Boldness

Excerpt from interview with Francis Chan in ReThink Monthly Magazine

Rethink Monthly: Is there anything that God is saying to you that is causing you to rethink, anything that God is personally doing in your life or in your church as a whole?

Francis Chan: There are a couple of things. One, it’s getting pretty pathetic how people call themselves Christians and how terrified we are of everything. There’s just not the courage, boldness, and the strength that I see in Scripture and there isn’t an emphasis on that. We have people who are scared to talk to their next door neighbors; there are people who are scared to disciple. It’s just nothing like it was in the beginning. There seems like there was such boldness and you couldn’t shut the believers up back then, now we can’t prod them to speak. So, the big thing is just praying for a spirit of boldness in the church again and encouraging people to believe that they can share the gospel powerfully, and that they don’t need their senior pastor to do it for them. So, that’s been a big emphasis in my own life as well as with the church.

Prayer

I like this prayer that Mark Batterson challenged his congregation to pray (Evangelism Experiment):

Lord, I pray for an opportunity to share my faith with someone in some way. It’s not up to me to decide who or when or where. But I know why. Because you love them and want a relationship with them. So Lord, surprise me with opportunities to share my faith.

Forgive me for trying to do your job for you. You are the one who convicts of sin. You are the one who draws to Christ. But help me do my part as salt and light. Help me see those opportunities to react compassionately or listen patiently or speak kindly. Through word and deed, help me plant seeds of love in the lives of others. Give me boldness when it’s time to speak. Give me restraint when it’s time to listen. Give me words to say. But more importantly, give me ears to hear.

Lord, help me be sensitive to the prompting of your Holy Spirit so I can see the divine appointments you send my way. Help me not to be afraid of questions I cannot answer. Help me not to be afraid of people’s reactions or rejections.

Lord, help me preach the gospel every day, when necessary, with words.

In Jesus name, amen!

Bond of Peace

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

PRESERVING UNITY

Ephesians 4:3
Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace

I really don't mind taking a stand on biblical grounds and living with the conflict that comes from those who oppose the gospel. I think that is part of our calling. What grieves God is when our ministry and work is stopped because well-intentioned people resist the inevitable and needlessly fight change.

I tell my students that the greatest asset they will have in their early years of ministry is older, mature saints in the church. The greatest liability they will have is old saints who have stopped growing years ago. All these saints do is censor. They reflect no more love or kindness now than they did 20 years ago. They don't worship--they critique the worship service. They no longer sit under the judgment of Scripture--they sit in judgment of the pastor. They no longer bear fruit--they actually prevent it. They insist that they are right when what they need to be is holy.

Mature saints have learned to restrict their freedom for the sake of weaker believers. Their faith doesn't rest in traditions, so they gladly accept changes in style of ministry that will reach the younger generation.

Another problem arises when young Christian leaders act impulsively as change agents without giving thought to what the consequences will be to the fellowship. Any movement forward that results in the loss of fellowship is not an improvement. We must be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit. Such change agents seem to be unaware that patience is a fruit of the Spirit. The modern generation wants it now. They seem to have forgotten the fact that God does everything decently and in order. He is not the author of confusion.

Prayer:

Father, please don't allow me to sit, soak and sour, but to remain open-minded, lighthearted and nonjudgmental.

Sure Foundation

In that day he will be your sure foundation,
providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.
The fear of the Lord will be your treasure.

Isaiah 33: 6 (NLT)

Fishers of Men

Excerpts from Take Them to the Streets by Jay Hardwick

“And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’ And immediately, they left their nets and followed him.” Mark 1:17-18 (ESV)

I’m captivated by this and I wrestle with it everyday. Jesus did something here that frankly, we just don’t do very well. I don’t know if it’s because we don’t trust Him, we don’t trust the Holy Spirit…I don’t know. But everyday, I wrestle with what Jesus did here with His first followers.

...

Now, here comes the wrestling match for me. What did Jesus do with these uneducated, ordinary guys that left everything they knew to follow Him?

Did Jesus lead them to a classroom and take them through the 10 points of being a disciple? Did he distribute notebooks with fill in the blank outlines and say, “Pay attention and take notes, boys…?”

