June 2024 | The Urban Church Antioch
The Essence of Christian Unity
Christian unity is one of the most desired-and most misunderstood-qualities of the church. In John 17, Jesus prays for unity among His disciples and those who would hear their preaching (that includes you and me). What did He actually pray for?He did not pray for a one-world church under one lead...Read More
Pastor M. V. Varghese (1924 – 2024) A Remembrance by Pastor T. Valson Abraham
A Greek proverb says, “The old age of an eagle is better than the youth of a sparrow.” Pastor M. V. Varghese was an eagle who taught us sparrows many lessons on how to fly well. I want to share some highlights from his long life and ministry briefly.Born in 1924, Pastor Varghese experienced a ra...Read More
Marks of a Spirit--Filled Church
Years ago, the late Billy Graham, held one of his large evangelistic crusades in a certain city. A prominent minister of that city was approached by a reporter who asked him how he thought the crusade was going.The minister grumbled, “Billy Graham has set back the churches of this city fifty...Read More
Evaluation is Important for Growth
(Inaugural address of at the Centennial Convention of India Pentecostal Church of God on January 14, 2024)Paul says that he has not arrived yet. That's a remarkable statement. If anybody had the right to claim he had arrived, it would be Paul. He wrote 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. He hel...Read More
The miraculous transformation of Saul of Tarsus gives us hope for our own day.Saul of Tarsus was the last person anyone expected to follow Jesus Christ. That he would later become the missionary to the Gentiles, willing to face beatings, stoning, prisons, shipwreck, and to lose his life for th...Read More
Signs and Wonders: The Kingdom of God in Our Midst
Terrorism…nuclear war…social and cultural decay…political corruption…attacks upon the family…persecution…At this time in history, it is difficult not to be afraid at the growing list of terrible threats against civilization itself. The world seems to be going mad. More and more people wo...Read More
According to archeologists, the population of Jerusalem in Jesus’ time was somewhere between 20,000 and 100,000, with smaller numbers probably more accurate. For a small city, Jerusalem has exerted an influence far out of proportion to its size.I mention this because Acts 1-5 relates how 3,0...Read More
One Easter Sunday morning in the 1930s, a young British journalist, also an atheist and socialist, entered a Russian Orthodox Church in Kiev, in what was then part of the Soviet Union. This young man idealized the Russian Revolution as the beginning of a human utopia free of all religion. One ...Read More
When he was 17 years old, a perceptive German student wrote, "Our heart, reason, history, and the work of Christ convince us that without Him we cannot achieve our goal, that without Him we are doomed by God, and only Christ can save us."Nine years later, that young man, Karl Marx, rejected Jesus Ch...Read More
Lambs Indeed Why All of Us Need the Good Shepherd
I am writing this during the plague of tornadoes that have devastated Joplin, MO, and other places in the Plains States. I know many people there, some of my dearest friends were wiped out of their earthly belongings. I know some who lost loved ones. At such times, we suddenly realize how incredibly...Read More
Often, Christian witness today is based upon apologetics-rational arguments for the faith. Peter tells us we must always be “ready to make a defense to everyone who asks [us] to give an account for the hope that is in [us]” (1 Peter 3:15). While apologetics has importance and ma...Read More
Jesus Christ-The Light of All Lights
Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World.” Jesus entry into the world was announced to the wise men as a star in the heavens. But Jesus first publicly spoke these words at the feast of tabernacles during a festival of lights. Any perceptive person hearing Jesus speak of Himself as “lig...Read More
During the United States Presidential election frenzy, politicians will promise, and Americans will vote for, what can never be perfectly realized by any human chief executive, no matter how talented, experienced or sincere. At such times, I frequently think of Jesus’ words, “I am the bread.Jesu...Read More
Your Perceptions or His Truth?
