True Foundation Association

A wonderful reminder of who we are in Christ and why it must be in Christ, for Christ, by Christ, through Christ, and for Christ alone.

Resource Center - Truth For Life

Are There Two Wills in God?

2011-06-10T12:31:00.000-05:00

Are There Two Wills in God?

John Piper Interviews Rick Warren on Doctrine

2011-05-27T22:53:00.000-05:00

John Piper Interviews Rick Warren on Doctrine

You Will Know the Truth and the Truth Will Set You Free

2011-05-14T17:35:00.005-05:00

April 24, 2011|by John Piper

My aim in this message is that you would experience Jesus, the sovereign, risen, living Lord of the universe, as the source and content of real freedom in your life.
For this to happen, we need two things: We need God's liberating truth and we need God's liberating grace. Which means I need to preach God's word, and pray for God's power.

So let's read the Bible passage that I will speak from, and then I will pray. John 8:30–36:

As he was saying these things, many believed in him. So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Lord, open our eyes to your liberating truth—to yourself—and powerfully grant us to be set free from our bondage to sin. In Jesus' name, Amen.

I take it for a certainty that everyone in this room wants to be free in the deepest, fullest sense. If the opposite is bondage and slavery, no one here wants that. You may be enslaved to some habits that are very pleasurable, and in that sense love your slavery. But when you step back from the pleasures and consider happiness without that slavery, you would like to be done with bondage. You would like to be happy in freedom, not a slave to pleasant addictions. We all want to be free.

And in verse 36 of John 8, Jesus says, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." That is what we are after. "Free indeed." Really free. Freedom in its deepest and fullest meaning. Jesus offers us that this morning. This is Easter. The celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. He is alive. He is not mere memory. A mere historical figure like Caesar or Shakespeare or John Kennedy. He is back from the dead with a new glorious body. He is alive and reigning as the king of the universe, and he is making this offer of real freedom to all of us today.

The Jesus of History as the Jesus of Our Faith
I know I am taking a lot for granted when I say that. So let me back up. We Christians believe that what the 27 books of the New Testament record about Jesus is true. These books uniformly teach or assume that Jesus lived in history, died as a substitute for sinners, and rose again on the third day, and that he ascended to heaven, and rules the world as the very God of very God (as the old creed puts it).
These 27 books are shot through with references to the physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead. For example, here in the Gospel of John (20:27–28), Jesus appears to Thomas, one of his disciples who had refused to believe that Jesus was raised, and says, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." And Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"

A Thousand Miles from Myth
These accounts of what happened in the life of Jesus are a thousand miles removed from myth—say like Greek or Roman mythology shrouded in a distant past that does not connect with real history. The New Testament books are talking about real history. Pilate, the Roman governor, Herod the king from Galilee, Caiaphas, the High priest. These are not mythical figures. These people are known from history outside the Bible.

The accounts of the New Testament (the 27 books) were all written while eyewitnesses were still alive. Paul's letters were written 15 to 30 years after the death of Jesus. In one of them, he mentions the fact that 500 people had seen the risen Jesus at one time and that most of them were still alive (1 Corinthians 15:6). Most of the books, maybe all of them were written before AD 70, forty years after the death of Jesus. And even if John was written by the aged apostle around AD 90, the time is short.

Real History—Remembered and Witnessed
Think of it. If we were the writers of the New Testament here in 2011, for some of us Jesus would have lived in the late 1980s, for others the 1970s and perhaps for one, in the 1950s. This is not mythology. This is history. Remembered history. Eyewitness history.

And add to this that the enemies of Christianity would have loved nothing better than to be able to wheel the body of Jesus into Jerusalem in a wheelbarrow, and prove that it was all a hoax, but they couldn't. The tomb was empty, and there was no dead body. The disciples stole the corpse, and created the story of the resurrection? Really? The thought that these fearful disciples who abandoned Jesus for fear of their lives, who said, "We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel" (Luke 24:21)—the thought they should suddenly agree among themselves to create a hoax, and then die for it, is ludicrous.

Not Wackos but Witnesses
No these apostles of Jesus were not wacko; they were witnesses. What we have in the New Testament is not mythology, but the Jesus as eyewitnesses remembered him. Richard Bauckham, former professor of New Testament at the university of St. Andrews, put it this way in his book Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony: "The Jesus the Gospels portray is Jesus as these eyewitnesses portrayed him, the Jesus of testimony" (p. 472). That is the conclusion of almost 500 pages of painstaking historical study.

One of those witnesses—the one we are studying, John—Bauckham devotes another whole book to, The Testimony of the Beloved Disciple: Narrative, History, and Theology in the Gospel of John. And the point of the book is that the author is an eyewitness and, "He intends to be faithful to the history" (p. 27).

Resurrection, Historically Speaking
The point of all this is simply to say that when we Christians say Jesus is risen from the dead, we are not speaking mythically, and we are not speaking blindly. We are not speaking merely spiritually or emotionally. We are speaking historically. In the end, he has to win your trust. And my point is that the Jesus of history is not as inaccessible as you might have thought. So let him speak to you.

