Love In The Truth

Middle-Aged White Guy's Guide to Christian Rap!

2012-02-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

BAM! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

Pray for the Persecuted Church

2012-02-10T09:18:00.000-05:00

HERE is a list of the 50 most-watched countries for church persecution.

Do you have five minutes to spare? Watch this...

Good Purposes In Suffering

2012-02-09T09:35:00.000-05:00

Rebecca offers some good thoughts on suffering here...

Suffering works to advance the gospel. In these two cases, it’s the suffering of persecution that helps spread the gospel, but I’m sure other kinds of suffering can work this way, too.
I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ (Philippians 1:12-13 ESV).

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord (Acts 11: 19-21 ESV).
Suffering spurs other believers to faith in Christ. It may be that I should have included this verse with item #1, but I’m not sure. I’m thinking that it might not be saying here that Paul’s suffering advances the gospel, but rather that Paul’s faithfulness in affliction would spur other believers to keep on trusting God through difficult times. What do you think?

…always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you (2 Corinthians 4:10-12 ESV).

Suffering shows our weakness, demonstrating Christ’s power in us.

But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV).

Suffering teaches us to trust God and not our own abilities. This is similar to #3, except this time the lesson is for us rather than others.

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1: 8-9 ESV).

Suffering shows the genuineness of our faith.

….you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1: 6-7 ESV).

Suffering produces righteousness in us.

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? …..For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:7, 11 ESV).

….we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope… (Romans 5:3-4 ESV).Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-3 ESV).

Suffering makes us value and long for what is eternal.

For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18 ESV).

Suffering brings us heavenly reward. 2 Corinthians 4:17 (directly above) could be used as a text here, too.

….we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:17-18 ESV).

Suffering give us the ability to comfort and encourage others in their suffering. We suffer and God comforts us, and our experience of God’s comfort enables us to comfort others.

…the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ESV).

HT / Challies

Trusting God - FREE!

2012-02-01T10:50:00.000-05:00

This months free selection from Christian Audio is...

Just click the pic!

Because obeying God makes sense to us. In most cases, His laws appear reasonable and wise, and even when we don’t want to obey them, we usually concede that they are good for us. But the circumstances we find ourselves in often defy explanation.

When unexpected situations arise that appear unjust, irrational, or even dreadful, we feel confused and frustrated. And before long, we begin to doubt God’s concern for us or His control over our lives. Adversity is hard to endure and can even be harder to understand. If God were really in control, why would He allow the tragic auto accident or crucial job loss? How could He permit cancer in a loved one or the death of a child?

Grappling with His concern for us we ask, “Why is God allowing this?” or “What have I done wrong?” In an effort to strengthen his own trust in God during a time of adversity, Jerry Bridges began a lengthy Bible study on the topic of God’s sovereignty. What he learned changed his life, and he now shares the fruit of that study with you in Trusting God.

As you begin to explore the scope of God’s power over nations, nature, and the detailed lives of individuals, you’ll begin to acknowledge His loving control. And as you come to know Him better, you’ll find yourself trusting Him more completely—even when life hurts.

"In Christ"

2012-01-25T09:26:00.000-05:00

John Piper...

Being “in Christ Jesus” is a stupendous reality. It is breathtaking what it means to be in Christ. United to Christ. Bound to Christ. If you are “in Christ” listen to what it means for you:

In Christ Jesus you were given grace before the world was created. 1 Timothy 1:9, “He gave us grace in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”
In Christ Jesus you were chosen by God before creation. Ephesians 1:4, “God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.”
In Christ Jesus you are loved by God with an inseparable love. Romans 8:38–39, “I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
In Christ Jesus you were redeemed and forgiven for all your sins. Ephesians 1:7, “In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.”
In Christ Jesus you are justified before God and the righteousness of God in Christ is imputed to you. 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake God made Christ to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
In Christ Jesus you have become a new creation and a son of God. 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Galatians 3:26, “In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”
In Christ Jesus you have been seated in the heavenly places even while he lived on earth. Ephesians 2:6, “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
In Christ Jesus all the promises of God are Yes for you. 2 Corinthians 1:20, “All the promises of God find their Yes in Christ.”
In Christ Jesus you are being sanctified and made holy. 1 Corinthians 1:2, “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus.”
In Christ Jesus everything you really needed will be supplied. Philippians 4:19, “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
In Christ Jesus the peace of God will guard your heart and mind. Philippians 4:7, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
In Christ Jesus you have eternal life. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
And in Christ Jesus you will be raised from the dead at the coming of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:22, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” All those united to Adam in the first humanity die. All those united to Christ in the new humanity rise to live again

How do we get into Christ?

At the unconscious and decisive level it is God’s sovereign work: “From God are you in Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

But at the conscious level of our own action, it is through faith. Christ dwells in our hearts “through faith” (Ephesians 3:17). The life we live in union with his death and life “we live by faith in the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20). We are united in his death and resurrection “through faith” (Colossians 2:12).

This is a wonderful truth. Union with Christ is the ground of everlasting joy, and it is free.

Three Deadly Words: "It's A Girl"

2012-01-20T10:51:00.000-05:00

Tragic and sad. Perhaps the most disturbing part is watching a "mother" laugh when talking of murdering 8 daughters...

The Reality of the Resurrection!

2012-01-18T11:41:00.000-05:00

Online Disagreements

2012-01-17T09:30:00.000-05:00

When fallen humans interact, inevitably there will be conflict. This possibility is raised exponentially when that interaction takes place online. Disagreements can get nasty in a hurry. Stephen Altrogge offers some helpful advice on “how to disagree online without being a total jerk.” I know it’s advice I need to heed...

Remember That Your Opponent Is Created In the Image of God

When we’re sitting snugly behind our computers, it can be easy to forget that the person on the other end of the conversation is a real person. A real person who is created in the image of God and should be respected as a fellow image bearer. A real person who has real feelings and strengths and weaknesses. A real person whom God really, really cares about. The words that I type will have a real effect on that person, either good or bad. My words have the potential to build them up or tear them down. To corrupt them or bless them. To strengthen them or be a source of temptation to them. God will hold me accountable for the ways in which my words affect others.

Remember That Your Opponent Is Your Fellow Brother Or Sister

If my opponent is a Christian, they are also my brother or sister in Christ. They have been bought with the precious blood of Christ and they belong to him. Jesus values. The Father treasures them. The Spirit dwells in them. If I insult them, I am also insulting Christ. If I speak poorly of them, I am speaking poorly of Christ. There is no place for maliciousness or backbiting or insulting in the house of Christ, and that house extends to the digital world.

Don’t Say Anything You Wouldn’t Be Comfortable Saying To Their Face

Being behind a computer screen gives me a weird, and often times sinful, boost of confidence. Suddenly I feel like I know everything, and that every person who disagrees with me is a complete and total moron. I also may be tempted to say things that I would never say to a person’s face. But when I get behind a computer, the Golden Rule still applies. I’m still called to treat every person as I would want to be treated. I don’t want to say anything that I wouldn’t be comfortable saying in person.

Ask Forgiveness Quickly

If I sin against a person through online speech, I need to ask their forgiveness quickly. Just because it happened online and I don’t know them that well doesn’t mean that I’m not accountable for it. The house of Christ should be a place ruled by grace and mercy. I want to seek out grace and mercy from those whom I sin against.

Spoken words matter and digital words matter. I want the words that I type to be pleasing to the Lord, don’t you?

Good words...do you need to hear them?

The Order of Salvation ~ Ordo Salutis

2012-01-11T09:10:00.001-05:00

Download in high quality .pdf here

HT / Challies

National Geographic Photography Winners: 2011

2012-01-07T09:39:00.000-05:00

I wish I could take pictures like these...

Knowing God ~ FREE

2012-01-03T12:06:00.000-05:00

Grab it Free this month! Just click the pic!

Forever Family!

2011-12-22T09:48:00.000-05:00

Every Child needs a home - regardless of age! Prepare to cry...

Here is the back story...

5 Ways Wives Can Encourage Their Husbands

2011-12-14T11:35:00.002-05:00

Jared Wilson again...

An excellent wife who can find?

She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
-- Proverbs 31:10-12
1. Praise Him Verbally
Private nagging and public nitpicking are common temptations for wives of husbands who are sinners, by which I mean wives, but a wife ought to know that this is Chinese water torture on his heart. Most men carry around in their souls the question "Do I have what it takes?" The gospel answers this question, "No, but Jesus does, and what's his is yours." This is the only acceptable way to answer in the "negative." When you nitpick and nag, you give mouthpiece to the accuser who wants your husband to know not only does he not have what it takes, he is worthless because of it. So find ways to constructively criticize and help him repent, but more than that, tell him what you like about him, how you find him attractive or admirable, how you respect him or are impressed by him. Outdo him in showing honor (Rom. 12:10).

2. Submit to His Leadership
This is not a call to be a doormat, but in my pastoral experience I encounter many a wife who says she wants her husband to lead her but then makes it clear in some way that this will only occur when she agrees with his decision. There's few things more demoralizing than a demand to lead with no commitment to follow. Instead, if your husband is not leading you into sin, your followship of your husband is a reflection of your trust in God. Peter writes:

For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. (1 Peter 3:5-6)
3. Reject Relational Legalism
If your husband always feels as though he is only in your good graces when he has performed to your standards or met your expectations, he will not see you as his lover, friend, or partner, but as his boss. Do you know how deeply you want to feel approved of despite your flaws, sins, and failures, that your husband would know the real you and love that you? He wants the same thing, even if he never expresses it.
4. Take an Interest
It's not always that your husband doesn't like to talk. It's just that perhaps he's learned that your favorite subjects are things he doesn't have much to say about. Communicating with you in ways that edify and engage you is his command to obey with joy; communicating with him in ways that edify and engage him is yours. This might mean asking him questions about sports or hobbies or movies or power tools. Or maybe it doesn't mean talking but sitting on the couch to watch the game with him or invading his "man cave"* with your presence but not your agenda.
5. Make Love to Him
This is not universally true, but it is generally true: The number one way a husband feels encouraged is when his wife has sex with him. I put it last because it's likely the touchiest point (no pun intended), but it is (again, generally speaking) top of the list. If you're thinking, "Well, for some husbands maybe, but not mine," ask him. For most men, sexual intimacy is directly wired to feelings of encouragement, confidence, approval, attractiveness, and self-esteem. The things that you likely need in order to feel open to sexual intimacy are the things he typically feels afterwards -- closeness, respect, approval. I know it's weird that God set it up that way, but I think he did so that we would serve each other graciously with our bodies, learning to put each other first in a neat little "No, after you" kind of dance. In any event, one of the chief ways -- if not the chief way -- you can build up your husband is by bedding down with him.
Carolyn Mahaney's chapter "Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God: What Every Christian Wife Needs to Know" in the Piper/Taylor book Sex and the Supremacy of Christ is excellent on this subject. You can download the entire book for free here.

