More than anything in the world, Rick prized time with his children. His work sometimes took him away for extended periods of time, but he always managed to create ways to bridge the gap created by the time and distance. In fact, on one momentous trip, Rick created a videotape with 17 daily devotions on it—one for each day he’d be gone.

“I can at least talk to them over the videotape and let them know I’m praying for them,” he said. There was nothing he could think of that was better than telling them about God.

His devotional from February 1, 2003, included the following words to his daughter, Laura.

“It’s Landing Day and hopefully, if the weather’s good, I’ll be landing today in Florida. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing you, Matthew, and Mama.” Rick read from Laura’s devotional book and when he finished, he prayed for her. “Okay, Laura, it won’t be long before I see you! I love you very, very much … I’ll see you in just a little while! I love you. Bye, Bye!”

Rick wanted both Laura and Matthew to have a daily relationship with God. It’s what had changed Rick’s life, and he knew it would sustain Laura and Matthew for the rest of their lives. This was Rick’s highest calling.

That day, February 1, 2003, Captain Rick Husband and the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia died when the craft broke apart over north Texas during re-entry.

What drives a parent to do family worship?

What would prompt a man as busy as Rick Husband to make such an investment of time in doing devotions with his children? Wouldn’t the kids be fine without it? And after all, how did he know what to do?

Rick took seriously what the Bible says about teaching your children. As Psalm 78:4-8 tells us:

For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers that they should teach them to their children, that the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children, that they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments …

He understood that effectively teaching them is not a one-time occurrence, but a daily and ongoing process:

These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

And he knew that his efforts, whether eloquent or clumsy, would spiritually prepare his children for a life of happiness and blessing. Talking to Timothy, the apostle Paul wrote:

You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings … (2 Timothy 3:14-15a)

We all desire for our children to know God, to serve Him, and to love Him. We want to protect them. We want them to avoid the difficulty that comes with sin. We want them to be happy in doing what is right.

Family worship is a key component to fulfilling these desires for our children.

It is a time when the family is all together. It is a time when we look into God’s Word and gain His perspective. It is a time when we can actually pray and hear each other pray. In my experience, family worship holds the potential to be unlike any other occurrence in our lives and the lives of our children.

If we can then agree on the goodness of family worship (or family devotions, as some would call it), why is it still so rare in our families? It’s mainly because we don’t know where to start and we don’t want to look like fools in front of our spouses and children.

This is where the rubber meets the road … and where our actions can finally align with our hearts. So, as we can already agree on the “why” of family worship, let’s move forward into the “how”.

How do you do family worship?

There is no single answer to this question. God is silent on the method of family worship and historically, methods widely vary. Don Whitney, author of Simplify Your Spiritual Life, and a new book on Family Worship, suggests three components of family worship regardless of form.

Reading: Many children of Christian parents leave their homes after 18 years with a clear knowledge of their parents’ convictions. However, many have no understanding of the Word that is behind them. In those cases, parents have taught their children their wisdom without sharing God’s wisdom with them.

So make God’s Word a regular part of your family worship. With younger children, the parent(s) can read a short passage out loud. With older children, the reading can be done by the children themselves. In any case, a discussion can follow rather than an actual lesson. You might consider a few standard questions to ask your family following the reading of any scriptural text:

• What does this mean in context?

• What can we learn from this?

• How should we change because of this?

If you don’t know the answers, that’s okay. You can learn from your children as God gives them unique insight. You can revisit a question after you’ve had some time to check with your pastor. This type of sharing might take time to develop, but with persistence and dedication, you can be sure it will develop eventually.

Prayer: One of the most overlooked practices in Christian families is family prayer. Here’s your chance to change that. After you’ve discussed how the Scripture of the day/week should impact your family, pray for God to make that impact happen. Pray for each other. Parents can even confess on behalf of the family where appropriate. Pray for them, pray with them and let them pray for you.

If you hold family worship weekly, you might take specific prayer requests from each family member. If you do it daily, you might spend the prayer time focusing on one family member. The next day, another, and so on.

If your children are younger, be sensitive to the time. You don’t need to rush through it … they are much more capable than you might think. However, be considerate of their youthfulness. If your children are older, you can spend a longer time in prayer. They may not desire it at first, but you can be sure they are capable. Start small and build up. You won’t regret it.

