tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141681542024-03-07T23:11:07.029-08:00Nevertheless... (Ezekiel 16)An excursion into the mad world of inner city ministry, sin, grace, redemption and the power of ChristUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger219125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-29775181031050063602011-10-02T15:03:00.000-07:002011-10-02T15:03:19.187-07:00What was/is the purpose of Israel?The purpose of Israel in the Old Testament:<br />
<br />
A. to bring the Messiah into the world<br />
B. to glorify God<br />
C. to bring the nations to God<br />
D. all of the above<br />
E. None of the aboveUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-15096716778235935662011-01-17T16:23:00.000-08:002011-01-17T16:23:39.674-08:00judgement in James<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Michelangelo_-_Fresco_of_the_Last_Judgement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="786" width="660" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Michelangelo_-_Fresco_of_the_Last_Judgement.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I am wondering if any of you readers could share your thoughts with me about two passages in James. Is the judgement spoken of in 2:12-13 and 3:1...<br />
<br />
- the final judgement (ie Matthew 25)<br />
- two seperate judgements<br />
- the beleivers judgement (ie I Cor <br />
- some other interpretation I havent thought of?<br />
<br />
Would appreciate your thoughts!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-90231784894326049892010-12-26T00:13:00.001-08:002010-12-26T00:13:51.600-08:00Theological Reflections #2 - Why I Like Systematic Theology and Why I Think it is EssentialI guess there are people who still read this and I have been blessed by your feedback, both in the comments section here and on facebook. <br />
<br />
It's been a while since I wrote on this subject so I have linked to the first post <a href="http://ez16.blogspot.com/2009/08/theological-reflections-why-i-dont-like.html">here</a><br />
<br />
My <a href="http://ez16.blogspot.com/2009/08/theological-reflections-why-i-dont-like.html">last post</a> was a little hard on Systematic theology and I gave the reasons why. I ended that post promising, "Next up: What I like about systematic theology and why I think it is essential". I wonder if everybody caught that.<br />
<br />
While I must admit studying systematic theology is at times a struggle for me, I do think it is important, perhaps essential. <br />
<br />
Here's what I'm thinking:<br />
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The Bible talks a lot about "Doctrine". I know doctrine is not a word we talk about much anymore, but it's right there in the Bible numerous times. Most germane to our discussion are Paul's exhortations to Timothy to :<br />
- nourish himself on the "sound doctrine which you have been following" (1 Ti 4:6)<br />
- protect the honor of the doctrines the apostles teach (I Tim 6:1)<br />
- defend against those who go against the doctrines of Jesus (I Tim 6:3)<br />
And to Titus:<br />
- stand for sound Doctrine (1:9; 2:1)<br />
- Good deeds and good doctrine are inseperable (2:7; 2:10)<br />
<br />
It seems clear that just as Jesus and the apostles would not have wanted someone to take one aspect of their doctrine or teaching and isolate and fixate on it - effectively ignoring the rest of their teaching - so we should not attempt to do the same with the collective doctrines of Divine Revelation as recorded in the Bible. A systematic understanding of the various teachings of God in Scripture is an essential element of faithfully understanding and obeying those teachings. If you cannot see how the micro theme (assuming you have indeed actually discovered/interpreted the passage/verse/phrase correctly) of an isolated passage relates to and harmonizes with the Meta themes of the whole of Scripture...tread slowly and carefully. Much if not all false teaching (intentional or, more often, not) has come from this dangerous position.<br />
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I leave you with the following thought from Spurgeon:<br />
<br />
“Systematic theology is to the Bible what science is to nature. To suppose that all the other works of God are orderly and systematic, and the greater the work the more perfect the system; and that the greatest of all His works, in which all His perfections are transcendently displayed, should have no plan or system, is altogether absurd. If faith in the Scriptures is to be positive, if consistent with itself, if operative, if abiding, it must have a fixed and well-defined creed. No one can say that the Bible is his creed, unless he can express it in words of his own.” - Spurgeon, The Forgotten Spurgeon Ian MurrayUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-83658283764154331552010-11-13T15:52:00.001-08:002010-11-13T15:52:27.560-08:00Fall 