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KURT CARR Lyrics - I Beieve God


People ask me
Isnt it crazy
To believe in something you can't see
And people wonder
Over an old dream
That appears will never be
You see my faith is strong and anchored
My faith cannot be wavered
My faith makes the unknown reality
And one day, if I pray
I know my dream will come to be

I believe God
He is incredible, invincible
He can crumble the impossible
Yes, I believe God
Although my faith sometimes is tested
On this shaky road I trod
I, oh I believe God

When life's storm is harsh and bitter
And my ambition starts to wither
I wont be driven to crumble or complain
You see, doubting God is never
The option to consider
Ive seen too many miracles
Hidden inside my pain
Oh, now faith is the substance of things hoped for
The evidence of things nit seen
God works in mysterious ways
By faith my miracle and my breakthrough
Are you going to spring forth from my pain

Yes, yes
Oh, yes
I believe God

(I believe God)
He is incredible, Invincible
He can crumble the impossible
(Its possible)
I believe God
Although my faith sometimes is tested
On this shaky road I trod
Oh I (1)
undoubtedly i believe God

I believe
Im a believer
I believe
Im a believer
I believe
Im a believer
I believe God

God can
God will

I believe God

God can
God will

I believe God
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KURT CARR Lyrics - If I tell God about My Problem


I will trust in God
To supply my need
He'll come through for me
If I just believe

If I pray in faith
Then I will receive
If I tell God about my problems
He'll work it out for me, hey hey hey

I will trust in God
To supply my need
He'll come through for me
If I just believe

If I pray in faith
Then I will receive
If I tell God about my problems
He'll work it out for me, yeah yeah yeah

I will trust in God
To supply my need
He'll come through for me
If I just believe

If I pray in faith
Then I will receive
If I tell God about my problems
He'll work it out for me

No more crying
No more worrying
No more struggling

If I tell God about my problems
He'll work it out for me, yeah yeah yeah

No more crying
No more worrying
No more struggling

If I tell God about my problems
Tell God about my problems
If I tell God about my problems
Tell God about my problems

If I tell God about my problems
Tell God about my problems
If I tell God about my problems
Tell God about my problems

If I tell God about my problems
Tell God about my problems
If I tell God about my problems
He'll work it out for me

He's working it out
For me
He's working it out
Yeah Yeah
He's working it out
For me
He's working it out
Yeah Yeah

He's working it out
For me
He's working it out
Yeah Yeah
He's working it out
For me
He's working it out
Yeah Yeah

He's working it out
For me
He's working it out
Yeah

If I tell God about my problems
He'll work it out for me, for me
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AWESOME GOD Lyrics by Steve Crown

Nations will rise and sing
Oceans and seas will roar
Let everything that has breathe praise Thee,
I will extol Thee, lift up Your Name on high
Cause you are worthy Awesome God
Nations will rise and sing
Oceans and seas will roar
As we lift up our hands Awesome God
Ooh oh oh
Ooh oh oh
Lord you reign, Awesome God
Ooh oh oh
Ooh oh oh
Lord you reign, Awesome God
Ooh oh oh
Awesome God
Ooh oh oh
Awesome God

I will extol Thee, lift up Your Name on high
Cause you are worthy Awesome God
Nations will rise and sing
Oceans and seas will roar
As we lift up our hands Awesome God
Creations shall declare your glory
Trees in the fields will bow down
Lord, You reign Awesome God
Creations shall declare your glory
Trees in the fields will bow down
Lord, You reign Awesome God
Ooh oh oh
Awesome God
Ooh oh oh
Awesome God
Oh yeaheeee
Awesome God
Oh yeaheeee
Awesome God
 
Lord You are good, Your mercy endureth forever and ever
Nations declare Your glory endureth forever and ever
Lord You are good, Your mercy endureth forever and ever
Nations declare Your glory endureth forever and ever
Lord You are good, Your mercy endureth forever and ever
Nations declare Your glory endureth forever and ever
Lord You are good, Your mercy endureth forever and ever
Nations declare Your glory endureth forever and ever,
Forever more
Awesome God
Awesome God
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NATHANIEL BASSEY ft. GLORIOUS FOUNTAIN CHOIR - ONISE IYANU Lyrics


Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Onise Iyanu
You are the God of awesome wonders
I've tasted of your power
Onise Iyanu
You have shown me so much mercy
Much more than I deserve

My eyes have seen, my ears have heard
The wonders of your praise
Creation bows in awe of you
And we join to give you praise
The words you speak turns things around
Your outstretched arm
Has lifted me
You took away the chains and colts
That held me bound

Onise Iyanu
You are the God of Awesome wonders
I've tasted of your power
Onise Iyanu
You have shown me so much mercy
Much more than I deserve

Omniscient, Omnipotent
the one who does great things
when I behold the things you do
I just can't hold back my praise
The words you speak turns things around
Your outstretched arm
Has lifted me
You took away the chains and colts
That held me bound

Onise Iyanu
You are the God of Awesome wonders
I've tasted of your power
Onise Iyanu
You have shown me so much mercy
Much more than I deserve

Onise Iyanu
You are the God of Awesome wonders
I've tasted of your power
Onise Iyanu
You have shown me so much mercy
Much more than I deserve

Hey hey hey hey x2
Hey hey hey hey x2

Iyanu (Iyanu) 2x
Onise (Onise) 2×
Iyanu (Iyanu) 2×
Onise (onise) 2×
Iyanu (Iyanu)
Onise (onise)
Iyanu (iyanu)
Iyanu (iyanu)

Onise Iyanu
You are the God of Awesome wonders
I've tasted of your power
Onise Iyanu
You have shown me so much mercy
Much more than I deserve

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh ×4
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84 Things you think of When worshiping God

What thoughts do we have during contemporary worship?

  1.     Are we standing up for this?
  2.     He hasn't said 'stand'...
  3.     A couple of people are standing up now. I don't think it's enough though, they might be wrong...
  4.     Imagine the humiliation if we're not meant to be standing.
  5.     Ok we're standing.
  6.     I am so excited to worship God this morning. Let's worship!
  7.     Oh no, not this song.
  8.     No matter. I am not here to be entertained. Worship is a decision.
  9.     At least it's quite upbeat.
  10.     Gosh, Ian's gone early with the arm-raising. That's a bold move, Ian.
  11.     You're on your own, Ian.
  12.     Ah, he's realised and is pretending to scratch the back of his head. Smooth.
  13.     This isn't so bad I suppose.
  14.     Oh no! Don't repeat the verse!
  15.     This song is going on forever.
  16.     Seriously, if this is what heaven is like, I think I'm going to be spending eternity hiding in the bathroom.
  17.     Oh it's over. What's next?
  18.     They're segueing... funky key change... drum fill thingy...
  19.     YES! Hillsong. Now we're gonna worship.
  20.     That's right Paula, you bob your little head.
  21.     Do I hear some clapping?
  22.     Let's clap!
  23.     Oh no, disaster. There are two completely separate clapping rhythms.
  24.     I'm not sure if I'm in the correct group.
  25.     This is such a metaphor when you think about it.
  26.     Thank goodness. No clapping in the chorus.
  27.     Oh dear, respite over, back into the verse...
  28.     Why haven't the words changed?
  29.     Seriously, who's on SongPro duty today? I bet it's one of the young people. This is what 'empowerment'   gets you.
  30.     Argh this is a disaster. People are just humming.
  31.     Thank goodness.
  32.     Oh no that's the wrong verse.
  33.     Please Lord, if you could come back RIGHT NOW and end this, we'd all appreciate it.
  34.     They're wrapping it up. Good move.
  35.     Hold up. I think they're improvising now. That's a risk.
  36.     Worse! They're asking us to sing out our own praises to God.
  37.     I never know what to do at this point.
  38.     ...'Mmm'
  39.     'Oh Lord...'
  40.     Come on you fool. Think of something worship-y
  41.     'Oh Lord I really... mmm...'
  42.     'I really just... praise you Lord...'
  43.     Profound.
  44.     Thank goodness that's over.
  45.     What's next?
  46.     They're going to teach us a new song. Well this is never awkward.
  47.     Trying to follow the tune... very quietly and...
  48.     Nope, messed it up. I don't think anyone noticed.
  49.     This is a terrible song. This will never, ever be popular. I guarantee this is the only time we ever sing  this.
  50.     Oh the chorus is alright.
  51.     Trying again with the verse... no, still not quite following.
  52.     Paula's bobbing again.
  53.     Yes to this chorus though. This is catchy stuff.
  54.     Ooh, nice bridge thingy.
  55.     This chorus is amazing! This song is fantastic. This might be my new favourite worship song.
  56.     Oh don't do this one now. We were right in the presence of God. Or adding a track to our Spotify   playlists at least. This is such a dirge.
  57.     Still, worship is not about being entertained. Worship is about God.
  58.     Worship is a lifestyle. I think I went to a seminar about that once. They definitely said worship is a lifestyle.
  59.     And a threshing floor.
  60.     I think.
  61.     There was definitely something about threshing floors.
  62.     Maybe worship isn't a threshing floor.
  63.     What actually IS a threshing floor?
  64.     Uh oh - new problem - there's a line coming up about 'falling on to our knees'.
  65.     What are we supposed to do with that?
  66.     Ian's raised his arms instead.
  67.     I'm not going down on my knees unless everyone else does. It's just a figure of speech, right?
  68.     We must be near the end of the worship now.
  69.     Ouch, that's awkward. They're going for another song, and the pastor's just walked on to stage.
  70.     What's he going to do? He's in the corridor of uncertainty now...
  71.     Stop playing you fools! The pastor's here!
  72.     Nope, they've started the song.
  73.     What's he going to do?
  74.     He's raising the microphone.
  75.     The band's playing an extended intro.
  76.     They're getting louder too.
  77.     This has turned into a Mexican stand-off.
  78.     I am going to have to find another church.
  79.     Panic over. He's styling it out.
  80.     He's drifting back off the stage...
  81.     Oh no, don't dance, man!
  82.     Still don't actually know what this song is.
  83.     It's '10,000 reasons'! JACKPOT.
  84.     'Bless the Lord oh my soul...'

