Americans and Modern Child Sacrifice- John Piper on Abortion

January 31, 2008

“They angered him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account, for they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke rashly with his lips. They did not destroy the peoples, as the Lord commanded them, but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did. They served their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood. Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds. Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage; he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them. Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power. Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity. Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry. For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love. He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive. Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the Lord.” - Psalm 106:32-48

This past Sunday was “Sanctity of Life Sunday”, a yearly observance by many of America’s churches over the anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. In accordance with this, as he has made a habit of doing, John Piper delivered a message to his congregation on this topic. The message this year was over the text above, Psalm 106:32-48. It was an amazing message and can be found here .

One especially powerful statement Pastor Piper made was when he approached the issue of child sacrifice and how it pertains to the modern day act of abortion. He says:

“A sacrifice means you give up something that you ordinarily regard as valuable, like a sheep or a bull, and you sacrifice it in order to gain something better, like favor from a deity. Now, almost nobody does abortion in America in order to win the favor of a deity. The religious component of child sacrifice is gone, but the essential meaning remains the same: You give up something that is ordinarily considered valuable in order to get something better. Now, what the better is defines the measure of America’s barbarity. …The life of the child is being sacrificed for something, and what that something is defines the measure of our heinousness in our sin.”

I don’t want to give any extra commentary on the quote at this time, I would just like to post it here and allow you to think over what has been said on your own, listening to the whole sermon, and meditating on the issue of abortion as we are confronted with it today.

No Comments » | Quotes, Sermons | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Todd Burus

Why Do We Love Things?- A Thought on Electing Grace

January 30, 2008

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” - Ephesians 1:3-6

“(God) saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” - 2 Timothy 1:9

” ‘Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.’ “ - Luke 12:32

According to R.C. Sproul, the doctrine of election or predestination can be summed up by saying, “From all eternity, before we even existed, God decided to save some members of the human race and to let the rest of the human race perish.” One problem a lot of people have with this doctrine is that they don’t understand why it is that God chooses us. There is the idea that God, being outside of time (is this Biblical?) foreknew that we would choose Him and so He predestined us to salvation through this foreknowledge. There is also the idea that God is just arbitrary and capricious with whom He chooses. I, however, believe that both of these views are incorrect. In fact, if we look to the verses above we see that they clearly tell why God chose those that He did: for His own purpose and pleasure of His will!

But for a lot of people this doesn’t help much. To some it is very confusing to imagine how God could choose us according to the purpose and pleasure of His will. Yet, I believe that this is something that we can all easily understand if we take a minute to think about it. If you have a spouse or a best friend, try and think back as to why you “choose” that person to fill that role for you? What was it that led you to take that person as your husband or wife or closest confidant? Some may say it is environmental, those whom we are in closest contact or shared situations with, but there are a number of people who share environments with, and yet we only choose a specific few of all people for these roles. Why?

I know myself, though I believe that it was God’s action which brought me and my wife together, that I can give you no good reason for why we love each other. This may sound harsh and unromantic, but I argue that in contrast it is actually more pure and deep; that there is nothing save the good pleasure of my will that makes me love my wife! My love for her is not based upon something she has done, or a foreknowledge of something that she will do, nor upon the fact that she chose me as her husband, but solely upon the purpose and pleasure of my will to choose her! And thus, because of this, I long to love her, to care for her, and make her happy, and through this myself am pleased.

Therefore, I believe if we take God’s election in this light it makes the issue of why He choose His elect a little clearer. If the only final explanation for why we choose those whom we love most dearly is that it is somehow pleasurable to our will, then why should we hold God, in whose image we were created, to a more definite standard? Instead we should rejoice, as it says in 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, that it makes God happy to predestine, call, justify, sanctify, and glorify us!

No Comments » | Calvinism, Observations | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Todd Burus

Living the Revolutionary Lifestyle in Unity

January 29, 2008

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” - 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

” ‘The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.’ “ - John 17:22-23

” ‘And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.’ ” - John 10:16

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” - Galatians 3:28

One clear teaching of living a lifestyle of revolutionary Christianity is the call for believers to live in unity. We are described as a “body” (1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Romans 12:5), and as a body our “head” is Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23, Colossians 1:18). Moreover, the call of Galatians 3:28 above, combined with Paul’s declaration of becoming “all things to all people” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23), shows us that Christianity is above all earthly divisions.