2010 Newsletter<a title="View The Nineveh Chronicles Fall 2010 on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/42384703/The-Nineveh-Chronicles-Fall-2010" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">The Nineveh Chronicles Fall 2010</a> <object id="doc_497453502774219" name="doc_497453502774219" height="600" width="450" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" style="outline:none;" > <param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf"><param name="wmode" value="opaque"><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="FlashVars" value="document_id=42384703&access_key=key-2erntd4pau9xbow123h4&page=1&viewMode=list"><embed id="doc_497453502774219" name="doc_497453502774219" src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=42384703&access_key=key-2erntd4pau9xbow123h4&page=1&viewMode=list" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="600" width="450" wmode="opaque" bgcolor="#ffffff"></embed> </object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-61758200276488820192010-03-29T04:12:00.000-07:002010-03-29T04:12:45.806-07:00Coming back home...changedAs some of you know I have been in training for the last 3 months (5 weeks in Newport, RI for Navy Officer Development School and 7+ weeks in Columbia, SC at the Navy Chaplaincy School and Center). Following graduation on Wednesday, Sarah and I will be traveling back to Los Angeles and San Diego for about 10 days before we go on to my ultimate duty station in Okinawa. <br />
I am excited to be back home, but I also know that these last three months have been a transformative experience. Some of the ways I have been changed are obvious - I make my bed now and shave everyday. But much of the change has been on a deeper level and is harder for me to put my finger on. I expect some of this change will become more evident when I return home to LA. I know this could be a potentially hard return as I will feel disconnected somewhat from the people I have been so close with over the last ten years because they do not understand what I have been through these last months. <br />
I have learned many important lessons through this experience and I would ask you to join me in prayer that I would be able to understand and communicate these lessons in a way that is helpful to my brothers and sisters in Los Angeles. Pray that God will give me the right message to share and the right way of sharing it as opportunities arrive upon my return.<br />
This situation is uncharted waters for me.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-37231165177565329482010-03-14T17:12:00.000-07:002010-03-14T17:12:03.522-07:00Introducing....The Cross and AnchorAs some of you may know, my wife and I have recently taken a step of faith in following God's call and I have become a chaplain in the United States Navy. We see this as a both an amazing opportunity to engage in a unique ministry and also great training for future mission work. To document this journey I have started another blog, <a href="http://thecrossandanchor.blogspot.com/">The Cross and Anchor.</a> <br />
I will continue to post here from time to time and keep posts at <a href="http://thecrossandanchor.blogspot.com/">The Cross and Anchor </a>solely focused on issues related to the Chaplaincy. At least that's the plan. So stop on by and journey on this new adventure with us!<br />
<br />
by His grace<br />
for His glory<br />
jrfUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-5849095073773760802009-11-04T09:44:00.000-08:002009-11-04T09:48:47.880-08:00Prosperity VideosHere are two videos I came across recently speaking to the issue of the prosperity "gospel". This false gospel is something that is very prevalent especially in areas of poverty, including the neighborhood I live and work in. <br /><br />The first video is John Piper explaining some of the many reasons he "abominates" this perversion of the Truth.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jLRue4nwJaA&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jLRue4nwJaA&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />The second is a short documentary about how the teaching has taken deep roots in Africa.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7196941&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7196941&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/7196941">The Prosperity Gospel</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2335876">The Global Conversation</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-7911355225383877672009-11-03T14:43:00.000-08:002009-11-03T14:52:02.175-08:00Gospel thoughtsAlright so I'm back from Europe, almost done with the Navy application process and crawling to catch up with ministry here in Los Angeles. I really want to get back soon to <a href="http://ez16.blogspot.com/2009/08/theological-reflections-why-i-dont-like.html">our journey through systematic theology</a>, but that will have to wait for now. In the meantime chew on this and let me know your thoughts. