Aaron Armstrong

bloggingtheologically.com

missions

Weekend reading (5/27)

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Weekend Reading

Terrorists Kill 28 Christians on Church Bus Trip to Popular Monastery

Jayson Casper:

Terrorists ambushed a Coptic church bus trip on Friday near Minya in Upper Egypt, killing at least 28 and injuring 23, including many children.

Egypt’s interior ministry reported that three 4×4 vehicles of 8 to 10 gunmen dressed in military uniforms opened fire on the vehicle, which was on its way to St. Samuel the Confessor Monastery in Samalout, 140 miles south of Cairo.

10 Surprising Realities of Mission in New England

Jared Wilson:

Although I moved in early 2015 to the Midwest, I left a big piece of my heart back in New England, the least-churched region of the nation, which, interestingly enough for a guy born and raised in the Bible Belt of the South, was the first place I really felt “at home.” I still hear regularly from folks interested in the future of church planting, revitalization, and gospel ministry in the New England states. Some have history with the region, some don’t. (I did not when I moved up to Vermont a little more than six years ago.) The following ten items are meant to help those praying and planning adjust their expectations in one respect or another.

Of course, some of these “realities” will seem as they if they go without saying to many, and none will be any surprise to native or long-time New Englanders. But I do think being advised against any ill-conceived preconception could be helpful to many. So, in no particular order.

If Everyone’s a Visionary, Why Do We All Sound So Alike?

Owen Strachan gets it.

The Benefits of Our Justification

David McLemore:

We need more than a vague awareness of the love of God for us in the past or the future. We need a present reality with God, moment by moment. We need to see the wonder of Christ’s blood forgiving us and transforming us right now. Every moment of the Christian’s life is a time of present standing in grace. The same power that saved us is the power by which we can live. We have the grace of Christ. Francis Schaeffer says that to understand this is to have the key to the Christian life.

Baptists Promoting and Supporting Patristic Theology

Brandon follows up on an article from earlier this week.

Google Knows Who You Really Are

Russell Moore:

Imagine if you had a truth serum that would force you to disclose who you really are and what you really think, fear, and value? In some ways, you already do: the digital search engine on your phones and devices. That’s the argument of a new book that I think ought to prompt us to think about what Christian witness should look like in the Google era.

Don’t miss out on getting the audio edition of The Passionate Preaching of Martyn Lloyd-Jones from Christian Audio. Also grab Spurgeon’s Talks to Farmers for 99¢.

When the h-word slipped

A favorite from the archives:

We’d always said we’d evaluate every year and every semester to determine the next step. Up until recently, we’d had concerns, but not anything that would have made us say “when.” Until we did. So over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking to friends, doing research, even having practice homeschool days when Abigail’s been home sick.

Through it all, Emily’s been approaching it from the “if we do this” perspective, something I appreciate. She’s been trying to be careful to not make a rash decision, or do something as a knee-jerk reaction to issues that have come up.

And then she let the h-word slip. And once that Genie’s out of the bottle, it’s really hard to put it back in.

Links I like (2/28)

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Tim Keller Stepping Down as Redeemer Senior Pastor

Note carefully: Keller is not retiring. Excited to see how God uses him in this new ministry endeavor.

What Makes Work “Christian?”

JD Greear:

The Bible offers quite a different perspective. Scripture teaches us how to serve God through our work, not just after work. The Bible speaks clear and radical words to people in the workplace, showing us that even the most menial of jobs have an essential role in the mission of God.

Beware of Ministry Shaming

Allyson Todd:

I don’t think ministry shaming happens with blatant intention, yet I think it is more common than we realize. We may let our passion for our particular ministry color our speech about it in a way that paints a picture of superiority and makes others feel shame for their ministry. We may have certain ideas about what kind of ministry is the best use of our time, so we unknowingly assume that it is the best for others. God may have created us to be an eye, and we may be so passionate about the work of eyes that we make hands and ears feel less important (1 Corinthians 12:14-26).

I Wish Christians Would Argue More

Trevin Wax:

I use the word “argue” in its classic sense: the ability to make or counter an argument that depends on logic and reason. To meet one argument with another. To argue with someone, civilly and respectfully, toward the discovery of truth.

