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Showing posts from October, 2013

Happy Reformation Day! Unveiling the Reformation with Martin Luther

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Challenging the Church: Why Luther Nailed His Theses and Ignited a Reformation Alright, folks, on a recent episode of "Coffee With Conrad," I decided to tackle a truly fascinating historical figure: Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. It's Reformation Day, after all, and what better way to celebrate than by diving deep into the events that shook the very foundations of the Church centuries ago. Now, for those who might be new to the story, Reformation Day marks October 31st, 1517 – the day Luther famously nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Church. This wasn't just some random act of vandalism; it was a powerful protest against the Catholic Church's practices, particularly the outrageous selling of indulgences (basically, buying forgiveness for sins). Luther, a deeply troubled monk, couldn't stomach the corruption he saw within the Church and felt compelled to act. Luther was a devout Catholic, but his dedication to Scripture led him t...

Holy Fire Burning for Revival in Japan: An Interview with Missionary Stephen Barrett

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Keys to Igniting a Move of God in Japan Today I was blessed to have an engaging discussion with my brother Steve, an American missionary laboring in Fukuoka, Japan for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit across that nation. Steve's passionate heart burns with holy fire to see revival blaze across the Japanese islands. As Steve shared, the reality on the ground is that evangelical Christianity only comprises about 1% of the population in Japan currently. The church there lacks the diversity of expressions and movements that we see in America. The Christians that do exist tend to be fairly traditional and denominational in nature.  However, Steve believes this sad state is an incredible opportunity for the Holy Spirit to birth fresh, New Testament expressions of the church contextualized to the various subcultures and people groups across Japan. This is the vision behind his involvement with Dynamic Church Planting International - to equip and deploy Japanese believers to start or...