5 Ways Husbands Can Sanctify Their Wives

2011-12-14T11:32:00.000-05:00

Jared Wilson writes...

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
-- Ephesians 5:25-27

1. Put Her First
Sacrifice is in view here, as is the understanding of "sanctify" in the sense of "setting apart for special use," as in consecration. Husbands honor their wives not among others, but before and above others.

2. "Gospel" Her
Yes, I know it's not a verb, but you get my meaning here. The passage says Jesus sanctifies the church by "washing" her with the water of the word. The understanding of "sanctify" as "cleanse" is in view here, and a husband who wants to sanctify his wife will share with her the word of God, speak to her the word of God, remind her who she is in Christ, forgive her sins, give her the opportunity to forgive his in word-driven repentance, and in general make sure she is gently, lovingly covered in the Scriptures.

3. Protect Her
Husbands will present their wives in some way to the Lord when that roll is called up yonder as an evidence of their own faithfulness to him. Do we want to be proven true children of God, full of faith in Jesus and his gospel? Then we will show the fruit of faithful husbanding, which is a wife "without spot or wrinkle or any such thing." No, we cannot sanctify our wives the way the Spirit does, and no, neither our salvation nor our wife's salvation is contingent upon our perfect husbanding (thank God!), but manhood is responsibility-taking, and this means taking the responsibility to shield our wives from sin and its temptations, accusations, attacks, unnecessary burdens, hurtful expectations and assumptions, and the like. This can mean everything from taking on housework so she gets to rest or go out with friends to warding off or rebuking people who take advantage of her. It also means no verbal, emotional, or physical abuse. It means no pornography or sexual exploitation. It means treating her and ensuring treatment of her that is gentle, loving, and edifying.

4. Serve Her
How did Jesus the King position himself over the church as its head? By becoming its servant, sacrificing to the point of death in loving service to her betterment.

5. Lead Her
This encompasses all of the above and more. Male headship requires repetitious repentance, deep humility, desperate God-reliance, and a high, passionate commitment to the grace of God for the glory of God, not the gratification of self for the glory of self. Lead, don't push. Set an example in speech and conduct. Show yourself flawed but trustworthy but God as failproof. Refuse to make excuses or pass the buck. Shoulder the burdens and take responsibility.

Tebow and the Hand of God in Sports

2011-12-13T10:19:00.000-05:00

Great article by Owen Strachan over at TGC blog. He closes with this great statement...

"The most important story here is not that Tebow and the Broncos are winning in dramatic fashion, but that the Lord seems to have worked in this man such that, though faced with unbelievable fame, major wealth, constant attention, and the classically all-American success story, Tebow seems only to want to talk about the gospel."

Read the entire article here...

Little Drummer Boy!

2011-12-07T16:01:00.000-05:00

That's how we roll up North!

Jesus has AIDS

2011-12-01T11:16:00.000-05:00

Russell Moore has written an excellent article here. The title is provocative; he says as much. But he addresses and defends it brilliantly. Don't let the title get you bent out of shape in the wrong way, rather let it get you bent out of shape in a way that spurs you into action for the King and His gospel.

"(S)ome of you are angry because you believe that the statement I typed above is an affront to the dignity of the ruler of the universe. He doesn’t have some immune deficiency disease; he’s ruling from the right hand of God.

Yes.

Yes, but we cannot see Jesus only in his Head but also in his Body, also in his identification with those he calls “the least of these, my brothers” (Matt. 25:40). Jesus isn’t right now hungry, is he? He isn’t naked, is he? He isn’t thirsty, is he? He isn’t in jail, is he? Well, yes, he is…in the nakedness, hunger, thirstiness, and imprisonment of his suffering brothers and sisters around the world.

When we stand in judgment, we’ll stand, Jesus tells us, accountable for how we recognized him in the trauma of those who don’t seem to bear the glory of Christ at all right now. We see Jesus now, by faith, in the sufferings of the crack baby, the meth addict, the AIDS orphan, the hospitalized prodigal who sees his ruin in the wires running from his veins.

I wonder how many of us will hear the words from our Galilean emperor, “I had AIDS and you weren’t afraid to come near me.”

And so, if we love Jesus, our churches should be more aware of the cries of the curse, including the curse of AIDS, than the culture around us. Our congregations should welcome the AIDS-infected, and we shouldn’t be afraid to hug them as we would hug our Christ. Our congregations should be on the forefront of missions to AIDS-ravaged regions of the world. Our families should be willing to welcome those orphaned by this global scourge."

Read the entire article here...

Beautiful Feet

2011-11-30T10:29:00.000-05:00

HT / Brett Sanner

Man Up ~ 1:1SIX

2011-11-17T11:34:00.000-05:00

The most terrifying truth about God...He is good

2011-11-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

Paper Candle: CD Review

2011-11-03T13:15:00.001-04:00

Let me begin by saying I love this record. Justin Anderson (think Mainstay) has released the first of what I hope will be many more albums. Musically it is simple. Please hear me on this, I mean that in a positive way. It is honest, genuine, not dressed up. In the words of one of my favourite bands, there are no “glittering prizes and endless compromises” or “illusion(s) of integrity” in this offering. On Paper Candle, Anderson proves himself to be a musician, an artist first. No doubt he wants to sell many records, but I doubt that was the driving force behind producing this one.

I will openly admit that as I listened to album (over and over and over...it is that good) I did feel an uneasiness about Anderson’s faith. I mean I really loved Mainstay. They were from Piper’s church and all that! Now they’re “on a break” and Justin Anderson is baring his soul and his struggles with Christianity...perhaps the “fledgling is falling.” I have seen too many simply walk away.

However there was nothing different coming from Anderson’s lyrics that hadn’t been warring in my own mind. I think the whole point is to examine yourself. I’m pretty sure I’ve read that somewhere before! I remember simply crying - I’ll admit it - after listening to “The Prince and The Idiot” and just remembering the gospel. Incidentally, that is my favourite track on the record.

Personally, I could feel the emotion in this record. This is my life, my wars, my struggles, and ultimately my hope set to music. I had really hoped to send some questions to Justin to speak more about his music. As it turns out, someone beat me to the punch - you can check it out here. One more question, I would’ve loved to ask. Any chance for Mainstay coming back from their “time out”?

I’ll end where I began; I love this record. Like reading a great book, I was drawn into the story. If you know what I mean, that is great feeling. It is not always comfortable, but it’s genuine. That is the mark of a good artist.

If you are looking for simply another “Christian” album you should avoid this one. If you are looking for a sort of pseudo-Mainstay record buy the first track and tell yourself good job. If you are looking for simply a great record; look no further. Paper Candle is just that. Check out Justin's (yeah, we're on a first name basis now...lol) first single...

Greatest World Series Game Ever!

2011-10-28T10:59:00.000-04:00

Last night's game was a great game - no question it was a classic. But the greatest game ever? Really... really ... no seriously, really. Obviously there is a serious case of memory loss south of the 49th. It's like '92 and '93 never existed, they never even were. But ... anyone with an ounce of fluid brain must concede that game 6 was indeed the greatest of all time, just not game 6 of 2011. No the honour will always belong to game 6 in '93. I would argue that game 4 of '93 was better than last night's game, but that's for another time!

I remember I was sitting with Jennifer at my parent's place watching this one. When Joe came up to bat, I looked at her and said, "Joe's gonna take him deep." True story - I called that one! Let's relive the magic moment together...

What a game! Where were you when "Joe went deep"? And, if you think last night was better, why ... defend your choice?

The Gospel - Love it - It never gets old!

2011-10-19T10:52:00.001-04:00

To Mommy & "Dabby"

2011-09-29T11:29:00.000-04:00

A mother is forever

A mother always cares

A mother is forgiving in every little way

Mothers are kind; they add a sweetness to your life

A mother is for loving

A mother always shares

A mother loves her children and husband all the way!

But most important...

A mother loves Jesus Christ more than anything!

A mother is a gift from God and she always cares!

I would love to take credit for that one, but I cannot. This beautiful poem was left on my wife's pillow last night by our daughter, Kyra Faith. Needless to say, we cried, and we thanked our God for His amazing grace in the life of an 11 year old little girl.

I got a card as well.

You help me when I'm hurt!

You forgive me when I disobey!

You make our date days the best!

I love you "Dabby"!

Each statement had a picture beneath it. Just what I needed after a rough day. I simply love being "the best 'Dabby' in the world" to my little girl. (When Kyra was really young, she couldn't say Daddy - she said "Dabby"...it stuck, and I love it!)

Invest 33 minutes!

2011-09-26T09:38:00.000-04:00

"Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose!"

2011-09-22T13:06:00.000-04:00

Glad to see Friday Night Lights get some love! Simply one of the best shows to ever appear on television. The acting and the writing were second to none. Why do all the great shows get cancelled? Anyway, congrats "Coach Taylor".

Already Dead?

2011-09-21T12:59:00.000-04:00

Pat Robertson’s cruel answer to a question regarding a man having an affair was that if he’s going to do anything, he should divorce his wife who has Alzheimer’s. When asked by his co-host about marriage vows till death do us part, Pat Robertson said that essentially, since she already had Alzheimer’s, the wife was already dead. Already dead? The sheer stupidity of that answer is shocking.

A better, biblical response is given by another Robertson...

So how should we respond to Pat Robertson?

Randy Alcorn

When Christian leaders, who someone has no private access to, make public statements that aren't minor or secondary errors but which undercut something as basic as the sanctity of life and the sanctity of marriage, it is not only appropriate but necessary to speak up.

