Good Words from the Good Doctor

In a letter to his friend Philip Melanchthon on August 1, 1521, Dr. Martin Luther wrote these memorable words ....

“If you are a preacher of grace, then preach a true and not a fictitious grace; if grace is true, you must bear a true and not a fictitious sin. God does not save people who are only fictitious sinners. Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly, for he is victorious over sin, death, and the world. As long as we are here in this world we have to sin. This life is not the dwelling place of righteousness, but as Peter says, we look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. It is enough that by the riches of God’s glory we have come to know the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. No sin will separate us from the Lamb, even though we may sin a thousand times a day. Do you think that the purchase price that was paid for the redemption of our sins by so great a Lamb is too small? Pray boldly—you too are a mighty sinner."

Heaven on Earth

The U.S. Open took place this past weekend in one of the most beautiful spots in the whole country - Torrey Pines Golf Course in LaJolla, CA. Sitting atop cliffs overlooking the Pacific just north of San Diego, it is definitely on my list of Top 10 favorite places.

Here are the rest of my Top 10 ...
(in no particular order)

1. Big Sur
2. Pebble Beach
3. Laguna
4. Grand Canyon
5. Yosemite
6. Yellowstone
7. Colorado Rockies
8. Sedona
9. San Antonio
10. my back yard with the family and dogs

Early Church

Archaeologists in Jordan have unearthed what they claim is the world's first church, dating back 2,000 years, the Jordan Times reported Tuesday.

"We have uncovered what we believe to be the first church in the world, dating from 33 AD to 70 AD," the head of Jordan's Centre for Archaeological Studies, Abdul Qader al-Husan, said.
He said it was uncovered under Saint Georgeous Church, which itself dates back to 230 AD, in Rihab in northern Jordan near the Syrian border.
"We have evidence to believe this church sheltered the early Christians -- the 70 disciples of Jesus Christ," Husan said.
These Christians, who are described in a mosaic as "the 70 beloved by God and Divine," are said to have fled persecution in Jerusalem and founded churches in northern Jordan, Husan added.
He cited historical sources which suggest they both lived and practised religious rituals in the underground church and only left it after Christianity was embraced by Roman rulers.
The bishop deputy of the Greek Orthodox archdiocese, Archimandrite Nektarious, described the discovery as an "important milestone for Christians all around the world."

As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and He said to him, "Follow Me".
And he rose and followed Him. (Matthew 9:9)

Just two simple of words of Jesus propelled Matthew to get up and follow Him. He simply got up and followed. Matthew didn't ask for more information, like what they would be doing, or where they would be staying. He just got up and followed Jesus.

Matthew heard Jesus call, got up, left everything, and followed Him.
May we be so bold as we follow Jesus in faith today.

Lost Tribe In Brazil

Although we don't know the name of this newly discovered tribe in Brazil or what language they speak, its pretty fascinating to view these pictures and ponder their way of life deep in the jungle. There just aren't many unidentified people groups in the world anymore anymore, so it is quite something when we find one.