Singing: Whether you attend a church that worships in a more conservative tradition or a contemporary one, music is an integral part of worship. People remember better when things are set to music. So, as important as music is in our public worship, why would we not intentionally bring it into our family worship?

Many say it’s because they can’t sing or play an instrument. You don’t need to be a professional worship leader to lead your family in worship.  Our family does not sing at our time of worship at 7 am every morning but that does not mean that you can’t attempt this with your family.   Our family loves music!  They sing all the time, so why not sing together.  If your children are young, start now and they will enjoy this time and grow from it for the rest of their lives.

No matter how musical you are, you can certainly play a CD player. Choose hymns or praise songs or music by a favorite Christian artist and sing along. Our family highly recommends the Steve Green Hide ’em in Your Heart series. Not only can you worship along with these, but they help you memorize Scripture: All of the songs are simply verses from the Bible set to music.

What we do

Each morning, at 7 am, I I sit with my entire family and we have devotions. We’ll either work through a book of the Bible, a story of the Bible (such as David and Goliath/Moses and Pharaoh), or a devotional book based on Scripture that they have chosen.

We work on Bible memory verses for the Lake Ann Scholarship that our children are working on in youth group. These verses from fighterverses.com almost always addresses issues that the children are working through, such as peacemaking, prayer, or loving others. This is also very useful in instruction and discipline throughout the day and week.

We end in prayer.

It’s worth the investment

The threat of failure can paralyze us as parents if we allow it to determine our actions. Don’t expect everything to be perfect. Sometimes, you’ll have their attention; sometimes you won’t. Develop realistic expectations: both for you and for your family. Everyone starts on a learning curve. Success with family worship is not determined by eloquence; it is determined by consistency.

Rick Husband made an investment of time in worshipping God with his family. That investment, his 17-day video devotional, is now an enormous treasure to his wife and his children. You, too, can make an investment in your family. And, like Rick, the investment you make now, no matter how mundane or routine it feels, can and will become a treasure to your children for years to come.

Uploaded by Frontline Church Planting on 2014-12-04.

THE ECHOING WORD

The most beautiful instrument in any Christian service is the sound of the congregation singing.  For this reason, we strive to be professionals at “participation” in singing in church and not professional musicians.  All the music at Northbridge on a Sunday morning is “folk” music.  By folk, we do not mean a particular style rather a specific definition.  Folk defined is, usually of simple character handed down among the common people by oral tradition.  We do this because we believe that the most beautiful instrument in any Christian service is the sound of the congregation singing! 

Churches sing because their new hearts can’t help but echo the Word, which has given them life. Whether those songs were written in the sixteenth century or today, they should echo Scripture. If there is any place where God’s Word should reverberate, it should reverberate in the church’s songs. Remember, Scripture alone gives life.

Therefore, a church’s songs should contain nothing more than the words, paraphrases, or ideas of Scripture.

And churches sing together because it helps us to see that our hearts’ praises, confessions, and resolutions are shared. We’re not alone. Singing in the church, I believe, is about listening as much as it’s about singing. So Paul commands us to “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19, NIV). If I’m to speak to others in song, I’m to listen to others as well. In fact, I do sometimes stop singing just to listen and thank God for the voices around me!

“These brothers and sisters share my new heart, my new identity, my Lord and Savior, my comfort and support, my hope and ambition, my glory and joy. I’m with them; they’re with me, and we’re with him.”

WHY WE SING

Believers sing in churches because Christ has commanded us to sing (Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19). And we’re commanded to sing, I heard the minister of music Bob Kauflin observe because God means for creatures created in his image to do as he does (e.g. Zeph. 3:17; Heb. 2:12). Let me unpack what I’ve said so far by articulating three reasons for why I expect God would command his people to speak to one another not just in prose but in poetry and melody.

We Sing To Own and Affirm the Word

Singing is how the congregation owns and affirms the Word for itself. In the Bible, singing is one God-ordained way for the members of a congregation to respond to God’s revelation. It’s how they raise their hand and say, “Yes, I believe and affirm these truths with my whole person.” For instance, the Psalmist tells God’s people to proclaim God’s Word to others: “Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day” (Ps. 96:2). Singing of his salvation means we’ve owned it as our message.