A Walloping Statement: Everyone Enslaved to Sin
Let him speak to you about freedom. In John 8:32, he says, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." The people answered him, just as some of us might: We are already free! They say in verse 33, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?" They are focusing on some aspects of freedom, but not the one Jesus has in mind.
So Jesus clarifies in verse 34, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin." Now that is an absolutely walloping statement. We need several weeks just to unpack the foundations and implications of it. But we don't have time. We will just say it, and let his word stand as one who knows us better than we know ourselves. Everyone sins. Therefore, Jesus is saying that everyone is a slave of sin. This means that sin is not just a bad act, but a power underneath in our hearts that makes us do back acts. We sin because we are sinners.
So our slavery is slavery to this power inside of us. There may be kinds of freedom that we can make for ourselves, but not this one. That's Jesus' point. This slavery is too deep. And all of us have it. Jesus alone can set us free. So he says in verse 36, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

Sin Enslaves in 2 Ways
So sin enslaves in two ways. And, therefore, freedom comes in two forms. First, sin enslaves us by producing compelling desires. Sin enslaves by making anything look more desirable than Jesus. That's what sin is: desiring something above Jesus and then acting on it.

And the second way sin enslaves is that it eventually damns us. Unless something intervenes, it leads to hell. I call this slavery because someone might say, "I'm fine with desiring things more than Jesus. Sounds free to me." But you wouldn't say that if you saw clearly that the end of that road was destruction.

Freedom from Sin's Domination and Damnation
Jesus alone can free us from these two kinds of slavery: the domination and damnation of sin. He frees us from the damnation of sin by becoming a damnation for us. "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13). And he frees us from the domination of sin by changing our nature at the root through the new birth. And the essence of it is that he gives us eyes to see that our Savior is more to be desired than anything in the world.

When our sins are forgiven, and God's wrath is taken away, and we see Jesus as a greater Treasure than all the world, we are freed from both the damnation and the domination of sin. We are free indeed. That's what Jesus is offering you today.

What Full Freedom Is
Now let me step back relate this kind of liberation to the freedom that we really long for. It may be that you hear all this and still say, "I'm already free. It's you Christians who are all tied up in moral knots. I just do what I feel like doing. And I'm thankful for a country where I can do it. And that's all the freedom I care about."

So let's end this message by making as clear as we can what full freedom is. "Free indeed," Jesus says. That's what he alone can give. So what other kinds of freedom are there? What freedom comes short of "free indeed"?

4 Kinds of Freedom
There are at least four kinds of freedom. And each one adds a crucial dimension of freedom to the last until we get to the full freedom—"free indeed." Let me try to sum up these four kinds of freedom in one definition of full and complete freedom:

You are fully free—completely free, free indeed—when you have the desire, the ability, and the opportunity to do what will make you happy in a thousand years. Or we could say, You are fully free when you have the desire, the ability, and the opportunity to do what will leave you no regrets forever.
• If you don't have the desire to do a thing, you are not fully free to do it. Oh, you may muster the will power to do what you don't want to do, but nobody calls that full freedom. It's not the way we want to live. There is a constraint and pressure on us that we don't want.
• And if you have the desire to do something, but no ability to do it, you are not free to do it.
• And if you have the desire and the ability to do something, but no opportunity to do it, you are not free to do it.
• And if you have the desire to do something, and the ability to do it, and the opportunity to do it, but it destroys you in the end, you are not fully free—not free indeed.

To be fully free, we must have the desire, the ability, and the opportunity to do what will make us happy forever. No regrets. And only Jesus, the Son of God who died and rose for us, can make that possible. If the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed. To be happy forever, our sins must be forgiven and God's wrath removed and Christ must become our supreme Treasure. Only Jesus can do that. In fact, he has already done it. He died for our sins. He absorbed God's wrath. And he rose from the dead and is today therefore supremely precious. And he offers us that now as a free gift.

Let me draw a picture of this freedom to see if I can make it as clear as possible.
Let's take skydiving, for example. What you want is to experience the fullest possible exhilaration of freedom in skydiving. Let's suppose then that you are on your way to the airport to go up for your first real jump, but your car hits a pothole on Hiawatha Avenue, you have a blowout, and run into a telephone pole. You are no longer free to jump, whether you have the ability or not, because the opportunity passes while you wait for the tow truck. You lack the freedom of opportunity.

Or suppose you do make it to the airport, but it turns out that you skipped all the classes and don't know the first thing about skydiving. You lack the most basic abilities—like how to operate the parachute. The opportunity is there, but you don't have the freedom of ability. They're not going to let you jump.

But suppose that you make it to the airport, you went to all the classes, and have all the abilities needed. You take off in the little plane, but as soon they open the door and you look down, all your desire vanishes and in its place comes a paralyzing fear. The opportunity is there, the ability is there, but you don't have the freedom of desire.

But there is one last requirement for full freedom. Suppose you get to the airport with no obstacle (you have the freedom of opportunity); you have all the know-how necessary (you have the freedom of ability); you look out the door at the tiny clusters of silos and barns and farmhouses a few miles down, and just can't wait to jump (you have the freedom of desire). So you jump.

And as you free fall, enjoying every second of it, unknown to you, your parachute is defective and is not going to open no matter you do. Are you free—fully free, free indeed?

No. What you are doing so happily and so freely is going to kill you. Even though you don't know it yet, you are in bondage to destruction. It feels like freedom. But very soon the whole thing—all the exhilaration—will prove to be an illusion. In thirty seconds you'll be dead.

