Regaining Our Missionary Footing

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…

The majority of churches in the American context have lost their sense of mission, settling for the comfort and care of their congregants and attenders. Missions—where supported—has a foreign connotation, referring to those sent to exotic outposts to evangelize the indigenous peoples. Seeing the blocks that surround church building as a mission field is left to the church planter.

…You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

While we should not go so far as to say that all of the Church is to see itself as mission outposts, certainly a fair percentage of churches should seeking the will of the Shepherd as to their calling in this respect. How many churches see their neighbors and neighborhood as a mission field in the same way as those sent to Japan or Mexico? How many congregations have done the kind of sociological research on the people in the immediate vicinity of the church that a denominational missions agency has done on the ends of the earth? Are we still attempting to attract people to programs rather than seeking out ways to deliver living water to them?

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…

The American church has grown to accommodate the culture, adapting the culture’s ways to the service of Christ in an effort to attract more people to the building. Few practice service to others without the agenda of attraction, even if it is unspoken. The Church’s local influence should be such that we are culture makers, not culture takers.

The Church must regain its missionary footing and take the first steps right outside of her door. The Lord did not leave us the option of ignoring (our) Jerusalem in favor of the ends of the earth. It will require an outward focus from the top down, possibly at the expense of internal comfort. The mission re-starts right here, right now.

Grace and peace to you…

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Like John Harper

The Truth About the Lordship of Christ by John MacArthur

It is my presumption that I was not the intended audience for this volume in the Truth About trilogy of books. Each page presents a nugget of truth with a single text that is meant to support the idea. For a new Christian, it would serve as an excellent  primer. Perhaps for the more mature Christian, the book would be useful as a reminder of once-grasped ideas. For me, it was a disappointment.

Closing the last page left me wondering if Dr. MacArthur had reviewed the galleys before sending it to print. The book offers nothing new as it is constructed from material already published in a number of his other books. I believe it is this packaging that makes the book such a difficult read. There is a lack of coherence between the thoughts. What the reader is presented with is a proof-text (in whichever translation best coheres to MacArthur’s doctrine) and a handful of paragraphs in support.

The small thought units by themselves are excellent, as I would expect from Dr. MacArthur. He is unabashed in his Hyper-Calvinism and it is on full display in the introductory pages of the book. Though it may be unintentional, the inconsistencies of this theological system are on full display as it does not lend itself to a sound-bite format.

The Truth About the Lordship of Christ should be put into the hands of young Christians, if only to generate questions for conversation. The small, tightly focused sections offer just enough information for someone new to following Christ to begin the process. As the Spirit develops greater interest, Dr. MacArthur’s full-length works are waiting in the wings.

I am grateful to Thomas Nelson who provided this book for review.

Satan’s Defeat at the Cross – Christus Victor

From a purely human perspective, Jesus’ hours of agony upon the Cross appear to be the very inverse of victory. Rejected by His people, abused nearly to point of death, accused and convicted of crimes for which He is known to be innocent and then cruelly affixed to the tortuous tool of death, our senses struggle to see Jesus as being victorious in any context. Time—in this case a couple of days—proves that there is more than meets the eye however. Christ rises, and a new epoch of history follows in his wake.

Atonement has not been explained by a single theological position. At various times in this history of the Church, different theories have attempted to corral the revelation in the Scriptures and explain what was achieved by Calvary. Salvation is a constant, for certain, but humanity is also the beneficiary the multi-faceted view of God’s character that comes into sharp focus. Evil suffers defeat as well. Though often disregarded as the theory of atonement, Christ’s victory over  the powers of evil is an aspect of the cross that has far-reaching implications for the lives of Christians today.

The name of this view, Christus Victor, is often attributed to Gustav Aulen and his book of the same title. In this tome he challenged the legal and moral views of atonement as inadequate and proposed a restoration of the view he called ‘classic’, saying that it was “the ruling idea of the Atonement for the first thousand years of Christian history.” (Aulen)

God’s plan for the defeat of evil is a lengthy, multi-faceted process that will not be fully consummated until the parousia, but offering benefits attainable by believers today. The Father set to work immediately after evil entered the world, stating that it would be defeated at a time in the future:

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. (Gen 3:15)

The Messiah is in view as the one who will defeat this enemy, crushing his head, foreshadowing the ministry of Jesus. The Wicked One knows that the arrival of Jesus predicts his end and, as the Conqueror begins His ministry, he makes every attempt to destroy Him. Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness, he leads Herod to murder the boys and deceives Peter into attempting to dissuade Christ from the completion of His objective (Get behind me, Satan! (Mt 16:23).

