We call it "Reformation Day"–because on that day, 503 years ago, a German monk, pastor, and seminary professor named Martin Luther published 95 complaints against the Catholic Church practice of selling reductions to the penalty of sin (called indulgences). In a sense, Luther had the boldness to share what the Church should and shouldn't be.
What then should Christians do, if even prominent, Bible-expositing pastors disagree so sharply? What should our Biblical, Gospel-centered response be to elections, civic involvement, or politics? I believe there are six answers to those questions - Six Reasons Why Christians Must Vote:
Equality is a term that is often thrown around today from every demographic imaginable. From political pundits to pulpiteers, advocates to homemakers, equality is seen as a virtue. But what is “equality?” The definition of the term “equal,” according to the Oxford dictionary is “being the same in quantity, size, degree, or value.” So, if we were to operate upon this definition of equality, we must then examine what this argument means according to Scripture. In other words, does this term “equal” and the definition of “equality” ultimately align with what Scripture teaches? Does equality correctly summarize man’s current state and ultimate goal or does it contradict Scripture at these points?
Knowing Christ and knowing of him are infinitely different. If we call ourselves “Christians” we better know which Christ it is that we serve.
Paul begins chapter 3 of his letter to the church at Philippi with a call for the church to rejoice. Indeed, as followers of Christ, if we look over the many things God has brought us through and the ways He has worked in us by His grace, we would have much to rejoice over! But all of this rejoicing is vain if it does not see the Lord as the giver, sustainer and source of all our good.
Can a true believer lose their salvation? This is a doctrine that has been argued for hundreds of years. I want to briefly show why a true believing Christian cannot lose their salvation, while also dealing with some objections and why this question matters.
Not all hymns are birthed out of extraordinary loss. Sometimes a simple truth can resonate to many generations and be a source of great encouragement, hope, and peace. The circumstances behind the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness" aren't outstanding, exceptional, or unusual. On the contrary--the words of this great worship song came from very ordinary means, and from a very ordinary man.
We all have those songs that remind us of our childhood. Thoughts of these songs sometimes bring with them smells and tastes, the faces of long-forgotten friends. Songs can also conjure up regrets. Maybe it is the thing we never got to say to someone or the things we never did with a loved one now gone. We may even get sad feelings from an upbeat song because of the good memories that we no longer share, memories we have left to only ourselves.
One of the overwhelming symptoms that I had during my bout with Coronavirus was fatigue. There was one day that I slept for nineteen hours! For all of the math whizzes out there, that means that, yes, I was only awake for five hours that day. It was so difficult to stay awake some days that I would wake up, walk to the couch, and then have to nap because I was so exhausted. Yet, it is this fatigue that I want to speak about here.
The term disciple, meaning student, can be found in a number of modern English words, such as discipline. That is to say, those who are called disciples have a certain discipline that they are studying. They are disciplined in paying attention and learning in this area of study. To say someone is a “disciple of Christ” is to then say that they are focused on and studying the works and teachings of Jesus, following after Christ and everything He believed. If this is what a disciple is, the question that should follows is, “What did Jesus teach and believe so that we may follow Him?” While there are a host of things that could be discussed, let’s focus in on the specific idea of what it means to “make disciples.”
A few weeks ago I took the test to see whether I had been infected with coronavirus. I was feeling ill, though I did not initially have the symptoms that the CDC had stated traditionally come with the virus. Still, I was sick. I took the test, had the swab shoved up my nostrils (certainly not pleasant), and then I waited… I received my results nearly 10 days later. Positive. I was not alone as my wife tested positive too. Fortunately, I had already stopped working per my employer’s policy that you must wait for a negative result to return to work. When I write these ways to minister to someone who has contracted coronavirus, I am doing so out of my personal experience. The following are the things I believe can best minister to those with the illness:
What good is it if we have all this world has to offer but lose our souls in the process? Those who are called to follow Christ have a much higher aim than anything that this world can offer. As such our values and ethics are not to be determined by the world in any way that conflicts with the divine revelation of God in His Word. We must be willing to let it all go.
