Aaron Armstrong's Blog, page 69

Links I like (9/21)

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On Getting ‘Un-dragoned’ By the Light of Christ

Jared C. Wilson:

Christian, you are never not covered by the blood of Jesus. So: If his blood has covered your sin, why are you still walking in fear and hiding?

You know, the one place I finally felt “at home” I got eventually got chewed up in and spit out of. I’ve had a pretty good life, but I’ve also got some pretty good reasons to keep entirely myself and never let you or anyone else in. That would be the safest and–to some extent–most unde...

Focus on character first

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I thought about calling this post, “Why ‘do more better’ is killing you,” but I didn’t want y’all to confuse that with Tim Challies’ book on productivity. Rather than productivity, I’m thinking our tendency to focus on behavior modification. Whether as parents or preachers, it’s really easy to slide into a “do this, don’t do that” mentality. If we give people three easy steps to follow, they’ll live a godlier life. If we just tell our kids enough times to stop hitting one another (which is n...

Links I like (9/19)

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In completely random bits of randomness news, it’s International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Emily is super-bummed because Krispy Kreme isn’t giving away boatloads of donuts this year! Maybe next year…

4 Reflections From My Daughter’s Baptism

This will make you misty.

Died: Nabeel Qureshi, Author of ‘Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus’

Kate Shellnutt:

The 34-year-old convert from Islam was an itinerant speaker with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) until his diagnosis last summer. He spen...

What are angels really like? (A brief sketch)

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If all we had to go on was pop culture, we’d think angels were gentle beings who can’t wait to give you a hug, a pat on the head, and possibly offer you a bagel with cream cheese. We’d have guardian angels watching over us, or deceased loved ones becoming angels. We’d have Michael Landon in Highway to Heaven, or Della Reese in Touched by an Angel.

Nothing like the Bible describes.

The Scriptures depict these created beings as something other than human—entities created distinctly from us. Th...

Don’t believe it for a second!

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The other day, I read a Fox News story about a “Christian numerologist”1 who claims to have figured out when the world will end, with Luke 21:25-26 as the basis for his doomsday prophesying:

Then there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and there will be anguish on the earth among nations bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and expectation of the things that are coming on the world, because the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

So what’...

Weekend reading (9/16)

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3 Ways to Build Intentional Gratitude in Your Church

Cody Deevers:

Church plants live and die on volunteer leaders. I am constantly amazed at the faithfulness and effectiveness of our volunteers. Unfortunately, our people don’t always realize how thankful I am because I only think it instead of saying it. While gratitude itself is a matter of attitude and heart, communication of gratitude is a matter of execution and intentionality. Here are three things that help me and our leaders to be mo...

The problem with the problem of evil

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I’ve spent most of the last week trying to write something that makes sense of the problem of evil. By this, I don’t mean I’m trying to explain it away, or downplay it. I’m trying to figure out the best way to put it in perspective. The question around the problem of evil looks something like this:

How can evil exist if God is as all-powerful and good as He claims to be? The solutions provided usually look like these:

God is willing to prevent evil, but is unable to. God is able to prevent...

Links I like (9/14)

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Should We Pull the Plug on Cable News?

Trevin asks a great question:

I used to be a cable subscriber for one year out of four: election year. As a political junkie, I found the up-to-the-minute news of a presidential campaign thrilling. I loved the drama.

Election 2016 changed that. It wasn’t because, this time around, I was unable to enthusiastically support either candidate. It was a growing concern with the toxic atmosphere of the cable news channels and the worrisome trends they reveal a...

How do we make what seems impossible possible?

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At the best of times, engaging in the life of a church (in the sense of the corporate body) can seem difficult. For those who have seen churches torn apart in splits, or been part of congregations where false doctrine or unrepentant sin have been allowed to fester, it can seem almost impossible.

It’s hard to feel safe enough to let yourself be known. To let people in. It’s risky to be vulnerable. But, despite our feelings, it’s not impossible.

I was thinking about something Ray Ortlund wrote...

Links I like (9/12)

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A Different Way to Think About What It Means to Grow Up in Christ

Michael Kelley:

We know this is a good thing for us. We know that this is the inspired Word of God. We know that if we want to grow spiritually then the best thing in the world for us is to every day crack open God’s Word and prayerfully read it, believe it, and obey it. We know these things. And yet at some point this very week – maybe tomorrow – you won’t feel like opening God’s Word. And neither will I.

One of the Saddest V...