Serving China's Persecuted Church

In case you missed the last post, please go HERE to send a Bible to a persecuted believer for free - all you have to do is click the button provided on the page.

Send a free Bible to a persecuted believer!

I discovered a website today where a simple mouse-click will result in a Bible being sent to a persecuted believer longing for a copy of God's Word. Pretty cool huh? From the site:

Right now, 200 million persecuted Christians are living under restriction for their faith in Jesus Christ. Most do not even have their own copy of the Bible, the one weapon they must have in order to be victorious in the spiritual battles they face every day. You can provide the persecuted church with a portion of God's Word at no cost to you.

I understand from the explanation on the site that this is made possible through sponsors, so it won't cose you a penny - just a couple seconds. Please go here to make that click, and spread the word on your blog!!

Notable moment of the day...

Running inside to a second-hand shop in a thunderstorm and spotting two books on the shelf that I've wanted to read, but didn't want to purchase at full price. (Safely Home and Surprised by Joy) That settled it - an afternoon at home with a hot drink, candles burning, and a stack of good reads nearby was in order!

My mom never sees little things like that as coincidences, but rather, evidences of God's kindness and interest in the smallest parts of our lives. I want to emulate her example in receiving them with attention and greatfulness.

What about you? What are some small ways in which God has shown His kindness to you lately?

The Power to Forgive and Conquer Our Sin

Every other Friday night I have the privilege of listening to some faithful men preach the gospel on the street using a sketch board, and they are always diligent to present the truth that it is because of our sin that we need saving. Such a simple statement, and yet sometimes missed in modern gospel presentations. The main issue is not that we need love, and fulfillment, and purpose in our lives (we do, but that is not the point of the gospel) - it is that we have offended a loving, holy, pure and just God with our sin, and without forgiveness, will be sent to hell. To approach Him, to fellowship with such a God, we desperately need a righteousness that is not our own. That is why Jesus Christ is good news - He payed the penalty for our sin so that we might be restored to God in faith and repentance. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." Eph. 2:8,9

Most who read this blog already have an understanding of those truths - but even we who are saved are to meditate on and rejoice in the gospel. :)

For that reason, I've started reading (again) The Gospel According to Jesus. I want to have a firm grasp on the message we are called to share. I found the following quotes from MacArthur to be a refreshing reminder of the simple, yet powerful truth of the gospel:

"Sin is no peripheral issue as far as salvation is concerned; it is the issue...the distinctive element of the Christian message is the power of Jesus Christ to forgive and conquer our sin. Of all the realities of the gospel, none is more wonderful than the news that the enslaving grasp of sin has been broken...

The gospel according to Jesus is first of all a mandate for repentance...From the beginning of Jesus' ministry, the heart of His message was a call to repentance. In fact, when our Lord first began to preach, the opening word of His message was "Repent" (Matt. 4:17). It was also the first word of John the Baptist's message (Matt. 3:2) and the basis of the gospel the apostles preached (Acts 3:19; 20:21; 26:20). No one who neglects to call sinners to repentance is preaching the gospel according to Jesus."

Which verses do you (or would you) most often use in communicating the gospel to unbelievers?

Good news, no matter what.

I was encouraged this morning by Spurgeon's devotional:

"Blessed is the fact that Christians can rejoice even in the deepest distress; although trouble may surround them, they still sing; and, like many birds, they sing best in their cages. The waves may roll over them, but their souls soon rise to the surface and see the light of God's countenance; they have a buoyancy about them which keeps their head always above the water, and helps them to sing amid the tempest, "God is with me still."

God is with me. In the mess and clutter of every-day life, my soul is often slow to acknowledge and embrace the earth-shaking truth of that simple statement. He is with me - comforting me with His presence, counseling me with wisdom, guiding me with unchanging faithfulness, correcting me in perfect love.

We can't always see the why or when or how, but we can say with confidence, My God is with me.

If You can calm the sea
Then You can comfort me
If winds obey Your voice
Why should I fear their noise
And though my eyes can’t see
I know You’re with me

- Peace, by Sovereign Grace music