By definition legacy is anything passed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor. The closest synonym to the word is inheritance. Related to the Kingdom of God, legacy is what God has passed down to His people through the ages in the form of faith [believing God and that belief being counted to them as righteousness- despite their state of unrighteousness]. This faith is clearly seen and only available in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Christians have the privilege of participating in the extension of God's legacy by telling others the good news of Jesus Christ crucified for sinners, and justification (declared righteousness) before God by faith in that alone.
On Saturday April 9, 2011 I have the privilege of partnering with some friends to bring a 1 day conference to LA, that seeks to train believers in an urban/inner city context to be leaders in their churches and communities by participating in God's legacy. Featuring Sponsored by Biola University, The Master's College and Seminary(whoo hoo), Chick Fil A, and the Be Side Radio; the conference will be hosted in the city of Compton at my childhood home church Citizens of Zion. With a general session in the AM, two 2 hour workshops during the day and an evening hip hop concert, the day will be sure to encourage and challenge it's target group of 18-35 year old aspiring leaders of the next generation church. If you havent already, plan to be there and bring some folks with you.
Below there's a video of a friend of mine Brian Dye, the founder of The Legacy Movement. In it he, and his wife Heidi, tell how they are making an impact on their community on the westside of Chicago by opening their lives up to young men in the neighborhood, and doing life on life discipleship in their home. I hope it encourages and challenges you to be about leaving a legacy.
grace & peace
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
REJOICE Said Musa REJOICE!
Said (Sa-yeed) Musa is an Afghan father of six, a Red Cross worker, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus. Musa was imprisoned because of his conversion to Christianity. A judge recently warned Musa that he would be hanged within days if he does not recant his Christian faith and reconvert to Islam.
In response to this their has been a twitter campaign launched by Christian Leaders in an effort to stop the execution of Musa- pimarily by way of tagging @BarackObama in their posts and challenging him to intervene on this since he did so re: the potential burning of Quran's in Fl.
As I've been reading thru, and memorizing, the book of Philippians for the past 6 weeks I've run into verses like these(and more) and been challenged to reconsider the way I view trials of all sorts.
1:12I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel
1:20-21 it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to meto live is Christ, and to die is gain.
1:28-30 [do] not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
3:8,10Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ; that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death
...and on and on I could go.
Paul's letter to the Philippians is primarily in praise of their faith and love for one another. His biggest exhortation is simply that they would abound still more(1:9). This is a stark contrast to some of his other epistles- take 1 Corinthians for example. It could be said that the message of Philippians is what the Lord has to say to the maturing Christian. So when there's no reason to admonish a church for conduct or condoning of sin, error of doctrine, or lack of faith/hope/love etc. - we get "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.(4:4)"
So what should we pray for Musa during this fiery trial? Two prayers have been on my heart since I woke up this morning. The first is that God would be pleased to release Musa from prison. God has done such things before — sometimes through earthquakes and angels (Acts 5:19; 16:26), other times through rulers reversing their decisions(Acts 5:35-40) -which seems to be what most are currently praying for.
The reason I write this blog though is because there seems to be an absence of prayers toward the other end. It may not be the Lord’s will that Musa be released. The number of martyrs is not yet complete (Rev 6:11), and Musa may soon join the white-robed company in heaven. The cup of suffering isn’t always taken from our hands, as our Lord himself would remind us (Luke 22:42). So my second prayer is that Said will "Rejoice" and that God will strengthen Mr. Musa unto death if need be. I once read of a Christian on his way to be executed whose believing wife and son cheered him on until the end. In my opinion we must do no less for Musa through our prayers.
Good and wise Father, please strengthen Said Musa:
- to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith, knowing that the noose around his neck will be displaced by a crown upon his head (2 Tim 4:6-8);
- to rejoice as did the apostles that he has been counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name (Acts 5:41);
- to have confidence that even if he is killed not a hair of his head will perish (Luke 21:16-18);
- to not be afraid of those who can only kill the body (Matt 10:28);
- to face his persecutors with the certain hope of a better resurrection (Heb 11:35);
- to feel at peace in the hands of him who who judges justly (1 Pet 2:23);
- to draw his last breath believing that death is gain (Phil 1:21);
- to endure to the end (Matt 24:13).
Either way, my fellow Christians, will you pray? May the Lord work his will in Said Musa, in the comfort of Musa’s family, and in the spread of the gospel among the Afghans and around the world.
