people call me "really religious" and
I say that I have a "real relationship"
with my Lord and Savior. When I began
to care about what the Bible taught and
really wanted to know God, one thing that
really jumped out at me was that as people
met Jesus, they could not encounter Him
and not be affected in some way. Either
they hated Him because He called Himself
God's Son and had complete authority on
earth, or they loved Him because they
believed it was all true. Too many people
say they believe in God but if we were to
get into a discussion about who God is,
they would have no idea (or just some
made up ideas or ideas of other religions).
I used to be that person: I said I believed
in God, but I lived in a way that showed
that there was no way I truly knew and
was following a holy, perfect God who will
judge the world one day. It all changed
when I began to "follow" and "seek" God.
With that being said, the Bible is very
challenging and convicting! We are sinful
and we NEED God's help to be Christlike.
If you go to a church just to walk out with
a "good feeling", be careful! When God is
truly working, He is moving in our hearts
and showing us the areas He wants to change
in us but will always give us the strength
to make those changes. I know this is a long
post, but if you are still reading this,
and if you are a serious Christian (I only
way this because early on for me, this
information would have shocked me), then I
encourage you to read these two books below.
They are all about the Bible and how we
need to live like the Bible teaches us to.
Only read them if you desire to surrender
to God! They have challenged me so much!
Like one of my friends who is in ministry
said, "Besides the Bible, Radical is the
most challenging book she has ever read!"
I've posted some information below about
both books. If you read all this and read
these books, I would love to hear your
thoughts on them.
Publisher's Description:
WHAT IS JESUS WORTH TO YOU?
It's easy for American Christians to
forget how Jesus said his followers
would actually live, what their new
lifestyle would actually look like.
They would, he said, leave behind
security, money, convenience, even
family for him. They would abandon
everything for the gospel. They
would take up their crosses daily...
BUT WHO DO YOU KNOW WHO LIVES LIKE
THAT? DO YOU?
In Radical, David Platt challenges
you to consider with an open heart
how we have manipulated the gospel
to fit our cultural preferences. He
shows what Jesus actually said about
being his disciple--then invites you
to believe and obey what you have
heard. And he tells the dramatic
story of what is happening as a
"successful" suburban church decides
to get serious about the gospel
according to Jesus.
Set Apart: Kent Hughes
"The church must be distinct from the
world to reach the world." From Chapter
1"But you are a chosen race, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a people
for [God's] own possession, that you
may proclaim the excellencies of him
who called you out of darkness into
his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9, ESV).
Holy and dedicated to declaring the
excellencies of Godthis is the church,
or is it? Can we really call the church
holy? A minority of those who claim to
be born again say they believe in moral
absolutes (Source: Barna Research).
One third of evangelicals between the
ages of 18 and 35 have no problem with
unmarried men and women living together
(Source: Evangelical Alliance).Evangelical
Christianity is becoming increasingly
worldly. Materialism, hedonism, violence,
sexual misconduct, pluralism, and divorce
are becoming as common within the church
as without. As a result the church is
losing its distinct identity as a people
set apart to reach the world.In this book,
R. Kent Hughes builds a case for godliness
in the church a case that echoes the
biblical call to holiness. The church
can reach the world only if it keeps
itself from being ensnared by the world.
Hughes is not simply urging Christians
to say no to worldliness he is calling
the church to say yes to Christ and to
his call to reach our lost world.
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