The "judge not, just pray" approach some have advocated in the comments sounds virtuous. But in fact either what Pat Robertson said—heard now by 10s of millions of people in the network prime time news broadcasts—was true or it was not. It was either important or not. If it dishonored Christ, then my first obligation is to defend the truth of Jesus, not to defend the man who spoke a cruel and terrible untruth.

I am all for praying for Pat Robertson, and I have prayed for him. I have also prayed for those around him that they will step up and correct him and refuse to go along with this and other unbiblical statements he makes, even if it means losing their jobs. This is the loving thing to do for everyone, including Pat, because as Jesus said “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (Matthew 12:36).

To not speak up against what Robertson falsely spoke as a so-called representative of Christ would be, in my opinion, moral cowardice. I speak against a brother's words only with great sadness, but the alternative of silence is unacceptable, because silence connotes approval. And if by our silence we approve of the notion of a man divorcing his wife because she becomes mentally disabled, then God help the church.

Christians who care little about keeping sacred vows "for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part" have nothing to offer the world or each other.

see full article here...

Angry Calvinists?

2011-09-14T11:13:00.000-04:00

“When we Calvinists are ungracious, unnecessarily combative, proud, and arrogant, we are not being true Calvinists. We are posers.”

Ed Stetzer interviews Joe Thorn on the topic of “Angry Calvinists”. It is a good read for all who love the doctrines of grace. Come to think of it; it is a good read for “Anti-Calvinists” as well. There are, after all, some equally “Angry Anti(s)” out there as well...but that’s another post for another day!

Check out the interview here...

Are you still here? Click the link, it’s ok...go ahead...click it.

What is Beautiful?

2011-09-13T11:10:00.000-04:00

Jen Smidt

What is beautiful to Jesus won’t make the cover of Vogue.

Let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. - 1 Peter 3:4

Beauty has a cost. Between potion for wrinkles, serum for age spots and cream for gray hair, my cart runneth over with beauty products I can’t afford. Inner beauty has a cost also. As I get older and the battle for beauty becomes pronounced, I find myself asking questions about beauty. What does it mean to be beautiful? Who defines beautiful?

Redefine Beauty

Men, what is beautiful to you? At what point does a pretty lady that catches your eye become old or worn enough to lose that label? Husbands, is your wife becoming more beautiful to you as you see her emulate Jesus? Beauty does not begin and end with mere age, dress, or ability to appeal to the senses.

“A heart made alive by Jesus is a beautiful thing indeed.”

Consider the woman who is, in her beauty, more like Jesus than a Cover Girl. If God lovingly instructs women to beautify themselves from the inside out, you certainly should consider a woman’s beauty as originating and emanating from her heart. A heart made alive by Jesus is a beautiful thing indeed.

Read the rest...

HT / Z

The Sermon On the Mount

2011-09-13T10:05:00.000-04:00

HT / JT

In My Seat

2011-09-06T10:24:00.000-04:00

Slow Down...Stop and Think...Behold

2011-09-06T09:52:00.000-04:00

There is something about moments that I'm sure we're meant to wonder over. Not wonder as in, "what's going on" so much as wonder as in, "WOW!" Today, I dropped my son off for his first day of High School. To fully appreciate this fact, you need to know that he has been home-schooled since the second grade.

I am not quite sure what I'm feeling right now.

But, one thing I keep coming back to is the gospel. In my concern, Jesus loves me...wow! That fact, is enough to bring me to worship - to simply allow worry to fade and to trust the Saviour.

What do you do in the moments? Where do you turn? Whom do you trust? Take the time to slow down, to stop and think, to "behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God." How often we hear these words of Scripture and simply just fly over them...

“In order for Jesus to suffer and die,
He had to plan way ahead of time
because he couldn’t die.

Immortal, He didn’t have a body
And yet he wanted to die.
For you.

So, He planned the whole thing
by clothing himself with a body,
so that He could get hungry
and get weary
and have sore feet.

The incarnation of Jesus is the preparation
of nerve endings
for the nails,
the preparation of a brow
or thorns pressed through.

He needed to have a broad back
so that there was a place
for the whips.

He needed to have feet
so that there was a place
for spikes.

He needed to have a side
so that there was a place
for the sword to go in.

He needed to have fleshy cheeks
so that Judas would have a place to kiss
and there would be a place for the spit
to run down that the soldiers put on him.

He needed a brain and a spinal column
with no vinegar and no gall,
so that the exquisiteness of the pain
could be fully felt."

"So I plead with you, when you’re reading the Bible and you read texts like: “He loved you and gave himself for you,” you wouldn’t go too fast over it. Linger, linger, linger, and plead with Jesus that your eyes would be opened."

(from the end of song by Json based on a sermon by John Piper)

HT / Challies

Dancing in the Minefields

2011-08-31T12:26:00.000-04:00

It was 15 years ago today that Jennifer and I began our dance. Thankful to our Lord for his grace toward us. Thankful to Andrew Peterson for this song as well.

Awe"struck"

2011-08-29T09:13:00.000-04:00

I like many people I know love to watch storm cells when they near. There is something about the raw power that I find simply stunning and beautiful while at the same time frightening and terrible. It becomes for me a time of worship.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God - but - only by falling into His hands can you truly know the living, loving God.

HT / Alex Johnson (#fb video)

Only Then

2011-08-22T10:47:00.000-04:00

“Would you like to be rid of this spiritual depression? The first thing you have to do is to say farewell now once and forever to your past. Realize that it has been covered and blotted out in Christ. Never look back at your sins again. Say: ‘It is finished, it is covered by the blood of Christ.’ That is your first step. Take that and finish with yourself and all this talk about goodness, and look to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is only then that true happiness and joy are possible for you.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression (Grand Rapids, 1965), page 35.

HT / Ray Ortland

"Stunningly Gospelicious" by John Calvin

2011-08-09T09:43:00.000-04:00

A big hat-tip to Justin Taylor for pointing this one out. And for giving me such a SWEET title!

From a stunningly gospelicious preface John Calvin wrote for Pierre Robert Olivétan’s French translation of the New Testament (1534)

“Without the gospel everything is useless and vain; without the gospel we are not Christians; without the gospel all riches is poverty, all wisdom folly before God; strength is weakness, and all the justice of man is under the condemnation of God. But by the knowledge of the gospel we are made children of God, brothers of Jesus Christ, fellow townsmen with the saints, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, heirs of God with Jesus Christ, by whom the poor are made rich, the weak strong, the fools wise, the sinner justified, the desolate comforted, the doubting sure, and slaves free. It is the power of God for the salvation of all those who believe …”

“It follows that every good thing we could think or desire is to be found in this same Jesus Christ alone. For, he was sold, to buy us back; captive, to deliver us; condemned, to absolve us; he was made a curse for our blessing, sin offering for our righteousness; marred that we may be made fair; he died for our life; so that by him fury is made gentle, wrath appeased, darkness turned into light, fear reassured, despisal despised, debt canceled, labor lightened, sadness made merry, misfortune made fortunate, difficulty easy, disorder ordered, division united, ignominy ennobled, rebellion subjected, intimidation intimidated, ambush uncovered, assaults assailed, force forced back, combat combated, war warred against, vengeance avenged, torment tormented, damnation damned, the abyss sunk into the abyss, hell transfixed, death dead, mortality made immortal. In short, mercy has swallowed up all misery, and goodness all misfortune.

For all these things which were to be the weapons of the devil in his battle against us, and the sting of death to pierce us, are turned for us into exercises which we can turn to our profit. If we are able to boast with the apostle, saying, O hell, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? it is because by the Spirit of Christ promised to the elect, we live no longer, but Christ lives in us; and we are by the same Spirit seated among those who are in heaven, so that for us the world is no more, even while our conversation [life] is in it; but we are content in all things, whether country, place, condition, clothing, meat, and all such things. And we are comforted in tribulation, joyful in sorrow, glorying under vituperation [verbal abuse], abounding in poverty, warmed in our nakedness, patient amongst evils, living in death. This is what we should in short seek in the whole of Scripture: truly to know Jesus Christ, and the infinite riches that are comprised in him and are offered to us by him from God the Father.”

Piper Interviews Giglio Pt 2

2011-07-19T12:34:00.000-04:00

Piper Interviews Giglio

2011-07-13T08:27:00.000-04:00

The Truth About Planned Parenthood

2011-07-07T10:55:00.000-04:00

The Witherspoon Institute:

An in-depth investigation of Planned Parenthood by Americans United for Life, the nation’s first pro-life public-interest law and policy organization (where I serve as Senior Vice President and Senior Council), demonstrates that abortion is central to Planned Parenthood’s business. The AUL Report, however, uncovers much, much more than just the importance of abortion to Planned Parenthood operations. It reveals Planned Parenthood practices that are irresponsible, dangerous, and fly in the face of the organization’s claims of dedication to women in need of medical services.

AUL’s Report pulls together in one place, for the first time, a litany of scandals associated with Planned Parenthood, demonstrating the breadth and persistance of the organization’s abuses. The Report shows that the “fuss” about Planned Parenthood is currently, if anything, about far too little. What follows in this article are just a few examples of the many reasons, all documented by the Report, why state—and federal—legislatures are (and all Americans should be) rethinking their dedication to Planned Parenthood.

The conclusion:

Planned Parenthood claims to be a “trusted health care provider,” but the AUL Report clearly shows that there is little to trust about Planned Parenthood. Even so, the Report only scratches the surface. Congress should use its power to investigate Planned Parenthood futher and determine, once and for all, if it deserves our support, our loyalty, and our money. Until Planned Parenthood answers for its behavior, the surprise is not that the people of Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, and Texas want to take away their funding, but that Planned Parenthood has not already been stripped of taxpayer dollars throughout the nation. Slowly but surely, Americans will become aware of how little Planned Parenthood deserves our trust, our respect, and our tax dollars. It is time to consider if you really know about Planned Parenthood.

If you would like to learn more and read the complete report published by AUL, please visit www.aul.org.

Read the rest.

HT / Z

Beck & Sting

2011-06-29T09:38:00.000-04:00

It really doesn't get much better than that right there!

HT / Ray Ortlund

The Church and Culture

2011-06-29T09:10:00.000-04:00

Chandler, Horton, and Keller on the Church in Culture from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

The Facebook Obsession

2011-06-22T11:13:00.000-04:00

Josh Garrels New CD - FREE!

