Violence Escalates in Colombia

Christians are to seek the welfare of the cities and countries in which they live. Sometimes this is not easy, especially when the goals and values of those countries or cities are opposed to a Christian worldview. It may also be difficult when the country itself is split between warring factions. Right now the Colombian  government is carrying on negotiations with a leftist guerrilla force that has long opposed the national government. This force is responsible for the deaths of 19 military members over the weekend, as CNN reports.

This guerrilla force is usually hidden in the Amazon rainforest, and occasionally has conflicts with civilians and natives in that region. Please pray for peace and Colombia, and the advancement of the Gospel in regions controlled by this guerrilla force. Pray also that the guerrillas themselves would embrace a different cause and be converted by the gospel.

Until all fighting ceases…

Prayer Request from Colombia

I remember reading in a Colombian newspaper that thieves had dressed up as nuns and would talk to people on the street about God while their partners would pick the pockets of their unsuspecting victims. If you can't trust a nun, who can you trust? Today's prayer request is somewhat related to that newspaper article. How can you share the gospel with people who think you are out to rob them?

PA OF COLOMBIA (pah) - One of the strong cultural barriers to the advancement of the Gospel among the Pa people is the lack of trust. No one trusts anyone else. They don't trust politicians, neighbors, or even most family members. One of the greatest needs at this time in church planting among the Pa people is that of leadership, but what can be done if the believers do not trust one another? The Gospel needs to impact this area of their culture so that this people group, numbering more than 50,000, can hear the Good News. Pray that God will give wisdom to national missionaries H and D in dealing with this cultural issue. Ask Him to break down this cultural barrier.

Book Review: Are We Together? #RomanCatholicism

Are We Together? A Protestant Analyzes Roman Catholicism. By R.C. Sproul. Sanford, Florida: Reformation Trust Publishing. pp. 125. 2012. ($17.00 Hardcover)

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Five Stars | Highly Recommended!

The Roman Catholic Church claims more than one billion adherents. As a Protestant, that’s not something I can overlook. Are we all of one faith, with our own particular differences and idiosyncrasies, but a common gospel? The Reformers who birthed Protestantism came to the conclusion that Rome had departed from the biblical gospel. Are things different today?

R.C. Sproul sets out to answer that question with his book Are We Together? A Protestant Analyzes Roman Catholicism. It’s no surprise that Sproul doesn’t think we are together, and each of his chapters address the six main points of difference between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. This is probably his biggest service to readers, focusing on the main issues and not addressing each and every point of difference ad nauseum.

His chapters are:

1. Scripture
2. Justification
3. The Church
4. The Sacraments
5. The Papacy
6. Mary

It is in the chapter on Mary (which was also the most interesting chapter) that Sproul summarizes the greatest difference between the Roman Catholic Church and Protestantism:

The biggest issue in the whole Mariology debate is the sufficiency of Christ. In truth, this is the issue with Roman Catholic theology from beginning to end. It is the issue with Rome’s doctrine of Scripture, its doctrine of justification, and even here, with its doctrine of Mary. Is Christ alone our perfect sacrifice? Does He offer Himself for the sins of His people or is He offered by His mother? Does He alone achieve our redemption or does He have to depend upon the cooperation of His mother? Protestants believe that Christ alone is our justification. (p.115)

It is vitally important that Protestants like myself really understand what the sufficiency of Christ really means and how this differs from Roman Catholic teaching. Although any random person who self-identifies as Roman Catholic may or may not know or believe the official doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, Protestants should be aware of what they themselves believe. This is a good introduction to this very important issue, and I highly recommend it, especially for those who work with and minister to those who claim to follow Rome.

I received this book from the publisher for purposes of review.

"We Need the #Gospel in #Church" @RefTrust #JohnCalvin

True, many are content to have the gospel preached, provided it does not touch them, or make them uncomfortable. But the moment one stirs a stick in their dung, or uncovers their mischief, they despise such a person. If at first, then, they applauded the gospel, once they perceive that God is about to hold them accountable for their sins, behold, they forsake it all. Thus we witness today such untold murmuring against God and God's Word.

John Calvin, Sermons on the Book of Micah, quoted in The Expository Genius of John Calvin by Steven J. Lawson. (pp. 109-110). Kindle Edition.