In order to be fully free—free indeed—the Son of God must set you free.

Dying and Rising to Make You Free Indeed
We have no manmade parachute. We have a Savior. Because he died for us, there is no condemnation. The inexorable, deadly, gravitational pull of our sins is broken. He has caught us in mid-fall and has become our supreme Treasure. Our destiny and our desires are new. He is their source, and he is their content. He gave us the new desire, and he is the new desire. "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

Is it not then utterly foolish for a Christian to envy the so-called freedom of those who pitch themselves out the skyscraper window of sin and exult for a season in the exhilaration of free-fall greed, or free-fall drugs or free-fall fame, or free-fall sex, or free-fall power, or free-fall luxury oblivious of Jesus. All this freedom is like a vapor, but those who trust in Jesus, and treasure him above all, will mount up with wings like eagles, and be glad—a thousand years from now. They will be free indeed.

Jesus is not just giving you information in this message. He is giving you an invitation. Trust him. Treasure him. He died and he rose again to make you free indeed.

© Desiring God
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Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

Repost from Truth for Life Daily - Raised from the Dead

2011-05-10T02:10:00.003-05:00

May 10, 2011

Raised from the Dead
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:20

The whole system of Christianity rests upon the fact that "Christ has been raised from the dead;" for "If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain" (verse 13).

The divinity of Christ finds its surest proof in His resurrection, since He was "declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead."1 It would not be unreasonable to doubt His Deity if He had not risen. Furthermore, Christ's sovereignty depends upon His resurrection: "For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living."2 Again, our justification, that choice blessing of the covenant, is linked with Christ's triumphant victory over death and the grave, for He "was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification."3

More than this, our very regeneration is connected with His resurrection, for we are "born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."4 And most certainly our ultimate resurrection rests here, for "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."5 If Christ is not risen, then we will not rise; but if He is risen, then those who are asleep in Christ have not perished but in their flesh shall surely see God. In this way the silver thread of resurrection runs through all the believer's blessings, from his regeneration onward to his eternal glory, and ties them all together. How important for believers is this glorious fact, and how they rejoice that beyond a doubt it is established, that "in fact Christ has been raised from the dead."

The promise is fulfill'd,
Redemption's work is done,
Justice with mercy's reconciled,
For God has raised His Son.

1 Romans 1:4
2 Romans 14:9
3 Romans 4:25
4 1 Peter 1:3
5 Romans 8:11

Repost from Truth for Life Daily

2011-03-14T08:20:00.001-05:00

March 14, 2011

Be Careful
"Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall."
1 Corinthians 10:12

It is a curious fact that there is such a thing as being proud of grace. A man says, "I have great faith--I shall not fall; poor little faith may, but I never shall." "I have fervent love," says another. "I can stand; there is no danger of my going astray." He who boasts of grace has little grace to boast of. Some who do this imagine that their graces can keep them, knowing not that the stream must flow constantly from the fountainhead or else the stream will soon be dry. If a continuous supply of oil does not come to the lamp, even though it may burn brightly today, it will smoke tomorrow, and noxious will be its scent.

Pay attention that you do not glory in your graces, but let all your glorying and confidence be in Christ and His strength, for only in this way can you be kept from falling. Be much more diligent in prayer. Spend longer time in holy adoration. Read the Scriptures more earnestly and constantly. Watch your lives more carefully. Live nearer to God. Take the best examples for your pattern. Let your conversation be full of heaven. Let your hearts be perfumed with affection for men's souls. Live in such a way that men may recognize that you have been with Jesus and have learned of Him; and when that happy day shall come, when He whom you love shall say, "Come up higher," may it be your happiness to hear Him say, "You have fought the good fight, you have finished the race, and henceforth there is laid up for you the crown of righteousness that doesn't fade."

Keep on, Christian, with care and caution! Go on, with holy fear and trembling! On, with faith and confidence in Jesus alone, and let your constant petition be, "Uphold me according to Your promise."1 He alone is able "to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy."2

1Psalm 119:116 2Jude 1:24

The Essentials of Discipleship (1 Corinthians 4:1-21) - John MacArthur

2011-01-17T00:08:00.000-06:00

The Half Truth Deception of The Modern Church

2011-01-03T09:32:00.000-06:00

John Piper’s Report on His Leave of Absence

2011-01-02T23:13:00.000-06:00

John Piper’s Report on His Leave of Absence

PILGRIM's PROGRESS: JOURNEY TO HEAVEN - Trailer (HD)

2011-01-02T01:11:00.000-06:00

Highly recommended movie:

John Piper - Where did you learn to preach?

2010-12-26T12:45:00.000-06:00

The Life of the Mind and the Love of God

2010-12-06T06:57:00.000-06:00

The Theology of Christmas (Philippians 2:5-11)

2010-11-29T16:46:00.000-06:00

History of the Modern "Gospel" (Session 4: "I've Got a Feeling!")