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3 pieces of advice for receiving rebuke from a fellow Christian


"Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed." – Proverbs 27:5 (MEV)

Receiving a Godly rebuke from a concerned brother or sister in the Lord is a good thing. We Christians ought to be our brother's or sister's keepers, genuinely concerned and able to correct those who are on the erring side of things. But while it's always easy to point out someone else's faults, it's not easy to be on the receiving end of it.

Have you been rebuked or corrected by a fellow Christian and not known how to receive it? I hope to help you extract the good fruits that come from a loving and righteous rebuke from a fellow Christ-follower. James tells us that it is a very good thing:

"Brothers, if any one of you strays from the truth and someone corrects him, let him know that he who converts the sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." (James 5:19-20)

No one is perfect, and I'm sure all of us have been rebuked at some point in our lives. Do you want to make the most of it? Here are some tips to help you accept a loving rebuke and benefit from it.
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1) See the rebuke as a message of concern

Many of us become bitter after being rebuked, even by a person we know to be genuinely concerned about us. Why is that? It's because we see the rebuke as an attack on our person, and not as a message of concern.

Consider what the Lord Jesus said with regards to the response of His peope to what He had done for them:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you, how often I would have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not!" (Matthew 23:37)

2) Check the facts

Think about the rebuke you received and compare it with what you really did, said, or even think. Was it true? Was it precise in pointing out what was wrong and what it sought to address in you? If it was, then you should not reject it.

Rather, you should work with it. And that's important even if the way they delivered the rebuke wasn't as loving as you would have liked it to be.

Proverbs 27:6 tells us, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." No matter how painful the rebuke is, the fact that a good friend pointed out what was wrong means that he or she is concerned with us and wants that wrong made right. It will really save us from the error of our ways.

3) Thank God for loving rebukes


When a Godly friend rebukes our wrong, we should think of that person as a blessing. It's God's desire to make us holy and Christ-like, and He will use all means possible to make that happen (see Romans 8:28-30). Always remember what Hebrews 12:5-6 tells us,

"My son, do not despise the discipline from the Lord, nor grow weary when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and scourges every son whom He receives." (see also Proverbs 3:11-12)

Always keep in mind that the rose's fragrance is released all the more when it is crushed. God bless you!