I picked up this book by Steven J. Lawson the other day because it was on sale for 99¢ (through July 20, 2012). I like finding good deals online, and I've been very much enjoying the read. This quote from John Calvin struck me because of how applicable it is to us today.


There's an underlying fear in many churches and church members that being serious about what we believe will scare people away. And it's true that some just might leave. We have a lot of people sitting in on our services and lining our offering plates who don't want to hear anything more than "God bless you" when it comes to our faith in Christ. But the gospel must be proclaimed, even if that means people leave because they can't sit comfortably on the fence anymore. The truth is, God doesn't need their superficial presence or their financial holdings to build up his church and advance his kingdom. His kingdom will advance as the gospel advances.


Let's be bold with the gospel; we are powerless without it.

Book Review: The Gospel of Yes

The Gospel of Yes. By Mike Glenn. Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press. pp. 240. 2012. ($14.99 Print | $15.39 Audio)

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I decided to listen to this book because I saw it had an endorsement from Thom S. Rainer and Scot McKnight. With a title like The Gospel of Yes, I thought I’d get to enjoy a thoughtful look at how all the promises of God find their Yes in Christ, with a solid foundation on the gospel (cf. 2 Cor. 1:18-20). Unfortunately this book is light on Scripture, light on the gospel, and heavy on Christianized self-actualization philosophy.

Glenn deals sparingly with Scripture, and when it does cite the Bible, he usually reinterprets the passage to be about his idea of finding our “Yes,” which roughly ends up meaning being positive and hopeful about life’s circumstances while pursuing our dreams. Some of us may need to hear that message, but this book won’t get you there with the Bible. Likewise, most of the book is silent on what the gospel is. When the gospel is touched on, sin is not presented as an offense to a holy God, and salvation is more of a necessary step for finding your own “Yes.”

Also, as I listened to this book in audio format, I was treated to the author’s frequent mispronunciations, slightly loud breathing, and audible swallowing throughout. Reading to an audience is a skill, and I’m going to make sure the next book I listen to is read by a professional.

If you’re looking for a book that touches on your life and purpose in the community of believers, try something like Crazy Love or Radical. Don’t waste your time on this one.

I received this audio book from christianaudio for the purpose of review.

Book Review: The Explicit Gospel

The Explicit Gospel. By Matt Chandler with Jared Wilson. Wheaton: Crossway Books. pp. 240. 2012. ($17.99)

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When Matt Chandler heard multiple testimonies from new believers that they had attended church for most of their lives yet had never heard the gospel explicitly explained, he didn't believe it. He actually challenged those new believers to go back and look through their notes from sermons, conferences, and youth events just to see if they really heard the gospel or not. Some came back and said, "You were right. The gospel was explained right there." But far too many couldn't find any time when the gospel was made explicit.

That's what Chandler's book does. He first explains the gospel as it applies to the individual, taking a chapter apiece to discuss God, Man, Christ, Response. I most benefited from his chapter on man, which gets straight to the heart of the problem of man: our sin is an offense to God and we need to be saved from His wrath.

The second part addresses the plan of God for mankind all the way through history: Creation, Fall, Reconciliation, Consumation. The two parts together give a comprehensive view of the gospel. The third part of the book addresses some of the errors and imbalances we can easily drift into when we fail to give proper emphasis to the first or second aspect of the gospel.

Chandler's first book is very timely in its appearance. Stripping the gospel to nothing more than moralism, "do-goodism," or something else that fails to preach the whole gospel. Chandler strays now and again into some juvenile language ("Now put on a cup, dude, because it's about to be big-boy time"), and his discussion on various views about creation was out of place and too long, but overall the book set out what it's title suggests: it gives a clear presentation of the gospel.

I received this audio book from christianaudio for the purpose of review.

"The Neighborhood I Live in"

Excellent thoughts, especially as Hannah and I are house hunting:

It is my understanding from the Scriptures that I live in the neighborhood I live in according to the predetermined plan of God, and I have been uniquely wired and drawn toward certain things so that men might know God, hear from God, see the gospel, hear the gospel, gravitate toward the gospel, and have it preached and proclaimed to them. So when I go to my house after I’m done at the office, it is my understanding that I am not in that neighborhood by mistake. My neighbors on the left, on the right, and directly across the street, are there by the design of God in order that his gospel might be heralded by me to them. I want to see the gym that way; I want to see the coffee shop that way; I want to see the parents in the bleachers with me watching my son’s flag football games that way; I want to see my daughter’s dance recitals that way. I want to see the entire world through the lens of how God has wired me and where he has placed me for his glory.

