17 July 2010
Fundamentally Selfish
I believe that humanity is fundamentally selfish. Since we are all part of humanity we are to some extent more or less selfish and selfishness leads to sin. Many times we ask the wrong questions about many things including our faith in Jesus Christ due to our selfishness. We ask, how close can I get to sin without actually being in sin? Wrong question because that attitude and selfishness will lead us directly into sin. Perhaps the better question is how do I get closer to Jesus? In the song "Revelation Song" there is a line that says, "filled with wonder, awestruck wonder, at the mention of Your name". If we are selfish can we be filled with that type of "awestruck wonder"? I don't think we can but I know we need to be. In Mark 10:45 Jesus says this:
[45] For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
(Mark 10:45 ESV)
That is how we avoid selfishness, be like Jesus. Be willing to serve more than you desire to be served. Servant hood is the cure for selfishness. Jesus also taught, if you want to be great be the least if you want to first be last. Want to avoid selfishness and the sin and trouble that always follows it? Be a servant to one another.
Yours in Christ's Amazing Love, Bob Best
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Monday 12 July 2010
Book Review and Recommendation
"The Apologetics of Jesus", is the title of a book I am currently reading. The book is written by Norman L. Giesler and Patrick Zukeran. The subtitle is "A Caring Approach to Dealing with Doubters". The basic premise of the book is that since Jesus Christ was, and for Christians is, the greatest teacher who ever lived that it follows that He is the greatest apologist for Christianity that ever lived. Since an apologist uses reason and evidences to present a defense of the Christian faith and Jesus was confronted repeatedly with the need to defend His claim to be the Messiah, The Son of God, then by definition He was an apologist. The book is an easy and interesting read so far (4 chapters in) and all of the authors conclusions about Jesus' practice of apologetics are supported by references to scripture. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in apologetics from novice to someone that is experienced.
Yours in Christ's Amazing Love, Bob Best
Book Review and Recommendation
"The Apologetics of Jesus", is the title of a book I am currently reading. The book is written by Norman L. Giesler and Patrick Zukeran. The subtitle is "A Caring Approach to Dealing with Doubters". The basic premise of the book is that since Jesus Christ was, and for Christians is, the greatest teacher who ever lived that it follows that He is the greatest apologist for Christianity that ever lived. Since an apologist uses reason and evidences to present a defense of the Christian faith and Jesus was confronted repeatedly with the need to defend His claim to be the Messiah, The Son of God, then by definition He was an apologist. The book is an easy and interesting read so far (4 chapters in) and all of the authors conclusions about Jesus' practice of apologetics are supported by references to scripture. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in apologetics from novice to someone that is experienced.
Yours in Christ's Amazing Love, Bob Best
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Sunday 11 July 2010
Today in church the pastor taught on Luke 11:37-54. The sermon was called "How to Know if Your Religion is Dead"
As he started teaching the thought came to my mind, if we fail to worship God with all the passion we can we are essentially spiritually or religiously dead. I personally think this is true. What is in our hearts as we worship? We know, God most assuredly knows and possibly those close to us know. The question is do those around us who may or may not know us see the passion in our worship? If they do, what would they tell us if we asked them do you think there is a passion for Jesus in my worship? Is it possible that we practice an unconscious hypocrisy and deceive ourselves into thinking that our worship has passion when it may not really have that passion. I think sometimes we may say and do things in our worship of Jesus that are just like the Pharisees in this passage in Luke. We take actions and say things and adopt body postures that say to those around us "see me I am worshiping". I am not saying that there is anything wrong with those actions in and of themselves, but if what is in the heart of the worshiper does not back up what shows up on the outside, isn't that just like the actions of the Pharisees that Jesus saw right through to the sad state of their hearts. I think that we each must examine ourselves to see if our heart is in tune with the passion we have for worshiping God. I think this quote from "Studies in the Sermon on The Mount" by D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, sums it up.
"Finally, therefore we must realize that what God wants, and what our blessed Lord wants, above all, is ourselves--what Scripture calls our 'heart'. He wants the inner man, the heart. He wants our submission. He does not want merely our profession, our zeal, our fervour, our works, or anything else. He wants us." (Studies in the Sermon on the Mount pg. 534)
I think it will be my prayer for myself as well as for all who know and profess faith in God through His Son Jesus Christ, that we be able to give to Him our true selves without hypocrisy or acting, just a broken heart that loves Him and desires only to worship Him with passion.
Yours in Christ's Amazing Love, Bob Best
Today in church the pastor taught on Luke 11:37-54. The sermon was called "How to Know if Your Religion is Dead"
As he started teaching the thought came to my mind, if we fail to worship God with all the passion we can we are essentially spiritually or religiously dead. I personally think this is true. What is in our hearts as we worship? We know, God most assuredly knows and possibly those close to us know. The question is do those around us who may or may not know us see the passion in our worship? If they do, what would they tell us if we asked them do you think there is a passion for Jesus in my worship? Is it possible that we practice an unconscious hypocrisy and deceive ourselves into thinking that our worship has passion when it may not really have that passion. I think sometimes we may say and do things in our worship of Jesus that are just like the Pharisees in this passage in Luke. We take actions and say things and adopt body postures that say to those around us "see me I am worshiping". I am not saying that there is anything wrong with those actions in and of themselves, but if what is in the heart of the worshiper does not back up what shows up on the outside, isn't that just like the actions of the Pharisees that Jesus saw right through to the sad state of their hearts. I think that we each must examine ourselves to see if our heart is in tune with the passion we have for worshiping God. I think this quote from "Studies in the Sermon on The Mount" by D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, sums it up.
"Finally, therefore we must realize that what God wants, and what our blessed Lord wants, above all, is ourselves--what Scripture calls our 'heart'. He wants the inner man, the heart. He wants our submission. He does not want merely our profession, our zeal, our fervour, our works, or anything else. He wants us." (Studies in the Sermon on the Mount pg. 534)
I think it will be my prayer for myself as well as for all who know and profess faith in God through His Son Jesus Christ, that we be able to give to Him our true selves without hypocrisy or acting, just a broken heart that loves Him and desires only to worship Him with passion.
Yours in Christ's Amazing Love, Bob Best
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