Category: Christian Articles

What Is Biblical Meditation? What is meditation? The concept has been corrupted in modern thought. In the minds of many Christians, meditation is associated with eastern religions, like Hinduism and Buddhism – belief systems that don’t acknowledge God as Father or Jesus as Savior and

How Christians Can Combat Racism. Two Christian scholars respond to this inflammatory issue in this article, and each attempts to deconstruct what Charlottesville had resurfaced about racism in the USA. Racism is a social construct and is a pernicious worldwide phenomenon. Its expressions can be

What American Christians Worry About Most. Health care in the United States is provided by many distinct organisations. Health care facilities are largely owned and operated by private sector businesses. 58% of US community hospitals are non-profit, 21% are government owned, and 21% are for-profit. In America, it is more expensive than

Two-Thirds Of Chinese Christians Attend A House Church. In China, house churches or family churches are Protestant assemblies in the People’s Republic of China that operate independently from the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and China Christian Council (CCC), and came into existence due to the change in religious policy after the end of

10 Sure Marks Of Humility. Is there any trait more odious than pride or more precious than humility? Is there any trait whose presence we so highly honour in others and whose absence we so readily excuse in ourselves? Truly, pride is the chief of

Do We Treat Sunday The Way Earliest Christians Did? This is a book review for A Brief History of Sunday: From the New Testament to the New Creation by Justo L. Gonzalez, published by Eerdmans. I never miss the opportunity to read Justo González. The

Can A Christian Commit Suicide? This controversial topic has unfortunately often been addressed in emotional ways, not through biblical analysis. Those of us who grew up Roman Catholic have always heard suicide is a mortal sin that irretrievably sends people to hell. Influenced by the

How Badly Soviet Atheism Failed In Europe. Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe, a survey conducted from June 2015 to July 2016 in 18 countries by Pew Research Center, roughly a quarter of a century after the fall of the Iron

Christian Earth Day Lessons: Worship By Protecting Creation. God, the Creator of all things, rules over all and deserves our worship and adoration (Ps. 103:19—22). The earth, and, with it, all the cosmos, reveals its Creator’s wisdom and goodness (Ps. 19:1—6) and is sustained and

The Most Astonishing Easter Miracle. “When I visit a church, I notice things. The number of blacks, Asians, and Latinos in relation to whites. Whether women are on the platform. How people are dressed. The quality of the cars in the parking lot. I notice

Why We Need ‘Useless’ People. Typically, the nucleus of each human cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, half of which are inherited from each parent. Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21. This additional genetic material alters

Daughter Talks About Her Father Jim Elliot. This is a short video clip of Jim and his colleagues in Ecuador, narrated by Jim’s daughter Valerie Shepard. Philip James Elliot (October 8, 1927 – January 8, 1956) was a Christian missionary to Ecuador, where he was killed

How the Order of the Beatitudes Could Change Your Life. Everyone wants to be blessed. We want to be blessed in our relationships, our businesses, and our churches. We want to be blessed in life, death, and eternity. The opposite of being blessed is being

We Were Seduced By Power. Power is seductive and the human capacity, no matter who we are, craves for power in one way or another. It is rare that people in powerful positions would confess to abuses of their power. If the truth is told,

The Problem Of Evil Is A Problem For Everyone. Can we ever grasp the slippery texture of the problem of evil? In Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Duke Senior described it thus (in Act 2, Scene 1, 12-17): “Sweet are the uses of adversity, which

A Matter of Integrity With Fake News. Karl Vaters in this article in Christianity Today informs us why Christians must stop taking the fake news bait. He suggests a four-step checklist to help us stop passing them around as though they are true, especially with

Threatened By Terrorists, 9 Monks Made An Amazing Decision. Last week, I opened my email to continue a conversation about the new Star Wars movie, and I was immediately derailed by “breaking news” about deadly violence. And then another headline appeared, informing me that American leaders were

