Robert E. Coleman writes in The Coming World Revival, “To a remarkable degree, revivals have molded the course of the church in America. Peter G. Mode of the University of Chicago says that ‘more than any other phenomenon, they have supplied the landmarks of our religious history.’ William Warren Sweet has characterized revivals as ‘cascades in the stream of the church, recreating the main course of its waters.’ Were it not for these seasons of refreshing during critical periods when the … [Read more...]
Alive, but stopped dead in my tracks
Cancer. Hear a doctor use it to describe your condition and your life is instantly changed. It alters your life physically, emotionally and spiritually. The enormity of the challenge also impacts the lives of those closest to you. I know because my wife, Bernadette, and I had that reality come crashing into our lives three weeks ago when I received an unexpected Friday phone call from my doctor. He said I had cancer. He could not tell me if it had spread beyond my left kidney where an MRI … [Read more...]
The resources are in the harvest of souls
Across Missouri I have had a consistent message: Help new believers go down on one knee to pray to receive Christ as Savior and immediately go down on the other knee to pray for who they should go together to share their faith. We have around 10,000 to 11,000 baptisms every year. Are we intentional about making these new believers make disciples of others that they know? “It’s the responsibility of every church to make disciples. I also believe that the Word tells us that it is the job of … [Read more...]
Finishing well and the situation’s gravity
There are several reasons I’ll never skydive. I’ll give you my top two. First, I’ve seen videos of people skydiving. Their faces … well … they “flutter.” Wildly. Honestly, I don’t need to see my face flapping violently over my ears, thank you very much. That kind of wind velocity is just not meant for faces over 40. It ends up looking like a basset hound pup with its head out a car window—multiplied by however many years you are over 40. I’m not daring enough to sass the math. Gravity plus … [Read more...]
Are all world religions equal?
In Cholula, Mexico, stands the Church of Our Lady of Remedies. It sits atop the largest archaeological site in the Americas – a pyramid laced with catacombs and filled with artifacts from pre-colonial days. According to some accounts, the natives of Cholula refused to welcome Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortes in the 16th century. So to teach them a lesson, Cortes massacred thousands and ordered the people to build 365 Catholic Churches, one for each day of the year. They never reached … [Read more...]
How one Missouri church is seeking partnership in Mexico
PUEBLA, Mexico – Jason Walters wants his church to carry out the Great Commission by identifying its Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and ends of the earth. The student pastor of Canaan Baptist Church in St. Louis has taken mission teams to the United Kingdom and the Dominican Republic, and his church already partners with other churches in Iowa and West Africa. But when Walters and senior pastor Daniel Carr heard about the vision being cast by 60 churches in the Puebla/Tlaxcala region of … [Read more...]
100: churches: Mexico-Missouri partnership has 2020 vision
PUEBLA, Mexico – Angel Gonzalez hopes to provide counseling, legal advice, and English as a Second Language to his neighbors in the community of La Luna. Abednego Tamariz has a heart for the indigenous Nahuas people of San Miguel and is sharing the love of Christ with many who are enslaved by alcoholism, drug addiction, and domestic violence. Mauro Lara is grieved over six communities within driving distance of his home in the city of Puebla that have little or no evangelistic … [Read more...]
Asking for God’s wisdom, never out of season
People can be funny about seasons. I know a gal who only drinks coffee in the winter. I want to tell her—with entirely too much enthusiasm—it’s a cup of coffee. Not a wool scarf. This is not a “white-shoes-after-Labor-Day” kind of thing. To every drink there is a season. For me, coffee is all of them. Why is it we tend to put some things in a seasonal box where they don’t belong, and not include others that really do? For instance, some of us routinely make fitness seasonal. Personally, … [Read more...]
‘Is homosexuality the worst sin?’
A few years ago I joined leaders of LifeWay Christian Resources in a meeting with executives of a Nashville TV station. They were preparing to launch a new program catering to gays and lesbians. We asked them to reconsider. Among the TV executives was a lesbian. She wanted to know why Christians couldn’t just accept her for who she is. It was the only time I recall speaking up, and I said something like this: “I accept you for who you are, if you accept me. We are both sinners who … [Read more...]
Making disciples or teaching the lesson?
My Sunday School teacher called early on a Saturday morning. “Mark, my store was broken into and completely vandalized. It’ll take days to repair. If you don’t teach tomorrow, then we won’t have Sunday School. How ‘bout it?” I agreed, but only out of pity. Prior to that moment, I had only taught a third grade Sunday School class with my wife. I actually got her to drive to church while I scanned the lesson plan. And I knew I was bad. Because of that experience I skewed spiritual gift tests … [Read more...]
The impact of friends and blessings bestowed
Anytime you trip in front of your friends, the best thing to do is to just bounce right back up and keep on going. To the airport. And then leave the country. Maybe change your name. Isn’t it a little hard to save face after your face just did a plant? Especially a face plant on gravel. Exfoliation gone so wrong. The last time I took a tumble I didn’t do a face plant so there was no eating gravel or anything. But I think I do remember the faint taste linoleum for a while. It was in a busy … [Read more...]
Pop Quiz: What do you know about Islam?
Islam is the youngest and fastest-growing major religion in the world. But how much do you know about the beliefs and practices that Muhammad and his followers began exporting from the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century? Here’s a chance to test your knowledge. The correct answers follow the quiz. 1. The Arabic word “Islam” means: a) Holy war; b) Allah saves; c) Submission; d) True religion 2. Muslims believe the final written authority from Allah is: a) The Bible; b) The Qur’an; c) The … [Read more...]