Discussion on homosexuality in the NBA
NBA centre Jason Collins became the first active male pro athlete in North America to openly come out. Chris Broussard did a great job talking about homosexuality, and I think all Christians need to take lessons from him. He did a great job sharing the TRUTH in LOVE.
2 Timothy 3 ESV
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambresopposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.
You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you,continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete,equipped for every good work.
Filed under Life
To be honest I went into reading this new book by MacDonald with a lot of baggage. There has been a lot of information come to life with how Harvest is doing, and how MacDonald has been leading. My prayer as I began to read this book was that I would not let that distract me from the heart of the book. I was able to read this book without being distracted by different things I had learned over the recent months. I believe that MacDonald should stick to writing books, more than anything he does. His book Authentic was a great book overall and I would recommend it to anyone who asks me about it.
I really enjoyed this entire book. MacDonald did a great job going through Matthew 23 and talking about the “7 Seven Habits of Highly Hypocritical People.” Jesus is rebuking the Pharisees because of how hypocritical they were. It was great to be able to work through each one of those and examine my own life, and make changes that need to happen. He digs into prayer and talks about if we are really supposed to be repeating, word for word, the Lord’s Prayer or was Jesus giving us an example of what we should be focusing on when we pray? He dives into a spiritual discipline that even I didn’t know a lot about before I read about it in his book, and that discipline is fasting. MacDonald breaks it down so that it does not seem like this monstrous thing to do. MacDonald also knocks out any misconceptions we have about fellowship. It seems the word “fellowship” is being abused and misused, and people are beginning to develop a false sense of what true fellowship is. James sets the record straight.
I really like the usage of scripture and how he made sure scripture was bolded so it stood out. Sometimes in books I find myself skipping over the scripture, but for some reason I read every word of it because it was bolded and stood out. I really appreciated the break-down of Matthew 23, the Lord’s Prayer, and fellowship. Overall I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought. James MacDonald is a great writer, and I think he should focus more on writing than anything else.
I did not like how often MacDonald referenced Harvest Bible Chapel. It seemed about half way through the book that there was a reference to his church almost every other page. I did not understand why he put in random facts about their church, like its 1 million square foot worship center, or how many people they have come out, or the fact that they have a part time ministry person keeping attendance of every person that attends. In the chapter about prayer I did not agree with the fact that we have to pray in Jesus’s name because we are already in Jesus Christ through salvation. I did not think it is necessary to finish our prayers, “in Jesus name, amen.” He just goes a little extreme about how to finish a prayer. I didn’t understand why they omitted a sentence about MacDonald’s tattoo on the back of the book. I didn’t understand why there was no one endorsing this book.
I really hope that God continues to bless James MacDonald and Harvest. I do also pray that he would answer some of his critics with clear answers and step up to the plate on some very serious theological issues concerning money and the Gospel.
I was given this book by Moody Publishers for the purpose of this review
Filed under Books
Giving up some vanity here on earth is a mere speck in what Christ gave up, to end up here on this sin saturated sphere.
We wave palm branches with the same excitement and energy that will be used five days later to hand a guiltless man a sentence of death.
The sentence to death on the cross is given, as we mold Him into a figure of death with beatings, floggings, and whippings.
All we can do in His defense is wash our hands clean and deny following him.
Not once, not twice, but three times before the rooster crows to awaken the masses.
The masses watch and hurl insults as a man, too beaten to identify, carries our death on His back.
Laid on His back, sounds of metal clash together as He is pierced through hands and feet.
For surely this man was the Son of God, as Christ exclaims, “it is finished!”
It is finished was not enough, as they pierced Him through his side, making sure death was certain, but also taking part in fulfilling prophecy.
They pleaded for the body and laid His body in a rich man’s tomb.
Laying, His body was there three days until it was time.
Time to rise and defeat death!
Victoriously appearing before His followers!
Showing off that death could not hold Him!
Triumphantly returning to heaven to one day return to take us with Him!
Filed under Life
C. Jamieson 