The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler with Jared Wilson, pp. 180-181

A Devastating Hobby

From a book I'm listening to right now:

The religious, moralistic, churchgoing evangelical who has no real intention of seeking God and following him has not found some sweet spot between radical devotion and wanton sin; he’s found devastation. The moralism that passes for Christian faith today is a devastating hobby if you have no intention of submitting your life fully to God and chasing him in Christ.

The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler, pg. 70

The Church: Praying for Colombia

We are called to be God’s gathering. That’s another way of saying we are called to be the church. If you primarily think of “church” as that place you go to on Sunday, you need to go back to your Bible and take a look at what the church is and what the church does. My goal today is not to explain what the church is or does, but to point out that our brothers and sisters in Colombia are learning just like we are what it means to live and act as God’s gathering.

Pray for the believers in Colombia as they work to grow in their faith and to share their hope with the people around them.

CAFE (ColombiA's Forgotten Ethnos) PEOPLES (cah-FAY). Team CAFE writes: "On March 1, we began a Bible study/fellowship group for those students within the student center who are believers. We will be looking at the concept of 'church' as we study the Book of Acts. Please pray with us that the Lord will give this group a deeper sense of community, a clear vision of what the church is, and a deeper urgency for His kingdom purpose: the sharing of the Gospel with others."

Talking about God at Work

At work this week I got into a conversation with quite a few of my coworkers about religion. I'm not sure how the conversation got started, but my coworkers were discussing praise dancers. I'm not quite sure what to think of the phenomenon myself, but I believe dance is an acceptable form of worship and that in the church we are to do everything "decently and in order." Since the majority of my coworkers thought it was odd and didn't like it, I thought I'd share what I don't like about some churches.

One person's version of church was waking up on Sunday morning, watching Joel Osteen speak on the television for a half hour, and falling back to sleep. I said, "What I don't like about Joel Osteen is that he doesn't get to the gospel. He doesn't get to the central message of the Bible. I get that we need to live contently with our life situation, but anybody can do that."

My coworker didn't quite follow what I was saying, so I asked her, "You watch Joel. Answer me this: What must I do to be saved?" She's grown up with enough of a Christian influence to say something about praying a prayer, and a "Catholic" coworker said, "Yeah, and they say it doesn't matter what you do so long as you pray that prayer." In general, the people didn't seem to like that idea, which I would agree is wrong, but probably for different reasons than they would.

I'm currently listening to an audio book from Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears that touches on this. I'm praying for more opportunities to talk about the gospel with my coworkers, and I hope to bring up Romans 10:9 in that conversation.

Being a Christian means that you “confess with your mouth, that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead” (Rom. 10:9). Ask yourself, “Am I trusting the truth of the gospel?”

… Many people emphasize the moment when you prayed to accept Jesus. Some go so far as to declare that if you can’t remember the moment you prayed, then you cannot even be a Christian. But if you look in the Bible, that kind of statement is never made. Conversely, 1 John 5:13 says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” It is real belief and not a magical prayer that saves a Christian. In fact, many who grew up in Christian homes never remember a time when they prayed a prayer or made a decision for Jesus, but they lovingly confess Jesus all the same.

Vintage Church, pg. 31

Book Review: Road to the Resurrection

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I’ve always liked listening to Greg Laurie preach on the radio. He has one of those voices that never gets tiring and makes me want to get up and go. He’s motivating and encouraging. He wants to see people get saved and follow Jesus.

His new book, Road tothe Resurrection: Explore and Share the Miracle of Easter, doesn’t really project the same voice I hear on the radio, and I’m not just talking about the narrator. I really wish Laurie had narrated it himself, and the book was short enough that it isn’t inconceivable that he could have done it.

Still, I can’t fault the book for being exactly what the title says. The main point of the book is for the reader to explore the miracle of Easter, that is, discover what the Bible says actually happened and what that means for us today, and to share the miracle of Easter, namely, using the book as an outreach tool. The gospel is there, and praise God for that. Anyone reading (or listening) to this book will definitely come across a straightforward and clear presentation of the gospel.

