Lighthouse: Persecution in China

The happenings in China surrounding Shouwang (Lighthouse) Church are gaining international media attention. The façade of religious liberty is giving way to the true demon underneath, and that demon is ugly.

It was not long ago that Chinese Christians were placed under house arrest and denied egress at airports during the Lausanne Conference in South Africa. That was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of government pressure and media coverage.

CNN posted an article about a young woman known only as “Water” who has been detained, followed, and harassed by the police for her involvement in the church. Her fears echo the fears of countless others, both in the underground church in China and in the broader context of Christianity past and present.

These fears include continued harassment, longer detention, and even torture. Water and others like her need our prayers to stand strong in the face of opposition, just as Peter did for the believers he wrote to in his New Testament epistles.

The example of the believers in Jerusalem following the detainment and beating of the apostles is one we should remember in this situation:

Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

Acts 5:41-42, ESV

Internet Highlights

Here are some articles I've found particularly interesting this week:

Learn a little bit about Spanish culture regarding treating others at restaurants and parties from a transplanted American living in Spain.

Read a good word from John Piper on the apex of history in the apex of the display of God’s glory.

Russell Moore shares some insights on explaining the Passion to children.

When even secular commentators see the oversexualization of young girls and who’s to blame.

Book Review: When God Created My Toes by Dandi Daley Mackall

Editor's note: This book review was completed by my wife, Hannah. As a preschool teacher and soon-to-be mother, she's well situated to make assessments of children's books.

When God Created My Toes by Dandi Daley Mackall uses rhymes and vivid illustrations to teach children how much God delights in creating them. My favorite part of the book is the beautifully painted illustrations. As the book goes through each body part, the illustrations show a little girl making a mess as she plays. From mud pies to scraped knees, we see her in constant action. The text background is always a sheet of notebook paper and sometimes has kid-style illustrations drawn on the bottom, adding to the appeal.

 The rhyming scheme starts off fresh and fun, but as the book progresses it lacks continuity. For instance, the 'hip' rhyme lacks an introductory page whereas all the other body part rhymes include one. I wonder if this is a printing error the publisher figured we wouldn’t notice (I’m thinking of the plot line from Elf now). The number of rhyming phrases also changes from page to page, which makes the book sound confusing and choppy to read aloud.

 Although the pictures make this book worth skimming, for those looking to buy a book on God's love or creation other children’s books are more appropriate. I’m thinking of God Gave us Love by Lisa Bergren and Laura Bryant or Because I Love You by Max Lucado.

To buy the book, visit Amazon.com (direct link).

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their Blogging for Books Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Book Review: The Whole Bible Story by Dr. William H. Marty

Dr. William H. Marty's book The Whole Bible Story attempts to provide a summary of the historical elements of the Bible, from Creation through the end of the book of Acts. Some things, like Levitical law, the Old Testament poetry, and the New Testament letters were left out, since the book is not a summary of the Bible, but a summary of everything that happens in the Bible. Think of it as a kind of like a detailed plot synopsis.

The book was easy to read and it didn't take long to get through some of the more... drawn out sections of Scripture (there are are no begats). Since the book looks at the Bible historically instead of book by book, Kings and Chronicles was combined, as were the four gospels. For people unfamiliar with the events occurring between King David and the end of the captivity, that section would be extremely helpful in developing a chronological understanding of the Bible, kind of like what a harmony of the Gospels does for the New Testament.

The book itself was very detailed, including much of the story and leaving little out. I do some chronological Bible storying as a discipleship tool and we frequently discuss what was left out in the telling. Here very little was left out, although the book gets more and less detailed in various sections.

I was surprised to see that Job was absent from the book. This is the one biggest absence in the book. I know Job is poetry and reads like an epic, but most people would agree that Job actually existed before or during the time of Abraham. Its absence leaves a significant hole in what would otherwise be a complete summary of the Bible. Other content that was missing include:

• the story of Judah and Tamar, in Genesis;
• Aaron's sons, and the death they suffered for offering "strange fire" to God;
• Shimei, who cursed David when Absalom attempted a coup, was not mentioned until he was killed by Solomon;
• though the events of the book of Ezra were mentioned, Ezra himself was missing until he comes back again (with a minor role) in the book of Nehemiah;
• Ezekiel wasn't mentioned at all, and few of the other prophets (besides Jonah and Daniel) were mentioned at any length. Most received a sentence pointing out that they served during the reign of King so-and-so.

