What Jesus Demands From The World- by John Piper
...I am an addict I stopped by the South Side Mardel Christian book store after work today and walked out with 6 (six) new books. That puts the total at 41 books I am now reading simultaneously- 42 if you count the Bible itself. I need to commit to finishing one of these books (other than the Bible) all the way thru and then finishing each in turn. I am building quite a library. I will end up showing you and also quoting from all of the other books I bought tonite. However, I am particularly enthused about this ONE book- probably the one I will devour in its entirety first. It is entitled
"What Jesus Demands From The World"- by John Piper.
Man, not only is it an awesome book, but it fits perfectly into what you have just said, also into our class setting and into the dialog.
Believe it or not I also just found the PDF version of the book online here:
http://www.desiringgod.org/media/pdf/books_bwjd.pdf
Man this one is potent. Scroll thru the first few pages of the book enough to see the table of contents displaying the chapter headings. The table of contents alone reads like a lesson or sermon. I would absolutely love having a class based upon this book!
I am ready to get out into the world and spread some Agape.
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Piper describes the book in this way (from the introduction):
The aim of this book is God-glorifying obedience to Jesus. To that end I am seeking to obey Jesus’ last command: “Make disciples of all nations . . . teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20).
Here is something I just posted on another blog that is related to this book:
"The information war we see on TV every night and day and hear buzzing on the airwaves- the war against the matrix of delusion...against the World in its biblical definition..is a spiritual war....and if we have the courage to confront...to challenge... to lay it all out and stand up for the truth in love...it WORKS. That is what we are supposed to do. Sometimes we must correct and rebuke for truth to take hold. We defeat the world and the schemes of the Evil One by truth and love and sacrifice and the power of God...not always by being nice or non-confrontational.
There is-and this is the- DIFFERENCE between judging or condemning someone and rebuking someone and standing up for the truth. We MUST know this difference. A person will be reached by God working through us when we are guided by love, not by shouting loud enough or waving banners or throwing bricks.
I read a chapter in the book "What Jesus Demands From The World", that made the point that it is a GIFT from God when He makes room in our hearts to discern and absorb the Gospel- the truth and make sense out of it and make use of it in an everyday every moment way...not for some life down the road in the sweet hereafter but right here and right now down here in the mud and the blood and on the street and in our homes and in our relationships with everyone and everything.
John 6:44 (Amplified Bible)
44 No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me, and [then] I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day.
John 6:65 (Amplified Bible)
65 And He said, This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted him [unless he is enabled to do so] by the Father.
Receiving truth is a gift!
I certainly don't claim to have the market on truth cornered by any means- but I do have this sense that in the broken parts of my life when I cried out to god for understanding, wisdom and truth and beauty- that he answered me affirmatively...and he continues to do so as long as I seek those things actively. I have begun to realize this more lately and have begun to pray for God to make use of me to give others the gift of understanding and the gift of room in their heart for the truth.
I will always be praying for the gift of a broken,contrite and open heart for myself and everyone around me. Jesus is awakened in us when our hearts are broken because of our sin unlike the judgmental Pharisee. Jesus said that those who do not listen to his words are "not of God" John 8:47
The blessing everyone desperately needs is that God makes room in our hearts for the truth.
Ultimately, as said, none of us can ever be effective on our own by making persuasive enough arguments or by protesting anything. It is God that leads and God that makes room in one's heart or mind to receive truth. What we should be doing is standing up and speaking for the truth and providing voices for God to use to get his work done."
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