“The point of this article is not to knock short-term work…. but to remind all of us that long-term missions is costly—and it’s worth it.” - 9 Marks

“I’m as guilty as anybody, but in almost every case, I immediately feel badly about it. I may feel great for a moment, but the minute I hit ‘Send,’ conviction starts creeping in.” - Phil Cooke

“I reached out to church leaders from around the world, asking how they apply Paul’s command to ‘be subject to the governing authorities’ (Rom. 13:1). These believers hail from all sorts of countries” - TGC

“7. He demands unquestioned loyalty. Even the slightest sign of disagreement is considered rebellion…. 14. He regularly tears down others who lead effective ministries.” - Chuck Lawless

“… affirming an earlier trial court decision …concluding that the baker violated the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act by not creating a cake to celebrate a person’s new trans identity.” - CPost

Last time, I began sharing some of the main lessons I have learned through the first four years of my service as a church ministries representative for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.

In Part One, I wrote about the need to multiply our ministry’s effectiveness, and also regarding the importance of relationships in ministry. I would like to share two more lessons in this concluding installment.

The first relates to the necessity we have to make a greater and more intentional and effective use of media.

“The first shared activity for the freed slaves was the construction of the tabernacle—a community art project!” - TGC

“We cannot naively assume this is only about improving the human condition when the result permanently alters what it means to be human.” - CPost

“In the wake of Roe’s 50th anniversary, four believing experts discuss the merits and challenges of the Make Birth Free proposal.” - C.Today

Related: Making It Easier to Have a Child Doesn’t Require Making Birth Free - IFS and How the GOP Can Make Childbirth Affordable Without Breaking the Bank - The Dispatch (paywalled)

“Calloused knees. Prayer closet. Answered prayers. Prayer warrior. These four phrases don’t exactly trigger me with spiritual PTSD, but they do represent markers in my journey of moving from prayer-guilt into the grace of praying.” - Desiring God

We need to read our bibles. God wants us to read our bibles—it is the story of Him revealing hidden things to us we would otherwise never know! Fair enough. But I first want to ask an important question—what is the best way to think of the Scriptures?

“Why does it matter that we have biblical views on business or healthcare or science or education? Why should we work for a biblical view of economics?” - IFWE

“Douthat and Moore consider what it looks like for Christians to engage civically without surrendering to the relentless urgency of the political cycle” - Moore to the Point

“I was excited that the pre-teen asked this tough question. It led to a great time of discussion and engagement.” - C.Leaders

Read the series.

And so we come to the evidence: objective evidence that the Bible is, um, unnatural, extraordinary, not like any other books. I’d suggest two lines of such evidence; we’ll look at the first one today, and a related topic later in the week. Next week, we’ll get to Door Number 2.

“The symphony of creation whispers of God. Proverbs 8:30–36 teaches that God’s wisdom is embedded in the fabric of creation, and when we thread ourselves into the same fabric, we’re blessed.” - TGC

“The DOJ alleges the pair violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrance (FACES) Act, which prohibits the use of any type of force or intimidation against anyone seeking an abortion or anyone exercising their First Amendment right of religious freedom.” - N.Review

“An analysis of departing churches suggests the country’s second-largest Protestant denomination will be weakened, but it is unlikely to break.” - RNS

“LGBTQ+ people are people. They are made in the image of God and worthy of dignity and respect…. don’t overcomplicate things. What are ways, in general, we can grow in making people feel welcome?” - 9 Marks

“…since becoming ‘free’ (at the initial fall), mankind has sought to idolize freedom. The ironic truth is that freedom exists only where autonomy is released (John 8:36; 2 Cor 3:17; Gal 5:1, 13).” - DBTS Blog

‘Bless This Food to Our Bodies’…‘I Covet Your Prayers’…‘Love On…’‘The Culture’… - C.Leaders

“…the history of evangelical ministry is filled with examples of spectacular, theatric, and entertaining methodology. Since so few Christians have a working knowledge of our history, we continue to fall prey to the next big thing.” - Ken Brown

“They asked him, ‘Lord, shall we strike with the sword?’ [Luke 22:39-53] Is it time to fight, Lord? … This is, in essence, a prayer.” - SBC Voices

“1. Read theology to feed your love, not your pride…. 2. Read theology with an open Bible…. 3. Read theology prayerfully….4. Read theology with faith in Christ. Christ is the Word, the revealer of God” - Ligonier

“three out of four (74%) say they want to grow spiritually. Additionally, the same proportion (77%) say they believe in a higher power.” - Barna

“…the smaller the launch, the slower or less likely a church is to be financially self-sustaining.” - CToday

“Recently, National Geographic covered the growing trend of experts now questioning the efficacy of marijuana as a treatment for what it is most commonly prescribed: pain relief.” - Breakpoint

Read the series.

Covenant Theology and the Bible

In an article at TableTalk Stephen G. Myers writes,

Covenant theology seeks to use the biblically prominent covenants to inform our knowledge of God and of His work. Specifically, covenant theology contends that God has been working throughout history to gather His people to Himself through covenantal relationship.

I believe a lot of things I would rather not believe. There are things about God I do not particularly like, but I realize the problem is mine. The God of the Bible and the teachings of the Word can be offensive or painful to embrace. Which is the hardest? Yours might not be on the list, so please choose from the list but then feel free to comment.

The question relates not to the world at large, but young, new, or less mature believers. This is obviously based upon your experiences and observations, and is about the situaiton in the now, not the past.

Poll Results

Which of the following is the hardest doctrine for new believers or less committed Christians to accept?

“When we question the legitimacy of our baptism experiences, we are essentially wondering whether we have crossed this boundary. Do we belong to the family of God?” - CToday