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The Gospel is composed of objective propositional truth that must be believed to be effective. But since the ultimate truth is a living Being (John 14:6) the Gospel is not only propositional but experiential and relational. This is not some emotional high or vision from heaven (necessarily), but there is an aspect of the Gospel that affects not only what we intellectually assent to but also emotionally and relationally commit to. True belief involves not only the intellect, but the body, soul, and heart of a person (Matt 22:37). True knowledge and understanding is not just mental but experiential and practical. To receive the Gospel is to receive a new belief system and worldview. But it is more than that. It is to receive a new life. A new way of thinking and a new way of living. Mere behavioral change is not the Gospel. But a salvation that is not being worked out (not worked for) is no salvation at all (James 2:14-26, Phil 2:12-13).</span><br /><br />your friend<br />jrfUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-11583722077550928922009-10-23T12:34:00.000-07:002009-10-23T12:52:21.730-07:00Litmus test for Great Commission faithfulnessJust wanted to share something that I heard listening to <a href="http://www.albertmohler.com/bio/">Al Mohler's</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheAlbertMohlerProgram">podcast</a> this morning. <br /><br />In response to a caller's question he stated that a good test of whether or not the American church is faithfully fulfilling it's Great Commission mandate is not so much by looking at whether there are those who are ready to go as missionaries (which there are) but whether or not our churches are eager and mobilized to send those missionaries. <br /><br />What do you think? Is the American church taking their mandate seriously? Are we spending as much time, money, and effort in seeking the salvation of souls, the healing of bodies, and the glory of Christ among the nations as our unbelieving counterparts are in seeking a profit in the Global community?<br /><br />Did you know that more people know the name of Coca-Cola than they do the name of Jesus? Just sayin.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-76728110073990470202009-09-09T15:57:00.000-07:002009-09-09T16:02:05.471-07:00Word of God more important than freedom?"All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against." <br />- I Timothy 6:1<br /><br />If I'm reading this right Paul is saying that the honor and reputation of the Word of God is more important than the freedom of slaves that are believers in Christ.<br /><br />Would you agree? Disagree? Let me know what you think.<br /><br />PS I don't think this is a case for dismissing Christian Social ActionUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-36828182939904756652009-08-28T08:51:00.000-07:002009-08-28T08:58:32.570-07:00Evangelistic Methodology Gum<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.real-lifecc.org/pwsite/images/shells/default/photos/12161/pondering-man.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://www.real-lifecc.org/pwsite/images/shells/default/photos/12161/pondering-man.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Chew on this question posed by Will Metzger in his book, <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tell-Truth-Gospel-Person-People/dp/0830823220/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251474807&sr=8-1">Tell the Truth</a></span><br />"Instead sending His Son, why didn't God just send a tract?"Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-4078745797185938352009-08-25T17:09:00.000-07:002009-08-25T18:40:41.324-07:00Theological Reflections - why I don't like systematic theologyWell a whole summer has passed since I last posted, so I'm not sure if anyone reads this anymore. If you are looking for up to date information and important discussions on topics like "what's on John's mind right now" (that's a joke) I regularly post low-thought updates on my facebook page. But I am am going to make a quasi-valiant effort to get back to posting on this site. <br /><br />I am attempting to post a series of theological reflections. I have no idea how long this series will last. The subject matter (God) is infinite and therefore the limiting factors will be not the lack of things to ponder but my ability or lack thereof to ponder them coupled with my lack of discipline. <br /><br />I ask you to please challenge me and interact with what I post as much as possible. Hopefully this will be a fruitful journey for us all. <br /><br />The idea for this series comes from my realization that I feel like systematic theology is one of the weakest areas of my life. There are probably many reasons for this but here are a few I could think of: <br /><br />1. All systematic theologies have an inherent bias in them. The Bible is not a systematic theology book. Systematic theology requires the filter of a human mind and therefore can and most likely will have fallibilities in them. Wading through the muck of the author's presuppositions can often be daunting.