Would you fly on an airline with pilots so sure of their perceptions that they refused to fly by instruments or listen to air traffic controllers?It is safe to say that such an airline would quickly go out of business. Generally speaking, we don’t trust people who trust too much in themselves. ...Read More
In the Upper Room Jesus partakes of His final meal with His disciples before His trial and crucifixion. There, He makes an astounding claim we all do well to heed: “In the world, you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).Here, Jesus rem...Read More
Go into a mortuary and try to carry on a conversation with a dead person lying in a casket. No matter how charming, charismatic or logical your words and personality, you will get nowhere. That dead person cannot respond.A spiritually dead person cannot respond to the things of God. ...Read More
"Look Up... Your Salvation is Near"
Would you like to see heaven on earth? If so, then you should be waiting, working and watching for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.Every day, we pick up our newspapers and note that the world is in deep trouble. The trouble seems to be getting worse. Desperate people want super-w...Read More
The Importance of Second Doctrine or Truth
There was a time not too long ago when “Theology” was regarded as the queen of all sciences. Theology comes from two Greek words: Theos (God) and Logos (Word), literally “God-Word” or Word of God”. Take the words such as psychology, sociology and biology. Psychology is the “study of...Read More
Most times, we don’t put those two words together. We think of “fierce” as aggressive, destructive and fearful, and love as soft, tender and peaceful. But “fierce” has another side to it—heartfelt and passionate intensity. This definitely describes the character of Jesus’ love.Th...Read More
The United States of America or any other democratic nation that elects its President or Prime Minister experiences election frenzy when politicians will promise, and people will vote for, what can never be perfectly realized by any human chief executive, no matter how talented, experienced or sin...Read More
God's Work Made Manifest in Us
John records the story of the healing of a blind man by Jesus in Chapter 9:1-7 and then details in the following thirty-one verses the reactions of four groups of people and the story culminates in the blind person recognizing Jesus as the Son of God and “worshipped Him” (v.38).&nbs...Read More
The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same
The role of women has changed little over the past 2,700 years. I want you to compare what women are saying about their roles now with what was said in the year 1,700 and what we read in Proverbs 31, which was written around 700 BC. Author Linda Weber, in her book writ...Read More
Jesus Christ: Light of the World
Lloyd Ogilvie, pastor and one-time Chaplain of the U.S. Senate, originally came from Scotland. One evening, in his native Scotland, he was walking outside without a flashlight. It grew dark. He tripped on a rock and fell down. He put his hand forward to push himself up and fe...Read More
What We Believe makes All the Difference
Many people say they believe in Jesus, but what we believe about Jesus makes all the difference.In John 7, Jesus’ own brothers give a good example of this. They “believed” in Jesus, but they believed He was a magician and a secular Messiah. They saw Him as a celebrity who needed to break o...Read More
God Bless you with His Grace and Peace in the new year of 2021. I pray you experience His Love, Joy and Goodness in abundance. We have just celebrated the birth of our Savior and Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. It is necessary for us to remember why we celebrate the coming of this Child an...Read More
Praise God that He has “overcome the world” for the gospel of the kingdom in the middle of the continuing pandemic.In John 16, just before Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples, “In this world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”...Read More
Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, came into the world to restore peace with God and peace among human beings. Throughout India and the world, billions of people search for peace. Most people look for peace in the wrong places.Christians say the only true way to peace is through Jesus C...Read More
Light in the Darkness: Extreme Times, Christ's Opportunity
In these days of confusion, chaos and crisis, we are wise not to attribute this primarily to political/social causes, but to the darkness in our hearts—our deep ignorance of God and of ourselves, and our willful blindness to God’s righteousness that reveals our fallen natures.Even as Christians,...Read More
The Christian and the Trials of Life
How should we as Christians regard such a time as this? Some of you may have the coronavirus. Others of you may have friends or loved ones who have suffered or even died from it. Others of you have lost or are about to lose your livelihoods. Still others have faced shortages in food and other ...Read More
A significant event in the life of Solomon is recorded in 2 Chronicles 7. The Lord appears to Solomon a second time in a dream. Solomon perceived that it is God who spoke to him. Whenever God touches us, we know in our heart and realize that it is a supernatural intervention. Solomon realized th...Read More
Faith Healing and Medicine: Biblical Perspectives
