Andrew's Thoughts

“For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written,

“Those who have never been told of him will see,
and those who have never heard will understand.”

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome
This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.” (Romans 15:18-24)

It is a GOOD thing to have a HOLY AMBITION. But, not a vain/worldly ambition. Paul has an ambition to preach the Gospel. We should have a holy ambition like that!

I’m going to be mainly talking to “twenty-somethings” people. I am speaking to MYSELF. We need to grow up! We are way to lazy and we take too long to grow up. People think we can not do anything responsible. Well, I got news for them. Through Christ, 20,000 “twenty-somethings” raised over $600,000 this past weekend at Passion 2010 for social justice causes throughout the world. We have work to be done people! The younger we start, the more we can get done (through the help of Christ, and only through Him)

One of the main characteristics of “growing up” is getting a holy ambition.

Where does a holy ambition come from? (v.20-21)
From Christ. Period.

But, we should have an ambition to share the Gospel where it has never been shared before, where Christ has not been shared before. You might ask, “There are people groups that have never heard the Gospel??”. And I might answer, “YES. Go here: http://www.joshuaproject.net/”.

Ask God to burn something on your heart. Ask Him to give you a holy ambition, to show you what He wants you to do. Get in the word, God speaks through the Word.

Will these people (these unreached people groups) go to Hell if they die and never hear the Gospel? Yes. They will. Is it fair? Well, let’s take a look at Romans 1:18-23.

v. 18: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”

I think that pretty much sums up the answer to whether it’s fair or not. God can not be around sin. He can not be around ungodliness and unrighteousness. We, as human beings, are totally depraved sinners without Christ. We are without excuse, the entire world. We all suppress the truth. Christ HAS to be preached or the people are lost. (Romans 2:12)

We still have a thing in this world called “pioneer missionaries” because we still have unreached people groups in the world. When Paul says in the latter part of the chapter at the beginning of the post that he has no work left there, he means his calling is for where there is NO gospel, where the unreached peoples are. He puts various people in charge of the areas he is leaving behind to pastor. He doesn’t just leave it unattended.

We are not all intended to go reach unreached people groups in the world. But, I do believe some of us are. So, as I am praying, I pray you will pray also. Pray that God will show you the calling He has on your life. God has called me to church planting/pastoring. But, he is still “working on me” about where that is to take place. It could take place in multiple locations.

Pray. Pray. Pray.

In Christ,
Andrew

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21 ESV

God will equip us with everything we need to “battle” it out, per say. To go through life and go through spiritual warfare. The word “equip” in this verse means: to equip, to prepare, to supply, to readjust. God equips us by preparing us.

This is a very, seemingly, simple process that I am about to list. But, it should be told because we forget so much OR, even worse, ignore it.

1. God equips us by ADJUSTING us.

2. God equips us by REPAIRING us.

3. God equips us by FILLING us.

In Christ,
Andrew

P.S. Come back tomorrow for the next “segment”!

Check it out! Our life is small. Whoa! Our life is just a speck. And, God is absolutely HUGE! When we look up at the stars or across the Grand Canyon, we might, just might, get a feeling of insignificance. Let me share with you, if you will, an experience like no other I have had before.

Let’s compare our life to John 11. What is John 11? The death of Lazarus. Lazarus was ill. Jesus was friends with him and Martha. So, when Jesus found out his friend, Lazarus, was sick, he didn’t just go immediately to visit Lazarus. No. He waited a few days. Then, after 2 days, Jesus told his disciples, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

As we know, or maybe not, Jesus awoke Lazarus when he visited him.

What can we learn from this? Like Lazarus, we must die. We must die to worldly things. Jesus wants to move the stone. He doesn’t care about the odor that we have. He’s not offended by you/us.

Let us move the doubt from us. Jesus says to unbind us and let us go. He doesn’t just say wake up. He doesn’t just put up with the odor we have.

Let us LIVE!

“Better is open rebuke than hidden love.” Proverbs 27:5 (ESV)

Rebuke your brothers/sisters in Christ, don’t hold back from saying something they need to hear.

The supplements for partaking of this divine nature that Peter talks about in 2 Peter 1:3 are: faith with virtue; Virtue with knowledge; Knowledge with self control; Self control with steadfastness; Steadfastness with godliness; Godliness with brotherly affection; Brotherly affection with love.

These qualities help live a life partaking of the divine nature. These are the desires of a transformed heart. Only God’s infinite power can accomplish salvation, not human will. Only God can provide us the chance to “partake” of this divine nature. Through the divine nature, we can become increasingly like Him, but not part of Him.

I would like to get people’s comments on this. What do ya think? Should Obama speak to the kids/schools? My opinion, sure he should. He is our president. Now, let’s pray for Obama that he will have the wisdom to say what he needs to say and put politics aside. I’m actually excited about him speaking to the kids.

