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Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Today's Recommended Reading List For The American Christian Reader

(As always I have no Amazon affiliation by this recommendation.)

The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun Paperback – December 23, 2002

From Heavenly Man:

"Before I traveled to the West I had absolutely no idea that so many churches were spiritually asleep. 

I presumed the Western church was strong and vibrant because it had brought the gospel to my country with such incredible faith and tenacity. 

Many missionaries had shown a powerful example to us by laying down their lives for the sake of Jesus. 

On some occasions I've struggled while speaking in Western churches. 

There seems to be something missing that leaves me feeling terrible inside. 

Many meetings are cold and and lack the fire and presence of God that we have in China. 

In the West many Christians have an abundance of material possessions, yet they live in a backslidden state. 

They have silver and gold, but they don't rise up and walk in Jesus' name. 

In China, we have no possessions to hold us down, so there's nothing preventing us from moving out for the Lord. 

The Chinese church is like Peter at the Beautiful Gate.

 When he saw the crippled beggar he said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. 

In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!" 

In a similar way, I pray that God might use the Chinese church to help the Western church rise up and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

It's almost impossible for the church in China to go to sleep in its present situation. 

There's always something to keep us on the run, and it's very difficult to sleep while you're running.

 If persecution stops, I fear we'll become complacent and fall asleep." 

***

Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens Hardcover – September 8, 2005

 From Organic Church:

"As passionate as I am about church planting, I found it perplexing that the Bible never instructs us to start churches. 

There is not a single command in all of the Bible to initiate churches. 

The reason is quite clear: we are not to start churches, but instead to make disciples who make disciples. 

That is actually the way churches are started, at least in the New Testament.

 Jesus gave us instruction that is on the molecular level of kingdom life, for a very good reason: it works. 

Trying to multiply large, highly complex organisms without multiplying on the micro level is impossible. 

Ladies, imagine if you had to give birth to full-grown adults... George Patterson, an experienced missionary & father to current thinking about spontaneous multiplication of movements suggests that what he calls obedience-orientated education is necessary to see spontaneous reproduction. 

He lists 7 NT commands that all disciples must obey as the starting point of following Christ. 

Repent, believe & receive the Holy Spirit; Be baptized; Love God & neighbor; Celebrate the Lord’s supper; Pray; Give; Disciple others."

And now quotes from my very favorite book, the Holy Bible!


MATTHEW 28
18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

MARK 16
15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

LUKE 24
45Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

47And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48And ye are witnesses of these things.
49And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
50And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

JOHN 21
25And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.

 Amen.

 

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