For the glory of the King,
Da' sciple
Thursday, February 17, 2011
The Grace Card
As I ponder the grace of God in Jesus and it's implications in the lives of people from every tribe tongue and nation, I find that two of the most profound consequences of this grace is forgiveness and unity. Not just vertically but horizontally. There is redemption of the broken relationship between God and man, and then there is redemption between men.
In Colossians 3:11 Paul makes an outlandish statement saying:
"Here (in Christ) there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all."
Paul is assserting that the divisions that exist because of racial, cultural, and even social divergences are removed by faith in Christ.
Re: this verse, the commentary in the ESV Study Bible goes on to explain that[paraphrased]- There are no status distinctions among the new covenant people of God. No one has a special claim on God or is treated with less dignity than any other. Highlighting The Scythians as violent, uneducated, uncivilized, and altogether inferior people (according to Greeks), Paul here makes the point that in contrast to such discrimination and prejudice against other races, and cultures, Jesus binds all Christians together in equality, irrespective of such differences.
Unfortunately, just like the ancient believers at Colossae, Christians today need a primer on what it means to be reconciled w/ God and placed in Christ. I have a couple of friends who will be featured in a movie due out next Friday entitled "The Grace Card" that is sure to point in that direction.
The film features a policeman "Mac" who loses his son in an accident, which ultimately leaves him angry with God ... and just about everyone else. Mac's rage stonewalls his career in the police department and then he's partnered with Sam Wright, a rising star on the force who happens to be a part-time pastor and a loving family man. The plot of the movie has an underlying tone of how God's grace overcomes not only their difference of worldview but also the obvious difference between their race. Sure to be a great film the movie encourages viewers to never underestimate the power of God's love.
I encourage you to watch the trailer below and plan on seeing the movie next Friday when it's released in theaters nationwide. But more importantly be encouraged to walk in love and unity as a redeemed sinner joint to Christ -and all His people- by faith.
In Colossians 3:11 Paul makes an outlandish statement saying:
"Here (in Christ) there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all."
Paul is assserting that the divisions that exist because of racial, cultural, and even social divergences are removed by faith in Christ.
Re: this verse, the commentary in the ESV Study Bible goes on to explain that[paraphrased]- There are no status distinctions among the new covenant people of God. No one has a special claim on God or is treated with less dignity than any other. Highlighting The Scythians as violent, uneducated, uncivilized, and altogether inferior people (according to Greeks), Paul here makes the point that in contrast to such discrimination and prejudice against other races, and cultures, Jesus binds all Christians together in equality, irrespective of such differences.
Unfortunately, just like the ancient believers at Colossae, Christians today need a primer on what it means to be reconciled w/ God and placed in Christ. I have a couple of friends who will be featured in a movie due out next Friday entitled "The Grace Card" that is sure to point in that direction.
The film features a policeman "Mac" who loses his son in an accident, which ultimately leaves him angry with God ... and just about everyone else. Mac's rage stonewalls his career in the police department and then he's partnered with Sam Wright, a rising star on the force who happens to be a part-time pastor and a loving family man. The plot of the movie has an underlying tone of how God's grace overcomes not only their difference of worldview but also the obvious difference between their race. Sure to be a great film the movie encourages viewers to never underestimate the power of God's love.
I encourage you to watch the trailer below and plan on seeing the movie next Friday when it's released in theaters nationwide. But more importantly be encouraged to walk in love and unity as a redeemed sinner joint to Christ -and all His people- by faith.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
THE SHOOTING OF THE PASTOR WAS HORRIBLE!!
One of the few blogs I wrote last year honed in on the importance of properly interpreting passages from scripture by reading the immediate context surrounding the verse you seek to understand/apply. It was called Never Read A Bible Verse. Check it out when you can.
I just completed my final project for Hermeneutics (how to properly interpret scripture) and thought to emphasize the same point and maybe share a couple more related to the topic. The best way I saw fit to do so was to exercise some of the principles right here on this blog... and for that I selected your favorite verse:
Lets look at Phil 4:13 - I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
What does Paul mean by he can do all things through Christ? Is he simply saying he can do anything he put's his mind to, or was he being specific? Did he mean to lead Christians to believing they have the power to do anything they want because of Jesus? If so, like what?- Swim across the pacific ocean? Become wealthy? Play their best and win games if they're an athlete?..... What then? The answer can be found in at least a couple places; (a) historical background of the letter and (b) the immediate 'context' of this particular statement. For the sake of time i'll cut to the chase and fill in some of the blanks.
