under the influence

the greatest gift..

“The best thing about Christ is Christ himself. We prize his bounty to us, but we worship him. His gifts are valued, but he himself is adored. While we contemplate, with mingled feelings of awe, admiration, and thankfulness, his atonement, his resurrection, his glory in heaven, and his second coming, still it is Christ himself, stupendous in his dignity as the Son of God, and superbly beautiful as the Son of man, who sheds an incomparable charm on all those wonderful achievements, wherein his might and his merit, his goodness and his grace appear so conspicuous. For him let our choicest spices be reserved, and to him let our sweetest anthems be raised. Our choicest ointment must be poured upon his head, and for his own self alone our most costly alabaster boxes must be broken..Not only is his teaching attractive, his doctrine persuasive, his life irreproachable, his character enchanting, and his work a self-denying labor for the common good of all his people, but he himself is altogether lovely. I suppose at first we shall always begin to love him because he first loved us and even to the last, his love to us will always be the strongest motive of our affection towards him; still there ought to be added to this another reason less connected with ourselves, and more entirely arising out of his own superlative excellence; we ought to love him because he is lovely and deserves to he loved.”

C.H. Spurgeon

Historians of religion like to say that Christianity was born in the Middle East as a religion, moved to Greece and became a philosophy, journeyed to Rome and became a legal system, spread through Europe as a culture—and when it migrated to America, Christianity became big business.

— Dan Kimball “They Like Jesus but not the Church” pg.82 (via kjaere)

Ouch

I asked for strength—
and God gave me difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for wisdom—
and God gave me problems to solve.

I asked for prosperity—
and God gave me brain and brawn to work.

I asked for courage—
and God gave me dangers to overcome.

I asked for love—
and God gave me opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted—
I received everything I needed.

My prayer has been answered.

— FROM THE FAMILY OF MICHAEL JOB, AN INDIAN CHRISTIAN MEDICAL STUDENT WHO WAS KILLED IN JUNE OF 1999 BECAUSE OF HIS FATHER’S EVANGELISTIC ACTIVITIES (via kjaere)

psalm 77

matthew henry commentary on psalm 77:7-9

“If fear and melancholy ask such peevish questions, let faith answer them from the Scripture: Will the Lord cast off for ever? God forbid, Rom. 11:1. No; the Lord will not cast off his people, Ps. 94:14. Will he be favourable no more? Yes, he will; for, though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion, Lam. 3:32. Is his mercy clean gone for ever? No; his mercy endures for ever; as it is from everlasting, it is to everlasting, Ps. 103:17. Doth his promise fail for evermore? No; it is impossible for God to lie, Heb. 6:18. Hath God forgotten to be gracious? No; he cannot deny himself, and his own name which he hath proclaimed gracious and merciful, Ex. 34:6. Has he in anger shut up his tender mercies? No; they are new every morning(Lam. 3:23); and therefore, How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? Hos. 11:8,9.”

rcy:

Christians are not called to be spectators of a broken world but agents of renewal. In this 10 week course, you will be challenged and strengthened in your Biblical world view of current global issues. The course will address two of the most significant issues facing this generation: Human trafficking and Poverty. Learn to see these realities not as social causes alone but as casualties of broken relationships and spiritual oppression. Jesus is intentional about
confronting and destroying the presence and work of evil and His church should be too. This course will encourage you to believe, rejoice, and engage in the work of the Kingdom.

10 weeks on Tuesday evenings starting October 5th 7-9pm
Cost is $40
Reality Carpinteria Campus
5251 6th Street in Carpinteria
Registration starts August 12th

For more information: globalrenew.net

(Source: rcy)

missjenking:

hello and good-day to everyone.

Aubrey and I have joined forces to create another art baby for The Blind Project’s contest, Be a Biographer. 

There will be three weeks where you can vote for our baby to win the contest (September 16th - October 7th). This would give Aubrey a chance to do many amazing things, and for her art to be put many places, and to support an amazing organization. I will post more details as they come!

FYI:

The Blind Project: ” a collective of passionate individuals uniting together, leveraging their unique talents to empower victims and survivors of the commercial sex trade in Southeast Asia.” www.theblindproject.com

Vote!!

“Let not the missionary be afraid, even if for thousands of years to come there should be little apparent success to the preaching of the gospel. If the Lord should tarry another six thousand years, ay, sixty thousand years—and he may—we are still to go on working, and still to go on labouring, looking for his coming, and expecting it, but not relaxing our efforts because he pleases to delay it, for the Lord has sworn that all flesh shall know his glory, and you may depend upon it, there is no spot of earth that shall be left to be Satan’s dominion. It shall be conquered for Christ, and in truth he shall ‘see of the travail of his soul, and he shall be satisfied.’”

Spurgeon

I would give anything to be here right now. Please pray for Burma and the thousands that have yet to hear the wonderful and beautiful good news of Jesus Christ.

The price for our nondiscipleship is high for those without Christ. It is also high for the poor of this world. Consider the cost when Christian ignore Jesus’ commands to sell their possessions and give to the poor and instead choose to spend their resources on better comforts, larger homes, nicer cars and more stuff. Consider the cost when these Christians gather in churches and choose to spend millions of dollars on nice buildings to drive up to, cushioned chairs to sit on, and endless programs to enjoy for themselves. Consider the cost for the starving multitudes who sit outside the gate of contemporary Christian affluence.

Radical, David Platt