2010-11-11T07:23:00.000-06:00

Staying Married Is Not About Staying in Love, Part 1

2010-10-26T07:33:00.001-05:00

Staying Married Is Not About Staying in Love, Part 1: "Staying Married Is Not About Staying in Love, Part 1 on Desiring God"

Staying Married Is Not About Staying in Love, Part 2

2010-10-26T07:33:00.000-05:00

Staying Married Is Not About Staying in Love, Part 2: "Staying Married Is Not About Staying in Love, Part 2 on Desiring God"

Lecrae-Background Ft. C-Lite Video

2010-10-08T13:04:00.000-05:00

Romans 9:11-16 (English Standard Version)

2010-08-06T18:33:00.001-05:00

11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, "The older will serve the younger." 13 As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

This is such a touchy subject to most because it takes the idea of obtaining salvation out of our hands and puts it completely on God. Although we do have our response to the gospel to play, even that is an act of mercy from God. What is it that we believe we can add to or take away from the work of salvation? I am convinced that if we teach the realities of the gospel, then more true conversions will be seen for what they are and false conversions will be seen for what they are.

Election does not reduce mans responsibility to come to Christ, but it actually validates God's purpose for bringing His son into the world that He may purchase with His own blood those whom He was pleased to redeem for His own will. God's purpose is fulfilled in election, man's will is fulfilled in "decisional regeneration". One has power to save and the other has no power to save. Election gives God authority and soveriegnty over all He decides to do, the other makes God vulnerable to error and defeat as to we are able to shut Him down and do as we please.

As for me, all power and all strength and all wisdom tells me that God is in full control all the time.

What are your thoughts on election?

Pastoral Thoughts on the Doctrine of Election by John Piper

2010-08-02T14:07:00.001-05:00

Are You a Good Person?

2010-07-31T22:02:00.000-05:00

Deeds Not Creeds? (The "Purpose Driven Life" Has No Legitimate Purpose)

2010-07-26T23:11:00.000-05:00

What cautions do you have for the New Reformed Movement? by John Piper

2010-07-15T07:48:00.002-05:00

Present Your Bodies As a Living Sacrifice to God by John Piper

2010-07-08T12:09:00.000-05:00

John Piper - Is there room in reformed theology for environmental concern?

2010-06-30T14:52:00.000-05:00

Cross TV

2010-06-26T13:40:00.003-05:00

Great resource for biblical content in learning.

Link to Cross TV

I have learned a great deal from this organization. Keep up the work in Christ.

Is God's plan of salvation a failure since so many people are going to hell? by John Piper

2010-06-16T16:02:00.000-05:00

Deeds Not Creeds? (The "Purpose Driven Life" Has No Legitimate Purpose)

2010-06-05T13:25:00.000-05:00

PRo presents Redemption

2010-06-02T10:31:00.000-05:00

PRo presents Redemption [The Short Film] from Reflection Music Group on Vimeo.

John Piper - Which grieves you more: bad theology or division in the church?

2010-05-30T08:50:00.001-05:00

Email and Share

2010-05-15T06:21:00.000-05:00

Devotional from Truth for Life. This was very helpful to me, and I hope that you find it helpful as well. It is about the Finishing work of Christ in and through the Holy Spirit. We will be like Him.

Email and Share

Why Fight Sin If God Uses It for Good Anyway? by John Piper

2010-04-27T23:16:00.001-05:00

The Impossibility of Salvation, Part 3

2010-04-27T22:57:00.000-05:00

Could a pastor at Bethlehem have voted for Obama?

2010-04-18T10:30:00.000-05:00

John Piper - Do you know God?

2010-03-02T06:16:00.000-06:00

What made it OK for God to kill women and children in the Old Testament? by John Piper

2010-02-27T08:18:00.001-06:00

Can I go into missions without a college degree? by John Piper

2010-02-17T20:50:00.000-06:00

Should churches train their own ministers, or should they be sent to seminary? by John Piper

2010-02-06T13:17:00.000-06:00

I Will Build My Church by John Piper

2010-02-03T14:20:00.000-06:00

Is it sin for me not to like the doctrine of election? by John Piper

2010-01-30T13:37:00.000-06:00

Does everything that happens glorify God as much as possible? by John Piper

2010-01-28T18:06:00.000-06:00

Born Blind for the Glory of God by John Piper

2010-01-25T22:10:00.000-06:00

Why do I need other people if I already have Jesus? by John Piper

2010-01-24T07:42:00.001-06:00

Help the Children Love the Different People by John Piper

2010-01-19T05:51:00.001-06:00

Is it ever appropriate to call out prosperity gospel teachers by name? by John Piper

2010-01-16T22:28:00.001-06:00

How does the Bible orient us around the glory of God? by John Piper

2010-01-13T07:00:00.001-06:00

True Foundation Association

2010-01-12T09:46:00.001-06:00

Feel free to check us out on YouTube:

True Foundation Association

Holding Fast the Word of Life in 2010 by John Piper

2010-01-11T18:03:00.000-06:00

Can you give some advice to those who know others seeking to remarry or divorce? by John Piper

2010-01-09T07:19:00.000-06:00

What is 9Marks?

2010-01-06T07:31:00.001-06:00

There are issues in the Church that are essential and there are issues that are non-essential to our faith. Do you know what those items are? If not, let's work them out together.

Praying in the Closet and in the Spirit by John Piper

2010-01-04T17:11:00.001-06:00

Walk by the Spirit! :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library

2010-01-03T09:24:00.000-06:00

Great sermon by Pastor John Piper that will help to illistrate the need for allowing the Holy Spirit, alone, to do its work in you. Enjoy.

