Church Pirates

not a huge fan of Ed Young but this is so true.


Church Pirates always:

• move just down the street
• take members with them
• say it is of God
• are church trans-plants (from or cause a minor or major split in church)
• grow by getting other church members and claim they are reaching their community. 
• are in your Church.....
• are in your community

I Would love to hear your thoughts.......

Sproul- Consorting with Whores

That there is a deep and profound chasm that separates believing in the total depravity of man and our own understanding of the depth and scope of our own sin is a potent sign of the depth and scope of our own sin. “Total depravity” is a true and sound biblical doctrine about how the fall has impacted mankind. We are sinful in every part of our being and utterly unable, precisely because we are unwilling, to embrace the work of Christ on our behalf unless He changes us first. Because we are totally depraved, however, we see this as a doctrine about man, rather than an actual self-description. We distinguish between the problems of “man” and our own problems. It is safe to speak ill of man, but dangerous and sad business to look too closely into our own hearts of darkness. So instead we think ourselves as partaking in a general sense of this depravity thing, but see it manifest in our own lives in nice, clean ways. We have a high view of God’s holiness, of His law, and so confess with all due piety that we are sinners indeed, rebels against the living God, in a nice, clean, abstract sort of way.

The living God, however, has a far more accurate and potent picture of what we are. We are whores. We are shameless, self-degrading, crass and crude. We throw ourselves at strangers, selling our dignity for cash. Worse still, after He has redeemed us, washed us, even married us, we go back for more. We turn tricks before the all-seeing eyes of a Husband who suffered hell for us. Again He comes and washes us. He holds us. He confesses His love for us. He promises He will never leave us. He makes us new again.

But because we are still proud, we parade around in the beautiful gown with which He has covered us, suggesting that it surely had a few spots, a wrinkle or two on it before He found us.  But they were nice, respectable spots and wrinkles. What we should be confessing is that it was once stained through with our whoredom. The joy of the Lord is not that He took we who were mostly clean and made us wholly clean. The joy of the Lord isn’t that because He worked in us no one needs to know our former shame. The joy of the Lord is that while we were out walking the streets He came for us. While others paid to pollute us, He paid to redeem us.

Our Father told us a story so that we would know what we are. He gave us a prophet, Hosea. And we, sinners that we are, instead of confessing to being Gomer, thought He was telling us to be more like Hosea. “Oh,” we humbly confess, “we should be so much more compassionate towards the really bad people. Please forgive us for not being more loving toward the unseemly ones of this world.” The truth is He is confessing that we are the unseemly ones. That’s what we are, the people Jesus died for and married, the people adopted and loved of the Father, the people indwelt and being cleansed by the Spirit — God in three persons, consorting with such as we.

Spurgeon- The Reason For the Season

Christ did not merely speak the truth, but he was truth. Had he been truth embodied in an angelic form, he had possessed small power over our hearts and lives; but perfect truth in a human form has royal power over renewed humanity. Truth embodied in flesh and blood has power over flesh and blood. Hence, for this purpose was he born.

So when ye hear the bells ringing out at Christmas, think of the reason why Jesus was born; dream not that he came to load your tables and fill your cups; but in your mirth look higher than all earth-born things. When you hear that in certain churches there are pompous celebrations and ecclesiastical displays, think not for this purpose was Jesus born.

No; but look within your hearts, and say, for this purpose was he born: that he might be a King, that he might rule through the truth in the souls of a people who are by grace made to love the truth of God.

(Pyro)

Music Idolatry?

Bob Kauflin is Director of Worship Development for Sovereign Grace Ministries. He is also one of the worship leaders at the Church Josh Harris pastors. 


He says....Music turns from a gift to a god when we look to it for the joy, comfort, power & satisfaction only God can give. Here are 5 indicators that might be happening. 

1. We choose to attend a church or a meeting based on the music rather than the preaching of the gospel and God’s word.
Nowhere in the Bible are we told that the church is to gather around music. We gather around the crucified and risen Savior, Jesus Christ. We gather to hear God’s Word in the Spirit’s power. Eph. 2:13-14 says the blood of Christ unites us, not music. 

2. We can’t worship in song apart from a particular song, style, leader, or sound.Anytime I say, I can’t worship unless X happens, or X is present, unless X is the death of our Savior on the cross for our sins or the power of his Spirit, we are engaging in idolatry. At that moment, X is more important to us than God’s command to love Him with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength. That doesn’t mean that there are no bad songs, lousy leaders, or inappropriate styles. But being discerning is different from being unable to worship God at all. 

3. We think music leads us into or brings God’s presence.Here’s what music can do. It can affect us emotionally. Create a mood. Soften our hearts so that we listen more intently. Help us hear words differently. Distract us from what’s going on. Help us focus on what’s going on. Help us remember words. And more. 

Here’s what music can’t do. Make God more present. Bring God’s presence down. Bring us into God’s presence. Manipulate God. (Heb. 10:19-22; 1 Tim. 2:5).  There is only one mediator, and it’s not a song, style, leader, or sound. It’s Jesus Christ. 

4. Poor musical performance leads us to sin against other band members or the musicians leading us.We’re hardly representing God’s heart when we get angry, frustrated, or impatient with musicians who don’t play up to our standards. God’s standards are perfection, and they’ve been met in Jesus Christ who lived a perfect life in our place and died as our substitute, enduring the wrath of God in our place. ALL our offerings, no matter how well or poorly offered, are perfected through the once and for all offering of the Savior. We can strive for excellence to serve others, while extended to others the same grace we’ve received. 

