Have you lost your amazement?

The gospel of Mark reveals more stories about the life of Jesus that results in person's "being amazed" at what they saw and heard.

"The people were amazed at his teaching." Mark 1:22

Jesus has authority over evil spirits.  Mark 1:27

Jesus told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven and he could walk, everyone was amazed and praised God.  Mark 2:12

Jesus calms the seas and it's the first time Mark records the disciples' response:  "They were terrified."  Mark 4:41

The people were amazed when He cast evil spirits into the pigs.  Mark 5:20

When Jarius' daughter was raised from the dead, her parents were completely astonished.  Mark 5:42

When Jesus taught in the synagogue, many who heard were amazed.  Mark 6:2

When the Pharisees tried to trap him and Jesus turned the occasion into a display of wisdom, the witnesses were amazed.  Mark 12:17

When He walked on water the disciples were amazed.  Mark 6:51

When He healed a deaf and mute man, people were overwhelmed and amazed.  Mark 7:37

The crowds were "overwhelmed and filled with wonder" at the very sight of Jesus.  Mark 9:15

When three disciples saw the very glory of God, they "fell to the ground and was terrified."  Mark 9:7-8

At the cross, only one is mentioned in Mark that gives any response to the death of our Lord and that was the Roman centurion.  Mark 15:39

Mark ends with the women who came to the tomb and they left "trembling and bewildered."  Mark 16:8

Are you astonished at what you read here?  Are you astonished at the thought of your own salvation provided by Jesus Christ?  Are do these stories and memories become like another Sunday School lesson or sermon?  

The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sings "I'm Amazed."

No one knew how alone I was feeling,
And the emptiness I tried so hard to hide.
Though I laugh and said my life was fine without you.
I was covering up the secret tears I cried.
Then one day someone told me of your mercies,
And the love you showed on a Hill called Calvary.
There you died and purchased my redemption,
When you broke in spite and set my spirit free.

Chorus
I'm amazed that you love me I'm amazed how you care
Through Your precious blood I've found pardon
And my sins are washed they're all washed away
All my sins are washed away

Yes there've been days when I've failed you.
Lord you know the many times I've gone astray.
Lord I've learned your love is stronger than my weakness,
And your ear is open every time I pray. 
No one else has ever cared for me like you Lord.
Other friends could never be as close to me.
I'm not afraid to face the problems of tomorrow,
Knowing you are everything I'll ever need.

I'm amazed that you love me I'm amazed how you care
Through Your precious blood I've found pardon
And my sins are washed they're all washed away
All my sins are washed away"

Ask God to renew His amazement in your heart today.

Here are the sermon notes from yesterday's message "Good News: We've Been Adopted."  For those who were not present, the sermon was greatly enhanced as we dedicated Nathaniel and Steven Williamson, adopted sons of Gerald and Debra Williamson, as an introduction to the message.  

Religion vs. The Gospel

For the weekend, I thought I would share some challenging thoughts from Tim Keller, via Tullian Tchividjian’s blog. The following is a comparison between “religion” (in the unbiblical sense of the term) and the gospel, drawn from Keller’s sermons at Redeemer Presbyterian Church. As Tchividjian (Billy Graham's grandson) said, "Tim does a remarkable job of probing hearts and revealing how easily we slip into self-dependence mode. As I’ve been saying each Sunday, real slavery according to the Bible is self-reliance. So, read the comparison list below with humility and care. It will do your soul good."

I agree.

RELIGION: I obey-therefore I’m accepted.


THE GOSPEL: I’m accepted-therefore I obey.

RELIGION: Motivation is based on fear and insecurity.


THE GOSPEL: Motivation is based on grateful joy.

RELIGION: I obey God in order to get things from God.


THE GOSPEL: I obey God to get to God-to delight and resemble Him.

RELIGION: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at God or my self, since I
believe, like Job’s friends that anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life.


THE GOSPEL: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle but I know all my punishment fell on Jesus and that while he may allow this for my training, he will exercise his Fatherly love within my trial.

RELIGION: When I am criticized I am furious or devastated because it is critical that I think of myself as a ‘good person’. Threats to that self-image must be destroyed at all costs.


THE GOSPEL: When I am criticized I struggle, but it is not critical for me to think of myself as a ‘good person.’ My identity is not built on my record or my performance but on God’s love for me in Christ. I can take criticism.

RELIGION: My prayer life consists largely of petition and it only heats up when I am in a time of need. My main purpose in prayer is control of the environment.


THE GOSPEL: My prayer life consists of generous stretches of praise and adoration. My main purpose is fellowship with Him.