The Great Commission is fulfilled only when we witness to a loving and gracious God who is sovereign in all things. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,” we read in Psalm 24. This galls Satan and his human allies. They want to banish God from His creation a...Read More
Dear friend,One day, a breathless man came running up to John Wesley, the well-known preacher and revivalist, and shouted, “Sir, your house has burned down! Your house has burned down!”John Wesley calmly replied, “No, it hasn’t because I don’t own a house.”“But Mr. Wesley, sir,...Read More
The Importance of Second Doctrine or Truth
There was a time not too long ago when “Theology” was regarded as the queen of all sciences. Theology comes from two Greek words: Theos (God) and Logos (Word), literally “God-Word” or Word of God”. Take the words such as psychology, sociology and biology. Psychology is the “study of...Read More
What is the meaning and purpose of baptism? Does baptism guarantee our salvation? Is this why Jesus commanded His disciples to make disciples and baptize them?Praise God for His wondrous grace by which He provides everything we need for our salvation. Salvation comes to us by grace...Read More
Generational Curses and God's Grace
Imagine yourself wading in the ocean on a warm day. Someone has warned you that the riptides are especially strong today, and it is not a good time to wade, but you ignore the warning. A sudden wave picks you up and carries you out to sea. The ocean current is too strong for you, and you find...Read More
Dear Friend,“Abide in me...he who abides in me bears much fruit.” This is the essence of maturity.Jesus spoke these words to His disciples just before His crucifixion. They are not mystical or religious words, but relational. God is sovereign. He is also a Person we can know and trust....Read More
Marks of a Spirit-filled Church
Years ago, the late Billy Graham, held one of his large evangelistic crusades in a certain city. A prominent minister of that city was approached by a reporter who asked him how he thought the crusade was going.The minister grumbled, “Billy Graham has set back the churches of this city fifty...Read More
Holy living means learning to live as God Himself.God’s central quality is His holiness. His holiness makes Him incomparable to all others. His holiness is the one outstanding quality about which the angels sing. When Isaiah saw God in the temple, God’s holiness caused Isaiah to cry out,...Read More
II Kings 22 records how young King Josiah ascended the throne following years of idolatry, a time of darkness when even Solomon’s temple, once dedicated to God’s glory, became filled with pagan idols. One day, Hilkiah the high priest found the sacred scriptures in the temple, forgotten and...Read More
“Weep for yourselves and for your children” (Luke 23:28). “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).Countless painters have painted the scene of Jesus’s crucifixion or dramatized it on film. There is a natural tendency among many people to regard the cross...Read More
Dear Friend, Whether in India, Europe, Africa or America, addiction is a major problem. Gerald May defines an addiction as “compulsive, habitual behavior that limits freedom of human desire.” In other words, an addict is a slave. Whatever holds an addict’s attention to this degree has ...Read More
Twenty-year-old Eric Percy, after drinking, got into a loud argument with his girlfriend about 3 am that carried over the neighborhood in the early morning quiet. Finally, with curses that woke everyone, he jumped into his car, turned on the engine, and screeched around the corner. His car accelerat...Read More
The Shoot from the Stump of Jesse
A dead, dry tree stump lies forgotten and neglected in the corner of the yard, covered with weeds and snails. Someone cut down the tree long ago, but no one remembers (or cares) who cut it down or when it was cut down. But one day, a shoot begins to grow from the dead stump. It gro...Read More
Christian Attitude Toward Finances
In recent days, we hear much about and perhaps experienced the penalties of living with a bad economy. The more we learn about the roots of the present distress, we realize that many supposedly “smart” people in responsible positions have made foolish decisions that violate simple principl...Read More
“When we all get to heaven…”Many Christians regard this as the “ultimate” of the Christian life. This is important, but Jesus revealed a far greater and more dramatic destiny for the Christian: His Second Coming. It is the day, not when we leave earth for heaven, but when...Read More
"Encourage One Another with These Words"
There is no doubt about it. We live in troubled times, and they seem to be getting more troubled. In Kerala, we know this by experience as we recover from the worst floods in recorded history. But even these floods, as destructive, terrible and grievous as they are, pale in co...Read More
Demons and the Problem of Evil
Demons are real.Many times, I have encountered them in my ministry. I have heard the testimonies of other people who have encountered them. I have personally cast them out of possessed people and seen the dramatic transformation that took place afterwards. Demons are a difficu...Read More
Someone has defined commitment as “dedication to a particular organization, cause, or belief, and a willingness to get involved.” This definition governs many churches and organizations, but this definition of commitment is insufficient for the church of Jesus Christ. At heart, ...Read More
Jesus' Resurrection-Truth or Fiction?