Overall though, the book is lacking. A whole chapter goes from A to Z like an encyclopedia on the people and places involved in Christ’s passion and resurrection, which is great in print format, but not so much for an audio book. Likewise, some parts sound like a multi-columned table is being read, which may be easy on the eyes, but definitely not so much on the ears.

In print it may be worth checking out, but if you’re hoping to look at the Easter story through a new lens or to share your faith with someone else, I’d pick something else out (like Piper’s Fifty Reasons why Jesus Came to Die).

I received this audio book from christianaudio for review.

A Look at Jesus Messiah

For a while now I’ve thought about doing a special discipleship group or evening presentation about some of the songs we sing and what they teach us about God, the church, and the gospel. I’ve written once or twice about what songs communicate, and I’d like to look at another one that many of us have either heard on the radio or sung in church: Jesus Messiah by Chris Tomlin.

Verse 1
This verse is made up of just a few short statements, each of which tells a fundamental truth of the gospel. The words themselves are drawn from 2 Corinthians 5:21,

Jesus Messiah	2 Corinthians 5:21
	For our sake
He became sin	he made him to be sin
Who knew no sin	who knew no sin,
That we might become His righteousness	so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
He humbled himself and carried the cross

From the very first lines, this song begins with near repetition of Scripture, drawing our hearts and minds back to the Word of God, the very foundation of our understanding of God and salvation.

The last line of this verse is meant as a clarifier for those singing. The passage, 2 Corinthians 5:21, was not written in a vacuum, so what Paul says can easily be understood from the context. But this song adds a line about Christ humbling himself and carrying the cross (cf. Phil. 2:5-11). That is how Christ became sin. That is what He did “that we might become His righteousness.

Chorus
The chorus itself is straightforward praise and worship of Jesus, extolling many of the names and phrases used in Scripture to describe Him a His mission:

Jesus Messiah (i.e. Jesus Christ)
Name above all names (Phil. 2:9)
Blessed Redeemer (Gal. 3:13)
Emmanuel (Matt. 1:23)
The rescue for sinners/The ransom from Heaven (Mark 10:45)
Lord of all (Rom. 10:12)

The chorus here is not disconnected to the rest of the song. Instead, it is a natural outflow of praise based on the truth communicated in the verses. Although songs do not have to do this to be useful to the church, I appreciate that this one specifically links praise to God with God’s action in history. There is a reason for it. And as we meditate on the reason, we are moved even more so to praise.

Verse 2
The second verse looks at the symbolic picture of the truth stated in verse one as displayed in the Lord’s Supper. Echoes of the night when Jesus was betrayed are manifest: The bread represents His body, broken for us. The wine represents his blood, poured out for us. This Christ did for love. It was not an afterthought of God or a “bad situation turned for good,” but rather a desperately wicked and hopeless moment planned by God for love. The earth shook because of what happened and the veil that represented the separation between God and man was rent in two, declaring peace and reconciliation.

Bridge
Towards the end of the song comes a confession of our dependence on God. All our hope is in Him, in the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. It repeats the cry of believers past, present, and future, from the words of the Apostles to the elegant hymn we grew up singing, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”

As an overflow of our knowledge of this truth, and our praise to God, we express our desire to glorify Him and profess that He is the light of the world. What better way to glorify Him and reflect the truth that He is the light of the world than by proclaiming the truth that “He became sin who knew no sin that we might become His righteousness.”

Book Review: The Parallel Lives of Jesus

Parallel Lives of Jesus: A Guide to the Four Gospels. By Edward Adams. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011. 200 pp. $25.00

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I’ve seen it cited many times that J.I. Packer said we should constantly meditate “on the four gospels, over and above the rest of our Bible reading.” I’ve confessed my own preference for Paul’s letters before, because I find his statements to be easier to understand and accept than those of Jesus. It’s far easier for me to take Paul’s general principles and diffuse them into the air than it is to take Jesus’ “hard” statements and talk my way around them.