Remember our Who What Where When Why tools from Never Read A Bible Verse? Let's put a couple of them in action:
Who wrote it and to who? Paul the Apostle(and Timothy), to the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi. History records that Timothy often visited Paul in prison and handwrote letters as Paul dictated. This letter is addressed to God's people in Philippi- the first town in Macedonia where Paul established a church after a woman named Lydia was converted to Christ(Acts 16:14) and opened her home as the location for the church gatherings(Acts 16:40). [Read the whole 16th chapter of Acts for more info]
Where is the setting of the author and reader? Paul wrote this letter while in prison- this info can be confirmed in Ch 1 verses 12-13 among other places: "I want you to know brethren that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel so that my imprisonment for the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole governors palace and to everyone else"
... note that Paul said his bondage turned out for "greater progress of the gospel"- the news of it had spread to what may have been a local/modern day equivalent to the White House(the governors palace), and "to everyone else"- the whole city of Rome knew Paul was in jail for preaching Jesus and His gospel.
Next lets look at the immediate context surrounding the verse in question:
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.
11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
13 I can do all hings through him who strengthens me.
To summarize- Paul rejoiced that the Philippians were concerned for him while he was in jail even though they had no way of assisting him financially. He wanted to encourage them and let them know that he could handle all things, pertaining to going hungry or having abundance, being in need or having plenty, because God taught Him that he is to be content in every situation and Christ gave him the strength to do so.
Did you notice that before I summarized it? In this case the surrounding verses alone should have pretty much corrected any other other assumptions... but further study (the 'Who' and 'Where') were also helpful in understanding why Paul would be talking the way he was and why it's so noteable that he had such a good attitude.
It's kind of like if I'd told you that a church had a retreat where the members and leaders played one another in a basketball tournament before I had you just read the title of this blog huh???...
Did you feel what just happened in your brain when you looked back at the title? That's called understanding. It immediately followed your introduction to the proper context of the title. That's how we must read and study Scripture... 'in context'. I have yet to meet a person who doesnt mind their words being taken out of context to suit the intentions of someone else. God is no different. The least He demands is that you treat His Word how you want yours to be treated. Besides it's only then that you will know God intimately and experience the life changing power of His Bible.
Be like the Bereans!
I just completed my final project for Hermeneutics (how to properly interpret scripture) and thought to emphasize the same point and maybe share a couple more related to the topic. The best way I saw fit to do so was to exercise some of the principles right here on this blog... and for that I selected your favorite verse:
Lets look at Phil 4:13 - I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
What does Paul mean by he can do all things through Christ? Is he simply saying he can do anything he put's his mind to, or was he being specific? Did he mean to lead Christians to believing they have the power to do anything they want because of Jesus? If so, like what?- Swim across the pacific ocean? Become wealthy? Play their best and win games if they're an athlete?..... What then? The answer can be found in at least a couple places; (a) historical background of the letter and (b) the immediate 'context' of this particular statement. For the sake of time i'll cut to the chase and fill in some of the blanks.
Remember our Who What Where When Why tools from Never Read A Bible Verse? Let's put a couple of them in action:
Who wrote it and to who? Paul the Apostle(and Timothy), to the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi. History records that Timothy often visited Paul in prison and handwrote letters as Paul dictated. This letter is addressed to God's people in Philippi- the first town in Macedonia where Paul established a church after a woman named Lydia was converted to Christ(Acts 16:14) and opened her home as the location for the church gatherings(Acts 16:40). [Read the whole 16th chapter of Acts for more info]
Where is the setting of the author and reader? Paul wrote this letter while in prison- this info can be confirmed in Ch 1 verses 12-13 among other places: "I want you to know brethren that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel so that my imprisonment for the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole governors palace and to everyone else"
... note that Paul said his bondage turned out for "greater progress of the gospel"- the news of it had spread to what may have been a local/modern day equivalent to the White House(the governors palace), and "to everyone else"- the whole city of Rome knew Paul was in jail for preaching Jesus and His gospel.
Next lets look at the immediate context surrounding the verse in question:
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.
11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
13 I can do all hings through him who strengthens me.
To summarize- Paul rejoiced that the Philippians were concerned for him while he was in jail even though they had no way of assisting him financially. He wanted to encourage them and let them know that he could handle all things, pertaining to going hungry or having abundance, being in need or having plenty, because God taught Him that he is to be content in every situation and Christ gave him the strength to do so.
Did you notice that before I summarized it? In this case the surrounding verses alone should have pretty much corrected any other other assumptions... but further study (the 'Who' and 'Where') were also helpful in understanding why Paul would be talking the way he was and why it's so noteable that he had such a good attitude.
It's kind of like if I'd told you that a church had a retreat where the members and leaders played one another in a basketball tournament before I had you just read the title of this blog huh???...