We Sing to Engage Our Emotions with God’s Word

Singing is how the congregation particularly engages its emotions and affections with God’s Word. When we sing, it’s hard to remain emotionally disengaged. Just as the sense of smell can evoke strong associations and memories, so the sound of music both evokes and provokes the heart’s joys, griefs, longings, hopes, and sorrows. Jonathan Edwards proposed that God gave us music “wholly to excite and express religious affections.” The Psalmist seems to embody this idea when he writes, “My heart overflows with a pleasing theme” (Ps. 45:1).

Singing, I’d say, is the medium by which God’s people grab hold of his Word and align their emotions and affections to God’s.

It’s not surprising therefore that Paul would command churches to sing the psalms, and that the Psalter would be referred to as the church’s hymnbook. John Calvin called the Psalms “An Anatomy of all the Parts of the Soul” since it offers readers words that they can place into their mouths for accurately expressing the whole range of human emotions. In the preface to his commentary on the Psalms, Calvin writes, “for there is not an emotion of which any one can be conscious that is not here represented as in a mirror. Or rather, the Holy Spirit has here drawn to the life all the griefs, sorrows, fears, doubts, hopes, cares, perplexities, in short, all the distracting emotions with which the minds of men are wont to be agitated.” How can Christians express grief in godly fashion? Or sorrow, fear, and doubt? By echoing the Psalms, like Jesus did again and again.

Even if churches don’t take their lyrics directly from the Psalter, they should consider the Psalm’s balance of confession, lamentation, exaltation, and thanksgiving, and seek to mimic something similar in their own hymnody. Do we know how to lament in our churches through music? Or confess?

In seminary classrooms, young preachers are sometimes warned, “A congregation will only be as careful with the Word as you are in the pulpit.” The same is true, I’m convinced, of our singing in church, and our ability to emotionally encounter God throughout the week. A congregation that learns to sing in church with robust confession and contrite praise better knows how to sing to God with their hearts at home, whether they do it to melody or not.

We Sing To Demonstrate and Build Unity

Singing is one way of demonstrating and building corporate unity. Once again, it’s not difficult to imagine how Israel used the Psalms to show and make the unity of their hearts with one another. Some psalms make this explicit:

[Call] Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

[Response 1] Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”

[Response 2] Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”

[Response 3] Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” (Psalm 118:1-4; see also 124:1; 129:1; 136)

The psalmist makes a declaration, and then he asks three groups of people to echo him: the nation, the priests, and then all who fear God (including any foreigners and Gentiles in their midst?). The words “his steadfast love endures forever” is the source of unity, but the poetry and—perhaps—music encourages the people’s hearts to embrace, own, and rejoice in this glorious truth.

The context of Paul’s command to sing is worth noticing as well: “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:15-16). Notice the train of thought: We’re to let peace rule since we’re called to one body. We’re to be thankful. And we can do all this by singing Christ’s Word together. Again, the Word is the source of unity; but the music gives expression to that unity.

No doubt, this point can be combined with the last one. Singing God’s Word is how a congregation tunes its heart together across the whole range of biblically-driven affections.

What should be clear in all three reasons for why we sing is that singing in church should be about the church singing—congregational singing. Perhaps choirs and soloists can be carefully used to call the church to respond, as in the Psalm above or as an exercise in “speaking to one another in song.” And musical performances outside the gathered church are beautiful. But God has given music to the gathered church so that the people together can own, affirm, rejoice in, and unite around God’s Word. Far better than the sweet harmonies of a few trained singers is the rough and strong sound of pardoned criminals, delighting with one voice in their Savior.

Can this be a religion of peace?

Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment,  http://quran.com/5/33

My goal in pointing out these passages is not fear but I pray for a passion in every Christian to reach their unbelieving neighbors for Christ.

Now, that said, not all Muslims are radicalized yet Islam itself is a radical religion of fear and not love and not grace.  Many Muslims claim submission (Islam means submission) to Allah and yet do not follow all that the Quran instructs.  These ones who do not follow the Quran are secularized Muslims and they, like Christians, are often the target of persecution by those that have been deemed by politicians and the media as “radicalized”.  The difference between the radicalization of a Muslim and a Christian is clear but not to all.  A radical Muslim or one that follows Islam through the teachings of the Quran looks more like ISIS and a radical Christian looks more like David Platt.  Not all Christians follow the tenets of the Bible.  One does not have to look very far to see a secular Christian.  This, however does not change Christianity or the claims of Christ in any way.