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and the authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Col 2:13-15)

Conquest is achieved on Golgotha, the strong man is overpowered and bound. As the passage in Colossians attests, Christ accomplishes the disarming of powers and authorities, triumphing over them on the Cross. While the Evil One may have wanted to continue in his deceit, victory is announced and confirmed at the Resurrection (Acts 2:24, Eph 1:20-23). The church on mission extends the conquest, preaching Christ crucified as Lord, summoning others out of bondage through repentance and renewal.

While we avoid the language of triumphalism, victory should be a part of the vocabulary of the believer. As John Stott says “The victory of Christians, therefore, consists of entering into the victory of Christ and enjoying its benefits.. We can thank God that ‘he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’” (1 Cor 15:57). Caution remains in order though, as the Deceiver continues his self-deceit. He is defeated but has not conceded and continues to seek out ways to derail the Christian treading the narrow path (1 Jn 5:18, 1 Pet 5: 8).

Grace and peace to you…

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Hand to the Plow

Sifted by Wayne Cordeiro

imageSimon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. Luke 22:31

Everyone in ministry hopes to avoid it, some even convince themselves that it might be possible that it will never be visited upon them, but sooner or later a period of testing will set in upon their lives. Some won’t survive and others will be permanently hamstrung. Some however, will emerge stronger than ever and into a season of greater ministry success. In Sifted, Pastor Wayne Cordeiro and his co-authors Chan and Osborne seek to build faith and spiritual muscle to prepare for the trials to come so that a greater number of pastors emerge from the other side of their troubles.

Though sin claims innumerable ministries each year, many more are weakened by trials that people are unprepared to handle. Trials claim their victims through weakened spirit, ineffective ministry and drained enthusiasm. Each of these can be avoided with the proper attitude according to the author. Cordeiro encourages the reader to prepare for trials and look for opportunities to grow spiritually while in the crucible. There may be repentance necessary, an attitude that requires change or work habits needing modification.

The chapters in the home work section are probably the hardest hitting. In the name of laboring for the Lord, so many in ministry sacrifice their marriage, children and health. The truth is that laboring to the point of exhaustion or a marital failure leaves the pastor with greater stress and problems than if the time away had been taken in the first place. The book does not mince words or tiptoe around the truth, which jumps off of each page. Tests and other evaluations help us to see ourselves in the paragraphs that we try to avoid.

This excellent book is not just for those in the midst of trials. Everyone will see them come at some point and it pays big dividends to be fully prepared for their arrival. Pastor Cordeiro opens his life as a warning. Read it and begin the process of preparation.

Psalm 116 ~ He Saved Me

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When the prolific duo of Ashford and Simpson penned these words, were they thinking beyond the human realm?

Ain’t no mountain high enough.

Ain’t no valley low enough.

Ain’t no river wide enough, to keep me from getting’ to you.

The psalmist portrays this distance from the Savior in terms of life and death, painting mortality as the last moment in which He can reach out and pluck His creations for the abyss.

The cords of death entangle me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow.

Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Lord, save me!” (Ps 116:3-4)

Such is extent of the Savior’s reach that not even the ebbing moments of life can rebuff Him. We cry out “Lord, save me!” and redemption extends life forever. Restoration is a now and still to come reality. Whatever remains of our time in this world can be in peace and assurance;

Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. (v7)

A thankful heart taken captive by the Spirit guides our gratitude-filled steps, all of these remaining days;

I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord—in your midst Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord. (vv 17-19)

Grace and peace to you…

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The Justice of God in the Cross

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In expressing his moral shock at God’s decision to destroy the good with the bad in Sodom, Abraham voiced what many believers have wanted to yell throughout history, “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Indeed! The slaughter of the righteous and the wicked and the continued prospering of the wicked so many centuries later perplexes us. Some, believers and non, are tempted to the point of labeling God unjust based on what they see around them.

