From the birthplace of our faith, a hauntingly beautiful Christmas carol from Eastern Christian traditions of the Feast of the Nativity. Byzantine free chant in Arabic (Antiochian Orthodox) from a recording featuring both Melkite Catholic and Antiochean Orthodox chanters. HT: Andrew Bolt
Category Archives: Five keys
A simple principle
I’m still enjoying Ben Witherington’s commentary on Acts. Here’s a great insight into early Christianity’s advantage over the established religions of the ancient world. Sure we live in a different world today. Christianity arose during a time when there was already enormous religious curiosity on the part of Romans and other pagans about Eastern religions [...]
Seven themes of fruitfulness
In March 2007, a group of 300 practitioners met for five days in Southeast Asia to discuss what the Spirit is doing as they seek to facilitate communities of Jesus-followers among Muslims. A list of the findings: 1. Sharing the Hope within: Fluency 2. Engaging Hearts and Minds: Storying 3. Exemplary Lifestyle: Reputation 4. Redemptive [...]
It’s not about you
Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us. Jesus is the true and better Abel who, though innocently slain, has blood now that cries out, not for our condemnation, but for acquittal. Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answered the [...]
Sharing Isa
It was around 4am. The second night in Malaysia and I was wide awake. I wandered down to the hotel lobby to see if I could pick up an internet connection and bumped into another insomniac—Abdul from Saudi Arabia. Malaysia is a great place to meet muslims. It’s a muslim state, and thousands of muslims [...]
Perplexed but not discouraged
Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of [...]
The German football revolution
So far Germany’s brilliance in attack has derailed the World Cup campaigns of Australia (4-0), England (4-1) and Argentina (4-0). Yet just six years ago the national team returned from 2004 European Championship in Portugal without winning a single game. Jurgen Klinsmann tells the story of how German football was rebuilt from the ground up. [...]
How Jesus gets the job done
The main theme of Acts may be the spread of the word, but Jesus is the key player. Jesus is risen and he reigns. His primary agents in forming and growing his church are the word and the Spirit (David Peterson). The risen Lord sends the Spirit (2:33), inspires preachers (7:55-56), calls and commissions his [...]