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Why no Christian can get through their painful season without the cross


When going through hard experiences, we often wonder how we're ever going to get through. Whether it's experiencing a loss of a loved one, a career failure or a tragic incident, painful experiences can be difficult or even seemingly impossible to get over.

Think of a painful experience that you went through in the past. What was it that brought you through? Yes will power helps, the love and support of loved ones does great good and time does allow for some level of healing. But it's hard to deny that all three things even when amply provided still fall short to provide us with complete and full healing.

The Bible provides us with the best solution to overcoming the trauma of painful experiences. Our answer is found on Calvary- a cross carrying a sinless man who took our pain and gave us His life.

Isaiah 53:5 says this: "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray."

It's tough, even at one point absurd, to think that an event in history can echo across millennia bringing healing to the whole world, but that's exactly what happened. How does the cross allow God's healing to penetrate into the hurts of the heart?

The gospel heals us by giving the Holy Spirit access to work in our hearts. When we surrender to Christ and put our faith in the cross, the Holy Spirit is given a bridge into our very being, exposing us to the regenerative and restoring work of God's presence. Just as the Holy Spirit allows for the resurrection of our dead spirits, He can also bring life back into our dead souls.

Moreover, we also experience healing through the cross of Christ because it reveals to us the love of the father. John 3:16 tells us, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." We have eternal life in heaven and even here on earth primarily through the love of the Father displayed through Christ. The work on the cross points us to the love of the Father that drives out all fear. (1 John 4:18)

The devil's plan to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10) is overcome by Christ's desire to give life more abundantly not just for the spirit or the natural body, but also the broken soul. We all know what it's like to have our souls maimed and murdered by the painful experiences of the world, but in the midst of deepest pain, Christ shows to be all sufficient in bringing his healing upon us all.

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What to think when you're experiencing God's silence





"Thus says the Lord, the Maker of the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it; the Lord is His name: Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know." –Jeremiah 33:2-3 (MEV)

Prayer is a crucial habit to the Christian life. If we read the Bible, we will find instructions and continuous reminders to pray and seek the Lord. And because prayer is the way we communicate with God, we can't afford to live a life without it.

But what do we do when it seems like God isn't answering our prayers, that He is silent? Have you ever experienced praying to the Lord and receiving nothing but His silence?

If you have or are experiencing it right now, here are some things you should remember.

Three things to remember about God's silence

1) His silence doesn't mean He doesn't hear us

When God is silent, it doesn't mean He hasn't heard our prayers and noticed our cries. He always hears us, even the slightest whispers in our hearts. We find this to be true according to David in Psalm 38:9,

"Lord, all my desire is before You, and my sighing is not hidden from You."

God knows the longings of our hearts, so don't be discouraged from praying when it seems like He's not listening. He hears our prayers, even if His reply seems delayed.

2) His silence doesn't mean He didn't reply

God's silence doesn't automatically mean He doesn't want to respond to our prayers. His silence might mean we need to pray and seek Him more.

Consider what happened to Daniel. Although God quickly answered his prayer, it took more than 21 days of prayer and fasting before he could receive the reply that God sent. It turns out that the devil hindered the response from arriving. (see Daniel 10)

Maybe we need to do the same and seek the Lord in prayer and fasting.

3) His silence might also be the response

Some might think that God is unfair when He chooses not to answer, but in reality His silence could already be the answer to our prayers. There are times when God has to say "no," and will do so with what we would call "unanswered prayers."

Consider what the Bible says about God choosing not to say "yes" to our requests:

"You ask, and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your passions." (James 4:3)

"Certainly, the hand of the Lord is not so short that it cannot save, nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:1-2)

"We know that God does not listen to sinners. But if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, He hears him." (John 9:31)

Check yourself - and keep praying no matter what

Friend, maybe God has already replied to your prayers but you thought He hasn't because His reply isn't what you expected. Check yourself. God promised to answer our prayers, so never stop praying. Think of our Lord Jesus Christ who even cried out to God while hanging on the cross in the deepest, darkest moment of his life, right before his death. If Jesus didn't stop calling out to God in even a moment as crushing as that, we also shouldn't stop.
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Why did Jesus really ask the Samaritan woman for a drink?

