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Month: June 2017

What I Read in June

Calling on the Name of the Lord: A Biblical Theology of Prayer Gary Millar managed to find something that I didn’t think existed in 2017: an angle on prayer that no one has ever explored before. Millar presents the first full biblical theology of prayer I’ve seen; from Genesis and the Pentateuch, through the Psalms, the Prophets, the Gospels, Paul’s writings, and finally prayer in the remainder of the New Testament letters. All throughout, Millar adds weight to his thesis that prayer is essentially “calling on the name of Yahweh to fulfill his promises”. He adds that for us, praying “in Jesus’ name” is the New Covenant re-imaging of the this formula. This book will change how you look at prayer, and cause your prayers…

Wednesdays on the Web (28/06)

Most Christians Have Non-Christian Worldviews While this is written from the American church perspective, I found it interesting as a launchpad for discussion, particularly in light of the recent Australian census data. I find it fascinating that so many Christians look down on other Christians because of their ‘sheltered’ or ‘myoptic’ worldviews, but the title of this article is revealing, and shows us how much we still have to have our minds renewed. A Painting of Come Lord Jesus, be our guest…” A dearly loved friend introduced me to this prayer a few years ago, and only recently had I come to appreciate the beautiful theology behind it. Meet the New ‘Twicer’ “I came across an interesting expression recently: the twicer.1 From what I understand,…

The “Gift” of Evangelism?

Today’s guest post comes from Stuart Millar. Stuart is the founder and director of Train to Proclaim Inc. He trains Christians to be more effective in sharing the gospel and develops quality and innovative resources to equip contemporary Christians everywhere. With 23 years as a full time evangelist, he is passionate about Christians being the best we can be at communicating the best message of all time. I asked Stuart the question Do you need the gift of evangelism to do the work of an evangelist? Stuart: I have been offering $1000 in many churches over the last decade if anyone can find anywhere in the Bible where it says that evangelism is a gift. In the two big “gift chapters” that cover the manifestational…

Lessons in the Art of Giving Away Your Life

Rarely do I find a book so wonderful and easy to read that I fly through it fifty pages at a time. And yet, right from the outset its clear that in Ordinary Saints: Lessons in the Art of Giving Away Your Life Devenish would encourage me to take it slow; to look under every rock, touch every leaf, smell every flower. In so doing, I learn in the pages of his book not only how I should live as a Christ-follower, but I see clearer how I am called to live Jesus’ kingdom vision for my family, for my work life, and for the way in which I am called to have an influence on the world around me. With the movement of time…

Wednesdays on the Web (21/06)

Stop Telling Me God is My Father In light of American Fathers Day recently, this article provides a poignant perspective from a person whose story is more common than we realise, and yet we can be remarkably dismissive through our Christian clichés. The Problem with Pet Sins There’s a number of reasons why I find this post fascinating and valuable. First, because I’m currently reading James K. A. Smith’s You Are What You Love in which I’m seeing more clearly the importance of self-awareness when it comes to re-calibrating our hearts away from the practices of the world and forming habits that align our spiritual compass to the ‘true North’ of Jesus Christ, and second because it answers the popular question of “Does God always…

When Authenticity & Holiness Collide

I read an interview recently with a Christian artist who was asked about his use of an expletive in a recent song. His response was that this particular word is something found in his normal vocabulary so it would be “disingenuous to leave it out.” It got me thinking; when did we start valuing authenticity over holiness? We are seeing more and more people in public arenas – particularly musicians and pastors –  who are using expletives and the justification tends to be that they are just being “real.” Now I understand that there are Christians who don’t have an issue with swearing, but while there is a conversation to be had with regards to Ephesians 4:29, that’s not something I’m going to take up…

Wednesdays on the Web (14/06)

The Gospel Domino Effect Here Courtney Yantes discusses “the grand chain reaction of dominoes”, and how these dominoes continue to crash into each other throughout human history for our good and the good of others. Proceed at Once to the Text I was reading a sermon by Charles Spurgeon not too long ago, wherein his opening remarks he stated, “Let us proceed at once to the text!” That little, almost insignificant phrase struck me in a way that made me pause. No jokes, no personal stories, no novelty; just procession to the text. How could the man dubbed the “Prince of Preachers” attract thousands upon thousands, week upon week, by simply proceeding to the text? A Graphically Expressed Third Way on Gender Stuff in a Messed…

An Introduction to the Councils & Creeds

Over the coming weeks, I’m inviting you to join me on a journey through an important part of the history of the Christian church. Many Christians today aren’t aware of the substantial debt we owe to our forebears who paved the way for us to grasp concepts that we now learn about in Sunday school. By wrestling with issues like God as Trinity, the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ, and the inerrancy of Scripture, they hammered out for future generations a clear understanding of these significant doctrines. Essentially now our Christianity 101, these crucial theological positions that make up the foundation of orthodox Christianity were formed at councils and by creeds, some over many years. Orthodox here is defined as “conforming to the Christian faith as…

Only The Good Stuff

High on my list of new podcasts for 2017 is Stephen Altrogge’s latest project Only The Good Stuff. It’s been thoroughly enjoyable so far, with an upbeat tone that is refreshing as well as entertaining. The show’s intent is to feature zero complaining, no negativity, only discussion about things that his guests are truly enjoying. I love the premise, and so after listening to several episodes, I became inspired and set about making a list of my own. So here’s ‘the good stuff’ that I’ve been enjoying in 2017. 1. The Note Sleeve by Bellroy Simply the best purchase I’ve made so far this year has been this wallet by Bellroy. In concert with the Stocard app for iPhone, I’ve simplified my wallet from two…

Wednesdays on the Web (07/06)

The Danger of “Has God Called You?” You will notice that missing from the list of qualifications of elders and deacons is an “inner call”. It’s just not there. So why then do we add extra-biblical qualifications? I wonder if what we are really asking with this “inner call” is whether or not somebody wants to do it. Do you feel compelled into this ministry? Do you desire the work of an elder? But that makes us uncomfortable so we’ve sanctified our language a bit. It’s sounds so much better to say, “God is calling me into this ministry” rather than saying, “I’d really like to preach”. But the Bible speaks the way of the latter more than the former. Do you want to? Are…

The Tech-Wise Family

Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place. We live in a world saturated with technology. From the moment most of us wake to the moment that we go to bed there is at least one screen calling for our time and attention. While there are many good things about technology, in The Tech-Wise Family Andy Crouch encourages his readers to consider the impact that these devices have on our lives, our families, and our children. Now before we get too far, it must be made clear that Crouch is not anti-technology. In fact, early in the book he refers to himself as “a certified geek” so this book is not about getting rid of technology from our lives but merely putting it in…