No. He didn’t take his new, impressionable, uneducated, ordinary followers to the classroom. He took them to the streets.

The next part of Mark 1 finds these new followers listening and watching Jesus as he taught about the Kingdom of God to the crowd gathered in the synagogue in Capernaum. They watched as He cast out a demon and followed as He left the synagogue to heal Simon’s mother in-law. That night, they saw the huge crowd gather and watched as Jesus healed many who were sick. The next morning, they woke up only to find their new leader was already awake and was off by Himself praying. They found Him and followed Him on to the next towns for more preaching, more healing, and more praying.

No classroom. No fill in the blanks. No Survivor Kits.

Jesus skipped the classroom and went to the streets. His new followers learned what it meant to follow Jesus and fish for men by going with Him, watching Him, learning from Him, and then engaging in the work themselves.

What does this say to us who lead churches and attempt to lead people to love, worship, and follow Jesus with their whole lives? What does this say to people who have surrendered their lives to Jesus and now think they have to learn something before they can do anything for Jesus?

That’s where I wrestle. I’ll share some more throughout the week. Would love to hear your thoughts, if you have any on the matter.

Tongue

Excerpt from The Tongue, the Bridle and the Blessing: An Exposition of James 3: 1-12 by Sinclair Ferguson

...

I want to walk you through the whole book of James in just a few minutes. I want to do it in the form of some Jonathan Edwards’ resolutions.

Amazingly, outside of this passage, the book of James has at least 20 resolutions that need to be part of the Christian’s covenant with God about how the believer is going to employ the tongue and lips, and master the heart in such a way that the beauty of Jesus is expressed:

1. I resolve to ask God for wisdom to speak out of a single-minded devotion to him (1:5).
2. I resolve to boast only in the exultation I receive in Jesus Christ and also in the humiliation I receive for Jesus Christ (1:9-10).
3. I resolve to set a watch over my mouth (1:13).
4. I resolve to be constantly quick to hear and slow to speak (1:19).
5. I resolve to learn the gospel way of speaking to both rich and poor (2:1-4).
6. I resolve to speak in the present consciousness of my final judgment (2:12).
7. I resolve never to stand on anyone’s face with the words I employ (2:16).
8. I resolve never to claim as reality in my life what I do not truly experience (3:14).
9. I resolve to resist quarrelsome words as evidence of a bad heart that needs to be mortified (4:1).
10. I resolve never to speak decided evil against another out of a heart of antagonism (4:11).
11. I resolve never to boast in any thing but what I will accomplish (4:13).
12. I resolve to speak as one subject to the providences of God (4:15).
13. I resolve never to grumble. The judge is at the door (5:9).
14. I resolve never to allow anything but total integrity in everything I say (5:12).
15. I resolve to speak to God in prayer whenever I suffer (5:13).
16. I resolve to sing praises to God whenever I’m cheerful (5:14).
17. I resolve to ask for the prayers of others when I’m in need (5:14).
18. I resolve to confess it whenever I have failed (5:15).
19. I resolve to pray with others for one another whenever I am together with them (5:15).
20. I resolve to speak words of restoration when I see another wander (5:19).

Are you looking for guidelines in the gospel. Here your whole life is suffused with how God will give you this training for your life and for how you will speak. You need to resolve those things for how you will speak to others.

It would be wonderful if such resolutions were fixed in our hearts.

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Rejoice

The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;

Psalm 97:1 a

Who You Are Really

Jesus came back, "God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn't get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I'm going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.

Matthew 16: 17-18 (The Message)

Prayer and Purpose

Excerpts from Small Churches Can Thrive by Ed Stetzer

The July/August issue of Outreach Magazine features my article on small churches. Yep, small churches - I love 'em! Especially when they are thriving on gospel and mission.

As a speaker at a number of conferences each year, I continue to see pastors and leaders going from one workshop to another searching for "THE" answer. They show up and hear amazing stories about implausibly happy people who willingly follow a new vision for their lives and their church.