Pray For Aleppo? A World Vision’s survey conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs from 8th to 12th September 2016, where a sample of over 1,000 American adults were interviewed online, with more than half considering themselves as committed Christians, indicated that only 14% prayed for the

As Innocent As A Snake. Tim Challies in this article articulated the obvious for us, but dabbling with what is forbidden has always been a temptation for man, otherwise the warning to deliberately turn away from it would not have been necessary. The Stanford Prison

The Bible Never Says ‘All Men Are Created Equal.’ An Anglican man rang me out of the blue the other day to ask if the New Testament teaches “equality.” “Not really,” I replied. “The New Testament mentions equality once or twice, but when it comes to social

God Is Not Out to Get You. When one has been acculturised in a shame environment, the natural tendency would be to either give up or to attempt to excel whatever the cost. To perform as best as one is able is not altogether a

Evangelicals Are Clarifying Marriage As A Core Belief. Evangelicals in the USA, across the board, have been clarifying publicly their stand on traditional marriage as the core Evangelical belief in recent months, and this article clarifies the reasons for this impetus. The underlying theology is

Befriend Those With Disabilities And Special Needs. According to The American Journal of Medical Genetics, 99 percent of those living with Down syndrome say they’re happy; 97 percent say they like who they are; and 99 percent agree with the statement, “I love my family.” According to one writer, these statistics identify

Christian, You Are Free Not To Vote. The following is the relevant section from Piper’s written manuscript: The right to vote in America is not a binding duty (without regard to other factors) for Christians in every election. “The children are free.” We are free

Ten Reasons Why Theology Matters. Theology matters…. Because even evangelicals need evangelizing; Because we can’t feel our way toward knowledge of God; Because the Bible is not a grab bag of facts about God; Because God likes highways, not cul-de-sacs; Because the New Jerusalem will

An Illustration of Repentance. The Westminster Shorter Catechism has an excellent definition of repentance in Question 87: “Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth,

The Value of Friends Who Don’t Look, Think, or Vote Like You Do. In an era of stark political division and social-media distraction, genuine friendship doesn’t come easy. Which makes it all the more urgent, says Nashville pastor Scott Sauls. In Befriend: Create Belonging in an

Evangelicals’ Favourite Heresies Revisited. LifeWay Research and Ligonier Ministries jointly conducted this survey, with 3,000 American adults on a set of 47 wide-ranging statements on Christian theology and issues. A similar evaluation was done two years’ earlier. It gauges an average American’s basic understanding of

Clinton, Trump, or Neither? 3 Views on the 2016 Presidential Election. This has been one of the most contentious Presidential elections in American history, and each day brings up new issues mired in mud slinging, although some may call it truth-telling! With only another 28

Why Jesus, Not Salvation, Is God’s Greatest Gift To Us. Jesus is the greatest gift there is. That is a staple of Christian theology. Yet as soon as we hear this statement, we’re apt to collapse it into a statement about some other gift, like

The Religious Affections By Jonathan Edwards. A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections is a classic by Jonathan Edwards, and this article describing gives us a synopsis of the book. It was written in 1746 describing the process of Christian conversion during the first Great Awakening in

Am I a Hypocrite and Do Not Even Know It? No one likes to think they are a hypocrite. That’s why we imagine the worst displays of hypocrisy and then declare ourselves innocent. We think of the hypocritical person as a self-righteous oaf, pounding the table to

Must We Forgive Those Who Sin Against Us If They Don’t Repent? All Christians at some point will face the difficult task of forgiving someone who’s sinned against them. The apostle Paul calls us to do so in a manner that imitates the Father: “Be

Are American Christians Really Persecuted? Anti-Christian hostility is on the minds of many American Christians these days. Each new legal challenge to religious liberty at the state and federal levels raises the issue afresh. It seems that today, Christians must think through their cultural position