Issues of racism, sexism, or political discrimination are not and should never be a problem for the revolutionary Christian because it was not a problem for Christ. We even see at one point in the New Testament epistles where Paul recounts having to rebuke Peter for partaking in divisive behavior (Galatians 2:11-14). Yet, throughout America we see people using religion to segregate and attack people of different races, sexes, or political views. We see the KKK rising up and attacking African-Americans, often in the name of religion, burning crosses on their property and at places of worship. We see “Godly” men oppress their wives, even to the point of physical abuse, because they read Ephesians 5:22-24 but fail to continue on and read Ephesians 5:23-33. We see people setting bombs inside abortion clinics to try and stop the killing of innocent children, forgetting that “vengeance is the Lord’s” (Romans 12:19). All over there are religious people using the name of Christ to perpetuate their own sinful prejudice’s. However, as a revolutionary Christain we know this is not God’s way.

Similarly, we see divisions in the church itself. In every town there are multiple churches coming from different denominations. But what is a “denomination”? It is a division in the body, a man-made separation in which people say “This what I believe and if you don’t like it I’m going to take my congregation and play somewhere else!” Sometimes these divisions become necessary because God’s people must reclaim the truth from a church which teaches heresy (such as was the case in the Protestant Reformation). However, often times the divisions come because some group of people begin to teach or believe that which is not Biblical and desire to start their own group which has now placed man’s desires and wants above God’s Holy Word (we see this in the recent split of the Methodist church over congregations wanting to accept homosexuality as unsinful). However, as true Christians we must seek to avoid unnecessary divisions and to not find ourselves attaching labels out of pride or tradition, since as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”

Therefore, to live the revolutionary Christian lifestyle we must seek to avoid sinful prejudices and unholy divisions, feelings that would create animosity or strife among one another, and instead live our lives in humble submission to Christ as the Head over us, longing to glorify Him in all of our actions and relationships.

No Comments » | Revolutionary Christianity | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Todd Burus

1 Peter Bible Study, Part 4; 1 Peter 1:10-12

January 25, 2008

“Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.” - 1 Peter 1:10-12

This weeks Bible study focus on verses 10 through 12 of 1 Peter chapter 1, a passage in scripture where Peter talks with the Christians about how they now have a knowledge with was both desired and unattained by the prophets and the angels, that knowledge being the knowledge of salvation and God’s redemptive plan for humanity. Thus, in this we discuss that we should be thankful for the granting of this knowledge as well as why this knowledge is worthwhile to be thankful for. It is truly an awesome thing to think that in our little Bible we have the full plan for how to be redeemed to the God of all creation. Enjoy!

1 Peter Bible Study, Part 4 notes

1 Peter Bible Study, Part 4 audio

This Bible study is being produced with a group of guys in Lexington, KY, my hometown, in mind, but is suitable for anyone to follow. The content of examples used will generally be directed at a male audience, however there is nothing in this which will keep women from being able to learn as well. If you come across this study and have any questions about the content of the message or about anything in general, please don’t hesitate to post or shoot me an email.

No Comments » | Bible Study | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Todd Burus

Living the Revolutionary Lifestyle in Condemnation

January 23, 2008

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” - Romans 3:23

” ‘You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.’ … ‘You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.’ “ - Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28

” ‘Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.’ “ - Luke 6:41-42

One of the biggest places where Christians fail to live the revolutionary lifestyle is in their condemnation of sin in the world. It doesn’t take much experience to know what I’m talking about. If you have seen a street preacher screaming damnation towards homosexuals, a youth group turning its back on a pregnant teenager, or a Bible teacher deriding the evils of dancing, cinema, and women in the workplace, then you have seen a “Christian” who is not living in revolt against the teachings of the world. Don’t get me wrong, there are evils in homosexuality, fornication, and drunkenness, but there is also evil in pride, gossip, and self-righteousness.