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Passionate, Persistent Prayer
Small churches need to stop looking at megachurches and their pastors as role models. They can learn from them, but they must not copy them. In a world that devalues the small, listening to God in prayer and stepping out in obedience are much more important than the latest magic bullet that often misfires in smaller churches.

That attitudinal change can and does happen through intentional prayer for renewal. As we looked a little deeper at survey results, it was interesting to note that the comeback leaders of smaller churches highlighted the need for prayer even more than those at larger churches. When asked, "To what degree did the following [areas] change during your church's comeback?" leaders of the churches under 200 rated prayer as the area most changed.

Smaller comeback churches are often praying churches. Comeback leaders of smaller churches believed even more strongly that real, intentional, strategic prayer made a significant difference in their revitalization process. God can change attitudes in your church through passionate, persistent prayer for renewal.

An Outward Focus
Small churches are not exempt from the call to reach people because they are small. Too many churches of all sizes spend too much time moaning about what they don't have that other churches do have or about what they can't do that other churches are doing. No, you may not be able to do everything that other churches are doing. But that doesn't mean your church can't do something of purpose.

If smaller churches are going to thrive, they must focus their attention on reaching the lost in their communities. Again, delving deeper into our survey results reveals another important point. When asked the same question above, the leaders of churches under 200 rated evangelism as the second area that changed the most during the comeback.

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Enjoy .. Revel

All you who fear God, how blessed you are! how happily you walk on his smooth straight road!
You worked hard and deserve all you've got coming.
Enjoy the blessing! Revel in the goodness!

Psalm 128: 1-2 (The Message)

Victory

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

THE TRUTH OF CHRIST'S VICTORY

Colossians 2:15
When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him

One of the common objections to the ministry of setting captives free performed by Jesus and the apostles is the apparent lack of instruction on the subject in the Epistles. Let me offer another perspective which may help clarify the issue and suggest how we should confront demonic influence in our own lives and minister to others in bondage.

Prior to the cross, divinely empowered agents--such as Jesus and His specifically appointed apostles--were necessary to take authority over demonic powers in the world. But something radical happened at the cross and in the resurrection that changed the nature of spiritual conflicts forever. First, Jesus' death and resurrection triumphed over and disarmed the rulers and authorities of the kingdom of darkness (Colossians 2:15). Prior to the cross, "All authority . . . in heaven and on earth" had not yet been given to Christ. But Matthew 28:18 assures us that the resurrected Christ is now the seat of all authority. Because of the cross, Satan is a defeated foe and he has no authority over those who are in Christ. Affirming the truth of Christ's victory and Satan's defeat is the primary step to successfully combating the enemy's attempts to intimidate you and hassle you.

Second, in Christ's death and resurrection every believer is made alive with Him and is now seated with Him in the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:5, 6). You no longer need an outside agent to effect authority for you; you now reside in Jesus Christ who has all authority. In order to resist the devil, you need to understand and appropriate your position and authority in Christ. Freedom is your inheritance as a Christian. It is your responsibility to put on the armor of God and resist the devil.

Prayer:

Thank You, Jesus, for making me a partaker with You in defeating the devil. Help me fulfill my responsibility to resist him today.

Nonsense

Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

James 2: 14-17 (The Message)

Daylight Hours

... You're out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.

Ephesians 5: 8b-10 (The Message)

Fleshly

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

The Fleshly Person

1 Corinthians 3: 2,3
I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly.

The spirit of the fleshly person is identical to that of the spiritual person. The fleshly person is a Christian, spiritually alive in Christ and declared righteous by God. But that's where the similarity ends. Instead of being directed by the Spirit, this believer chooses to follow the impulses of his flesh. As a result, his mind is occupied by carnal thoughts and his emotions are plagued by negative feelings. And though he is free to choose to walk after the Spirit and produce the fruit of the Spirit, he continues to involve himself in sinful activity by willfully walking after the flesh.

His physical body is a temple of God, but he is using it as an instrument of unrighteousness. He has the same troubling physical symptoms experienced by the natural person because he is not operating in the manner God created him to operate. He is not presenting his body to God as a living sacrifice. Since he yields to the flesh instead of crucifying it, the fleshly man is also subject to feelings of inferiority, insecurity, inadequacy, guilt, worry, and doubt.

