Do the revelatory spiritual gifts – tongues, healing, and prophecy – continue to modern day? If not, why are they so prevalent in Acts? If they do, why do we see them practiced in strange and chaotic ways? And what does the Bible say?
Is it wrong to listen to certain forms of music? What about worship music from a church who has had some questionable teachings?
A lot of people have eschatology on the brain these days. With all the speculation about the end of the world, one world governments, microchips and 666, it’s hard to know where to draw the line between what’s biblical and what is not!
The terms Reformed and Calvinist, though not the same, are often used interchangeably. So if you have been introduced to “reformed” theology, this would be a good listen for you. If you are a Calvinist who has been taught that Arminians compromise the gospel or are “semi-Pelagian”, I would also encourage you to listen! You might be surprised at what Arminius actually taught.
One of the question I receive on a weekly basis is “What do you do when you just don’t feel like studying the Bible?” It’s something all Christians will run into at one point or another. This isn’t a foreign experience, even for the long term faithful Christian. But that doesn’t mean it’s something we accept; something we grow apathetic about. It’s something we overcome.
I’m told the good days are over.
If the election turns out one way, things will never be the same. If a vaccine is mandated, or if it isn’t; if the House changes, or if it doesn’t; if the businesses open, or if they don’t – the good days are over. There is no hope.
Ravi Zacharias was one of the “good ones”, I thought. When he died, I celebrated the fact that a man had completed a life’s work for the gospel without scandal. He died a champion for the faith – or so I believed. I cried through the memorial video released by RZIM, but at the time, they were tears of joy for the legacy I believed Ravi had.
As Christians take to the interwebs warning of this deception and that false teacher, discernment becomes more pressing. And yet… it’s not just the false teaching we need to be discerning about. It’s the people WARNING against false teaching. Yes: we need to be able to recognize the difference between true discernment and fear-led immaturity. Many of the very people talking about “discernment” are in the latter camp.
As I limited my time on technology and social media last year, I found myself drawn toward email for keeping up with friends and the world. Isn’t it funny how email was the first “big thing” and it’s still here?? I’ve found that reading longform newsletters and blog posts is much more refreshing than the 15-second hits of Instagram and Facebook. There’s more room for explanation and context, more room to sit and read instead of tapping through.
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Would you believe I spent most of my life thinking of this day only in terms of retail sales and ski resort blackout dates? I knew who MLK was (sort of) and what he did (a little) and I knew his actions were significant for black men and women. But I’m not black, so I paid little attention.