MM: ANYTHING by Piper. Now that is real meat Christianity.
Anything?
John Piper - Click here to return to list of works.
1903-1992
 |
Posted on 06/29/2005 5:22:12 AM PDT by 7thson
In an interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren said:
People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond as follows - in a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity.
We were not made to last on earth forever, because eventually, God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body - but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend "forever" in eternity.
This is the warm-up act, the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems. Either you are in one now, you have just come out of one or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ-likeness.
This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountain top, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is "my problem, my issues, my pain." But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people...You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad in life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of fame that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or fame for you to own an ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, fame and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me - Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.
Firstly, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Secondly, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Thirdly, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan - to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation. Fourthly, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.
We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)? When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, 'God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better' ... God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a "to-do" list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.
And I fully recognized the flame-bait nature of your post. I simply ascribe it to a lack of self-control.
Have a nice day, Pastor.
It is good that he doesn't hog the money for himself, unlike others like Joyce Meyer etc.
I think the guy has a true heart for God, but he just plays too sloppy with Scripture.
"or perhaps persecution is nearing"
There may be civil war approaching.
will pm you later today sometime....don't have the time now, but will get to it.
I agree.
I loved the book at first, it gave me a good shove.
I need to read it again...the one thing that nagged at me as I read through it was that the book makes you put so much focus on yourself....that I got to a point where I thought it was catering to the introspective crowd. Now I really think it was more my viewpoint at that period in life than the book itself.
After seeing Warren in a couple of interviews and reading this interview, I think it was more me than him..HA! I am going to dig it out and read it again.
Thank you.
LOL - dorito chunks out nose snort
And I fully recognized the flame-bait nature of your post. I simply ascribe it to a lack of self-control.
and your #12 is full of "self control" ?
you have a blessed day, child of God
You should not be eating doritos at this time of day.
love,
Mom
You are a sweetheart, but im 43 now mom and it's 10 o'clock break time......
whats for dinner ?
Actually it was intended to point out the obvious flame-bait. And you're right...I just couldn't resist pointing it out ;)
(BTW, I hear petroleum jelly will help with the burn in your nostrils)
Be blessed, Pastor.
You've read it then?
FWIW, I have.
While it's certainly not deep, I found nothing I'd consider "dangerous."
It's a book. It's not the Bible. It's not a theological treatise. What's dangerous is taking it to either extreme. Good or bad.
Other than the bible, what other book is free from errors?
I often hear you praise Calvin's work. Is Calvin's work infallible? Spurgeon? Piper? Sproul? MacArthur? Augustine?
And speaking of the Bible, which translation, if any, is free from errors? And indeed, which manuscripts are free from errors?
That's a pretty high standard you have there RW. What books have you praised lately?
Chicken, rice, yellow squash and salad.
Behave, now, and there better be some chunks of apple in with those doritos next time.
Many?
Really?
Name two.
ANYTHING by Piper. Now that is real meat Christianity.
charming fruits you have there
are you quite finished yet? - or do we have to suffer through this until mom and dad get home ?
whassamatter - is the mod gig at CF, slow today ? .....driving a need to disrupt here ?
fried or gumbo ?
Love ya mum
Anything?
John Piper - Click here to return to list of works.
1903-1992
|
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