Owen Strachan

Theologian. Director of @OneGospelMin (of @rbcgilbert). New book:

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

GOD IS GOOD.

Today is book release day for "A Call to Cultivate."

Here is the inside story of how this book came to be: https://t.co/PVVykGTjkC

Pick it up: https://t.co/TqdQ0sd8ac

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

Grieving for Colombia--but grateful to God that a missions team from Redeemer was providentially in Colombia and is ministering the gospel there NOW.

[Dale Thackrah @daleethackrah]

Redeemer Bible Church family,

As many of you know, Redeemer sent a short-term mission team to Cali, Colombia (led by Pastor Jeremiah) last Friday to assist a local church there with local outreach and service. They arrived safely in Colombia over the weekend and hit the ground running, ministering to locals in the community, and I am sure, being ministered to as well by fellow believers.

Early this morning, Colombia was hit by a significant earthquake (7.4) that has impacted much of the nation, including Cali, where our team is located.

I am happy to report that I am in communication with our team, and they are all accounted for and safe. The hotel they were staying at was damaged to the point where they had to leave and find housing with locals from the church.

I am thankful to report that everyone on the team has a place to sleep and is in good spirits. In fact, they have been sharing the gospel with many frightened people in Colombia; while I am sure they are frightened themselves, they are persevering on their mission.

I have asked Pastor Jeremiah to assess how RBC can best help our brothers and sisters in Cali, and in the coming days, I think we will be able to share with you how we plan on doing just that. Until then, please continue in your prayers for the people impacted and for our team to witness Christ to many people.

For Christ and His mission,

Pastor Dale

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

Just for the record, "nations are a people, not a proposition" is itself a proposition.

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

@Anna_rWalker Anna, I'm so sorry to hear about this sickness. Praying for you now.

The Son of God is with you, and for you, and will never cease to be strong for you. But he's not only strong, though; he is tender, kind, and closer to you than any person who loves you.

He will not fail you.

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

We can have absolute confidence that the plans of God will not fail.

[Truth in the Public Square @TruthPublicSq]

Jesus has strong shoulders, He won’t fail us.

@ostrachan

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

God does not burden his children with the duty to always pray long prayers. Shorter prayers count. The Lord's Prayer, where Jesus teaches his disciples how and what to pray to the Father, is at most 75 words long and takes about 30-45 seconds to say (Matthew 6:9-13).

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

@PastorMikeStone Mike, I don't know Sarah's story, but I am praying for her and for your family. Your testimony to God's goodness in such a hard hour is deeply edifying.

The Son of God will meet her on the other side; he has never missed such an appointment.

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

Jeremy Boreing really is the new Tucker.

He's now the leading public conservative voice, gifted at both monologue and interview. This episode is super enlightening as to what Tucker's up to--the comments from James Lindsay are particularly insightful.

https://t.co/Tyo504hHps

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

David didn't fall when he was a servant on the run, sleeping in caves, hungry and struggling, hunted like a dog by Saul the madman.

David fell when he was a KING, sleeping in silk sheets, his enemies at his feet, his every need met, success crowning his head.

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

@jonbenz "The accounting was perfect" is hot fire, and gloriously true.

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

Thankful for this 9Marks resource--comprehensive, balanced, and rigorously biblical.

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

The need for young men to be gentle, kind, humble, quick to confess sin, accountable, and self-controlled will never become more apparent than when you have a daughter approaching adulthood.

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

Josh Howerton is right about the cross: its center is penal substitution.

The cross accomplishes much--cleansing, healing, ransom, liberation, victory over Satan--but it does so because Jesus dies in our place as an atoning blood sacrifice to bear the holy wrath of a holy God.

[Josh Howerton @howertonjosh]

When you have five minutes and you are responding to a navy seal without a church background telling you, he doesn’t understand why Jesus had to die on the cross, you do not get the luxury of explaining all of the atonement motifs

Keller and the reformed tradition are correct: the Bible articulates, many atonement angles, but they are all built on top of penal substitution, so you go there

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

@howertonjosh @gpackiam Well said, Josh. The cross accomplishes many wonderful works (cleansing, healing, ransom, liberation, and more), but it does so because Jesus is punished for us and dies in our place as a blood sacrifice to bear the wrath of God.

Penal substitution is the heart of the cross.

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

This is what happens you see gentleness, kindness, forbearance, and self-control as effeminate: you get fleshliness, cursing, anger, and quarreling.

[Canon Press @canonpress]

Raw. Primal. Brave.

Has Webbon changed? Watch for yourself.

COMING SOON from NXR

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

It's funny, because back in the "missional" days, the missional guys said MacArthur didn't cut the mustard with reaching people.

Today, the nationalism/postmill guys say MacArthur didn't reach people with his defeatist theology.

The nationalist crowd of today weirdly agrees with the soulpatch missional crowd of yesterday: John MacArthur struck out when it came to the Great Commission. Strange bedfellows, these.

Here's the deal: you don't need to agree with MacArthur's model in every respect to see that--critiques aside--he was used to reach many across the country and the world. Numerous missions strategists I know say that the reach of ministries MacArthur championed is hardly equaled in the missions world. The man loved the gospel, loved missions, and did a great deal to proclaim Christ to the nations.

I write this as one, by the way, who did not agree with MacArthur in all particulars (religious liberty, for example). When it comes to evangelism and missions, we have some freedom and flexibility in how we reach out to unbelievers as those seeking to obey the Great Commission. But we can acknowledge this truth while being calm and kind believers; we can have our differences, but do so thoughtfully and respectfully. We need such balance today in a serious way.

Bottom line: by the grace of God, John MacArthur did a great deal to advance the cause of the gospel around the world.

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

I pray that I am 1/1millionth as faithful to do Great Commission work as John MacArthur was in his lifetime.

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

I pray that I am 1/1millionth as faithful to do Great Commission work as John MacArthur was in his lifetime.

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

The gospel frees you to live in full color.

To play worship music loudly.

To apologize tearfully.

To forgive generously.

To speak convictionally.

To say a hard truth gently.

To pray hopefully.

To love lavishly.

To think deeply.

To act carefully.

To trust Jesus totally.

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

Way more than you know, disheartened Christian, your present fiery trials are shaping you to experience Christ's comfort and to minister it to others (2 Corinthians 1).

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

Pray for Spokane.

[Owen Strachan @ostrachan]

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

--Ephesians 3:14–19