You might think that, although Christians disagree on a lot of topics, they at least agree on the central theme of their religion: the gospel. But no such luck. You have Calvinism on the one side, Arminianism on the other, and an entire spectrum of options in between. And that’s just within Protestantism. The Catholic and … Continue reading –>
The church was organized for service. The church is not a hospital for sinners (I know that goes against tradition). “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” Matthew … Continue reading –>
When we allow the Bible to explain itself, God can use ordinary people to do great things. Years ago, when I worked on the sort isle at UPS, our supervisors would occasionally bring in food to eat, while we worked at four in the morning. One such time, my supervisor, who was also a Protestant … Continue reading –>
After the great disappointment of 1844, a small band of Adventists, unable to deny the presence of God in the Millerite movement, came to the conclusion that, instead of the Second Coming, God had begun what they termed the “Investigative Judgment,” now also known as the Pre-Advent Judgment, as distinct from the Final Judgment. Throughout the … Continue reading –>
Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great … Continue reading –>
We need what Peter had – individually and collectively. And we need it desperately. We readily recall Peter’s boldness in asking his Lord for permission to walk on water. That story is full of encouragement as we face the impossible in our lives. If ever there was a story in the bible that illustrates the success … Continue reading –>
A Buddhist form of meditation called “mindfulness meditation” has taken the mental health field by storm. It has produced many well-documented positive effects and has been basically touted as a panacea for most psychological ills. In terms of popularity and buzz, mindfulness is to mental health what organic coconut water is to physical health—a somewhat … Continue reading –>
Did Jesus need to be baptized? Was He just setting a good example for us to follow, or was He actually repenting? Suppose you are eating at your favorite restaurant, and the waiter spills the drinks all over you. I guarantee that the manager is going to come out and apologize all over the place. … Continue reading –>
Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city. Proverbs 16:32 NLT David prayed for deliverance from his enemies. He also prayed they would not disgrace him. David faced Goliath, but Goliath did not turn out to be too much of an enemy as he fell by the first stone … Continue reading –>
Why did God need to make peace with heaven? (1 Col 1:19-20) This verse may help us understand just how real the war in heaven was: For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth … Continue reading –>
