BIBLE ENRICHED SPIRITUAL TRUTHS: February 2020

Saturday, 29 February 2020

Evangelism Formation: Our Treasure, Our Technology, and Our Togetherness

Technology is making the gospel available to people around the world like never before.

There has never been a better time to share the gospel. We have the best distribution channels in the world for the best message in the world, modeled by the best Savior in the world. “Evangelism” doesn’t need to be a cold, religious word loaded with obligation. Here are three ways we have an opportunity to engage in evangelism today.

First, reaching the world with a single click

It has never been easier to reach the world with the gospel. We live in an age of information distribution and technological advancement that rivals the impact of the printing press. Technology is making the gospel available to people around the world like never before.

Back in 2018, churches in the Twin Cities came together for a massive outreach at U.S. Bank Stadium. More than 8,800 people responded to the gospel, with 5,700 of those responding by text. That night, we held 2,000 live conversations with attendees—via text message.

Smartphone saturation is demanding new and creative avenues for the gospel. For the first time ever in 2019, the average American spent more time on their smartphones than their TVs (source).

We now spend an average of 3 hours and 43 minutes on our phones daily. That’s more than 24 hours in a week or 57 days out of a year spent looking at our phones. What are we doing to reach people where they’re at?

Today, we have an incredible opportunity to reach people through texting, apps, YouTube, and social media. My team recently released a discipleship app called Move Closer to help this generation take small but intentional steps toward God and one another.

Technology will never change the principles of evangelism, but it does give us new ways to share the message with more people. As the apostle ...

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Friday, 28 February 2020

Coronavirus, Christians, and a Christ-Centered Response

How we respond in times when we feel powerless may offer a greater opportunity for growth for us and to witness to others.

Today’s news cycle is dominated by one thing: the rise and spread of the novel coronavirus. First reported in Wuhan, China on December 31, 2019, the virus COVID-19 has made an impact on our world, from international travel to the global markets. Coronaviruses are actually common throughout the world and generally “cause mild illness like the common cold.”[1]

However, this new strain has proven to be far more dangerous than a cold, with 82,000 cases worldwide and 2,800 deaths by late February. As of February 25, 2020, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports the virus has spread to 37 locations internationally, including the United States. The CDC said this about the U.S. involvement as of February 25: “Person-to-person spread of COVID-19 also has been seen among close contacts of returned travelers from Wuhan, but at this time, this virus is NOT currently spreading in the community in the United States.”[2]

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern” on January 30.[3] WHO and the World Tourist Organization (UNWTO) are working together to communicate recommendations regarding travel or trade restrictions. In sports, some have begun to wonder about the future of the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

The WHO also has a site with three main headings: When and How to Use Masks and Advice for Health Workers are two of them.[4] The third is Myth-Busters, because our information-frenzied culture is great at spreading news and terrible at filtering myth from fact.

There is talk of a possible pandemic. There is the expected blame-gaming of politicians, turning a health issue into a political football to be kicked around. Facebook, ...

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逃离疫情是否忠于信仰？马丁路德对冠状病毒的教导

这位德国改革宗牧师对于瘟疫的反思，可以指导如我一样的医学生和在中国，及被冠状病毒波及到的各个地区的基督徒。

以中国武汉为震源的冠状病毒，已经引起了全球的恐惧，并阻断了交通和经济。光在中国，已有150余人丧生。全球20多个国家累计8000余人确诊—这一数字，已超过2003年的SARS疫情。武汉是中国一大交通枢纽，与美国芝加哥地位类似。如今武汉封城, 市民一切活动暂停，包括春节的庆祝也一并停止（1月25日）。中国的基督徒们，不论是武汉的还是其他城市的，都面临着一些抉择，比如是否该回家探亲，是否要逃离大陆，是否要聚集进行主日敬拜等。当病毒肆掠，疫情严重时，逃离疫情，远离在痛苦中的感染者是否是忠于信仰的选择呢？

16世纪的德国基督徒问了神学家马丁路德同样的问题。

1527年，路德所在的维腾堡及周边城市遭受了黑死病的侵袭。距离上一次黑死病肆虐欧洲，造成欧洲人口总数一半以上死亡还不到两百年。谈及普通人在传染病中所承担的责任，改教家路德在他的信件《人是否应逃离致死的瘟疫》中提出了他的意见。在现今疫情爆发的状况下，他的建议尤其有针对性。

首先，路德提出任何对其他人有服侍责任的个体都不应该逃离。对于全职侍奉的人，“必须至死谨守岗位。”被感染和走向生命尽头的人需要有一个好牧人来坚固他们，安慰他们，给他们施行圣礼—免得他们在离世前得不到这样的机会。市长，法官等官员，也需要尽忠职守保障社会秩序。其他公职人员，比如公立医院的医生和警务人员，也需要延续他们的专业职责。父母，监护人对于他们照看中的孩童也有这样的职责。