<br /><br />2. There is a strong temptation when studying theology to make it only academic. Every fiber of my being loathes studying just for studying's sake (although I too often fall into that trap). For that reason I have tended to deemphasize systematic theology. I remember being frustrated in seminary when the practical things I was experiencing in inner city ministry didn't seem to find a place in the systematic theology syllabus we were being taught. Part of that I believe was the personal bias' and perspectives of the professors who were not concerned/exposed to the issues of the inner city. Most of it was my failure to convert orthodoxy into orthopraxy. <br /><br />3. I love expository preaching/studying. I have strong convictions that the expository method is the best and most faithful way to understand and explain the Word of God. Systematic theology done bad has all of the pitfalls of a bad topical sermon, namely taking verses out of context and eisegesis.<br /><br />4. The Bible is not a systematic theology textbook, and I <span style="font-style:italic;">really</span> like the Bible. <br /><br />5. Systematic thinking is very much a western concept. Does that make it necessary for understanding and living out the truth of Scripture?<br /><br />6. Good systematic theology books are huge and I am a lazy, slow reader.<br /><br />7. I prefer reading narratives to didactic writing. <br /><br /><br />Well that's it for now<br />Next up: What I like about systematic theology and why I think it is essential<br /><br />Shalom in Jesus<br />jrfUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-59378513762996087292009-05-28T16:47:00.000-07:002009-05-28T16:51:05.032-07:00Ralph Winter pt IIIHere is a 16-minute video from the U.S. Center for World Mission telling the story of Ralph Winter's life and ministry. <br /><br /><object width="400" height="270"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4791305&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ff9933&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4791305&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ff9933&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="270"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/4791305">Ralph D. Winter Tribute</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/uscwm">U.S. Center for World Mission</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-28260708000983362312009-05-22T10:48:00.001-07:002009-05-22T10:57:19.114-07:00Ralph Winter pt II<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://uscwm.com/general_info/RalphWinter.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="http://uscwm.com/general_info/RalphWinter.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />In my previous post I shared some quotes from one of Ralph Winter's many monumental articles. Sadly for us, two days ago, Ralph Winter passed into eternity. <br />It blows my mind to think about what he is now experiencing, being in the presence of his King and seeing the fruit of his long years of missionary service and mobilization. I can imagine he is meeting many families of the earth that he never met while here but who came to know Christ as a result of his work and voice. <br /><br />here is a link to <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1811_John_Pipers_Personal_Tribute_to_the_Late_Ralph_Winter/">John Piper's Personal Tribute to Ralph Winter</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />for the King<br />jrfUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-5583108322985672142009-05-13T09:45:00.001-07:002009-05-13T10:03:29.445-07:00Reconsecration to a Wartime, Not a Peacetime, Lifestyle - by Ralph WinterBelow are some quotes from <a href="http://www.reconsecration.org/pdf/ReConsecrationWartime.pdf">Ralph Winter's classic article: </a> <br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Obedience to the Great Commission has more consistently been poisoned by affluence than by anything else. The antidote for affluence is reconsecration.