Category Archives: Links

Jun 6 2013

this went thru my mind

 

Bible, contradictions, credibility, & inspiration: Do Contradictions In The Gospels Make Them Untrustworthy?

“What we’re dealing with in the gospels are legit eyewitness testimonies. And you can trust them because of the contractions, not in spite of them.”

Church & ministry: 3 Reasons Why the “Safe” Argument is Killing Churches

“… the next time we sit around a discussion table and someone says, Wouldn’t it be safer . . . . , well, we should ask: 1) is that the view of God we read about in Scripture?; 2) what opportunity and people will be lost by us failing to act; and 3) what opportunity for people to serve, create, and grow spiritually will be missed? If ‘Safety is First,’ then that means our mission is not first. And that, my friends, is why so many churches are not growing. Tradition, safety, keeping the peace–these have become our mission. And that does not reach people for Christ or grow the church.”

Consumption & oppression: 5 Resources About How Our Consumption Affects Others

“… think about how your possessions and your consumption affect people in other countries.”

Dallas Willard: Give ‘em Heaven [5 min. video]

“Fourteen-year-old Larissa Heatley, Dallas Willard’s only granddaughter, delivered a personal tribute at his memorial service. She is sharing her message with us today, giving us a sweet, intimate glimpse into their relationship.”

Discipleship, love, ministry, respect & spiritual maturity: A Door Mat Christianity by Les Ferguson, Jr. [essential reading]

“Love your ministers lavishly. Chances are you have no idea what they are sacrificing–sometimes even their own self-esteem. If you like to make jokes at the preacher’s expense about only working one day a week or keeping his moving boxes close to hand or how much money he makes, Stop! Stop now. He may laugh with you, but it takes a toil. Eventually he becomes a doormat whether he wants to acknowledge it or not. Even when he can’t or won’t see it for what it is, his spouse sees it and suffers too. Doormat Christianity is hurtful, destructive, and ultimately damaging to the spirit within. Loving others means saying this is wrong!”

Disrespect & leadership:  Why You Must Confront Seemingly Indispensable but Disrespectful Team Members

“This is the tough stuff of leadership that no one wants to discuss. But it is the necessary stuff. You can’t develop people and take them to the next level unless you are willing to speak into their lives—for their benefit and for your team.”

Extreme faith & legalism: The Little Way and the New Legalism of Radical Christianity

“… St. Thérèse can be an important resource for Protestants struggling with the call to be a “radical Christian” and the resultant shame when our lives seems pretty normal and ordinary.”

Time management: Top 10 Time Savers for the Stuff You’re Too Busy to Do

“We’ve all had days where we feel a little rushed and can’t be bothered with things … Make all those chores easier with these time-saving tips.”

Worship: The Difference between Congregational Worship and a Concert

“… with regard to the main thrust of Christian congregational worship.”

Jun 5 2013

links to the land

 

Recently (May 14-25) I was privileged to fulfill a long-time dream: to make a trip to Israel! I intend to begin posting in regard to this trip next week.

However, starting today I will make weekly posts (on Wednesdays) of links to recent, noteworthy online articles concerning some of the sites the group of which I was a part visited, as well as related matters. These posts will will run under the title Links to the Land. Click the blue and enjoy!

Herod the Great/Herodium: * Herod the Great Exhibition in the Israel Museum; * Herod Exhibit Virtual Tour Online

* “Last March I was able to visit this exhibition and it took my breath away. We were fortunate to have special permission to film before the exhibition was opened to visitors as I was part of a team making a documentary for the National Geographic.”

* “The Israel Museum has created a virtual tour of the Herod the Great exhibit in which you can ‘walk’ through the nine galleries, viewing the reconstructions, listening to audio explanations, and watching several video pieces. The gallery is loosely arranged after the journey of Herod from the place of his death in Jericho to his burial at Herodium.”

Khirbet Qeiyafa: Premiere of a New Khirbet Qeiyafa Short Film is Right Here

“A new short film titled “Khirbet Qeiyafa: A Fortified City in the Kingdom of Judah” now debuts on this blog. It summarizes the major finds at Khirbet Qeiyafa and presents the excavators’ conclusions on how the site shapes our understanding of biblical Judah. Khirbet Qeiyafa is the modern name for a 3,000 year-old ancient city dating to the time of kings Saul and David. It is located where David slew Goliath along the Philistine-Judah border as described in 1 Samuel 17.”

Pharisees: No and Yes on the Pharisees

“There are several reasons why the Pharisees are misunderstood … Here are some important truths about the Pharisees …”

Qumran: Picture of the Week: Qumran Caves

“This seems to be a week where Hebrew scrolls are in the news more often than normal …”

Samaria/Sebastia: * Rich Holy Land Site Succumbs to Neglect; * Holy Land Archaeological Treasure Hurt by Politics

* “… today the hilltop capital of biblical kings, later ruled by Roman conquerors, Crusaders and Ottomans, is marred with weeds, graffiti and garbage. Caught between conflicting Israeli and Palestinian jurisdictions, the site has been largely neglected by both sides for the past two decades. Beyond the decay, unauthorized diggers and thieves have taken advantage of the lack of oversight to make off with priceless artifacts.”