Here is a general summary of the book's level of detail:

• Genesis through Judges was covered in significant detail (with that one exception noted above).
• Starting in Samuel and going on through the time of the Kings, the story became much less detailed compared to the first section. A few stories were covered in more detail, like the ministry of Jonah.
• Starting in the exile, the prophet Daniel and his life was very detailed. It even included a summary of his visions and prophecies. Esther and Nehemiah were likewise detailed.
• The Gospels and Acts were covered in detail much like the book of Genesis. Some of the parables were left out, but when you consider that the book is primarily historical, this is understandable. Once the author got to the New Testament he began quoting Old Testament prophecies and some New Testament passages verbatim, which was a change in style compared to his treatment of the Old Testament.

Though he is a professor at Moody, Marty didn't add his own interpretation to the passages. I was bothered that he said some people consider the flood to have been localized instead of global. I wasn't sure why he felt the need to bring it up since he didn't mention anything that typically goes along with creation (e.g. evolution, young-earth, day-age theory, etc.).

There were two errors I saw in the book:

• Marty erroneously mentions that Jesus is flogged twice.
• There is an error in geography where he mentions Paul stopping in a city in mainland Greece, when in actuality it was in Italy.

Overall, the book, as I said above, is an excellent chronological summary of the Bible. For new believers, or even seasoned believers who could use a little clarification of the events as they unfolded, this would be an excellent tool to use in small groups or even one-on-one discipleship.

For a PDF the first two chapters covering all of Genesis, click here.

To buy the book on Amazon, click here.

For another helpful resource on Bible storying, check out my review of Truth that Sticks by Avery T. Willis.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from BethanyHouse Publishers as part of the blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

He's Alive!

Here's a classic Easter song I've always enjoyed from Don Francisco. The link is to the MP3 file. The webpage is located here.

What's in the Bible? (Part 2)

This is my concluding note on Phil Vischer's What's in the Bible? kids' program. Read Part 1 here.

What’s in the Bible? According to Phil Vischer, creator of VeggieTales and his new children’s video series, Arminianism is.

An Arminian Worldview

Apparently Vischer has decided that it is better to focus on Arminianism than Christ in the Old Testament (see previous post). Arminianism is much more complex than I can cover here, and my focus is only on one tenet of Arminianism, so it isn’t as though Vischer has devoted a whole DVD to the articles of Remonstrance.

I am a Calvinist, and I have no qualms about it. If that term has excess baggage for you, check out this post to get a better idea of what I believe. I don’t think the show should teach Calvinism if that isn’t what Phil Vischer believes, but he sets up viewers to read and understand the Bible from only one interpretive frame work: man’s free will. This is unbiblical.

True, certain things can be extrapolated from the Bible based on the whole of what the Bible says about something. That’s why we talk about the Trinity. But even the theologians who debated and helped form the early creeds regarding the Trinity knew that they had to take in all the evidence if they were to use non-biblical language. But Vischer’s explanation of free will is selective. A more Biblical explanation of this topic can be addressed by looking at God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, which is not a synonym for “free will.” These things are found in the Bible and discussed together, especially in Romans 9, Ephesians 1, and other places.

While attempting to explain the fall (and man’s other sinful actions), Phil says that God has given human beings a “powerful and dangerous gift—free will.” Dangerous? For who? From the video, it seems it was dangerous for both us and God. As a result, the interpretive framework that ties the three videos together is free will to the exclusion of the sovereignty of God. And as far as the show is concerned, God didn’t have a plan of redemption until after the fall. When God created Adam and Eve, He was taking a risk.

A risk?

Does that mean God was blindsided? Shocked? Caught off guard? The show doesn’t ask or answer those questions. But the point is clear: the fall depended entirely on Adam and Eve. Not only does this encourage children to have a man-focused instead of God-focused understanding of the Scriptures, it actually twists the sovereignty of God into a potential reality, not a kinetic reality.

More to Come

I think much can be gained from What’s in the Bible?. As a parent (or soon-to-be parent), I want my children to have every opportunity to learn God’s story and have a chance to respond to the gospel. Children are drawn to media, and I plan to make use of this show and others to help my kids understand what the Bible says and teaches.