<br /><br />There will only be a way if there is a will. But we will find there is no will:<br />- so long as the Great Commission is thought impossible to fulfill<br />- so long as anyone thinks that the problems of the world are hopeless or that, conversely, they can be solved merely by politics or technology<br />- so long as our home problems loom larger to us than anyone else's<br />- so long as people enamored of Eastern culture do not understand that Chinese and Muslims can and must as easily become evangelical Christians without abandoning their cultural systems as did the Greeks in Paul's day<br />- so long as modern believers, like the ancient Hebrews, get to thinking that God's sole concern is the blessing of our nation<br />- so long as well paid evangelicals, both pastors and people, consider their money a gift from God to spend however they wish on themselves rather than a responsibility from God to help others in spiritual and economic need<br />- so long as we do not understand that he who would seek to save his life shall lose it<br /><br /><br />When will we recognize the fact that the wrath of God spoken of in the Bible is far less directed at those who sit in darkness than it is against those who refuse to share what they have?<br /><br />If the the average mission supporter is only five pounds overweight, it means he spends [on food], to his own hurt, at least five times as much as he gives for missions. If he were to choose simple food (as well as not overeat) he could give ten times as much as he does to mission and not modify his standard of living in any other way!...the overall lifestyle to which Americans have acquiesced has led us to a place where we are hardening our hearts and our arteries simultaneously.<br /><br />I believe that God cannot expect less from us as our Christian duty to save other nations than our own nation has required of us in times of war in order to save our own nation</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-67207079372745946112009-05-07T15:35:00.000-07:002009-05-07T15:39:02.554-07:00Whosit or Whatsit?Here's a few questions for you:<br /><br />1. Is God three Persons in one Being (Three Who's in a What)<br />or<br />Is God three Persons in one Person (Three Who's in a Who)<br /><br />2. Is this important?<br /><br /><br />Whattya think and why?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-80133255475185646422009-04-30T11:33:00.000-07:002009-04-30T11:36:03.736-07:00New Newsletter coming soonSarah and I are sending out a new newsletter soon. If you would like to see what has been happening in our life and ministry, put your email in the box below and hit subscribe!<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://letterpop.com/button.php?c=59266&e=1&w=0&s=0"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-36606648370383018812009-04-16T16:35:00.000-07:002009-04-16T16:37:36.821-07:00Mercy vs. Evangelism = false dichotomy?Below is a great conversation between D.A. Carson, John Piper, and Tim Keller about how ministries of the Word and ministries of mercy need not be at odds, but rather natural, necessary outflows of keeping the Gospel at the core of what the church is and is for.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="272"><param name="movie" value="http://www.thegospelcoalition.org//flash/tgc-video-sm.swf"></param><param name="play" value="false"></param><param name="align" value="middle"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false"></param><param name="FlashVars" value="titlevar=A Conversation: Chapter 1&videosource=http://s3.amazonaws.com/tgc-video/conversation/conversation_1.flv&poster=http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/media/a/posters/conversation1.jpg"></param><embed src="http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/flash/tgc-video-sm.swf" FlashVars="titlevar=A Conversation: Chapter 1&videosource=http://s3.amazonaws.com/tgc-video/conversation/conversation_1.flv&poster=http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/media/a/posters/conversation1.jpg" align="middle" menu="false"type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="272"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-12071890349520029352009-03-15T13:33:00.000-07:002009-03-15T14:47:23.979-07:00Quotes from Samuel Zwemer and Friends<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a0/Samuel_Zwemer.jpg/175px-Samuel_Zwemer.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 175px; height: 175px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a0/Samuel_Zwemer.jpg/175px-Samuel_Zwemer.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Samuel Zwemer has been called the "Apostle to the Muslims". He was a pioneer missionary who spent his life sharing the Gospel with the Muslim world and calling the church to take seriously it's mission of preaching the message of Christ's kingdom in all the world, especially the "unoccupied fields" of the Muslim world. Here are a few quotes from an article he wrote called "The Glory of the Impossible". <br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Our willingness to sacrifice for an enterprise is always in proportion to our faith in that enterprise. Faith has the genius of transforming the barely possible into actuality.<br /><br />You have a factor here (speaking on the Great Commission) that is absolutely infinite, and what does it matter as to what other factors may be. 