路德认为，照顾生病者并不仅仅是医护人员的职责。如今武汉面临着医院床位和看护人员的紧缺，他的建议更显得中肯。武汉是中国人口密集的城市，有着约1100万人口。城市也在迅速建造两个医院来收治日益增长的感染人群。其他社会人士，即使没有任何的医护培训，也依然可以为患病人群提供照料。路德挑战基督徒学习耶稣的榜样（太25:41-46）寻求机会来照顾伤病者。对神的爱，引发我们对邻舍的爱。

但路德并不鼓励人们不顾死活，扑向危险。在他的信件中，他一再提及一枚银币的两面：既要重视自己的生命，也要重视有需要之人的生命。路德提到，神给我们本能，让我们知道保护自己，照顾好自己的身体（弗5:29；林前12:21-26）。他也认为隔离等医疗措施是合理的，并鼓励人们寻找药物救助。事实上，他提出，不采取适当的医疗措施是无知莽撞之举。正如神恩赐我们身体，神也恩赐我们各样的药物。

若是基督徒仍旧选择逃离怎么办？路德认为，若是没有造成紧急事件，他们也安排好“会在他们的职位照顾伤病者”的替代者，这或许也是那些基督徒顺从神带领的选择。值得一提的是，路德提醒读者，救恩并不是靠好行为得到的。他最终留给基督徒一个挑战，让他们通过祷告和默想圣经，决定自己瘟疫中是逃离还是留守，路德坚信，专心寻求的，神会带领他作出信心的选择。对伤患者的照顾应该是出于恩典，而不是被迫。

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逃離疫情是否忠於信仰？馬丁路德對冠狀病毒的教導

這位德國改革宗牧師對於瘟疫的反思，可以指導如我壹樣的醫學生和在中國，及被冠狀病毒波及到的各個地區的基督徒。

以中國武漢為震源的冠狀病毒，已經引起了全球的恐懼，並阻斷了交通和經濟。光在中國，已有150余人喪生。全球20多個國家累計8000余人確診—這壹數字，已超過2003年的SARS疫情。武漢是中國壹大交通樞紐，與美國芝加哥地位類似。如今武漢封城, 市民壹切活動暫停，包括春節的慶祝也壹並停止（1月25日）。中國的基督徒們，不論是武漢的還是其他城市的，都面臨著壹些抉擇，比如是否該回家探親，是否要逃離大陸，是否要聚集進行主日敬拜等。當病毒肆掠，疫情嚴重時，逃離疫情，遠離在痛苦中的感染者是否是忠於信仰的選擇呢？

16世紀的德國基督徒問了神學家馬丁路德同樣的問題。

1527年，路德所在的維騰堡及周邊城市遭受了黑死病的侵襲。距離上壹次黑死病肆虐歐洲，造成歐洲人口總數壹半以上死亡還不到兩百年。談及普通人在傳染病中所承擔的責任，改教家路德在他的信件《人是否應逃離致死的瘟疫》中提出了他的意見。在現今疫情爆發的狀況下，他的建議尤其有針對性。

首先，路德提出任何對其他人有服侍責任的個體都不應該逃離。對於全職侍奉的人，“必須至死謹守崗位。”被感染和走向生命盡頭的人需要有壹個好牧人來堅固他們，安慰他們，給他們施行聖禮—免得他們在離世前得不到這樣的機會。市長，法官等官員，也需要盡忠職守保障社會秩序。其他公職人員，比如公立醫院的醫生和警務人員，也需要延續他們的專業職責。父母，監護人對於他們照看中的孩童也有這樣的職責。

路德認為，照顧生病者並不僅僅是醫護人員的職責。如今武漢面臨著醫院床位和看護人員的緊缺，他的建議更顯得中肯。武漢是中國人口密集的城市，有著約1100萬人口。城市也在迅速建造兩個醫院來收治日益增長的感染人群。其他社會人士，即使沒有任何的醫護培訓，也依然可以為患病人群提供照料。路德挑戰基督徒學習耶穌的榜樣（太25:41-46）尋求機會來照顧傷病者。對神的愛，引發我們對鄰舍的愛。

但路德並不鼓勵人們不顧死活，撲向危險。在他的信件中，他壹再提及壹枚銀幣的兩面：既要重視自己的生命，也要重視有需要之人的生命。路德提到，神給我們本能，讓我們知道保護自己，照顧好自己的身體（弗5:29；林前12:21-26）。他也認為隔離等醫療措施是合理的，並鼓勵人們尋找藥物救助。事實上，他提出，不采取適當的醫療措施是無知莽撞之舉。正如神恩賜我們身體，神也恩賜我們各樣的藥物。

若是基督徒仍舊選擇逃離怎麽辦？路德認為，若是沒有造成緊急事件，他們也安排好“會在他們的職位照顧傷病者”的替代者，這或許也是那些基督徒順從神帶領的選擇。值得壹提的是，路德提醒讀者，救恩並不是靠好行為得到的。他最終留給基督徒壹個挑戰，讓他們通過禱告和默想聖經，決定自己瘟疫中是逃離還是留守，路德堅信，專心尋求的，神會帶領他作出信心的選擇。對傷患者的照顧應該是出於恩典，而不是被迫。

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How to Build Trust in Science Within the Black Church

Q&A: Minister and scholar Cleve Tinsley says conversations should address history of inequality and include representation from black scientists.