One of the great 'meeting Jesus' stories of the New Testament is in John 4, where he encounters the woman at the well. He has every reason not to speak to her or she to him, but their conversation is profound and moving.


In his book Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes (SPCK), Kenneth Bailey, who lived and worked in the area for many years, unpacks the 'surprises' in the story. One of them is the way Jesus breaks taboos against talking to women – culturally inappropriate in the Middle Eastern setting of the time – and Samaritans. The hostility between the two communities went back centuries. The Greeks had used Samaria as a base for controlling Jewish territory and the Jews had destroyed the Samaritans' temple on Mount Gerizim. The Samaritans had responded by defiling the Jewish temple in Jerusalem with the bones of the dead just before Passover so it could not be used. Jesus broke with both the gender taboo and the bitterness of history.

However, says Bailey, even more surprisingly, when he asks the woman for a drink he intentionally places himself in need of what she could offer. He quotes the great Sri Lankan theologian DT Niles, who says of Jesus: 'He was a true servant because he was at the mercy of those whom he came to serve...This weakness of Jesus, we as his disciples must share. To serve from a position of power is not true service but beneficence.'

Niles talks about the importance of churches not trying to meet people's needs from a position of strength. Like Jesus, the Church is there to be served and to be a receiver as well as a giver. And this is not just true of the local church and its community – it's about how Christian organisations and churches relate to each other, too. As Bailey says, 'In our day, a style of mission appears to continue to flow from the developed nations to the developing world that affirms the strength of the giver and the weakness of the receiver.' He speaks of the technological help that developed nations can give, saying: 'This tends to stimulate pride in the giver and humiliation in the receiver.'

And in asking for the woman's help, says Bailey, he was blessing her. 'Only the strong are able to give to others. The woman's dignity is affirmed by being asked to help Jesus out of her available resources.'

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Jesus said the disciples would do 'greater works' than he did. He didn't mention walking on water

Some Christians interpret Jesus' promises as justification for deadly snake-handling and other death-defying deeds. Is that wise?

It turns out that the tragic news that a Zimbabwe pastor was eaten alive by crocodiles in front of his congregation is a classic example of fake news.

Many people were taken in by the story, and this is perhaps because it had an element of plausibility to it.

And that is because it would not have been the first time Christians have been killed attempting to imitate Christ's miraculous deeds. Some have died from extreme fasting, while others have been bitten by deadly snakes in their attempt to live out the Jesus' alleged promise: 'They will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all' (Mark 16:18).

For those wondering if they're faithless for not handling pythons, there's a good explanation for the Mark 16 passage – many scholars believe it to be inauthentic, at least not part of Mark's original Gospel.

But if there's one verse that really captures the radical Christian enthusiasm of this kind, it's Jesus' words to his disciples in John 14:12-14: 'Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.'

Jesus, who performed lots of miracles in his ministry, told his followers that they would do 'greater works' than he. For some, this is a commission to exceed the powers that even Jesus displayed. It's a call to be bigger and better in ministering the miraculous.

But what did Jesus really mean? These are words that have puzzled readers for millennia. As we've seen, the stakes of interpretation are high. Either some are gravely misunderstanding Jesus, or others are ignoring one of his greatest promises.

Is faith blind? Does it mean risking your life?
 
Some interpreters say the emphasis is not in quality but in extent: Jesus' followers wouldn't exceed his power – walking on water, raising the dead etc – but they would exceed his reach. Reaching out beyond Israel and 'to the ends of the earth', and over 2,000 years of global Church history, Jesus' followers would certainly reach wider than he did in his short ministry.

Another popular interpretation sees the 'greater work' as witness to Jesus' gospel, only fully unveiled after his death, resurrection and ascension. John Piper suggests that since the function of Jesus' works is to witness to him, so the disciples will now have the greater power to witness to Christ, in fuller knowledge of his ministry.