God Would Not Tell You To Marry Your Spouse. Would God tell you to marry your spouse? Many of us subscribe to this line of thought, and may even spin a theology around it. Having counselled a number of spouses trapped in unhappy and abusive

When The Church Becomes Complicit In Sin. Lessons On Preventing and Combatting Sexual Abuse. Just a month ago Elie Wiesel, survivor of Auschwitz and a voice for justice, died. His words remain: “Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

Is There a Better Way to Fight Political Correctness? This is a difficult topic to navigate any levelheaded conversation in today’s linguistic parlance of fairness and prejudice. But as believers, it is imperative and necessary that we are clued into what it means when faced

Porn Is More Criticized and More Popular Than Ever. This spring, Utah became the first state to declare pornography a public health crisis, calling on businesses and educators to protect children from it. Around the same time, a Time Magazine cover story reported that porn causes erectile dysfunction

Why Jesus’ Skin Colour Matters. After one of my recent lectures, a Christian college student approached me and asked if black people are uncomfortable with the fact that Jesus is white. I responded, “Jesus is not white. The Jesus of history likely looked more like

Has Authenticity Trumped Holiness? Brett McCracken, is a film critic for Christianity Today and the author of several books, evaluates the apparent ‘authenticity’ fixation pervading evangelical Christianity today. Introducing the topic, he says, “Evangelicalism—both on the individual and institutional level—is trying hard to purge itself of

Russia: The Other Christian Nation. The Orthodox Church has for centuries maintained a see-saw relationship with the Communist State, and this recent anti-terrorism law passed by the Putin administration reinforced this preferential treatment. How this works is the topic of this Christianity Today article by

Evil Looks Like You What does an evil person look like? In the wake of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, a not-unexpected thing happened in the social media sleuthing for the perpetrators. As readers of popular sites pored over photos of the marathon public, they began to

Neuroscience and the Bible Explain Shame Shame is a curious emotion, and the extent some go to denying it is extraordinary, as it usually breeds a variety of psychological reactions with telltale signs of its presence. Psychiatrist Kurt Thompson explains exactly what it is, God’s

Transgender and Intersex: How Should the Church Interact in Love Andrew Wilson is asking the question here: “How should we respond to people whose experience of their gender doesn’t fit with their biological sex? Or who have taken measures to change it? Or whose biological

Confessions of a Media-Protective Parent Most kids are into the media before their parents are aware, and it is not uncommon for the latter to do some catching-up and ‘befriending’ their children just to know what is happening in these communication portals. Michelle van Loon

How God Messed Up My Happy Atheist Life Nicole Cliffe was a satisfied atheist for most of her life, until… Her short testimony in Christianity Today attempts to explain the unexplainable! God is God and He is consistently gentle, gracious and loving in His approach

Secular Intolerance The liberal wing of the political spectrum often trumpets the grace of freedom of expression and we hear its drums being repeatedly beaten in newsprint and on the media. But in reality, when they do secure that freedom, it turns out that they

What Reconciliation Sounds Like The advice from Mark Galli is to listen, and intentionally listen again, whenever social conflict arises. That may seem counterintuitive, but honestly very few of us bother to listen intently. Our prejudice and self-opinionated ideals and pride lock us into a

Proof of Heaven? Matt Smethurst charts for us from Scripture the reality of a place called Heaven, and how eternity and the gospel relate to it. Some rare jewels mentioned are: “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed so

Does Jihad Equate with Old Testament Warfare? Is there a similarity between Jihad and the Old Testament wars? Nabeel Qureshi writes as a Christian, and this short synopsis differentiates the Old Testament warfare and Jihad in Islamic theology. There is a progression from the Old

Do Not Force the Celebration at Funerals This odd title belies an uncomfortable fact for many Christians, whether one ought to celebrate the death of a loved one. Although we are aware of the hope in the resurrection one day, nevertheless the physical finality of

We Must Not Play by Majority Rules This is a thoughtful and provocative article that takes the view that the church ought not to take the position that it is in a predominant position simply because it was at one time a majority faith. The

