Jenn July 23rd, 2008
Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar (Luke 18)
35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 42 And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
I listened to a very good message on the faith and prayer delivered by Aron Osborne at the SGM church in Cleveland, Ohio. It was great to hear a sermon that balanced the tension between the “name it, claim it” health & prosperity gospels and the biblical call to faith. Since I have had several conversations over the past few weeks about this subject, the timing was great.
Listen here.
Jenn May 23rd, 2008
Steven Curtis Chapman.com: Official Source for all things Steven
In a sad accident at their home, the family of Steven Curtis Chapman lost their adopted 5 year old daughter on May 21, 2008.
Jenn April 29th, 2008
BBC NEWS | Magazine | When Muslims become Christians
Interesting article on the conversion of Muslims to Christianity.
Jenn April 11th, 2008
flirttoconvert
Flirt to Convert is a new book published by Inter-varsity Press that encourages single Christians to use flirting as a means of evangelism. The teaser for the book suggests that when other singles are looking for “the one” they are actually looking for “The One”.
All joking aside, I spotted this April’s Fool day joke on Josh Harris’ nanoblog. I did a Google search on Flirt to Convert and found there is actually an online dating service with the same name geared towards Christians and towards a real, not merely fictional, “missionary dating” movement.
Jenn April 4th, 2008
John Piper, as usual, brilliantly sums up the deficiencies that both sides of the aisle bring to the table when it comes to compassion. though they both like to claim it, we have yet to see it balanced.
April 1, 2008 | By: John Piper
Category: Commentary
The inconsistencies of liberal and conservative compassion do not define the nature of good and evil.
That there are liberals who talk compassion for the weak and oppressed, but support the butchery of the weakest persons (the unborn even to the point of birth) does not make abortion less evil.
That there are conservatives who talk compassion for unborn persons, but feel little interest or compassion for their own neighbors, let alone the sorrows of the countless poor, does not make inattentive heartlessness less evil.
That liberals justify their support for butchery in the name of freedom, and conservatives justify their indifference to the miseries of poverty in the name of freedom, does not conceal the selective nature of the freedoms they want. The one says, Keep your hands off my body. The other says, Keep your hands off my wallet.
Will there ever arise a leader who can articulate a dream for overcoming this divide? There is such a Leader. But he will never be elected. His kingdom is “not of this world.” Therefore, it is both infinitely relevant and intolerably repulsive to the world. When he promotes his Way he gets crucified.
Yet, short of his perfection, let us pray that leaders will arise who labor with heart and hand, through Jesus Christ, to be wisely compassionate and to overcome every contradiction of the compassionate heart.
Jenn January 28th, 2008
Yes, there is a new Christian book out on how to help women get married. I have not read the book. I might read it, but don’t hold your breath. The book, Get Married: What Women can do to Help it Happen boasts the following chapters:
- Believe in Marriage as a Worthwhile and Holy Pursuit
- Restore Biblical Honor and Desire
- Men aren’t Jerks, They’re Fallen (Like You)
- God Still is in the Business of Making Good Matches
- You Need a Network
- Waking a Great Sleeper
- Pulling a Ruth
- Living Like You’re Planning to Marry
- Pray Boldly
I am sure there are a few things I could learn from the book, but I am more concerned that there is an entire book that focuses on pursuing one of God’s gifts rather than pursuing God himself.
I have highly recommended this sermon before, but in case you are a newer reader, I again strongly recommend John Piper’s sermon, “Single in Christ: A Name Better than Sons and Daughters.” This sermon is actually applicable for everyone. Parents, remember, as my good friend once put it, “…you don’t know which of your daughters God will have married and which he will have to remain single…” Additionally, it is highly probable that either you or your spouse will again be single some day.
