Adventures in Churchland: Finding Jesus in the Mess of Organized Religion
Dan Kimball
Kindle Price: $4.99
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Cheap eBook Alert
Adventures in Churchland: Finding Jesus in the Mess of Organized Religion
Dan Kimball
Kindle Price: $4.99
Is There Anything Beyond The Universe?
Gavin Ortlund:
Sometimes the Christian idea that there is life after death can be tough for people in our cultural setting to accept. I think the resurrection of Jesus provides the ultimate basis for the Christian hope, but more basically, within the realm of natural revelation and common grace, I think the finitude of natural reality is also suggestive. If at one time the universe was not, and then at another time it was, then there must be something beyond the universe. And if there is something beyond the universe, its not difficult to imagine that expiring within the universe is a sort of transit to whatever is outside the universe. In other words, if the physical universe is not the ultimate Fact which is, then the best way to see it as a kind of laboratory, preparing us for whatever (or Whoever) put it here.
The Shifting Cultural Sand Under Our Feet
Masha Gessen:
STR.org comments:
It’s a no-brainer that we should have the right to marry, but I also think equally that it’s a no-brainer that the institution of marriage should not exist [cheers from the audience].
That causes my brain some trouble. And part of why it causes me trouble is because fighting for gay marriage generally involves lying about what we are going to do with marriage when we get there—because we lie that the institution of marriage is not going to change, and that is a lie. The institution of marriage is going to change, and it should change. And again, I don’t think it should exist. And I don’t like taking part in creating fictions about my life. That’s sort of not what I had in mind when I came out thirty years ago. I have three kids who have five parents, more or less, and I don’t see why they shouldn’t have five parents legally….
[After my divorce,] I met my new partner, and she had just had a baby, and that baby’s biological father is my brother, and my daughter’s biological father is a man who lives in Russia, and my adopted son also considers him his father. So the five parents break down into two groups of three…. And really, I would like to live in a legal system that is capable of reflecting that reality. And I don’t think that’s compatible with the institution of marriage.
STR.org comments:
This just illustrates the fact that the institution of marriage is inextricably connected with children and reflects an unchangeable reality: One man + one woman = children. The reproductive system is divided in half—the man has one half, the woman has the other—and when they come together, the result is a whole, functioning system that creates children. Therefore, the state protects the union between a man and a woman. By doing this, the children are legally protected.
Gessen wants to fight for marriage to legally include different types of relationships because she wants the government to declare there is no difference between a heterosexual union and a homosexual one. But there is a difference. A very important difference based on the unchangeable realities of biology. A difference that’s relevant because it’s at the very heart of the institution of marriage. A difference that justifies the government treating the different unions differently.
So Gessen is conflicted. She wants the unions to be treated the same, but she recognizes that, by nature, they create fundamentally different situations. And since the institution of marriage can’t accommodate a union that has only one woman and one woman (because another person—a man—is needed somewhere in the picture in order for a family to be created), she understands that an entirely new legal system must be created in order for the government to be able to address her situation.
So here’s the thinking (a summary in my words, not hers): “I want all unions to be treated the same, but since we’re not the same, due to biological realities beyond our control, and since marriage can never work for the union and children I have, we need to drop marriage and come up with a new idea so we can all be the same under that new system.” Or even more succinctly stated, “You shouldn’t have marriage because we can’t have marriage.”
Marriage can’t be separated from biological realities. And that’s why this upheaval won’t end when same-sex marriage is accepted—why Gessen’s ultimate goal is the end of marriage.
I’m glad to hear her honesty about this.
Why Was Jesus Unintimidated by Pilate?
Great meditation here by John Piper, for those, like me, who wrestle with fear.
What Does Eating, Sleeping, and Exercise Have To Do with Sanctification?
Great discussion here. I think we need to talk about these issues way more.
Cheap eBook Alert
If you haven't read this story, I would highly recommend it. All this happened just a few miles from where I grew up and I played high school basketball against many of the guys mentioned in the book.