The four Gospels aren’t just a bunch of morality stories. They communicate truth essential to the salvation of all people. In Edward Adams’ Parallel Lives of Jesus: A Guide to the Four Gospels, he seeks to help believers see the gospels as a coherent unity. It isn’t that we have four gospels, but rather we have four accounts of the life of Jesus, each with its unique contribution and emphasis. Edwards accomplishes a lot in just under 200 pages, making the book both accessible to most readers and a helpful starting point for a more in-depth study of one or more of the Gospels “according to…”

The book is split in three sections. The first is more of an introduction to viewing the Gospels as parallel accounts of the same story. The stress on the unity and coherence is helpful for those who’ve given themselves more to the differences of the Gospels than to the common story. The next two sections are much more detailed. One deals with the unique characteristics of each Gospel as well as its individual contribution to the overall message of the four. Edwards, like most scholars today, believes Mark was written first and that Matthew and Luke used his account in writing their own. He further holds that John was at least aware of the Gospel according to Mark and wrote his account intending to avoid much overlap.

Personally, the last section I found as more of an open door than a walled-in room. It highlights a few important events in the Gospels with multiple attestations. For instance, the account of Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee is described in Matthew, Mark, and John. By comparing the various accounts, Edwards presents a fuller picture of the event and helps draw out the individual emphases of each Gospel writer. I’ve been using this practice in our small group study of the Gospel according to Mark and it has helped our people better understand the author’s meaning and more firmly cements the story in their minds. I’m planning on using it more in future studies.

In the end, the book is a useful resource for reading the first four books of the New Testament and developing a more comprehensive understanding of how they fit together and what sets them apart from each other. The final section shows promise as a demonstration of what is possible in both group and individual study. This and a good harmony of the gospels would be more conducive to personal study of the Bible than the more academic (and comprehensive) tomes by Blomberg and Stein, though I find myself frequently turning to those as well.

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I received a digital copy of this work from the publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of review. The opinions expressed are my own.

How to Read the Bible

The Bible study last night was awesome. We had eleven adults—much more than what I was expecting. We talked about the gospel, so the non-believers had the opportunity ot hear about the heart of our faith.

One thing that we are trying to do is study Mark compared with the other Gospels. They have many stories in common and there are enough differences that you can see more clearly Mark’s emphasis. What we want to do is discover the main point of Mark. Why did he share this story? Why did he put it here? How would he finish this sentence: I, Mark, have written this so that…?

We look for the main point because there are many things that can be learned from a passage in the Bible, but not everying is primary. There are many secondary ideas in the narrative. Also, there are many ideas that have nothing to do with the passage—they originate elsewhere (another Bible passage or in my mind). For example, when Jesus calms the storm in Mark 4, the main point has nothing to do with “Jesus can calm the storms in your life.” At best this is secondary, but I believe it falls into the third category.

Looking for the main point is very important because it affects our conclusions and applications that we draw out of the text. “Jesus can calm the storms in your life” seems innocent, but consider a passage that we all should know is an essential foundation of our faith: the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Suppose a pastor says, “God and revive your life’s dreams,” after reading about the resurrection in the Bible (cf. Rom. 5:6-11). Yes, it’s correct that God can revive your life’s dreams. He’s God Almighty. But this has nothing to do with the death and resurrection of Christ. The death and resurrection of Christ was so that God could punish sin in the body of Jesus and transmit His righteousness to all who believe in Him. The death and resurrection mean life and salvation for us, not life and salvation for our dreams. The focus is off base. If it isn’t acceptable to do that with the resurrection, why would we do it with other passages?

When we study the Bible and look for the main point, we are in a better position to apply the secondary truths to our lives. Then we can find an application that deals with our “storms” in a way that respects and proceeds from the passage, not just our minds.

Originally published on my Spanish blog as “Cómo Leer la Biblia” on January 20, 2012.

The Kindle Touch and a Taste of Fiction

My wife did the unthinkable and got me a Kindle Touch for Christmas. Everyone in my family knows that I like to have my laptop with me wherever I go. In fact, I made a point of not touching my laptop over Christmas vacation, which they all noticed and commented on. I need a few more fences in place before I ever get a smart phone or tablet.

My wife caved in and got me a Kindle Touch because it is a lot cheaper than a tablet, has limited use as an internet device, and is primarily dedicated to reading. I now use it for my daily Bible reading, reading books for review, and studying the Gospel of Mark for an upcoming class I’m teaching.

Fortunately, my wife doesn’t believe I’m spending too much time on the device. I’ve been reading more, that’s true, but she doesn’t find that to be a problem, and I’ve actually been doing more with her like playing card games and making her a fan of the show M.A.S.H.