The key to Jesus Christ’s uniqueness is his historical resurrection. If Jesus Christ did not actually rise from the dead in historical time, then Christianity is a fraud. The Bible itself makes this claim in 1 Corinthians 15: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preach...Read More
“Holiness, not happiness, is the chief end of man,” said Oswald Chambers.The problem is that most of us, most of the time, turn that around. Even in the church, we must fight the tendency to reduce God to a sentimental being whose purpose is chiefly to make us happy and prosperous.Dr. Mart...Read More
What is the glory of God? The dictionary defines “glory” as “very great praise, honor, or distinction bestowed by common consent; renown; something that is a source of honor, fame, admiration; resplendent beauty or magnificence or prosperity; a state of absolute happiness, gratification, ...Read More
Contentment: The Road to Thanksgiving
In America, November is marked by a holiday known as Thanksgiving Day. The original purpose of the day was to set aside a time of thanksgiving to God for His many blessings. It originated with America’s Christian forefathers, the Pilgrims, who settled in North America “for the glory ...Read More
Danger of Following False Christs
A man looks at a sore on his neck that does not heal. He worries - is it cancer? The thought frightens and horrifies him. He asks advice from others regarding a good doctor. Someone tells him, “Oh, it doesn’t really make any difference which doctor you go to. J...Read More
We live in an age of trouble. Wherever we look, we hear of heart ailments. Millions of people die of heart ailments. A cause of heart disease is stress. We read in the newspapers about terrorism, war, violence, and starvation. This adds more stress to people’s lives.We also experience job and fami...Read More
Dear friend,One day, a breathless man came running up to John Wesley, the well-known preacher and revivalist, and shouted, “Sir, your house has burned down! Your house has burned down!”John Wesley calmly replied, “No, it hasn’t because I don’t own a house.”“But Mr. Wesley, sir,...Read More
Holistic healing - the harmonious relationship of body, soul and spirit - comes when we learn to live our lives governed by the grace of God.How do we know we are governed by the grace of God? I submit to you a simple test. Ask yourself this question: When were you saved? &nbs...Read More
Everyone Needs The Old Testament
A great error is making its way into the church and into our culture as a whole: the belief that we don’t need the Old Testament. We are told the Old Testament is too old, bloodthirsty and obscure to serve any further purpose. Let us cast aside this relic of the past, we are told....Read More
Your Call to Ministry Leadership
To discover and to display Jesus Christ this is the highest purpose of life and ministry.This purpose is especially evident in the apostle Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. Someone has called Ephesians “the Rolls Royce of the epistles” because of the succinct way it sets forth the vision, minis...Read More
“Stewardship is another term for fundraising.”How many times have you heard or thought that? This common misconception permeates our culture, even within the church, but it is heresy of the worst sort.Stewardship applies to everything God gives us, including our life experiences, our envir...Read More
Our children are our first mission field.We live in a turbulent world inhabited by troubled youth and children, alienated from their families and society. Apart from a dramatic intervention by God, we face a troubled future because these troubled youth grow up. Soon, they become parents themselves. ...Read More
We live in dangerous times. How easy for us to become alarmed, discouraged, to despair that God has abandoned us. We all need hope in our times - hope greater than wishful thinking, knowledge based upon fact. Hope greater than mere optimism. Hope based upon the Word of God, upon His...Read More
Queen Elizabeth has reigned for almost 65 years. We all know her face, and we know many things about her and her family. But if any of us sought to enter her private quarters at Buckingham Palace without proper credentials, we would be arrested and jailed. No one enters the presence of royalty...Read More
Twenty-year-old Eric Percy, after drinking, got into a loud argument with his girlfriend about 3 am that carried over the neighborhood in the early morning quiet. Finally, with curses that woke everyone, he jumped into his car, turned on the engine, and screeched around the corner. His car accelerat...Read More