Did you feel what just happened in your brain when you looked back at the title? That's called understanding. It immediately followed your introduction to the proper context of the title. That's how we must read and study Scripture... 'in context'. I have yet to meet a person who doesnt mind their words being taken out of context to suit the intentions of someone else. God is no different. The least He demands is that you treat His Word how you want yours to be treated. Besides it's only then that you will know God intimately and experience the life changing power of His Bible.
Be like the Bereans!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Back2Basics
It's 2011. Happy New Year.
For me this year is about getting back to the basics. No 'new' resolutions, just plans of returning to home base. Part of my return flight is this blog.
After months away from the blogspot, I've decided to return in a different fashion. Although the goals are the same (to edify the saints & evanglelize the aint's), I plan on tweeking the methods by which I go about accomplishing them, in hopes of being more efficient and effective. Here's what you can expect:
So as I return, and increase my contribution, I encourage you to Be Like The Bereans all the more. Enjoy what you read, discern what you hear, and weigh it against scripture. The word of God is without error... this blog is full of them. Don't believe me- hit spellcheck.
grace & peace
For me this year is about getting back to the basics. No 'new' resolutions, just plans of returning to home base. Part of my return flight is this blog.
After months away from the blogspot, I've decided to return in a different fashion. Although the goals are the same (to edify the saints & evanglelize the aint's), I plan on tweeking the methods by which I go about accomplishing them, in hopes of being more efficient and effective. Here's what you can expect:
1. More entries.
- As I surveyed the history of my posts I noticed that, although it had
it's times of 'hype', it's never really been as consitant as I would have liked.
18 posts in 2008, 16 in 09' and 4 [smh] last year is far from what I had in mind
when I started writing. That said, I plan on writing more frequently
[the goal is 52 blogs in 52 weeks].
2. Brevity. [for at least 2 reasons]
-A lot has changed since I last wrote. My responsibilities with family,
ministry, work, and school have all increased considerably and because
of the above mentioned goal of producing more blog entries than ever, it's
inconceivable to think I'll be able to write the way I've written in the
past. For those of you who want more of the former.... I guess you'll have
to wait for the books or the commentaries. ;-)
-Although I've always written for the benefit of others, I've never really
written with others in mind. As I considered returning to the blogosphere,
I recounted times where people- often times those I was specifically
writing a particular post 'for'- told me they would have read
the posts if they werent so long. It will be my goal to not allow the
length of a post to turn any readers away.
3. Life on Life
- Another tweek is my desire to have this blog serve as more of an
extension of my everyday life. Though it wont be as simple as a journal,
it will reflect more of whats 'happening' as opposed to being limited to my
thoughts and meditations on any given topic.
- I will attempt to leverage this web platform as an
extension of [informal] discipleship. Following the model of imitate me as
I imitate Christ, I plan to invite others to walk with me as I pursue the Lord
by various means- case in point The Philippians Memory
Moleskine.
So as I return, and increase my contribution, I encourage you to Be Like The Bereans all the more. Enjoy what you read, discern what you hear, and weigh it against scripture. The word of God is without error... this blog is full of them. Don't believe me- hit spellcheck.
grace & peace
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Psalm 119:11
"I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin aganst you"
King David was committed to God's word in ways most of us know nothing of us. Psalm 119 is great evidence of that. It is my earnest prayer that todays Christian will return to meditatiing on Scripture with this kind of intentionality.
Motivated by my 2, 4, 5, & 9 year old childrens' recent accomplishment of memorizing the entire chapter of Psalm 51, and an invitation from a friend, I have taken on the challenge of memorizing the book of Philippians by Easter weekend. I now invite you to join us in Partnering 2 Remember.
Will you join us? Hope so. I know it's short notice but it's far from too late.
Here's some encouragement re: the verse above:
King David was committed to God's word in ways most of us know nothing of us. Psalm 119 is great evidence of that. It is my earnest prayer that todays Christian will return to meditatiing on Scripture with this kind of intentionality.
Motivated by my 2, 4, 5, & 9 year old childrens' recent accomplishment of memorizing the entire chapter of Psalm 51, and an invitation from a friend, I have taken on the challenge of memorizing the book of Philippians by Easter weekend. I now invite you to join us in Partnering 2 Remember.
Will you join us? Hope so. I know it's short notice but it's far from too late.
Here's some encouragement re: the verse above:
***In case you missed it here's the link for more info -----> Click Here
David studied not to be ambitious to make a glorious show before men; but
that he had God for a witness of that secret desire which was within him.-John Calvin
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