Well, it is time to set a few things in order and then to say a few things I wanted to get out. This is a new blog. I am imagining that it will be mostly of interest to me and few friends. I doubt it will get out much, but who knows. Comments are appreciated, but attacking comments will be deleted. This blog is about what is going on in my head, not an open forum for attack. I also want to set down the rule that I am not obligated to respond to any comments. I am a terrible correspondant. But I am an excellent procrastinator. I recognize this. I know that it is going to make it easy for me to avoid responding. However, I may learn to buck the trend and respond anyway. You never know.
Now to other matters. I had the opportunity to attend a national Founder's Conference in 1999. It met at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. It was a very good conference. I enjoyed the fellowship but especially the preaching. John Piper was the main speaker. He has remained one of my favorite preachers ever since. But one message stuck out in my mind. Dr. Tom Ascol preached on the text "Strengthen your stakes and lengthen your cords." It spoke of how doctrinal strength at home makes it possible for Christians to reach more and more of the world for Jesus Christ. He reminded us that doctrinal weakness results in a weakened Christian life. Indeed, we live out what we really believe. Thinking about that got me thinking about holiness in the Christian life. We are saved by God to be holy (Eph 2:10). You don't hear holiness preached and taught much anymore. It turns people off. People today want a Christianity that makes no demands on their lives. But we were saved to be holy, just as God is holy. God saved us so that He could write the truth of His word in our hearts and people would see it in our lives. Yes, being a Christian means something. It means to be different than the world. It means to be different than the lost. It means we are called to live a higher way of life. We walk a narrow pathway entered into by a narrow gate. We are Christians, children of the Living God. That ought to mean something. Anyway, that is what I think.
Now to other matters. I had the opportunity to attend a national Founder's Conference in 1999. It met at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. It was a very good conference. I enjoyed the fellowship but especially the preaching. John Piper was the main speaker. He has remained one of my favorite preachers ever since. But one message stuck out in my mind. Dr. Tom Ascol preached on the text "Strengthen your stakes and lengthen your cords." It spoke of how doctrinal strength at home makes it possible for Christians to reach more and more of the world for Jesus Christ. He reminded us that doctrinal weakness results in a weakened Christian life. Indeed, we live out what we really believe. Thinking about that got me thinking about holiness in the Christian life. We are saved by God to be holy (Eph 2:10). You don't hear holiness preached and taught much anymore. It turns people off. People today want a Christianity that makes no demands on their lives. But we were saved to be holy, just as God is holy. God saved us so that He could write the truth of His word in our hearts and people would see it in our lives. Yes, being a Christian means something. It means to be different than the world. It means to be different than the lost. It means we are called to live a higher way of life. We walk a narrow pathway entered into by a narrow gate. We are Christians, children of the Living God. That ought to mean something. Anyway, that is what I think.
posted by John | Friday, June 23, 2006
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home