Articles (Page 9)
Is Zeal Enough? Rethinking the Missionary Call
I’m baffled with the phenomenon that so many become missionaries with a dangerously low level of insight into Scripture coupled with extraordinary romantic zeal. A handful of verses guide them, about which most have little true understanding. Their experience of church life is limited and often built on poor models, even though their labors are to be all about planting churches, making leaders (even if they’ve never been leaders before), and setting churches in biblical order. And, sadly, they have…
Missionary or Missionary Worker?
Missionaries must have other workers, long and short term, to assist. Many of these will naturally come from among those who show promise as converts through the missionary’s efforts. Paul, though perhaps exceptional in his management skills, had 38 whose names appear as likely assistants at various times. He was always traveling and laboring with a coterie of faithful helpers. There could have been even more! Some of Paul’s workers were women (18%, according to Schnabel, p. 251), although no…
The “Word of the Lord” Appearance to Jeremiah
Pay close attention to the phrase “the word of the Lord” in this encounter with Jeremiah: Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 6 Then I said, “Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.” 7 But the LORD said to…
Citizens of the Kingdom; Aliens in the World
The greater reality as believers is that we are citizens of the Kingdom of God and of His Christ (Anointed King) and are therefore aliens in the world. This first reality competes with a second one: we are temporary citizens of a country in this world and are not yet physically in the Kingdom of God as it will be when our King returns and sets it in order. We should not be unconcerned for our temporary country where God…
We Need the Spirit
We Need the Spirit The Holy Spirit “came upon” individual disciples in the New Testament, giving them great power most notably in the effectiveness of their speech. The Spirit also “filled” believers multiple times with the same effect. This is especially seen in the repeated experience of Peter in Acts. These are two ways of saying the same thing. We should think of “filled” as being overcome or dominated by the Spirit. Paul instructed the Ephesians like this: “Do not…
Southern Baptists, an Unregenerate Denomination
“How are you doing?” “Pretty well, under the circumstances.” “What are the circumstances?” “Well, I have a very effective arm. It moves with quite a bit of animation. But then I have my bad leg.” “What’s wrong with it?” “I guess it’s paralyzed. At least it doesn’t do much except twitch once a week or so. But that’s nothing compared with the rest of me.” “What’s the problem? “From all appearances, the rest is dead. At least it stinks and…
Jesus Was Worshipped
Jesus was worshipped. “And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’” Jesus had walked on the water. I won’t go through that important story. Rather, I want you to weigh the response of his followers to that miracle. It was simply this: the disciples worshipped him. Worshipping Christ—perhaps you have not thought of the importance of this idea, repeated various times through Jesus’…
The Ten Plagues Memory Tool
The Ten Plagues One, water to bloodTwo, toads in mudThree, thriving gnatsFour, flies that splatFive, flocks that dropSix, sores that popSeven, stones and stormingEight, eaters swarmingNine, nighttime bumblingTen, tykes are tumbling Copyright Jim Elliff 2010
Say What You Love About God
May I suggest something of value for you to do that has great returns. It is so simple, yet profound and effective. We all can do it. Here it is: DESCRIBE SOMETHING YOU VALUE ABOUT GOD TO OTHERS. I mean by this to thoughtfully tell somebody what God is like. Portray as colorfully as possible a characteristic of the Father, Son, or Spirit that you value and think is worth being known. A believer who could learn to do this…
The Rural Church Dilemma
Some time ago I drove to several small towns in rural Arkansas with my 89 year old father and my siblings, tracking the steps of the ministry of both my dad and his father. The experience was memorable. We visited small towns that even Arkansans might not recognize today: Cotter, Caledonia, Hagersville, Greenwood, LaVaca—twelve in all. These were the places where my father, and his father, labored for Christ eighty and ninety years ago. Much has changed in the landscape…
To Obtain the Inheritance
The inheritance for the Christian begins with eternal life, a transformed body, new heavens and a new earth, and extends literally to all there is. We are co-heirs with Christ, meaning all that Christ has received in his ascension, we have received. The realization of all that will not come until later, yet it is ours. We will reign under him over all the universe! Jesus told his disciples to not be afraid of provisional lack because “God has chosen…
As It Is In All the World: Gospel Effects
“ . . . The gospel, which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing,even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf . . .” Colossians 1:5-7 This describes how the gospel came…
Packing for Eternity
I travel a lot for our ministry, Christian Communicators Worldwide. I love meeting new people and facing the challenges of leading them into new dimensions of Bible understanding. Years ago a veteran traveler and Christian statesman, J. Oswald Sanders, told me at about 90 years of age that it wasn’t the ministry he had all around the world that was so difficult, but rather, it was “getting there” that was the most tedious part. This author and former head of…
Give Me Justice!
Jesus was telling the people why they should always pray and not lose heart. A woman, in his story, cried out to the impatient, unrighteous judge for justice from her opponent. She kept asking until he relented and acted in her favor. He tired of listening to her incessant pleas. “Now,” Jesus said, “will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and yet He is very patient with them”. In other words,…
This Mystery is Profound: Why Are You Married?
Perhaps you have never thought of marriage as a mystery, even though you might sometimes make humorous (or not so humorous) jabs about not being able to understand your spouse. “I’ll never understand you!” is not an uncommon phrase in most homes. But marriage itself is not a mystery, even if you think your spouse is. The institution itself is as common as a potato. After all, since time on earth began, people have been “marrying and giving in marriage.” Even…
The Unforgivable Sin: What Could It Possibly Mean?
There is much that is difficult to understand about the unforgiveable sin. In one place (perhaps only one application), Jesus is instructing his disciples about their future ministry. He says, “And everyone who speaks a word against [blasphemes] the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him” (Lk 12:10). Since Jesus came to live as a perfectly responsive human (though He was God, Phil 2:11), the…