http://www.kezrush.com/2008/01/rethink-chuck-colson.html

Quote: ‘We don’t do church, we are the church!’

Recommends reading unChristian by Gabe Lyons/David Kinnaman

Chuck posed the Question: What is Christianity?
Answer: A view of ultimate reality

Biggest problem is the Biblical Ignorance among Christians.

Quoted Barna’s research [click here]

We need to make sure our church congregations know the basics…
Recommends his book, The Faith: Given Once and For All and Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

What does it mean to be saved?

You made a decision for Christ, but did God make a decision for you?

If he has you will show signs of a New Life…

The Mickey Cohen story…

He was a notorious gangster who went to a Billy Graham Crusade and made a commitment for Jesus. However there was no change. He was still stealing, running illegal rings, and ‘offing’ his opposition. When the Graham association asked him what he was doing… he commented ‘There are Christian movie stars, Christian athletes, why not a Christian gangster?

Colson says the answers to these issues are SIMPLE…

All Christians need to KNOW, DEFEND, LIVE, and EXPLAIN the FAITH.

Although Christianity is on the decline in the U.S. it’s exploding in the prisons… Why?

Because they need hope, need change.
Christianity is the Announcement of God’s Kingdom on Earth
It changes culture, even prisons.

People are desperate, looking for meaning. They look to one of four options…

• Eastern Religion [god is everywhere]
• Islam [Wrath]
• Christianity [Change]
• Atheism/Nothing [essentially belief in yourself]

Christianity is the Kingdom.
It’s being reconciled to God. Healed.
It’s a proposal to live in His Kingdom.

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http://www.kezrush.com/2008/01/everyday-science-teacher-weighs

http://kezrush.blogspot.com/2008/01/lenses-of-grace.html

... is a world view of ultimate reality. It's seeing the world as Jesus did!

It's the Sermon on the Mount and the Plain, an Upside-down Kingdom, it's righteousness and justice, mercy and compassion, it’s joy through the pain, it’s having nothing, but possessing everything, and much much more.

It’s where we are called to serve one another; not out of pity, but out of compassion. It allows us to identify with all of mankind; different tribes, tongues, different likes and dislikes, (dare I say) different political, religious, economic and social backgrounds.

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? [James 2v5]

The lenses teach us how to see past how the world has branded/defined others, and to look through the eyes of Jesus. He looked at all humanity as children of God, an image barer. Beautiful and glorious, yet broken and poor. Without these lenses it is truly impossible to love your neighbor as yourself because you can’t identify with them.

Very few Christians see through the Lenses of Grace, even those who have realized their Need for Grace and Experienced Grace. Why? Because they still struggle to rely on Jesus as their Savior, their Rescuer, and their Lord. Basically they have forgotten how to live the Gospel and rely on Religion [do this, get that].

How do we begin to see through the lenses? We rely on the Good News, we rely on Jesus as our Savior, as our Salvation. We stop relying on our selves, our good works, and our efforts and rest in the Cross. From there He [Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit] will begin to set us free from all kinds of bondage and all forms of idolatry that we didn't even know we struggled with. God wants to free you from bondage, to rest in His goodness.

I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love... For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. [2 Corinthians 8v8-9]

See it can’t be a commandment, “Do this, get that”, or we will be relying on ourselves. Which becomes Religion, not Grace. Instead it has to be out a love for the Grace that was shown to us.

SUMMARY: Those who see through the Lenses of Grace see the world for what it is, BROKEN! In need of a Rescuer, Restorer, Redeemer. And they are so moved by what Jesus has done for them [the unworthy] that they live a life full of Grace. These Grace-Givers have a natural humility [not a virtuous posture] and yet a boldness [because of their identity in Christ] to be the presence of Christ to the broken. Because they too are broken and know that they are only saved in and through Christ.

We are IN CHRIST and therefore saved. See through the LENSES!

http://www.kezrush.com/2008/01/lenses-of-grace.html

... is a world view of ultimate reality. It's seeing the world as Jesus did!

It's the Sermon on the Mount and the Plain, an Upside-down Kingdom, it's righteousness and justice, mercy and compassion, it’s joy through the pain, it’s having nothing, but possessing everything, and much much more.

It’s where we are called to serve one another; not out of pity, but out of compassion. It allows us to identify with all of mankind; different tribes, tongues, different likes and dislikes, (dare I say) different political, religious, economic and social backgrounds.

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? [James 2v5]

The lenses teach us how to see past how the world has branded/defined others, and to look through the eyes of Jesus. He looked at all humanity as children of God, an image barer. Beautiful and glorious, yet broken and poor. Without these lenses it is truly impossible to love your neighbor as yourself because you can’t identify with them.

Very few Christians see through the Lenses of Grace, even those who have realized their Need for Grace and Experienced Grace. Why? Because they still struggle to rely on Jesus as their Savior, their Rescuer, and their Lord. Basically they have forgotten how to live the Gospel and rely on Religion [do this, get that].

How do we begin to see through the lenses? We rely on the Good News, we rely on Jesus as our Savior, as our Salvation. We stop relying on our selves, our good works, and our efforts and rest in the Cross. From there He [Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit] will begin to set us free from all kinds of bondage and all forms of idolatry that we didn't even know we struggled with. God wants to free you from bondage, to rest in His goodness.

I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love... For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. [2 Corinthians 8v8-9]

See it can’t be a commandment, “Do this, get that”, or we will be relying on ourselves. Which becomes Religion, not Grace. Instead it has to be out a love for the Grace that was shown to us.

SUMMARY: Those who see through the Lenses of Grace see the world for what it is, BROKEN! In need of a Rescuer, Restorer, Redeemer. And they are so moved by what Jesus has done for them [the unworthy] that they live a life full of Grace. These Grace-Givers have a natural humility [not a virtuous posture] and yet a boldness [because of their identity in Christ] to be the presence of Christ to the broken. Because they too are broken and know that they are only saved in and through Christ.

We are IN CHRIST and therefore saved. See through the LENSES!

http://kezrush.blogspot.com/2008/01/i-know-its-after-xmas.html

http://www.kezrush.com/2008/01/i-know-its-after-xmas.html