Walk by the Spirit! :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library

Can one who commits suicide be saved?

2010-01-02T18:50:00.000-06:00

Can one who commits suicide be saved?

"Defining and Defending Authentic Christianity"

2009-12-29T20:56:00.000-06:00

How would you study the Bible with people who can't read? by John Piper

2009-12-27T15:19:00.001-06:00

Saturday Night Live alternate ending to "It's a Wonderful Life" very funny

2009-12-24T21:36:00.002-06:00

Why do you think Christianity is true? by John Piper

2009-12-23T09:22:00.000-06:00

The Reason for the Season

2009-12-20T18:42:00.000-06:00

May the Jesus Christ our Lord be the reason why we are truly joyous this season? Let us not forget that the main point of the Christmas Holiday season is the birth of Jesus Christ.

Our God came wrapped in humanity to save sinners in which I am chief. The Lord came in innocence over 2000 years, born under the law to redeem us from the curse of the law. We cannot forget that with His sacrifice we are given access to life in Him.

We believe in the son because in Him is life and that life is what we all celebrate on Christmas. May all be joyous and full of life? May our loved ones see Jesus for who He really is? The Savior.

Why don't we experience the miracles that the apostles were capable of?

2009-12-19T12:39:00.000-06:00

It Is the Spirit That Gives Life by John Piper

2009-12-14T23:31:00.000-06:00

What is your stance on married couples using birth control pills? by John Piper

2009-12-13T07:18:00.000-06:00

How does unbelief contribute to the need I feel for pornography? by John Piper

2009-12-09T07:29:00.000-06:00

They will be taught by God (by John Piper)

2009-12-08T08:42:00.001-06:00

Wonderful manna to feast on:

A Colossal Fraud :: Grace to You

2009-12-07T14:35:00.001-06:00

The following link is to an article that was posted at Grace to You Ministries , it takes a stance that is very near and dear to me. There is a great fraud that is being perpetrated in the local church which is much greater than that of any secular scheme. I believe that we are to pay close attention to the scriptures as men begin to call themselves to the ministry and build grand monuments to themselves only. Grace Community Church is very courageous for posting this truth. Come and See. Access article below:

A Colossal Fraud :: Grace to You

G-VO: "World is Not My Home"

2009-12-03T15:52:00.001-06:00

Great inspirational video for the holiday.

Skeptical Grumbling and Sovereign Grace by John Piper

2009-12-01T15:35:00.000-06:00

Why should I want to be a christian by John Piper

2009-11-29T10:23:00.001-06:00

The True Cost of Following Christ by Mark Kielar

2009-11-28T10:14:00.002-06:00

Listen with and open understanding of Who Christ is and what He really came to do.

What role does your temperament play in determining your view of God and the Christian life? by John Piper

2009-11-27T22:02:00.002-06:00

Video Interview with Pastor John Piper:

Salvation by John MacArthur and Kirk Cameron

2009-11-25T23:42:00.003-06:00

Great video about salvation from one of our own brother in Christ, Kirk Cameron, and also from Pastor John MacArthur

Daily Bread by RBC Ministries

2009-11-24T06:20:00.001-06:00

November 24, 2009
Called To Serve
READ: Mark 10:35-45

The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. —Mark 10:45When George W. Bush was President, he made a surprise visit to serve Thanksgiving Day dinner to soldiers deployed overseas. One reporter covering the story thought that some might save their meal as a souvenir, explaining, “It’s not often that anyone is served by the President.”

All elected officials are public servants—in a global, symbolic way—so they are always serving. So it seems that an act of service should not have been one of the biggest news items of the day.

Many people have a genuine desire to serve others, but for some, service is really self-serving. This was true when Jesus was training His disciples. They were under the impression that following Him would make them great.

But Jesus quickly set them straight: “Those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you” (Mark 10:42-43). Jesus made it clear to them that they were in training to become servants: “Whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all” (v.44).

We can sign up for any number of leadership training seminars, but the only good leaders are those who are first and foremost good servants. — Julie Ackerman Link

They truly lead who lead by love,
And humbly serve the Lord;
Their lives will bear the Spirit’s fruit
And magnify His Word. —D. De Haan

A good leader is a good servant.

Behold, Believe, Be Raised by John Piper

2009-11-23T17:18:00.002-06:00

Great sermon referring to the truth behind Jesus and His miraculous gifts to us.

When you are done viewing the video, please respond with your understanding of what you received from the teaching.

Do Not Labor that Perishes by John Piper

2009-11-17T07:42:00.003-06:00

John 6:22-29 (ESV)
I Am the Bread of Life
22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" 26 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal." 28 Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."

Daily Devotionals at RBC Ministries

2009-11-15T19:58:00.002-06:00

November 15, 2009
Pleasing God
READ: Hebrews 11:1-6

We make it our aim . . . to be well pleasing to Him. —2 Corinthians 5:9Andy Warhol, the pop-art painter of such American images as the Campbell’s soup can, once said, “In the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.” But he was wrong. There are millions of people who will never grab their moment in the spotlight. Some of them are the men and women who spend their lives doing things like working hard, raising godly children, faithfully praying for others, sharing their faith with those who don’t yet know Jesus. They teach Sunday school, bring meals to the sick, drive senior citizens to doctors’ appointments, and do countless other kindnesses.