2011-06-15T14:09:00.000-04:00

If you don't know Josh Garrels, let this be your introduction. I discovered this guy on youtube awhile back and instantly became a fan. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to do a complete review for the blog shortly of his new album. For now, I'll say that my early faves are "The Resistance" and "Beyond the Blue".

The great thing is that for now you can get "Love & War & the Sea In Between" for free at either Garrels' home page or through noisetrade. I would recommend the artist's site for the simple reason that you can choose practically any download form you desire!

Here's a taste of Josh to whet your appetite...

Gospel-Centered Personal Renewal

2011-06-10T12:34:00.000-04:00

Here is a great little resource on - well, the title says it all. The author, Timmy Brister, compiled together a series of blog posts to make a full downloadable pdf document. If you don't follow "provocations & paintings" you are missing some good stuff. I have found much wisdom, grace, and humility there.

Do yourself a favour and check it out along with this great series...

Here’s the blog series:

1. I Have Been Made New
2. I Am Being Made New (Part 1)
3. I Am Being Made New (Part 2)
4. I Will Be Made New
5. Renewal Through Remembering
6. Gospel Renewal Through the Fear of the Lord
7. Jonathan Edwards on Continued Transformation and Renewal

>> To download the series as a PDF, click here.

What Happens When We Believe the Lie

2011-06-08T09:41:00.000-04:00

Russell Moore:

Almost every adultery situation I’ve ever seen includes a cheating spouse who honestly believes that he or she is not going to get caught. The cheater often doesn’t want the marriage to end in divorce. Instead, like the characters in today’s headlines, he or she instead wants to keep everything the same: spouse, kids, and lover too. That’s irrational and completely contrary to the way the world works. Anyone can see that.

But you can convince yourself…or be convinced…that it will work for you. You’re special, after all. That’s the way temptation functions. We put consequences out of our minds, both temporal and eternal consequences. We start to believe that we are gods, with power over good and evil and life and death. And then we do crazy things.

This doesn’t have anything to do with intelligence. Satan is hyper-intelligent. And yet, even knowing that he will ultimately have his skull crushed, he rages all the more against Christ and his people, “because he knows his time is short” (Rev. 12:12). In terms of the most basic principles of military strategy, that’s crazy. What we need is not intelligence, but wisdom. Wisdom includes seeing where the way I want to go will lead (Prov. 14:12).

I don’t know who you are, reader, but I know you are probably not smarter than Anthony Weiner or Arnold Schwarzenegger or John Edwards. And neither am I. Both of us, you and I, are on the verge of wrecking our lives. We’re probably not on the verge of a situation quite like any of those men, but the gospel tells us we have vulnerabilities just the same, and they all can lead to destruction.

The answer isn’t found in talent or in strategy or in brilliance. It’s found in fear, the fear of the Lord and the vision of his future.

Lord have mercy.

Read the rest...

HT / JT

"Love Is" ... Not Boastful

2011-06-07T11:25:00.000-04:00

When we speak of boasting, we are talking about a desire to, as Spurgeon said, parade our accomplishments as a public spectacle for others. Boasting seeks to gain recognition for or draw attention to oneself. It is self-centered and is the outward form of the inner condition of pride (John Piper). Don't be a "me monster."

We live in the land of "vain-glory" as Pilgrim’s Progress put it. From athletics to academics to advertising, everyone is seeking to promote his or her own glory. They feel it necessary to make themselves known, to toot their horn so others can compliment their importance, see their successes and overlook their failures. Each of us has that innate tendency of the flesh to exalt ourselves because each of us struggles with the inner sin of pride, which desires to receive admiration and preeminence.

So then, how do we remedy the problem of boasting?

First, remember who you are.

The world has bent over backwards to brainwash our society about self-esteem. Such a worldly doctrine opposes Christian growth and specifically promotes, rather than deters, boasting.

From Genesis to Revelation, there is nothing in Scripture that testifies to the goodness of humanity. In Romans 3, we read, "There is none who does good, there is not even one." (Rom. 3:12). In reading Jonathan Edwards on humility, he frequently used words like "despicable" and "exceedingly polluted" and "nothingness" and "vileness" to describe humanity.

If any human has a reason to boast, it was Jesus being God in the flesh and we know He made Himself nothing (Phil. 2:6-8). Yet we have nothing and we have the tendency to boast so often.

When we boast, we are giving glory to ourselves that we do not deserve. We are taking credit for gifts that have been given us by God (Pr. 25:14; Isa. 10:15; 1 Cor. 4:7; Jas. 1:17). Even our salvation has been worked in such a way to eliminate boasting. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). Spurgeon said, "Grace puts its hand on the boasting mouth, and shuts it once for all."

Remember who God is

Remembering who we are will eliminate unrighteous boasting. And remembering who God is will promote righteous boasting.

We are wired to boast. And we will always boast over that which we feel is most special. Therefore we need to get ourselves off the pedestal and acknowledge the supreme greatness of God. Then and only then will boast only in the Lord and not in ourselves because we understand how much His greatness surpasses ours.

None of us feel loved when others parade their accomplishments, because boasting reveals a self-focus. Yet when we understand the greatness of God over ourselves we will naturally boast in Him through our words which are evidenced by our actions. Through our obedience, we will show the greatest love for Him and the greatest love for others. As the Psalmist said, "My soul will make its boast in the Lord; the humble will hear it and rejoice" (Psm. 34:2).

"Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the Lord" (Jer. 9:23-24).

"Love Is" ... Not Jealous

2011-06-03T09:47:00.000-04:00

John MacArthur said, "One of the hardest battles a Christian must fight is against jealousy. There is always someone who is a little better…than you are." We all struggle with the desire to be better.

Jealously rears its ugly head whenever you compare yourself to others and belittle their accomplishments or abilities or possessions in thought, word or deed. At its root, jealousy speaks of a passion or burning desire to have what belongs to another. Jonathan Edwards said it is the "spirit of dissatisfaction or opposition to the prosperity or happiness of other people." I think we can see how unloving that is!

Do you want to have more joy? Do you want to have less strife within you family and within you church? There is hope; It comes in two steps: "put off" and "put on!"

"Put off"

First of all, you "put off" the sin of jealousy. This requires you to ask the Holy Spirit to make you aware of any jealousy in your heart. Jealousy or the tendency for jealousy is not always an obvious sin. Oftentimes it can remain hidden, but still alive and well, lurking around in the heart. Ask God to make you aware of your sin in this area. Confess the sin to God and others if necessary and repent. Battle the sin with the truth of God’s Word. As John Piper says, “make war with your sin!”

"Put on"

Second, in the place of jealousy, "put on" three patterns of thought.

First, develop a biblical sense of identity. Oftentimes our jealousy comes from a fear of losing something very special, but a biblical sense of identity immediately cures these ills. Base your identity on the opinion, affirmation and acceptance of God and not people (1 Cor. 4:4). Be secure in God’s love as it is spoken to you in the Scriptures!

Second, "put on" contentment. Instead of complaining about "fairness," learn to be content in whatever situation you find yourself (Phil. 4:11). Learn to be satisfied with whatever God has given you. You see, when we show jealousy, which reveals a lack of contentment, we are basically putting God’s sovereignty and God’s goodness on trial (Matthew 20:1-16).

And finally, "put on" thankfulness. Instead of being so concerned for what others have, learn to be thankful for what you have. Learn to count your own blessings. Learn that you will be less likely to be jealous for another if you realize God’s generosity in your own life. Furthermore, if you really want to fight jealousy, begin to give thanks for the very people that tend to make you jealous. Be happy for them!

Here’s the big question: Can you rejoice in the success of others even when it works against you? If you can get to this spiritually mature position, you have successfully destroyed the sin of jealousy.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full into His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace.”

If you are looking to Jesus, you won’t be comparing yourself with others.

The Secret of the Indigo Moon: A Review

2011-06-02T19:38:00.001-04:00

This is a guest post from my son, Cameron.

The Secret of the Indigo Moon was written by G. P. Taylor, and is the second book in The Dopple Ganger Chronicles. It’s about three teenagers that get trapped in an old enemy’s evil plans.

While at a boarding school, the three teens, Eric, Sadie, and Saskia, run into a mysterious “indigo moon” secret. It starts when Eric finds a hidden tunnel under their school. After tracking some burglars that had broken into the tunnel, he quickly alerts his twin sidekicks, Sadie and Saskia, and the hunt is on! Through adventures, and narrow escapes they finally reveal the truth of who their old enemy really is. But can they solve the “indigo moon” mystery, and will they stop the plans of their adversary?

Through the author’s use of a comic-style book with vivid pictures, the story comes alive before the readers eyes. The suspense of the mystery kept me captivated until the end of the story. I liked how the author described the interaction between the main characters. The Secret of the Indigo Moon is a novel that I would recommend for tweens who enjoy action and adventure.

"Love Is" ... Kind

2011-06-02T18:37:00.000-04:00

Next up, “Love Is” kind. So how do we going about doing kindness when we by nature are self-seeking and self-lovers? Allow me to provide five points of application that will greatly assist you to obey God in this area.

#1 Depend on the Holy Spirit

First, just as we learned last week with patience, genuine kindness will not come naturally. Even our best efforts will not produce the kindness God desires. Galatians 5:22, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness…” The Holy Spirit will provide opportunities. Kindness will flow from God, through us, to others. We will naturally function as the "Good Samaritan" (Lk. 10). When the cycle operates in this way, our extension of kindness is genuine, others receive divine goodness and God receives all the glory.

#2 Remember God’s kindness with you

Second, be sure to always remember how kind God is with you both before you were saved and even now after you are saved! His kindness leads us to repentance. Romans 2:4, "Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?" His kindness is put on display through us. Ephesians 2:7, "So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." God’s patience holds back His wrath while His kindness extends to us immeasurable blessings of love.

#3 Follow the example of Jesus

In Luke 6, Jesus gave us this instruction. "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you… If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount" (Lk. 6:27, 28, 32-34). Did you notice the ones He specifically chose that should receive our kindness? The very ones we often exclude - Our enemies and those who cannot repay us! And why are we commanded to be kind to these individuals? Because that is the example we are to follow from our heavenly Father! In verse 35 Jesus said, "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men."

