JESUS

(& Francis Chan)

I've done some of my reading over the past month. I have enjoyed many a books and if you followed my blog winter break of 08-09 you would have seen the list of 13 or so books I finished off and had time to discuss on my blog. Fun-ness.

Francis Chan: My favorite preacher EVER. Why? Every time, I praise God for how wonderful HE (God Himself) is and want to be changed by Him, because of Him, and for Him. Louie Giglio says of Chan, "[He] quickly gets to the heart of the matter and leaves you wanting more... more of the matchless Jesus who offers radical life for all right now."

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God

"...surrendering yourself totally to God's purposes, He will bring you the most pleasure in this life and the next."

"[God] has more of a right to ask us why so many people are starving."

"A Strange Inheritance... The very fact that a holy, eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, merciful, fair, and just God loves you and me is nothing short of astonishing. The wildest part is that Jesus doesn't have to love us. His being is utterly complete and perfect, apart from humanity. He doesn't need me or you. Yet He wants us, chooses us, even considers us His inheritance (Eph. 1:18). The greatest knowledge we can ever have is knowing God treasures us. That really is amazing beyond description. The holy Creator sees you as His 'glorious inheritance.' The irony is that while God doesn't need us but still wants us, we desperately need God but don't really want Him most of the time. He treasures us and anticipates our departure from this earth to be with Him - and we wonder, indifferently, how much we have to do for Him to get by."

"The greatest good on this earth is God. Period. God's one goal for us is Himself. The Good News - the best news in the world, in fact - is that you can have God Himself."

God has used (and continues to use) the words of Isaiah (and others) for me.

This amazing, AMAZING GRACE, time and time and time again - I am a fool to not be ______ changed.

"Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you..." says God. (Isaiah 43:4) "...But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities." (Isaiah 43:24) "I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins," says God. (Isaiah 43:25) "Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it; shout, O depths of the earth; break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and will be glorified in Israel." (Isaiah 44:23)

As precious Mary Ewart use to say, "Jesus is the answer to everything." He proved it to her. She testified it to me. Now she sees Him face to face.

He's proven it to me too. "Oh, Lord, may I testify of You..."