Today I want to share a message from a friend of mine that came through his recent weekly update. From Dr. David Aderholdt, international worker in Macedonia:
Leadership Corner - Authentic Church, True Spirituality in a Culture of Counterfeits
In
a world of consumerism, seduction, sexuality and self-indulgence, what
should Church look like? These competing values to the Cross, which we
say is central to our lives, how does that work out in 2012? Obviously
we are gonna have to make choices that other's are not making. We
cannot rely on human wisdom, but instead make the Cross central to our
lives. It is the only way to moral purity in a world gone mad with
moral permissiveness. Some gems from this book:
"In
a world that regards the message of Christ crucified as weak and
foolish, it will always be tempting for Christians to look elsewhere for
the power and wisdom we feel we need to impress others. Our attention
can so easily shift from the message of the Bible, with its focus on the
saving work of Christ through the cross, to other preoccupations." (p.
18)
"We
too have done many terrible things, but now, if we trust in Christ, we
are completely clean in God's sight, washed by the blood of the one who
died for us. We have been 'sanctified', set apart from the wickedness of
the world to live godly lives as God's people. We are under God's
condemnation, but now we have been 'justified' and are completely in the
right with him.... This glorious truth was underlined for a friend of
mine when he was given a book called The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner.
When he looked inside, he found the pages were completely blank. God
has wiped the slate clean for all who trust in Christ." (pp. 70-71)
"Christ's headship over Christians does not demean us, but rather enables
us to flourish into the people we long to be. He was so committed to
our welfare that he was willing to go to the cross so that we might
enter into the relationship with God for which we were made. In the same
way, a wife will blossom if she is married to a husband who exercises
his headship not to please himself, but in the interests of what is best
for his wife, even if it kills him." (p. 141)
"Teaching
which promises material and spiritual prosperity now is much more
attractive to us than any reminder that, wonderful as the blessings God
has already given us in Christ undoubtedly are, the Christian life in
this present world still requires self-discipline and suffering. Talk of
discipline is not popular in a self-indulgent world which always tends
to opt for the easy life; and teaching that points us to the future
leaves many cold in a generation that lives for the moment and is
frustrated by having to wait even a few seconds for an Internet
connection." (p. 194)
"A
good test, therefore, of any movement or message that claims to be
spiritual is to ask, 'Does this point me to the crucified Christ and
encourage me to grow in knowledge and love of him, to serve him and
imitate him?' If not, it does not come from the Holy Spirit, however
impressive it may appear." (p. 19)
The
story is told of a bear that bumped into a hunter with a loaded gun.
The bear put up his hands and said to the hunter, 'Come on, let's be
reasonable - let's light a fire and chat a bit; you can tell me what you
want and I'll tell you what I want.' 'All right,' said the hunter, 'I'm
hunting bear because I want a great big fur coat.' 'That's fine,' said
the bear, 'I'm looking for hunters because I want a great big square
meal.' Fifteen minutes later the bear got up, patting his stomach
contentedly. He had had his meal, and the hunter had got his fur coat
on. (Illustrating the point that in some situations, wisdom demands that
we flee, not negotiate, especially when we are tempted sexually). (p.
76)
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