#4 Pray for others

The fourth way we can develop a kind heart for others is to pray for them. Prayer has a unique ability to soften our heart and change our attitude toward someone. It’s rather difficult to hate someone you are praying for. Furthermore, prayer for others promotes kind actions. It’s very convicting to pray for another’s needs and then fail to act on them when the Holy Spirit makes them plain to you.

#5 Remember the Golden Rule

Last, remember the "Golden Rule." In Matthew 7 our Lord said, "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Mt. 7:21; Lk. 6:31). It’s a simple yet very profound guideline. Do unto others! We all have the capacity to know how we would like to be treated. Make every effort to treat others in like manner.

We must not be those who grieve about the lack of kindness done to us. We must be those who grieve about our self-focus that deters us from doing kindness to others. We must not be guided by what others are doing. We must be part of the solution. We must get ourselves in the habit of doing kind deeds. We must remember the blessing it is to receive kindness, but the greater blessing to extend kindness to another. As our Lord told us, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Ac. 20:35). Never forget Christian that God “prepared good works beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). We must "not lose heart in doing good" (Gal. 6:9).

“Love Is” ... Patient

2011-06-01T11:19:00.000-04:00

Recently in my preaching we have been studying the characteristics of a New Testament church. For the final characteristic, Love, I have been taking my people through the “Love Chapter” to see how Paul defines and describes biblical, self-sacrificing love.

God in his goodness, through a text we often use for comfort, has brought some discomfort into my life by revealing how “unloving” I can be at times. I figured I would share some practical wisdom from the Word that has helped me achieve the standard that God demands of all his children.

First on the list is “patience”. How do we demonstrate godly patience?

The patience that God expects us to show toward others grows out of the relationship we have with Him. There is no way you can exhibit godly patience in your own strength or through your own efforts. But the good news is that you are not alone. God is with you and God desires to work His patience through you. We must daily devote ourselves to God and abide in His love through obedience. You see, when we walk in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit will produce fruit in our lives. Contrary to the deeds of the flesh, "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience…" (Gal. 5:22).

You must remember how patient God is with you. Praise God that He doesn’t have my level of patience. The Bible says, "(God was) patient toward you, not wishing for (you) to perish but…to come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9; cf. 1 Tim. 1:16). When all I deserved was instant judgment, God was patient with me through years of rejection and then gladly received me when I called upon His name. "It becomes…difficult," says R. C. Sproul, "To fathom when we see a sinless Being being more patient with sinful beings than sinful beings are with each other". Think of it this way, the godly response is God’s response to us!

Remember the example of Jesus. Hebrews 12 teaches us to throw off our encumbrances, fix our eyes upon Jesus and run with endurance. We are to consider Him who endured the cross and such hostility by sinners. He did not lose heart nor grow weary and neither should we when it comes to doing what is right. So consider the patience of the One who tolerated so much from His disciples and after being nailed to the cross by wicked men, cried, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Lk. 23:34).

Keep a right perspective of yourself and others. Remember that we all have a natural tendency to think too highly of ourselves. "Every man’s way is right in his own eyes," says Proverbs 21:2a. As I often say, “we always paint ourselves with broad strokes.” We have no control over others, but we have total control over how we treat others. Never forget that Jesus died for others in the church. He takes it personally when we are impatient with members of His body.

Trust in the Lord. Oftentimes impatience is our feeble attempt to execute justice. We want our proverbial “pound of flesh”. Trust in the justice of God. Leave vengeance to Him (Rom. 12:19). Instead of extending wrath, extend mercy, love and forgiveness! Once again, Jesus set this example for us. "While being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously" (1 Pet. 2:23). Believe His promises, obey His will and leave the judgment to Him.

I was so convicted as to how far I fall short in being patient with others as God demands — especially with my family and with my church — those whom I love the most. How are you doing? Remember ... “Love is patient.”

Ephesians 5:25 In Action

2011-05-30T13:02:00.000-04:00

HT / Z

Piper Interviews Warren

2011-05-27T09:44:00.000-04:00

Loving the Overlooked - Summer Camp

2011-05-26T12:08:00.001-04:00

Brett Sanner writes:

Did you attend camp growing up? In my own life, God has used it to strengthen, encourage, challenge, convict, and so much more! This summer Helping Hands (our ministry here) is partnering with a number of other local groups to offer several camp experiences for refugees (men’s camp, family camp, and kids camps). In the past, God has used these camps to change the lives of refugees! We’re praying for even more lives to be impacted this summer. Will you be a part of our summer camps this year?

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As the summer is approaching, may the Lord bless you in every way and to make you a blessing to many for His glory.
Some time ago I read a devotional thought which I want to share with you. “’When David was a refugee in the desert of Ziph… Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God’ (1 Samuel 23:16). Actually, Jonathan went out to find him and encourage him. He could not meet all of David’s needs or solve all of his problems, but he could offer friendship, presence and prayer.”
This is what we, at Helping Hands, with your prayers and support, are trying to do for the refugees who have so many needs. We try to offer some food, clothing, medical help, shelter, showers and above all friendship and prayer that the Lord will intervene and open their eyes to know Jesus as their personal savior and to help them for their physical needs as well.
As we serve the Lord by serving the refugees each week at the Athens Refugee Center, we are also in the midst of planning and preparing for a great summer of outreach and discipleship. We’ll partner with two separate camps in order to serve and love refugee men, women and children. We will have the following outreaches:
I. With Hellenic Ministries, we will organize two camps, providing several staff members and helping cover the basic costs of the week.
1. June 6-10, a week of camp for single men
2. June 13-17, a week of camp for families
Helping Hands is seeking to contribute €1000 Euros (1500 USD) to help cover the costs of these two weeks of camp.
II. We will send about 25 Greek-speaking refugee children for 20 days to the Christian camp of the Greek Evangelical Church in the village of Kalamos, just outside of Athens. The cost is estimated for at €300 (425 USD) per child for 20 days of camp. We will need €7,500 (10,000 USD), then, to send kids to this life-changing camp.
Please pray for these camps –that even now, God’s spirit would be at work in the lives of the refugee adults and the children that will attend.
Pray that the Lord will provide the means to cover the cost of these summer programs.
With love and thankfulness to God for each one of you and your prayers
Nikos Stefanidis
Director of Helping Hand

Would you pray for these weeks of camp? Pray for safety, pray for fun, but more than anything, pray for the transforming power of God to be at work! Pray that this would be a defining week in the lives of these men, families, and kids. Pray that they could say, “This is the week that God changed my heart; this is the week that I chose to follow Jesus!”

Would you give generously to help us cover the costs of these weeks of camp? If you have a US credit card or banking account, you can give online HERE. Designate your gift for “Helping Hands – Summer Camps in Athens.”

Otherwise, please send a check to one of the addresses below, with a note designating your gift to “Helping Hands – Summer Camps in Athens.”

International Teams – USA; 411 W. River Rd.; Elgin, IL 60123, USA

International Teams – UK; PO Box 11; Brecon, Powys, Wales, LD3 9WJ, UK

International Teams – Australia; PO Box 1123; Baulkham Hills, NSW 1755, Australia

International Teams – Canada; 1 Union Street; Elmira, Ontario N3B 3J9, Canada

This is a ministry near and dear to my heart. If you look closely at the picture, you will see me (look at the guys in green)! I can attest to the fact that these camps do indeed change lives. Please - if you can in any way support this ministry, do it!

Keep yourself informed by visiting "Loving the Overlooked". The blog of Brett and Kristin Sanner - and hey - feel free to support them as well!

Wrestling With An Angel

2011-05-25T11:28:00.000-04:00

What a Good Pastor Says

2011-05-20T09:43:00.000-04:00

Jared Wilson:

1. Please forgive me.

Better than "I'm sorry," which can often be followed with an "if" or a "but," these words indicate a humble heart. Bad pastors hide their faults behind the cloak of their authority, practice self-defense against all charges, and basically pretend. Good pastors know they're sinners and admit it.

2. You're right.

Good pastors know they're not always (not usually?) the smartest, most "spiritual" person in the room. They are zealous to give credit and acknowledge achievement and intelligence, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it encourages and empowers others.

3. You're wrong.

Bad pastors chicken out when it comes to calling people on sin or biblical ignorance. Good pastors brave potential conflict and hurt feelings and say "You're wrong" in gentle but firm ways when necessary.

4. Jesus loves you.

Why did we stop saying this? I think because it became cliche. I'd love to see a recovery of the art of "Jesus loves you." Strategically said at times of others' admissions of failure, sin, or trouble, "Jesus loves you" is a fantastic way to speak the gospel into people's lives.

5. I love you.

I think one reason we stopped saying "Jesus loves you" to people is because we don't really love them ourselves. Might as well save the hypocrisy, eh? But good pastors lay their lives down for the sheep. Telling people you love them is a reminder to them and to you that sacrificial love is your calling.

6. Me too.

Next to "Grace is true" (see below), these might be the most important words in pastoral counseling. Bad pastors trade regularly in "Not me." In the pulpit and in the office, bad pastors set themselves apart from their congregations with tales of adventure, spirituality, and personal holiness. In the pulpit and in the office, good pastors talk of sin and trials and utter ineptitude and say, "Me too." I have seen entire countenances change when I've said some variation of "Me too."

7. Any time.

Of course you don't mean it literally. But you kinda do. Good pastors are available.

8. Thank you.

Bad pastors think they're owed. Good pastors know everything is a gift.

9. Grace is true.

I think deep down we all want to hear "You're approved" (see below), which is why we find "Grace is true" such a radical statement. You probably won't use the words, of course. But good pastors take the opportunity to glorify God by "talking up" his amazing grace every chance they get. Just 30 minutes ago, my writing of this post got interrupted by a visitor who wanted to talk about works and grace. I relished the chance to confirm his suspicion that grace is true. Bad pastors may say grace is true but the context of their teaching and the expectations in their leadership say "Your works must be this high to ride this ride." I know some of my friends hate it when "gospel" is used as a verb, but I just have to say it: Good pastors gospel their people. :-)

10. You're approved.

Everyone wants to believe they have what it takes, which is why it's such a bummer to hear the first half of the gospel and learn we really don't. Don't leave your people hanging. Be a good news pastor. Bad pastors beat their people up with their failures. Bad pastors are always disappointed. Good pastors know grace is true and Jesus is Lord, so they are ready to challenge every self-despairing soul with the wonderful truth that in Christ we are approved by God. Good pastors tell people they do have what it takes when they have Jesus' righteousness. Do you trust Jesus? You're all set, then.

