‘Many Incarnations’ of Jesus? NASA Enlisted Theologians to Study Faith Implications of Alien Life

By

-

December 29, 2021

News recently broke that NASA hired religious experts to ponder spiritual implications of discovering extraterrestrial life. From 2016 to 2017, the U.S. space agency earmarked $1.1 million for a nine-month study at Princeton’s Center of Theological Inquiry (CTI). Recruited to research “The Societal Implications of Astrobiology” were 24 theologians, including the Rev. Dr. Andrew Davison, an Anglican priest and biochemist from Cambridge. He recently described his role in the study and has a forthcoming book titled “Astrobiology and Christian Doctrine.”

Will Storrar, CTI’s director, says NASA’s goal was to have “serious scholarship being published” about the “profound wonder and mystery and implication of finding microbial life on another planet.”

Andrew Davison: Have There Been ‘Many Incarnations’ of Jesus?

On a blog for Cambridge divinity faculty, Andrew Davison details his role in the study. He focused mainly on Christology but also pondered topics such as creation and the dignity of human life. Davison sums up his research as “a survey of the main topics in Christian belief—what is sometimes called ‘systematic theology’—from the perspective of life elsewhere in the universe. I am thinking about its bearing on the doctrines of creation, sin, the person and work of Jesus, redemption, revelation, eschatology, and so on.”

“The most significant question there is,” writes Davison, “is probably whether one would respond theologically to the prospect of life elsewhere in terms of there having been many incarnations [of] Jesus.” He also is pondering “the doctrine of creation, especially in terms of how it deals with themes of multiplicity and diversity.” Calling creation a “generous gift” from God, he says “that would apply equally to…whatever other life there might be in the universe.”

Davison notes, “Perhaps the main discovery I would report on to date is finding just how frequently theology-and-astrobiology has been a topic in popular writing for at least a century and a half: in monthly magazines for instance.”

Religion Will Help People Process Discovery of Aliens

In his upcoming book, Andrew Davison writes that “nonreligious people…seem to overestimate the challenges that religious people…would experience if faced with evidence of alien life.” If such proof is found, he predicts that earthlings will “turn to their religions’ traditions for guidance” to grapple with various implications for “the standing and dignity of human life.” Whether we detect extraterrestrial life “in a decade or only in future centuries or perhaps never at all,” he writes, “it will be useful to have thought through the implications in advance.”

Desmond Tutu’s Family Gathers in South Africa for Cape Town Funeral

By

Fazlur Phillips

-

December 29, 2021

CAPE TOWN (AP) — Desmond Tutu‘s family members gathered at his Cape Town home on Tuesday in preparation for his funeral this weekend as South Africans honored his life.

The Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist for racial equality and LGBT rights died Sunday at the age of 90.

Tutu’s wife Leah is being joined by the couple’s four children, grandchildren and other family members.

“Mommy is maintaining … She is being surrounded with love,” daughter Nontombi Tutu told The Associated Press in front of the family home in the Milnerton area of Cape Town.

“In a time like this, there are times where we are laughing, sharing stories, and there are times where we are crying, as we come to terms with life without daddy,” she said.

“He has not quite left us and yet he has left us. And so as a family we are supporting one another,” she said. “We are loving one another, we are fighting one another, as families do. And we are feeling the love and support from people all over the country and all over the world.”

The period when Tutu will lie in state at St. George’s Anglican Cathedral in Cape Town has been extended to two days, Thursday and Friday, to allow all mourners to pay tribute by filing past his coffin, his trust announced Tuesday.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that Tutu’s requiem Mass Saturday will be a Special Official Funeral Category 1. His ashes will later be interred at the cathedral’s mausoleum, according to Tutu’s instructions.

“The archbishop was very clear on his wishes for his funeral. He wanted no ostentatiousness or lavish spending,” the Tutu trust said in a statement. “He asked that the coffin be the cheapest available and that a bouquet of carnations from his family be the only flowers in the cathedral.”

Tutu’s supporters have left flowers at the Cape Town cathedral and also in front of Tutu’s historic home in Soweto, Johannesburg. Prayers were said and candles lit at St. Mary’s Anglican Cathedral in Johannesburg Tuesday evening.

