Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.Mark 10:13-14
I remember when my firstborn son Reece was two years old. He was in a constant state of exploration and adventure. He discovered something new every moment. And when he came to me, to Dad, he came un-jaded.
Children come with no agenda. They come expecting. They come hoping. They come trusting. They come only to love and be loved.
Making Jesus famous has been a big buzz topic the last few years in Christianity. For a while, it was the cool thing to say that you were “seeking to make Jesus famous.” I always had a little quirk about agreeing with that sentiment, because
1) I can’t really find a Bible verse that directs us to do that
2) Jesus doesn’t need us to make Him famous (Philippians 2:9-11 tells us God will do that)
3) I think “fame” as we think about it in our entertainment culture is not quite the same at what the Bible has in mind.
BUT…..
Jesus becomes famous when lives are changed. In the Gospel of Mark chapter 1, we read the story of Jesus casting out a demon in the synagogue. When He did, His followers were “amazed” at His authority. And because of what Jesus did, verse 28 tells us what happened:
And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee. Mark 1:28
Jesus becomes famous when lives are changed. Want to make Him famous? Go tell someone about Him who doesn’t know Him
Theology and Slavery is definitely a scholarly read, not for the faint of heart when it comes to footnotes, detail, and deep, deep background information. Having given that warning, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Being from the South, I am always intrigued to learn more about the role of slavery – then and now – in shaping the culture. Slavery of course is an evil part of the history of the United States – but it is history nonetheless and should not be forgotten.
This book combines two of my favorite things: history and theology. The author David Torbett seeks to highlight two prevailing views on slavery during the time of the Civil War, and he uses the two most outstanding American theologians of that period to do so.
Charles Hodge was the conservative, traditional theologian with an inerrant, inspired view of God’s Word as the ultimate source of spiritual and moral authority. Horace Bushnell, who has been called the father of modern liberalism, was the liberal theologian who looked to inject new insights and sources of inspiration into his spiritual journey. Both were pastors and had very influential voices in antebellum America.
The importance of the church and her leaders to shape the culture is imminently evident in these books, as Hodge and Bushnell drove the contemporary thought of their day on the issue of slavery in America. Eventually, their ideas would help lead to it’s demise.
If you are looking for a book that explains the complex, intricate problem of slavery in America (and particularly the South) using theology as a base of discussion, this book is a great resource.
If I am to speak ten minutes, I need a week for preparation; if fifteen minutes, three days; if half an hour, two days; if an hour, I am ready now.
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson’s point is obviously that the shorter amount of time you are allotted, the more pointed and practiced you must be. You have one shot to influence the audience; make it good.
This caused me to think: what about Sunday sermons, Sunday School/Small Group lessons, and the like?
There is no more important task than communicating God’s Word.
And as church leaders, we have a limited time each week to do that. I hope that we place the same amount of importance on preparation that Wilson did for his 10 minute speeches.
His speeches involved important subjects; ours involve eternal ones.