5. A love for music has replaced a love for the things of God.
It’s possible to listen to music that’s destroying your soul and be completely dull to it. To become enslaved by an idol and you feel like you’re breaking free. In his confessions, Augustine said “For he loves thee too little who loves along with thee anything else that he does not love for thy sake.” I have no doubt we love music.  But do we love music for God’s sake or for ours?

To sum up:
Music is useful, but not necessary.
Music is good. But Jesus is better.
Music is a gift, but not a god.
Music isn’t my life. Christ is.

The gifts of God are meant to deepen our relationship with God and create fresh affection for him. Not replace him.

Crazy Free Throw!

I wish The Heels could catch this kind of break, about 10 times per game! :)

Matthew 1:21

"And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matt. 1:21

• Jesus- “Jesus” is from the Hebrew Jehovah is salvation. Joshua (Jehovah saves) is the Old Testament name for Jesus. “Jesus” is the human name and “Christ” is His official title. The name “Jesus” occurs 150 times in Matthew.

Matthew announced that God would act uniquely and graciously through Jesus. Jesus’ most single role is that of Savior. The word “He” is emphatic, demonstrating that “He and no other” will save people from their sins.

• save- has the basic meaning of rescuing one from great peril. Additional nuances include to protect, keep alive, preserve life, deliver, heal, be made whole. 

• sins- the penalty thereof......

Randy Alcorn:

"I have written about Hell in a number of my books, both nonfiction and fiction. It is an unpleasant subject, one which modern Christians are tempted to avoid and deny. And the church’s avoidance of it inevitably leads to many church-goers denying it.

I wrote in my book If God Is Good that if we regard Hell as a divine overreaction to sin, we deny that God has the moral right to inflict ongoing punishment on any humans he created to exist forever. By denying Hell, we deny the extent of God’s holiness and the extent of our evil. We deny the extreme seriousness of sin. And, worst of all, we deny the extreme magnificence of God’s grace in Christ’s blood, shed for us on the cross. For if the evils he died for aren’t big enough to warrant eternal punishment, then perhaps the grace he showed us on the cross isn’t big enough to warrant eternal praise.

The greatest kindness we can offer people, coming out of a life of humility and faithfulness to Christ, is the good news about Jesus and his saving grace. Spurgeon said, “If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies; and if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay....If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned or unprayed for.”

Another Tar Heel Dunk

 

J.R. Smith never played for The Heels but he would have had he not gone pro out of High School. He came back and played at one of the Alumni games.
Great Dunk!

I believe these words!

I Die Believing These Words

“Robert Bruce, the disciple of John Knox and Andrew Melville, died at Kinnaird on July 27th, 1631. He had come to breakfast and his younger daughter sat by his side. As he mused in silence, suddenly he cried, ‘Hold, daughter, hold; my Master calleth me.’ He asked that the Bible should be brought, but his sight failed him and he could not read. ‘Cast me up the eighth of Romans,’ cried he, and he repeated much of the latter portion of this Scripture till he came to the last two verses: ‘I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ ‘Set my finger on these words,’ said the blind, dying man; ‘God be with you, my children. I have breakfasted with you, and shall sup with my Lord Jesus this night. I die believing these words.’”

Marcus L. Loane, The Hope of Glory (Waco, 1968), page 160.

(HT Ray Ortlund)

Tripped Up

One of the Jets Coaches trips Miami player!

Advice to Worship Leaders- Great Stuff!

Ed Stetzer - Guest Post from Philip Nation: Advice to Worship Leaders

What do you Think?

Watch out for that Camel in Church!

Keep the animals out of the sanctuary......

Go Tell It on the Mountain?

When I heard this spirit filled rendition of Go Tell It on the Mountain a few things came to mind like:


1. I wonder if the first Christians were as excited to Go Tell as Merna is to sing...


2. Does Wal Mart still sell that sweater.


3. Are those flowers real? Can't tell with that close up


4. Half of our Church looks like this every Sunday morning when we sing.... we sound better though :)

Pride and Determination

This video shows both the Pride and Determination of man all in the same play! Great job Baker.

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

Pick up line for Calvinist

You know it's funny! :)

Liam Neeson on Aslan

Voice of Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia

From a Daily Mail interview with actor Liam Neeson, the voice of Aslan in the Narnia films:


"Aslan symbolises a Christ-like figure but he also symbolises for me Mohammed, Buddha and all the great spiritual leaders and prophets over the centuries.
That’s who Aslan stands for as well as a mentor figure for kids – that’s what he means for me."

Poor Liam Neeson has tried to lump Jesus in with regular dudes. Sad. Hope someone will share the Gospel with him. Last time I checked Jesus was being worshipped by the Angels as The Lord.

1 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”
6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:

“ You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.”
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice:
“ Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
“ Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.

Ty Lawson! Tar Heel

Exegesis

[ek''-suh-jee''-sis] (Greek exegeisthai, “to explain” or “to interpret,” from Greek ex-, “out of” or “from” + Greek hegeisthai, “to guide”)


With respect to biblical interpretation, it involves the process of critical analysis of the given text to produce direct, logical conclusions (utilizing the who, what when, where, why method). It often involves the evaluation of the original texts of the Bible (OT-Hebrew, NT-Greek).

Good quote:
A concern for the reverent and accurate interpretation of God’s word functions simultaneously as both a necessary speed bump that keeps us from running roughshod over the text and a guard rail protecting us from veering off into the ugly ditch of academic gamesmanship.

Vince Carter- Top 10 Dunks

Since The Heels are so bad this year, I thought I would post some former players great plays. Just to remember the good ol days.... and to make me feel better! :)