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Posted in General Articles
by Ashley Johnson
on 5/12/2008
"This thing called Christianity is all about our glorious Christ Jesus
and His passionate pursuit to find volunteer lovers of God whom He
transforms to become deliverers of men." Jim W. Goll His purpose on earth was complete. The reining God of the universe,
God Almighty, the King of Kings broke powerfully from the heavenly
realm, and was born of a virgin. He came and lived in this place we
call earth. The
disciples were his right hand men. They had witnessed miracle after
miracle after miracle. They walked with Jesus and talked with Jesus.
They asked him questions and spent time with him. They left careers
and jobs and families to follow Him. They gave up everything to follow
Him. Now he stands before His disciples about to ascend back into
heaven. Can you see Him? Hear His command as he speaks in boldness. See His eyes? Feel blazing sun was beating down on his back.
China 2008
These are the very last words he speaks
on earth. Jesus said to us in Matthew 28. "All authority in heaven and
on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded
you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Then
he was gone
And there you have it. These were the profound final words. The
last command issued by the true King. The command is to make disciples
of all nations. The nations need disciples, don't they? The nations
desperately need true disciples. One cannot ignore that we live in a
horrible world. Here are just a few statistics taken from the "State
of the Gospel from Momentum magazine"
- Nearly 34,000 Japanese businessmen commit suicide each year because of business losses.
- Alcohol plays a role in nearly a third of Russian deaths, killing 40,000 Russians each year (Moscow News).
- Jamaica
has the worst murder rate in the world: some 1,700
people were killed in 2005, or 1 every 6 hours (Jamaica
Gleaner).
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More than half of Ukraine's Pentecostal pastors have had no formal pastoral training (Assemblies of God).
- A Swaziland newspaper reports that a 15-year-old today has only a 20 percent chance of reaching the age of 30.
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Of the 2million children in Russia 800,000 are orphaned
- Approximately 17percent of Africa's labor force is children.
- About 80 percent of the world's children under the age of 15 who are living with HIV are from Africa.
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North Korea has 70 bronze statues (including one valued at $80
million), 40,000 plaster figures, 250 monuments, 350 memorial halls
and 3,500 towers of eternal lifeā"all honoring former
leader Kim II Sung.
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Nigeria accounts for 70% of the world's polio cases.
Life
is painful, and pain is real. Lives are broken, and lose is great.
Daily tears flow in abundance. Diseases abound. Bitterness and
unforgiveness are harbored. Lies are hidden. Morals are an option, not
an expectation. Death cannot be ignored. In the era of terrorism and
war, we are remote control away of daily report of the ever-present
evil engulfing every faucet of life. But do not be disheartened, discouraged or alarmed. We have a Savior who is Great. We have a hope that is real. Often
I have been asked why I decided to go on the World Race. I could list
off numerous reasons. Adventure. Purpose. Obedience. Craziness.
Desire. Desire to know God more. Desire to love well. Desire to be
radically transformed by the power of God. Desire to commit my life to
a purpose that will have ramifications that will echo in eternity. In
all those reasons, though it really it comes down to one reason. But
the bottom line is this-Christ said it. Christ has called us to go. Personally, Christ has called me to
go. Christ has called me to go and be Him to a world that bleeds.
Christ has called me to love the unlovable, to touch the untouchable
and to hear the unheard. He has commissioned me to venture where storms
will show is majesty.
Simply put, Christ has called me to go
make disciples of the nations. So I am going. |
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Posted in General Articles
by Ashley Johnson
on 5/1/2008
It was a crucial moment in history. It was monumental. It was a
day that changed the course of history. A day to mark in the history
books. What were the stakes? Will Truth or lies prevail? Will grace
abound? Will the new church unite or divide? The debate was real. You
could feel the division growing.
The Galatian church was about to
abandon the true gospel. The truth Jesus spoke of as he walked on
earth was clear. Believe that Christ died for our sins and rose again.
Believe that Jesus is God. Believe and you will be saved. Salvation
through faith alone in Christ Jesus by grace was at stake. However, men
and women claiming to be Christians were in the church preaching a
different message. They thought salvation was obtained by circumcision.
They believed salvation could be obtained through human efforts. And
Paul could hardly believe what he is hearing. Verse 6: "I am astonished
that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of
Christ and are turning to a different gospel." Amazingly, they
wrestled with the issue, and as a result truth prevailed. The twelve
apostle united under one banner. Salvation by grace through faith in
Christ Jesus. As a result the world was changed, forever.
John Piper describes it best in a sermon Gospel to the Nations,
Generosity to the Poor "That is one of the most important moments in
history-all of history! Unity is reached among the founding apostles of
the Christian Church, and the gospel is safeguarded from one of its
earliest threats. I think it would be fair to say that for the first
and greatest missionary to the Gentiles, the most essential thing in
missions was to get the gospel right-exactly right. Otherwise he would
be running in vain."
