We Need Correction Most Where We Listen Least

Now, none of the fruit of repentance will ever appear if you are hardened against correction and conviction. And frankly, all of us need correction most in the areas of our lives where we will listen least. That is the nature of our sin, and that is why we must constantly be washing ourselves in the Word and in Christian fellowship. If you are truly a Christian, be encouraged by the good fruit that words of rebuke (from yourself or others) against you can bear! When these words are accurate and well-placed, God will use them to grow wonderful fruit. (Dever, The Message of the Old Testament, pg. 892).

Let's Pray for Saeed Abedini

Iran has recently been increasing its persecution of Christians. Among those imprisoned for his faith is Saeed Abedini, an Iranian-Christian pastor who has been living in the US. He was arrested on a recent trip to Iran. You can read more about it here at CNN's blog.

Why We Fail to Pray

"If we think we can do life on our own, we will not take prayer seriously. Our failure to pray will always feel like something else- a lack of discipline or too many obligations" (Paul Miller, A Praying Life, pg. 59).

"A Response to the First Republican Senator to Support So-Called Same-Sex Marriage"

Recently, as you may have seen in the news, a republican senator, Rob Portman, came out in public support of so called "same sex marriage" by writting an editorial in which he explains why he changed his view. Here is a short podcast in which John Piper responds to the senator's arguments.

Piper points out that we, as Christians, must be aware of two things in the arguments being put forth:

1. The absolutizing of self-defined, self-determining happiness. This is the idea that a person's definition of what happiness entails is absolute and cannot be questioned, even if it is opposite to what God says brings true happiness and flourishing.1 
2. The use of general biblical themes (like love and compassion) to negate specific biblical commands (against sinful behaviors like homosexuality). 2

Take note of these and listen for them in the arguments you hear from those who would claim to be upholding the Bible and, at the same time, promoting so called "same sex marriage."

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In his Op Ed, Rob Portman says,
1As we strive as a nation to form a more perfect union, I believe all of our sons and daughters ought to have the same opportunity to experience the joy and stability of marriage.

2 "I wrestled with how to reconcile my Christian faith with my desire for Will to have the same opportunities to pursue happiness and fulfillment as his brother and sister. Ultimately, it came down to the Bible’s overarching themes of love and compassion and my belief that we are all children of God."

What Baseball Teaches Us

"Baseball means dealing with failure," says David Prince. He points out that the most successful players to ever play have only managed a .4 batting average (that is a 40% hit rate). That is to say a 60% rate of failure! Prince goes on to note that baseball as a game of "managed failure" used to be popular in American culture because it was seen as a reflection of the need to develop perseverance and to work hard. But now, he notes, "what was once seen as a part of the glory of baseball -- learning to persevere in the face of consistent failure -- is now perceived to be a reason to avoid the game."

With the start of our softball season it may be good to read this article. Not so much to become better players (that isn't the goal of his article), but to be reminded of what baseball can teach us about the Christian life. 

Missions is Not Merely about Sending People

Here is a statement that is so important for our understanding of missions. This is from HeartCry Missionary Society:

Missions is not about merely  sending people to the foreign field- the Peace Corps can do that! Missions is about communicating God's truth to the world. It is a doctrinal or theological endeavor...

Statements like that are why I love the fact that our church supports HeartCry. I love reading their magazine which gives updates of the mission work they are supporting around the globe. If you have never heard of them, you should take some time to check out their website and their magazine.

The Beards of Ministry

Thought this was a "helpful" taxonomy to help us understanding the different types of beards we've been seeing in ministry these days....or at Bible study for that matter.

http://www.outofur.com/archives/2013/02/the_beards_of_m.html