Weekly Round-Up: Piper on the Gospel, The Family, Missions Metaphors, and the Kanungu Massacre

Here's this week's round-up:

1) John Piper, "How I Distinguish Between the Gospel and False Gospels" from the Text and Context 2008 Resurgence Conference. John Piper is always worth listening to, but I especially appreciate his unfolding of Scripture when treating the need for discernment. You can watch the video or listen to the audio at the Resurgence site, or you can check out Piper's outline through the Desiring God site. Either way, this message is definitely worth your time.

2) Juliana Buhring, "Our dad lied about us" in the Sunday Vision newspaper (Uganda). This is a continuation of the controversy brewing in Uganda on The Family cult. A former member and daughter of a leader of the Family in Uganda responds to what her father had previously told the paper. Her rebuttals are very informative.

3) David Sills, "Missions Metaphors" on the Culturality and Missiology blog. Sills is a veteran missionary that always brings much insight to international missions. In this post, he warns of ministry that does not continue after the conversions of believers to build mature churches and strong Christians. As he points out:

What of the work in Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, the South Seas, or the United States? We reached many of those places years ago. Many strong buildings were built, but we had other work elsewhere that beckoned. When I hear of buildings that missionaries of yesteryear left behind being torn down, I wonder about the spiritual and kingdom work they left behind. Is it strong? Or, like Europe, have forces of fallen nature rendered it rotten and falling in on itself? Every Christian population is only one generation away from heresy or general apostasy. We must dedicate ourselves to the task of reaching and teaching. Reaching the unreached is great, but the Great Commission is not merely about reaching; Jesus also said we were to be "teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you."

Make sure to read the entire article.

4) "Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God" on Wikipedia, and Gerald Businge, "Seven Years Since the Kanungu Massacre: Are we any wiser?" in the UGPulse (Uganda). Next week marks the eighth anniversary of the Kanungu Massacre. On March 17th, 2000, more than 500 people had burnt to death in a church in the Kanungu district of Uganda. They were members of the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments, a religious cult. May we all learn from this horrible tragedy.

Weekly Round-Up: Marilyn Hickey, The Family, Syncretism, Cross-Cultural Mission, and Theological Trends in Africa

Here's this week's round-up:

1) "Church Briefs" in the Sunday Vision newspaper (Uganda). Here's a disheartening announcement:

NAKIVUBO STADIUM
International evangelist Marilyn Hickey will conduct a crusade at the stadium from March 7 to 9, starting at 4:00pm, daily.

2) "Haunted by a dark past" in the Sunday Vision newspaper (Uganda). This is a follow up to last week's articles on The Family cult. While it could have been more critical, this report is still fairly thorough and informative.

3) Malita Wamala, "Things Christians overlook" in the Weekly Observer newspaper (Uganda). An editorial piece from an African Christian who sees far too much compromise and syncretism from fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

4) Jim Harries, "Imitation in Cross-Cultural Mission: Discussions in an African Context" in the Lausanne World Pulse (March 2008). While I am not sure that I would line up with Harries 100%, he definitely challenges missionaries in Africa with the importance of properly contextualizing and living out our Christian worldview.

5) Gideon Para-Mallam, "Theological Trends in Africa: Implications for Missions and Evangelism" in Lausanne Reports (March 2008). I wish that I could get every missionary and Christian to read this article. The author points out both the negative and positive trends as well as their implications for believers in Africa. I simply cannot begin to summarize the many excellent points made. Just read it!

Weekly Round-Up: The Family in Uganda, a New Blog, Christian/Muslim Dialogue, and Grudem on Boundaries

Here's this week's round-up:

1) Esther Namugoji and Henry Lubega, "Living by the law of love" and "X-tian group worships Jesus with sex" in the Sunday Vision newspaper (Uganda). I have previously mentioned the activity of The Family cult in Uganda, but now one of Uganda’s leading newspapers has published two articles reporting on its presence in their country--with additional news stories promised in the future. These articles continue to demonstrate the error that exists throughout East Africa.

2) Paul Heidebrecht, The Listening to African Church Leaders blog. While this blog is new (with only two entries posted so far), it is already in my feed reader. Heidebrecht is serving with the ministry Christian Leaders for Africa, and I am always thrilled to find others promoting theological education in Africa.

3) Justin Taylor, "Do Muslims Worship the True God? A Bridge Too Far" on the Between Two Worlds blog. Taylor has posted the latest salvo into the current controversy surrounding Christian/Muslim dialogue. His response is definitely worth reading. And in case you haven't been able to keep up, he also provides links to the main entries in this online conversation so far.

4) Wayne Grudem, "When, Why & Where To Draw Boundaries" in the 9Marks eJournal (March/April 2008). While this entire issue is definitely worth downloading and reading, Grudem's article stresses the dangers of false teaching as well as how churches should respond.

Weekly Round-Up: Debate Audio, MacArthur on the Trinity, and the Family in Uganda

Here's this week's round-up:

1) "'Theology Weekend' Audio Up" on the Karis blog. Dr. Tom Schreiner recently spent a weekend over at Karis Community Church in Columbia, Missouri. Schreiner was one of my favorite professors in seminary, and anything he says or writes is automatically worth checking out. Besides, who wouldn't want to hear a world-class evangelical scholar debate a Muslim and a Unitarian Universalist?

2) John MacArthur, "Our Triune God" on the Pulpit Magazine blog. The Trinity is a precious and essential truth for all Christians. MacArthur provides a helpful and understandable overview of our three-and-one God in this brief post.

3) Carolyne Nakazibwe, "Cult Activity in Uganda?" in the Weekly Observer newspaper (Uganda). This was a book review on a recent release by those formerly involved with the Children of God (aka The Family). Apparently, their father has moved to Uganda and is involved in spreading the false teaching of this cult in East Africa.