Consider Reading the Qur’an The violent upheavals in the Islamic world in almost every Middle Eastern and northern and central African nation are upon us, and 5 years on, there appear to be no end to it. The initial struggle for a voice for the

The Scandal of Biblical Illiteracy. Although its perspective is western, it is also a worldwide phenomenon. In his short write up, Dr Albert Mohler shares his take on how problematic it can be, with a little humour and truth telling. Read Article Here: http://www.albertmohler.com/2016/01/20/the-scandal-of-biblical-illiteracy-its-our-problem-4/?utm_content=buffer95c8f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=sbtsfb&utm_campaign=buffer

Ten Markers of Strong Discipleship Programmes. This rather down-to-earth summary article gives some indicators for a discipling church. It may not sound as simple as Chuck Lawless makes it out to be, as the temptation to mass-produce them may be counter-productive. But the pointers mentioned

My Real Life Hosea Story. Craig Keener is the Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, and he shares with us intimately and courageously what he termed his ‘Hosea’ journey. The tragedy of human failure in all its modes reflects the brokenness

How to Talk to Your Kids About Homosexuality. In this short ‘how to’ write-up, Seth Stewart starts by saying, “I only have one major point in this article, and it’s this: the best way to talk to your kids about homosexuality is to first talk about healthy sexuality.”

What Did Jesus Really Look Like? This question has garnered as many views as there are Biblical historians. Joan Taylor, Professor of Christian Origins and Second Temple Judaism at King’s College, London, in this interesting article, attempts to put a ‘recognisable’ face to Jesus. How

Bonhoeffer’s Last Advent O good Jesus, Word of the Father, Splendor of the Father’s glory On whom the angels long to gaze, Teach me to do Your will. Bone Jesu by Heinrich Schutz in Kleine Geistliche Konzerte. Bonhoeffer’s last Advent, written by Timothy George, provides

What Does Discipleship Success Means? A Barna Group studied this question with the American Protestant church pastors and their members, and the varying answers are not surprising, as is the dearth in discipling. This study was conducted on behalf of the Navigators and Navpress. The

Brother, Where is Your Identity? In today’s material and post-modern world, our identity, depending on what revolves around us for a major portion of our life and our own needs, often mould our values. How far we get from God would also depend on whether

What Unforgiveness Does to Your Brain We’ve all been deeply hurt in some way, and the deeper the hurt, the harder it is and the longer it takes us to forgive. But sometimes we simply don’t forgive but harbor a grudge. Resentment builds in our

10 Skills Every Husband Needs This is an interesting interview, but like all interviews in print, it is rather limiting in content. But what Darrin and Amie Patrick have to say is worth digesting and working through. Perhaps getting their book would be the next

David Was a Rapist, Abraham Was a Sex Trafficker Scripture teaches us that God works in and through messed up people—even ones with some of the worst sexual baggage we can imagine. Scripture doesn’t avoid talking about sexual violence. Nor does it use euphemisms to

12 Truthful Marriage Vows You Won’t Hear at a Wedding These are essential rules to follow which adds strength to any marriage. Frank Powell summarizes for us. I promise: to never flirt, lust or desire the attention of someone of the opposite sex; to never

How Caring For the Elderly Points Us To the Gospel Moving his mother out of her own decades-old home to a nursing facility broke Russell Moore’s heart, as he struggled with an option that he had promised her he would not exercise. This short reflection

3 Ways You Might Be Teaching Your Kids The Prosperity Gospel This is an interesting read for parents and would-be-parents as we struggle with bringing up our kids and passing on our Christian values in enhancing their budding faith. Materialism and nominalism regularly invades our

How do you know if you have a good relationship with someone or God? Most of us veer away from answering a question like this, especially when we are conflict aversive, and have problems handling opposing views. It is easier to just say ‘let us agree

