Bon Appetite!

You may be wondering (or may not be) what Beijing has to offer in the realm of… food.  Today I was privileged to receive an email with some photos that displayed the wide assortment of delicacies available to, er, bold tourists.  As far as I can tell, the photos were authentic; below is one of them.

Delicacies a la Beijing

Independent Christian Film Alert

John Moore, at 19 years old, has already become a popular indy (read “independent”) film writer, producer, and director.  Having already three to his credit – Bubble Trouble, A Lifetime of Childlike Faith, and Audience Choice Award Winner at the SAICFF Heartstrings, he is on to his biggest challenge yet… The Widow’s Might.

From The Rebelution’s blog, an excerpt from an open letter from John:

The Widow’s Might tells the story of an elderly widow who is about to lose her home due to tax foreclosure. When teen friends John and Cameron learn about it, they are determined to stop it. With the support of their families, they start educating the citizens in their town on the issues in an effort to turn her situation around. What they discover is that making a difference is a hard thing. A very hard thing.

This is the exact thing I am excited about. Independent film-making for the glory of God.  This is a part of a growing movement for professional, Christian, God-glorifying media that will build up families and reach America (and beyond) for Christ. To God be all the glory!

Read more at The Rebelution, or visit The Widow’s Might website.

Every Life: Uniquely Created by God

The Revolutionary Media blog had a post on August 14th that summed up what can (unfortunately) occur to anybody seeking to minister to others… or just when living out our “normal” lives:

When you are overseas, the fast paced and adventurous lifestyle is really exotic – for the first week. Then, after a little while, the “roughing it” lifestyle seems to cause all the people’s faces begin to look the same. And reaching out to one life looks exactly the same as reaching out to another life.

Why is that?

Because sometimes it is easy to believe that one life is just another life in the world…

What they have written about is a foundational element to all ministry… a truth that is fundamental to our relationships with others… and the passion we should have for reaching out to others – that God has created each life unique, with a purpose – each live has infinite value, and is an eternal soul.  I won’t try to write what they were able to put down on paper so eloquently, though – read the rest of their right-on-target post here.

Ambassadors for Christ

“Ambassadors: Two Grave Dangers, along with the Solution”

Christopher Maxwell posted a very good blog post Sunday, August 10th, regarding two dangers (which I term “threats”) to ambassadors for the Lord.  As he is reading a Ambassador Joseph Grew (U.S. ambassador to Japan, 1932-1941), Christopher is drawing analogies between Ambassador Grew’s experience in Japan and our experiences here serving the King.

A quote from the post:

As Ambassador Grew was traveling via steamer toward Japan in 1932, he wrote about two dangers that face ambassadors.

The first is the danger of being prejudiced against the nation where one is being sent. “An ambassador who starts prejudiced against the country to which he is accredited might just as well pack up and go home…” Ambassador Grew pointed out that such an attitude would undermine and damage the relationship that was to be built…

Read the rest of the post here (the Maxwell blog is temporarily experiencing temporary difficulties, so you may have to scroll down on the page to view the post).

It’s Big…

…it’s Behemoth! Announced in Vision Forum’s 2008 catalog, I’m sure the identity of the Behemoth website remains mysterious to many.

Behmoth logo

Thanks to a source that must remain anonymous, you no longer have to wait in suspense! I quote:

“First and most exciting: the Behemoth site will be up sometime very soon! I believe within the first few weeks of August. And…[another anonymous source] told me what it will be. He said that it will be like a Christian version of ITunes, where you can download movies, music, transcripts of speeches, etc.”

Again, I thank my sources for their diligent research and fact-finding, and I settle back in wait for the unveiling of the Behemoth.

Honor and Ruthless Compassion

Recently our family has watched a DVD from Vision Forum’s “Reclaiming the Culture” Collection, entitled “The Promise”.  In it, Mr. Phillips speaks concerning the powerful promise God has given to all men, women, and children if they will honor their parents.

This has made a big impact on me – not that I’m perfect and always honor my parents and others in authority – but the goal of being a man of honor is engrained in me, I pray, forever.

In addition to this, I have been inspired by another worthy endeavor, this one being “ruthless compassion”. I’m checking at this time to find out where this quote is from – but in the meantime, I would like to define the term.  What I do not mean by this term is the equivalent of “tough love” – not at all.  What I’m trying to convey in mentioning this quote is the principle of being ruthless to myself by always being compassionate, whether or not doing so goes along with my feelings at the the time.

More coming soon… Persevero!

History, Theology, and Worldview Training at SAICFF

A few days ago, I watched a great clip from an interview of Doug Phillips on TLN Today! (Total Living Network), by president Jerry Rose.

During the interview, Mr. Phillips precisely and excellently identified and explained the foundations for Christian film-making at the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (SAICFF – www.independentchristianfilms.com). I recommend that you watch the interview if you are interested in understanding how history, theology, and worldview join together with high production standards to produce God-honoring films. Regardless of whether or not you are interested in producing films, I believe this interview is still beneficial for everyone desiring to advance God’s kingdom to watch.

This year, the festival also features the largest prize in the world for a film festival… visit their site to find out how much it is, and to submit an film entry for the 2009 SAICFF!

Welcome!

Thanks for visiting my blog! This is my first post, and the first blog that I’m going to be regularly updating. First, I hope to explain a few things, such as why a blog… and why the name “Spare No Arrows” (SPN).

Why a blog? Because, as a young man, it is my goal to become a Godly man… and thus, among other things, a Godly teacher and educator and propagandist of the Gospel. (I acknowledge fellow blogger C.S. Hayden for listing these honourable goals for himself, which also have inspired myself.)

As C.S. Hayden said, Gratefully, I can do this now to a small extent with my blog. And by the way, propaganda simply means in Latin “things that must be sent forth.” I must send forth the truth to all who will hear, and so I must be a propagandist.”

In summary, this blog is one of the training grounds that I utilizing toward that end. Still, you might ask, why the name “Spare No Arrows”? Mr. Douglass Phillips, of The Vision Forum, wrote a post to his blog on July 14th of this year – last month. In it, he quoted an excerpt from the book Life of John Knox, by Thomas M’Crie. I have quoted Mr. Phillips’ post in full as follows:

“Spare no arrows,” was the motto which Knox wore on his standard; the authority of Scripture, and the force of reasoning, grave reproof, and pointed irony, were in their turn employed by him. In the course of this defense, he did not restrain those sallies of raillery, which the fooleries of the popish superstition irresistibly provoke, even from those who are deeply impressed with its pernicious tendency.

Thomas M’Crie, Life of John Knox (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Education, 1905), pp. 64-65.

That is the burden on my heart as well – to spare no arrows, as Jeremiah wrote in chapter 50, verse 14. It is my desire to use all of the energies, gifts, and resources God has given me for His glory; not to waste a moment of time, but in everything to be working for His glory and the advancement of His kingdom. Solo Deo Gloria!