"He was willing to allow His Son to go through the agony of dying on that cross. I think that is when the peace just rushes over me and I think, ‘All right God, there is so much more at play than the X’s and O’s of football.'”
— Vikings QB Carson Wentz https://t.co/8tgzhiFyei
In case there's ANY confusion, CS Lewis literally intended Aslan to be the incarnation of Christ inside the world of Narnia.
When Lucy and Edmund learn they cannot return to Narnia again, Aslan comforts them by saying they'll know him again in their own world: "There I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name".
Aslan is more than an allegory for Christ, he *is* how the creatures of Narnia experience Christ in their world just as we experience Jesus Christ as an incarnate MAN in ours.
To cast Meryl Streep as Aslan in Greta Gerwig's Narnia is a slap in the face to the genius of Lewis, but also a deliberate mockery of Christianity that is 100% intentional. So deeply disappointing.
Makes me wonder what else they'll mock about this Christian story...
The Lord has two very different voices by which he addresses us. One is a roaring threat and the other a cry of welcome.
Our ears pick up both of these divine voices in the Old Testament and New Testament chapters we read today in Bible in One Year.
In the opening verses of the prophet Amos, “The LORD roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem,” so that the pastures of the shepherds mourn and the top of Mount Carmel withers (Amos 1:2). What follows this roar are stirring words of law against Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, the Ammonites, Moab, Judah, and Israel.
It is the roar of God’s call to repentance for all the evil they have done. It is a roar we still need to hear today when we have, in ways great and small, rebelled against the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
The other voice we hear in John 7. On the last day of the Feast of Booths, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink, the one who believes in me. As the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
These rivers of living water that flow from the heart of Christ are the Spirit, by whom he slakes the thirst of all who come to him. Here is the voice of the Good Shepherd, calling to those who know their sin, confess their sin, and realize that their only hope in this dry and weary world is the Son of God, who pours upon the parched soil of our souls the living water of his Spirit.
The roar of Christ's call to repentance in the law and the welcoming cry of his call to come to him for living water: these two voices reverberate through the Scriptures and into our churches and lives still today. We need to hear them both while we are in this life.
Jesus, open our ears to hear the roar of the law, breaking our stony hearts and calling us to repent and confess, and open our ears to hear your words of living comfort, by which you console us in your forgiving mercy.
Attention every national media member and college football fan who are being introduced to Kamario for the first time.
He ain’t new to your favorite coaches. They’ve tried.
Here’s who he is and why he’s here:
No political party can regenerate a human heart.
Yes, vote wisely. Care about public policy. Stay informed. Pray for our leaders. Defend and fight for what is good.
But never expect Washington, D.C. to accomplish what only the Gospel can do.
No political party can regenerate a human heart.
Yes, vote wisely. Care about public policy. Stay informed. Pray for our leaders. Defend and fight for what is good.
But never expect Washington, D.C. to accomplish what only the Gospel can do.
GOOD MORNING!
Christ is risen.
The tomb is empty.
Sin has been defeated.
Death has lost its sting.
Satan's end is certain.
Jesus is reigning.
And every promise of God is YES in Christ.
Whatever today brings, Christian, remember who sits on the throne.
Go live like your King has already won.
James Earl Jones said the "greatest honor" in his life was not Star Wars or The Lion King.
It was reading an audio version of the New Testament so people could "find abundant life" in Jesus.
I'm deeply persuaded that the secret to a confident heart and a peaceful night of sleep isn't a secret at all. Rather, it's plain-and-simple theology. By that, I mean trusting foundational principles that God lays out in his Word. Here are five:
1. Accept The Chaos
We have a miniscule amount of control in a gargantuan universe. Each day will provide fresh trouble (Matthew 6:34). The more we try to manipulate the situations, locations, and relationships of life, the more we'll become exhausted and discouraged. Live responsibly and be wise, but recognize that you were not designed to govern this world.
2. Know The Facts
Even though I just told you to accept the chaos, the Bible actually declares that everything in the universe is managed with complete and specific authority (Acts 17:26). Nothing is chaotic in God's eyes; he is never confused or taken off-guard. When we tell ourselves otherwise, it makes sense that we'll be stressed and anxious.
3. Trust The Father
God is more than just a ruling deity, exercising his sovereign power of people and places. The Bible tells us that he is also good and will give his children everything we need and more (see Matthew 6:26-32 and 7:9-11). Your life is secure is the hands of a powerful and loving Father.
4. Pursue Spiritual Disciplines
In the midst of trials, it's very tempting to abandon the spiritual disciplines of your faith and try to make it on your own. Pray, fast, meditate on and memorize Scripture, and keep attending worship services and small groups. Immerse yourself in God, his Spirit, his Word, and his body of believers.
5. Know Your Limits
Too many Christians fret trying to decipher God's secret will for their lives. It's a secret, after all! Instead, we should rest within the clear limits of what God has made known to us. Let God be God, and let him establish our steps (Proverbs 16:9).
You and I can sleep because God is wise, loving, and powerful. He is in moment-by-moment control of every detail of our lives.
Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches." (John 15:5)
A branch cannot survive, grow, or bear fruit apart from the vine. Neither can we apart from Christ.
Abide in Him. Stay in His Word. Seek Him in prayer. Depend on Him daily.
Apart from Christ, we can do nothing.
One of the clearest signs that God is changing you:
The sins you once defended, you now hate.
The sins you once enjoyed, you now fight.
The sins you once hid, you now confess.
Grace doesn't make peace with sin. Grace teaches us to wage war against it.