There are people who would like to point to some radicals that claim Christianity and behave violently.  These accusers will say things like, “All religion leads to violence”.  Often these accusers will quote the Bible taking passages out of context.  Most people who claim this are either ignorant of the teachings of Islam or Christianity or both.  As Christians, we need to examine claims carefully and humbly as we defend our faith, a religion of grace and truth and love.

Again, as you read, may our hearts break for the lost who are without Christ and run to our neighbors with the Good News of the Gospel.  Be sure to read how you can bring the Gospel of Peace to your neighbor further down in this post.  It is reported that one of terrorists in

Is Islam a religion of peace? Many of its advocates say that it is. Let’s see what the Qur’an actually says.

• The Qur’an tells Muslims to kill and go to war to fight for Islam: Quran, chapters (Surahs) 9:5, 2:191, 2:193, 3:118, 4:75, 76, 5:33, 8:12, 8:65, 9:73, 123, 33:60-62.

• Fight for Allah: “And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers,” (Quran 2:191).

• Muslims are to battle for Allah: “Those who believe do battle for the cause of Allah; and those who disbelieve do battle for the cause of idols. So fight the minions of the devil. Lo! the devil’s strategy is ever weak,” (Quran 4:76).

• Kill those against Islam: “The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter,” (Quran 5:33).

• Beheading: “When thy Lord inspired the angels, (saying): I am with you. So make those who believe stand firm. I will throw fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Then smite the necks and smite of them each finger. 13That is because they opposed Allah and His messenger. Whoso opposeth Allah and His messenger, (for him) lo! Allah is severe in punishment,” (Quran 8:12).

• Allah urges war: “O Prophet! urge the believers to war; if there are twenty patient ones of you they shall overcome two hundred, and if there are a hundred of you they shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they are a people who do not understand,” (Quran 8:65).

• Slay non-muslims: “Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful,” (Quran 9:5).

• Allah urges war: “O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination,” (Quran 9:73).

• Allah urges war: “O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil),” (Quran 9:123).

• Allah urges killing: ” . . . the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease and the agitators in the city do not desist . . . 61Cursed: wherever they are found they shall be seized and murdered, a (horrible) murdering. 62(Such has been) the course of Allah with respect to those who have gone before; and you shall not find any change in the course of Allah, (Quran 33:60-62).

• Beheading: “Now when ye meet in battle those who disbelieve, then it is smiting of the necks until, when ye have routed them, then making fast of bonds; and afterward either grace or ransom till the war lay down its burdens . . . ” (Quran 47:4).

• Allah loves those who fight for him: “Truly Allah loves those who fight in His Cause in battle  array, as if they were a solid cemented structure,” (Quran 61:4).

• So if your neighbor is a Muslim and a really nice person, that doesn’t mean the seeds of a kind of radical Islam are not sown, in fact, they already are.  The very fact that they are friendly and seem harmless and this is possible as Anne-Sylvaine Chassany and Adam Thomson reported on Tuesday in the Financial Times in an article on one of the Paris suicide terrorists in their article Paris attacks: How a ‘really great guy’ became a suicide bomber, is only because the Spirit of God is restraining sin.2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 says, “And now you know what is holding him back so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.”The purpose of this working of God in the World is so that God, the God of the Bible, His glory may be made known in Christ.  Will you bring the words of peace to one who believes a religion of fear?

Christianity Brings Peace: How to Evangelize a Muslim

• The testimony of the Gospels provides the most reliable witness to Christ. Preach the Gospel as it is! Do not soft-pedal around biblical terminology to please Muslim hearers. Be clear about what you believe and why you believe it. Know the Scriptures well, and know the confessions and what exactly you believe . The more you know about your faith, the easier it is to talk with Muslims.

• There is no gospel in Islam. The Quran clearly contradicts the essence of biblical Christianity and rejects the triune nature of God, disfigures the biblical doctrines of the person of Christ and denies justification through faith on account of the work of Christ on the cross. While claiming to be the perpetual religion of nature and history, following in the footsteps of Christianity, it attempts to justify its claims by asserting that the Word of God, revealed in the New and Old Testament, is corrupted. Our apologetic discussion with Muslims should be to defend the Scriptures and prove that the Scriptures aren’t corrupt as Muslims claim. Our goal is to open up their minds a bit so that they can start reading the Gospels for an eyewitness or a companion of an eyewitness to the real Jesus.

