Posts Tagged ‘Church’
How Should Christians Respond to Tyranny?
“Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God” nearly became the motto of the United States. … Our founding fathers were convinced that Christians have an obligation to defend freedom and to resist tyranny. However, Romans 13 informs us that all authorities are appointed by God. Were our founding fathers misguided? How should Christians respond to tyranny?
Read MoreDiscerning the Spiritual Side of COVID-19
Four kinds of Christians have surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first kind is those who believe that God has purposes in all things and who trust that everything we see unfolding is His doing. The second kind is those who believe that COVID-19 was created by scientists and, whether released accidentally or intentionally, this…
Read MoreAre God’s People Subverting His Message in a Time of Difficulty?
Is God’s message to America being subverted by His own people? In the midst of a pandemic, have His people replaced God’s remedy for an infected nation with something more palatable? It may be that we have claimed a promise that does not belong to us, and we are preaching a message that is unsuited to this crisis….
Read MoreWhen Toilet Paper Becomes More Relevant Than Churches
Incredible as it may sound, access to toilet paper has become one of the most relevant issues for Americans in 2020. Faced with an unprecedented threat, Americans opted to turn to toilet paper—something previously taken for granted—for a sense of safety and security. How is it that when confronted with the prospect of death, society’s first reaction was…
Read MoreIs COVID-19 God’s Reality Check for the Church?
Has society judged the value of social gatherings at churches to be comparable to that in beauty salons, fitness centers, movie theaters, stadiums, bowling alleys, and casinos? Could it be that society has weighed the value of our contemporary churches and deemed their message and services to be virtually irrelevant to daily life, offering nothing in a time of crisis that our country can’t live without?
Read MoreA Message of Hope from a Chinese Christian to America
Not meeting in my local church building for Sunday worship because of the coronavirus reminded me of my church experience in China before becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen. Our gatherings were forced to scatter; our meeting places were bulldozed; believers were threatened and arrested. Christians in China are still persecuted for their faith, resulting in a lot of unknowns for tomorrow among God’s people. Nonetheless…
Read MoreHow to Love Others in a Pandemic
Loving others in the midst of a pandemic begins with purging fear from our spirits. First John 4:18 reminds us, “There is no fear in love.” If we fixate on personal risk, worrisome hypothetical scenarios, and unknown factors, we will be ill-equipped to…
Read MoreViral Love in Times of Crisis
The story of pandemics is as old as human history. In fact, the rise of Christianity probably would not have happened without them. A close look at the records from Roman cities of the era reveals that the Christian response to epidemics is a large part of the reason why faith triumphed over unbelief….
Read MoreEvaluating the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Christian Perspective
Perhaps the most debilitating symptom of the coronavirus is fear. Officially a global pandemic, and declared a national emergency in America, the coronavirus is producing widespread fear and panic. Is this fear merited? And what should our mindset be as Christians in this time of national anxiety?
Read MoreReceive
Today’s guest blogger is Sarah Monson. “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving.” The…
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