This is really good: 4 bad reasons for choosing a church.
10 Historical Myths About World Christianity
This is scary: Canadian bill would legalize euthanasia for people with disabilities.
[VIDEO] A teacher asks students to write letter to themselves 20 years in the future, and then he delivers the letters to them 20 years later—
These are links to articles and quotes I found interesting today.
This is really cool! 50 People In The Bible Confirmed Archaeologically
Please pray: 33 North Koreans To Be Executed For Contact With Christian Missionary
“Better have God and no other friend then all the patrons on the earth and no God.” —Charles Spurgeon
Thought-provoking questions: “Dear Christian, are you still on fire for Jesus? Are you in love with Him as passionately as when you first got saved? Or have you lost interest in His concerns, forsaking all ministry? Do you have too much else going on in your life? If so, the Lord says to you, ‘I have something against you—you have left your first love!’” —David Wilkerson
Great historical perspective on our current issues: John Wesley And Religious Freedom
These are links to articles and quotes I found interesting today.
“Once we receive the revelation of God’s glory, we cannot continue in our old ways of treating others. That must all change.” —David Wilkerson
“Do we regularly think ‘WHAT’S RIGHT WITH IT?’ instead of ‘what’s wrong with it?’ Do our opinions, as naive as they may seem to be, lift the spirits of others and promote thankfulness, joy and love? Is this how we approach our relationships, our jobs and our church? Do we look for the negative and annoying? Will we drive away from service tomorrow saying, ‘I didn’t like that song’ … or, ‘I thought that message lacked substance’ … or, ‘_______ was really rude today’ … or … something else unkind or unnecessary? I’m guilty of negative opinions too… I’m not proud of this fact and I’m determined to see it radically change in 2014.” —Chilly Chilton
West Michigan is great place to live, and find a job, and get involved with a great church: Why Unemployment Is High In Parts Of Michigan
“No Christian and, indeed, no historian could accept the epigram which defines religion as ‘what a man does with his solitude.’ It was one of the Wesleys, I think, who said that the New Testament knows nothing of solitary religion.” —C.S. Lewis
Muslims are finding Jesus! A Wind In The House Of Islam
Stunning Photos Of Earth From Above
A touching story about Hockeytown′s famous #9: The Best Gift Ever Given To Gordie Howe
A great reminder/challenge from Max Lucado: Someday
Tim Elmore′s helpful advice for anyone working with youth: Six Steps To Prepare For The Coming Culture Shift
“I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him. I ended up by asking Him to do His work through me.” —Hudson Taylor
This post originally appeared on the Live Dead website. It is reproduced here by permission.
My selfish ambition sets sail
Down the hidden rivers of rebellion in my heart,
Secret tunnels obscure things not yet ready to reveal.
I’ve come this far,
given You most.
Why can’t You be satisfied with that?
No, all is what You want.
And every atom of my being is restless,
defensive,
Silent tantrums heard only by You swallow my energy.
The war for my heart—all my heart—
is one you won’t relent.
But I don’t give up easily.
Logic says I’m Yours anyway
But You ask that I should offer,
voluntarily surrender
Even those things, Lord? That too?
I willfully give You…
some.
much.
most.
All? Must You really require all?
I fall to my knees in humble—exhausted—surrender
Tell me again: What great thing was I fighting so valiantly for?
Ah. My heart.
[Our souls are restless until they find rest in You.]
*Written by a Live Dead Arab World missionary
This really weighs heavily on me…
Our guest this morning began to lay down 3×5 cards with the names of students on them. These students haven’t heard about Jesus yet. Let this weigh on your heart—
There are 150 million unreached students in his area of the world.
If all their names were laid end-to-end on 3×5 cards, the line would stretch 11,500 miles.
If you were flying over these cards in a 747, it would take you 20 hours to cover them all.
Stacked together these cards/names would weigh 190 tons.
If you prayed just 1 second for each name, you would be praying for 4.5 years.
We all need to be praying, giving, or going. Or maybe all three.
Most people are familiar with George Santayana’s powerful reminder: “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” This is why I love reading books of history. Denzil R. Miller has given us a powerful lesson of the history of the Pentecostal church in From Azusa To Africa To The Nations.