RELIGION: My self-view swings between two poles. If and when I am living up to my standards, I feel confident, but then I am prone to be proud and unsympathetic to failing people. If and when I am not living up to standards, I feel insecure and inadequate. I’m not confident. I feel like a failure.


THE GOSPEL: My self-view is not based on a view of my self as a moral achiever. In Christ I am “simul iustus et peccator”-simultaneously sinful and yet accepted in Christ. I am so bad he had to die for me and I am so loved he was glad to die for me. This leads me to deeper and deeper humility and confidence at the same time. Neither swaggering nor sniveling.

RELIGION: My identity and self-worth are based mainly on how hard I work. Or how moral I am, and so I must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral. I disdain and feel superior to ‘the other.’

THE GOSPEL: My identity and self-worth are centered on the one who died for His enemies, who was excluded from the city for me. I am saved by sheer grace. So I can’t look down on those who believe or practice something different from me. Only by grace I am what I am. I’ve no inner need to win arguments.


RELIGION: Since I look to my own pedigree or performance for my spiritual acceptability, my heart manufactures idols. It may be my talents, my moral record, my personal discipline, my social status, etc. I absolutely have to have them so they serve as my main hope, meaning, happiness, security, and significance, whatever I may say I believe about God.

THE GOSPEL: I have many good things in my life-family, work, spiritual disciplines, etc. But none of these good things are ultimate things to me. None of them are things I absolutely have to have, so there is a limit to how much anxiety, bitterness, and despondency they can inflict on me when they are threatened and lost.

Monday at the Southern Baptist Convention

I'm just getting back to my hotel room from a long day of attending the Pastor's Conference at the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Louisville.  I love people who think attending these sessions are vacation.  I arrived at the convention center this morning at 8:15 (Eastern time) and just now getting back.

David Platt (as I expected since I listen to every message he preaches via my IPod and he pastors in Birmingham) was the message of the day.  Even though I had heard it before, this was the first time he had preached in this venue and many, many people had never experienced his passion and purity of the Word.  

Mike Huckabee spoke this afternoon and then played with the band as we left.  His message was very good.  His main point was that leadership is at all levels:  individual, family, church, government.  There are two main ideas with leadership:  Righteousness (right/wrong - moral absolutes) and Responsibility.  If those two elements are not in an individuals life, then he will be in crisis.  If the leader of a home does not incorporate those two elements the family is in trouble.  A pastor must do the same for a church and politicians must lead a nation in the same two areas.

He said in regard to what we have seen in this country in the last few months: "Wall Street was not a money problem, but a moral problem."

He said as Governor of Arkansas, that any time there was a breakdown in a family that caused the state to remove a child and that child to become a ward of the state that it caused the state between $60,000 to 80,000 a year for that individual child.

My commentary:  The basic problem in America is not the White House, the church house, or my house.  It is individuals.  Without basic righteousness and personal responsibility, then everything is going to fall apart.

By the way, you do also know that he was a Southern Baptist pastor for 12 years and he said, "The hardest politics is not lieutenant governor, governor or even running for President; but it was 12 years as a Southern Baptist pastor."  That is a direct quote!!

Tomorrow, the "business" sessions begin.  Dr. Johnny Hunt, President, will preside.  As always, there will be issues that will draw some controversy and there will be issues that the media will pick up on and make a big deal of that really won't be a big deal.

One issue I know that is coming is we are disfellowing a church in Ft. Worth that has shown tolerance in the homosexual question.  The national media will most likely make a lot about it.

Also, there is going to be a resolution concerning President Obama's election and it's historicity.  I had an email today that was blasting the SBC for doing this and encouraging to vote against it.  The resolution (although we have not seen the exact wording yet but only the jest of it) will not commend his policies, but will note the progress America has made in this historic election of our first African-American President.  Unless there is something more in the resolution that I'm not expecting, I will certainly be in favor of that.  

I will try to post again tomorrow night.  I will be leaving here Wednesday, but I'll say more about that later.

Southern Baptist Convention

I'm headed to the Southern Baptist Convention this afternoon. This year's venue is Louisville, KY - the Bluegrass State. The Pastor's Conference begins tonight and goes all day Monday. I am looking forward to hearing J.D. Greer and Chuck Colson tonight. Tomorrow Francis Chan speaks in the morning; Mike Huckabee tomorrow afternoon; and David Platt speaks tomorrow night. Here is the complete schedule.

The actual Convention begins Tuesday.

You can watch it all live here.

