Today's Devotional: Our Material and Spiritual Responsibilities
According to Wonder of Creation we have two kinds of responsibilities on this earth:...
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Hope Within Your Reach - #6156
Church folks refer to Jesus as the Savior. That means rescuer. He's come down the shaft personally to bring you to God. But he had to give His life for you to ever have life. But He didn't stay dead. He walked out of His grave and conquered death forever. And now He's come for you. When that metal cage came down the shaft, every miner had a choice. Get on and live or stay where you are and die. That's exactly the choice that faces every one of us when it comes to God's Rescuer, Jesus.
http://hutchcraft.com/a-word-with-you/your-most-important-relationship/hope-within-your...
Your Line in the Sand - #6150
Are you going to stay where it's "safe," hiding Jesus behind you? Or are you going to cross the line and join the heroes who say, "I'll tell them about Jesus, whatever it costs." The people who think nothing of Jesus aren't ashamed to freely speak His name in disrespect. What about you; someone whose life, whose eternity has been changed by Jesus? Will you talk about Him because you love Him and because they need Him? Or will you be ashamed of Jesus? On that brutal cross, Jesus was not ashamed of you.
http://hutchcraft.com/a-word-with-you/your-mission/your-line-in-the-sand-6150
Avatar: new Cameron blockbuster promises embedded spiritual meaninngs and parallels.
Superlatives reign. Movie director Cameron does it again: probably the most expensive film ever made. And in 3D. Took 14 years to make. With its own language to out-Klingon Klingon.
http://internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/1127
Starting points for evangelism that few seem to use
Mary and I had three days in London last week, as a lovely Christmas gift from our grownup children. Thanks guys! Included were tickets to Oliver! the musical, of which more below.
First though, we went to the Babylon exhibition in the British Museum, where among the exhibits were the beautiful blue glazed bricks from the Ishtar Gate and processional way. The original has been reconstructed at the Pergamum Museum in Berlin (which also houses the reconstructed market gate from Miletus and the temple from Pergamum. Daniel would doubtless have walked or ridden through the Ishtar Gate many times.
Oliver! (based on Dickens’ Oliver Twist novel) starred Rowan Atkinson, and was a great experience. I was reminded yet again that most stories are based on the archetypal ‘hero’s journey’ and contain echoes from eternity – the universal themes of searching, finding, sacrifice and redemption, which reflect elements of The Story – God’s plan and purpose for us.
http://internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/138
How people find Christ - two vital insights into conversion and salvation
Two very helpful resources here:
1) The Gray Matrix
Frank Gray’s modification of the Engel Scale is an incredibly useful pictorial tool:
More on the Matrix
2) How Adults Become Christians
Dave Bennett, UK National Director of Bridge Builders (formerly Pocket Testament Leaque) conducted this study by interviewing a range of lasting adult convert regarding the factors that had brought them to faith. His main findings were that the majority of lasting conversions:
a. took a long time – an average of about 2 years.
b. spiritual journeys frequently started due to a felt need or life problem.
d. the biggest factor by far, claimed by the respondents, was ongoing relationships with Christians, and seeing faith modeled in their lives. This far exceeded other factors such as reading books, tracts, even the Bible, or watching videos.
http://internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/87
Inception - spiritual parallels and meaning within this fascinating movie
Inception has been getting rave reviews. It’s certainly the sort of film you’d want to see a second time. In fact, this second viewing phenomenon is very widespread, as people return to work out the intricacies of the plot, not to mention looking for the many hidden visual and musical puns which have been deliberately embedded in the film. This is what the industry calls a ‘rehook’. (How can we make aspects of Christian and evangelistic ministry, offline or online, have this ‘rehook’, ’sticky’ attraction to return?)
http://internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/2269
Parallel meanings, picture language and spiritual symbolism can communicate Christian truth
Every abstract concept must be turned into picture language if we are to understand it. Language is full of these metaphors and similes. Memory techniques create a set of memorable mind pictures for the same reason. The Bible uses this type of language constantly, or describes physical events which have spiritual meaning.
http://internetevangelismday.com/word-pictures.php
Redemptive analogies - a key to meaningful communication of the Christian gospel
Don Richardson defined the concept of redemptive analogy in his books Peace Child and Eternity in Their Hearts. He explained how, embedded in a culture, there is usually some practice or understanding which can be used to demonstrate the Gospel. Findings these sometimes unexpected keys has been called a gorilla moment.
http://internetevangelismday.com/redemptive-parallel.php
How people become Christians: Gray Matrix explains spiritual journey of conversion, salvation + growth
Engel promoted a revolution. Not Engels the Marxist thinker, but James Engel the missiologist. He first outlined what has become known as the 'Engel Scale of Spiritual Decision'. This describes the way in which an individual, or by extension a whole group, progress in their understanding of the Gospel, as God's sovereign grace begins to illuminate their hearts. By understanding the way God communicates, we can become better co-communicators.
http://internetevangelismday.com/gray-matrix.php
Book review: Christianish: What If We're Not Really Following Jesus at All? by Mark Steele
Somewhere between cold faith and hot pursuit lies lukewarm spirituality. And in the median between the wide path and the narrow road we find the middle ground of the spiritual walk. It’s something not quite Christian. More like... Christianish.
http://internetevangelismday.com/bookreviews/christianish.php