That is an excellent list. I am thankful for faithful men and I pray that the Lord would continue to form me into the pastor I am called to be. What good things does your pastor say?

N.T. Wright on Hawking on Heaven

2011-05-20T09:38:00.000-04:00

"Hawking is working with a very low-grade and sub-biblical view of ‘going to heaven.’ Of course, if faced with the fully Christian two-stage view of what happens after death -- first, a time ‘with Christ’ in ‘heaven’ or ‘paradise,’and then, when God renews the whole creation, bodily resurrection -- he would no doubt dismiss that as incredible. But I wonder if he has ever even stopped to look properly, with his high-octane intellect, at the evidence for Jesus and the resurrection? I doubt it -- most people in England haven’t. Until he has, his opinion about all this is worth about the same as mine on nuclear physics, i.e. not much."

Read the rest here...

Are Christian Romance Novels Emotional Pornography?

2011-05-19T13:34:00.000-04:00

Russell Moore hits another one out of the park here! It is such a good article that I have copied it in full below.

"On the nightstand of a woman in your church, there’s a Christian romance novel and a Bible. Does that matter? On the Kindle of a teenage Christian woman in your congregation’s youth group, there’s a “young adult” fiction bestseller. Should that concern you?

A new book by Boston University researchers Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam, A Billion Wicked Thoughts, offers a disturbing look at how Internet search engines reveal much about the sexual and emotional desires of men and women, and how they differ. The research confirms in some ways what almost everyone knows: men are visually engaged, attracted to youth and sexual novelty, and are thus vulnerable to visual pornography.

The research explores further what the commercialized romance industry tells us about what it means to be a woman (at least in a fallen world). Women are much less likely to be drawn to visual pornography (although more do so than one might think), but are quite likely to be involved in such media as Internet romantic fiction or the old-fashioned romance novel.

The romance novel follows, the researchers argue, a typical pattern. The hero is almost never, they say, a blue collar worker, a bureaucrat, or someone in the traditionally feminine occupations (hairdresser, kindergarten teacher, etc.). He is competent, confident, and usually wealthy. He is, in short, an alpha male.

But, they argue, this alpha male is typically a rough character who learns to be tamed into kindness, kindness to her. Thus, you wind up with not only the strong silent cowboys with the soft interior life, but also these days vampires and werewolves and Vikings.

And all of this is moving toward the climax of the romance story: the “happily-ever-after.”

“Romance novels rarely have a sequel,” the book concludes. “Once the hero and heroine are joined in love or matrimony, they get their Happily-Ever-After, presumably with a bevy of children and domestic bliss. Further adventures would violate the female fantasy of true, committed, eternal love.”

“Though there are many series of modern romance novels, once a couple gets their Happily-Ever-After in one book, they only resurface as beloved supporting characters in future books, with each subsequent book’s focus on a new hero or heroine.”

Of course, as they do with pornography, these scholars explain all of these archetypal female desires in a Darwinian need for the woman to seek out a mate who can be simultaneously monogamous and protective of the offspring. This evolutionary desire is seen in the strong male who pours out his feelings of devotion, and whose lifelong commitment is frozen in time and certainty in the Happily-Ever-After moment.

While I don’t share all the presuppositions of these scholars, I think they’re on to something about the allure of the commercialized romance story. Pornography and romance novels aren’t (or at least aren’t always) morally equivalent, but they “work” the same way.

Both are based on an illusion. Pornography is based on the illusion of a perfectly willing, always aroused partner without the “work” of relational intimacy. Often romance novels or their film equivalents do the same thing for the emotional needs of women that pornography offers for the erotic urges of men.

And in both cases, what the “market” wants is sameness. Men want the illusion of women who look just like women but are, in terms of sexual response, just like men. Women want the illusion of men who are “real” men, but, in terms of a concept of romance, are just like women. In both artificial eros and artificial romance, there is the love of the self, not the mystery of the other.

Thankfully, we do not yet have a market for “Christian” pornography (but just wait, someone will find a way). But we do have a market for “Christian” romance novels. Now some of those classified as such aren’t really “romance novels” at all. They’re complicated looks at the human condition, especially male/female relationships, from a Christian vantage point.

A lot of this genre, though, is simply a Christianization of a form not intended to enhance intimacy but to escape to an artificial illusion of it. Granted, there’s no graphic sexuality here. The hero and heroine don’t sleep together; they pray together. But that’s just the point.

How many disappointed middle-aged women in our congregations are reading these novels as a means of comparing the “strong spiritual leaders” depicted there with what by comparison must seem to be underachieving lumps lying next to them on the couch?

This is not to equate morally “romance novels” with the grave soul destruction of pornography. But it is worth asking, “Is what I’m consuming leading me toward contentment with my spouse (or future spouse) or away from it? Is it pointing me to the other in one-flesh union or to an eroticized embodiment of my own desires? Is this the mystery or a mirage?"

What do you think?

Bunnies Always Hop

2011-05-17T10:12:00.001-04:00

There is no shortage of "worship wars" in the Church today. I want to say it's sad because it is, but pathetic is probably a better word to use. There are many within the Church that make music "the issue" all the time. "Numbers are down. We need to change the music." The fact remains that numerical growth does not equal spiritual growth or blessing for that matter.

No doubt, music can draw crowds, but it has little or no power to keep them. Bunnies always hop. Oh sure they come for the music, but that's it. So when someone does it bigger and better, they hop on over.

And don't misunderstand me either. I know there is a lot of bad music out there, and there are a lot of churches that need to revisit the issue. But that is not the only question that needs to be asked. In fact, it may not be in the top ten.

Kevin DeYoung discusses this idea of music being "the big drawing card", and he offers some better questions to ask in regards to declining numbers (I would offer that they are great questions to ask of a growing church as well).

Is the gospel faithfully preached?

Is the Bible taught with clarity and passion?

Are the sermons manifestly rooted in a text of Scripture?

Do the elders/pastors and deacons meet the qualifications for church office laid out in the New Testament?

Are the sacraments faithfully administered and protected?

Is church discipline practiced?

Do the elders exercise personal care over the flock?

Are there good relationships among the staff and other leaders?

Is the worship service put together thoughtfully and carried out with undistracting excellence (as much as possible)?

Do the people in the congregation sing the songs with gusto or are they going through the motions?

Is a high bar set for church membership?

Are the people of the church engaged in personal ministry?

Is the congregation marked by increasing prayer and evangelism?

Do the pastors believe in the complete trustworthiness of all of Scripture?

Do they take adequate time for study and preparation?

Do they truly believe and eagerly rejoice in their church’s/denomination’s statement of faith, creeds, and confessions?

Are their lives examples of personal holiness?

If these questions are being asked on a regular basis, chances are you will have a healthy church - regardless of the “numbers”. Is your church asking the right questions? Or is it trying to please bunnies? If that’s the case, you need to remember the truth about bunnies - bunnies always hop.

Sin's Potential to Dehumanize

2011-05-10T08:43:00.000-04:00

Paul Tripp, What Did You Expect? (Crossway, 2010), pp. 47-48:

Because sin is antisocial, it tends to dehumanize the people in our lives.
No longer are they objects of our willing affection. No, they quit being the people we find joy in loving.
Rather, they get reduced to one of two things.
They are either vehicles to help us get what we want or obstacles in the way of what we want.
When your wife is meeting the demands of your wants, needs, and feelings, you are quite excited about her, and you treat her with affection.
But when she becomes an obstacle in the way of your wants, needs, and feelings, you have a hard time hiding your disappointment, impatience, and irritation.
This is where another eloquent biblical observation comes in. It is that we are kingdom-oriented people. We always live in the service of one of two kingdoms.
We live in service of the small, personal happiness agenda of the kingdom of self, or we live in service of the huge, origin-to-destiny agenda of the kingdom of God.

HT / JT

Loving Your Wife in the Little Things

2011-05-09T09:10:00.000-04:00

This is just another reason why I love reading Practical Shepherding. Here Brian reminds us of a surprising way to love our wives. If you've been a husband for a nano-second or more, you know this is true! Brian writes...

“What is something practical I can do to make you feel loved and appreciated by me?” Husbands, are you ready for the first thing out of her mouth?

“Be mindful of the little things you do day to day so that they do not undo what I have spent all day working on.”

Huh?? That’s right guys. No..bring me flowers. No…leave surprising romantic cards. No…take me out on a date regularly. The answer above was the surprising first thing out of her mouth. I inquired more. She explained how she spends so much time cleaning and picking up after the kids throughout the day only for them to continue to destroy it.

So, she helped me understand the discouragement she feels if I come home for dinner and the first thing I do is carelessly sit all my stuff on the table she had already cleaned 5 times that day. She helped me realize when I do those things it communicates to her I have not been mindful at all of what she has done to try and keep our house a warm, picked up, restful place. She was right. The point was rammed home when she said, “It would be like me sitting down at the end of the day and erasing a page of your sermon, because what I saw you were working on did not look important. Ouch. She had made her point.

Read the rest...

HT / Challies

The Death of the "Mushy Middle"

2011-05-06T09:32:00.000-04:00

HT / Z

Come & Live!

2011-05-05T10:00:00.000-04:00

Renovation Church - On Mission

2011-05-04T09:55:00.000-04:00

HT / Z

EP for Children

2011-05-04T09:40:00.000-04:00

Jesus Wants My Heart - Daniel Renstrom has released an EP of children’s music (iTunes only). Go ahead and buy it and you’ll be helping fund a full-length album for kids. And why not check out his other albums—they are well worth the purchase.

HT / Z and Challies

90 Days of God's Goodness: A Review

2011-05-02T18:52:00.001-04:00

Suffering. One thing we all experience and at the same time one thing we never want. It is a subject that Randy Alcorn has tacked previously in his book If God Is Good - and quite well I might add. This time around in 90 Days of God's Goodness, Alcorn broaches the subject of suffering in devotional form offering many of the principles he set forth in his previous book.