'I will do as much as I can,' says one. Any fool can do that. He that believes in Christ does what he can not do, attempts the impossible and performs it." - Charles Spurgeon<br /><br />Does it really matter how many die or how much money we spend in opening closed doors, and in occupying the different fields, if we really believe that missions are warfare and that the King's glory is at stake?<br /><br />The unoccupied fields of the world must have their Calvary before they can have their Pentecost.<br /><br />The unoccupied fields of the world await those who are willing to be lonely for the sake of Christ.<br /><br />Who would naturally prefer to leave the warmth and comfort of hearth and home and the love of the family circle to go after a lost sheep, whose cry we have faintly heard in the howling of the tempest? Yest such is the glory of the task that neither home ties nor home needs can hold back those who have caught the vision and the spirit of the Great Shepherd. Because the lost ones are His sheep, and He has made us His shepherds and not His hirelings, we must bring them back.<br /><br />There is nothing finer nor more pathetic to me than the way in which missionaries unlearn the love of their old home, die to their native land, and wed their hearts to the people they have served and won; so that they cannot rest in England, but must return to lay their bones where they spent their hearts for Christ. How vulgar the common patriotisms seem beside this inverted homesickness, this passion of a kingdom which has no frontiers and no favored race, the passion of a homeless Christ! - P.T. Forsyth<br /><br /><br />There is no instance of an Apostle being driven abroad under the compulsion of a bald command. Each one went as a lover to his betrothed on his appointed errand. It was all instinctive and natural. They were equally controlled by the common vision, but they had severally personal visions which drew them wither they were needed. In the first days of Christianity, there is an absence of the calculating spirit. Most of the Apostles died outside of Palestine, though human logic would have forbidden them to leave the country until it had been Christianized. The calculating instict is death to faith, and had the Apostles allowed it to control their motives and actions, they would have said: "The need in Jerusalem is so profound, our responsibilities to people of our own blood so obvious, that we must live up to the principle that charity begins at home. After we have won the people of Jerusalem, of Judea and of the Holy Land in general, then it will be time enough to go abroad; but our problems, political, moral and religious, are so unsolved here in this one spot that it is manifestly absurd to bend our shoulders to a new load." - Charles H. Brent<br /><br />When Judson was lying loaded with chains in a Burmese dungeon, a fellow prisoner asked with a sneer about the prospect for the conversion of the heathen. Judson calmly answered, "The prospects are as bright as are the promises of God"<br /><br />There are hundreds of Christian college men who expect to spend life in practicing law or in some trade for a livelihood, yet who have strength and talent enough to enter these unoccupied fields. There are young doctors who might gather around them in some new mission station thousands of those who "suffer the horrors of heathenism and Islam," and lift their burden of pain, but who now confine their efforts to some "pent-up Utica" where the healing art is subject to the law of competition and is measured too often merely in terms of a cash-book and ledger. They are making a living; they might be making a life. <br /><br /><br />Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle. - Phillips Brooks</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-23264335549269202872009-03-15T13:04:00.000-07:002009-03-15T13:08:41.083-07:00Faithful versus Dutiful (Perspectives #3)Each week's reading for my Perspectives class begins with a key word and a brief explanation of that word in the context of missions. This weeks word is "Faithful"<br /><br />"Faithful: Faithful people know they are being trusted. Zeal to fulfill that trust distinguishes the faithful from those who are merely dutiful. The dutiful perform what is required, and so they are sometimes daunted in the face of sacrifice. The faithful remain dedicated to the One who entrusts them despite the high cost. Sacrifice is a light thing for them, because they have already entered into some of the joy of their Master, who commends them for being not only good, but also faithful."