The Liberating King has come! Repent and receive and so enter His Kingdom and the renewal of all things! These are biblical teachings. They are at the core of the Gospel and yet we so often miss the urgency of this message. Many times, this is due to the familiarity we have with the typical style of English Bible translations. Those involved with The Voice, however, are seeking to be true to the text and reflect the inherent creativity of the Spirit of God and the diversity of His ordained human authors, through whom He communicated to us.

In reading The Voice New Testament (for the purpose of this review, the Gospel of Matthew), I found in it a tremendous supplement and devotional translation that is, in the main, faithful to the text (a functional translation somewhere between NIV and The Message). It has many unique features to commend it and while I wouldn’t use it as a primary translation for serious study, I am, thus far, convinced that it would be beneficial for use by Christians in every stage of spiritual development. So, for what it sets out to do, I would give it a five star rating.

How can I deal with sin that just sticks with me? How can I survive the tough times that come my direction? Why should I worry about my friend’s Christian walk? What’s the point of reading my Bible and praying regularly? Although these questions seem only loosely related, Mark Hall’s Your Own Jesus does a tremendous job of presenting the truth that everyone needs to be in a saving, enduring relationship with the God of the universe.

“God has no grandchildren” as the saying goes and Mark shows convincingly the need for believers to not depend on their parents, churches, friends, or books and music to be their source of experiencing Jesus. Believers need to be in their own intimate walk with the Savior Who bought them with His own blood and will bring good, lasting fruit into their lives. For anyone who considers themselves a disciple of Jesus, this book is highly recommended as a helpful resource as you pursue Christ and get to know the One and Only Jesus Christ.

“I know what I call you in Bemba” Vincent said, “Umuntu! It means you’re like me!” Those were words that were told me on a recent trip I made to Ndola, Zambia to assist in the building of a school. In writing The Hole in Our Gospel, Stearns notes that the Gospel we preach has often left out the command to seek justice for the poor and oppressed, to love our neighbor. Stearns is right that we, who have received the mercy of God in infinite abundance, have so often failed to show and share that mercy with our fellow men around the world, who lay dying. So Stearns issues a prophetic, God-honoring call to action…but misses a beat.

His vision is somewhat dampened, I think, by the sense that it is Christians who will put all wrong to right in the world. We are the agents of redemption, but this redemption will be realized and consummated by Christ. I would heartily recommend reading The Hole in Our Gospel to anyone, only exhorting them to trust in the sovereign work of God and not depend upon their own actions, but the Holy Spirit’s effective power.

Lindsey at Beauty from the Heart has posted a wonderful reflection on the greatness of God and the finiteness of human achievement. To be faithful disciples, we must be faithfully focused on the God Who has loved us, saved us, and called us to glorify and exalt Him above all the things He has made. Check it out.

I don’t make it my practice to use sites that I link to as [Re]Con, but this post from Stephen Altrogge at The Blazing Center is well-worth your time to read. As disciples of Christ, we have an obligation to submit to our Master and humbly ask Him to teach us how we should find contentment in our circumstances.

For more great material on contentment, please check out this sermon entitled “The Quest for Contentment” preached by Dave Harvey at Providence Church in Pittsburgh.

Matt Chandler, pastor of the Village Church in Texas, provides a necessary challenge and reminder to us as we reach out to people. We are ministers of mercy, seeking to cultivate joy, peace and love for God not fear of hell.

The following is a quote from J.I. Packer in his book, Knowing God (pg. 116):

True Christians are people who acknowledge and live under the word of God. They submit without reserve to the word of God written in “the Book of Truth” (Dan 10:21), believing the teaching, trusting the promises, following the commands. Their eyes are upon the God of the Bible as their Father and the Christ of the Bible as their Savior.

[...] Why does this description fit so few of us who profess to be Christians these days? You will find it profitable to ask your conscience, and let it tell you.

Steven Curtis Chapman and Family on GMA 08/06/08

Steven Curtis Chapman and family appeared on the Good Morning America show (ABC) on August 6, 2008, as well as Larry King Live (CNN) on August 7, 2008 to discuss the loss of their daughter, Maria Sue, and the famiy’s struggles since that tragic event in May. In spite of their loss, or mayhap because of it, the Chapman family has and continues to move forward with a faith in Jesus Christ that is worthy of imitation. Please continue to pray for the Chapmans, but also learn from their example of glorifying God in times of grief, and preaching the Gospel all the more, relying on God for strength and grace to get by.

This is the first [Re]Con post, putting you in touch with helpful resources and challenging pieces to further and encourage your discipleship as you seek to live in a manner worthy of the Gospel.

My good friend, Tim Sweetman, a board member of Regenerate Our Culture, rebelutionary and well-known blogger, has just been published by Focus on the Family’s Boundless Magazine with his article No Little People. In looking at the reality of how “small” we can feel in the presence of “great men and women of God”, Tim shows us how even the smallest people have the great privilege of being tools in the hands of God, if we but submit to Him and His will. So, be sure you get over to Boundless and read this article, and work at applying it to your attitude and actions!