An interfaith service will be held in the capital, Pretoria, on Wednesday and the City of Cape Town is also planning to hold a service in honor of Tutu. Cape Town’s landmark Table Mountain, the Cape Town Civic Center, and an arch at the cathedral are all being lit up each night this week in purple in honor of Tutu’s purple bishop’s robes.

___

AP journalist Andrew Meldrum contributed to this report from Johannesburg.

This article originally appeared here.

Frank Barker, Founding Pastor of Briarwood Presbyterian Church, Is Dead at 89

By

Alejandra Molina

-

December 29, 2021

(RNS) — The Rev. Frank Barker, whose 4,000-member Briarwood Presbyterian Church grew from a Birmingham, Alabama, storefront before he helped found a conservative branch of Presbyterianism, has died. He was 89.

Barker died Monday (Dec. 27), his daughter, Peggy Barker Townes, confirmed to the news site AL.com. He would have turned 90 in January.

“He was faithful to the last breath,” Townes told AL.com. “We have been as blessed as we can be.”

Barker led Briarwood Presbyterian Church from its founding in 1960 until his retirement in 1999. The church lasted only three years in its shopping center location. In 1988, Barker oversaw the construction of a $32 million hilltop campus, adding a $5.5 million expansion 10 years later.

Barker led the church through the creation of Briarwood Christian School in 1965 and the Birmingham Theological Seminary in 1972.

The Rev. Harry Reeder, who replaced Barker as senior pastor at Briarwood Presbyterian after his retirement, remembered Barker in a Facebook post on Monday as a “mentor in Gospel ministry” and as a “humble, godly, visionary friend and pastor.”

“He loved His Word, His Church, the lost and he loved living the Great Commandment and fulfilling the Great Commission,” Reeder wrote.

Barker, unlike many other megachurch pastors, was not a “dynamic orator,” his daughter recalled in a 2018 news story on The Gospel Coalition. “I had to train myself” to evangelize, he told the publication.

In 1973, Barker hosted the founding meeting of the Presbyterian Church in America, the second-largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States and, according to its website, “the largest Calvinist denomination in the United States.”

Five years later Barker helped found Campus Outreach, a network of interdenominational ministries targeting college students without faith in the U.S. and across the world, especially at schools too small to support their own ministries.

Campus Outreach today has 122 chapters from Minneapolis to Washington, D.C., and from New Zealand to Peru.

Though retired, Barker continued to serve Briarwood and Christians in Alabama until recently. “I was blessed to be in the last small group Bible Study he conducted which concluded just a couple of months ago,” said Bill Armistead, former chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, who described Barker as a mentor in a Facebook post Monday. “Rev. Barker was truly faithful to the end and he was anxiously anticipating the day he would be face to face with his Savior.”

This article originally appeared here.

Parents Outraged After Educator Refers to Evangelicals as ‘Kooks’ and ‘Bigots’ in Poem Recited at School Board Meeting

By

Dale Chamberlain

-

December 29, 2021

Tempers have flared in Leander, Texas regarding a list of 11 books that have been removed from the Leander Independent School District curriculum after a year-long review that deemed them inappropriate for high school students.

In response to the decision to remove these books, one educator wrote a Dr. Seuss style poem, which refers to evangelicals as “bigots” and “kooks,” and recited it at a December school board meeting. Parents of students in the district have responded to the poem with outrage.

While the pulled books had not been required reading for literature courses, they were part of a list of texts that students could select from for required “book clubs.” Students were also allowed to select books that were not on the provided list.

After parents complained about some of the books on the “book club” selected readings list, which included titles such as “The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel” by Margaret Atwood and Renee Nault and “V for Vendetta” by Alan Moore, the Leander ISD assembled a committee to review them. The committee consisted of staff, parents, and community members, who eventually determined that 11 books should be pulled from the curriculum because of sexual content, sexual assault references, foul language, and graphic images.

While many parents saw the removal of these books as a victory, a number of educators and advocacy groups decried the decision as an act of censorship. Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education at PEN America (a nonprofit organization that promotes literature), said, “The entire process has been unusual, opaque, and worrying—more about appeasing sensitive parents than serving student learners.”