The Sacred Acre: The Ed Thomas Story
Mark Tabb, Tony Dungy (Foreword)
Monday, July 30, 2012
Eight Things To Keep in Mind When It Comes to Conflict
Perry Noble:
1. Email* Does Not Work!Read the whole thing for explanations of each post.
2. Handle Conflict Quickly
3. Always Assume the Best about the People You Work With
4. Remember That Email Does Not Work!
5. Stop Expecting People to Read Your Mind
6. Stop Waiting for Them to Approach You
7. Never, Ever Go Public When You Have Not Even Attempted to Talk In Private
8. And Finally, Do Not Forget That Email Does Not Work!
The Gospel = Not How You Feel About It, But News About History
“The free gift of God is an absolutely unaccountable event in the life of every man who accepts it. It is not the natural working out of a principle, but it is a thing that happens. But that happening in the soul is the result of a happening in the sphere of external history. The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. There we have the central characteristic of our religion; the central characteristic of Christianity is that it is not founded merely upon what always was true but primarily upon something that happened — something that took place near Jerusalem at a definite time in the world’s history. In other words, it is founded not merely upon permanent truths of religion but upon a ‘gospel,’ a piece of news.”- J. Gresham Machen, God Transcendent (Edinburgh, 1982), page 39.
(HT: Ray Ortlund)
Parenting in the Age of the Internet
My wife and I are beginning to realize that similar strategies are working in our home as well.
"You Offended Me!"
The foolishness of our "I feel offended!" culture summed up perfectly here. I'm sure we have always been this way, but now we just get a front row seat due to the internet.
This video is perfect.
This video is perfect.
I Am Looking For Guest Bloggers!
Next week I'll be taking my boys on an epic journey to northern Minnesota for a Father/Son trip with some other great Dads and boys. This is an annual tradition that serves to train our boys to be men who love God, the Gospel, the Church, and what it means to be a man who follows Jesus. Last year was our first year and it was deeply formational for all of us. Can't wait to see what God has in store this year.
That being said, I need some guest blogger for next week. If you are interested, please send me (zachnielsen7ATgmailDOTcom) submissions before this coming Saturday. Most of you know my style so you know posts could cover any number of interesting topics. Let me know if you want in!
That being said, I need some guest blogger for next week. If you are interested, please send me (zachnielsen7ATgmailDOTcom) submissions before this coming Saturday. Most of you know my style so you know posts could cover any number of interesting topics. Let me know if you want in!
Entitlement and the Local Church
Thom Rainer:
Books by Thom Rainer:
If there is one place where entitlement should be anathema, it is the local church. Remember the reason Jesus came to earth? “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life – a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45, HCSB). And how are we followers of Christ to live? We are to “make (our) own attitude that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).Read the rest.
Servanthood should dominate the lives of church members. Putting others first should be our first priority. Entitlement has no place in our churches.
How do we know when entitlement becomes pervasive in our churches? We can be sure it’s present when we hear comments similar to these:
- “I have been a member of this church for 20 years, so I deserve things my way.”
- “Someone was sitting in the pew where my family sits.”
- “I tithe to this church, so you work for me.”
- “If I don’t get my way, I’ll withhold my money from the church.”
- “Some people will be in trouble if they mess with the worship the way I like it.”
- “We’ll just visit another church until he changes things back to the way they were.”
- “Why didn’t you visit me? That’s what we pay you to do.”
Books by Thom Rainer:
Just a Little Honesty and Consistency as We Talk About Religious Freedom
He just wants to make sure we're all on the same page.
Ross Douthat:
Ross Douthat:
It may seem strange that anyone could look around the pornography-saturated, fertility-challenged, family-breakdown-plagued West and see a society menaced by a repressive puritanism. But it’s clear that this perspective is widely and sincerely held.Read the rest.