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-42910768471629974452009-02-13T22:02:00.001-08:002009-02-13T22:19:50.057-08:00Perspectives on the World Christian Movement - #`2 The Great Commandment and the Great CommissionIn Matthew 22:34-40 Jesus states that the Greatest Commandment is total love for God which will express itself in selfless love of one's neighbor. All of God's commandments are summed up in this. <br /><br />In Matthew 28:18-20 declared to all his disciples that He had universal authority, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them ina the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” <br /><br />So how do the Great Commandment and the Great Commission work together? Are they merely two different ways of expressing the same mandate? <br /><br />While certainly much could be said about how they complement each other there is one major distinction that must be pointed out. <br /><br />The Great Commandment will never be completed. We will be loving God and our redeemed neighbors in heaven for eternity. <br /><br />The Great Commission however will be fulfilled and will eventually become history. As pointed out in the previous post, the Great Commission's fulfillment is founded on God's promise to "bless all the nations", a promise reiterated by Jesus Himself (Matthew 24:14). There is a linear point in history where the Great Commission will become the Great Fulfillment. <br />We are closer than ever to that point. <br />As you strive for faithfulness to the Great Commandment, may you be used by God to complete the Great Commission.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-48812970902893952122009-02-04T16:52:00.000-08:002009-02-04T17:07:05.265-08:00Perspectives on the World Christian Movement - #`1 The Living God is a Missionary GodA few weeks ago I began taking the <span style="font-style:italic;">Perspectives on the World Christian Movement</span> class offered through the <a href="http://www.uscwm.org/">U.S. Center for World Mission</a>. So far the class has been mind and heart blowing. It is so encouraging, convicting and motivating to be in a theology class and actually get excited about God! I also am enjoying this class because of all the connections it has been making for me. I came out of seminary knowing how to exegete, exposit and preach a passage, but this class is helping me see the big picture of how God is working in the world to bring people to Him. I can now say without hesitation that God is a missionary God and that everything He has revealed about Himself is connect to that purpose. <br />I hope to post some thoughts from time to time about what I am learning in this class. <br />To get us started let's look at the Abrahamic Covenant in Gen 12:1-3:<br /><br />The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. <br />“I will make you into a great nation <br />and I will bless you; <br />I will make your name great, <br />and you will be a blessing. <br />I will bless those who bless you, <br />and whoever curses you I will curse; <br />and all peoples on earth <br />will be blessed through you.” <br /><br />Previously when I thought of missions the texts that would first come to my mind were the Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20 and Acts 1:7-8. I thought of mission almost exclusively as a New Testament phenomenon. Studying this passage changed that. I saw that missions is not something that Jesus made up but that Jesus fulfilled and enabled. I was profoundly impacted by the statement, coming from the Abrahamic Covenent, “Missions is not a duty or a task, it is a promise”. God promises that He will use His people to bless the world and through Jesus (the seed of Abraham) not only does the world receive that blessing but Gentiles like us are able to be included in that blessing (Gen 3:14), which in turns enables us to be bearers of that blessing to the rest of the unreached world. <br /><br />God will keep His promise to bless all the nations through the seed of Abraham, the question is will we surrender ourselves to be used to fulfill that promise, or will we choose to miss out on God's exhilirating work of redemption in this world.<br /><br />blessed to be a blessing,<br />jrfUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-51043506753685556892009-01-07T13:30:00.000-08:002009-01-12T12:27:54.397-08:00Best of 2008Here's the short list of the best of 2008 (take "best" in a mostly trivial sense)<br /><br /><br />Best Movie: <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://media.villagevoice.com/2693979.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px; height: 1015px;" src="http://media.villagevoice.com/2693979.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Slumdog Millionare<br /> close seconds: Dark Knight, There Will be Blood<br /><br />Best Book Fiction: <span style="font-style:italic;">The Great Divorce</span> by C.S. Lewis<br />Honorable Mentions: <span style="font-style:italic;">the Samurai</span> by Shusako Endo; <span style="font-style:italic;">The Bridges at Toko-Ri</span>by James Michener; <span style="font-style:italic;">A Study in Scarlet</span> by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; <span style="font-style:italic;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/RESOURCE/MEDIA/IMAGES/bookcovers/Original/BookCovers13/978/0/1/4/0/9780140449617.