How Not to Spread Lies in a Social Media Age

Wendy Alsup:

It’s good first to understand the types of speech and sharing of information Christians are to put off. Ephesians 4:31–32 is the classic passage on the subject, which instructs us to put away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice. The interesting thing about all of these words is the underlying negative emotion. They infer dislike, maybe even hate. It reminds me I’m most tempted to engage in God-offending language about individuals I’m already predisposed not to like. These negative types of speech and attitudes are contrasted with the warm responses of the next verse: kindness and tenderheartedness. The call here is to good faith. And yet the passage ends with a call to forgiveness, so this good faith isn’t necessarily directed toward someone who naturally engenders it. After all, “If you do what is good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that” (Luke 6:33).

Don’t Go Until You’re Sent

Mack Stiles:

Modern missions endeavors face many thorny challenges: contextualization, indigeneity, and autonomy, among other cultural issues. Yet in our globalized world, with so many doing great work on cultural issues, there seems to be an ascendant problem: a lack of understanding of the church’s nature and its role in missions.

The greatest challenge to modern missions is a lack of understanding of the church’s nature and its role in missions.

Where theory gets practical

A favorite from the archives:

One Easter weekend, about seven years ago now, I was making a sandwich, and I had to put the knife I was using down because my hands were shaking uncontrollably. I’d been running off my feet for months—years, actually. My body said “when.” But there was something else, too. It wasn’t just my body that was making me stop. It was a realization that I was living in a way that didn’t reflect my theoretical theology.

Links I like (weekend edition)

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Links I like: weekend edition

Kindle deals for Christian readers

Today’s the last day to get the following titles from Crossway on sale:

Also on sale are Is God Just a Human Invention? by Sean McDowell and Jonathan Morrow ($1.99), and Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by Oswald Chambers ($1.99).

Four Steps for Handling Those Who Have Hurt You

Rob Tims offers some helpful, scripturally-based advice.

The Simple, but Powerful Lesson I Learned from My Mom

Dan Darling:

I remember the moment as if it was yesterday. I was six years old and it was Christmas with our extended family. We were in the basement living room in our first house on Marberry Lane in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Like most adults, my memories of my childhood are scattered and rosy, probably more hazy recollections than concrete facts. But this memory is as vivid and detailed as any.

Why the Church Must Reject Racism

Russell Moore:

The thriving churches of American Christianity are multigenerational, theologically robust, ethnically diverse and connected to the global church. If Jesus is alive — and I believe that he is — he will keep his promise and build his church. But he never promises to do that solely with white, suburban institutional evangelicalism.

American Christians, You Might Need to Start Living Like Missionaries

Amy Medina:

I’m not looking for what I can get out of this country; I am looking for what I can give.  I don’t expect businesses and government agencies to value the same things I do.  I might be limited in the kind of work I can do here because my values are different.  But that’s okay, because my goal isn’t to get rich, or to be safe, or to build my career.  My goal is to further the gospel.

Don’t Call Me the Best Mom Ever

Courtney Reissig:

Motherhood has been less of a journey of personal accomplishments and more an ongoing reminder of my limitations. Call me the best mom, and all I’ll think of are the ways I’m not: my short temper, my texting habit, my homemaking skills that pale in comparison to other mothers I know. The only reason I can do this work that God has called me to is because I don’t do it alone.

What I Wish I Could Tell My Younger Self About Pastoring

Dave Harvey:

I know it’s crazy, but I wish time travel was readily available to the public. Why?  Because I’ve got a few things I’d really like to say to the younger version of myself. First, I’d tell myself not to freak out while watching the Steelers in the 1972 AFC Championship game, because Franco Harris, a guy who leads an “Italian army”, will pull off the “Immaculate Reception” in the final 30 seconds of the game. I’d also tell myself that computers are not a passing “fad”, and then I’d mention it may be wise to invest in a little company called “Google”. Oh, and I’d tell myself to eat less pizza and more salads. (Actually, I probably wouldn’t say that at all.)

But I would love to tell my younger self a few things about pastoral ministry. I’ve been doing this pastoral ministry thing for a long time now, over 28 years. Over the decades, I’ve learned some things I wish I would have known as a freshman pastor.

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