Americans In Need

By Johnathan Todd

• You are impoverished; you are lacking; you have great needs.

• Your impoverishment isn’t for things; your lacking doesn’t involve food choices; your great needs don’t entail opportunities.

• Your need is for faith – faith in the sovereign power of God; faith in the care of our Heavenly Father; faith in the promises of God.

This past Sunday, Gabor Gresz (from Hungary) shared in two adult classes the story of God’s sovereign power at work in Hungary over the past 20 years. As I listened to the story, I found myself connecting the current Hungarian events with the stories of the Old Testament where God moves the heart of a king and orchestrates unbelievable events to save His people. I found my faith strengthened. I found myself encouraged. I found myself hopeful.

Gabor identified these three points:

• God answers prayers.
• God does the impossible.
• God uses nobodies.

One story involves a recent opportunity to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Gabor and his team have developed a curriculum used in schools all over Hungary called YTL – Youth on the Threshold of Life. This curriculum addresses social ills from a Biblical perspective and articulates the gospel of Jesus. A Presbyterian pastor altered the format of the curriculum into a video exhibition for students and eventually, the entire Presbyterian Church decided to hold these exhibitions. The Hungarian police, who arrested Gabor years back for sharing the gospel, decided to sponsor and promote the exhibitions and school officials decided to make participation in the exhibit mandatory for all students. God answers prayers – prayers for the nation of Hungary. God does the impossible – uses governmental agencies to advance the Great Commission. God uses nobodies – just like you.

"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." (John 14:12)

Visit their website here: http://www.advancingthekingdom.hu, and watch the video below, or by clicking here.

How Can You Know If You Truly Know God?

By: Johnny Coggin

Many of us wrestle from time to time with maintaining assurance that we are true believers in Christ. This may stem from a continually besetting sin in our lives, or from our recognition of our lack of passion for God, or any host of other reasons.

In the following video, Tullian Tchividjian, grandson of Billy Graham and senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in FL, answers the question, "How do we know, as believers, that we truly know God?" His answers are clear, helpful, and biblical.

There's a lot of important truth packed into these 5 minutes, but here's just one "money quote":

[In addition to the mental dimension of knowing God], there's also an emotional dimension. One thing we see in the Bible is that when someone is saved by God, they begin to love the things of God; they begin to love what God loves and hate what God hates.

So when my kids ask me, "Dad, what's a Christian?" I always answer them by saying, "A Christian is one who can say with the psalmist in Psalm 42, "As a deer pants after the waterbrooks, so my soul pants after you, O God."

If there is no panting for God, hungering for God, thirsting for God, a real love for God, then it doesn't matter if you give mental assent to what the Bible might say. If there's no inward emotional dimension of love for God, then you're not saved.

And his closing summary:

The Gospel should mold us and shape us at every point and in every way. It changes the way that we think, it changes the way that we feel, and it changes the way that we live.

Watch and listen for much more, and take time to consider for yourself: Do you truly know God?

(click here if the video doesn't appear in your email or RSS reader)

FREE Audiobook of "Forgotten God"

By: Johnny Coggin

Francis Chan is a real dude. And by that I don't mean that he exists. I mean he's a simple guy who - by grace - is radically committed to living life for the glory of God.

I recently listened to two of his audiobooks - Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God, and his newest, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit. I enjoyed both books, and was extremely challenged and convicted by his words. That's not to say that I necessarily agree with him on every single thing, but truly, his words can be quite jarring (in a very good way), often because he's simply saying the hard things that Jesus said - and actually believing that Jesus meant them. (Crazy, huh??)

And now, the best part - ChristianAudio is giving away Forgotten God for FREE for the month of June. Just add the download to your cart and use the coupon code JUN2010 when prompted, and it'll be free! (You must use the code to receive the download for free.) You can choose whether you want to download mp3 format, or iTunes optimized m4b format, which is great on iTunes, iPods/iPhones, etc.

While you're there, check out Crazy Love as well... it's only $4.98, and for how God might use it in your life, I promise it's worth much more!

Gulf Shores

By: Johnny Coggin

A video message from your pastor, Dr. Jimmy Young. (Click through if you don't see the video.)

(Gulf Shores from Dr. Jimmy Young on Vimeo.)