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 400px;" src="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/RESOURCE/MEDIA/IMAGES/bookcovers/Original/BookCovers13/978/0/1/4/0/9780140449617.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The Death of Ivan Ilyich</span> by Leo Tolstoy<br /><br />Best Book Biography: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TA31T3EPL._SL500_AA240_.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TA31T3EPL._SL500_AA240_.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><span style="font-style:italic;">The Road to Lost Innocence</span> by Somaly Mam<br /><br />Best Book - Theological: <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zondervan.com/images/product/medium/0310287294.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 142px; height: 210px;" src="http://www.zondervan.com/images/product/medium/0310287294.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><span style="font-style:italic;">The Gospel According to Jesus</span>by John Macarthur<br />honorable mentions: <span style="font-style:italic;">Crazy Love</span>by Francis Chan; <span style="font-style:italic;">The Cross and Christian Ministry</span>by D.A. Carson<br /><br />Best Album: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://thechristianmanifesto.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/keith-green-live-experience.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 640px; height: 640px;" src="http://thechristianmanifesto.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/keith-green-live-experience.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><span style="font-style:italic;">Keith Green: The Live Experience</span><br /><br />Best Trip: <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ePpemzDQkGI/SWukE3utZ1I/AAAAAAAAA8Q/eHLWopexyR4/s1600-h/IMG_3550.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ePpemzDQkGI/SWukE3utZ1I/AAAAAAAAA8Q/eHLWopexyR4/s320/IMG_3550.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290502590863075154" /></a>Driving to Canada and back with my honey<br /><br />Best Youth Group Memory: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ePpemzDQkGI/SWukFH2hwxI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/AbI0gcLyW1g/s1600-h/IMG_3017.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ePpemzDQkGI/SWukFH2hwxI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/AbI0gcLyW1g/s320/IMG_3017.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290502595190833938" /></a>Missions trip to NYC<br />honorable mentions: Having Joe live with us, Seeing Joe and Anai lead youth group, Youth led worship band<br /><br />Best Adventure: <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ePpemzDQkGI/SWumMUKgutI/AAAAAAAAA8o/9jSYrUOF6tk/s1600-h/IMG_4493.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ePpemzDQkGI/SWumMUKgutI/AAAAAAAAA8o/9jSYrUOF6tk/s320/IMG_4493.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290504917778217682" /></a>Lobster Fishing on San Clemente Island with Dad<br /><br />Best Kisser: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ePpemzDQkGI/SWukFcnTCFI/AAAAAAAAA8g/EOTAIBd-6JQ/s1600-h/IMG_4245.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ePpemzDQkGI/SWukFcnTCFI/AAAAAAAAA8g/EOTAIBd-6JQ/s320/IMG_4245.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290502600764098642" /></a> <br />Sarah Freiberg<br /><br /><br />Happy New Year!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-77302320658824028012009-01-05T10:25:00.000-08:002009-01-05T10:40:08.020-08:00Son of Hamas Leader now My Brother<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,475226,00.html">This report by Fox</a> (Ya I know...Fox) gives a breath of true hope to the ongoing Palestinian/Israeli conflict. Bottom line: horrible suffering on both sides, deep seeded idealogies, Satanic religions, and ceaseless cycles of hatred and violence, are no match for the power of the Gospel of Christ. <br />It is also a powerful reminder that we need to be praying for the souls of both Palestinians and Israeli's, that although they are at war with each other, in their sins both groups are at war with God. Peace with God is their greatest need. <br /><br />(props to <a href="http://www.persecutionblog.com/2009/01/son-of-hamas-leader-comes-to-christ.html">VOM Blog</a> for pointing me to this story)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168154.post-87100421908928256862008-12-12T10:25:00.000-08:002008-12-12T10:29:43.217-08:00New Newsletter out!Just in case you are not on our newsletter mailing list, our June-November Newsletter is out. If you would like to receive our newsletters (sent every few months), just put your email into the subscription bar on the left. Thanks!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0