The conservative Christian who sees science as a threat to faith is a common stereotype. Religious studies scholar Cleve Tinsley IV points out, however, that this view lumps conservative black Protestants into the same category as conservative white evangelicals, neglecting how African Americans’ unique history and justice concerns could shape their views of science.

For Tinsley, whose spiritual formation happened within black evangelicalism, the church was his first site of critical inquiry that set him on a path to become a scholar. Since he is also a minister, he recently used his connection to African American churches to engage congregants in a sociological study.

As part of broader nationwide research at the Religion and Public Life Program at Rice University, Tinsley and his colleagues studied three black Protestant congregations—two lower income and one higher income—in Chicago and Houston. Interviewing 50 individuals, they explored how factors like income and education affect views on the relationship between science and faith.

Tinsley and his team wondered whether congregants would mention the history of abuses by the scientific community against African Americans, such as the Tuskegee study from the 1930s-1970s that withheld effective treatment from black men with syphilis or the use of Henrietta Lacks’s “immortal” cells beginning in the 1950s without informed consent.

They found that respondents held a cultural memory of scientific research that reinforced ideas of black inferiority (though they didn’t mention specific events), along with faith concerns that sometimes compounded mistrust of scientists.

Many respondents in the lower-income congregations, and a few in the higher-income ...

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Korean Churches Close for First Time as Coronavirus Cases Hit 2,000

More than 1 million ask government to ban apocalyptic Christian sect linked to half of infections.

Although March 1 usually marks one of the most joyous services in South Korea, in celebration of Independence Movement Day, an unprecedented number of churches will be closed this Sunday in response to an escalating coronavirus outbreak now second in scale only to China.

“This is the first time that churches are officially postponing services in the 100 years of Protestant history and 200 years of Catholic history [in Korea],” said Won Jae-Chun, a professor at Christian Handong Global University in Pohang. “Services and masses have not stopped—even during the Korean War.”

The world’s largest church, Seoul’s Pentecostal Yoido Full Gospel, announced it will broadcast its services behind closed doors to its half a million members. Other megachurches in Seoul with over 50,000 members that are broadcasting services include Sarang, Onnuri, and Myungsung, where one associate pastor has a confirmed case of coronavirus.

Although the Korean government and many denominations have discouraged public worship, as even military drills and weekend political protests—common facets of life in Korea—have been cancelled, the decision whether to hold public worship has been left up to each church.

COVID-19 has infected more than 2,300 and caused 13 deaths in Korea since the first reported case on January 20. Worldwide, almost 84,000 cases and 3,000 deaths have been confirmed across dozens of countries, with the vast majority in China’s Hubei province where the disease originated.

This week, the US State Department issued a warning against non-essential travel to Korea. “Americans [in Korea] that I know are mostly trying to not panic,” said Kurt Esslinger, an American Presbyterian ...

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Trump’s Praise for Modi on India’s ‘Incredible’ Religious Freedom Doesn’t Match Our Research

The Evangelical Fellowship of India documents 300-plus cases of Christian persecution by Hindu nationalists each year. Muslims have it even worse.

Aside from some mispronunciations that sparked memes, the India visit of President Donald Trump this week went mostly as scripted. The entire trip was high on optics—a spectacle of bromance between him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi—but delivered little of substance apart from some modest deals on defense, energy, and telecommunications.

However, this was quickly displaced from the headlines by another happening in Delhi while the US president was still in India’s capital.

On February 23, the first day of President Trump’s visit to the subcontinent, clashes broke out in Delhi after Kapil Mishra, a leader from Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), gave an ultimatum to the megacity’s police, in the presence of a senior police officer, to clear anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters from the Jaffrabad area of the capital within three days.

The CAA is a controversial act recently passed by the Modi government that links citizenship to religion in India and actively discriminates against Muslims. Social activists and commentators have called on the government to withdraw the legislation, which when combined with the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the updating of the National Population Register (NPR) will likely have an adverse impact on many citizens of India but mainly Muslims, who are the nation’s largest minority yet many could be deprived of citizenship.

Hundreds of protests have erupted across the country, with some crowds reaching the hundreds of thousands. Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi is a symbolic epicenter of sorts of these protests, where mainly Muslim women have been leading demonstrations for three months. Jaffrabad, where Mishra gave the ultimatum ...

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