Ethics and The Christian: Why Worldview Matters (part 4)
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.
Truth and The Christian: Why Worldview Matters (part 3)
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]
Identity and The Christian: Why Worldview Matters (part 2)
“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.
Social Media and The Christian: Why Worldview Matters
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.
Book Review: The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy and Kathy Keller
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.
What Does It Mean To Be A Member Of A Local Church?
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.
Labor of Love: Why Work Matters in the Christian Life
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?
Chosen & Adopted: A Display of Sovereign Grace
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.
What will we be doing in heaven?
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.
"Rock of Ages" - Three Aspects of Salvation
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
The Unfailing Mission of God
Jesus, unlike any other King or President, can always declare victory without any possibility of failure. Although the banner on the USS Abraham Lincoln conveyed the “wrong message,” Jesus cannot do the same. These are not well wishes from Jesus hoping that one day he would be successful — it was a promise of his success. Jesus could say this although he knew that in just a matter of minutes he would have many turn from him. Jesus has an unfailing mission and it will prevail without any hint of failure. This is not deterred even when people walk away. Jesus gives a promise in this chapter that God’s redemption of man will succeed.
What Is Love?
Philosophers have written tomes on the reasons for love. Poets have filled manuscripts with the imagery and emotions of love. Musicians have sung songs about the joys and pains of love. But all have really been asking the same big question—“What is love?” Love cannot be defined as a culmination of feelings and emotions. Love cannot be defined as situations, events, or outcomes in life. Love cannot be defined as the perceptions and actions of other people. Love cannot be defined as itself (i.e. “love is love”). Love can only be defined by God. In fact, love can only be defined through God, because God is love (1 John 4:8).
WHAT IS APOLOGETICS: AN INTRODUCTION TO APOLOGETIC METHODOLOGY
The word apologetics is derived from the Greek ἀπολογία (apologia), meaning “to give a reasoned defense.” We see the concept of apologetics in 1 Peter 3:15.
“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”
Law, Law What Is It Good For?
We can better understand Paul as saying that the Law tells us what is right before God, but it is grace alone that makes us right before God. The Law teaches us what we need to do, while grace gives us the power to do it. Now let us arrive at the pivotal verse of Romans 6:14, where we see the whole verse saying, “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
When God Isn’t Good…
If you were to listen to the way some Christians speak about God, you’d have to wonder if He really were good all the time. Perhaps you have heard someone say, “God has been good to me today!” When someone says that (most likely out of ignorance) it begs the question — when hasn’t God been good? Does God have some quota of goodness to meet before it can be defined as good?
The Indescribable Grace of God
Our culture today believes not in a God of forgiving grace, but in a concept of fortune or misfortune that will revisit a person who is either good to others or evil to others. It's called Karma. The world believes that karma will settle the score. Karma says, “do this, and it will be done back to you”.
But grace says, “Even though you did something, favor and mercy will be given to you.” The word ‘grace’ is the Greek word charis. It describes the complete and unmerited favor bestowed on someone irregardless of their worth or whether they deserved it or not.
A Study in the Book of Hebrews: The Centrality of Jesus
We aren't sure exactly who wrote the book of Hebrews. Some say it was Paul the apostle, but that is doubtful. Others say Barnabas—or because of the writing style, perhaps it was Luke or even Apollos—but we don't know for sure. The letter reads more like a sermon—a sermon that was written and shared among believers in the first century and now throughout eternity.
Why Does Corporate Singing Matter?
God has made His people a singing people. We are hard-wired to sing. From the Song of Moses (Deut. 32) to the Seven Hymns of Revelation (Rev. 4,5,7), the Bible is filled with the songs of God’s people. Three books of the Old Testament—Psalms, Song of Solomon, and Lamentations—are collections of songs. In fact, music not only plays a vital role throughout Scripture, but is one of the few activities that we know creation carries out on earth, as well as in heaven.
Which Bible Translation Should I Choose?
So many bible translations, so little time... Where do we begin in sorting through which bible translation(s) to choose? There are over 100 million bibles sold or distributed each year, many of them in a variety of different translations. Most of these bibles are incredibly similar in style and substance, but there are some which have taken great liberties with the original texts.
A Critique of Bill Johnson's "The Way of Life"
I had heard much about Bill Johnson and Bethel Church over the years. From what I observed, I knew that there were numerous doctrinal differences that I had with him and his church. Bill Johnson really began to come onto my radar after watching the testimony of Lindsey Davis and the film “American Gospel: Christ Alone” However, I had never read anything written by Bill Johnson prior to reading “The Way of Life.” I had read much about Johnson but had never read anything by Johnson. That all changed when I promised a local pastor (who is friendly with Johnson and Bethel Church) that I would read and discuss the book with him. He graciously purchased the book for me and I kept our promise to meet.