Vischer’s characters are both entertaining and educational. I’ve had friends tell me they were learning right along with their children. The content is heavy, and it is amazing what can be squeezed into a 50 minute program.

No parent should rely solely on kids’ programming, church classes, or sermons to instruct their children. Ultimately each parent is responsible for his or her child’s spiritual formation. With What’s in the Bible?, there is a definite need to give more guidance and clarification to young minds.

To what extent Phil Vischer is an Arminian will only be revealed as more episodes are aired. I may buy them if they drop down into my price threshold (yes, I am cheap). Until then, Vischer has given us enough to contemplate (and be concerned over) in the videos that have already been released.

A "Nu" Prayer Request

There's a new prayer request out for the Nu people (yes, shameless pun) from Today's Prayer that popped up on Thursday the 21st. It's an update from a previous request that I wrote about (here) a couple weeks ago.

 

NU OF COLOMBIA (noo). Thank you for your prayers for the national missionary family who works with the Nu people, asking that the Lord would provide for them to be able to return to a major city for a time of counseling and renewal and that they would hear and respond to God's leadership concerning the areas of their life that need to be examined and submitted to His correction, healing and victory. Praise the Lord that He has provided housing and financial sufficiency for the needs of this family during their time of counseling and healing in the city. Please continue to pray that God will show them what they need to see and hear from Him during this time of rest and renewal. Pray that they will have good times as a family and learn what God has purposed for them.

Talking about "national missionaries" has got me thinking. Who do you consider to be a national missionary? There are plenty of pastors who are living away from where they grew up in a city or area that is foreign to them in the States. Though I have a full-time job, I am heavily involved in our Hispanic ministry at church. Am I a missionary?

 

I don't know, but I do know that we are all called to be on mission wherever we're at, including our homes, schools, and workplaces. Pray for the national missionary family in Colombia, and remember to pray for the national missionaries you know in the States as well (or wherever you happen to live).

What's in the Bible? (Part 1)

What’s in the Old Testament? According to Phil Vischer, creator of VeggieTales and his new children’s video series, Christ isn't.

Our local Christian bookstore had a sale on the What’s in the Bible DVDs last year and my wife and I picked up the first three for a fraction of the sale price. Since we were planning on having kids (and since our first one is now on the way), we wanted to make sure we started stockpiling children’s films to replace the action and war movies lining my shelf (oh the agony!).

After watching the first three, I was very impressed with the quality of the production. The puppets look very professional (though we think one puppet was used twice featuring a different outfit, different nose). The songs are fun and catchy. And the teaching gets pretty deep.

Instead of only telling Bible stories, the show tries to answer interpretive and other questions people ask, such as “Where did the Bible come from?” and “Why are there only 66 books?” The resulting material is interesting. On the one hand, much of the show’s material would go over the head of preschoolers and elementary students. I don’t know if the show could keep the attention and interest of middle school students.

Then again, I still watch VeggieTales (over 20 DVDs and counting) because I find them entertaining, so my wife would be a better judge of the episodes’ educational and entertainment value for children.

A Christ-less Old Testament?

It seems in an effort to go through the books of the Bible in order, the creators have decided to make few references to Christ until they get to the New Testament. They could have spent a considerable amount of time talking about the protoevangelium where God promises the woman’s seed will crush the serpent’s head in Genesis, the fact that Christ is our Passover lamb, that when Moses announced that God would raise up a Prophet like himself, he was talking about Jesus, or that Jesus fulfilled the law.

But they didn’t.

Phil Vischer said on his blog,

…God didn't start his rescue plan with Jesus. God's rescue plan starts with Abraham, and then slogs its way through the entire history of Israel. Why? Because if we don't see how impossible it was for Israel to live under the Law, we really don't understand why the incarnation was so necessary. We can't please God on our own. Israel tried, and tried, and tried. And failed, and failed, and failed. Man's inability to live up to God's standard is the problem. Jesus is the solution. If our kids don't fully appreciate the problem, should we really be surprised if they fail to fully appreciate the solution?