Several years ago I did some research to discover how many Christians are still the victims of their flesh. I asked the same question to 50 consecutive Christians who came to me to talk about problems in their lives: "How many of the following characteristics describe your life: inferiority, insecurity, inadequacy, guilt, worry, and doubt:" Every one of the 50 answered, "All six." Here were 50 born-again, righteous children of God who were so bogged down by the flesh that they struggled with the same problems of self-doubt which inundate unbelivers who only live in the flesh.

If I asked you the same question, how would you answer? I imagine that many of you would admit that some or all of these six traits describe you. It is evident to me that a staggering number of believers are still confused about their spiritual identity in Christ and its implications for their daily lives. We are struggling with the behavior aspect of our growth because we are still struggling with the belief aspect of our growth: who we are in Christ.

Prayer:

Father, help me live above my fleshly desires today by exercising my spiritual inheritance at every temptation.

Got to Know Some Pretty Well

... And every day he went out on the streets and talked with anyone who happened along. He got to know some of the Epicurean and Stoic intellectuals pretty well through these conversations. Some of them dismissed him with sarcasm: "What an airhead!" But others, listening to him go on about Jesus and the resurrection, were intrigued: "That's a new slant on the gods. Tell us more."

Acts 17: 17b-18 (The Message)

Findings

National Congregation's Study of American Congregations

This report highlights some of the National Congregations Study’s most important findings, including:
• Most congregations are small but most people are in large congregations.
• Worship services are becoming more informal.
• Congregational leaders are still overwhelmingly male.
• Predominantly white congregations are more ethnically diverse.
• Congregations embrace technology.
• Congregations and clergy are getting older.
• Congregations’ position in the social class structure remains unchanged.
• Congregations’ involvement in social service activities remains unchanged.
• Only a small minority of congregations describe themselves as theologically “liberal,” even within the Protestant mainline.
• Congregations are more tolerant and inclusive than we might expect them to be, even when it comes to hot-button issues.
• There has been no significant increase in congregational conflict since 1998.
• Congregations’ involvement in political activities is largely unchanged since 1998.

See web site for full pdf.

God Will Be Exalted

⁸ Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
¹⁰ "Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!"
¹¹ The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

Cross references:

1. Psalm 46:8 : Psalm 66:5
   
2. Psalm 46:9 : Isa 2:4; Mic 4:3
   
3. Psalm 46:9 : Psalm 76:3; 1 Sam 2:4
   
4. Psalm 46:9 : Ezek 39:9
   
5. Psalm 46:10 : Exodus 14:13
   
6. Psalm 46:10 : Isa 2:11, 17; 33:10
   
7. Psalm 46:11 : Psalms 42:7
   

Psalm 46

Reason Returned

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and he does according to his will among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand

Cross references:

1. Daniel 4:34 : Daniel 4:26
   
   
   
2. Daniel 4:34 : Daniel 4:36
   
   
   
3. Daniel 4:34 : Daniel 6:26; 12:7; Rev 4:10
   
   
   
4. Daniel 4:34 : Psalm 10:16; Daniel 2:44
   
   
   
5. Daniel 4:35 : Isa 40:17
   
   
   
6. Daniel 4:35 : Psalm 115:3; Heb 1:13, 14
   
   
   
7. Daniel 4:35 : Isa 14:27
   
   
   
8. Daniel 4:35 : Job 9:12; Isa 45:9; Rom 9:20
   
   
   

or say to him, "What have you done?"

Daniel 4: 34-35

Hope

Excerpt from lyrics from Brandon Heath: Wait and See

There is hope for me yet because God won’t forget, all the plans he’s made for me
I have to wait and see, he’s not finished with me yet. He’s not finished with me yet

What Matters

I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.

Galatians 5: 4-6 (The Message)

Treasure

Watch this:

Guiding

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

DOING GOD’S WORK

Isaiah 58:11
The LORD will continually guide you

An important concept of God’s will is that God can only guide a moving ship. He is the rudder, but if the ship isn’t under way, it can’t be directed. Willingness to obey His will gets the ship moving.