• Always ask them the classic evangelistic questions. ‘What about your salvation?’ ‘Can you be certain of this?’ ‘If you were to die, can you be certain you’d enter heaven at some point?’ Their response is always, “No, I couldn’t be certain, nor do I care.”

•  Most western missionaries are result oriented; instead you should be concerned about preaching the Gospel correctly (as it is). The essence of Muslim evangelism is accurate communication about sin and grace: simply and clearly. Talk about the law and the gospel, not about infralapsarianism and divine simplicity! Don’t compare the Bible with the Quran. That comes later!

• Always remember that you are talking to Muslims. Avoid the use of Christian jargon. Speak about real sin, real guilt, real shed blood! Do not be ashamed to use Jesus’ direct and indirect titles clearly such as ‘Son of God’ ‘Lamb of God’ ‘New Adam’ ‘I AM – YAHWEH’ ‘Savior’ ‘Almighty God’.

•  Use tact and be charitable! Don’t talk about reprobation with a Muslim or a new convert who has just lost an unbelieving family member. Be kind and courteous! Many Muslims act and speak out of ignorance, not malice.

•  Be sensitive to their past – if they’ve had a bad experience with Christians, missionaries or churches, struggled with a particular sin etc., be understanding and compassionate! Muslims hate self-righteousness, and rightly so! Do not soft-pedal the law and the guilt of sin, but make sure they understand that you are a justified sinner, not a self-righteous “know it all” who is here to correct them!

• Muslims will ask you many questions about your faith. Don’t feel like you have to answer all of their questions in one day. However, make sure they hear your answers to one or two questions clearly. Stick with the subject – don’t get sidetracked. When the conversation wanders, pull it back to center stage – the law and the gospel.

• Muslims will ask you to comment on their faith. Don’t go there; they will not benefit from your criticism (or feigned approval) of other religions. Your job isn’t to debunk Islam but to give a clear witness to the truth of the Gospel. Instead of letting them drag you into the topic, turn the tables and ask them questions. Let them articulate their own understandings of the religious themes you are discussing; let what you communicate be the plain truth of Christian doctrines without enumerating how Islam is wrong.

• The message of the Gospel offends Muslims. It is okay! Don’t worry! God will take care of the hearer. It is His message. Muslims will not convert to Christ if they are not offended by the message of the Gospel. Offend them by being very clear about the teachings of Christ!

• Do not use any ‘Muslim friendly’ bible translations. ‘Muslims friendly’ bible translations are very deceptive! They are not true to the original Scriptures. Muslims see it as a form of deception by missionaries!

• Muslim evangelism is not about winning an argument, but leading Muslims to Christ with the Gospel. Discussions may get heated and intense at times – that’s okay. But the purpose of Muslim evangelism is not to show why you are right and Islam is wrong. It is to communicate the truth of the gospel! The message is to be the offence! Not you!

• When Muslims are apathetic about sin – use the law. When Muslims have doubts or are skeptical – use basic apologetic arguments. When Muslims express guilt for sin – present the Gospel.

• Evangelism is about leading Muslims to Christ. Convincing non-Christians or Evangelicals that Reformed theology is true, falls under the heading of polemics. Don’t confuse the two.

• When talking to Muslims stick with what all Christians hold in common wherever possible. Leave the internecine fighting among Christians aside when talking to Muslims. A Muslim will not care so much about differences between the Catholics and the Protestants or Lutherans and Baptists. Issues such as the exact meaning of the Lord’s Supper or methods of baptism should be addressed later, during discipleship!

• Wherever possible, when talking to Muslims speak about Christianity as factually true – “Jesus did this,” “Jesus said this,” “people heard and saw him,” etc. Keep away from the subjective line of approach– “it works for me,” “this is how I feel about it,” this is my testimony.”

• Before meeting with your Muslim friends pray for wisdom.

• Muslims will respect the text you quote, but not your personal opinion. Trust in the power of God the Holy Spirit working through the word! Cite texts directly from the Scriptures with attribution. Jesus says, Paul says…. It will not help Muslims to hear your personal opinion on biblical issues. So, don’t say “I think,” or “it seems to me” or “I feel like…” Muslims interpret your thoughts, your take on things or your feelings as part of the corruption of the Bible.

