NowTHINK!AboutIt

Avoiding Hackneyed...Making Sense

Evangelize Intentionally

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The road to hell is paved by the good intentions of those walking and those watching!

We Don’t Easily Get It

We study the Gospel of John digging out the useful bits of evangelistic information and then refer to it as the Gospel of “Belief” rather than the Gospel of “Evangelism.” We fall short of the right conclusion and then fail to follow through on any meaningful application.

And we do this because we are more content just studying the Bible than we are doing what it says. We scour John’s Gospel locating all the powerful evangelistic verses, making other pertinent observations as well and then, instead of evangelizing, we study it some more.

That is one reason I think Bible study has become an insidious and pervasive evil. It is now the cover up for inaction and ineffectiveness. All over the world, in churches everywhere, spiritual action has been constipated by the idea that once you have studied your Bible you have done your due. [Read more…] about Evangelize Intentionally

Book Review: Archeology And The Structure Of Genesis

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Ancient records and the structure of Genesis: A case for literary unity by P. J. Wiseman

P. J. Wiseman was neither an archeologist nor a scholar of ancient languages but he was a keen observer, an avid reader and a diligent Bible student. These qualities and the fact that he was stationed in close proximity to live Middle Eastern archeological digs in the 1920’s and 30’s made him a reliable source for some thought provoking ideas about the structure and composition of Genesis.

Prior to any real knowledge of ancient literary methods, in fact, at a time when scholars weren’t convinced that any type of writing was done much before the 1st millennium BC, the compilation of Genesis was surmised only through subjective reflection on the text alone. The result was a variety of theories involving several different and unconnected sources – named by the letters J, E, D and P – none of which are substantiated by copies of any kind. [Read more…] about Book Review: Archeology And The Structure Of Genesis

FIFA – Sport Diplomats Of The World

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I grew up in the States so Soccer (football) was something I knew little about. Kick ball was the closest I got to soccer and it was more like a foot version of baseball. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I learned about FIFA’s World Cup.

The most popular sporting events for American kids are national championships of various kinds: football, baseball, basketball, all of which happen on pro (private franchises) and college levels and are played on American soil.

Teams from other countries, however, often play internationally and are national not private. Competitors are developed through clubs and begin aspiring at a young age to represent their local and national governments playing sport. This marks a huge difference in the way sporting structures are organized between the US and other countries.

US competitors are developed through a collegiate system and are channeled into private sport franchises. As a rule they don’t grow up aspiring to represent their nation in athletic competition. That may be one reason the Ryder Cup boys haven’t faired so well in recent years. Americans aren’t as motivated to “play” for national pride as Europeans. Why else would Colin Montgomerie perform so well during the RC? Only in recent years have Americans begun to take nation-based competition seriously and we’re still trying to master the mindset.

Interestingly, it wasn’t until the European Ryder Cup teams began beating the slap out of the US that American spectators started paying attention. Living in the largest sporting bubble on planet earth produced a sense of invincibility which the Ryder Cup experience proved was more imagined than real. The RC helped open the eyes of a sleeping giant that had previously been unaware of international possibilities.

[Read more…] about FIFA – Sport Diplomats Of The World

Spend Sabbaths – Save Money – Live Longer

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There are several events in the Bible that critics love to focus on, one of which is the stoning of a Sabbath-breaker (Numbers 15:32-36). The event occurred about a year and a half after the Exodus and within a few months of leaving Mt. Sinai. Unfortunately, it is one story that is easily construed to impugn God’s benevolence. Following are the facts:

A man was found picking up “sticks” on the Sabbath and immediately taken to Moses. This was a no-no. Work on the Sabbath was not allowed. It was declared a day of rest in perpetuity and the penalty for breaking this law was death (Exodus 31:13-17). Sounds a bit severe. Even the Israelites hesitated. Before acting on what the law clearly stated they put the man in hold while Moses consulted with God.

And the answer?

Execute the man publicly. All Israel was to stone him to death which means everyone, young and old alike, were aware of this stoning, and the reason for it, in real-time. They not only witnessed it they participated. Seems gruesome! Glad I wasn’t there. [Read more…] about Spend Sabbaths – Save Money – Live Longer

“Communication” Key To Evangelism

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If Jesus was modeling evangelism in the Gospel of John He was emphasizing the art of communication in chapter 9. He heals a man born blind in the chapter and demonstrates a very novel approach to evangelism when He did.

Culturally, those with disabilities were considered pariahs.
We know better today but in Bible times disabilities were considered evidence of God’s judgment. That’s been the attitude through most of history. It is only recently that things have changed.

But, in New Testament days, and for a long time since, if a person was blind, lame, deaf, dumb, leprous or inflicted with any other malady they were looked down on spiritually not too mention abused. They received no education. Braille wasn’t even developed until 1821 and, incidentally, was developed by a blind man. The disabled were born to beg and in most cases were blamed by close relatives for bringing a bad name on the family. [Read more…] about “Communication” Key To Evangelism