Martyrdom seems like a word that has gone out of vogue, but with the increasing rate of religious persecution in various parts of our world community, it is again before us. It remains inextricably part of the Christian message, the Gospel. We cannot ignore it,

Proverbs 3: 11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline: Despise translates a word having nearly the same meaning as that used in 1:7 and 30. The learner is cautioned not to reject, refuse, or, as Contemporary English Version says, “turn away.” In some

Revelations 3: 16 The Laodiceans were in spiritual things cold comparatively, but not cold as the world outside, and as those who had never belonged to the Church. The lukewarm state, if it be the transitional stage to a warmer, is a desirable state (for

Philippians 2: 7 The verb “to empty” is used elsewhere in the Pauline Epistles four times (Rom 4:14; 1 Cor 1:17; 9:15; 2 Cor 9:3), and in each instance it is used metaphorically in the sense of “to bring to nothing,” “to make worthless,” or

The Sin Crushing King And Our Destined-to-Die Conqueror Human nature is such that an awareness of the presence of sin is almost always projected at another. This longish study by Kevin DeYoung, for The Gospel Coalition, reacquaint us to man’s perennial moral dilemma in our

Genesis 1: 26 -27 tells us that as humans, we are made in God’s image. But what does that mean? Ask a few Christians, and you’ll probably get several different responses. Dr. Michael Heiser, Bible scholar and author of the new book, The Unseen Realm,

Most women are completely dumbfounded at the Ashley Madison scandal, asking, How could it be so easy for so many men – including godly, Christian men – to visit such a site? Most men are completely chilled at the Ashley Madison scandal: thinking, There but

Seeing God Isaiah 55: 8 – 11 Three reasons are given for seeking the Lord. (1) Man’s thoughts and ways are not those of God. Man therefore cannot evaluate his own spiritual condition nor can he dictate the terms of his acceptance before the Lord

John 11: 21 – 22 When Martha met Jesus, she repeated, in substance, what, in all probability, she had been saying so often during the illness of her brother. Then she—and also Mary (see on 11:32)—had been uttering the sigh of near-despair: “If only Jesus

2 Corinthians 6: 1 We then, as fellow-workers. Continuing the entreaty of ch. 5:20, he adds, “But as [his] fellow-workers we also exhort you.” The “also” shows that he does not rest content with merely entreating them (δεόμεθα), but adds to the entreaty an exhortation

John 8:11 Instead of passing judgment on the woman, Jesus passed judgment on the judges! No doubt He was indignant at the way they treated the woman. He was also concerned that such hypocrites should condemn another person and not judge themselves. We do not

1 Peter 3: 1 – 2 Peter continues his discussion on submission. After admonishing the readers to be submissive to authorities and telling the slaves to obey their masters, he exhorts the wives to submit to their husbands. Peter adds the phrase in the same

3 Reasons Why Your Teaching Style Matters This stimulating article by Bekah Stoneking in Christianity Today gives some thoughts to how pastors and christian educators can communicate God’s truth and equip the generations to participate in His mission. As we respond differently to differing teaching

James 2:10 – 13 James was aware there would be some who would tend to dismiss their offense of prejudice as a trivial fault. They would hardly consider themselves as lawbreakers. James went on to make it clear that this was no small offense. Whoever

2 Corinthians 6: 7 Although not indicated by the NIV’s punctuation nor by verse divisions, Paul now lists four more characteristics of his ministry. These are not so much moral qualities as they are foundational power which drives his ministry. These are anchored by the

John 5: 7 – 8 Over so long a time of sickness and helplessness, the man had developed a limited view of God’s love and power: that God could (or would) heal only a few who were really able to help themselves; the rest God

John 14: 15 The uncompromising connection between love for Christ and obedience to Christ repeatedly recurs in John’s writings (cf. vv. 21, 23; 15:14). The linkage approaches the level of definition: ‘This is love for God: to obey his commands’ (1 Jn. 5:3). But what