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John Piper

Earthquake in Haiti

January 13, 2010

Major Earthquake Hits Haiti

Nearly 24 hours after the earthquake in Haiti, news of devastation and the potential for 500,000 deaths grows. These pictures really set the stage. The Haitians need help and lots of it.

Here are 11 Charities Collecting Donations for Haiti.

John Piper was moved to write A Poem About Jesus in Haiti.

In 2003, Piper proclaimed “Don’t Waste Your Life” on the heals of the Iranian earthquake. In it, Piper asked “What does Jesus want us to learn about our lives from these calamities?” That question is relevant today. Piper answers the question…

Your life is in God’s hands and hangs by a thread of sovereign grace. God owns every soul. He made us and we belong to him by virtue of his being our Creator. He can give and take life as he pleases according to his infinite wisdom, and he never does anyone any wrong. He created human life, and he decides what human life is for.

So, don’t waste your life.

Here is the essential lesson for living the unwasted life and dying the unwasted death:

  1. Life and death are given to us as means of displaying the supreme value of Christ.
  2. The supreme value of Christ is displayed when you treasure him above all earthly things and all other earthly persons.
  3. This treasuring of him above all earthly things and persons is most clearly seen in what you are gladly willing to risk, or to sacrifice in order to enjoy more of him.

And no, I am not going to discuss Pat Robertson and the nonsense he is speaking. I’ll let Dr. Russell Moore offer a response.

Update: Be sure to check out Shattered Assumptions by Julie Smith Lowe at CCEF.

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What do you think about the Prosperity Gospel?

November 5, 2009

Joel Osteen's It's Your Time cover image

Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland are hugely popular. You can’t flip around on TV without seeing them multiple times a day. Their books are stocked in every Walmart. And they are selling a false message. A message based on the thinking that God is an endless vending machine looking to lavish endless blessings on our lives.

But look what this message is doing in Africa. The Prosperity Gospel from The Global Conversation on Vimeo.

Here is John Piper on the prosperity gospel.

Why does John Piper feel so strongly about the prosperity gospel. See him explain.

The prosperity gospel is another gospel and another Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4) plain and simple. Enough of what I think, what say you?

Update 11/6: Here is a wikipedia entry that looks at the prosperity gospel and its salesman. (HT: Chris Land)

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Go, Send or Disobey

September 1, 2009

I have always found Leeland’s Tears of the Saints to be a powerful song, but this video takes it to new heights. If you are interested in the sermon, it is John Piper’s “I Am Sending You Out as Sheep in the Midst of Wolves.”

Missions keeps coming up again and again this summer for me. Is God telling me something?

After hearing John Piper speak on Let the Nations Be Glad (part 1 | part 2) at Advance09, I set out to read Piper’s book of the same title Let the Nations Be Glad!. I am currently reading the 3rd chapter.

Chase Oaks Church has an active Ethiopian Project. Additionally, this past weekend I learned that a couple in our LifeGroup is looking at missions work in India.

The Big Picture of lost Muslims celebrating Ramadan saddens me. These Muslims need the Gospel more than we need to fear jihad. Their population is growing faster than most of the world and they will dominate Europe before I reach retirement age. Who will bring the message to them?

And just yesterday, my Yak Polo arrived in mail.

God, I do hear you.

Go, Send or Disobey.

Hat tip to @NationsBeGlad for the tweet that led me to this video.

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Don’t Twitter during Worship

May 29, 2009

John Piper follows up on Josh Harris’ (@HarrisJosh) post yesterday “Should We Use Twitter During Church?”

That is, we think you should use Twitter before and after corporate worship to say what you take in and take out. But when you are in corporate worship, Worship! There is a difference between communion with God and commenting on communion with God.

Don’t tweet while having sex. Don’t tweet while praying with the dying. Don’t tweet when your wife is telling you about the kids. There’s a season for everything. Multitasking only makes sense when none of the tasks requires heart-engaged, loving attention.

Read Piper’s “More on Not Using Twitter During Worship Services” in full.

HT: Abraham Piper (@abrahampiper)

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