Piper On The Prosperity Gospel

Pierced To The Heart

"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know--this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” Acts 2:22-24

This is the day of Pentecost. Peter is preaching the Gospel. He uses the words of the prophet Joel and the Psalmist David to point the crowds to the Good News of Christ. When they hear this verse 37 of Acts 2 says: “they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”

I loved those words “pierced to the heart.” Thank You God for piercing our hearts with the truth. Continue to pour out your Spirit on us so that we may share this heart piercing truth with others. In your Son's name for your Glory we pray this.

7 Miles

Matt Chandler addresses one of the "secular" explanations of the Resurrection of Christ.

Taste and See

I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! --Psalm 34:1-9

I needed this Passage today. I just opened my bible and this is the page I turned to. I needed to be reminded that no matter what is going on, I need to "boast in the LORD." I love that we are encouraged in verse three to join with David in lifting up the name of God. Then he speaks of deliverance and salvation that comes from God and follows that with "taste and see that the LORD is good!" That is beautiful! He truly will satisfy all our needs and desires. We just have to cling to Him and let him satisfy us.

Once The Gospel Frees You

What you’ll discover is that once the gospel frees you from having to do anything for Jesus, you’ll want to do everything for Jesus so that “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do” you’ll do it all to the glory of God. –Tullian Tchividjian

The quote above comes from a post titled Rethinking Progress where Tchividjian discusses our works. Why is it so easy to feel like our works is what gets us God’s approval? I guess it really is human nature to become Pharisaical. Even knowing that my works don’t help me get God’s approval, I can still find areas of my life where this train of thought is evident.

It goes against scripture and needs to be excised from our hearts. So how do we fight it? How do we remove this belief that we so easily revert back to? We cling to the gospel! And once we start clinging to the gospel, as Tchividjian says “you’ll want to do everything for Jesus so that “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do” you’ll do it all to the glory of God.”

Heavenly Father: Thank you for the freedom that comes from being in Christ. Thank you for choosing to justify me, knowing that I could never make things right on my own. Help me cling to this truth and learn to work for you because it is truly a delight. I pray this in Christ’s Name and for your Glory God.

It Is Not About Me(or You)

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies--in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. –1 Peter 4:10-11

As I seek to serve God more with my life, one of the things that I know I need to keep fighting is the urge to think that it is about me. The words I speak and the ways I serve need to be rooted in God, not in my own abilities. If I build this up around my abilities to speak or serve, it will eventually come crashing down. But if rooted in God, and only in God, God will be glorified. And as Peter says at the end of Verse 11, “To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Heavenly Father I pray my words and actions will point people to you and away from me. In your Son and for your glory I ask for the strength to get better at this each day of my life.

Overwhelmed by Christ

One of the things Jared Wilson talked about at the Gospel Wakefulness Conference last week was that we should overwhelmed by Christ. He said he thinks of an image of Jesus and coming out of Jesus are all of the names and things that Christ does. All of what Christ is and all that He does should cause us to be overwhelmed even if we just got a glimpse of Him.

When Jared talked about this I started thinking about this passage.

So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am he." Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground. --John 18:3-6

These soldiers and officers received just a small glimpse of Jesus in His response "I am He" and it knocked them to the ground. This shouldn't just be for the betrayers of Jesus. We should all be floored by the good news. And when we are knocked to the ground by the holiness of our God and Savior, maybe we will place Him in His proper place in our lives.

Father show me more of you and more of Christ so that I will care less about me. In Your Son, through your Spriit, and for Your Glory I pray this.

By the Way if you weren't at the conference you can go to the Gospel Wakefulness link to hear all of Jared's messages. I encourage you to listen to them.