I think I understand his intentions, but should we hold off telling about Jesus until we can give nine videos worth of summary of the Old Testament? Besides, God’s “rescue plan” is first revealed in Genesis 3:16 with the promise concerning the woman’s seed, a promise that is fulfilled in Jesus. And Revelation describes Christ as the “lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” God’s rescue plan begins and ends with Christ, and as such What’s in the Bible? should focus on Him. What subtly comes across is that you must have a grasp of the Old Testament (i.e. be Jewish) before you can be a Christian, an issue that was resolved by the early church (see Acts 15).

Stay tuned for part two...

For Your Reading Pleasure

Here are a few posts that I've read and pondered over recently. Enjoy!

• International Mission Board introduces an app to get prayer requests from the field to the people back home.
• Baptist21 highlights David Platt’s Disciple-Making International, a website with some helpful resources for families and small groups.
• Dr. Russell Moore and guest share insight into the meaning behind the classic song, American Pie.
• Hot on the heels of a tribute to John Piper, Crossway announces a tribute to D.A. Carson.
• Zondervan announces a podcast of the Easter Story with clips from The Bible Experience going up each day of Passion week.

Book Review: God Gave us You by Lisa Tawn Bergen

Editor's note: My wife Hannah and I collaborated on this book review. Since Hannah is now 17 weeks pregnant, we were delighted to be able to review a book that talks to a child about what this time is like.

God Gave us You by Lisa Tawn Bergen and illustrated by Laura J. Bryant is a simple book that teaches children about their beginning in mommy’s tummy and shows them how much they have been loved, even before birth. The scenes portraying polar bears add a cozy layer of fur to the story behind the question, “Where did I come from?”

As the title suggests, children are pointed to the giver of life as the answer to this question. The book shows momma bear praying for the infant in her womb, reminding parents to be in constant prayer for the physical and spiritual well-being of our kids while reinforcing the essential concept of our dependence on God.

The text has an even flow, and like the other books in the series, it has adorable illustrations that make you want to reach through the page and hug the bears. Bright colors, soft textures, warm embraces, and unique borders make it engaging to child and adult alike.

Many pictures stretch across two pages and some pages have illustrations off to the side of angel bears, penguins, or other creatures. The pregnant polar bear pictures were particularly funny.

Our culture likes to portray children and pregnancy as a hindrance to our happiness. God Gave us You portrays children as blessings from God. That, for me, is the best part.

This book would be most appropriate for children ages 3 to 6.


To buy the book, visit Amazon.com (direct link).


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their Blogging for Books Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Cha & Ta of Colombia

Today's Prayer mentioned the Cha and Ta people of Colombia. Remember Colombian national missionaries who are seeking to reach these and other people groups while seeking direction and guidance from the Holy Spirit. Praise God for nationals who take up the challenge to be lights in their own nations and abroad.

CHA AND TA OF COLOMBIA (chah; tah). Thank you for your prayers for the national missionaries to the Cha and Ta people of Colombia, asking that God would show them where He would have them live and continue to minister to these indigenous communities. After a time of prayer and study of the areas surrounding the city where they currently live, these missionaries, J and C, feel led to move to a smaller town in the area called town R. In the month of March, this couple visited the town to check out housing, the school, etc. with the hope of being able to establish a new base location for their ministry. Pray that the Lord will continue to clarify for this couple His direction for their living situation and ministry, and ask that they will be obedient to His voice. Pray for continued healing for C and the couple's two sons as they battle different viral and allergy problems.

Book Review: The Greener Grass Conspiracy by Stephen Altrogge

The Greener Grass Conspiracy was a short book. At 139 pages, it's easy to lose it on my bookshelf, especially if I put it between a systematic theology and a concordance. But I'm content. The book taught me that. And if a 139 page book can help you shift from discontentment to contentment, it's worth looking into.

Part of the reason the book is so powerful is that Stephen Altrogge is not an Ent (remember the Lord of the Rings?). He doesn't take a long time to say something important. He just says it. I published a quote from the book a few days ago, and it is a representative sample of the weight of the book.

Altrogge's style is fluid and conversational. He usually starts each chapter with a humorous anecdote, which he quickly brings it around to a point, and that point is grounded in Scripture. He's pretty honest about his struggle with discontentment, and that honesty forces the reader to take the same examination to his own life.

Since each chapter is quick to read (because of length and his engaging style), it leaves you with more time to reflect. He even includes some application questions at the end of each chapter, which I bounced off my wife a few times. It would certainly make for a good study as a small group.