If we had a conservative in office and he wanted to speak to the kids, they would be like “yeah, go for it” but just because we have a liberal in office, all the conservatives are protesting about it. So, stop protesting and pray Obama will have the right words to say to the kids. Come on, conservatives! Support your president. I would’ve supported McCain if he would’ve been elected. Obama is our leader for a reason. God allowed him to be put as the president on the United States for a reason. Protesting against Obama is basically protesting that God is NOT in control. Didn’t think of it like that, did you?

Sooo, I would like everyone’s thoughts, please?
Andrew

So, my birthday is tomorrow (August 6th) and my girlfriend just brought me my birthday present. One of which is a daily inspiration book from “The Purpose Driven Life”. I read the book a long time ago, probably when it came out, and when Dayspring Baptist Church did a series on it. So, it was definitely a long time ago. So, it’s nice to go through it again, learn stuff, and just reflect and meditate on Scripture.

The first day is asking the question, “What on Earth am I here for?”. I used to ask myself this question a lot. I just never saw my purpose, my reason for living. A year or so ago, and maybe even a few months ago, I was depressed. I probably wasn’t in a “medical” depression, but I just didn’t care anymore. But, after reading Scripture, and being reaffirmed day after day, I know my purpose. Of course, there are specific things God put us on Earth to do. But, the general purpose for all Christ-following ELECT-EXILES (1 Peter 1:1) is to glorify God.

First off, everything began with God. Before the Earth was created, there was God. Colossians 1:16 says, “For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank of angels–everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.”

1 Corinthians 2:7, “God’s wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don’t find it lying around on the surface. It’s not the latest message, but more like the oldest–what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene.”

Ephesians 1:11, “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the PURPOSE of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”

Father God is all-knowing and truly sovereign. His wisdom surpasses us completely. The answer to the “What on Earth am I here for?” question is simple: To glorify God on this Earth. That is what we’re here for and made to do.

Grace unto Him,
Andrew

We all yearn for some kind of “hope” in this world. When the elections were going on, the big thing one candidate was using as his “motto” was “Hope and Change”. He, and his campaign, knew that the biggest thing that was needed in our world (particularly America) was hope. And, of course, people bought into it. People said, “Oh, he can provide us the HOPE we need.” But, he’s a politician. Can he REALLY provide us with a HOPE that we need?

Well, quick answer to that question. NO. He might be able to help provide America with some form of “hope”, but not the true, LIVING hope that is found only in Christ.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:3-5

So, this week, just keep thinking about the hope we have in Jesus Christ! And, NOT, in our government. But, respect our government, for God has put authority over us for a time and for a reason.

Grace unto Him,
Andrew

So, I have made an “agreement” with the Living Hope guy leaders that I will be growing a beard, because I can. So, this isn’t going to be long, but expect pictures starting in a week or so. I’m starting tonight to make an album. I’ll probably just put it on MobileMe.

Peace,
Andrew

Proverbs: Mars Hill Church

The Heart Mark Driscoll

Jesus says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart.”

Jesus cares a lot about the heart. We are to LOVE God with all of our heart. If we want to see God, we must have a pure heart.

Proverbs 20:9

Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”?

Ultimately, we have a sin nature. It stems all the way back to Adam. We inherit this sin nature from one man.

The Heart is the essence of who we are. The Truth. The bottom line. Not just talking about the physical organ.

Proverbs 4:23

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Matthew 5:28 – lusting in your heart, you commit adultery

Matthew 6:21 – where your treasure is, there your heart is

Luke 6:45 – watch your tongue, by controlling your heart’s passions

Mark 7:20-21 – what comes out from a person defiles them

Evil comes from within, not just from the world. They defile a person.

What can we possibly do with this “sin problem”?

1) Behavior modification. Think “better thoughts”. Have self-control. The Bible wants more than this “behavior modification”.

Problems with it:

1) Just rearranges the flesh.

2) Leads to pride and despair.

3) Conditions in us from parenting.

2) Heart issue. Selfishness.

Doctrine of Regeneration.

Ezekiel 36:26-27

New heart and new spirit is a gift that God gives us. God will remove the heart of stone. It is a gift aka through grace.

New heart = New Lord, New Power, New Purpose, New Community, New Desires.

New heart does not mean perfect heart.

New heart allows you to be a New Creation.

New heart:

1. Has Faith

2. Desires Obedience

3. Is Corrective

4. Teachable

5. Has contentment

6. Loves wisdom

7. Cheerful

8. Helpful

9. Discerning

10. Persuasive

11. Humble

12. Intelligent

13. Beautiful

14. Repentant

Prov. 20:5

The purpose of a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.

Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

When your heart changes, you get new desires.

It’s not about what you don’t get to do, but what you get to do.

There will be “conflicted” desires, but those are sinful desires. You will have “deep” desires though, that are God’s desires for you.

A few questions to think about:

1) Do you have a new heart? How do you know?

2) What is God showing you about your heart lately?

3) What can you do to nourish your new heart?

4) What desires are even deeper than your desires for sin?