As I prepare for the World Race is becoming ever more clear to me
that the gospel I preach and bring forth into this world is right. As
John Piper said it -exactly right. I went through a period in my life
when I questioned often. Who was God? Is there no God? Are Mohammad,
Buddha and Jesus all the same god? What is my purpose in life? How did
life come into existence? What will happen to me when I die? Is Hell
real? Am I really a good person? And is being good what life was all
about? From reading tons of books, asking many questions, and
wrestling these issues through myself, I came to a conclusion. I
wanted to believe in what was true. Period. It didn't make sense to me
to believe in something wasn't true. 1+1 does not equal three. In the
same way I would not live life thinking there is no God. Then die and
find out I was wrong the whole time. Why waste your one and only life
believing a lie? I wanted urgently to figure out what is true and align
my life accordingly.
With all that said I am about seven years into this thing we call
being a Christian. This is exactly what I believe about myself, God and
this crazy thing we call life. I believe Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus
is a unique fellow. He is unique because he is all about relationship.
He's not about religion. No lists, just Jesus. I believe Jesus suffered
for my sins, and He was crucified. Sins are the wrong things we do
in life. You may be a good person, but when I am honest with myself, I
am not a good person. So, I won't be getting into heaven by my list of
thing I have done correctly in life. However, Jesus' death on the
cross was sufficient to completely pay the sin debt owed by me. Jesus
suffered for my sins and your sins, and He was crucified. Jesus's
death restores the broken relationship between God and man. Amazing! I
didn't earn my salvation. I simply believed in Jesus. Furthermore, I
believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God. The
Bible's teaching is the final authority. Its a great book, really you
should read it. I believe in one God that exists in three persons, the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is the creator of all people,
the world, the universe, and everything seen and unseen. I believe
there are angels among us. I believe in Satan and demons. I believe
there is power in prayer. I believe I will be in heaven one day. Heaven
is the place where Jesus lives forever. When I get there, I plan to eat way too many Reece's
peanut butter cups, surf huge waves and sing on key for the first time
in my life! I am excited for the day I get to be there. Believe in
Jesus, I want you to be there with me.
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Posted in General Articles
by Ashley Johnson
on 4/21/2008
In the first chapter of Matthew, the genealogy of Christ is presented. Verse seventeen explains that from Abraham to David there are fourteen generations, from David until exile to Babylon are there fourteen generations and from Babylon to Christ there are fourteen generations. From reading Matthew 1:17 one can conclude from Abraham to Christ there are a total of 42 generations. 14+14+14 = 42 Right? However, from the exile to Babylon to Joseph there are 12 generations. Therefore Joseph is the 40th generation. Thus Jesus is the 41st generation.
What happened to the 42nd generation?
Last week I spent time in Georgia at training for the World Race. Our last day at camp the leaders assigned our small teams, who we will be serving along side over the course of the year. Our first assignment in our group was to come up with a team name. Our not so nerdy group decided on team pi- not the kind you eat- but the mathematical phenomenon known as π.
Pi is a famous mathematical constant. It is defined in Euclidean plane geometry as the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. When a circle's diameter equals one it's circumference equal pi. Numerically it is about equal to approximately equal to 3.14. It is an irrational number and it is a transcendental number.
Putting math Euclidean plane geometry aside, why did our team choose to name our selves team π?
3 X 14= 42. Thus bringing us back to the 42 generation.
Who are the 42nd generation?
I am
You are. We are the 42nd generation.
We are the Christ generation.
George H. Warnock describes it best in his article Evening And Morning - Another Generation Cometh
"We speak of the progeny of Christ. He was cut off from the land of the living, leaving no one to declare "his generation." But God nevertheless made room for a generation. As others have already pointed out, God even left a blank space for the generation of Christ in the genealogy of Matthew. There are exactly 41 generations from Abraham to Jesus, and not 42 as Matthew would seem to indicate. However, Matthew did not compute the generations unto Jesus, but "unto Christ" (Matt. 1:17). This makes all the difference. There are but 13 generations from the carrying away unto Babylon unto Jesus. But Matthew said "unto Christ," because "Christ" includes the Body which would declare His generation. "For as the body is one... SO ALSO IS CHRIST" (1 Cor. 12:12). Not "so also is the body of Christ," but "so also is Christ." "Christ" includes the body, because "Christ" means "Anointed One" and we share the "same anointing" (1 Jn. 2:27), are partakers of the same Spirit, and therefore become "of his flesh, and of his bones" (Eph. 5:30)."
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Posted in General Articles
by Ashley Johnson
on 4/7/2008
Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that because what the world needs is people who have come alive. --John Eldridge
For the last several months in my life, God has continuted to challenge me. The question that continually surfaces is 'What am I passionate about? What makes me come alive? What has God created me for?' I don't want to waste my life. I want my life to count for things that honestly Matter. I want to be alligned with truth. I want to know Jesus Christ more. I want to love as He loved. I want to speak less and listen more. I want to see the sick healed. And sinners restored in Love. I want to pray in a way that changes eternity.
Last Friday the July 2008 World Race Team arrived in Georgia. In the last few days God has shown me that He desires me to live life and to live life abundantly. I'm truly passionate and excited about serving over the next year.
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