I've also been reading Rescuing Ambition by Dave Harvey, and I think the two are companion volumes dealing with similar themes. I've found The Greener Grass Conspiracy to be good for reflecting on my overall life, but Rescuing Ambition has been good for my work ethic and goal-setting.

If you're finding yourself dissatisfied with your work, marriage, ministry, or whatever, I think both volumes would be of help. And if you're looking for the support and encouragement of community in your struggle with discontentment, I'd definitely pick up a copy of The Greener Grass Conspiracy.

For a sample chapter of The Greener Grass Conspiracy, click here.
For a sample chapter of Rescuing Ambition, click here.

To buy a copy of The Greener Grass Conspiracy, click here.

To buy a copy of Rescuing Ambition, click here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received The Greener Grass Conspiracy free from Crossway Books in exchange for writing a review. I was not required to write a positive review. I also won Rescuing Ambition from Crossway in an online drawing, but I didn't have to say anything about it. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Altrogge on the Cross and Hell

There are no words to describe the horror that Jesus endured on the cross. Those who are in hell right now are getting a faint glimpse of it, but even their sufferings are insignificant compared to the suffering of the Son of God. They are being punished for their sins only. Jesus was punished for the sins of millions.

Altrogge, Stephen. The Greener Grass Conspiracy: Finding Contentment on Your Side of the Fence. Wheaton: Crossway, 2011. 62.

Big Brother is Watching… Or He May be Soon

My wife and I started watching the first half of The Bourne Ultimatum the other night. In our early old age we’ve discovered that it is easier to watch a movie spread over two nights than it is to watch it all at once. Pass the prune juice!

One of the things I noted was just how absurdly sophisticated the technology in the movie was. At the beginning of the movie, the CIA just happens to be able to monitor cell phone conversations in London’s Heathrow Airport and one word comes up: Blackbriar. Since that was the name of the covert operation that started it all with Jason Bourne, the CIA investigates and finds out a certain reporter for The Guardian has stumbled across a dangerous secret.

Really? The CIA has microphones or sensors that it can actually do voice recognition on virtually any cell phone in an airport looking for key words like “Blackbriar”? Wouldn’t it have been better to be listening for something like “underwear bomb”?

I wouldn’t be surprised if the U.S. was capable of tapping into cellular signals and listening in on conversations, but to do voice recognition on an unimaginable number of cell phones and conversations all taking place at once is a little far-fetched.

But not everything in the spy movies is far-fetched. On Thursday I saw an article on CNN about Google Goggles. The technology allows you to take a picture of something with your phone and then search for it on the internet. Although the technology is severely limited at this time, it can recognize important landmarks and other items. Engineers expect that within a decade they will have the system to near perfection. That’s when it gets scary.

One application they are seeking to perfect is face recognition. Though movies and novels have suggested Kinect-like sensors being able to identify any person in the future, it hasn’t been a reality. And just like The Minority Report, such technology would allow for personalized advertising and constant surveillance.

Already there is an application on Facebook that uses facial recognition to tag photos automatically based on other photo tags. Were that technology to proliferate, not even Jason Bourne could hide for long in an urban center.

Privacy is vastly being redefined in this age of technology. Are we considering the morality of that?

Pray for the Pa!

Yesterday on Today's Prayer I saw another prayer request for Colombia. I got excited because I saw it was about the Pa people again (click here for my previous post)! We are very happy to see people open up to God and ask about how they can learn more about Him, so it is very encouraging to see it going on in Colombia as well. Praise the Lord!

PA OF COLOMBIA (pah). Thank you for the prayers for the Pa people of Colombia, asking that the Lord would call out leaders from among the group of new Christians. Several of these new believers have expressed a desire to begin to share the Gospel with others and are actually doing just that. Pray that these new leaders-in-formation will be faithful to share Christ in a clear and effective manner. Also, two new families have asked to begin chronological Bible storying in their homes. Pray that they will hear, understand and respond to the Gospel as it is revealed through the stories. Thank the Lord for national missionaries H and D and their faithfulness to share the Gospel with the Pa people. Pray for the ongoing health needs of this family and for their ability to hear and follow God's direction concerning their overloaded work schedule, family needs, and personal time with the Lord.