If we reflect on what I will personally call “the doctrine of small sins” we see that many religious people, as well as “moral” citizens, are capable of picking out the big no-no’s. However, there are many little eh-maybe’s that they let slide. “Eh, maybe I shouldn’t be mean to my wife tonight.” “Eh, maybe I shouldn’t yell at the guy that cut me off in traffic.” “Eh, maybe I shouldn’t look at the girl on campus that way.” But, there is no conviction, no desire, and usually no visible ramification that will make us to decide to follow those rules.

However, God doesn’t see it that way. Christ is quoted above saying “everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment” and “everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Thus, it’s not just what you see, it’s not just that someone has sex with his secretary after work, but the fact that he thinks about it during his lunch break, that is in violation of God’s law. It is not just the man who murders a family, but also the man who desires to run a fellow motorist of the road that is worthy of separation from God. There does not have to be a physical action or a tangible sin to point at and say “See, that person is a sinner” for us to have sinned.

As well, it teaches that none are above sin and therefore there is no benefit in harping on certain sins of others while you have enough sin of your own to deal with. The place we see this the most is in the way religious people handle homosexuals. So often the cry of hellfire and gnashing of teeth is the only words that a gay person hears come from a “Christians” mouth and it never seems that the true mercies of God’s love are revealed to them. Yet when we look to the passage in John 8 where Jesus is confronted with a woman caught in the act of adultery, whom the scribes and Pharisees bring to him in order that they may see if he upholds the Mosaic law of stoning her to death. However, before Christ says anything to the woman, he admonishes the teachers who, in their zeal to see the woman punished, have failed to see that they too are as guilty as her before God. Then, once they all realize their own failings, Christ, the blameless one, grants mercy to the woman, as only he can, and commands her to leave and to not continue in her previous sins.

It is not the Christians job to convict of sins, that is the work of the Holy Spirit moving in the heart of the elect. No, instead it is for the believer speaking to an unbeliever to preach the gospel (Romans 1:15. 1 Corinthians 1:23, 1 Corinthians 9:16). And what is the gospel? It is the good news. Condemnation? That is the law. But the good news is that Christ fulfilled the law, that he laid down his life as a sacrifice, to pay the price for our sins, and then rose again from the grave so that we may have power to overcome sin, being justified in the eyes of God, that in the end we may be glorified and seated with him in heaven.

How do we live the revolutionary lifestyle in condemnation? Realize that we are all sinners, that God hates all sin and that all sin leads to eternal separation from God. And then preach the good news to all people, that through Christ some may be saved from hell (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).

No Comments » | Revolutionary Christianity | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Todd Burus

I’ve Got Nothing I Hadn’t Bargained For- C.S. Lewis on Suffering

January 22, 2008

“From the rational point of view, what new factor has H.’s death introduced into the problem of the universe? What grounds has it given me for doubting all that I believe? I knew already that these things, and worse, happened daily… We were even promised sufferings. They were part of the programme. We were even told, ‘Blessed are they that mourn,’ and I accepted it. I’ve got nothing that I hadn’t bargained for. Of course it is different when the thing happens to oneself, not to others, and in reality, not in imagination.”

“But of course one must take ’sent to try us’ the right way. God has not been trying an experiment on my faith or love in order to find out their quality. He knew it already. It was I who didn’t… He always knew that my temple was a house of cards. His only way of making me realize the fact was to knock it down.”

- C.S Lewis, “A Grief Observed”

The above are two excerpts from an amazing, compact novella by C.S. Lewis entitled A Grief Observed. In reading it I can honestly say that I felt both the pain that Lewis went through when his wife passed away, as well as the fear that I have inside myself about facing true sufferings.

As well, I believe that the observations which C.S. made concerning God’s trials are so right on. God already knows how weak and miserable our faith is. His trials come not to make sure Himself that we will persevere but instead to make us ourselves aware of the dire need we have to trust more fully in Him. As the apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:9, “Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” How awesome!