In Acts 15:36, Paul had decided to revisit the churches he helped establish on his first missionary trip. The churches were being strengthened and increasing in number (Acts 16:5). Luke reports:

And they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and when they had come to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a certain man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us" (Acts 16:6-9).

Sometimes God’s leading does not make sense. If God wanted Paul to go to Macedonia in the first place, why didn’t He make it easier and faster by having Paul travel by land to Caesarea and sail to Macedonia? Because God starts us out on a life course to fulfill a certain purpose and then, only when we are ready, He gives us course corrections. Like a good river pilot, He steers us away from troubled waters, and like a good coach, He never puts us in the game until we are ready.

I believe in divine guidance as described in Isaiah 58:11. But the context reveals that there are prerequisites that have to be satisfied. We are sometimes like a person who seeks to be an athlete by simply suiting up for the race. That’s not how the skills are gained. It’s in the course of dedication, training, and the contest itself that one gains the skill of an athlete.

It’s in the doing of God’s work that His will becomes known.

Prayer:

Thank You, Father, that You oversee every turn in the road of my life. I want to faithfully heed Your guidance today.

Word of Faith

The earlier revelation was intended simply to get us ready for the Messiah, who then puts everything right for those who trust him to do it. Moses wrote that anyone who insists on using the law code to live right before God soon discovers it's not so easy—every detail of life regulated by fine print! But trusting God to shape the right living in us is a different story— no precarious climb up to heaven to recruit the Messiah, no dangerous descent into hell to rescue the Messiah. So what exactly was Moses saying?

The word that saves is right here,
as near as the tongue in your mouth,
as close as the heart in your chest.
It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"

Romans 10: 4-10 (The Message)

Advance

Excerpts from Live from Advance 2009 by Chad Hall | Out of Ur

A few months back, I noticed that a big conference featuring John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Ed Stetzer and others, and sponsored by the Acts 29 Network, was coming to a neighboring city. I don't quite consider myself Reformed enough to be a part of Acts 29, but I signed up for Advance 09: Resurgence of the Local Church anyway. Thursday was the first half day, and here are some highlights and reflections.

Speaker # 1 Mark Driscoll
I guess the way to get a few thousand conference attendees to show up on time is to have Driscoll kickoff the conference exploring the question “What is the church?” He threw a few jabs at emerging church folks, and poked fun at some virtual church, pajama wearing pastors (nothing too serious) before settling down to explore eight aspects of a true church: 1) regenerated church membership; 2) qualified leadership; 3) gather for preaching and worship; 4) sacraments rightly administered; 5) unified by the Holy Spirit; 6) discipline for holiness; 7) obey the great commandment to love; 8) obey the great commission to evangelize. (These points may be covered in Vintage Church.)

Driscoll said that preaching is first priority for a church, and too many preachers are cowards who offer suggestions rather than commands. He noted that the church was birthed with a man yelling and still requires a man yelling. He also quipped that churches should drop Sunday school because it keeps unchurched people away. He got a boo or two, but I couldn't agree more.

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Speaker #2 Tyler Jones
Jones is the pastor of Vintage 21 in Raleigh and a guy I've known and liked for years. He offered an expose` from Ephesians on the decline of the local church and what a resurgence requires. Very helpful talk. He said that all the reasons we can give for the decline of the church can be boiled down to two: 1) culture has changed and become hostile to the church; 2) culture has changed and the church hasn't changed with it. He said the problem with both camps is that they make the issue about “them”—the culture at large—instead of “us.” The primary issue is that we need to center on Jesus through a lifetime of “active repentance.”

Jones hit another high note when he said allowing gospel-centered virtues (such as morality, doctrine, social justice, or tradition) to replace the gospel as the primary focus makes idols of those otherwise godly concerns.

Speaker #3 Bryan Chapell
Chapell is president of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis. I was impressed with his approach to the topic of communicating the gospel through preaching. The core of his intro (love for Christ fills our hearts and pushes out all else) reminded me of Dallas Willard's discussion of the “gospel of sin management” in The Divine Conspiracy.

