Lutheran Mission

Tuesday, June 05, 2018

Paper: The Biblical basis of evangelism by John Stott

‘Mission’, ‘evangelism’, ‘dialogue’, ‘salvation’, and ‘conversion’—as Christians, we hear these words often, but over time their meanings can become muddled and distorted. How can we return to a biblical definition of these terms? In 1974 John Stott opened up the scriptures and provided biblical perspective at the International Congress on World Evangelization. He reminds us that the best way to renew our gospel zeal is to return to the source of God's Mission, God's Word.
https://www.lausanne.org/best-of-lausanne/john-stotts-biblical-basis-of-evangelism

Monday, June 04, 2018

Book: The gates of hell - confessing Christ in a hostile world

The Church is no longer the darling of the culture. Those who have the courage to confess the Bible’s truths are labeled haters, enemies of culture, and hurtful to the state. The adversarial relationship between our culture and Christians is not unlike the one faced by our fathers in the earliest days of the Church.

But the Bible was written in a cultural situation far worse than the one we face today. When we begin to fear that Satan is triumphing, we must hear our Lord tell us that He will build His Church, “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). So even though it seems like Satan is winning, Christ promises that the devil will not prevail.

Each sermon and essay in this volume testifies to the power of Christ’s promise to defend His Church. The Word of God does what it says, and the gates of hell will never prevail against the kingdom of Christ, the Church. Christ promises.

Table of contents
1 "Upon This Rock" (Matthew 16:13-20) Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison 1
2 "Saying What God Says" (1 John 1:8-2:2) Rev. Dr. Herbert C. Mueller Jr. 7
3 "Held Fast to Hold Fast" (Hebrews 10:23) Rev. Dr. John C. Wohlrabe Jr. 11
4 "Joy in Jesus" (1 John 1:1-4) Rev. Dr. Scott R. Murray 15
5 "Ifs All about Love" (Leviticus 19:15-18) Rev. Nabil S. Nour E. 19
6 "Saints and Faithful Brothers" (Colossians 1:1-14) Rev. Christopher S. Esget 23
7 "Built on the Rock-Confess" Rev. Dr. Daniel O. S. Preus 27
8 The Gates of Hell and the Religion of Sex Rev. Dr. Scott R. Murray 41
9 The Gates of Hell: Luther and the Two Kingdoms Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison 73
10 The Gates of Hell and the Status of the Church in Western Society Rev. Dr. John C. Wohlrabe Jr. 105
11 The Gates of Hell: Defying the Devil in International Mission Work Rev. Dr. Daniel O. S. Preus 141
12 The Gates of Hell and the Table of the Lord Rev. Christopher S. Esget 167
13 The Gates of Hell and the Urgency of Preaching Rev. Nabil S. Nour 197
14 The Gates of Hell and Defending the Faith against Them Rev. Dr. Herbert C. Mueller Jr. 219

Book: Rising - The amazing story of Christianity's ressurection in the Global south

Pundits regularly declare that Christianity is dying. And in a way they are correct. Its golden age of influence is long gone in Western Europe, and similar trends are happening in North America. But while it slowly dies in the West, Christianity has been coming to life in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Christianity is rising.

Megachurches in Nigeria, India, and South Korea have tens of thousands of members. The largest Roman Catholic populations in the world are found in Brazil, Mexico, and the Philippines. And sociologists predict that there could be nearly 600 million Christians in China by 2040.

Now immigrants, refugees, and missionaries from the Global South look to former strongholds of Christian influence in the West as new mission fields, bringing their vibrant faith to our shores. They are bringing the gospel back to us in new and surprising ways.

The future of Christianity is bright, you just have to look around.

Book: Dignity and grace living with dementia

Discovering how to live with dementia

"I'm a stranger in a strange land," sighed the dignified gentleman Janet L. Ramsey met walking down the care-center hallway. Those words, her first glimpse of the confusion that comes with dementia, led her into a lifetime of work with older adults.
If you have been diagnosed with dementia or you are accompanying someone with this illness, you may find yourself on a journey that began with a sudden diagnosis and an acute sense of panic. Or perhaps your journey started gradually, as you noticed changes in yourself or in your partner or parent. Whether sudden or gradual, the impact of a diagnosis of dementia reorganizes a family's entire life.
Drawing on her own experience as a pastor, teacher, therapist, and family caregiver, as well as on interviews with eight family and professional caregivers, Janet L. Ramsey helps caregivers and those with impaired memories learn as they listen to each other. She also shows them how the Holy Spirit can awaken their imagination and understanding while they discover how to live with dementia.