No Comments » | Book Reviews, CS Lewis, Quotes | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Todd Burus

Living the Revolutionary Lifestyle in Purpose

January 19, 2008

“Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’ “ - Matthew 6:9-10

“And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’… Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’ “ - Matthew 26:39,42

” ‘For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’ “ - Matthew 12:50

“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” - 1 Peter 4:1-2

As full-fledged Christian Revolutionaries, one of the main aspects of our lives that revolt against the teachings of the world is in why we do what we do. What is our will? What are the motivations behind living this revolutionary lifestyle the way that we do? Why should we choose to abstain from certain behaviors (such as premarital sex) and engage in others (like evangelism)? In short, it is because we should long to do the will of God!

The majority of other major worldviews, Humanism, Existentialism, Postmodernism, Universalism, and such, all view the purpose of man as to do his own will and seek his own good so that in the end he is either counted as a good person and/or worthy of attaining some sort of heaven. They view man as having a fundamental ability to do “good” and as being a naturally “good” creature.

However, as a Christian we see over and over that we are by nature not good (Ephesians 2:3, Romans 3) and that because of our nature we are all deserving of death and Hell (Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:1). Yet it is by the mercy of God that we recieve grace and forgiveness (1 Peter 1:3-5), and we can “take off the old self” and put on the new which was “created after the likeness of God” (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Thus, we are called to our revolutionary view of our will. As quoted above in 1 Peter, we are to live “no longer for human passions but for the will of God”, and as illustrated by Jesus, both in the Lord’s Prayer and His own prayers in Gethsemane, we are to pray for and desire that the will of God be done, regardless of the cost to ourselves. That is revolutionary, that is completely against the nature of this world and its’ man-made philosophies which desire to satisfy the flesh and fulfill the desires of a man’s heart. As is the main thesis of John Piper’s book Desiring God, God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him, and so we should not only seek to do His will but also to be happy in doing so.

As a Christian Revolutionary it is always for the will of God that I should strive, and that I may be more able to do it as He is conforming me to the image of His Son. When the world desires goodness and satisfaction they always turn inwards, but as a new creation to whom God has given “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God” to (2 Corinthians 4:6), we know that the only way to truly have our joy fulfilled is by abiding in Christ and seeking to do the will of the Father.

No Comments » | Revolutionary Christianity | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Todd Burus

Living the Revolutionary Lifestyle in Public

January 17, 2008

“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

“And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.’ So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, ‘He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’ “ - Like 19:5-8

“As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard it, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’ “ - Matthew 9:9-13

When Christians discuss Jesus and His life and ministry, so many want to focus on His parables or on the conversations He had with the disciples. However, only focusing on that stuff, as wonderful and beneficial as it is, neglects another very worthwhile portion of Jesus’ ministry: Jesus hung out with sinners! And no, not just in the “we are all sinners” way, but Jesus actually spent large amounts of time with the greedy, loose, drunken, and morally corrupt! He spoke at a well with a serial divorcee who was living in fornication with her current partner (John 4). He called a money-grubbing tax collector out from the collection tables to follow Him as a disciple (Matthew 9). He allowed a sinful woman to approach Him and wash His feet as He ate with a Pharisee (Luke 7). In short, Jesus didn’t shy away from sinners, but instead He embraced them and loved on them, and through this loving, He was able to effectually rebuke them and bring them to a saving faith (Luke 7:50).

So then, why as Christians today are we so afraid of the world? Why are we so afraid to go to the movie theaters or to be seen in places where *gasp* people drink alcohol? Why have we adopted the attitude of the Pharisee who says, “Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!”?

To follow Christ is to be revolutionary in our public behavior. First, we are to be revolutionary to the lifestyle of religious people. As a true follower we must fight against the mindset which says we have to sit at home on Sundays or homeschool our children. For we see that Jesus healed on the Sabbath (”it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath“, Luke 9:12), and that Daniel accepted the schooling of the Babylonians, more opposed to God than any present-day public school, without religious conflict (Daniel 1). Jesus even makes a point to tell the religious people that “the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew 21:31), because the sinners, though sinful, have realized their need for a savior and repented to follow, but the religious people in their piety are unable to accept Christ as Lord.

