Hell: Isn't the God of Christianity an Angry Judge? 
arrive in Tampa Intl 6:25 pm
UPDATE: Spoke to them in Houston.... doing great!!!
ANOTHER UPDATE: They have arrived in Tampa!!!
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
Some aspects of distance between people (friends, husband/wife, parent/child) are not wrong. For example, in Proverbs 14:10, the writer speaks of bitterness, pain, sorrow and loss. There is a fundamental distance between people because of these difficult emotions and experiences. The living God reserves for Himself certain intimacies as a person goes through hardship and suffering.
--David Powlison
The heart knows its own bitterness,
and no stranger shares its joy. --Proverbs 14:10
May the grace of Christ our Saviour, And the Father's boundless love, With the Holy Spirit's favor, Rest upon us from above.
Thus may we abide in union With each other and the Lord, And possess, in sweet communion, Joys which earth cannot afford. Amen. by Rev. John Newton, 1779
..... God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
We must allow Jesus and his cross to redefine our notions of God. God is not some impersonal, ultimate Absolute. He is not a deistic god who looks on the world he has made with indifference. He is not a god who must be placated through religious duties. Nor is he a lenient god who indulgently overlooks our rebellion and the suffering it causes. He is the God of the cross. He is the God who offered himself in love to reconcile himself to us.Tim Chester
Last week we ended here:
Jesus asks disciples: "Who do y'all say that I am?”
Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”
And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. Why did Jesus do this? Many possible reasons but the one that I find most persuasive is that--although the disciples have now "gotten it" that their leader & friend is the Messiah... they have yet to "get it" as to what that means... will he overthrow Rome? Will he make them his powerful "cabinet" as he rules? They don't understand his MISSION. Freeze there. How often I forget Jesus' mission, in the world and in my life. We forget that He has redeemed us to make us holy and think his mission is our comfort. I think He's come to give me what I want... but He's come to wean me from finding life away from Him and His provision. I forget that the abundant life He's given me is often very painful. How about you?
So, this week Jesus begins to tell us WHY he came... what kind of Messiah be he?
31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly.
Sunday I mentioned ROmans 8 and the role of yearning.... here is more on that:
“We know that all that is possible or conceivable of what is good and fair and blessed shall one day be real and visible.
Out of all evil there comes the good;
out of sin comes holiness; out of darkness, light; out of death, life eternal; out of weakness, strength; out of the fading, the blooming; out of rottenness and ruin, loveliness and majesty;
out of the curse come the blessing, the incorruptible, the immortal, the glorious, the undefiled!
Our present portion, however, is but the pledge, not the inheritance. The inheritance is reserved for the appearing of the Lord. Here we see but through a glass darkly. It does not yet appear what we shall be. We are now but as wayfaring men, wandering in the lonely night, who see dimly upon the distant mountain peak the reflection of a sun that never rises here, but which shall never set in the ‘new heavens’ hereafter.”
—Horatius Bonar, “Home”
“A priest presents God to us; he also presents us to God. He brings together the divine and the human. Priests do not protect God’s holiness from human sinfulness by setting up barriers to access. Nor do priests protect human weakness from divine judgment by arranging ritual defense systems.
The priest opens up routes closed by fear or guilt or ignorance or superstition so that there is access. A priest mediates. He is just as much on God’s side as on our side. He is just as much on our side as on God’s side.
If we aspire after more than we are, a priest promises help. If we regret the mess we are in, a priest promises help. If the Son of Man does the work of priest, there is much to be in awe of but nothing to be afraid of: mediation results in loving union. If the Son of Man does the work of priest, there is much to be repented of but nothing of which to despair: mediation results in gracious forgiveness.”
—Eugene Peterson, Reversed Thunder (New York: HarperCollins, 1988), 33-34
The following is by Ben Reaoch, pastor of Three Rivers Grace Church in downtown Pittsburgh, PA.
* * *
It started in the Garden. Adam said to God,
The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate. (Genesis 3:12)
The first man, caught in the first sin, turns to blame his wife. And he extends the blame to God as well! He implies that he would have remained innocent if God hadn't put Eve in the garden with him.
The blame-shifting in the Garden continues today. Our proud hearts send us desperately looking for someone else to point to every time we're confronted with our own sin. There must be someone else—our spouse, sibling, parent, boss, co-worker, pastor, friend, or God, himself.
We are so desperate to justify ourselves that we become irrational. Here are 12 examples.
1) Anger
I wouldn't lose my temper if my co-workers were easier to get along with, or if my kids behaved better, or if my spouse were more considerate.
2) Impatience
I would be a very patient person if it weren't for traffic jams and long lines in the grocery store. If I didn't have so many things to do, and if the people around me weren't so slow, I would never become impatient!
3) Lust
I would have a pure mind if there weren't so many sensual images in our culture.
4) Anxiety
I wouldn't worry about the future if my life were just a little more secure—if I had more money, and no health problems.
5) Spiritual Apathy
My spiritual life would be so much more vibrant and I would struggle with sin less if my small group were more encouraging, or if Sunday school were more engaging, or if the music in the worship service were more lively, or if the sermons were better.
6) Insubordination
If my parents/bosses/elders were godly leaders, then I would joyfully follow them.
7) A Critical Spirit
It's not my fault that the people around me are ignorant and inexperienced.
8) Bitterness
If you knew what that person did to me, you would understand my bitterness. How could I forgive something like that?