It seems odd at first - looking at suffering devotionally, but I found it quite helpful. The fact is that we will never fully know the mind of God when it comes our suffering which is why we need a strong biblical faith. “When people lose their faith because of suffering,” Alcorn says, “it suggests a weak or nominal faith that didn’t account for or prepare them for evil and suffering. Any faith not based on the truth needs to be lost—the sooner, the better.”

If you’re looking for deeper theological insight into suffering , this is not the book you want. If you’re looking for comfort and spiritual strength when you feel you have none, look no further. There is Scripture, there is pastoral wisdom, and there is prayer in abundance. In every instance the reader is brought to the God who can be trusted in all that He does. God is seen in the fullness of His perfections. “If we see God only in terms of his love or mercy or compassion—as wonderful as those attributes are—we will not worship the true God but an idol of our own imagination. An idol that will, in the end, disappoint us, just as everything that is not God always will.”

“Often we look at suffering from our perspective and forget that God sees another vantage point.” More often than not our human perspective on suffering leads us into wrong thinking which leads into wrong thinking about God. “A lot of bad theology inevitably surfaces when we face suffering.” 90 Days of God’s Goodness is not bad theology; it is the opposite in fact. It will help you to “count it all joy.”

Review copy provided by publisher (FTC 16 CFR, part 255)

(Pray for) Zimbabwe

2011-04-30T08:30:00.000-04:00

Peoples

Peoples: 44 (7% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Answer to Prayer

The Church has grown in numbers and passion amidst great trials, even as the country disintegrates all around. The state failed the population, and while many find refuge in spirituality and faith, churches also work hard to meet the many desperate physical and social needs they encounter.

Challenge for Prayer

Zimbabwe’s desperate situation would be farcical were it not so tragic. Suffering has reached unprecedented levels; intransigent misrule and deluded finger-pointing have prevented solution finding. State-endorsed violence and even murder and frequent human rights violations target members of non-ZANU-PF parties, the media and social activists. Pray for Zimbabwe’s leadership, that God might bring humility and a servant attitude or else put leaders in place who will govern for the sake of the people and for the restoration of the nation.

Visit Operation World

(Pray for) Yemen

2011-04-29T08:30:00.000-04:00

Peoples

Peoples: 28 (61% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Answer to Prayer

Increasing numbers have encountered Jesus. Despite difficult circumstances – opposition from culture, religion and families – increasing numbers are finding life in Christ. Through radio broadcasts, Bible distribution, tactful faith sharing and the Lord’s use of dreams and visions, God is drawing more and more people to Himself. At this point, they meet secretly and only in small groups. Praise God for the growing number of followers of Jesus who are learning how to honour their culture and family while still being faithful to the Lord. Fewer seek to emigrate as they understand that they can be faithful followers without travelling to the West.

Challenge for Prayer

Yemen has suffered almost unending conflict over the last four decades – three civil wars, conflict with neighbouring states, the effects of the Gulf War, Somalia’s collapse into anarchy, the Ethiopian/Eritrean war and tribal skirmishes. Tensions between Shi’a and Sunni Muslims make Yemen ripe for sectarian violence, to the point of insurgencies or even outright civil war. The treasured right of Yemenis to bear arms fuels tribal rivalries, while kidnapping, crime and sabotage are common forms of protest and fundraising. There are between three and four firearms for each person in the country. Pray for a fair and just government that will bring about national unity and peace.

Visit Operation World

The Pastor and Personal Criticism

2011-04-28T12:53:00.000-04:00

C. J. Mahaney’s article “The Pastor and Personal Criticism” (PDF) is now available. You can read the PDF or see the individual blog posts below:

HT / Justin Taylor

(Pray for) X

2011-04-28T08:30:00.000-04:00

“X” is for “X marks the spot”. Today, “X” equals your country. Visit Operation World for some prayer information on the place where you live - “X” marks the spot! For me, that’s Canada!

Peoples

Peoples: 156 (10% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Answer to Prayer

The strong legacy of parliamentary democracy has been influenced and shaped by Christian faith across all major parties. The proportion of elected members of parliament who are committed Christians is much higher than the average population.

Challenge for Prayer

The influence of Christianity has seen a long, sustained decline in Canadian society, not just in numbers but also in public presence. This is ostensibly for two main reasons:

a) Increased and deliberate pluralization and secularization. The non-religious population has made the greatest gains in recent years, but other religions are also growing rapidly through immigration and high birthrates. As with several other Western nations, biblical Christianity faces significant antipathy from the media and popular culture.

b) A failure of relevance, morals, and theological and spiritual dynamism in the Church. Protestants and Anglicans together numbered 45% in 1950, but are now only 11%. In each denomination, the degree of theological liberalization – especially in the mainline United Church and in Anglicanism – has generally coincided with the rate of decline. On the positive side, this fading of Christendom has trimmed the “deadwood” from churches, but it still reflects a sad decline in the influence of the gospel in Canada. Pray for a much-needed revival, starting in the Church and radiating outward.

Visit Operation World

Timothy Brindle Sale!

2011-04-27T11:59:00.001-04:00

Grab it up!!

(Pray for) Wallis & Futuna Islands

2011-04-27T08:30:00.000-04:00

Answer to Prayer

Evangelical numbers are increasing through the missionary efforts of Pentecostals from New Caledonia. Action Missionaire Calédonienne has sent several New Caledonian missionaries to Wallis and Futuna, yielding dozens of new believers. Pray for a greater growth of this wonderful development – Pacific Islanders reaching cross-culturally to other Pacific Islanders.

Challenge for Prayer

The Catholic Church and Polynesian culture and social structures are so interwoven that adherence to Christianity is often more outward than through a living, personal faith. Pray for firsthand faith for these two island peoples.

Visit Operation World

(Pray for) Vietnam

2011-04-26T08:30:00.000-04:00

Peoples

Peoples: 114 (56% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Answer to Prayer

A growing, witnessing Church is emerging from years of persecution. Catholic and Protestant, new expression and old, a significant turning to God is occurring in different places, in both registered and unregistered churches, and among different people groups. The Vietnamese diaspora is also seeing many become believers. These converts then bring the gospel back to Vietnam with them. There are three main groups where church growth is occurring:

a) Among the mountain tribal peoples of central and southern Vietnam. Praise God for preservation and growth – by some estimates as great as nine-fold increase in just over thirty years! This occurred despite cruel persecution on the part of the government.

b) Among the Hmong and other minority peoples of Northern Vietnam. The 1990s saw the Church grow rapidly among the Hmong from no believers in 1988 to estimates of up to 400,000 just two decades later, catalyzed by FEBC radio broadcasting. House church movements among Northern peoples have spread.

c) Among the ethnic Vietnamese (Kinh) themselves. Although much more modest among this group, clear church growth is happening, in the formally recognized Evangelical Church of Vietnam [which actually consists of two separate organizations, one in the north EVCN(N) and one in the south EVCN(S)], in other, smaller but registered denominations and in the unregistered church networks as well. A Christmas gathering and service in Ho Chi Minh City in 2009 attracted 40,000 people.

Challenge for Prayer

One of the few Communist nations in the 21st Century, Vietnam faces new challenges. Repression of all types of freedom continues, but at the same time, social ills are on the rise. Drug addiction, AIDS, prostitution and exploitation of children are all too common. The land has seen great violence. Division and mistrust have been effective tools in the enemy’s hands in recent generations. Pray that the ideological and moral darkness over this nation might be banished by the light of the gospel.

Visit Operation World

(Pray for) Uraguay

2011-04-25T08:30:00.000-04:00

Peoples

Peoples: 30 (3% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Answer to Prayer

Spirituality is increasing. A high degree of secularization persists, but many thousands of non-religious and nominal Christians are discovering in the postmodern era a spiritual dimension that has been missing from their lives, and churches are growing as a result.

Challenge for Prayer

Uruguayan society has been characterized by secularism and hope in man for over 100 years. The Catholic Church espoused liberation theology and failed to attend to the spiritual needs of Uruguayans. Catholicism may lay claim to 55% of the population, but only 2.3% attend Mass. Most Catholics are, in practice, non-religious. Such godlessness has in turn led to some of the highest rates of depression, suicide, abortion and divorce in Latin America. Pray for the Lord, through His Church, to radically transform Uruguayan society for His glory.

Visit Operation World

(Pray for) Turkey

2011-04-23T08:30:00.000-04:00

Peoples

Peoples: 60 (63% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Answer to Prayer

The opening of Turkey to EU influence and its own developing role as a regional diplomatic force. Both invite increased possibilities for sharing the gospel in Turkey.

Challenge for Prayer

Turkey is a nation torn in different directions. Straddling Europe and Asia, neither Middle Eastern nor Western, Turkish society is secular yet Muslim. Critical to shaping the nation’s future are several issues that must be addressed. Pray for leaders who will act justly and wisely, focused on the welfare of all who call Turkey home. Pray for:

a) The rivalry between secular Turkish nationalism and Islamism. Legality of the hijab (Islamic headscarf) has been a flashpoint for this division. While the constitution, judiciary and military are secular and notionally meant to uphold religious freedom, secular Turks can be as anti-Western, anti-minority and anti-Christian as any hardline Islamists. Wahhabist influences help to fuel fundamentalist Islam, while hardline nationalism is also strong and rising. Pray that Turkey might steer a moderate path between these twin dangers.

b) The issue of membership in the European Union. Some strive to introduce necessary reforms for greater integration with Europe (especially on human rights, religious freedom and Kurdish, Armenian and Cypriot issues). Others aim towards leadership of a Turkic bloc of nations and an increased role in the Middle East. The tension between introducing modernity and retaining traditional roots is difficult to resolve.

c) Challenges facing the political realm. The role of the military within the state needs adjusting to allow for democratic functioning of the civil government. Recent moves toward multi-cultural and multi-religious democratization have ushered this challenge to the fore, with the resulting national identity crisis provoking a notably reactionary response. A power struggle rages between the secularists and pro-Islamic/freedoms groups. Serious failings in human rights must be addressed, and likewise for the Kurdish issue which has cost the lives of thousands of soldiers and civilians.

