Is The Chinese Regime Changing Its Policy Toward Christianity?
It appears to be, and its hostility is only likely to increase
“I think that the official attitude toward religion has little if anything to do with Marxism, but a lot with Confucianism: Most of religion is a lot of superstition and it can be subversive of social order. If one cannot eradicate it, one must contain it—basically, a policy of disease control. Presiding over this containment... Continue Reading
Just Get On With It
If we put as much effort into our local churches as we do into conferences, videos, special meetings, movements, blogs, and ministries, the church would be a whole lot stronger
It’s interesting in the UK you now have people that travel round the world telling us all how to do church, whether it’s house church or church to the poor and that we’re all too posh and yet, whether they are actually doing the business at home is, I think, pretty debateable. There are some... Continue Reading
When Sin Looks Delicious
Do you ever have those days where you just want to sin?
When tempted to sin, you are told to put on the whole armor of God—the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and so on. Each of these pieces of armor is donned and deployed through prayer. You resist sin and withstand temptation through humbling yourself in prayer and by crying out to God for... Continue Reading
Boy Scout Troop 412 Breaks Camp
One Georgia troop pitches its tents with Trail Life following the Boy Scouts’ ruling last year on gay members
The altered membership standards were “probably the catalyst” for the change, said the troop’s charter organizational representative, Lewis Miller. But for a while the troop felt constrained when it came to expressions of faith. “What has bothered us for some time, for example, is that at summer camps we were told not to pray in... Continue Reading
Being A Doubter, Skeptic, Or Questioner, Doesn’t Make You Awesome
Let’s ask questions. But let’s ask them while maintaining the constant attitude of faith.
These days, it’s considered cool for a Christian to be a questioner, a doubter, and a skeptic. We’re not going to accept the canned faith of our parents! We’re not going to accept anything at face value! We’re going to ask all the hard questions. Our parents simply accepted what they were told from the... Continue Reading
When Father’s Day Hurts
I want you to know that you’re not grieving in silence, and you’re not grieving alone.
This isn’t an article about my pain, but it’s an article about the pain so many of you carry on this day. God calls us to bear one another’s burdens, and in my calling as a counselor and friend, I have heard your stories, and I hurt for you today. I wanted you to know... Continue Reading
A Pastor’s Reflections: Juggling
Life isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon
In other words, you will have seasons in your life when you won’t be able to participate in church as much as you like or reach out to your neighbors. The parents of small children, for example, typically have their hands full. It’s all they can do to get the family in the car to... Continue Reading
Made For More: An Invitation to Live in God’s Image
A review of Hannah Anderson's new book about what it actually means to be human, made in the image of God.
This is a very timely book because it seems that in an effort to combat liberal theology and feminism, the conservative church may have narrowed their focus a bit on the whole woman issue. As thankful as I am for some very helpful teaching on biblical womanhood, I am afraid that we may have become... Continue Reading
Lord, Should I Forgive My Brother This One Time?
When we remember how sinful we are, and how much our Lord has forgiven us of we will love much
I heard of a situation in which someone who had been accused of falling into a grievous sin was told by someone at the church they were attending, “What are you doing here? Don’t you know that you’re not welcomed here?” Apart from the fact that the person who said that had no authority to... Continue Reading
The Purposes of God
“Why?” This simple question is loaded with assumptions about what philosophers call “teleology.”
We do not live in a world of chance or chaos. It began with a purpose, it is sustained with a purpose, and it has an ultimate purpose. This is my Father’s world, and His rule is purposeful, not capricious and arbitrary. Purposelessness is a manifest impossibility. “Why?” This simple question is loaded with assumptions... Continue Reading