Denzil, a missionary in Africa, had a very specific motivation for writing this book: To remind African Christians how the full gospel message came to them, and how they should be responding to it. But I found that this book is a great reminder for all who call themselves Pentecostal.
From Azusa re-tells the story of the Pentecostal reawakening in the early days of the 1900s in a small church in Los Angeles pastored by William Seymour. From that small church, a worldwide revival to the fullness of the operation of the Holy Spirit began. It was a call to return to biblical roots; a call back to the message of Jesus, “You will receive power to be My witnesses after the Holy Spirit comes upon you” (Acts 1:8).
Denzil Miller aims to call the African churches back to their Pentecostal roots, but this is a call for all Pentecostals, regardless of the continent on which they live. This is a short, but powerful book, that I encourage you to check out.
When I say missionary, what images come to your mind?
Yes, many of our missionaries do all of these things. But if this is your only concept of missions, you’ve missed something important.
When Jesus told His followers that they would go out as witnesses (missionaries) for Him, He began with—
…you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem… (Acts 1:8)
The first place He sent them was to Jerusalem.
In Cedar Springs, I love the partnerships that the Cedar Springs Ministerial Association has helped foster, and the opportunities for local missions work that have been presented. One of our ongoing projects is providing weekend food for students who may be struggling to have enough over the weekend. It is a program called Hand2Hand. We are always looking for volunteers (missionaries!) who can work, collect food, or donate funds to help.
Adoniram Judson was a missionary to India and Burma in the mid-1800s. His passion for missions was so contagious that a group of students at Andover organized America’s first missionary society, and used the reports from Judson as a means to encourage other students to become involved in missions.
Local newspapers and various religious publications began to compare Judson’s missionary work to the ground-breaking and miraculous missionary trips conducted by the Apostle Paul and the other apostles of the New Testament.
Judson began to write letters to the editors, expressing his displeasure at this comparison. In one letter he wrote,
I do not want to be like them. There is but One to copy, Jesus Himself. I want to plant my feet in His footprints and measure their shortcomings by His and His alone. He is the only Copy. I want to be like Him.
Who are you copying? Your parents? Your pastor? Your mentor? Some figure from history?
Truly: There is but One to copy, Jesus Himself.
Guest Blogger: Dick Brogden
Greetings From the Land of Smoke,
A Christian handed a Bible to a Northern Sudanese Muslim Arab who declined to receive it saying, “I have a smoking problem. If I take the Bible, I will just rip out the pages, make cigarettes, and smoke them.”
Thanks be to God, the distributor did not stand on niceties and responded, “No problem, go ahead and rip the pages out to make your cigarettes. But before you roll them, make sure to read the page you ripped out.”
The Muslim man agreed, took the Bible and began to contemplatively smoke his way through the Gospels. Daily he would rip out a page, peruse it, then roll it into a cigarette and puff away. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all were read and then immolated. By the time the smoker had inhaled his way into John, the Holy Spirit had begun to draw as well. John 3:16 was the clincher—it was after smoking that chapter and verse that this Muslim man gave his heart to Jesus.
I guess it goes to prove that where there’s smoke, there is fire!
Dick Brogden and his family have served as missionaries in Sudan for 15 years.
My cousin is a missionary in a country that is over 98% Muslim. Every day he engages Muslims using their language, their culture, their beliefs, their traditions. He’s in their homes, their businesses, their marketplaces.
He shows them how much Jesus loves them by showing them how much he loves them.
The other day I was reading one of his recent e-newsletters where he described what a missionary is:
Missionaries engage culture respectfully, learning local languages, celebrating what is good, speaking against injustice, speaking for those too weak or abused to speak for themselves. Missionaries often love their adopted countries as much as natural citizens do. Missionaries exalt Christ and point to Him as the only answer for our common sin problem, and the only hope for lasting peace. They are a blessing to their families and society. They are loyal to their families, faithful to their authorities, and servants to their communities.
When I read this description I thought, “I’m a missionary. I do all of these things right here in Cedar Springs.” Like learning the local culture and traditions; celebrating the good in our community; speaking out for those who can’t; supporting our schools, police, fire, and elected officials.
I ♥ My Church and I ♥ Cedar Springs!
Two questions:
1. Do you agree with my cousin’s definition of missionary?
2. Are you a missionary in your community?
Craig T. Owens 