Visit Operation World

(Pray for) Sudan

2011-04-22T08:30:00.000-04:00

Peoples

Peoples: 246 (56% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Answer to Prayer

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in 2005, has held since then and allowed the war-torn south to attempt rebuilding some semblance of infrastructure and stability. A heavy presence of northern military and militias remains in the south, as do widely held questions of how long the peace will last. But peace, however tenuous, and the opportunity to plan and build for the future continue for now.

Challenge for Prayer

Sudan has known only war for its entire modern history. Violence is rife throughout Sudan, which is regarded as one of the world’s least stable nations. The belligerent government/military waged war against restive populations in the south, west and east at massive human and economic cost to its own citizens. With such religious, ethnic and linguistic diversity added to civil conflicts and hostile relations with neighbours, peace is nearly impossible. Pray for sweeping change at the highest levels and throughout the land – for repentance, restitution and rebuilding of communal life.

Visit Operation World

(Pray for) Russia

2011-04-21T08:30:00.000-04:00

Peoples
Peoples: 162 (47% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Answer to Prayer
The fall of the Iron Curtain opened Eastern Europe and Central Asia to unprecedented access to the good news – opportunities for evangelism, church planting, re-establishing a Christian infrastructure, many partnering networks, theological education and Bible translation and distribution. Churches more than doubled in number and in size, and those identifying themselves as non-religious or atheist dropped by more than half from pre-1991.
Challenge for Prayer
Russia is a proud nation with a great legacy, but it remains a mystery and a contradiction. Some see a bleak future, others a resurgent Russia. Some regard the last decade or two as an economic disaster; others see growth and strength. For centuries, it was systematically plundered by those who held sway, from the Tsars to the Communists to the oligarchs. Most Russians still see a grim outlook. For the nostalgic older generation, the stability of life under the Communists is preferred; for the younger generation, modern life offers little real hope. Pray especially for the following long-term cultural issues:

a) Demographics reveal a civilization caught in a deadly decline. Russia’s population drops by over 500,000 each year. Such a rapid numerical decline spells certain doom for populations unable to reverse the trend. Russia’s birthrate is among the lowest in the world; even generous incentives to produce children are not effective. Conversely, Russia’s abortion rate remains one of the world’s highest. Figures indicate more abortions than live births, with an alarmingly high number also resulting in the mother’s death.

b) Health issues are spiralling to crisis level. Health care is inefficient, underfunded and costly, making it inaccessible to many – just when it is most urgently needed:
     i The alcoholism rate in Russia is one of the world’s highest. Increased incidences of disease, homicide and suicide can in large part be attributed to the low prices and wide availability of cheap, illegal and often poisonous vodka; Russia sells over 2 billion litres each year.
     ii Drug addiction controls the lives of as many as 2.5 million people. The government claimed at one point that 8% of teens used drugs daily. The increased prevalence of hard drugs has led to mafia involvement and control. Ministry to drug addicts is a fruitful area for Christians – and a necessary one.
     iii Russia has Europe’s highest and fastest-rising rate of HIV/AIDS. This, combined with tuberculosis, raises mortality rates and drastically reduces life expectancy. HIV claims mostly young people, further robbing Russia of its future.

c) Russian nationalism and its outworkings. Strong nationalistic sentiment has existed for centuries, from religious Orthodox Russia to the Soviet era to the modern day. But complex 21st Century trends seem to be leading to irrevocable troubles.
     i Racist nationalism is increasing. Nazi-style expressions are growing more popular among Russian Slavs as an expression of identity and “patriotism”. This has led to more powerful, far-right political groups, but also to thuggery against visible minorities and immigrants. Such racist attacks increased by 30% in 2008 alone, forcing the president to take measures to address this issue.
     ii Nationalism in foreign policy and Russification internally, reasserted under Putin’s leadership, often led to belligerence, particularly in Chechnya and other Caucasus regions. Pray for good relations with foreign powers and with minority republics within the Russian Federations.

d) Minority groups from within the former Soviet Union face exploitation and rejection by the very ones who colonized them through Russian imperialism and then Communism. Millions of Central Asian immigrants work in Russian cities, most of them undocumented and uncounted in census figures. The great irony is that without these workers, the Russian economy would violently contract; and without massive-scale immigration in the future, Russia may become a pale shadow of its former self.

Visit Operation World

Involuntary, unwanted, inescapable

2011-04-20T11:14:00.000-04:00

“I date my break [from atheism] from a very casual happening. I was sitting in our apartment on St. Paul Street in Baltimore. . . . My daughter was in her high chair. I was watching her eat. She was the most miraculous thing that had ever happened in my life. I liked to watch her even when she smeared porridge on her face or dropped it meditatively on the floor. My eye came to rest on the delicate convolutions of her ear — those intricate, perfect ears. The thought passed through my mind: ‘No, those ears were not created by any chance coming together of atoms in nature. They could have been created only by immense design.’ The thought was involuntary and unwanted. I crowded it out of my mind. But I never wholly forgot it or the occasion. I had to crowd it out of my mind. If I had completed it, I should have had to say: Design presupposes God. I did not then know that, at that moment, the finger of God was first laid upon my forehead.”

Whittaker Chambers, Witness (New York, 1953), page 16.

HT / Ray Ortlund ~ Christ is Deeper Still

(Pray for) Qatar

2011-04-20T08:30:00.000-04:00

Peoples

Peoples: 23 (30% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Answer to Prayer

Qatar’s Christian communities have been offered land on which to build the first churches in Qatar since Islam’s arrival. A Catholic facility will be followed by Anglican and Protestant buildings. Pray that this will enable greater unity, effective discipling of believers and sensitive sharing of faith.

Challenge for Prayer

Qatari believers number but a few. From Arab, Persian and Bantu (former slaves) extraction, Qataris are almost without exception Muslim. Pray that a Qatari church would be birthed and that Qataris at home and abroad would hear about Jesus.

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(Pray for) Pakistan

2011-04-19T08:30:00.001-04:00

Peoples

Peoples: 463 (97% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Answer to Prayer

Prayer movements within Pakistan – and for Pakistan from abroad – have quickly multiplied and grown. Thousands intercede for breaking events, emerging needs and long-standing challenges. A troubled land such as Pakistan surely stands in need of prayer.

Challenge for Prayer

Pakistan’s government alternates between inept civilian parties crippled by infighting and corruption, and autocratic military dictatorships. Economic and social development is then hindered, while too much power and wealth lies in the hands of a few elite. The country is under stress from fundamentalist forces in Pakistan’s west and neighbouring Afghanistan as well as in the Punjab. Tensions with India and long-standing troubles in Kashmir, a region driven by religious and political divisions, also threaten stability. Pray that Pakistan would be freed from spirits of lawlessness and violence that continue to bleed the nation. Pray for the raising of leaders of integrity and a government that will be effective in moving the nation forward and uplifting those who most need their protection and assistance. That Pakistan persists as a nation at all is a testament to the amazing resilience and flexibility of its people.

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Max On Life: A Review

2011-04-18T10:03:00.001-04:00

Max Lucado is one of those author's that everyone seems to know and more than likely have read. When the Lord saved me, I found great comfort in some of Lucado's books. As I grew in grace however, I wanted to go a little deeper. Milk is good, but meat is better as you grow.

Lucado has a wide audience who enjoy the milk he offers ~ and as I implied that is good and needed for a season ~ the problem is that it really seems to be all that is ever offered. In his latest book, Max On Life; Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions, Lucado changes course a little. Not that he goes deeper, but rather the format is question and answer.

Normally, I would start with the good and then move to the less palatable in a review. The problem this time around is that there is simply too much wrong with this book. It is worse than "Christianity 101" or even "Christianity Lite". If I were to give the book a title, I would name it, "Max On Enabling".

Far from life's "most important questions" (although there are some important questions) the book is filled with: "I applied for a job and got rejected. I asked my Grandmother for a loan; she turned me down. My boyfriend says we should split up. I'm having a hard, hard week is God even listening to me?" The answers, in most cases aren't much better. "Once upon a time" and "happily ever after" come to mind.

Believe it or not it does not please me to give a bad review of an undoubtedly gifted writer. Especially one that the Lord used in my life early on. However, as a pastor myself, I simply cannot overlook the serious deficiencies in this book; It would not be out of place on the "self-help" section of your local book store.

On the inside, back, dustcover it reads, "Max Lucado doesn't pretend to give the final word on difficult issues." I can say that I whole-heartily agree with that statement. From a twisting of scripture by using substandard translations and paraphrases, to just plain bad theology, this one is just too dangerous to recommend.

I will close by saying that there are some good answers given. In fact, there are some very good answers given at times. And I would also state that I do respect Lucado's gifting as writer and consider him my brother in Christ. But on the whole, Max On Life, is not simply "milk", it's spoiled milk.

I received a review copy free of charge from the publisher.

(Pray for) Oman

2011-04-18T08:30:00.000-04:00

Peoples

Peoples: 35 (74% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Answer to Prayer

Praise God that Oman enjoys a reasonably open and liberal society compared to neighbours in the region. All residents are free to practice their faith, and the government has generously given land for places of worship to be built.

Challenge for Prayer

Oman has been transformed since 1970 into a relatively progressive and open society. Oil wealth, although declining, allowed for a much greater level of education and economic diversification. Pray for spiritual openness as well, that the gospel might have a powerful impact on all levels and peoples in Oman.

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(Pray for) Nepal

2011-04-16T08:30:00.000-04:00

Peoples

Peoples: 380 (93% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Answer to Prayer

A new Nepal began in 2008 with the absolute power of the Hindu monarchy yielding to pro-democracy protests. Sweeping political change, begun in the 1950s, has climaxed in the last couple of years. This is an answer to the specific prayers of almost all Christians in Nepal who have interceded for their nation, and it paves the way for new freedoms and opportunities for Christian ministry.

Challenge for Prayer

Nepal enjoys a window of opportunity with the new government and new constitution, but positive strides must be made quickly before disillusionment or entrenchment occurs. With deep divisions still affecting society – various religious groups, deeply opposed political parties – real progress must be made if the new government is to have a true chance of success. The Maoist former rebels, still listed in some other nations as a terrorist organization, hold the keys to the finely balanced government. Pray for wisdom, courage and grace on the part of Nepal’s leaders, and that they might put personal or party differences aside and work together to fight the immense economic problems still gripping the country.

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