To find true persecution, look overseas
"The greatest curbs on religious freedoms take place in Muslim majority countries."
Still, Shortt notes the causes of conflict often are more mundane, such as differences in lifestyle, or fears that hard-working, thrifty and self-disciplined Christians may have an edge over their neighbors in the daily competition for survival. “I reject the…fantasy that holds Islam to be uniquely violent,” Book Review: Christianophobia, Rupert Shortt, 298 pp.... Continue Reading
The Religious ‘nones’ on the bus
One out of six people in the world are………., well, just what is it that they are or aren't, religiously speaking?
People with no religious affiliation make up the third-largest global group in a new study of the size of the world’s faiths, placing after Christians and Muslims and just before Hindus. The study, based on extensive data for the year 2010, also showed Islam and Hinduism are the faiths mostly likely to expand in the... Continue Reading
Culinary Christmas Traditions in the Holy Land
Christmas celebrations consist of more than just trees; delicious local holiday treats are also an important part the festivities.
Another tradition is to offer a Christmas chocolate, often in a shape of Santa Claus and a shot of a high quality liqueur, sweet wine or arak – an anise aperitif. Traditionally, it is not polite to refuse anything offered, however it is acceptable to say no to an alcoholic drink. The chocolate or a... Continue Reading
Christmas Sermon at Nicosia Community Church in Cyprus
Text Luke 1:46-55
Almighty God, it is through your word that we hear your Son speak and can understand how the Holy Spirit works in our lives…We humbly ask that you would reveal more of its truth and power to us this morning…and that its beauty would capture our hearts and bring all our thoughts and hopes into... Continue Reading
The Christmas Story
Let’s see what was written about Jesus by the prophets, hundreds and hundreds of years before He was born.
Editor’s Note: This sermon was submitted by a Scots pastor (in Scotland) who is a thoroughly committed Green Bay Packer fan. You have been warned. With the NFL regular season coming to a close, and the playoffs almost ready to begin, I’d like each one of us to make a prediction. A series of... Continue Reading
Christmas Sermon: “Santa Christ?”
The coming of Jesus is a disturbing event of the deepest proportions.
The Scriptures systematically strip away the veneer that covers the real truth of the Christmas story. Jesus did not come to add to our comforts. He did not come to help those who were already helping themselves or to fill life with more pleasant experiences. He came on a deliverance mission, to save sinners, and... Continue Reading
Marley and His Message to Scrooge
Christmas is a holiday, indeed the world’s most joyous holiday
When God touches earth, the place is holy. When God appears in history, the time is holy. There was never a more holy place than the city of Bethlehem, where the Word became flesh. There was never a more holy time than Christmas morning when Emmanuel was born. Christmas is a holiday. It is the... Continue Reading
Greetings at Christmas time
Merry Christmas to you each.
Editor’s Note: Our thanks to Marvin Padgett for passing this greeting on for the readers of The Aquila Report For centuries Christians have lived with the hope and expectation of Christ’s eventual reign on earth. They expressed their view and faith publically, grounded on Scripture as it is read each Sunday of the... Continue Reading
A Festivus for the Rest of Us
Frank Costanza created the December 23 observance called “Festivus” in the 1997 (Seinfeld) episode called “The Strike.”
Maybe Frank’s exasperation over the holiday season resonates with you, not because you’re a curmudgeon like he, but because you’re an earnest Christian who would rather celebrate the unparalleled significance of Jesus’s incarnation — God becoming man — without all the frills of endless sales and endless Santa. So what’s a Christian to do in... Continue Reading
A Postmodern Christmas
As we spread the gospel this Christmas, we may be discouraged by a lack of response.
The other day I was listening to talk radio when the hosts began the inevitable seasonal discussion about the meaning of Christmas. Callers quickly chimed in with their various perspectives and opinions, often intermingled with touching stories and well-intended exhortations toward charity and kindness. However, the friendly discussion quickly turned confrontational as various callers... Continue Reading