9) Gluttony
My wife/husband/roommate/friend is a wonderful cook! The things they make are impossible to resist.
10) Gossip
It's the people around me who start the conversations. There's no way to avoid hearing what others happen to say. And when others ask me questions, I can't avoid sharing what I know.
11) Self-Pity
I'll never be happy, because my marriage/family/job/ministry is so difficult.
12) Selfishness
I would be more generous if we had more money.
Making excuses like this is arrogant and foolish. It's a proud way of trying to justify our actions and pacify our guilty consciences. And it keeps us from humbling ourselves before God to repent of our sins and seek his forgiveness.
Consider James 1:13-15, which leaves us with no way of escaping our own sin and guilt. We cannot blame God, for he "cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one."
Instead, we have to accept the humbling truth that "each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire." This will end the blame game, and it will send us pleading for Christ's mercy and grace. --end
NOW... having looked at your sin... TAKE 10 looks at your savior... get to the cross & find freedom!
I am always going into the far country,
and always returning home as a prodigal,
always saying, Father, forgive me,
and thou art always bringing forth
the best robe.
Every morning let me wear it,
every evening return in it,
go out to the day’s work in it,
be married in it,
be wound in death in it,
stand before the great white throne in it,
enter heaven in it shining as the sun.
“Only as we see our story enfolded in the larger story of redemption will we begin to live God-honoring lives. Lasting change begins when our identity, purpose, and sense of direction are defined by God’s story. When we bring this perspective to our relationships, we will have a dramatically different agenda. It will take the principles and commands of Scripture and use them as God intended. We will see how each principle, promise, and command finds its meaning and fulfillment in Christ. Separate them from Christ and they lose their God-intended meaning and get hijacked by other agendas.”
- Paul David Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands (Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2002), 28.
Beginning Tuesday, June 17, Christ Community will host a VBS and fellowship time
at Kanapaha Park Tuesdays from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. All are encouraged to come
and bring friends!
“The Lord willingly and freely reveals himself in his Christ. For in Christ, he offers all happiness in place of our misery, all wealth in place of our neediness; in him he opens to us the heavenly treasures that our whole faith may contemplate his beloved Son, our whole expectation depend upon him, and our whole hope cleave to and rest in him.”
—John Calvin
Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. . . . It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.
I didn't ask how affliction helps us understand God's word and keep it. There are innumerable answers, as there are innumerable experiences. But here are five:
I pray that we will not begrudge the pedagogy of God.1. Affliction takes the glibness of life away and makes us more serious so that our mindset is more in tune with the seriousness of God's word.
2. Affliction knocks worldly props from under us and forces us to rely more on God which brings us more in tune with the aim of the word.
3. Affliction makes us search the scriptures with greater desperation for help rather than treating it as marginal to life.
4. Affliction brings us into the fellowship of Christ's sufferings so that we fellowship more closely with him and see the world more readily through his eyes.
5. Affliction mortifies deceitful and distracting fleshly desires, and so brings us into a more spiritual frame which fits God's word more.
All gracious affections [feelings, emotions] that are a sweet [aroma] to Christ . . . are brokenhearted affections. A truly Christian love, either to God or men, is a humble brokenhearted love. The desires of the saints, however earnest, are humble desires: their hope is a humble hope; and their joy, even when it is unspeakable, and full of glory, is a humble brokenhearted joy. . . .
J. Edwards, Religious Affections
“Christians often find it difficult to believe that God’s unfailing love is real. This is where the knowledge and increasing assurance that we are children of God is a refuge and shield against the attacks of Satan. Just as part of his plan of action in his temptation of Jesus included the issue of whether he was really the Son of God (compare Matt. 4:3, 6), so a parallel issue arises with us. Satan will cast up to us the sins of both the past and the present; he will allure us with temptations to sin to which we may fall in the future, and then lead us to question the reality of our relationship to God. Can we be God’s children after all, when such thoughts lurk in our minds, and such deeds lie in our past?
“What is the answer to this kind of temptation? It is, at least in part, the recollection that we are not children of God by worth and merit, but by free, gracious adoption. God has chosen us. Our status is not a matter of our worthiness, but of his love.”
(Sinclair Ferguson, Children of the Living God, 30).
Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and power.
Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that brings you nigh.
Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.
stanzas 4-6 of Gadsby #306 Lord, Thou canst make me clean
4 Brethren, in a state so sad,
When temptations seize us,
When our hearts we feel thus bad,
Let us look to Jesus.
He that hung upon the cross,
For his people bleeding,
now in heaven sits, for us
Always interceding.
5 Vengeance, when the Saviour died,
Quitted the believer;
Justice cried, "I'm satisfied,
Now, henceforth, for ever."
"It is finished", said the Lord,
In his dying minute;
Holy Ghost, repeat the word,
Full salvation's in it.
6 Leprous soul, press through the crowd
In thy foul condition,
Struggle hard, and call aloud
On the great Physician.
Wait till thy disease he cleanse,
Begging ,trusting, cleaving;
When, and where, and by what means,
To his wisdom leaving. --J.Hart
“When Christ is my hope, he becomes the one thing in which I have confidence. I act on his wisdom and bank on his grace. I trust his promises and I rely on his presence. And I pursue all the good things that he has promised me simply because I trust him. So, I am not manipulating, controlling, or threatening my way through life to get what I want, because I have found what I want in Christ. He is my hope.”
- Paul David Tripp, A Quest for More (Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2007), 107.