Showing Grace to Graceless Parents
To effectively fulfill the Great Commission sometimes depends upon how we honor the most dishonorable people of our lives with God’s grace. This may include parents who mistreated, neglected and abused us. To a degree, we all experience dysfunctional families. All parents ar...Read More
The Godly Influence of My Maternal Grandparents
As the oldest grandchild, I received much care and love by my grandparents and extended family. My maternal grandfather, Pastor P.T. Chacko, took me to nursery school and to my earliest grades in elementary school. I would sit on the front of his cycle and later, his motorcycle. Every da...Read More
When Our Children Don't Succeed
All of us who have children, grandchildren, nephews or nieces want them to succeed in life. We become overjoyed when they do, and we proudly tell others of their accomplishments. Their success reflects upon us. In a very real sense, we regard their success as our success.What if th...Read More
A CHRISTIAN APPROACH TO COMMUNALISM
Communalism is a chronic problem in India, but the Bible shows us a way to deal with it.Communalism attempts to build religious and ethnic identities and to incite strife among people of different communities. These smaller communities see themselves first of all as members of a particular gro...Read More
God introduces Himself… This fact makes the Bible and the gospel of Jesus Christ different from any other religion.Everywhere else, a celebrated philosopher, teacher or prophet tries to introduce us to God. But humanity’s ideas about God, no matter how seemingly noble and high-minded...Read More
God introduces Himself… This fact makes the Bible and the gospel of Jesus Christ different from any other religion.Everywhere else, a celebrated philosopher, teacher or prophet tries to introduce us to God. But humanity’s ideas about God, no matter how seemingly noble and high-minded...Read More
Today, millions of people feel alienated from society. To feel alienated is to feel excluded and powerless. Right now, Christians are coming under increasing attack on different fronts. In the past, Christians have influenced society in dark days. In many ways, they have...Read More
One of the greatest blessings that God gives to us is the gift of work. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people, including many Christians, do not believe this. Most people are dissatisfied with the work they do. Many Christians are convinced that their jobs are not sufficiently “Chr...Read More
I wish you all God’s richest blessings in 2016.Whoever receives one such child in My name receives me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him, that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depths of the sea.”...Read More
Jesus Christ came into the world as a helpless child. That says everything about the importance of children to God and the importance they should have for us. During His ministry, Jesus attracted children, and He enjoyed their company. He exploded with indignation when His disciple...Read More
ECOLOGY AND MISSIONS GO TOGETHER
When God created man in His image, He mandated him to “subdue” the earth. What does “subdue” mean in today’s world?In India, the Bhopal disaster of 1984 still haunts us more than 30 years after leaks from a pesticide factory emitted toxic gases that spread far over the surrounding ar...Read More
As any good parent knows, raising children is never an easy task. Parents must take years to patiently raise their children to become fruitful human beings.As believers in the Great Commission, we must never become content just with winning people to Jesus Christ. Jesus told us to “mak...Read More
Reconciliation does not necessarily equal intimacy. Two enemies may reconcile but never become true friends. They no longer fight, but they have little contact with one another.How many Christians secretly live lives like this? They know Jesus has ended their enmity with God and re...Read More
Organized religion has tended to devalue women and deny them power and influence. This includes organized Christendom throughout much of its history.Christendom is never as radical as the Bible. When we read the Bible, it becomes clear that God has always had different ideas about women ...Read More
In 1990, 24 years ago, the Hubble Space Telescope was sent into orbit on the space shuttle Discovery.It was the world’s most powerful camera and telescope sent into space. The camera lens was 8 feet in diameter, weighing 828 kilos, the most expensive space project undertaken by the government of U...Read More