Second, we must be revolutionary to the lifestyle of the world. Though Jesus ate with the sinners, socialized with the prostitutes, and partied with the drunkards, He did not partake in their sinful lifestyles (Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 2:22). Moreover, Jesus, in His righteousness, was able to call these people out of their sin and into eternal life (Luke 8, John 4). In such a manner, we too are led. As quoted above, the apostle Paul makes it clear that we should use our freedom as Christians to better acquaint ourselves with unbelievers so that through our efforts some may be saved. Don’t get me wrong, if a brother struggles with alcohol, he shouldn’t minister in a bar. However, if a man is able to do so with a clear conscience, then a bar would be a great place to make friends with unbelievers. We must be revolutionary in our behavior, not acting like every fool with an STD and a lampshade on our head, but as a joyous, sanctified creature, fully intoxicated on the glory of Jesus Christ and longing to peer pressure non-believers into trying some too.

Christ was a revolutionary in His public and social life. His conscience was clear and His purpose was sure. He longed to meet sinners where they were and call them to repentance through a relationship with Himself, and He could not have cared less what the legalistic religious people said.

No Comments » | Revolutionary Christianity | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Todd Burus

Living the Revolutionary Lifestyle- What it Means to be a True Follower of Christ

January 17, 2008

Revolution \Rev`o*lu”tion\, n.
(1) a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving;
See also: Revolutionary, n., a person who either advocates or actively engages in some kind of revolution.

” ‘Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’ “ - Matthew 10:37-39

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” - Ephesians 2:1-5a

One theme I wish to focus on over time in this blog is the truth of the revolution which was instituted with the ministry of Christ on this earth and the spreading of the gospel that followed His resurrection. Jesus was a revolutionary! If we look at the above definition we can easily say this, knowing that through Jesus’ ministry came a “far-reaching change” in the thoughts and behaviors of those who follow Him. That the world as it was B.C., before Christ, and the world after His death, burial, and resurrection, are radically different. The revolution was begun in Christ and still continues to this day, affecting more people than the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the various Communist Revolutions combined. It is truly a revolution in which no one is left unaffected and the rallying cry goes out to masses, either you are with Christ or you are against Him, there is no Switzerland in this conflict.

Therefore, we too, as believers, are revolutionaries. Our figurehead is Jesus, our manifesto is the Bible, and our charge to fight was given in the Great Commission. Thus, over the forthcoming posts in this series we are going to examine the various aspects of our revolutionary lifestyle and just why these are counter to the lifestyle of the world and to the ways of the “prince of the power of the air.”

Romans 12:2 tells us not to be “conformed to this world”, and as such we must stand firm in the principles of our cause (1 Corinthians 16:13), prepared to fight for them in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2) , never ashamed but always glorifying the name of the Father of our leader (1 Peter 4:16). We are revolutionaries, we are soldiers who must persevere, striving always to advance the cause of the kingdom, until one day Jesus, the first revolutionary, returns, overthrowing this present principality and reigning for all eternity on. Viva la revolucion!

No Comments » | Revolutionary Christianity | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Todd Burus

1 Peter Bible Study, Part 3; 1 Peter 1:6-9

January 16, 2008

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” - 1 Peter 1:6-9

This is the third part of our journey through the book of 1 Peter. I really enjoyed this weeks passage and was truly moved by what Peter is saying to us here. The two major themes that I draw out of this text are for us to rejoice and to hope, and Peter herein gives us direction on why and how to do these two things as we further push to be conformed into Christ’s image.

1 Peter Bible Study, Part 3 notes

1 Peter Bible Study, Part 3 audio

This Bible study is being produced with a group of guys in Lexington, KY, my hometown, in mind, but is suitable for anyone to follow. The content of examples used will generally be directed at a male audience, however there is nothing in this which will keep women from being able to learn as well. If you come across this study and have any questions about the content of the message or about anything in general, please don’t hesitate to post or shoot me an email.

No Comments » | Bible Study | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Todd Burus

« Previous Entries