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Speaker #4 Matt Chandler
Like Jones, Matt Chandler (pastor of Village Church in Texas) took a look at the church in Ephesus, but drew from Acts, Ephesians, and Revelation. I hadn't heard Chandler before, and I found him to be a highly engaging speaker who spanned a range of emotions and thoughts to nail home what caused the church at Ephesus to go from boom to bust in about forty years. In sum, the church had lost their first love, which had three characteristics: 1) fear of the Lord and worship of his name; 2) a culture of sin confession; 3) they destroyed their idols.

Chandler said that most preaching today is centered on pragmatism, because preachers assume people know the character of God. But preaching on the nature and character of God is vital if the church is to be true to our first love.

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Aliens

Excerpt from an interesting interview with James Hoffmeier:

James K. Hoffmeier, professor of Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern History and Archaeology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, is a leading Egyptologist. Oxford University Press has published his two major works thus far: Israel in Egypt: The Evidence for the Authenticity of the Exodus Tradition and Ancient Israel in Sinai: The Evidence for the Authenticity of the Wilderness Tradition.

His latest book, published by Crossway, addresses the intersection of an ancient issue and a contemporary debate: The Immigration Crisis: Immigrants, Aliens, and the Bible.

Professor Hoffmeier forms a definition of aliens in Israelite society by combining his knowledge of the biblical, archaeological, and sociological evidence. He then uses this framework to explore the current debate on the status of illegal immigrants in the U.S.

Here's a brief interview we did via email:

I imagine some people will see an American OT scholar writing a book on immigration and conclude that this is an ivory-tower, academic exercise. What is your personal experience with these issues?

I have followed with interest the public debate about immigration policy and the status of illegal immigrants. I am especially intrigued by how the Bible has been used, both by those wanting to give amnesty to illegal aliens and those who oppose it. This motivated me to investigate carefully what the Bible had to say about foreigners and aliens.

Then, too, I lived as an alien in Egypt growing up, and as a teenager, my family and I had to flee Egypt because of the 1967 war. We lived for nearly 2 months in tents on a mountain camp in Cyprus. Then for 8 years I was a graduate student in Canada. So I know what it is to be the “stranger” in a foreign land and to live as a refugee for a period. By the way, my wife is a Chinese American, the granddaughter of immigrants from China. So I am not insensitive to plight of immigrants in a foreign land. All of these factors figure into my writing The Immigration Crisis: Immigrants, Aliens, and the Bible.

I know this is a massive question, but what are some guidelines you use to take the laws from the Torah and apply them to our very different context today?

Direct application of OT laws is not easy, nor even desirable in a secular society. Christians are not under the OT law as were members of the old covenant community, but as Paul reminds us regarding the events recorded in the OT: “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction” (1 Cor. 10:11). Minimally one can look for the theological or moral principles behind they laws, and then apply them through the lens of NT doctrine.

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A Very Present Help

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

Reaching Young Adults

Posting at BuildingChurchLeaders

Excerpts from Ed Stetzer's book: Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches that Reach Them

Let's look at some examples of churches that are actually reaching young adults. We surveyed almost 200 churches to search for trends and found a series of nine common characteristics in these churches that are effectively reaching young adults. Here's what they're doing:

Creating Deeper Community

Churches that are effective at attracting and developing young adults place a high value on moving people into a healthy small group system. Young adults are trying to connect and will make a lasting connection wherever they can find belonging.

Making a Difference through Service

Churches that are transforming young adults value leading people to serve through volunteerism. More than being pampered, young adults want to be part of something bigger than themselves and are looking to be part of an organization where they can make a difference through acts of service.

Experiencing Worship

Churches that are engaging young adults are providing worship environments that reflect their culture while also revering and revealing God. More than looking for a good performance, young adults desire to connect with a vertical experience of worship.

Leveraging Technology

Churches that are reaching young adults are willing to communicate in a language of technology familiar to young adults. Young adults sense that these churches are welcoming churches that value and understand them, engaging them where they are.

Building Cross-Generational Relationships

Churches that are linking young adults with older, mature adults are challenging young adults to move on to maturity through friendship, wisdom, and support. Young adults are drawn to churches that believe in them enough to challenge them.