It would be refreshing, though, if it were expressed honestly, without the “of course we respect religious freedom” facade.
If you want to fine Catholic hospitals for following Catholic teaching, or prevent Jewish parents from circumcising their sons, or ban Chick-fil-A in Boston, then don’t tell religious people that you respect our freedoms. Say what you really think: that the exercise of our religion threatens all that’s good and decent, and that you’re going to use the levers of power to bend us to your will.
There, didn’t that feel better? Now we can get on with the fight.
Cheap eBook Alert
A Challenge to Great Commission Obedience: Motivational Messages for Contemporary Missionaries
Jerry Rankin
Biblical Authority: The Critical Issue for the Body of Christ
James T. Draper
Sunday, July 29, 2012
A Reflection on Returning from Overseas
J.D. Greear:
Books by J.D.:
As I re-entered the United States I was struck by how much weight we give to things that really don’t matter that much. I had been unplugged from the internet for about a week, and upon re-engaging it I was inundated with the usual controversies in the Christian world of who said and who thinks what and whose out of balance and etc. I think that secondary and tertiary stuff matters (ultimately everything in the Bible does), but all of it all to be held in the context of “the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” There are still more than 6000 Unreached People Groups in the world with no access to the gospel and many of my own neighbors do not even understand it.Read the rest.
If you’re rushing down a sidewalk to help rescue people from a burning building and someone is trying to stop you to engage in an argument you say, “I don’t have time for that foolishness right now.” I know that is a little oversimplified, but the bottom line is a lot of Christian bloggers should probably just go spend some time in an unreached people group, because the subjects they write so vociferously about now would probably look different when they got back. I don’t mean that to be self-righteous. I feel that way having just gotten back from being overseas. Given time and distance, my own heart will forget the urgency of first things and fixate and secondary and tertiary ones.
A lot of our intra-Christian problems would probably be fixed by a good mission trip. We’d still write about the stuff, but we’d probably do it differently. When we separate our theology from mission it’s bound to go bad.
Books by J.D.:
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Cheap eBook Alert
Whatever It Takes: The Amazing Adventures of God's Work Around the World
Dub Jackson
Eternal Impact: The Passion of Kingdom-Centered Communities
Ken Hemphill
The Heart of the Sportsman: Strategies, Tips, and Thoughts for Going Beyond the Chase
Jason Cruise
Traditions of the Ancients: Vintage Faith Practices for the 21st Century
Marcia Ford
Friday, July 27, 2012
Nine Great Reasons To Affirm Others
Sam Crabtree in Practicing Affirmation (Get it for $3.03 as an eBook):
Affirmation is a way to bring life and healing to those around you.(HT: BJ Stockman)
1. Affirming others earns us the right standing from which to make suggestions. (p. 71)
2. Affirmation lifts morale. (p. 71)
3. Affirmation energizes people. (p. 72)
4. Affirmation of others makes us easier to live with. (p. 72)
5. Striving to affirm others puts us in the practice of looking at them positively–that is, looking for evidence of God’s work in them. (p. 73)
6. Affirmation constructively uses time that could have been wasted complaining. (p. 73)
7. By commending Christlike qualities, and celebrating them when we spot them, affirmation showcases the character of God, giving him honor for being the kind of God he is. (p. 74)
8. Behaviors that are rewarded and celebrated are more likely to be repeated. (p. 74)
9. When we commend God’s image in people, God is glorified, and that’s why we were made–to glorify God. (p. 75)
Lessons Learned in Transitioning a Church Plant
Josh Blunt:
Read the rest.
I still believe in church planting. I would simply advise planters to start with an ordinary means of grace model. This requires the strong support of a healthy, likeminded mother congregation throughout a slower, more labor-intensive maturation process. It takes an intentional commitment to abandon fads and gimmicks, to hold fast to the Bible in both content and methodology. And it takes a willingness to do the painstaking work of patient contextualization, continually discerning the fine line between inspired innovations and unbiblical shortcuts. Christ promises to build his Church; if he promises to do the work, why would we trust our methodology over his? Why would we employ novelties of the last two decades instead of methods that succeeded for the last two millennia? I suggest we make simple the new sexy, and ordinary the new extraordinary.