Finding Gain through Contentment

Have you ever been looking for something that you couldn’t find, and when you finally gave up looking for it, it just kind of appeared?

Maybe it’s Sunday morning and the house is frantic with activity. You have a woman trying to put on makeup, floss her teeth, and find a top that matches her skirt. A toddler encounters the sharp corner of the table and begins screaming bloody murder. And you can’t seem to locate your Bible.

Next thing you know your wife is yelling at you to find out what’s wrong with junior-ette, you’re opening and slamming drawers on all the furniture, and the child continues to scream. You give up in frustration of ever finding your Bible and run to fix the booboo. Your wife is still putting on makeup while you barrel down the highway doing at least ten over because you’re already five minutes late for Sunday School.

As you pull into the parking lot and unstrap your child from the backseat you discover your Bible is on the floor of the car, right where you left it after last night’s small group study at the Weaver’s.

The Bible describes false teachers in 1 Timothy 6:5 as “imagining that godliness is a means of gain.” They think that by their “godly” actions they can have all their selfish and worldly desires fulfilled—like wealth, fame, and happiness. They are frantic, running around like me on a Sunday morning looking for my Bible.

But Paul shows us the truth in verse 6: “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.”

At first glance, this doesn’t make sense. Actually, according to the world’s way of thinking, it still won’t make sense even after a second, third, or fourth glance. That’s because contentment is usually thought of as the opposite of gain.

When you watch people trying to make a sale, they are pushing gain. They are not pushing contentment. When my wife and I drove up to the Mitsubishi dealer, he didn’t compliment us on our sweet ride. He didn’t even mention it. He wasn’t pushing contentment. He was pushing gain.

So how can contentment be a conduit to great gain? Answer: satisfaction. When we are focused on our selfish desires, we just keep wanting more and more. When we are content, we are satisfied. That means we are not driven by the desire for more.

Contentment let’s us hop off of the merry-go-round because the pursuit of more will leave us where we started. We brought nothing into the world and that’s exactly what we get to keep at life’s end.

When we are godly and content our desires moves from having more to having God. He is our desire. He is our joy. And in the end, we end up finding the better desire satisfied in Him.

Ar of Colombia (Prayer Request)

I saw in my feed reader today that there is another prayer request coming out of Colombia. Today's Prayer

is for national and Southern Baptist missionaries seeking to reach the Ar people of Colombia. Many tribes in South America have had little to no contact with Westerners, much less with the truth about Christ.

 

AR OF COLOMBIA (ahr). Thank you for praying for the national missionaries who work with the Ar people of Colombia, asking that they would move forward in their language learning and in their contacts with members of this people group. Thank the Lord for a missionary from a Great Commission Christian group who specializes in language learning who was willing and able to visit with J and A for a week of intensive study on how to learn a new language. Pray that they will be able to put into practice what they have learned, that God will provide a member of the Ar people group to continue to help them in their language acquisition, and that they will learn quickly and be able to communicate effectively with the Ar people. Pray for God's Word to be heard, understood and responded to by V, her family, and other members of the Ar community as the Lord leads.

I recently watched a documentary describing the Colombian tribe that was used in the filming of The Mission. It reminds me of the urgency of this and other requests for tribes, tongues, and nations that have not heard the gospel.

On Enjoying Meat Sacrificed to Idols (and Alcohol)

It is here! My newest article on sbcIMPACT! is sure to generate some discussion. Join us, your comments are welcome!

Up and Coming!

I have an article appearing on sbcIMPACT! tomorrow on a subject that will probably peak your interest. Here's part of the title and the link (which will become active tomorrow morning). Trust me, the full title is somewhat controversial.

On Enjoying Meat Sacrificed to Idols...

Book Review: The Radical Disciple

The Radical Disciple by John Stott is more interesting because of what it says about John Stott than what it says about discipleship. Stott admits that he recognizes his time is short, and as such the topics he chose to include (and exclude) from this title tells more about what he finds important and worth saying than the content he puts forth in each chapter.

That’s not to say the chapters are lacking. They are well thought out and very biblical. However, compared to David Platt’s Radical, it is not as inspiring. Perhaps it is because Platt’s work seems more fundamental. Though environmental responsibility is important in our day and age, I don’t see it as a primary aspect of being a disciple as described in the New Testament. As a result, Stott’s work is novel, but not foundational.

