Mission: Zimbabwe

March 20, 2010

in misc

This video gives a report of the recent Jubilee Church mission trip to Zimbabwe. Thanks to the generosity of Crossway we were able to donate 100 copies of Raised With Christ to the pastors there. You can see in this video the joyful reaction of the people to receiving this and other materials (which included battery-operated MP3 players full of sermons). Tope also speaks about the number of orphans and widows he met there.


By Tope Koleoso
14 March
download video or download audio

Tope said the following about this trip on Facebook:

One major lesson learnt afresh on Mission:Zimbabwe is that the Gospel must be PREACHED in word and DEMONSTRATED in action. To preach the death, burial and resurrection and also to care for the orphan and widow. May we be good ministers of the Good News. We have just begun.

‘Religion that is pure and undefiled before God…, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.’ James 1:27

There was a time when the definition of an “evangelical” was someone who liked John Stott and Billy Graham. Today, perhaps one could suggest that Don Carson has a similarly defining role, alongside people like John Piper. Certainly Carson’s books are well known and sell widely. He is recognized as a gifted expositor of God’s word and a sought-after conference speaker.

Scandalous is a short book closely based on a series of sermons Carson preached at Mars Hill Church in Seattle. It reads very much like a series of sermons. He chose five passages and exposited them verse by verse. The passages might initially seem like a surprising combination. But the theme underlying each of them is the vital place of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

It is great to see the resurrection given such prominence alongside the cross, even in the title of this book. My own book, “Raised With Christ,” was published in the same month, as well as Lifted by Sam Allberry. Both of these books argue that the resurrection has been neglected in our teaching and in Christian books. It is good, therefore, to see a man like Don Carson turn his gaze to this vital subject. Since Raised With Christ and Lifted are both more thematic, this series of expositions would complement them nicely.

Carson’s exposition of Matthew 27 focuses on the ironies of the cross. How could the King of kings be mocked? How could the one who appeared so powerless in truth be the most powerful being of all? How could the one who seemed unable to save himself save others? How can a cry of apparent despair come from the one who trusts God more than any other man?

He then argues that Romans 3 is the center of the whole Bible, showing clearly, but succinctly, how God can both be just and the one who forgives sinners like you and me. These few pages explain a truth so foundational it could easily be assumed, but has, over the last few years, become once again a subject of intense debate in Christian circles.

Carson then turns to Revelation 12, which he says shows the “strange triumph of a slaughtered lamb.” Christians can overcome rage because of the death of Jesus and because Jesus is now alive and standing at the right hand of God interceding for us.

The story of Jesus raising Lazarus (John 11) shows Jesus’ response to death. Carson shows that it is not wrong to weep and be angry about the effects of this unwelcome intruder into God’s world. Christians are allowed to grieve, just not in the same way that those without hope do. The scandal of Jesus delaying when he heard of Lazarus’ sickness is an example of how God lovingly wants to teach us patience and perseverance through our troubles.

All our hopes stem from the resurrection of Jesus. Carson chooses to focus on a poignant moment for his final exposition. The cynical Thomas encounters the risen Jesus in John 22. There can only be one outcome of such a meeting. Thomas is transformed into the faith-filled declarer that this Jesus who was once just a crucified corpse is now the risen Lord, and to be worshiped as Lord and God.

This little book is a great introduction to Carson himself, to these wonderful passages, and to the glorious truths of the gospel. Like the other books being published this year about the resurrection, Carson’s book will leave you hungry for more. Why not make 2010 the year you begin to come to grips with all the glorious implications of Jesus’ death and resurrection by reading several of these books?

A very brief book by Don Carson on 2 Timothy 3

March 19, 2010

There are short books, and there are really short books. From the Resurrection to His Return is a really really short book!  This book is, however, a very engaging, but brief, exposition of some very important verses about how we should live in what the Bible calls “the last days,” i.e. the time before Jesus’ [...]

Read the full article →

Lifted—Experiencing the resurrection life by Sam Allberry

March 18, 2010

When you are writing a book, there is one fear that is hard to shake off. That is the fear that your work will turn out to reflect error rather than truth. This was certainly my experience writing Raised With Christ. It became even more pronounced when I learned that throughout church history no major [...]

Read the full article →

A brief encounter with a woman on the train

March 17, 2010

As I arrived at Waterloo today I pulled out my trusty iPhone, and on the way up the escalator checked my National Rail app. It showed me I had exactly one minute to catch the next train to my office, and told me which platform to run to. Without this app I wouldn’t even have [...]

Read the full article →

Is Jesus worth it?

March 16, 2010

To those who never clap in church, I ask, do you ever clap anywhere else? Do you clap at the end of a good play, or maybe even at the cinema as audiences were reported to be doing after Avatar?  If so, why do you do that? Surely because the actors are worth it.  Isn’t [...]

Read the full article →

Not new frontiers

March 15, 2010

The Billy Graham Center in Wheaton has an interesting section on certain aspects of evangelical history. One part that stood out to me when I was there was a series of pictures of a “frontier camp meeting” that took place around 1814. Most of my long-term readers will know that I am part of [...]

Read the full article →

Support your Christian bookshop this weekend

March 11, 2010

I still dare to believe in Christian bookshops. Oh, they need to evolve all right. It seems like the new “Living Oasis” chain might have some of the right ideas in some places. Making the bookshop also serve as a coffee shop and meeting point seems like a great idea. Getting people into the shop [...]

Read the full article →

Andy Lowe puts words into my mouth

March 11, 2010

I really thought that no one would even care about my recent decision to “go British” on a minor style issue.  So I was pleased that someone has taken notice, and very amused by the following quote, which came from Andy Lowe. With tongue firmly placed in cheek, he put some imaginary words into my [...]

Read the full article →

Proclamation Trust and the Holy Spirit – EMA 2010

March 10, 2010

The Evangelical Ministry Assembly 2010 will focus on the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the preacher, with John Piper as the headline speaker and Terry Virgo also involved.
Those of you who know British Church life, and particularly the history of the last few decades, will be amazed at this. To be clear, [...]

Read the full article →

Mid-Atlantic English and a rare decision to go British

March 9, 2010

Being a British blogger who has by God’s grace been given an audience, the majority of which lives in the USA,  I feel a bit like I’m floating in some kind of “mid-Atlantic” space.  What do I mean? Well, just as one example, I cannot easily speak about the vehicle I would call a lorry, [...]

Read the full article →

When Kindness is Rewarded with Accusation

March 8, 2010

Sometimes those we love turn on us. This is never more true than in any form of church leadership. It never ceases to amaze me how some members of Christ’s flock are quick to accuse their pastors. I do not work for a church, but I have an immense amount of respect for those [...]

Read the full article →

Lost Jewish Tribe Found in Zimbabwe

March 6, 2010

This might sound too fabulous to be true, but genetics seems to have confirmed that a tribe made up from the descendants of Jewish priests are living in southern Africa:
Their oral traditions claim that their ancestors were Jews who fled the Holy Land about 2,500 years ago. It may sound like another myth of a lost tribe [...]

Read the full article →

Is John’s Gospel the Best Book to Give a Non-Christian?

March 5, 2010

How It Works « The Light Project is a unique service for a local church. For $1 per house they will distribute free copies of John’s gospel on your behalf with the church’s contact information included on the gospel. At the moment this is a USA-only service. It looks like an interesting idea. I have [...]

Read the full article →