Read the rest.
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The Bridger Generation
Thom S. Rainier
The Bridger Generation is the first comprehensive study of the new generation, 72 million strong, born between 1977 and 1994. These are ‘the Bridgers’–the first generation to come of age in the twenty-first century, bridging the gap between two centuries and two millennia. Rainer’s in-depth analysis explores and explains revealing data, facts, and trends about tomorrow’s leaders and how best to present them with the gospel of Jesus. Moving beyond the Baby Boomers, Busters, and Generation X, The Bridger Generation takes a unique first look at the next American demographic phenomenon.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Boycotts, Identity, and The Products We Consume
Matthew Lee Anderson with a wise prophetic word in light of all the hubbub about Chick-fil-A in the media lately. Take good notes:
It seems to me that we’re going to see more of these sorts of boycotts going forward, and that the cultural pressure creating them has been at work for a while. Two interwoven threads, specifically, seem to be significant:
First, if you buy (while appreciating the irony) the story of consumerism, then purchases aren’t simply the sorts of things that fill a need but are rather ways in which we express our “identity,” our most deeply held values. They are, to use an Augustinian turn, expressions of our loves and those loves make us who we are. TOMS Shoes is trying to do good and that’s part of the appeal. But it’s also got cultural cache that comes with the brand. You’re not just wearing shoes, after all, as much as joining a movement. Nike had “Just do it” and all the hipsters decried advertising, but TOMS offers “One for One” and now we smile and nod. It’s the same sort of identity expression, except with a more socially minded gloss.
And there is the corollary development in all this: the self-conscious turn by the corporation from maker of products to expresser of values. Think through the two major boycotts this year, Starbucks and Chick-Fil-A: which of those had to do with the products the company produced?
It be folly to think that companies have ever escaped having values. Yet those values seem to have been, well, tied to their products. Industry. Thrift. Quality construction. Chick-Fil-A’s decision to close on Sunday’s is a decent example of this: I suspect it doesn’t actually hurt their bottom line nearly as much as people think because everyone is happier and more productive the other six days. It makes a better product through creating a better workplace. But what, pray tell, has Starbucks’ support of gay marriage to do with their internal “culture” or bottom line?
You can judge the transition, I think, by contrasting these boycotts with those from years past. The Religious Right took on Disney and K-Mart, most famously, but for slightly different reasons than people are protesting Starbucks and Chick-Fil-A. In Disney’s case, well, they were making content that the Southern Baptists didn’t much like and were hosting parties at Disneyland that the Baptists wouldn’t attend. K-Mart owned Waldenbooks, and they sold porn. In both cases, it wasn’t simply the internal “culture” or a commitment to tolerance: there were products that were coming out of those values, products that a constituency saw fit to reject. We don’t have to agree with those decisions to note that something has shifted.
The effect of all this, I think, is a new form of Puritanism that is slowly throttling our society. The irony of the intolerant tolerant has often been noted. But the problem goes far deeper than that: it’s that as the expressions of our identity continue to expand, intolerance will continue to take a more visible form. That mocha-frappacino is no longer just a drink and your chicken sandwich now signals your values. And once that game starts, then everything’s in play. The end result will be that moral judgment will happen easier and faster than ever, and always without the benefit of a hearing. (my emphasis)
Leadership: It's About People
Great leadership article here from Mark Lauterbach. Here is the conclusion:
A quote from Peter Drucker has stuck with me. In discussing leadership of employees in his 900 page tome on management, he notes that a most significant principle in management is to remember that people are weak, some of us are pitifully weak.Read the rest.
How do I shape my teaching of doctrine in light of the weakness of people? Jesus seems to have done so. H e did not break a bruised reed, or snuff out a smoking flax (Matt 12). I must as well.
