Radical Blog http://www.radical.net/blog/post Mon, 05 Mar 2018 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 05 Mar 2018 00:00:00 -0500 1800 “We will work together for the continuance of a faithful evangelical ministry in this church, as we sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines.” ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/dont-drown-baptism 5a972b0183c3f4d130ffa709 Thu, 01 Mar 2018 00:00:00 -0600 One year ago this month, Malaysian pastor Raymond Koh was abducted in the middle of the day on a busy street. Witnesses said that several black SUVs surrounded Pastor Koh and took him from his car with "military-like" precision. Pastor Koh hasn't been seen since.    ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/taken-in-broad-daylight 5a95dc907ffa79001677ef22 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0600 Following the closing ceremonies of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, many people may be wondering what they just witnessed. Beyond the various competitions, exciting finishes, and impressive performances from athletes across the globe, many people are not sure what to make of... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/olympic-alliances-and-perceptions-of-peace 5a94bd9983c3f4b82f101ba8 Tue, 27 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0600 All of us have likely seen them. Two teenage boys, riding bicycles through the neighborhood, each wearing a dark suit, a white shirt, a tie, a large name badge, and a backpack. They claim to be spreading a message about Jesus Christ and his dealings with the early inhabitants of ancient America.... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/three-things-to-know-about-mormon-missionaries 5a9365a483c3f4e138101ba8 Mon, 26 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0600 Although my parents are American, I was born in Mexico and spent the majority of my first decade of childhood in Central America. This experience became a powerful, shaping influence in my life. As a matter of fact, it is probably the foundation for the last decade of my life, which has largely... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/cultivating-a-heart-for-missions-in-our-kids 5a8b398283c3f47a6c2c9dc6 Thu, 22 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0600 As an ethnic Malay, Hizam* knew that his duty was to be a faithful follower of Islam. Year by year he worked his hardest to fulfill the requirements and make his family proud, but he always seemed to come up short. He couldn't fast for the whole month of Ramadan. He knew that there was no way for... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/a-google-search-for-god 5a8ae65383c3f4ab302c9dc9 Wed, 21 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0600 When I entered Seminary in 1999, one of the first books I read was R. Kent Hughes’s Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome. In it, Hughes argued that we need a new definition of success–one that could not be measured by counting nickels and noses, but rather by our faithfulness to God... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/healthy-churches-may-look-different-than-you-think 5a870dd183c3f4a0507d6943 Mon, 19 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0600 As ISIS loses its physical strongholds in Iraq and Syria, many predict that it will turn to its online presence and set up a "virtual caliphate" of sympathizers all over the world. This could become particularly problematic in Malaysia, our SC18 people focus.   ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/the-danger-of-a-virtual-caliphate 5a85b6bc83c3f4974ef57c6f Thu, 15 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0600 But what if it turns out not to be a “This-Is-Us-Crock-Pot” kinda love? ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/more-than-a-this-is-us-crock-pot-kind-of-love 5a83640e83c3f4a66ad95998 Wed, 14 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0600 Over its history, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has grown from a very small group of members to numbering nearly 16 million members as of the last report in April 2017. Mormons attract non-religious and religious persons into their ranks. They boast members in almost every nation... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/what-makes-mormonism-so-attractive 5a81d14383c3f4c81b7ae8de Mon, 12 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0600 When we hear the phrase “Prosperity Gospel,” our minds may conjure up images of a (typically) white, big-haired, American televangelist from the 1980’s seated on a golden throne flanked by artificial ferns wagging his bejeweled fingers into a camera lens and chastening his faithful... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/africa-animism-and-the-dangers-of-the-prosperity-gospel 5a7b753283c3f4b36366a09b Thu, 08 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0600 Malaysia is well known for its diverse peoples. Many different cultures make up the fabric of the country, including Malaysians from different ethnicities and expatriates from countries around the world. The four largest groups in Malaysia are the ethnic Malay, Chinese Malaysians, Indian... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/ethnic-tensions-in-malaysia 5a79c6b27ffa79be4c255ee1 Wed, 07 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0600 Our college years are transitional in lots of ways. In many cases, we’re still developing a worldview, still deciding what to believe about theological topics like predestination and free will, still discovering our callings, and still deciding where to live after we graduate. All of this can... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/are-you-missing-out 5a74be1b7ffa7968769bafbd Mon, 05 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0600 “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” (Hebrews 13:3) ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/remembering-the-persecuted 5a74885c7ffa79aa179bafbe Fri, 02 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0600 Last words are important. We hang on them. Our minds ruminate over them and think deeply of their intended meaning. This is what we should do with Jesus’ last words to us in the Gospel of Matthew, what is often referred to as The Great Commission: ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/discipling-the-unreached-the-commitment-of-a-life 5a7330987ffa7927589bafc0 Thu, 01 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0600 As Nor* describes it, there was no magic trick that brought her to faith in Christ. It was just the simple story of the gospel that she heard as a child. ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/the-simple-message 5a70a91d83c3f4aa520d672e Wed, 31 Jan 2018 00:00:00 -0600 When it comes to what others believe, misunderstandings and myths abound. This is especially true of Mormonism, a faith tradition that may be one of the most misunderstood religions in American history. The confusions may be due to a simple lack of comprehension, a shortage of desire to do the hard... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/three-myths-about-mormonism 5a6cd14083c3f46511809fd5 Mon, 29 Jan 2018 00:00:00 -0600 We have been blessed with both a blood family and a faith family that have encouraged and supported our work among the Inapang in Papua New Guinea for the last fourteen years. God has been gracious and kind, and we don’t take this for granted. However, that doesn’t mean it’s been easy or that... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/what-about-the-children-reflections-of-a-missionary-kid 5a69089d7ffa798d0a84a996 Thu, 25 Jan 2018 00:00:00 -0600 Almost every ethnic group in Malaysia has the freedom to choose their religion. While Malaysia is technically an Islamic nation, many other religions are allowed, including Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and traditional Chinese religions. Citizens have the freedom to change religions, all except... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/3-walls-between-malaysian-christians-and-the-muslim-malay 5a67b3c283c3f444311996c6 Wed, 24 Jan 2018 00:00:00 -0600 Shamefully silent and appallingly passive. ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/modern-holocaust-the-gospel-and-abortion 5a66294b83c3f4b4410b1c6b Mon, 22 Jan 2018 12:45:00 -0600 On the surface, Malaysia seems like a place where many cultures and religions live side by side in harmony. The country is made up of Malaysians from ethnic Malay, Chinese, Indian, and tribal backgrounds. It is also home to a significant number of expatriates from all over the world, adding to... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/why-malaysia 5a4b0deb83c3f4a06383419a Thu, 18 Jan 2018 00:00:00 -0600 Over the last two years, I have traveled my own journey of racial awareness, wrestling with definitions, with my own upbringing, with history, with other people. Many discoveries have been filled with painful truths and many conversations have caused emotional fatigue. The close association of... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/four-ways-to-let-the-gospel-shape-your-response-to-racism 5a58cda383c3f4417953fd4c Mon, 15 Jan 2018 00:00:00 -0600 After all these years, why have you started that Bible reading plan again? You know how many times you’ve read Genesis 1–20 only to quit soon after. One year you even got to Leviticus. For some, the most practical advice is just to start in Joshua. Why not? You’ve never made it to Joshua... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/bible-reading-is-an-invitation-not-a-burden 5a551c5483c3f46c2d92226d Thu, 11 Jan 2018 00:00:00 -0600 A few weeks ago my 9-year old daughter walked home from school without her new winter jacket. Apparently she had taken it off at recess and then forgotten to go back to pick it up when it was time to go inside. When she did remember to return for it, it had disappeared. For two days she searched... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/how-a-busy-mom-finds-time-to-pray 5a4fd6607ffa79120810ca9b Mon, 08 Jan 2018 00:00:00 -0600 Praying for the persecuted and those unreached with the gospel—it sounds like a no-brainer, right? As a Christian, of course I should care about my brothers and sisters around the world who are being persecuted for their faith. Of course I should care about people around the world who are dying... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/praying-for-the-world-a-resolution-worth-making 5a4bc5707ffa790324927212 Thu, 04 Jan 2018 00:00:00 -0600 You know the feeling: resolved on January 1, then done just a few days later. The vast majority of New Year’s resolutions don’t even make it a full month. ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/beyond-resolutions-habits-of-grace-for-a-new-year 5a4568bd83c3f4854af979f5 Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 -0600 I'd like to share a story we received recently at Radical—by God’s grace, it’s a story we hear frequently. ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/your-dollars-reach-the-nations 5a4974387ffa795042e6d48a Sun, 31 Dec 2017 00:00:00 -0600 Bible reading plan devotees will likely sympathize with Hannibal Smith’s most famous line from The A-Team, “I love it when a plan comes together.” Absolutely. For the Type-A Bible readers, isn't it super-satisfying to read that last "Amen" of the book of Revelation on December 31? It's... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/encouragement-for-those-who-fail-at-bible-reading-plans 5a3d49bd7ffa79c54da26eb4 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 00:00:00 -0600 Some gifts cannot be fully appreciated until we understand what was involved in giving them. That’s certainly true when it comes to the gift God has given us in His Son. If we don’t stop and consider what it took for the Son of God to be born as a man and to come and live among us, then we will... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/his-poverty-our-riches 5a3beed57ffa797673c8821b Mon, 25 Dec 2017 00:00:00 -0600 For seven years in a row, Kristyn and I have had the privilege of touring the country with our Irish Christmas concert. Filled with Irish reels, cultural Irish dance, the choral sounds of the season and, of course, rich congregational singing of carols old and new, we have enjoyed working with many... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/a-holiday-reformation 5a3bdbf883c3f4a34b48fb3f Fri, 22 Dec 2017 00:00:00 -0600 Christmas is a time to remember. The familiar smells from the kitchen. The familiar sounds of children laughing. The familiar glow of a dimly lit tree. Each of these, and so much more, reminds us of moments in our past—glimpses of experiences and emotions that have shaped the way we view our... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/why-martin-luther-loved-christmas 5a3a83dd83c3f44237208d0e Wed, 20 Dec 2017 00:00:00 -0600 When the children of Israel passed through the waters of the Jordan on dry land, they took twelve stones out of the Jordan and set them up as a monument. Thus, in generations to come, when their children asked about those stones, they could tell the story of God’s power and miraculous rescue. But... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/the-day-an-unreached-village-heard-the-gospel 5a342ddb7ffa79d461f0fa3f Mon, 18 Dec 2017 00:00:00 -0600 Ever ponder the scene in heaven when the gospel penetrates a brand new people group?  I still wonder what a peek into the spiritual realm would have revealed that morning in June 2007 when the Inapang people began to hear “God’s Talk.” ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/how-god-helped-us-tell-the-old-old-story-in-a-new-unreached-place 5a316b717ffa797b0c38c6c2 Thu, 14 Dec 2017 00:00:00 -0600 Christmas destruction. The phrase doesn’t exactly give you all those warm holiday feelings inside. You’d probably rather think about other things at Christmas, things like pageants, presents, or peace on earth. That’s understandable. However, until we realize that there’s something in the... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/what-the-prince-of-peace-came-to-destroy 5a28554583c3f4ae7422c784 Mon, 11 Dec 2017 00:00:00 -0600 I’ve gotta admit, I love Christmas time just as much as anybody—the incarnation hymns, the decorations, the family time, the brisk air, even the hustle-and-bustle. Most of all, though, I love the truth of how and why God became man, and the opportunities for gospel conversations that some... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/making-the-most-of-december-in-your-preaching 5a272a777ffa79d73adfefb8 Thu, 07 Dec 2017 00:00:00 -0600 On that blank page in between the Old and New Testaments in my Bible, I have a message written out: ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/worth-the-wait 5a2189c87ffa79360812f17b Mon, 04 Dec 2017 00:00:00 -0600 “Dad, can you see I’m getting bigger?” ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/maximizing-the-benefit-of-corporate-worship 5a1ed2aa7ffa79f97ed2dd66 Thu, 30 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0600 Our culture is enamored with the wealthy and the powerful. Athletes, actors, politicians, and successful CEOs––these people just seem to matter more. Even as Christians, we are drawn to worldly standards of power and influence. ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/advent-is-for-the-humble-and-the-hungry 5a14792c7ffa799814ad08bd Mon, 27 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0600 Your story may be similar to mine: you grew up in a Protestant, Bible-believing church that joyfully celebrated the coming of Christ at Christmas, but you rarely, if ever, heard much reference to the season of Advent. However, as an adult, and I’d say especially in the last decade or two, you’re... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/why-all-the-talk-about-advent 5a15b18d7ffa79017cad08bc Fri, 24 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0600 Many churches spend a lot of time and money on their musical worship, but they have not thought carefully about how God’s Word speaks to this important topic. They have, without realizing it, missed the central focus of biblical worship. ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/biblical-priorities-for-musical-worship-an-interview-with-bob-kauflin 5a14531b7ffa790d0dad08bd Wed, 22 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0600 “Would you please talk with him? He wants to make disciples in that country and is ready to drop out of college to do it.” ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/should-i-quit-college-and-go-to-the-nations 5a09fda97ffa7925689eac14 Mon, 20 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0600 Music plays a major role in the corporate worship of the church. When we gather together to sing, we praise God, proclaim theological truths to one another, confess our sin and need for Christ, and spur one another on to preach the gospel to the nations. But how important is the integration of... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/filling-our-homes-with-the-songs-of-the-lord 5a0cbf4a83c3f4601854ed92 Thu, 16 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0600 About twenty Inapang men were gathered together in the open thatched meeting house in the middle of the small hamlet. The logs in the fire crackled as we discussed the upcoming literacy initiative. Ankərerəge, the village chief, listened carefully, staring into the fire’s glow and poking at its... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/the-role-of-literacy-training-in-tribal-church-planting 5a048c487ffa79f855672652 Mon, 13 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0600 Most pastors are more than happy for someone else to choose the songs on Sunday morning. With sermon preparation, counseling, and countless other responsibilities, shouldn’t someone else worry about what the congregation will sing? ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/choose-the-congregations-songs-well 5a01d9637ffa79d17f1d079f Thu, 09 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0600 In a 2013 Huffington post article on how music shapes identity, columnist Frank Fitzpatrick, ponders, “Can music, like a good teacher or a close friend, help us discover things about ourselves that we might not otherwise recognize? Does music actually help us form a vision of who we are . . . and... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/i-got-a-song-the-influence-of-african-american-music-on-the-christian-experience 59fcb3ac83c3f46f2e6e832c Mon, 06 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0600 In my middle school days, I remember wondering about eighth grade math: “Will I ever actually use any of this information?” The more I convinced myself that none of it mattered in the “real world,” the less my fourteen year-old self cared. That’s probably the best excuse I could muster to... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/why-you-should-care-about-the-reformation 59fa11077ffa79274dfc2b1b Thu, 02 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0500 Justification is the gracious act of God by which He declares a sinner righteous only through faith in Jesus. ... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/justification-an-amazing-declaration 59f2155483c3f4d63ceb0162 Sun, 29 Oct 2017 00:00:00 -0500 With more and more Christians in the U.S. becoming interested in engaging the unreached, it’s important to recognize some of the challenges involved with this much-needed ministry. One such challenge is sharing the gospel with an unreached and often illiterate people group that has never had its... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/learning-to-speak-the-gospel-in-unwritten-languages 59f0f2aa83c3f44778d084b4 Thu, 26 Oct 2017 00:00:00 -0500 Some years ago I sat near the front of a worship service as I watched the guest preacher pace back and forth across the stage. He was a popular speaker in our area, and crowds had come to hear what he had to say. My first clue that something wasn’t right was when he started by saying, “I forgot... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/the-word-does-the-work 59ea4fad7ffa79ff64cdcb8c Mon, 23 Oct 2017 00:00:00 -0500 When we think of making disciples, we usually think about one-to-one evangelism and discipling—sharing a tract perhaps, or going through a weekly evangelistic Bible study with a friend over coffee. We might also think of reading a good book on biblical doctrine or on some aspect of the Christian... ]]> http://www.radical.net/blog/post/making-disciples-from-the-pulpit 59e0e66c83c3f4ef5f1d890a Thu, 19 Oct 2017 00:00:00 -0500