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1 Corinthians 13:5
It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
I keep seeing it daily and weekly. "ME" becoming the Gospel over God being the Gospel. Our Secular society today claims it is the "ME" generations and I think it has been this way since the fall (Gen. 3) but as we seen in the 20th century and the 21st century it surrounds us like a plague grotesquely and is the blindness to the worlds deadness. Now this plague has infiltrated our Churches even the Bible Chapter and verse teaching Churches and they do not see this which is an outstanding marvel. I must ask has the Tares really taken over in America Churches or has some in the BODY fallen into worldliness without knowing it because they are not paying attention and searching the Gospel like Berean's Obsessionally did to Paul? David Wergener (http://www.hopeforamerica.info/) says explaining about a Cruise Liner leaving Long beach to Hawaii has a charted Longitude and Latitude and if it is off by 1/10 of 1 percent then it will be lost at sea blindly because they did not follow the exact fact charted degrees. Same with Christian's in the Body with Popular Men indoctrinated interpretations if it is off kilter because someone misinterpretation or someone deliberately is teaching another gospel not what JESUS and the Apostles taught then some in the BODY are being lead blindly because they are engulfed in earthly things and what they consider God's blessings and are not being obedient in Searching God's Word to challenge what they are being taught. They are just enjoying the feel good about you teachings or thinking that they are the center of God's Love Gospel because JESUS died for them to make it so. So sad.
So I am posting some things that I hope that is passed on to others in our BODY to wake them up to the reality that GOD is the Gospel and it is all about HIM and HIS glory by John Piper who is not really popular by others because HE sticks with the Truth and allows the BIBLE to speak for itself when HE teaches. Thus Far challenging John Piper as we should like Berean's, Piper seems to be on Course to our destination as a teacher and a Pastor. Wish there was more like him who strive to allow God's Word to speak for itself. Enjoy and I pray you are encouraged and awakened by Pipers advice with Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) advice.
Richard White Dec 2007 (c)Lions Roar
From God is the Gospel.
When Converted People Get Religion.
The astonishing thing is that people in that condition can become religious without being converted. That is, they join churches and start
reading the Bible and doing religious things, with no change in the foundation if their happiness. It is still themselves. They are of ground of their joy. Being made much of is the definition of love that they bring into the church. Therefore what feed the need to be made much of is felt to be loving. Some churches are so misguided in their theology, they actually nurture that need and call it love.
They interpret all the good feelings in the church as coming from the grace of God, when in fact the principles can account for most of it.
Other churches may not nurture the craving to be made much of, but unconverted people may interpret everything that is happening through that lens. So when the love of God is preached, they hear it to mean simply that God makes much of us. They may even have a strong affection for God as long as they see HIM as the endorsement of their delight in being the foundation of their own happiness.
If GOD can be seen as the enabler of their self-exaltation, they will be happy to do some God-exaltation. If God is man centered, they are willing to be, in a sense, God-centered.
How Hypocrites Rejoice in God.
None of this is spiritual. It is purely natural. God has been reinterpreted to fit the fallen categories of human selfishness. This is hard to spot, because man is capable of many good deeds while in the glow of human praise. In other words, whole systems of imitation Christianity can be built on distorted images of the love of God and the gospel of God. Jonathan Edwards learned this to his own heartache as he studied the permutations of hypocracy in the fallout of the Great Awakening. I referred briefly to this insight in the previous chapter, but here is a larger quote:
This is....the...difference between the joy of the hypocrite, and the joy of the true saint. The [hypocrite] rejoices in himself; self the first foundation of his joy: the [true saint] rejoices in GOD.... True Saints have their minds, in the first place, inexpressibly pleased and delighted with the sweet ideas of the glorious and amiable nature of the things of God. And this is the spring of all their delights, and the cream of all their pleasures.... But the dependance of the affections of hypocrites is in a contrary order: they first rejoice....that they are made so much of by God; and then on that ground, he seems in a sort, lovely to them.
So it is possible even to see GOD as :in a sort, lovely" when we are not even genuine Christians. If he can be a servant of ourself-love, then we can see him as lovely. If HE will make much of us, then we will be willing, up to a point, to make much of HIM.
[John Piper God is the Gospel pgs 149-150]
Romans 2:8
But for those who are self-seeking and self-willed and disobedient to the Truth but responsive to wickedness, there will be indignation and wrath.
In Conclusion I pray all Christian make sure God is the center of the Gospel because HE IS THE GOSPEL. We are as filthy rags and we must seek him and make sure the "Denial of complete Self" is the spiritually natural part of our being so we can receive HIM to the fullest in our pleasure iN HIM.
Jhn 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
1Cr 4:3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
Until next time thanks for taking the time to read and I hope you willbe drawn closer to HIM relizing that SELF should be expired and HIM be in you to the fullest so you can serve HIM in JOY consistently.
Richard White Dec 2007 [c]
Excerpts taken from John Piper "God is the Gospel pgs 149-150 Copyright 2005 by Desiring God Foundation Crossway Books." and quotes from Jonathan Edwards, Religious affections, in the Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol 2 ED, John Smith (New haven, Conn: Yale University
press. 1959] 249-250. Emphisis added.
Tahnk you Joanthan Edwards and John Piper for always striving to be without error and paying attention and watching so the BODY will be on the narrow way.