I must study God’s Word and study God’s people — the reality of their weaknesses and limits. I must preach and minister the truth about a real God who brings redemptive power to real people in the midst of real life.
Revenge and Wrath: Not Ours
Jared Wilson:
Jared's Books:
When we become eager to enact God’s wrath through personal vengeance, it’s often because we distrust God’s ability to deal with injustice Himself. Or we distrust Him to do it in a way that satisfies us. When we lash out, fight back, take up zealous causes, angrily pontificate, feud on Facebook, tsk-tsk on Twitter, and berate on blogs, aren’t we, in essence, saying God needs us to set people straight? All too often what we’re really protecting isn’t God’s honor, but our reputation or influence.Read the rest.
Jesus’ approach to personal wrongs would have us conquer the injustice by embracing its satisfaction at the cross. So instead of attacking the guy who takes our shirt, we offer him our coat, too. I’ll admit that Paul’s questions in 1 Corinthians 6:7 sting a bit: “Why not rather put up with injustice? Why not rather be cheated?”
If the cross is true, if God is sovereign—why not?
Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord (Romans 12:19).
The reality is that whatever wrath remains to dispense after the satisfaction of the cross will be dispensed by Jesus Himself upon His return. The Book of Revelation doesn’t portray a passive, excuse-tolerating King who gives everybody a hall pass whether they love Him or not. Instead, He arrives on a white horse with a sword, vanquishing His enemies. But He does this, not us. So if we will truly trust that vengeance is His, that he will repay, we have all the power in the Spirit to let it go.
And honestly, that’s what some Christians need to do right now: Let. It. Go. Because God won’t leave any loose ends.
Jared's Books:
What Concerns Keep People From Sharing the Gospel? Are These Valid?
Jonathan Dodson:
Get Jonathan's new book here.
The reasons our gospel is unbelievable go even deeper. The gospel is easily dismissed, not only because of our misdirected motives, but also because of the self-righteous manner of our communication---preachy, dogmatic, intolerant, impersonal, and shallow. Indeed, sharing the righteousness of Christ (justification by faith) in a self-righteous manner (justification by self) contradicts the gospel itself. It is simply self-defeating. People interpret the gospel by how we say things, not just what we say. So, yes, these concerns are valid. They create gospel interference that must be cleared away through repentance and recovery of a better, more believable evangelism.Read the rest.
It isn't enough to critique self-righteous evangelism, however. We must reconstruct a biblically faithful, culturally sensitive, and personally meaningful way of sharing the gospel. In Unbelievable Gospel, I propose we use Gospel Metaphors.
Get Jonathan's new book here.
The Church's Role in Discipleship
“When it comes to talking about making disciples, it’s not about individual followers of Jesus, on their own, lone rangers making disciples. It’s about being apart of a body and together making disciples. Those unbelievers need to see evidence of community around Christ. They need to see the love of Christ in action. They need to see the mercy of Christ in action. The church needs to become a picture that, especially for harden hearts of unbelievers, softens their hearts towards the goodness of Christ in the community of faith. We don’t just walk in isolation. We walk in love and service to one another. We’re teaching the Word to each other and the Word is spreading through each other. All of that has to happen in the context of relationships with other people. And so disciple making is intricately tied to commitment with a local church.”
Books by David Platt:
Cheap eBook Alert
Letters From a Martyred Christian
H.L. Hussmann
Making Change: A Transformational Guide to Christian Money Management
Ken Hemphill
Share Jesus Without Fear
Linda Evans Shepherd, William Fay
Theology Drives Methodology: Conversion in the Theology of Charles Finney and John Nevin
Karl Dahlfred
AmazonMP3 Deal
This is a great record at a great price.