• Don’t rush things with Muslims. Just because a Muslim is not ready to trust in Christ after one encounter does not mean that effective evangelism has not taken place. Pre-evangelism is equally vital. You may plant, but someone else may have to water! Always remember that it is not us who convert the Muslims to Christ but God Himself (in His time)!

• Remember that evangelism isn’t complete after you first present the Gospel message to a Muslim. Evangelism has to continue even after they repent and give their lives to Christ. They have to sit under the ministry of the Word. Evangelism of a Muslim is complete only after they are baptized, brought to the Lord’s Supper and sat under the preaching of the Word at church. In other words, evangelism never ends. Discipleship is evangelism.

• Treat Muslims as objects of concern, not notches in your belt! Establish relationships and friendships with Muslims whenever and wherever possible.

• Don’t forget that a prophet is without honor in his own home. The chances of Muslim converts leading their own unbelieving family members (or someone close to them) to Christ by themselves is remote. Encourage them as they give witness to what they have learned, but also pray for God to bring other people into the picture to help evangelize their families

• Don’t force things. If your Muslim friends balk, ridicule and otherwise are not interested, back off. Find another time and place. If after repeated attempts to communicate the gospel, and someone still shows an unwillingness to hear what you have to say, “shake the dust off your feet and move on to a new town!”

• Be willing to get your Muslim friends the resources they need: be willing to provide them with a Bible (not just a New Testament), the right book to read, and certainly an invitation to your home and later an invitation to attend your church or to a Bible study, etc. Never ever use a Muslim friendly bible translation. These translations are a product of some western mission agencies without any support from the national churches who know their context best.

• Pray for opportunities to evangelize Muslims. Make sure to let your Muslim friends know that you regularly attend a church. Do not disconnect your evangelism effort from the church. Pray for your church – that God would bless the preaching of his word, that he would bring Muslims into our midst, and that he would bless the church with growth.

• You don’t have to become a practical Arminian to be a faithful evangelist! A Christian approach to Muslim evangelism simply means telling Muslims the truth in love without changing it. Trust that God the Holy Spirit will penetrate hearts and minds of Muslims with “the Gospel”

• Muslims love to sing Islamic hymns that tell the stories of the Quran. Islamic hymn singing is singing the words of the Quran. Show your Muslim friends some samples of Christian biblical songs with verses directly taken from Scriptures. In other words, sing the Bible to them! The role of music in human culture is to join people together. Biblically we are commanded to sing the praises of Christ. There are 694 references to singing or music making in Holy Scriptures. Participatory singing is a very significant matter biblically. There will be no singing in Hell, but the saints in Heaven will sing everlastingly. That is really amazing and remarkable! Let us show Muslims what we will be doing in Heaven.

• “Fear God and give Him Glory, because the hour of His judgment has come, and Worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” (Rev. 14:7)

• Salvation
  In Islam, there is no guarantee of salvation except in one instance, dying in Jihad. Jihad is the struggle–the battle against those who would oppose Islam and what Islam stands for. This is very important because in the Muslim religion, there is no guarantee of salvation. Please consider the following verses:Then, he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) heavy, 7Will be in a life of good pleasure and satisfaction. 8 But he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) light,–9Will have his home in a (bottomless) Pit. (Surah 101:6-9)In Islam, there is no assurance that the Muslim will be forgiven of his sins. As you can see, the Quran teaches a system of works’ righteousness. Therefore, no Muslim can ever know whether or not he has done enough good in order to please Allah. This is a burden that many Muslims do not like to bear.

Seeking Allah and Finding Jesus: A Book Review by Tim Challies

Why are we so easily angered?

Just hours and not yet quite days later people on social media and more specifically Christians were angered over the Starbucks Red Cup Christmas gate.  Never mind that Christians were recently angered that corporations were using Christmas for financial gain by placing Christian symbols on their products only a short while ago and now Christians are angered by the absence of holiday design placement.

Should holiday images be on the cups?  Does it matter?  I’m not so sure that it does but the reaction is revealing.  Most of all and says much about what Christians think but also to what is on their heart.  Now, I know that I am not speaking for all Christians.  Many have responded – or better not responded – and many don’t care.