These people may never be recognized outside their circle of family and friends. Certainly, their names aren’t well known. And although they willingly, and often sacrificially, give of themselves, they may not receive a whole lot of thanks or praise for their service. Yet God knows of their faithfulness and is pleased by their obedience.

Second Corinthians 5:9 teaches us to “make it our aim . . . to be well pleasing” to God. As we, by faith, believe in Him and give our lives in service to Him, He is pleased (Heb. 11:6). That’s our reward, because God’s approval is always sweeter than the applause of the crowd. — Cindy Hess Kasper

Look not to the people around you,
Nor wait for their laurels of praise;
Enough that the Savior has found you
And calls you to serve all your days. —Hess

The deeds God finds pleasing are those done in service for Him.

Humility our Soil in which we toil

2009-11-08T15:17:00.004-06:00

By God's grace, I stumbled upon this video from Desiring God Ministries:

Limited Atonment

2009-11-07T14:56:00.003-06:00

Greg Koukl Speaks on the issue of Limited Atonement
Part 1 of 2

Part 2 of 2

Pastor Montaz Ali Speaks on Limited Atonement

The Local Church: Minimum Vs. Maximum :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library

2009-11-05T16:16:00.000-06:00

Excellent resource for helping to determine the focus and purpose of local churches:

The Local Church: Minimum Vs. Maximum :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library

After listening to the audio or reading the transcript or both, please comment.

1st Edition of 7 Days to a Faith Overhaul now available

2009-11-03T14:25:00.003-06:00

Larry Cochran has begun a new series of booklets called "7 Day series". The first of these is called "7 Days to a Faith Overhaul" pick up your copy today:

7 Days to a Faith Overhaul

Cross Movement Records Artist "Shachah" nominated for a GMA Video award

2009-11-03T08:16:00.002-06:00

Christian music done right would sound like this:

Daily Bread by RBC Ministries

2009-11-03T05:28:00.001-06:00

November 3, 2009

Helped By Fear

READ: Proverbs 9:1-12

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. —Proverbs 9:10Fear means different things to different people. To professional golfer Padraig Harrington, it is a motivator to help him perform his very best. In 2008, when he won both the British Open and the PGA Championship, Harrington said, “Yes, fear is a big part of me. I’d like to say that I have all the trust and patience and I’m relaxed. No, that’s not my makeup. [Fear] pushes me on. Keeps me getting to the gym. I have to work with it and use it.”

Maybe it’s the fear of failure, or the fear of losing his edge, but Harrington finds fear to be a useful thing in his professional life.

The follower of Christ can also be helped by fear. We are challenged in the Scriptures to a reverential fear of God, which is the best type of fear that there is. It causes us to be concerned about disobeying Him or living in opposition to His ways. It’s being in awe of our great God, bowing to His perfect will, and seeking His wisdom for living. To that end, the proverb declares, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov. 9:10).

By fearing God rightly, we can live wisely in an uncertain world. — Bill Crowder

God dwells in light and holiness,
In splendor and in might;
And godly fear of His great power
Can help us do what’s right. —D. De Haan

Fear God, and you’ll have nothing else to fear.

our daily bread by Daily Devotionals at RBC Ministries

2009-10-22T07:54:00.001-05:00

October 22, 2009

Failing Memory
READ: Psalm 119:33-40

Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way. —Psalm 119:37A New York Times article linked the increase of computer storage with the decrease of data in the human mind. Our electronic aids now remember phone numbers, driving directions, and other information we used to learn by repeated use. In schools, memorization and oral recitation are disappearing from the curriculum. We have become, according to the Times, “products of a culture that does not enforce the development of memory skills.”

Yet never have we as followers of Christ been in greater need of hiding God’s Word in our hearts (Ps. 119:9-11). Scripture memory is more than a helpful mental exercise. The goal is to saturate our minds with God’s truth so that our lives will conform to His ways. The psalmist wrote: “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end. . . . Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way” (Ps. 119:33,37).

Why not begin committing Scripture to memory? Daily consistency and review are keys to success. And just like physical exercise, this spiritual discipline is enhanced when done with a small group or with a friend.

Let’s not forget to remember and follow the life-giving wisdom of God’s Word. — David C. McCasland

God’s Word will change your life
If you will do your part
To read, to study, and obey,
And hide it in your heart. —Sper

Let the Bible fill your mind, rule your heart, and guide your life.

Was it Possible for Jesus to sin? by John Piper

2009-10-20T17:07:00.002-05:00

This is a very interesting outlook on the fact that Jesus was fully God and fully man. How John Piper puts the argument to test about sin, may help to understand why we all face difficulty dealing with that issue.

May the Lord bless this to your souls, and give you understanding.

The Devil is in the details.....

2009-04-02T04:25:00.003-05:00

After examining the Jim Jones incident, it is very apparent that he started off just as sincere as all ministers. The real problem with his manipulative message is that it was primarily based on the things that were happening. At the time that he began preaching a message of hope, people needed that and it was something that would cause them to make choices based on that need. The more he received power over the people, the more they gave him. The more the people believed in the Jim Jones message, the more erratic that message became. All in the while, people conveniently forget that he was accepted not just by his members, but also by government officials, other pastors, and communities at large. The people where hypnotized by the overall covering of the message. Being that most of the people were so convinced by the outer appearance, all other valid concerns were ignored. Every thing that Jim Jones or his people did that was truthfully illegal, erratic, strange, unethical, or against the bible, was ignored or explained away. When he threw away the source of his message, the bible, it should have been completely apparent to true followers of Christ that the ride was over.