The witness need not be miraculous (it may simply be love and good deeds that glorify God), but it still points to the Father. The 'greater things' come because never before have the disciples been able to share a Spirit-filled message of complete forgiveness for all.

As Piper suggests: 'What's new and greater is that never before in the history of the world had anyone ever been forgiven by faith in the already crucified, already risen, already reigning, already indwelling Christ.'

That reading actually makes good sense in the context of the story of Scripture. But what of the truly miraculous? There clearly is a miraculous ministry in the early Church, seen through the Spirit-filled disciples in the book of Acts.

Paul too refers to the gift of working miracles, but calls it one gift among many that not all will have. As he asks in 1 Corinthians 12:29-30: 'Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues?'

Since Jesus' promise is addressed to all believers ('whoever believes in me') but miraculous gifts are not promised to all by Paul, there's reason to conclude that Jesus' words aren't exclusively about working wonders.

None of this is to say that Jesus didn't want his followers do work miracles of healing or other intervention through the Holy Spirit, but it's also not a blank cheque for blind and life-threatening faith.

The tragedy of people who died through taking this promise literally is that 'faith', in Scriptural terms, is meant to stir life and hope, but here it has only brought death and despair. Ironically, these ill-fated demonstrations of faith may well have crushed the faith of many.

A wise pastor of mine once said: 'You can't trust God for things he hasn't promised'. It's dangerous and foolish to test God in that way.
 
 
 There are some ambiguous verses in Scripture, but a brief look at Church tradition, the lived experience of believers – and a healthy dose of reason – offers wise direction for understanding them.

The disciples faced death as a cost of radical witness, which is different. The New Testament talks much about faith as a profound gift in a dark world – it doesn't tell people they're invincible.

 
 
 Wise Christian living can't mean just 'me and my Bible', ignoring church tradition and interpretation.
 
No church seriously invested in studying the Bible could think that Jesus called his followers to be daredevil stunt artists. The call is radical servanthood, a ministry for others which may involve the miraculous, or the more mundane. It's a life that takes deep trust (faith), but doesn't live to drastically prove its commitment to others.

Lastly, we live in a broken world where humans are fragile and death is real. Only a fool bets against such powers to make a point.

In a fallen world, promises offer hope, and faith offers life. But in a fallen world, it matters what you trust. Faith in fake promises can only spell despair – just as trust in what turns out to be fake news only brings embarrassment. We can all learn lessons from these episodes – both when they happen, and when they turn out not to have happened at all.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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'The most beautiful things in life are to be lived': 9 quotes from Christian Søren Kierkegaard

A statue of the Danish poet, philosopher and Christian Søren Kierkegaard.

The enigmatic, iconic theologian Søren Kierkegaard was born on this day. He was a divisive thinker who challenged the nominal Christianity of his day with the power of a radical, life-changing gospel.

Kierkegaard was born on 5 May 1813 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He grew up in a world where everyone was supposedly a Christian; under the dominant Lutheran state church, Christianity was simply part of what it meant to be Danish.

Kierkegaard's aim was to 'reintroduce Christianity to Christendom', showing people that true faith was a radical step, a choice between Christ and the world, with a personal, challenging relationship with God at its core.

This poet's provocative philosophy didn't make him many friends in his day, but he went on to inspire modern heroes of the faith such as Bonhoeffer, Karl Barth and Martin Luther King Jr. For those thinkers, Kierkegaard showed how true Christianity could never collapse into nominal nationalism.
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Many of the Dane's thoughts and phrases have entered the modern English language. As biographer Stephen Backhouse notes, idioms such as 'walking the talk', 'mob rule' and the 'leap of faith' all go back to Søren. Here are nine quotes to remember him by.

1. The invitation stands at the crossroad...come here, you are so close to [Christ]; one single step onto the other way and you are so infinitely far away from him...oh, turn around and come here, here is rest!

2. The truth is a snare: you cannot have it, without being caught. You cannot have the truth in such a way that you catch it, but only in such a way that it catches you.

3. Although an outsider, I have at least understood this much, that the only unforgivable high treason against Christianity is the single individual's taking his relation to it for granted.

4. The highest and most beautiful things in life are not to be heard about, nor read about, nor seen but, if one will, are to be lived.

5. Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.

6. What matters is to find my purpose, to see what it really is that God wills that I shall do; the crucial thing is to find a truth for me, to find the idea for which I am willing to live and die.

7. The public is all and nothing, the most dangerous of all powers and the most meaningless.

8. God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still more wonderful: he makes saints out of sinners.

9. The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins
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John Calvin on the cross of Christ: 6 quotes from the great Reformer

John Calvin (1509-1564) was one of the greatest figures of the Reformation. All too often his teaching has been associated with controversy over his views on predestination, and he's been adopted by highly conservative 'neo-Calvinists' for his theology of the absolute sovereignty of God. But much of his writing wasn't sharp-edged controversy at all, but deeply insightful commentary on Gospel truths.


                               John Calvin, in a painting attributed to Hans Holbein the younger.

Here are six statements Calvin made about the Cross of Christ.

1. It behoves the godly mind to climb still higher, to the height to which Christ calls his disciples: that each must bear his own cross. For whomever the Lord has adopted and deemed worthy of his fellowship ought to prepare themselves for a hard, toilsome and unquiet life, crammed with very many and various kinds of evil.

2. To patiently bear the cross is not to be utterly stupefied and to be deprived of all feeling of pain... we have nothing to do with this iron philosophy [Stoicism] which our Lord and Master has condemned not only by his word, but also by his example.

3. Although the preaching of the cross does not agree with our human inclination, if we desire to return to God our Author and Maker, from whom we have been estranged, in order that he may again begin to be our Father, we ought nevertheless to embrace it humbly.
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4. If believers' eyes are turned to the power of the resurrection, in their hearts the cross of Christ will at last triumph over the devil, flesh, sin and wicked men.

5. Unless Christ had been crucified according to God's will, whence would we have redemption?

6. Lest in the unmeasured abundance of our riches we go wild; lest, puffed up with honours, we become proud; lest, swollen with other good things – either of the soul or of the body, or of fortune – we grow haughty, the Lord himself, according as he sees it expedient, confronts us and subjects and restrains our unrestrained flesh with the remedy of the cross.

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Why is it so hard to stop sinning even after we've been saved?


"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live soberly, righteously, and in godliness in this present world, as we await the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for Himself a special people, zealous of good works." – Titus 2:11-14 (MEV)
Christ's finished work empowers all who believe to live a life freed from and not obligated to sin. Sadly, many beloved brothers and sisters find it hard to say "no" to sin and end up committing something they regret doing. Can you relate to that? If you said yes to that, I have an encouragement for you.

Why Can't I Stop Sinning?

Many fellow believers find it hard to stop sinning and end up going back to the very thing that Christ died for. Like dogs who return to their vomit (see Proverbs 26:11), these brothers and sisters willingly return to the filth they have renounced at repentance. Peter describes these beloved people as "the sow that was washed returns to her wallowing in the mud." (see 2 Peter 2:22)

I know that might be hard to hear or read, but we can relate to that. Many Christians find it hard to give up the very sin they used to freely enjoy. And why is this so? It's because the heart didn't change; they still like the sin they profess to hate.

Seeing the condition of the heart

Friends, we are told to guard our heart because from it spring the issues of life (see Proverbs 4:23). What we breed in our hearts will ultimately come out one way or another (see Luke 6:45). If we desire sin, then no matter how much we try to keep it shut up inside we will eventually sin.

Consider what James tells us:

"Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil; neither does He tempt anyone. But each man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. Then, when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and when sin is finished, it brings forth death." (James 1:13-15)

Take responsibility for your choices

Friends, we can't blame God for the temptations we face. We can't blame God for not taking away all temptation in our lives. The temptations we face vary according to our personal desires, and the choice to give in to them is ours to make. Christ has already set us free, but we can still sin deliberately.

If you find yourself tempted by the same things you once renounced, ask yourself if you've really repented over them. If you find yourself tempted to do something wrong, then check your heart. Your desires will dictate what tempts you, and your decision to give in or not is up to you.

I hope we all guard our hearts and choose to deny ourselves in order to pursue Christ. (see Matthew 16:24)
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