Increased Persecution in China, and What China’s Digital Dictatorship Could Mean for Christians
Whether there is persecution in China depends on where and when.
A large percentage of Chinese Christians are part of unregistered illegal churches—remaining underground because they recognize only Christ as Lord, and they refuse to allow the atheistic government to control their churches. For years people have told me, including some who’ve read my novel Safely Home, that there is no more persecution of Chinese Christians.... Continue Reading
Do We Know What We’re Doing on Sundays?
Could you describe what God says is the purpose of "corporate worship?"
“Like a journey without a clear destination or a habit with no real purpose, corporate worship that is not informed by knowledge of why we do what we do puts us at risk of wandering aimlessly through our services Sunday after Sunday. But knowing why we do what we do helps us not only to... Continue Reading
Remember: Good Christology and Pneumatology Lead to Good Ecclesiology!
Sometimes, people view the church apart from a view of Christ and the Holy Spirit
“Christology is the study of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Pneumatology is the study of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Ecclesiology is the study of the identity and work of the church.” I know that is a mouthful. But it is an important mouthful! Let me explain. First, the... Continue Reading
Revoice And God’s Design For The Family
The warnings from Revoice against making an idol of the “nuclear family” are, at the very least, ill conceived
“The new sexual revolution and the gender chaos connected to it is wreaking havoc in the lives of many of our neighbors; people we are called to love. The church must think constructively and regularly about ways to communicate God’s law and gospel to those who struggle under the weight of homosexual desires and gender... Continue Reading
Say It In A Sentence
I wasn’t ready to preach until I could state what my sermon was about in one, clear sentence
One Thursday afternoon I went for a walk with my pastor. He asked me what my sermon was about for later that night. Four minutes into trying to explain what my sermon was about, my pastor interrupted me and said: “SAY IT IN A SENTENCE!” When I was 21, I started preaching once a... Continue Reading
Canons Of Dort (3): Synod Approaches
In the Remonstrants' narrative, Arminius was just a godly Reformed pastor who was unjustly singled out for his preaching and teaching and they were unjustly persecuted along with him.
As the theological controversy heated up in the Netherlands, across Europe, and in the British Isles, the polarization between the Arminians and Calvinists threatened to break out into open warfare. Prince Maurice (Maurits; 1567–1625) and the de facto Prime Minister of the United Provinces, Jan van Oldenbarnevelt (1547–1619), were estranged. The latter supported the Arminians and Maurice... Continue Reading
The Danger of Generic Preaching
Nathan employs a terrific preaching tactic, he moves from the general to the specific.
Nathan and David could have comfortably chatted about hypothetical scenarios all day long. In fact the king likely found it to be a bit of a riveting conversation about the evil guy who steals a poor guys prized sheep. Nobody gets too upset when we make general comments. It’s when you say, “you are that... Continue Reading
8 Reasons Your Excuses for Not Practicing Church Discipline Don’t Work
Awash in the spirit of our non-judgmental age, church discipline feels acutely judgy, and that can’t be good for business.
But shouldn’t we be concerned about our church’s reputation in the local community? Jesus himself wants us to shine like a city on a hill whose light can’t be hidden (Matt 5:14–16). He wants the world to know we’re his disciples by the way we love one another (John 13:34). So how does a commitment... Continue Reading
Azusa Pacific University Reinstates Ban on LGBT Student Relationships
Azusa Pacific University's Board of Trustees has reinstated a ban on LGBT relationships one week after it had announced that it was lifting its ban on same-sex relationships among students.
In a statement on Friday, the board said officials never got approval to remove language from the student standards of conduct that prohibited same-sex relationships. The board also said they were standing firm in their convictions and will never “capitulate to outside pressures, be they legal, political, or social.” Azusa Pacific University’s Board of... Continue Reading
A History of Healthcare…and Why Christians Have Done it Different
We have an important message to share with the world. We can show them what true compassion is about.
Medicine used to be about caring for a person; now it is about curing a disease. According to this new philosophy, when someone is faced with a medical problem, everything that can be done ought to be done, no matter what – they are treated as an object to be fixed, rather than a person... Continue Reading
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