* “Therein lies the problem: Most of the ruins lie in areas under full Israeli control, with some in areas under Palestinian civilian control but shared security responsibilities under the 1990s peace deals that divvied up the West Bank into zones of authority. The Palestinians claim all of the West Bank, captured by Israel from Jordan in 1967, as part of a future state. The situation deteriorated greatly with the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising in late 2000. Although the fighting has ended, care for the site has since dropped away because of security fears. Visits by Israeli citizens need to be coordinated with the Israeli military.”

Shechem: Shechem

“Recently, Dutch and Palestinian archaeologists have been digging on a lot that has become an unofficial dump for garbage and old car parts of the city of Nablus, ancient Shechem. The  project is sponsored by the Palestinian Department of Antiquities, which is trying to recover the rich history of ancient Shechem.”

Apr 27 2013

this went thru my mind (on violence)

 

V-for-violenceChristianity, guns, idolatry & power: * The Weakness of the Pentagon and the Power of the Cross; * A Meditation on the 10 Commandments (#3)

* “Christians are people who know that the Word is mightier than the sword. Our weapons are not worldly, but powerful: the preaching of the Word who has made peace and the celebrating of the Word embodied in broken flesh and poured-out blood.”

* “What are some of our graven images today? A gun is an idol. It is an idol of the false god of power. It can also be an idol of the false god of safety and security. If I trust in the killing power of cold steel and lifeless wood, I am rejecting the power of the life-giving and life protecting God.”

Gun control & the media: Gun Control and the Media

“In the four months since the Newtown, Connecticut shootings, the tone of the conversation about gun control on Twitter has shifted sharply several times in apparent response to ongoing events, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of nearly 21 million tweets from December 18 through April 21.”

Gun control & the public: Mixed Reactions to Senate Gun Vote

“Overall, 15% say they are angry this legislation was voted down and 32% say they are disappointed. On the other side, 20% say are very happy the legislation was blocked, while 19% say they are relieved. … States with two senators voting no: AL, AK, AR, GA, ID, KS, KY, MS, NE, ND, OK, SC, TN, TX, UT, WY.”

Violence: “God is pissed off and so am I”: Pastor Phil Jackson on Gun Violence

“If you have never held a mother, father, or crying child who has had to bury a family member because of gun violence, you might not understand the need to make the tough changes. If you have never seen the eyes of a student looking to you for hope as life seeps from their body or sat with a mother asking God why her child is gone — why her child had to die — I doubt you will understand the pain and the effect of what guns are doing on the streets of Chicago. If you have never had these experiences, you might not understand my sense of urgency when I say that I want to see the end of cheap and plentiful guns in my neighborhood. … My thoughts about the protection of constitutional rights are always accompanied by my thoughts of protecting the young people in my neighborhood.”

Apr 26 2013

this went thru my mind

 

666 & Revelation: “Why Can’t Johnny Count?” A Needed Guide for Preachers (and Commentators) on Gematria (666/616), Isopsephism, and Counting by Richard Oster

“A final inconvenient truth that has also yet to makes its way into some pulpits and halls of academic learning is that gematria was not a “secret code” used primarily by persecuted, minority groups to stay beneath the radar of the Evil Empire.”

Church & ministry: * The Problem with Grandpa’s Church; * An Open Letter to the Latest in a Long Series of People Angry at the Church; * Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 11 Things I Learned [essential reading]; * 10 Quick & Practical Ministry Principles that Will Bless Your Church

* “… there is a big problem that I see about seeking an adult faith and Church in the midst of youth culture, one that frightens and worries me deeply. The problem is me.”

* “To all those who are fed up with, cannot stand, and are otherwise angry at the church. I think I get your message. … The overwhelming majority of you are in your third decade of life. Some are much older, some are younger. That tells me that the majority of you simply have not had the opportunity to experience so much of life that longevity teaches. … hat leaves some of you who are my age and older who still angry at the church but for entirely different reasons. Maybe something I say will speak to you as well, but I fear the issues you have need another letter. Increased chronological age does not necessarily equate to increased maturity. An angry senior citizen is no improvement over an angry toddler. … I want to tell you that we – the older generation that you seem to be so bent on overcoming – have been where you have been and we have done what you are doing.”

* “As many as 100,000 churches in America could be dying. Their time is short, perhaps less than ten years. What do you think of the autopsy on this church? What can we do to reverse these trends?”

* “Here are ten ministry axioms I received from Larry Osborne.”

Depression & discouragement: * Is it ‘Unspiritual’ to be Discouraged? by Sinclair Ferguson; * Hymn Stories: God Moves in a Mysterious Way

* “Faith in Christ does not remove all of the causes of discouragement; rather, it enables us to overcome them.”

* “The mental pain [William] Cowper struggled with was primarily depression. He had four major battles with it through his life, leading him to attempt suicide on several occasions. … Cowper’s hymn writing came as a result of his friendship with John Newton.”

Heresy: I’m a Heretic, You’re a Heretic, Wouldn’t You Like to Be a Heretic Too?

“… how should we respond to heretical ideas in a world where any attempt to declare something heretical will be viewed with extreme prejudice? Here are just a few suggestions.”