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WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT POLITICS? (PART 2)
With politics taking center stage in our society due to a divisive Supreme Court confirmation and pending midterm elections, maybe it is time we consider what the Bible has to say about political matters. For the record, this will not be an investigation or critique of political ideologies, platforms, or parties; instead, it will be a three week study of some key biblical principles affecting the Christian’s relationship with the government. In last week’s article we observed the relationship between…
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT POLITICS? (PART 1)
With politics taking center stage in our society due to a divisive Supreme Court confirmation and pending midterm elections, maybe it is time we consider what the Bible has to say about political matters. For the record, this will not be an investigation or critique of political ideologies, platforms, or parties; instead, it will be a three week study of some key biblical principles affecting the Christian’s relationship with the government. What is the relationship between God and government? In…
THE PATH TO GLORY – PART THREE
In our study of Philippians 1:9-11, we have observed the first two “steps” towards bringing glory to God in our lives: Step #1: Abound in love Step #2: Use knowledge and discernment In our text, these first two steps seem to serve as a “prerequisite” for what comes next… STEP #3: APPROVE WHAT IS EXCELLENT Paul says in verses 9-10, “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that…
THE PATH TO GLORY – PART TWO
Last week, we began a study of Philippians 1:9-11 as a “blueprint” for how we, as Christians, can bring glory to God. This “Path to Glory,” as it is presented in this particular section of Scripture, is a 5-step process. Step #1, as Paul states in verse 9, is “that your love may abound more and more.” In other words, an active, growing, and overflowing love for God, for each other, and for others is the first step in bringing…
THE PATH TO GLORY – PART ONE
“To God be the glory, great things He hath done. So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, who yielded His life an atonement for sin, and opened the life gate that all may go in.” – from “To God Be the Glory,”by Fanny Jane Crosby and William Howard Doane We sing about giving glory to God; we pray about giving glory to God; we talk about giving glory to God; but how does this actually work?…
PROBLEM SOLVER
If you’re looking for baby names, how about these two beauties: Euodiaand Syntyche. I know what you’re probably thinking: “I knew a Euodia in high school, and she was a total jerk.” But wouldn’t those names look absolutely fantastic on a monogrammed diaper bag or a Christmas stocking? You know they would. Seriously though, would you like to have been either Euodia or Syntyche when the letter to the Philippians was read out loudto the entire congregation for the first time?…
FAITH AND DOUBTS (PART 3)
Facing doubt is not a sin in and of itself. As long as you resolve the doubt, you have not sinned; however, if you give in to the doubt then you have sinned. So, whether or not doubt leads to sin has everything to do with how you handle it. This begs the question: how do you handle doubt in such a way so that you overcome it? To answer this question I encourage you to read about Jesus’ interaction…
FAITH AND DOUBTS (PART 2)
At times, faith is difficult because it requires the unseen to be greater than the seen, and since faith can be difficult, the opportunity for doubt arises. This begs the question: is it a sin to doubt? In an effort to answer this question, let us explore what the Bible has to say about doubt, and we begin by acknowledging that the presence of doubt is not uncommon during the faith development process. Since faith must be tested (James 1:2-4;…
FAITH AND DOUBTS (PART 1)
The Bible defines faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). In other words, faith is deciding that what is unseen is greater than what is seen, but subscribing to such a mentality is easier said than done. More often than not, we sympathize with the father in Mark 9:17-24 who asked if Jesus could heal his demon possessed son. Jesus answered, “All things are possible for one who believes,” to which…
SELFITIS: PROGNOSIS
In last week’s article, we diagnosed the spiritual disease of selfitis. Selfitis refers to the inflammation of the self to the exclusion or reduction of God. Selfitis can be diagnosed by observing the speech patterns of an individual. If an individual utilizes personal pronouns in excess during conversation, then he or she has likely contracted selfitis (e.g. Genesis 11:4; Judges 16:20; 1 Samuel 13;11-12; Daniel 4:30). The prognosis for this disease is not favorable. Since selfitis involves the elevation of…
SELFITIS: DIAGNOSIS
There is a prominent spiritual disease that has adversely affected numerous followers of God over the years. It is called “selfitis” (pronounced sel-fi-tis), and it refers to the inflammation of the self. “Selfitis” occurs when one glorifies himself or herself to the exclusion or reduction of God. It is typically contracted when an individual… Diagnosing “selfitis” is fairly easy. By observing the speech patterns of an individual one can determine whether or not the disease is present. If an individual…
BYG Scotland Mission Trip Day 8
BYG Scotland Mission Trip Day 8 Day 8 was a full day in Edinburgh, Scotland’s Capital city. We started at 9am to allow us time to recoup a bit from our spectacular Friday in the Highlands and Inverness area. We arrived in Edinburgh around 10:30 and all went in their different ways as groups to enjoy the city and Royal Mile shops, cafes, tartan hunting, climb mountains, looking for the queen who was in town at Holyrood, run from the Edinburgh…