Monday fun: Should you eat bacon flowchart

John Owen's goodbye world

The day before he died, John Owen dictated a final letter to a friend. Part of what he wrote was:

I am going to Him whom my soul hath loved, or rather who hath loved me with an everlasting love; which is the whole ground of all my consolation. The passage is very irksome and wearysome through strong pains of various sorts which are all issued in an intermitting fever . . . I am leaving the ship of the church in a storm, but whilst the great Pilot is in it the loss of a poor under-rower will be inconsiderable.

--quoted in Sinclair Ferguson, John Owen on the Christian Life (Banner of Truth, 1987), 18

Suffering is not optional

The Bible talks a lot about broken homes and we should, too. Rejoice when your family enjoys God’s blessing. Be sympathetic when you become aware of brokenness in other families. There will be times when you will face brokenness in your own family. 

Read the rest of this beautiful piece here

6 alternatives to 6 cheesy phrases

1) Instead of "follow your heart" IT WOULD BE BETTER TO THINK your heart gets a vote but your head gets a veto

2) Rather than "Tell her exactly what you feel" BETTER TO first find out how she feels

3) Instead of a "Don't take rubbish from anyone" mentality WHY NOT GO FOR THE choose carefully which battles to fight approach

4) Instead of the quasi-triumphalistic "face your fears and do it anyway" WHY NOT seek to deal with what's holding you back

5) Rather than saying "I don't care what other people think" CONSIDER INSTEAD the source and situation of the criticism

6) In place of "Don't ever take "No" for an answer" WHY NOT ensure that their "No" is final

Must read for every missionary

Just read Kipling's poem - Norman and Saxon. The final stanza offers sage advice on contextualization:

"Appear with your wife and the children at their weddings and funerals and feasts.

Be polite but not friendly to Bishops; be good to all poor parish priests.

Say 'we', 'us' and 'ours' when you're talking, instead of 'you fellows' and 'I.'

Dont' ride over seeds; keep your temper; and never you tell 'em a lie!"

Read the full thing here

The church's biggest failure

Another insightful gem from Colson:

“The church’s singular failure in recent decades has been the failure to see Christianity as a life system, or worldview, that governs every area of existence.”

The gospel is not simply about giving tracts

From the recently recently deceased founder of Prison fellowship, Chuck Colson:

“God cares not only about redeeming souls but also about restoring his creation. He calls us to be agents not only of his saving grace but also of his common grace. Our job is not only to build up the church but also to build a society to the glory of God.”