Posts Tagged ‘Evangelism’
The Butterfly Lovers, the Cultural Revolution, and the Hand of God
Recently I attended a concert of the Hangzhou Symphony Orchestra. A violin concerto called “The Butterfly Lovers” was a part of the program. My youngest daughter, who knows about such things, told me that the piece was quite controversial, having been composed during the Cultural Revolution, which rejected all things Western. To my ears, the…
Read MoreCommunicating Gospel Hope in a Hopeless World
How do we communicate the gospel in a winsome and compelling manner to a post-Christian culture? I doubt that most of us need to be convinced that we’re living in a post-Christian culture. When the waves of postmodernism crashed on the shores of our society in the late 20th century, Biblical concepts that were generally…
Read MoreBlind to the Gospel
You may easily lose heart in reaching out to unbelievers with the gospel (2 Cor 4:1). Sometimes this happens because unbelievers respond to you in disappointing ways, rejecting your heartfelt overtures, or responding to your biblical input in an aggressive manner. When this happens, believers may choose to shift towards shrewd or clever methods, adjusting…
Read MoreThe Crisis of Missions
(or, The Way God Can Use One Man) Uncle Tom’s Cabin first appeared in 1852 in serial form and was later published as a book, setting sales records. Its emotional portrayal of the suffering of black slaves in the south captured the attention of the country. A decade later, during the early days of the…
Read MoreA Good Evangelism Goal
Paul’s outreach efforts in the first-century city of Ephesus yielded remarkable results, yet Luke did not record these results as a headcount of total converts. He described instead the scope of the surrounding population which had heard the gospel, regardless of how many had believed. Over the course of three years, thousands of people from…
Read MoreWhat do you think happens when we die, Keanu Reeves?
The Late Show is hardly a bellwether for the state of America’s philosophizing or the condition of its soul. Except when it is. Several cultural commentators have observed that in the last two elections, some of the most blunt, honest discussions of our national situation came, sadly enough, through comedians. We expect them to break…
Read MoreSalvation is of the Jews
Is Christ Jewish? Does God’s plan for the future include the Jewish people? Does Christ have a present interest in His chosen people, or has He moved on to other projects? Acts 1:8 tells us that the church’s mission effort began in Jerusalem:“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon…
Read MoreCompassion for a Godless World
The Old Testament book of Jonah, though written in a distant time and place, offers an important message for believers living in America today. It highlights God’s heartfelt compassion for the people of an unbelieving, hostile world. It also highlights – with sharp contrast – how his own people easily fail to share his compassion,…
Read MoreCultivating Righteous Desires
I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh… Romans 9:1-3 The statement made here…
Read MoreStudying Allah, Rejoicing in Yahweh
I currently live in Detroit, Michigan, which has a significant Arab population. The cities of Dearborn and Hamtramck especially have substantial Arab communities, but even in my small town of Melvindale, it’s common to see women walk down the street in burkas or supermarket signs written in Arabic. It’s an incredible mission field for the…
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