This is part of a message that John Piper gave to thousands of youth a few years ago and he is apologizing to them for how his generation has told them that the Gospel is about them. There is a gold mine in this short clip. Watch it!
"If God were not just, there would be no demand for His Son to suffer and die. And if God were not loving, there would be no willingness for His Son to suffer and die. But God is both just and loving. Therefore His love is willing to meet the demands of His justice."
~ John Piper
John Piper talks to a group of pastors about the importance of testing the soul to find out what is actually valued and loved. Is it Christ or other things?
Here's a real short video clip of John Piper exposing the misunderstanding that many, in the church today, have about "receiving Christ."
This is a great video clip from a message John Piper gave at a Pastor's conference. He contrasts our modern superficial culture with a Biblical worldview that sees the majestic supremacy of God in everything, A MUST WATCH!!!
This quote by Jonathan Edwards is described by John Piper as "outside the Bible, probably the most important paragraph in any book." This paragraph inspired Piper's well known phrase: "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."
"God is glorified within Himself these two ways: 1. By appearing . . . to Himself in His own perfect idea [of Himself], or in His Son who is the brightness of His glory. 2. By enjoying and delighting in Himself, by flowing forth in infinite love and delight towards Himself, or in his Holy Spirit. So God glorifies Himself toward the creatures also in two ways: 1. By appearing to . . . their understanding. 2. In communicating Himself to their hearts, and in their rejoicing and delighting in, and enjoying, the manifestations which He makes of Himself. . . God is glorified not only by His glory's being seen, but by its being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it, God is more glorified than if they only see it. His glory is then received by the whole soul, both by the understanding and by the heart. God made the world that He might communicate, and the creature receive, His glory; and that it might [be] received both by the mind and heart. He that testifies his idea of God's glory [doesn't] glorify God so much as he that testifies also his approbation of it and his delight in it."
Jonathan Edwards is saying that it's not enough to just see or testify of God's glory. We must find our deepest satisfaction and joy and pleasure in glorifying Him. That means that if you have to loose your right arm or gouge out your right eye you must, no matter what, get happy in God. It means that you will never be truly happy or satisfied until God is truly glorified in your thoughts and your affections. God is not most glorified when we simply follow His orders or keep our noses clean; He is most glorified when when we, even in our suffering, are satisfied in Him. It's the most glorious win-win history has ever known... God most glorified and me most satisfied forever.
Heb 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." It is not enough to just believe that God exists. You must believe that He rewards those who seek Him. You must believe that He is the greatest happiness of your deepest joy. You must believe that nothing else in this world, not television or sports or vacations or wealth or even family, will satisfy you as much as Him. You must believe that He is and be most satisfied in Him alone. The reward is not that He gives us temporal blessings and wealth; the reward is our joy in Him.
Well, today is the first day of a pastors conference I am going to with my cousin Jason. We are in Louisville, Kentucky and the conference is called Together for the Gospel. We will hear messages by R. C. Sproul, John MacArthur, John Piper, Al Mohler, Mark Dever and C. J. Mahaney. I will try to give you an update tonight. Pray that God will use this conference for His glory in a big way.
I received a "few" books from UPS today that I bought when John Piper was having his "all books for only $5.00 each sale" a while back. Yeeeeeeeaaaaah!
Name it and claim it; blab it and grab it; confess it and possess it.
Try repenting of it!
EVIL?
What is evil? Is there evil? Does evil exist in our postmodern world? Do we need to worry about evil? Do we need to be ready to fight against evil? Is evil a problem? Is evil an allusion? What is the real source of evil? Is evil really evil? How do we relate to evil? When is the last time you called evil evil? How should we respond to evil?
Many of us are deluded into thinking that life as a Christian is all hunky dory. Evil only happens to those who are evil, right? Should we, Christians, be concerned about evil? Is the word "evil" even relevant to those who have been saved by grace through faith? Do evil things happen to "good" people? First, we need to realize and acknowledge that God is completely sovereign. "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things." (Isa 45:7) So how do we respond to evil?
Expect
“Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). Evil should never surprise us and catch us off guard. God is going to test you. He loves you and He will cut and carve your character so as to make look more like Him. The cutting and the carving isn't fun but it is fulfilling to those who are faithful. Evil things are going to happen. Buckle up and be ready. Remember God is sovereign through it all.
Pray
Jesus taught us how to pray when He said, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:13). The problem with many of us (not evil) is that we deliver ourselves into evil and then pray to be delivered from it. You can't drive yourself into a strip club (evil) and then pray to be delivered from evil. You can't pray "lead me not into temptation" when you really want and long to to be led there.
Hate
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good” (Romans 12:9). We are told to love and then to hate. If you don't hate than you don't really love. Love is not tolerance. If I love my own children then I wouldn’t tolerate those things that are destroying my children. As the Psalmist said, "Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? (Ps 139) Is prayer and hatred contradictory? Of course not. When it comes to evil we are told to pray and to hate.
Expose
“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). We have a tendency to enjoy and be entertained by evil rather than exposing it for what it is. We are children of light in a dark, evil world. We are here to expose and to shine. We are supposed to be a city on a hill. Christians who do not shine are "thrown out and trampled under people's feet" (Mt.5:13) Exposing is never popular to those who love the darkness. We should, though, be seeking after righteousness not popularity. Shine on!
Overcome
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Don't given in or give up when evil entices or attacks. Evil is there for us to conquer. We are "more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Rom 8:37) The narrow road less traveled is difficult and sometimes lonely but it is the only path that leads to life. We must overcome by doing good "so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Mt. 5:16) Is there evil around us? Then there is work ahead of us. It's time for us to overcome, have dominion and advance His Kingdom.
John Piper wrote: "Never doubt that God is totally for you in Christ. If you trust him with your life, you are in Christ. Never doubt that all the evil that befalls you—even if it takes your life—is God’s loving, purifying, saving, fatherly discipline. It is not an expression of his punishment in wrath. That fell on Jesus Christ our substitute. “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6)."
"Many people are willing to be God-centered as long as they feel that God is man-centered"
~ John Piper
When it comes to temptation, we think, in our flesh, that giving in to the temptation is how we will be rewarded. That is what makes it tempting. Sin, though, is a lying, deceitful backstabber. The Bible reveals that the true reward comes when we resist the temptation. Moses understood this: “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” (Heb 11:24-26)
Here's another very short video clip telling the story of the suffering of Adoniram and Ann Judson and God's sovereignty in our own sufferings.
10. A woman already crossed, and he would be in sin if he followed
9. The road is not safe if it wasn’t built between 1500-1700 AD
8. He believes that “road crossing” has ceased
7. The crossing guard was only helping people cross from one side, so he suspiciously thought he was denying double pre-destination
6. Romans 9 says nothing about crossing roads
5. The “Walk” sign was gender neutral
4. The road was called Tiber Ave
3. John Wesley said that God’s prevenient grace would pave the way, but he had to take the steps himself
2. He wasn’t elected to cross before the foundation of the road
1. Piper said that God is most glorified when we are most satisfied where we are