Wasting Light
Foo Fighters
Price: $2.99
Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin
Price: $2.99
Wasting Light
Foo Fighters
Price: $2.99
Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin
Price: $2.99
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
What To Do When The Internet is Down
Our internet has been spotty lately at the house. I have been tempted to do all of these.
Tweet of the Day
Relentlessly fighting for our "rights" always rubs me the wrong way a bit. We are Christians after all. No matter how much we fight we'll never arrive. God doesn't call us to be doormats, but he does say that suffering is the pathway for his Church's mission to move forward. The pathway will never be lined with legislation. We follow a murdered Savior after all. So, yes, some people should probably fight for our rights but it probably shouldn't be the emphasis in our churches. It certainly wasn't the emphasis in the early church.
All that to say, I thought this shed a little needed perspective in light of all the hyperness flying around right now about Chick-Fil-A. If we are truly "tolerant" can't this issue cut both ways?
All that to say, I thought this shed a little needed perspective in light of all the hyperness flying around right now about Chick-Fil-A. If we are truly "tolerant" can't this issue cut both ways?
More Cultural Irony on Display
I only bring this story to your attention to highlight a duplicitousness that I see more and more in our culture. We should be able to identify it and point it out. Some will listen, some won't. Either way, it's probably good to draw attention to it in a humble and gracious way.
To be clear, I am fine if a business owner wants to remove Bibles from their establishment for the sake of religious neutrality. Just don't make silly claims about the book you replace it with as somehow being neutral.
Jeremy Taylor: Here’s a story that may offend both the religious and fans of good fiction. A hotel in England has replaced all of its Gideon Bibles with ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ the first installment in E.L. James’s notorious trilogy of “mommy porn.”So... Having a Bible there is "wholly inappropriate" and "forcing" a certain viewpoint on people but somehow 50 Shades of Grey doesn't force a viewpoint? Does it not articulate a worldview as well? The presence of aBible "forces" and the 50 Shades doesn't? Huh?!? Do we not see the self-refuting nature of this decision?
Jonathan Denby, who owns The Damson Dene Hotel, has been wondering what to do with the Bibles ever since he bought the place from a Methodist group a decade ago. Since Denby believes forcing Scripture on his guests is “wholly inappropriate” he knew he would eventually switch them out, and his first thought was to replace them with Ayn Rand’s ‘The Fountainhead.’
However that plan never came to be, and it wasn’t until ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ exploded unto the scene that he realized he had the perfect book to stick in all of guests’ nightstands.
“Because everybody is reading ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ we thought it would be a hospitable thing to do,” he explained. “To have this available for our guests, especially if some of them were a little bit shy about buying it because of its reputation.”
To be clear, I am fine if a business owner wants to remove Bibles from their establishment for the sake of religious neutrality. Just don't make silly claims about the book you replace it with as somehow being neutral.
Suffering Refines Our Identity
- Michael Kelley, Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal… this is what happens to most everyone who encounters an event like cancer and then tries to figure out what life looks like afterward. Such circumstances are painful for a lot of reasons, but one of the primary ones is because they are stripping—they strip us of money, power, prestige, health, or a loved one. And they change our lives, forcing us to ask the difficult questions of personal identity. Who are you now that you’re not rich anymore? Who are you now that you don’t work at your former job anymore? Who are you now that you can’t exercise like you used to because of your illness? Who are you now that you have lost someone close to you? Who are you? And who am I? Pain strips us of the comfortable self-designations that we so desperately cling to. Pain makes us poor. I was impoverished in my identity.
The question of identity can really only be answered in a moment of crisis. In other words, it can only be answered when something attached to our core is taken out of our control: health, achievements, career, family life, and so forth. Who are you when those things are altered or threatened? Who would the rich, young ruler be if he sold his possessions? He would not be rich or a ruler; he would have nothing external left to define himself. He would be poor. A nobody. That poverty opens the door for Jesus to say, “Let me tell you who you really are.”