When the message of true hope that Christ presented begins to be distorted to fit someones twisted dreams of human utopia, it is always a sign of trouble. Christ never manipulated anyone into a point of belief. Man can never be the answer to man's depravity. The bible explains in detail that we can not save ourselves, nor can we allow others to become a savior for us. Christ is the son of God and has never told us to do, say, or be anything that He was not. There was no hypocrisy in Him. The bible is the source of truth, but through misinterpretations and peoples own desperation, it can be distorted and cause people to follow foolishness. People will believe what they want to believe, yet because of our known state of depravity, that belief must be based on sound reality and not empty rhetoric.

Life is Good?

2009-03-19T09:01:00.001-05:00

Even in the midst of crisis, it is good to know that our commitment from Christ is everlasting and that we can lean on the Rock of Salvation. I am always aware of the reality that we live in, but there is also a greater reality to those who are in Christ the Lord. Know God through His Son, and know life.

Psalm 85 (ESV)

2009-03-16T07:42:00.001-05:00

Revive Us Again

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1 LORD, you were favorable to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people;
you covered all their sin.
Selah

3 You withdrew all your wrath;
you turned from your hot anger.
4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us!
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your steadfast love, O LORD,
and grant us your salvation.

8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
but let them not turn back to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
that glory may dwell in our land.

10 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from the sky.
12 Yes, the LORD will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him
and make his footsteps a way.

Shaky Stuff

2009-02-11T06:53:00.002-06:00

Sometime the foundation that we believe we stand on, is not as firm as we believe. If that foundation is not built on the solid rock of faith in the Christ, then that foundation remains shakey. Is Christ your foundation?

Resuming transmission....

2008-12-15T13:36:00.000-06:00

I have been working very hard the past month or so and have been limited as to what I am able to do on the pc. I have some control over my schedule now and will be resuming the transmissions. We at True Foundation Association are dedicated to presenting timeless information, yet we are all true to the biblical standard of taking care of our homes and giving of ourselves to make sure things stay in proper perspective. Losing your family and gaining material blessings is similar but not as equal to gaining the world and losing your soul. We must remember that at times we have to reprioritize and then get going on the mission set before us. Life is great as long as we know that our confidence lay within the hands of Jesus. Thanks for hanging on.

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

2008-09-29T06:01:00.002-05:00

Check out this video clip about what it means to be resolved. It is quite interesting. It is only a part of the overall series, but still very insightful.

TFA's Christ Radio updates

2008-09-21T13:47:00.003-05:00

On our new blogsite we will not only be featuring music from various genre playlist, but we will have many post relating to hymnals. We want to begin to give respect and honor to those who have gone on before us. These old hymns are inspirational as well as informational. Look out for the new addition of the hymnal discussions on christradio.

Check out our new section on Music

2008-09-08T17:35:00.002-05:00

We have decided to put some music players up with music that presents the gospel in a culturally correct way. We will have various play list available from time to time with samples of various artist and their music. Hope you enjoy.

Click this link:
Christradio

Old yet accurate book review by Thabiti Anyabwile, author of "What is a Healthy Chrch Member"

2008-09-05T18:23:00.004-05:00

The Hip Hop Church

By Efrem Smith and Phil Jackson
Reviewed by Thabiti Anyabwile

The Hip Hop Church: Connecting with the Movement Shaping Our Culture
IVP, 2005, 227 pages, $15.00

No one can dispute the rapid and worldwide expansion of hip hop culture over the last twenty years. It is a cultural phenomenon largely unanticipated, even frightening to some onlookers. Hip Hop culture exerts tremendous shaping influence on products ranging from apparel to automobiles, from fashion to films, and everything beyond.

Overview

Efrem Smith and Phil Jackson in The Hip Hop Church suggest that it is now time that hip hop shape the way we do church if we want to reach urban youth immersed in hip hop culture. The authors wish to "move the African American urban church further along in its heart for unchurched youth and young adults growing up in hip hop" (27). At present, the authors see the local church traveling a course to either collision (where the church pronounces anathema on hip hop and oppose it), compromise (where hip hop overruns the evangelistic effort of the church), or co-existence (where the church develops "a theology for engaging hip hop culture" and "models that use elements of hip hop culture to engage those who have been influenced by it"). The authors write with the hope of furthering the last option, co-existence.

The book is organized into three parts. Part 1 attempts to make the case for why the church should care about hip hop. Several reasons for engaging hip hop culture are given: (1) hip hop remains very influential as a worldwide phenomena; (2) the church largely underestimates the depths of this influence; (3) parents are ill-equipped to engage children immersed in the culture; and (4) many youth fail to grasp how deeply they are influenced by hip hop, so "its impact is often more directive than reflective" (p. 34). The authors move from these reasons for engagement to consider Acts 17 as a model for engaging people in hip hop culture.

