s look at some of the characteristics of hell.

1. In hell = The rich man does not simply “stop existing”. There are definite places where people can spend eternity.


2. he was in torment = Why is this one of the most remembered aspects of hell? As one commentator has well said: one knows that he is separated from God. No more grace… no more mercy.


3. he looked up and saw = We will see (no pun intended) that the residents of hell have total sensory perception. This makes the torment that much more unbearable.


4. Abraham far away = We will not get into some of the technical aspects of hell and Abraham’s Bosom and these sort of things. If you feel that urge, take some time to study it out. But for now… notice that there are those who are in torment for eternity and others who are not.


5. he called to him = This shows both volition (exercising his will) and emphasizes the fact that this takes place in a body… one that can feel and see and experience pain.


6. I am in agony in this fire = This man will experience agony without end, though he enjoyed the “finer things of life”.


7. you are in agony. = This is not just an illusion… not something the rich man is simply mistaken about. He is, and will remain in, agony. Abraham realized it just as plainly as the rich man did.


8. between us and you a great chasm has been fixed = There is a very clear demarcation between those who are saved and those who are not. As much as our society wishes to blur the distinction… the reality is that in God’s eyes you are either one of His children or you are not.


9. those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' = The citizens of heaven do not desire this sort of agony on anyone… but God is just. The occupants of hell do not want to be there either… and they can not escape. The old adage remains true: forever is a really long time.


10. Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment. = We will speak more on this later, but notice that the rich man now desires to see souls saved!


Tomorrow we will examine a few facets in greater depth, but for now consider the following:


a) Those that do not trust in Christ have been promised this place of unending torment. (John 3:36)


b) Those who are under the wrath of God in hell will have to bear the unbearable. THAT IS A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH!


Brethren… who do you know is on a collision course with the wrath of God that needs the Savior? Who must you tell the Gospel to?


Until tomorrow.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Our outing today... Daniela & Chris fall out!

Funny!

A Graphic Scene (Part 1)

Please allow me to set the stage...

Jesus was talking to the Pharisees, who Scripture pointedly says where "lovers of money" (Luke 16:14). This story was told both to teach the lookers on and rebuke the Pharisees. Remember this: although the religious bunch caused Jesus so much trouble, He still sought after them.

When the Pharisees ridicule Jesus in verse 14 He says in no uncertain terms: what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. After explaining the integrity and everlastingness of the Word of God in verses 16 and 17, Jesus both rebukes their wicked thoughts about money and condemns their cheap view of marriage with the simple statement: Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. (Luke 16:18)

Jesus then masterfully elaborates on His point by telling the story we commonly refer to as "Lazarus and the Rich Man".

There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' " (Luke 16:19 - 31)

Now that the stage has been set, tomorrow we will examine the rich man's condition and what those who reject God and His grace can expect. Until then, consider the following:

1. Most Bible commentators do not believe this is a parable. The simple reason is that Jesus did not indicate that it was. That leaves us with a pretty graphic picture of what hell looks like.

2. Remember, this place of torment was not created for man. It was created for the enemy (Satan) and his minions.

3. All the riches in the world do not mean much once we are gone. It would be wise to put the things entrusted to your stewardship to eternal use... missions... the proclamation of the Gospel... these sort of things.

Until tomorrow....

Sunday, March 7, 2010

A Graphic Scene (preface)

This coming week, my blog posts will focus on the scene painted for us
by Christ in Luke 16. This account is commonly known as the Rich Man
and Lazarus. It will be a five (5) part installment and I would like
to ask you to read Luke 16:19 - 31. I will most likely be using my
favorite translation, the ESV.

Be blessed

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Better Together

We love Jack Johnson around our house.  He did the soundtrack to the CURIOUS GEORGE movie and his music is great. One of the tracks off the IN BETWEEN DREAMS album is "Better Together".  And that is exactly how I feel about my family.

We play best together.

We learn better together.

We laugh harder together.

We sing louder together.

We are better together.

So here's my question to you:

Do you do life better with Christ?

The answer should be a resounding YES!

Why don't you take a minute to thank Him for his promise to never leave you nor forsake you (Matthew 28) because you are better together.

Be blessed y'all ! ! !

6a00c2252518ecf21900d4142f99d33c7f-.jpg image by sakujun2

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

From the Sky!

This was originally composed on Friday February 26th at 2:44 pm Eastern Standard Time (from seat 29-f several thousand feet above America.)

I just flew back from a thriving metropolitan area of almost 7 million. The 2010 Census data will most likely confirm conservative estimates that the actually population is greater than that.

Miami-Dade County ties the greater Seattle / Portland area for "least churched" area of the country. +90% of the population is unchurched... claiming no religious affiliation at all. That is shocking to say the least.

I looked out the window of the plane and saw creation like few have. Almost all day... a bright sunshiny day.... clear and clear across the country.

All the way I was thinking:

Who am I that you would choose me? More than that Lord, who am I that you would choose me to care for a segment of your people. Who am I that you should be so kind to me?

The answer is GOD'S GRACE!

Be blessed today as you ponder the matchless grace of our God.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

THE THOUGHT I HAS OCCUPIED MOST OF MY THINKING.

God has NEVER led anyone to the point of indecision…

It's NOT that we don't know what to do most of the time…

but rather we know EXACTLY what to do.


The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake. 

Psalm 23:1 - 3