Reflections on Being President
George W. Bush has some interesting comments as he reflects on his presidency.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
The Desk Jockey Workout: 8 Ways to Stay in Shape at the Office
Some great ideas for all you "desk jockeys" out there.
Free Missionary eBook
Desiring God:
To download Adoniram Judson How Few There Are Who Die So Hard!, click on the following format options:
- Download ebook as a PDF file.
- Download ebook as an EPUB file formatted for readers like the Nook, Sony Reader, and Apple iBooks (iPad, iPhone, iPod).
- Download ebook as a MOBI file formatted for Kindle applications (this option works well on some mobile devices, and not so well on others).
Leadership Lessons from Penn State
Thom Rainer:
Books by Thom Rainer:
- Do what is right regardless of the cost to any one individual or the organization as a whole.
- Be wary of subtle signs of rationalization creep.
- Remember that no organization or leader is too big to fail or to fall.
- Be careful about giving too much attention to your greatest admirers or to your greatest critics.
- Set the right tone for an organization.
- Know clearly how to handle situations where problems and abuses develop.
- Make certain clear accountability is present at all levels of leadership.
Read the rest for his explanations.
Loving Muslims Through Prayer
The Vine Blog:
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (falling on July 20th–August 18th in 2012), which Muslims around the world observe through fasting, acts of charity, and increased prayers.
Christians and Muslims have many common beliefs and values, but we don't need to pretend that there aren't many key differences between Islam and Christianity, particularly centered around the person of Jesus (Isa in Arabic).As Ramadan is just in its beginning days for this year, join with us for the rest of the month in praying daily for Muslim people groups through the 30 Days Prayer Network.The site has a lot of information about different Muslim people groups around the world and their needs. Particularly, let us pray for God's peace for all in these regions, the freedom to practice religion and engage in dialogue, and that people all around the world would come to know the true Isa (Jesus).
How Would You Respond To This?
I think this sums up much of our current cultural climate when it comes to Christianity. We have to think through how to respond or we'll be useless. We don't have the option to retreat in fear. What would you say in response?
Monday, July 23, 2012
Cheap eBook Alert
The New Shape of World Christianity: How American Experience Reflects Global Faith
Mark A. Noll
Kindle Price: $2.99
"In order to get community right, we must reclaim communion."
Russell Moore:
Books by Russell Moore:
In recent years, sociologists and educators across the political spectrum have encouraged families to do one simple thing to maintain connection with one another: eat. The issue isn't just eating, of course. That's a non-negotiable for all biological organisms. The issue instead is to eat together. The family dinner might seem cute and outdated in a mobile, crazy-busy current age, but there's something of importance here. Parents often wolf down, in a car seat, a bagged meal they've ordered through a clown's mouth, in order to get to another soccer practice. Children often eat dinner from a desk, alone, in their rooms, texting friends and playing video-games. A family dinner, though, creates a connection. As Christians, we ought to know this, from the church.Read the rest.
Too often, when we speak of "creating community" in our churches, we're talking about some new program, a new set of small groups we've copied from some other church doing such things well. The Bible, though, says little or nothing about "small groups." The focus of community is instead more often around the table, around a common meal. The Apostle Paul, from start to finish, warned the church at Corinth about their divisions, divisions that didn't just inhibit their mission but also proclaimed something false, at the most primal level, about the gospel itself (1 Corinthians 1:10–13). That division showed up significantly in the perversion of the communion table (1 Corinthians 11:18). The people were using the Lord's Supper to feed their own individual appetites rather than caring for one another (11:20–21). When this happens, the act of communion becomes something other than "the Lord's Supper you eat," the apostle warned. To restore their fellowship with Christ and with one another, the church had to gather at the table, the way King Jesus invites.
Books by Russell Moore:
Why Preaching Through Whole Books of the Bible is Important
Brian Croft with a good rationale. At The Vine, we follow this practice and would agree wholeheartedly with his reasons.