Moving Toward Authenticity

Churches that are engaging young adults are reaching them not only by their excellence but by their honesty. Young adults are looking for and connecting to churches where they see leaders that are authentic, transparent, and on a learning journey.

Leading by Transparency

Churches that are influencing young adults highly value an incarnational approach to ministry and leadership. This incarnational approach doesn't require revealing one's personal sin list so much as it does require that those in leadership must be willing to express a personal sense of humanity and vulnerability.

Leading by Team

Increasingly churches reaching young adults seem to be taking a team approach to ministry. They see ministry not as a solo venture but as a team sport—and the broader participation it creates increases the impact of ministry.

Something Else

Lyrics from All Along by Remedy Drive

It’s not everything it seems - the world and its dreams
Slipping like water through my hands tonight
All the things I thought would fill me up inside
Left me empty here - and now I know why

All along I was looking for something else
You’re something else
All along I was looking for something more
You’re so much more
I finally found what I could never see before
You’ve always been the one that I was looking for

All of my castles in the sand - washed away again
And I’m left back where I began tonight
The only thing that can ever fill me up
Has been right in front of me all the time

...

Tuned

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

THE TOTAL REALM OF REALITY

Matthew 6:33
Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you

A common question I am asked by those who believe the Bible and accept the reality of the spiritual world is, "When is a problem spiritual and when is it psychological or neurological?" Our problems are never not psychological. Our mind, will and emotions, along with developmental issues, always contribute something to the problem and are necessary for the resolution. At the same time, our problems are never not spiritual. God is always present. Furthermore, it is never safe to take off the armor of God. The possibility of being deceived, tempted and accused by Satan is a continuous reality.

Our culture assumes that any problem related to the mind must be psychological or neurological. Why can it not be spiritual? We must take into account the total realm of reality: body, soul and spirit. If we don't, we will polarize into a psychotherapeutic ministry that ignores spiritual reality or some kind of deliverance ministry that ignores developmental issues or human responsibility. The diagnosis and resolution of our problems must take into account both the psychological and the spiritual. I have assured hundreds of people under spiritual attack that they are not going crazy, but that there is a battle going on for their minds. The relief this insight brings to people is incredible.

I fully acknowledge that some problems are caused by chemical imbalances or glandular disorders. For these you had better see your family physician. But it seems that the last possibility to be considered is always the spiritual and only after every other possible natural explanation has been exhausted. But since we are instructed to seek first the kingdom of God, why not check out the spiritual area first? Frankly, I approach every problem hoping it is spiritual in nature, because I know on the authority of the Word of God that the problem is resolvable. If the battle is for the mind, we can win that war.

Prayer:

Father God, keep me tuned to the reality of the spiritual world and mindful of the problems that come when I fail to seek a spiritual solution to my daily problems.

None Like Him

There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.

Psalm 86:8

Precepts

I was noticing the extent the writer of this psalm is pursuing God .. teach me, give me, lead me, incline my, turn my, confirm to, turn away:

Psalm 119: 33-40

³³ Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes;
and I will keep it to the end.
³⁴ Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
and observe it with my whole heart.
³⁵ Lead me in the path of your commandments,
for I delight in it.
³⁶ Incline my heart to your testimonies,
and not to selfish gain!
³⁷ Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in your ways.
³⁸ Confirm to your servant your promise,
that you may be feared.
³⁹Turn away the reproach that I dread,
for your rules are good.
⁴⁰Behold, I long for your precepts;
in your righteousness give me life!

Our Thinking

Post by Perry Noble

Two Questions That Dominate Our Thinking ...

…and can ULTIMATELY destroy our walk with Jesus and what He wants to do in us.

I know that is a huge statement…but it’s true!

In my nearly 20 years of ministry (and almost 38 of life) I have seen these questions change people for the worse…heck…they’ve changed me for the worse many times…

They are…

#1 - What will people say about me?

#2 - What will people think about me?

Yep…being obsessed with what others say and think is one of the quickest ways to take our eyes off of Jesus!

Paul wrote in Galatians 1:10 that if we are trying to please others then we can’t be Jesus’ servant. And…we’re either serving “them” or serving “Him!”