Sermon Notes from June 21

Here are the sermon notes from Sunday, June 21 on "Your Father's Wealth." Romans 8:17 click here

George Muller on determining the will of God

George Muller who, in the mid-1830s, cared for over 2,000 orphans in England – was asked how he determined the will of God on any matter, Muller listed the following steps he believed were necessary:
1.     “I get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to any particular matter.”
2.     “I do not leave the result to feelings or simple impressions.  That can make one open to great delusions.”
3.     “I seek God’s will through, or in connection with, his Word.  If you look to the Spirit without the Word, you open yourself to delusion.”
4.     “I consider providential [God-controlled] circumstances.”
5.     “I ask God in prayer to reveal his will to me.”
6.     “I make sure I have a clear conscience before God and man.”
7.     “Every time I listened to men instead of God, I made serious mistakes.”
8.     “I act only when I am at peace, after much prayer, waiting on God with faith.” 

Tammy Trent on Suffering

My whole world shifted in a moment's time eight years ago in Jamaica. My husband of 11 years, Trent Lenderink, was gone forever, and I didn't even get to say goodbye. I'll never forget the moments that followed. Being all alone in a faraway place, my heart took over. It was like a reflex. I began to worship God with my prayers and songs. At that moment I couldn't praise Him in the same way I had the week before, but I did chose to praise Him for what He meant to me, even in that dark place in my life. I felt His presence as I sang. I thank God for the gift of praise and worship that brings me closer to His heart. It's everything I sing about today.

- Tammy Trent (copied from Charisma, June, 2009)

Reagan transferred from ICU

I saw Reagan today and just as I was getting there, Jeri Ann had been told they were transferring Reagan out of ICU onto the floor.  We praise the Lord.  She still has some infection that they can't find out the source which is causing a low grade fever, but they believe she is stable enough to go to the floor.  You can also keep up with her on her blog here.

Thursday update on Reagan

I shared text with Allen today to get an update on Reagan.  She is still in the PICU at Children's Hospital.  Tuesday when I was there they drained a good bit of fluid from her belly and are testing it for infection.  Also Tuesday Allen told me she had been "upgraded" to no longer being the sickest child in the PICU - our heart goes out to the one who took her place.

Today, there are still draining fluid - 1000 cc's.  So we need to pray that her body would begin absorbing that fluid.

Tim Akers and Family

One of the precious families who serves our Lord as missionaries in Ukraine is Tim and  Donna Akers.  I was privileged to visit them last spring. Donna's mom and dad are members at CrossRoads as well as other family members.  Recently, they sent this picture of their family that I thought I would share with you.

Wonderful Wedding with Keith and Kimberly

We have had another wonderful weekend with the wedding of our son, Keith and Kimberly.  The event took place Saturday, June 6 at the Rainbow City Community Center in Gadsden.  It was like an old reunion as so many of our friends and family was there.  Our camera malfunctioned on us Saturday afternoon so I have no pictures past the groomsmen breakfast Saturday morning.  But enjoy these

Tuesday afternoon update on Reagan

I got a text from Allen about 2:00 this afternoon "that Reagan was doing good.  She is opening her eyes.  They had to go back up on some of her medicines, but it is not a biggie.  They said she just didn't like that.  Everyone who has come in to see her is very impressed with where she is."

Keep praying.

Also pray for Mike McDaniel that is having bladder cancer surgery tomorrow at ECM.  He has to be there at 9:15 and the surgery will be late morning.

God is amazing!!

I leave out in the morning for Atlanta to meet Roxanne there and our two sons and new daughter-in-law.  We are having some "family" time then will head back to Gadsden for wedding number two:  Keith and Kimberly on Saturday.  yippee!!

Monday night update on Reagan

I saw Reagan today and she looks so much better than she did Friday.  Come to think of it, even Allen and Jeri Ann looked better today than they did Friday (haha).  

They officially list Reagan as "stable."  They are reducing her medications for blood pressure, heart rate, etc. and she is tolerating it well.  She is still in a chemically induced coma.  

Also, pray for Buddy Stokes, the husband of Gail Stokes.  He is in ICU at Veteran's Hospital since Saturday.  He hopes to be moved to a room tomorrow.

Jeremy Camp's personal experience of suffering

On February 5, 2001, my first wife, Melissa, went to be with the Lord after struggling with ovarian cancer. When she took her last breath, I felt God urging me to raise my hands and worship Him.  As God taught me an important lesson about obeying Him, I sang.  Somehow, the Holy Spirit carries us through pain and suffering, with such tenderness, when we submit to Him. At the heart of true worship and praise to God, my mind, heart and will must submit before Him.  This authentic worship prepares my heart to be molded and used as He sees fit.

-Jeremy Camp (copied from Charisma, June, 2009)