The one question remains, “Why are Christians and people in general so easily angered?”  The internet and social media seem to spawn a host of things to be angry over and people move from one thing that angers them to another.  Anger is not always fueled with over the top actions.  Complaining is often just soft spoken anger and we see a lot of this scrolling through news feeds on social media too.

God is clear in his Word that our anger and complaining does not accomplish anything of value to God or other people (James 1:20).  The emotion of anger recognizes that something matters and that something is wrong.  Making much out of things that don’t matter to God or expressing anger in a wrong way is simply our way of saying, “I want my way!” and “My will be done!”  Galatians 5:16-17 says,“But I say,walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other,to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”  When we walk according to our desires then we make much of what doesn’t matter or we want a good thing more than we want God (James 4:1-2)

Change in our emotions begins with our relationship with God.  First, we must recognize that God is patient and slow to anger (Exodus 34:6).  Second, we believe that God is merciful  Anger is merciless (James 4:6).  Then when we confess our sin, that we are walking according to our desires and not God’s, the Spirit of God will give us the ability to express our anger God’s way and not our way.  Venting or yelling into a pillow or having a good scream doesn’t really satisfy the need of our soul.  Sure it may bring temporary relief is not an ongoing solution and it may only lead to greater fits of future frustration.

God’s anger is redemptive and yours can be redemptive too!  Here are four questions to ask yourself about your anger.

1. What are the circumstances around me and inside of me when I get angry?  Note both the external circumstances and your internal responses.  It helps to write this down for further reflection.

2. How do I act when I get angry?  Look again at your list and write down what you do when you get angry.  Do you express your anger in bitterness (stuffing your anger)? or arguing (expressing it freely)? or slander? or a combination of these and other expressions?  Where there times when anger was expressed constructively?  How?

3. What did I want when I became angry?  This question gets at your motives.

4. What Scripture in God’s Word speaks to my anger and its expression?  The Bible answers this question every time but you will have to search your Bible.  If you need help ask a friend, pastor, small group leader, discipler or elder.

5. Ask God to help you express you anger in a tenderhearted manner that brings flourishing rather than destruction.

“Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons and daughters of God.”

What is a SCOFFER?

1. A scoffer uses his mouth in sinful ways. Do not miss that the author parallels scoffers with the wicked and sinners. Wickedness often manifests most conspicuously in the way that a person speaks. As James says elsewhere,
“The tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell” (James 3:6).
We can do great good or great harm with our words (Proverbs 18:21). The scoffer is someone who is characteristically evil in the way that he speaks (Proverbs 1:22). But what is it about the scoffer’s words that are so evil?

2. The scoffer speaks with derision and contempt. Nothing is sacred to the scoffer. The scoffer thinks it is funny when someone sins (Proverbs 14:9; cf.Philippians 3:19), and he takes God’s judgment of sinners lightly (Proverbs 19:28). Sin and judgment are commonplaces to the scoffer, and he rarely trembles at them.

3. The scoffer sets his derision on other people. The scoffer has a general sense of everyone else’s inadequacies, and very little sense of his own. He loves to take his seat and entertain his friends with narratives of other men’s shortcomings (Proverbs 18:8; 26:22). He is a man of division (Proverbs 16:28). He may be the life of the party, but when he goes out peace comes in (Proverbs 22:10; 26:20).

4. The scoffer is unteachable. Like fools in general (Proverbs 14:6), a scoffer does not delight in understanding but only in revealing his own mind (Proverbs 18:1). Not only does a scoffer resist reproof, he holds in contempt anyone who would attempt to correct him (Proverbs 9:8; 15:12). He always has to save face, and he will loudly condemn anyone who prevents him from doing so.

5. The scoffer is proud. The prideful man has three names:proud, haughty,andscoffer(Proverbs 21:24).

6. The scoffer is a negative example to the wise. The scoffer is a walking demonstration to wise people of how not to live (Proverbs 19:25). The scoffer will not learn from his own mistakes, but wise people will (Proverbs 21:11). Ironically, the scoffer may seek to save face, but wise people see him for what he is and take heed to themselves (1 Corinthians 10:12).

7. The scoffer goes to judgment. God has prepared judgment for the scoffer (Proverbs 19:29), and everything that he has done will come to nothing (Isaiah 29:20).

Psalm 1:1-2

1How happy is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2But hisjoyis in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.