Jesus’ disciples had abandoned him. His closest friend had betrayed him. The religious leaders had cornered him. The question came in a conversation between Jesus and Pilate: “What is truth?” The question is often understood as a rhetorical one in the context of this passage. However, Pilate was not seeking an answer; he was making a statement. It was a statement that perfectly captured the secular worldview of knowledge. Friedrich Nietzsche suggested that this verse was “the only saying that has any value” and Pilate was the “solitary figure worthy of honor” in the entire New Testament.[i] If you are not familiar with that name, you might be familiar with Nietzsche’s most infamous quote: “God is dead.”[ii]
“Who do you say that I am?”
Jesus and his disciples were alone. The conversation began with Jesus asking what others had said of his identity. Some supposed he was a new prophet or some kind of incarnate apparition of a former prophet. Jesus then posed this very question to his disciples. Peter, never the shy one, spoke up, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” He was right.
It seems like the days of face to face conversations are almost vanishing. With the ongoing pandemic, even times together feel much less “together.” But this peculiar trend did not start with Covid-19.
Over the past several years, social media has given distant friends a common “space.” Families separated by job relocations can now see each other’s faces and be a part of each other’s lives even from a distance. The technology that has made this possible is a wonderful thing at times, but it has also brought some unexpected distancing.
The Meaning of Marriage was written by Timothy Keller with his wife Kathy contributing. Timothy Keller served as the pastor for Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City for twenty-eight years. He is an influential pastor, author, and sought-after conference speaker. The Kellers have been married for forty-five years and therefore have the ability to write from the experience of a time-tested marriage.
Every Christian is to belong in “membership” to a local church. It is impossible to obey the New Testament commands without such a commitment. Unfortunately, we live in a society that abuses the very idea of commitment. The last several decades has shown just how much consumerism has ravaged the local church with narcissistic ideals. Our churches are filled with those who are content to just “date” the church. If we are to follow the example of the New Testament church we must be belong in a covenantal way.
These slogans are plastered across society, found in media advertisements, school speeches, and graduation cards. But we also know the reality of work is far different. The dream job may not be a reality for many people. Work may not always be easy. There are quite a few jobs that no one dreams of doing, which means a lot of available jobs that are not dream jobs. Sometimes work is difficult, tiring, or boring. Even people who have jobs they enjoy find that there are days where it would be easier to just stay in bed. So, how should Christians view their jobs? What is the importance and roles of our vocations? How do we glorify God in our work?
He beat her in a violent rage. In his anger, he decided to take fate in his own hands. He was not willing to bear the responsibility of becoming a father. So he violently attempted to force a miscarriage by his anger. This was not the first time that he had beaten her, but it would be his last. The young woman he abused was a runaway that he had just met in a shelter. After a little while, they decided to go back to her parents house. After seeing signs of abuse, her father kicked him out, and called the police, and he was never seen or heard from again. By the grace of God she and her baby would recover from their injuries. Every moment of our lives is left with an undeniable imprint of the grace of God. I know this to be true, for I survived my biological father’s murderous rage.
A common question I receive from friends, whether they are believers or non-believers is, “What will we be doing in heaven?” While I cannot answer all of the activities that occur in Heaven, in this small blog post as well as my ignorance of what heaven is like fully, let’s focus on one specific aspect of it. In Revelation 5, we see that one of the main activities of heaven is corporate worship.
It was a stormy night in Somerset, England, in 1763. A large thunderstorm had quickly moved in, and Augustus Toplady, a preacher in the village of Blagdon, found himself exposed in the brutal elements of wind, rain and lightning. Noticing the nearby gorge of Burrington Combe in the Mendip Hills, he quickly found a small gap in the gorge and took shelter from the violent deluge