Church and State: Pray for Our Leaders
Dear Friend,Brutal, tyrannical, extravagant, persecutor, murderer, cruel, opportunistic…These are just a few of the words that describe the Roman emperor, Nero. Roman historian, Suetonius, said that Nero “showed neither discrimination nor moderation in putting to death whomsoever he please...Read More
Even when we do not think of God, we all depend constantly upon His presence in our lives. The more we see and experience His glory and grace in our daily lives, the greater our freedom.When Isaiah met God in the temple, he heard the angels cry out,“Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of hosts, the...Read More
The Church: Organism or Organization
There is a popular concept among some church people that as far as the church is concerned, “organism” is good and spiritual, but that “organization” is bad and unspiritual. I believe this is false. Organization is necessary for any enterprise. As far as the church is ...Read More
Bible Interpretation: The Bible's Underlying Purpose
Bible interpretation is a topic as big as God Himself. That is because at the heart of it, the Bible is the Word of a holy, righteous and just God. Yet we who read it are sinful human beings. We run the risk of making grave mistakes when trying to read and interpret the Bible....Read More
Challenges and Opportunities of Globalization
Question: What is the truest definition of globalization?Answer: Princess Diana’s death.Question: Why?Answer: An English princess with an Egyptian boyfriend crashes in a French tunnel riding a German car with a Dutch engine, driven by a Belgian, drunk with Scottish whiskey,...Read More
Lydia’s life forces us to re-evaluate our attitudes toward women.To receive God’s best and highest blessings, it is best that we follow Him and accept all He chooses to do in our lives, not decide ahead of time what He should and should not do. Throughout the centuries, men have tended to regard...Read More
Globalization: An Opportunity for the Gospel
In 2010, I was a delegate at the Lausanne Conference in Capetown, South Africa. That gathering of mission-minded Christians from around the world reflects the growing realization that the Great Commission requires global cooperation with other believers.The Lausanne Conference is just one exam...Read More
Through Example and Changed Hearts
How should Christians deal with human trafficking in ways that glorify God, advance His kingdom and help victims? Human trafficking is growing in India, America and worldwide. It is a form of human bondage and slavery.In the Apostle Paul’s time, the Roman Empire was a slave society.&nbs...Read More
All of us need a special healing touch of God upon our lives that renews as well as purges out what is unnecessary or harmful.The ancient Egyptians of Moses’ day referred to this as “the finger of God.” This is a colorful term that refers to God’s direct and miraculous intervention in ...Read More
The Blessings of True Prophecy
The gospel finds its place in men, women and children to the extent that the Holy Spirit plants and enlivens His written Word in their hearts. He does this in a number of ways. One of those ways is through the prophetic word. True prophecy is the Word of God coming through a human messenger. This ha...Read More
Perseverance: Key to God's Promises
This Christmas season, we thank God for becoming “God with us.”Think of Simeon, the old man to whom the Holy Spirit revealed the infant Jesus as the promised Messiah. Apparently many years earlier, the Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not see death until he first saw God’...Read More
Regularly, all of us see and meet people with special needs. Maybe you have such people in your family. Maybe you even see yourself as one of those in need.Often, when we come into contact with such people, we become uncomfortable. We do not know how to react to those unable to car...Read More
Christ's Way to Victory in Suffering
Each person in this world suffers in some way. The heart of each person is heavy or broken because of tragedy, injustice and/or violence to oneself or family members or dear friends. Suffering comes in as many forms as there are people on this earth—physical, mental, emotional, relation...Read More
We all know people who do well in their studies and go on to succeed in life while others do not. Are some people are born to success while others are not? Is this their fate in life? Not necessarily.Often, the person who faces more obstacles achieves the most success while the privileged acco...Read More