4 Debilitating Fears
Paul Tripp:
1. Fear of meThis article is written for pastors but the application is for everyone. It's VERY helpful.
2. Fear of others
3. Fear of circumstances
4. Fear of the future
Irony and Chicken
Chick-fil-A doesn’t belong in Boston. You can’t have a business in the city of Boston that discriminates against a population. We’re an open city, we’re a city that’s at the forefront of inclusion. That’s the Freedom Trail. That’s where it all started right here. And we’re not going to have a company, Chick-fil-A or whatever the hell the name is, on our Freedom Trail… If they need licenses in the city, it will be very difficult — unless they open up their policies.
Denny Burk:
Apparently, Christian business owners are no longer allowed to express religious opinions in Boston if they run crosswise with the Mayor’s views on marriage. If that doesn’t send a chill down your spine, I don’t know what will. Again, the irony appears to be lost on the good mayor, who also fails to recognize that nothing Dan Cathy says indicates that homosexual persons will in any way be discriminated against at Chick-fil-a.Read the rest.
Do you see how this is going? You don’t even have to mention homosexuality or gay marriage. All you have to say is that you are pro-family, and certain municipalities will exile your business. Welcome to the brave new world of tolerance.
Friends, remember, no matter what, the sky is not falling. It may grow much worse than this. But the church and mission marches on because God's word never fails. Suffering may be endured. Welcome to Christianity.
"Authorities will promise to do everything in their power to ensure our safety. But in the end, no one can guarantee our security."
Colin Hansen:
Get his book here.
Our ancestors lived in a world like this. At any moment they might succumb to a disease no one yet understood. Or become collateral damage in a war they didn't start. Or suffer starvation when the skies withheld their rain. The patriarchs of the Old Testament lived in such a world. So did the apostles of the New Testament. So did Jesus.Read the rest.
Not even the Son of God escaped gruesome, torturous death. He lived in a world where religious leaders conspired with political tyrants to kill so-called enemies who made the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers clean, the deaf hear, the dead rise, and the poor rejoice over good news (Matt. 11:5). He was not safe and secure in this world. In fact, he said, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head (Matt. 8:20).
And yet this man, not even welcome in his hometown (Luke 4:24), could point to those same birds of the air and see reason to trust in our heavenly Father, who feeds them, "who neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn" (Luke 12:24). So when his season of sorrow approached, when one of his closest friends handed him over to evil men, he could say to his heavenly Father, "Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done" (Luke 22:42).
Jesus knew exactly who to blame for his impending execution. He stared into the faces of the chief priests and scribes who sought his death. He answered to Pilate, who signed his death sentence. And yet, when he looked out on these murderers from the excruciating elevation of the cross, he prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).
No cry of why will satisfy our search for a reasonable explanation to the horrors of this age. But the God-man who cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" comforts us in our grief (Matt. 27:46). Even more, his unjust death and ultimate triumph in resurrection is the very means by which we can begin even now to enjoy never-ending peace with the "Father of mercies and God of all comfort" (2 Cor. 1:3).
Jesus had no illusions about why the nations rage. They rage in their sin, against their God, going so far as to put God in human flesh to death. But such evil plots in vain, because the ascended Jesus promises to return in justice. He will hold his and the Aurora movie theater's murderers to account. And he will usher in the safety and security of the new heavens and new earth for all who believe in him.
"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Rev. 21:4).
Get his book here.
Cheap eBook Alert
A Cross-Shattered Church
Author: Stanley Hauerwas
Price: $4.99
In this work, eminent theologian Stanley Hauerwas shows how the sermon is the best context for doing good theology. He writes, “I am convinced that the recovery of the sermon as the context for theological reflection is crucial if Christians are to negotiate the world in which we find ourselves.” The book includes seventeen sermons preached by Hauerwas, which he considers his best theological work and hopes exemplify the work of theology.
The sermons are divided into four sections: seeing, saying, living, and events.
Practicing Affirmation
Sam Crabtree
Kindle Price: $3.03
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