Aaron Armstrong's Blog, page 65
October 31, 2017
Links I like (10/31)
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“Missing the Mark”This is glorious:
Why Does the God Who Knows All Still Ask Questions?Michael Kelley:
God uses questions to force us to confront our own hearts. He questions us not because He needs to know and understand something about what’s going on, but because He wants us to know and understand the truth of what’s going on. Through questions, God forces us to turn our gaze on ourselves, our hearts, and our motivations. He makes us look deeply into ourselves, knowing that He already...
October 30, 2017
The secret of Martin Luther’s counseling ministry
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Many of us are familiar with Martin Luther, the accidental revolutionary. The man who, by posting his 95 Theses to the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg, found himself at the center of what became known as the Protestant Reformation. But fewer of us are familiar with Martin Luther, the pastor. The man who, through dinner conversations and letters, helped encourage struggling believers with the gospel and nurtured the faith of many. I had the opportunity to explore this side of Luther i...
October 29, 2017
No Book is more astonishing
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There are many books on my shelf, and far too many have been neglected. But there is one book, out of all of them, that I fear neglecting: My Bible.
I didn’t always feel this way, of course. There was a time when I assumed it was a dreadfully dull book, with nothing of value to offer. But, beyond the fact that I wasn’t a believer, this was because I’d never read it. About 160 years ago, Charles Spurgeon challenged his congregation with these words:
The more you read the Bible, and the more y...
October 28, 2017
Weekend reading (10/28)
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A Hunger and Thirst for RighteousnessRob Tims:
The Pastoral Du...Surely you’ve experienced this. Nothing lasts. Nothing satisfies. The two happiest days in a man’s life are the days he buys a boat and the day he sells it. A bigger house is just more to clean. A new cell phone is an old cell phone two weeks after you buy it. You CAN tell the difference in an artificial tan, and besides … it fades so quickly. Everything that we “munch on” and “drink down” turns out to be “so five minutes ago.”
October 27, 2017
A Multipurpose Word for All Kinds of Evil
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Sin is a strange word to use in western culture, largely because we don’t really know what it means. It is not going against the grain of cultural standards (an act of cultural heresy, which we’ll get to later), nor is it making a poor decision. Nor is it even the temptation to defy God and His commands (Matt. 4). It is a deliberate, and multifaceted act:
Missing the mark. Sin is falling short of God’s glory and His standards for humanity by our conscious choice to defy Him. Transgression....October 26, 2017
Links I like (10/26)
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The Focus of All the ScripturesSteve Mathewson:
The reference to “Moses and all the Prophets” refers to the Hebrew Bible, what Christians today refer to as the Old Testament. During the time of Jesus, the Old Testament was read as “a story in search of a conclusion. This ending would have to incorporate the full liberation and redemption of Israel, an event which had not happened as long as Israel was being oppressed, a prisoner in her own land.” And so, the Jewish people were waiting for t...
October 25, 2017
Would another tool like this be helpful?
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A few years ago, I put together a tool to help memorize the book of Colossians. I had used one like it by Tim Brister to memorize the book of Philippians, and found the format useful and the experience rewarding.
Lately, I’ve been considering making a new one and making it available. Maybe changing up the formatting a little bit to make it easier to print, but essentially keeping it a similar style as the Colossians one.
The book I’m considering building one for is 1 John. Why 1 John?
We’ve...October 24, 2017
Links I like (10/24)
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The Four C’s of Biblical LeadershipJuan Sanchez:
Now, before we get into what I’m about to say on leadership, let me offer a disclaimer: I am NO leadership expert (whatever that may be?). However, I have made lots of mistakes from which the Lord has taught me much. Regardless, my thoughts on leadership are not dependent on having enrolled in “the school of pastoral hard knocks.” Instead, my thoughts are dependent on what Scripture itself says about church leadership. And according to Script...
October 23, 2017
11 resources you should read about the Reformation
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As you no doubt are aware, it’s Reformation season! Every year, this time of year is like Christmas for theological nerds, but this time it’s really special because, 500 years ago this month, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses, and accidentally changed the world.
If you’re like me, the chances are pretty good you’ve been looking to do some reading about the Reformation, some of its more notable figures, and their theological writings. Today, I want to share with you a selection of resources...
October 22, 2017
The Spirit always works through the Word
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Whenever I read or hear words like “resist the Spirit’s leading,” my first instinct is to cringe.1
This special appeal to the Spirit’s leading is most often used when espousing views contrary to those found in the words he inspired to be written on a host of issues like views of marriage and sexuality, the work of Christ, or the nature of God himself. And the question I find myself asking whenever I see the appeal made is a simple one: “How do you know?”
After all, if we can’t use the words...