All of us carry roles in our society that identify who we are. Some of us are doctors, lawyers, farmers, business people, etc. In our families, we carry identities as “father,” “mother,” “brother,” sister,” “cousin,” etc. Some of us are ministers and missionaries....Read More
“Religion…is the opium of the people,” wrote Karl Marx, considered the founder of modern-day Communism and icon of secular humanism. Opium is a drug one takes when he feels hopeless, weak and depressed and has no realistic approach to a better life. To Karl Marx, Christianity ...Read More
The Importance of Sound Doctrine or Truth
There was a time not too long ago when “Theology” was regarded as the queen of all sciences. Theology comes from two Greek words: Theos (God) and Logos (Word), literally “God-Word” or Word of God”. Take the words such as psychology, sociology and biology. Psychology is the “study of...Read More
Establishing Our Godly Inheritance
In December 2011, ABC News carried the story of an anonymous Kansas City woman who received $6.1 million, the largest unclaimed money award in U.S. history. Generations ago, her ancestors had invested in a long-forgotten company, and she was the lawful beneficiary of all that had accumulated.&...Read More
How many times have you seriously tried to engage with God, and you suddenly have had lustful or bitter thoughts? A telephone call? A sudden compulsion to attend to “urgent” business? Afterwards you feel deep pangs of guilt and wonder why you got so easily sidetracked.How many ...Read More
Christians have more reason to rejoice and celebrate than any other religion on earth. As Christians, we worship God who assures us of salvation in a way that no religion can offer. We receive salvation without any human possibility to merit it. The Christmas season should be a time of festivit...Read More
A SUFFERING AND TRIUMPHANT GOD Sayings from the Cross, Part II
Because Jesus Christ is both divine and human, His final words on the cross reveal not only the work and character of God but also God’s intention for us in a broken world.“I thirst.” The One who comforted grieving hearts, healed the sick, raised the dead and fed the hungry now experiences s...Read More
A Suffering and Triumphant God Sayings from the Cross, Part I
The true character of a person is most revealed in what he says and does in a crisis.Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus helped people when they were helpless. By emptying Himself of glory and becoming human, Jesus became helpless on the cross. Now, he was despised and rejected.&...Read More
THE BASIS OF GOD'S KINGDOM The Lord's Prayer, Part II
The Lord's Prayer reveals how we should regard God and power and grace to accomplish important things in our own lives and the lives of others.The Lord's Prayer also reveals us for who we are when Jesus prays, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” We all tend toward idolat...Read More
BRINGING GOD'S KINGDOM The Lord's Prayer, part 1
“Prayer does not fit us for the greater work,” Oswald Chambers tells us, “prayer is the greater work.”Another man of God, H. MacGregor, has told us, “I would rather train twenty men to pray, than a thousand to preach. A minister's highest mission ought to be to teach his people to pray....Read More
“Theology” is a word that causes deep misunderstanding among many kinds of people. There is a general misconception that theology is only for religious specialists who spend years in college and seminary and church pastorates. Not true. In truth, we are all theologians. Theology is the study...Read More
How to Become a Mature Christian
How do you know if you are a mature Christian? Turn to the writings of James, the apostle. Right away, James tells us that his purpose in writing is “that you may be mature and complete.” The Greek word that James uses for “mature” is teleios. In his day, teleios was the word used ...Read More
When he was 17 years old, a perceptive German student wrote, "Our heart, reason, history, and the work of Christ convince us that without Him we cannot achieve our goal, that without Him we are doomed by God, and only Christ can save us."Nine years later, that young man, Karl Marx, rejected Jesus Ch...Read More
Jesus Christ-The Light of All Lights
Jesus said, "I am the Light of the World." Jesus entry into the world was announced to the wise men as a star in the heavens. But Jesus first publicly spoke these words at the feast of tabernacles during a festival of lights. Any perceptive person hearing Jesus speak of H...Read More