Five Bible Characters That Prove Salvation is Not a Process
If salvation were a process, then the one going through the process is involved in his salvation.
It is imperative that we as believers understand this truth. That we can talk about it and defend it biblically. Even though many Christians can’t pinpoint an exact moment when we were instantly saved, we know that this is the only way the Bible describes salvation, and we never let our experience dictate our theology,... Continue Reading
The Call to Evangelism Made Simple
One way to simplify evangelism is to make it a part of your everyday life
“Most articles on evangelism tend to focus on how we overcomplicate sharing the gospel with our words. We overthink the presentation, fear forgetting something, fear looking stupid, or wonder if we even know the good news. So, as a result of our muddled mind, we don’t say anything at all.” According to a LifeWay... Continue Reading
Why the God of the Qur’an Cannot Forgive Sins
There is a gaping difference between the love of the God of the Qur’an and the God of the Bible
Quranic Muslims quote Surah 4:157, scratch their head at times and ask, “How could God allow Jesus the prophet to go through such a terrible end as crucifixion? It is unthinkable.” Biblical Christians respond, “Love.” This is God’s love. God loved us by sending his Son to be our propitiation. Almost every system or... Continue Reading
“Uniting Methodists” Panelists: “The Bible Is Wrong”
The unorthodox beliefs shared by these “Uniting Methodists” panelists appear to speak clearly to the heart and future aspirations of this caucus and its preferred plan
Lauren Manza, who identifies as lesbian, was unabashed in criticizing the Bible itself. She too grew up in a conservative family, and felt conflict with her upbringing. When speaking on same-sex marriage and the verses that traditionalists use to argue against it she said, “I believe if I sat down with Paul today, Paul would... Continue Reading
No Earthly Good
We need to focus on the bigger picture to be both heavenly minded and earthly good
We must demonstrate love for neighbor with balance and in light of the ultimate purpose of all things, and doing so without inflicting additional burdens (e.g. 613 Jewish Commandments) on each other in order to achieve it. “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” There is, in... Continue Reading
Learning To Rest Well
Leaders are, by nature, driven. It is that same asset that can become a potential liability.
“The reality of Sabbath, of taking a rest, is a gift from God to all people, not just leaders. The Sabbath, Swoboda contends later on in the book, is for plants, animals, land, poor, rich, Christian, atheist—literally all of creation needs Sabbath because God wrote Sabbath into the fabric of creation prior to the Fall.”... Continue Reading
What Does It Mean to Pray ‘Thy Kingdom Come’?
Here are three aspects of this cry for the kingdom to come
“When we pray for the kingdom of God to come we are pleading for the kingdom of Satan to be toppled. Like is so often the case when a tyrant is displaced, we want his statues to be defaced, toppled, and dragged in open view. We want Satan and all of his demonic scheming, tactical... Continue Reading
The Beauty of Complementarity Goes Beyond Gender
As much as contemporary Western culture tries to suggest otherwise, the difference of male and female exists and matters.
When God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Gen. 2:18), he did not just just create a clone of Adam. He created a complement. God’s solution to Adam’s “not good” problem was not two of the same flesh, as if company was all Adam needed. It was a one-flesh union, two distinct... Continue Reading
Who Is the Happiest Human Being Who Ever Lived?
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).
Ironically, we often think of ourselves as fun-loving, and of God as a humorless killjoy. But we’ve got it backward. We are the dull ones, not God. Did we invent wit, humor, and laughter? No. God did. We’ll never begin to exhaust God’s sense of humor and His love for pleasure-filled joy. Though the... Continue Reading
Being a Father isn’t Easy, But it is Simple
As I've reflected lately on being a father, it strikes me that I've never seen anyone who did the things on this list fail as a father.
Just as it is impossible to lift others higher than where you’re standing, so it’s virtually impossible to help your children while you remain distant from God. Not only for the sake of your own joy and spiritual health, but for your children’s sake, draw close to God by all the means He’s given. ... Continue Reading