If you don’t own an ereader, I think it’s a worthwhile investment. Although you can find a lot of cheap ones out there, I couldn’t recommend anything but a Kindle or Nook device. The Kindle and Nook stores are the ones with content, and that’s what you want with an ereader.

Crossway currently has a deal (but not for much longer) on all their ebooks in formats that work on both the Kindle and Nook devices. I highly recommend the fiction book The Sword, and its sequel, The Gift. They form part of the Chiveis trilogy (the third book, The Kingdom, comes out June 30). In the story Europe has reverted to a somewhat medieval existence hundreds of years after wars and disasters reduced humanity to almost nothing and most of our advanced technologies have been forgotten. The kingdom of Chiveis, rising from the ashes of a lost civilization, has become closed off from the outside world and is ruled by a king under the strong-armed influence of a pagan priestess. It is in this environment that a young soldier discovers a long-forgotten book about a long-forgotten God. If you liked the Chronicles of Narnia as a kid, you’ll probably like the Chiveis trilogy at a teenager/adult.

Book Review: Give Them Grace

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Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Children with the Love of Jesus by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson asks a very important question: What makes my parenting distinctively Christian? We all hope that our children will turn out well and get along in society, but if we are Christians, we know that isn’t what it’s all about.

Fitzpatrick and Thompson don’t just ask the question, though; they bring the answer in all its dazzling wonder: the gospel. Unfortunately, many of us default to teaching Law and morality instead of the gospel. But with a firm palate of Scripture, the authors paint a vibrant picture of how the gospel should impact our parenting, using specific examples, from what we teach our children about God to how we correct and discipline them. The narrator’s voice really gives life to the words of the book.

Give Them Grace is written primarily to moms, but I benefitted from it too. I was reminded that I need grace too, and this has helped me even in my interactions with my wife. If they turn appendix one (a fairytale-esque presentation of the gospel) into a children’s book, I will probably get it for my daughter.

At the risk of oversimplification, I’d say the book teaches us to love, discipline, and tell our kids about Jesus. And that is just what they need.

For the audio book, click here.

For a print copy, click here.

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I received this book free from Christian Audio as part of their audio book review program. I was not obligated to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are mine.

Reading Together: About Believers Baptism

On Thursday our small group got together for our discussion of the book What Every Christian Ought to Know by Adrian Rogers. Here are a few highlights on chapter 6—Every Christian Ought to Know About Believers Baptism:

We began our get together looking at one of the quotes from the book that snagged my attention. Adrian Rogers says, “It’s not a Baptist doctrine. If Baptists have Baptist doctrine, they need to get rid of it” (112).

Rogers is a Baptist. So what is he saying here? Karina, one of our participants, was able to summarize it well—Roger’s believes it because he’s convinced it is biblical. That’s not to say that Baptists should think they’ve got it all together. But it does mean that we should only be Baptist if it is by conviction. That doesn’t mean we won’t (or don’t) err, but it does mean that the overriding principle of our faith and practice is that it must have biblical support, not merely support from our past practices and traditions.

That said, we dove into the doctrine of believers baptism by immersion. Fortunately, we didn’t have any disagreements about it. There were certainly some questions about children being baptized, but the necessity of faith was well understood.

Perhaps the most significant passages in the Bible that sheds light on both the meaning and the mode of baptism is Romans 6:4-7. It says,

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.

Baptism is a visual display of the gospel. Compare this passage with 1 Corinthians 15:3-4,

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures

Romans 6	1 Corinthians 15
…baptism into death… …united with him in a death like his… …our old self was crucified with him… …he who has died…	…Christ died for our sins…
…we were buried therefore with him…	…he was buried…
…just as Christ was raised… …we too might walk in newness of life… …united with him in a resurrection like his… …set free from sin…	…he was raised on the third day…

Immersion is the only “baptismal” practice that adequately portrays death, burial, and resurrection (the gospel). Every person who submits to believers baptism by immersion is proclaiming Christ and devotion to Him. The importance of the symbolism here should not be overlooked or minimized. But we ought not lose sight of the present reality either. It is the reality—death to sin and new life in Christ—that is the most important aspect to the believer.