There are numerous warnings in the Bible that turn people away succumbing to this belief. Over and over, the Holy Spirit inspires the authors to record prohibitions against belief that the current reign of the unjust will continue forever. God will mete out justice at an appointed day in the future; “..do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Rom 2:3b-4; see also Acts 17:30-31, 2 Pet 3:3-9)

The more observant will note the theodicy evident in the Cross. The clear language Paul uses in Romans 3:21 – 26 forms the foundation of this understanding. God present him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies the man who has faith in justice.

Divine Justice is on full display. God judges sin, requiring the ultimate penalty in death. He also extends mercy to sinners, paying this ultimate price himself. As Stott says “For now, as a result of the propitiatory death of his Son, God can be “just and the justifier” of those who believe in him.” His justice is defended against the limited understanding of man and the questions that pour forth from it.

Grace and peace to you..

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Atheism is a Form of Cognitive Dysfunction

A Shot of Faith {To the Head} by Mitch Stokes PhD.

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Atheism is a Form of Cognitive Dysfunction

Dr. Stokes includes the section heading above in the closing chapters of this excellent book, not in a provocative sense or to garner cheap attention, but to emphasize the strength of the logical and philosophical arguments in favor of God and Christianity. While the modern Atheists have descended to conclusion that anyone who proclaims a belief in God is suffering from a mental illness at best, and a severe cognitive deficit at worst. Why, they say, one might as well believe in the The Flying Spaghetti Monster just as easily as a deity who created and maintains the world in which we live.

A Shot of Faith is not a casual read. Dr. Stokes writes at a high academic level from three perspectives: rationality, design, and absolute standards. Each theme addresses modern Atheism’s common positions that attempt to disprove God’s existence. The lead argument that he dissects is the position that Christian belief is irrational based upon the lack of evidence. Stokes does a magnificent job of not only outlining the Atheist position, but also in addressing it using the same logic and philosophical tools that they use to arrive at their conclusion. The results are devastating to the foundation of the Atheistic belief system, knocking out the foundations that undergird its fragile construction. 

Stokes’ book may be intended for a wide audience but the concentration and consideration required to work through his epistemic process and to make the information your own. For the reader willing to put in the time and reflection necessary, the knowledge contained in these pages is sufficient to face down any emotional Atheist who chooses to resort to the common memes in challenging their faith in Christ. The thread that weaves through all of the pages is perhaps the most important; we need not be afraid of challenging the bellicose voices that attempt to diminish faith to myth or fairy tale.

I am grateful to Thomas Nelson who provided this book for review.

4:47

imageNo sooner did your song begin before it stopped. Replaced by whistles, your rattling ck-ck-ck-ck-ck was silenced. Did your moment pass?

The whistlers were symphonic, each contributing their assigned tonal range to the racket. One by one, each entered the music… first bar, fourth bar, coda.

But you were alone.

The volume of your voice was more than adequate but still no reply came. The Snake continued silently passing by, Geese resting at its edge but still no sound. Who were you trying to communicate with at this early hour?

Now the quiet returns.

Individual chirps have replaced the cacophony with another hour remaining until the sun begins to crown, birthing a new day. Each camouflaged singer has its moment in the awakening, ceding the silence to the next at just the right time. Soon, the sun will heat the air and silence will return as you blend into the brown of the Idaho desert.

Until tomorrow at 4:47.

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The Glory of God in the Cross

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The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

A series of preceding posts looked at the work accomplished by the Savior on the Cross. Each focused on the salvific work and the categories of understanding that theologians have applied: propitiation, redemption, justification and reconciliation. Limiting our descriptive language to this taxonomy leaves us questioning; we see what God accomplishes on the Cross but we are deficit in hearing the complete message that He wants to communicate via this moment in history.

The first revelatory facet that we note is God’s glory revealed in the Cross. The same glory that filled the Temple in Old Testament revelation is also seen in Jesus, who dwelled among us for a little while (Jn 1:14). In addition to satisfying God’s righteousness requirements, in fulfilling His demands for justice, Jesus proclaims how the Father’s glory is seen in his humiliation and sacrifice (John 17:1). As Stott points out “the glory that radiates from the cross is that same combination of divine qualities which God revealed to Moses as mercy and justice, and which we have seen in the Word made flesh as ‘grace and truth (Ex 34:6).”

Grace and peace to you…

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