Proverbs 29:25 says that fear of man is a snare…something that captures us (usually for the purpose of eventually destroying us!)

As followers of Jesus our mind and heart must be fixed on Him (Colossians 3:1-2)…which ISN’T EASY because so many times the voice of the crowd seems to trump the voice of Christ.

Truth be known…ALL of us want people to like us!

ALL of us want people to say nice things about us!

ALL of us want people, when they think of us, to have nice thoughts!

I would dare say that NO ONE woke up today thinking, “I REALLY hope people hate me today!”

And I would say there is nothing wrong with the things listed above…UNLESS we allow them to interfere with what Jesus wants for our lives.

When we trade in being obedient to Jesus for being liked by others…we break the first two commands and are on a pretty good pace to shatter the next eight!

I am praying personally that the question that will dominate my life is, “What now Jesus…” and when He answers that I will recklessly pursue all that He wants for me with no regards for anything except for pleasing Him!!! I am not there yet…but it is what I am striving for…and the closer I get the more freedom I feel to live and lead as He has called me to!!!

Evangelism Biblically

Post from Between Two Worlds

A couple of blurbs for Jerram Barrs's latest book, Learning Evangelism from Jesus:

“This is not a book about evangelistic technique but about doing evangelism biblically. There is a difference! Beginning with some of the everyday scenes in the gospels and then examining some of the parables, Jerram Barrs shows us that Jesus had no wooden formula which he followed, but rather was about engaging people in the depths of their being. As a result, this is an unusually wise guide to doing evangelism. The great truths of the gospel shine forth undiminished while at the same time the recesses of the human heart are explored with real insight.”
David F. Wells, Distinguished Research Professor, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

“I can think of no other living educator who better embodies the gospel’s tough love combined with its unconditional acceptance of flawed people than Jerram Barrs. In this wonderfully moving account of Jesus’ approach to evangelism, Professor Barrs shows us the ways in which the Lord’s message penetrates deep into the human heart, uncovering its darkest secrets, while always defending the dignity of its owner.”
William Edgar, Professor of Apologetics, Westminster Theological Seminary

Hold True

I was thinking about this verse from Philippians 3

¹⁶Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

and the analogy and image that came to mind is a cog railroad. I remember when we lived in Germany taking a cog train.

From Wikipedia:

A cog railway, pens and rails railway, rack-and-pinion railway or rack railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail. This allows the trains to operate on steep gradients.

Never Will Quit

God told them, "I've never quit loving you and never will.
Expect love, love, and more love! [The Message]

I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. [ESV]

Jeremiah 31:3

Miry Clay to Rock

Jesus, Lover of my soul,
Jesus, I will never let you go
You've taken me from the miry clay
You've set my feet upon the Rock, and now I know
I love you, I need you,
Though my world may fall, I'll never let you go
My Saviour, my closest friend,
I will worship you until the very end

Hillsong United: Jesus Lover of My Soul

Treasures

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

WHAT WE TREASURE

Matthew 6:19, 20
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven

There are material goods which Jesus identifies as "treasures upon earth." And there are immaterial goods which Jesus calls "treasures in heaven." Treasures upon earth have two characteristics.

First, all natural things decay. What rust doesn't destroy, moths or termites will. Second, because of the value of earthly treasures, there is always a concern for security. It is hard to be anxiety-free if we are worried about our possessions. The more we possess, the more we cause others to covet, hence the reason why "thieves break in and steal."

On the other hand, treasures in heaven are beyond the reach of thieves and secure from the ravages of moths and rust. Paul puts it this way: "Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come" (1 Timothy 4:7, 8).

What do you treasure in your heart? What would you exchange for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? Would you exchange these qualities for a new car, a cabin in the hills, a boat in the marina, exceptional status at the top of the corporate ladder?

Achievement is determined by who or what you serve. There is a moral healthiness and simple, unaffected goodness present in the single-minded person that is absent from the one serving many masters. Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious" (Matthew 6;24, 25).

There will be no peace serving two masters. To whichever master we yield, by that master we shall be controlled.

Prayer:

Father, the treasures of this world call out to me temptingly. I trust You to give me what I need and not what I selfishly desire.