To join us in our readings, get the book in English or Spanish and download the reader guide (in English or Spanish) to fill out for each chapter. I may have to cancel next week’s posting if my daughter is born soon. If not, stop by next week Saturday when we discuss chapter 7—Every Christian Ought to Know How to Discern the Will of God.

Revealed in Romans

Look at the beginning of Romans 1:17 and 1:18:

For the	righteousness	of God is revealed	in the gospel…
For the	wrath	of God is revealed	from heaven…

Two different things are revealed from two different sources.

In verse seventeen the righteousness of God, that is, the justification that God provides for sinners, is revealed in the gospel. The way of salvation is made known to us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is specifically the death of Christ in our place that paid our sin debt and gives us a right standing before God.

In verse eighteen the wrath of God, that is the just condemnation that God pronounces over sinners, is revealed from heaven, that is, at God’s divine appointment. This would most certainly include destructive natural events such as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis, but also includes the law that is written on our hearts which testifies against us (Romans 2:15).

The wrath of God is already made known to us. Our only hope is in the righteousness provided through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ. It is to the gospel, not the world around us, that we must turn for salvation and peace.

Team CAFE, Colombia

Here's another prayer request coming out of Colombia. This one is a continuation on an earlier prayer request for students on summer break. Praise God that the indigenous peoples have an opportunity to hear the gospel at university. Many of them are from areas with little or no Christian witness.

CAFE (ColombiA's Forgotten Ethnos) PEOPLES (cah-FAY). Thank you for praying for the indigenous university students who participate in the Student Center ministry. During the summer break, most of these students return to their respective homes and carry with them the burden and desire to share the Gospel with their families. Pray for boldness, for clarity in sharing, and for hearts open to hear the Gospel. Pray that their families will see the changes that the Gospel is having on their lives and will see Christ through their witness. Some of these students have returned home to look for jobs so that they can earn money to be able to continue with their studies next semester. Ask and thank God for His provision for each of these students.

I also received a prayer request regarding a Christian couple that has been under the tutelage (I love that word) of some missionaries who are now teaching others. Since our Hispanic ministry has begun our new discipleship groups, it is an encouragement to me and a challenge to raise up new leaders who are then able to share with others as well. "And entrust what you heard me say in the presence of many others as witnesses to faithful people who will be competent to teach others as well." 2 Timothy 2:2, NET.

COLOMBIA. A young Christian couple has met together with missionaries K and P for over a year for a time of personal discipleship, Bible study, and mutual encouragement. About six months ago, J, the husband of this couple, began to lead this weekly time of Bible study and to lead in the Sunday School program of his local church using the same material. About two months ago, this couple decided to invite Christian and non-Christian friends and co-workers to participate in the Bible study. There are now five couples who participate in this weekly time of Bible study/discipleship under the leadership of J. Thank God for His work in the lives of this young couple. Thank Him for J's active leadership in sharing the Gospel. Pray that these five couples, as well as other friends and co-workers, will continue to meet weekly to study God's Word and will come to have a living and growing personal relationship with Christ as Lord and Savior. Pray that out of this group, other similar groups will be formed.

Reaching People in Dangerous Places

Yay! Here's an update from the International Mission Board in Colombia. Two national missionaries (J and L) had planned to travel to the C community for the summer. They were planning on meeting with some eight new families that had not yet heard the gospel. Now it seems they're planning on going to another community to share the gospel as well. This is exciting stuff.

Please be praying for these missionaries. Even though the Colombian government had made great strides in the fight against the paramilitaries and drug traffickers, it is still very dangerous in many rural areas. The conflict we read about in Mexico all the time is really just a transplant of the conflict Colombia has had with these guerrillas since the sixties. Praise God that, conflict or no, He's bringing people into saving faith.

NU OF COLOMBIA (noo). Last month, you were asked to pray for the Colombian national missionaries who work with this people group as they spend the summer months deep in the jungle in the C community where the first group of Nu believers lives. While there, they hope to be able to visit another community of the Nu people, which is located a two-days' walk from the C community. Pray that God will open the door for this visit to a new Nu community. Ask Him to go before them and prepare the ears and hearts of the people of this community to hear, understand, and receive the Good News of Christ. Please continue to pray for God's protection of this faithful missionary family as they serve Him in a very isolated and often dangerous part of Colombia.