Part 2 provides a primer for the hip hop novice. If you know little to nothing about hip hop, you’ll find this a very easy introduction to digest. The authors write with both a familiarity with the genre and an ease that often expresses itself in personal testimony and anecdote. I found myself bobbing my head as they shared some of their own stories about rap and hip hop. The primer itself includes the definition of rap and hip hop (they’re not the same), discussion of blues and spirituals as the seedbed for hip hop art forms, and the post-modern and liberationist underpinnings of hip hop.

Part 3 offers Smith and Jackson’s take on bringing hip hop into the local church. The duo begins by recommending the use of "holy hip hop" as an entry point for churches to consider, and as a cultural expression which churches can help shape. They devote a chapter to exploring the links between traditional black sermonic style and the spoken word styles of emcees. They compare hip hop deejays to church worship leaders, and then they make specific suggestions for bringing hip hop into the church worship service.

I would recommend The Hip Hop Church to anyone wishing to gain a basic understanding of hip hop as a culture and anyone interested in dialoguing with young people about these themes. You’ll find an easy-to-read-and-digest volume suitable as a primer.

Critiques

While Smith and Jackson do present a readable and friendly case for engaging hip hop culture, as pastor I would have three critiques for their approach and recommendations.

First, the book rests on a rather romantic view of hip hop as a whole. Without further definition, the authors claim that we must "entertain the possibility that certain elements of hip hop culture actually have biblical foundations" (p. 36)—an assertion that requires elucidation. Elsewhere the authors contend that hip hop "began to meet certain core needs of a generation before that generation could articulate the needs they had. Some needs in the lives of the urban African American community, in fact, are being met only by hip hop" (p. 80). The authors also claim that hip hop is relevant and real. They accept the authenticity of hip hop, which is only possible by overlooking or downplaying the crass materialism and fantasy lifestyles that the culture holds out as "the good life" to masses of people who don’t live that life and will probably never come close. It’s difficult to think carefully about appropriating elements of hip hop culture for service to the gospel when discernment seemed lacking.

Second, beyond "reaching youth in hip hop culture," the authors have not developed in the book a clear understanding of what it means to be a youth; nor have they articulated the church’s goal in engaging young people. In places, the book seems to settle for simple inclusion of young people in church programs and some amount of youth control or influence over some church practices. For example, the authors maintain that typical adult-run programs "can keep youth from feeling that they have their own space and platform for expression within the church, coming from their own generational experience" (41). Is the end then merely to provide adolescents or youth with the opportunity for generational expression? Space and expression are surely worthy goods, but only in so far as they serve biblical goals for growth and maturity in Christ. The intergenerational activity in the church always aims at maturity in Christ (Titus 2), not the mere expression of generational desire or experience.

Readers would have been helped by a statement of what healthy adolescence looks like and what, then, adolescents are to become. In this age of perpetual adolescence (adult irresponsibility), engagement with youth must be clear-eyed about who adolescents are and the transition they are making to biblical manhood and womanhood. Hip hop culture—along with the rest of the culture—suffers serious confusions on these points, and leaving this unaddressed is a major limitation of the work.

Third, most critically, the authors start with a desire to hold fast to the gospel of Jesus Christ but lose any clear focus on the cross as the book develops. Phil’s experience with some youth at a camp had a profound impact on him. The youth decided that some forms of music were hindering their walk and so independently agreed to rid themselves of the music. Reflecting on the event, Phil wrote:

The lesson I learned from the Lord on that day was that he changes hearts—I must be faithful to exalt him and teach about him and his ways, and he will do the rest. I learned on that day that I must teach Christ crucified as a lifestyle and not as an addition to anything else. As Christ is lifted up and love for him is cultivated, our appetite to serve and live for him will become unquenchable, and nothing will stand in the way of this hunger. (32)

That was a promising start. But in the end, the recommendations are less gospel-centered and more man-centered than one would hope.

For example, the authors tout a special Friday night service for youth where secular music is played and young people are allowed to slow dance as equivalent to Jesus conversing with the woman at the well in John 4. Jesus was certainly with sinners, but not sinning with them. Not that dancing in itself is sin, but two unmarried people lustfully groping and grinding on one another is. Far too often, strategies that begin with "look how close Jesus was to sinners" end up looking quite unlike Jesus—like youth lustfully slow dancing in a church basement.

In a section on "hip hop theology," the authors criticize "out of touch" pastors and Christians while simultaneously applauding the cultic emphases of members of the Five Percent Nation of Islam—some of whom are prominent hip hop artists. A book recommending major changes in the public worship of Christians must maintain theological discernment and clarity. As the authors moved toward application and recommendation of certain models and methods, regrettably, clarity and discernment were diminished.

Conclusion

The authors are most certainly correct in identifying hip hop as a major cultural force. And they express godly concern for reaching people immersed in this movement, calling the church to find points of contact that advance the gospel. And they do this, in part, by offering a good primer on hip hop for the uninitiated.

But those initiated in both hip hop culture and the church world will find themselves wanting more theological rigor and care when considering strategies for reaching the hip hop generation. Read the book to be more conversant with the young people of your congregations. But I would not recommend it for basic ecclesiological strategy.

Thabiti Anyabwile is the senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands and is the author of the upcoming What Is a Healthy Church Member? (Crossway, June 2008).

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