The narrator, Grover Gardner, has also narrated many other books which I have listened to and reviewed before such as The Holiness of God, Desiring God, and A Sweet and Bitter Providence. His voice is both grandfatherly and professorial. Sometimes soothing, sometimes lecturing: at all times enjoyable.

If you are looking for a book on discipleship, I would recommend Radical and Radical Together. If you are looking for a book by John Stott, I’d start with The Cross of Christ and see where it takes you.

To buy the book, visit ChristianAudio.com (direct link).
To buy a hard copy, visit Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from ChristianAudio as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

National Missionaries

Not only should we be praying for expatriate missionaries from the U.S., but expatriate missionaries from other countries and national missionaries working in their home country. Today's Prayer had just such a request from the field in Colombia today:

COLOMBIA. A Colombian national missionary family is spending a few months in a major city for a time of counseling and spiritual renewal. P, a member of the Nicodemus Team, will meet weekly with L, the wife, in a time of Bible study, prayer and encouragement. These two women will do a study of the Song of Solomon with the desire of gaining a better understanding of the relationship that Christ longs to have with His Church and with His children. Please pray for the logistics of this weekly meeting: transportation, childcare, etc. Pray also that P and L will have ears to hear and open hearts to respond as the Lord reveals Himself to them. Pray that this family will receive the renewal they are seeking during their time in the city.

I've been blessed to have met missionaries from South Korea working in the U.S. and around the world. Pray for this national missionary in Colombia and for International Misison Board (IMB) missionaries there as well.

Book Review: Matar a Lutero (To Kill Luther) by Mario Escobar

Editor’s note: This review originally appeared in on my Spanish resources site, sano e intachable. The following is a reposting, translated to English:

Matar a Lutero (To Kill Luther) is a work of fiction about the time Martin Luther spent in Wartburg Castle after his famous defense in the Diet of Worms. Historically the book deals with one of the most difficult (and boring) times of Luther’s life. Since it is a work of fiction, it is more exciting than the actual events, and that makes it difficult to know what is truth and what is fiction.

On the good side, the book is very interesting and I hope that it can introduce many people to the characters and ideas that started the Protestant Reformation. It shows us the political and religious environment of the time and the author knows how to present the beliefs of the reformers (the 5 solas, baptism, etc.) without distracting the reader from the story. (See chapters 47 & 53.)

The drawback is that, since it is a work of fiction, the reader is not sure how to distinguish between truth and fiction. Certainly Luther did not experience as many attempts on his life as occur in the book. And he’d never say "There is no doctrine that is worth a drop of blood" (p. 62). And the book has some historical errors, but they seem to be typos.

I think the average reader may be dissatisfied with the end of the book, but that will leave you wanting to know more about our ancestors in the faith.

To buy this book on Amazon, click here.

To read a sample of the book, click here.

More resources about Martin Luther:

·         The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul

·         Luther (movie)

I received this book free from Grupo Nelson as part of their book review program, Booksneeze. I was not obligated to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are mine.

Waiting Ambitiously

A couple weeks ago I won a book in a drawing called Rescuing Ambition. Unlike most of the other books I mention on MissionsOutlook, I didn't have to review it. As I was reading the book, I came across a pretty powerful section that helped me do a double-take on my life.

Sometimes I feel retrasado, delayed. I long to be a missionary. I would love to be involved in full-time ministerial work. I want to finish seminary. Yet I've barely just begun. And though I am still young, I have a child on the way, I work a secular job, and I barely have 12 credits. After finishing college in two and a half years, I will probably take seven years just to get my MDiv.

This can make me feel, like I said, delayed. Like I'm not moving fast enough. Like every day I wait means my dreams are slowly fading into the unreachable future.

That's why I had a double-take. That's why Rescuing Ambition is helping me see something else. Here's what it said:

"We may be tempted to think that if our ambitions are delayed, they will fade. ... God purifies our ambitions by delaying their fulfillment. An ambition with a waiting sign is an ambition that is being smoothed in a riverbed of God's activity. The rough edges—the selfishness in our ambitions—become smooth. The ambition is purified. The dull exterior starts to shine.

I need to remember that waiting is one of God's methods for building Christ-likeness in His saints. And Christ-likeness is a worthy ambition.