“One cannot deny that the books on the chopping block all deal with LGBTQ+ issues, sex, and racism and that they were singled out because of these themes,” Friedman continued.

Krista Tyler, who is a former instructional technology specialist at Grisham Middle School in the nearby Round Rock Independent School District (ISD), also expressed her concern about the decision to pull the books in a December 16 Leander ISD school board meeting, though in a decidedly less diplomatic manner.

The Twitter account called “Libs of Tik Tok” posted a video of Tyler’s remarks, which were styled after Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

“Everyone in Leander liked reading a lot, but some evangelicals in Leander did not. These kooks hated reading, the whole reading season. Please don’t ask why; no one quite knows the reason,” Tyler said. “It could be perhaps critical thinking causes fright. It could be their heads aren’t screwed on just right. But whatever the reason, their brains or their fright, they can’t follow policy in plain black and white.”

California Man Gets Second Life Term for Synagogue Attack

By

Elliot Spagat

-

December 29, 2021

FILE - Defendant John Earnest listens during testimony by witness Oscar Stewart during Earnest's preliminary hearing, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019, in Superior Court in San Diego. Earnest has been sentenced on Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021, to life in federal prison for killing a woman and injuring three others when he burst into a Southern California synagogue in 2019, adding to a life sentence he received three months earlier in state court. (John Gibbins/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP, Pool, File)

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A 22-year-old white supremacist was sentenced Tuesday to life in federal prison for killing a woman and injuring three others in a shooting at a Southern California synagogue in 2019, adding to the life term he received three months earlier in state court.

John T. Earnest declined to speak in a courtroom full of victims, families and congregants. In state court, his attorney said he wanted to speak but a judge refused, saying he didn’t want to give a platform for his hate-filled speech.

Earnest’s attorney, Ellis Johnston III, said his client acknowledged his actions were “inappropriate,” a statement that was greeted with skepticism by prosecutors. Peter Ko, a federal prosecutor, said Earnest’s show of contrition came shortly after the shooting in a recorded phone call to someone else.

U.S. District Judge Anthony Battaglia said the federal and state life sentences would run one after the other instead of concurrently, acknowledging it was symbolic but that it was meant to send a strong message. The judge denied the defense attorney’s request to have Earnest stay in state prison.

“Obviously this is as serious as it gets,” Battaglia said.

Earnest was tied to restraints and looked straight ahead without expression during the two-hour hearing, which marked the end of legal proceedings against him.

He pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes in September after the Justice Department said it wouldn’t seek the death penalty. Defense attorneys and prosecutors recommended a life sentence, plus 30 years.

That same month, Earnest received another life term under a plea agreement with state charges that spared him the death penalty. His conviction for murder and attempted murder at the synagogue and arson for an earlier fire at a nearby mosque brought a life sentence without parole, plus 137 years in prison.

Minutes after the shooting on the last day of Passover, Earnest called a 911 dispatcher to say he shot up the synagogue to save white people. “I’m defending our nation against the Jewish people, who are trying to destroy all white people,” he said.

The San Diego man was inspired by mass shootings at the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh and two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, shortly before he attacked Chabad of Poway, a synagogue near San Diego, on April 27, 2019. He frequented 8chan, a dark corner of the internet, for those disaffected by mainstream social media sites to post extremist, racist and violent views.

Earnest legally bought a semi-automatic rifle in San Diego a day before the attack, according to a federal affidavit. He entered the synagogue with 10 bullets loaded and 50 more on his vest but fled after struggling to reload. Worshipers chased him to his car.

Earnest killed 60-year-old Lori Gilbert-Kaye, who was hit twice in the foyer, and wounded an 8-year-old girl, her uncle and Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, who was leading a service on the major Jewish holiday.

Family members and other congregants spoke of how Gilbert-Kaye brightened their lives with extraordinary kindness and called Earnest a coward, an evil animal and a monster. Gilbert-Kaye paid for medications for people who couldn’t afford them. An Easter basket for a poor family she met was found in her trunk after she died.

Hannah Kaye, her daughter, said it was “beyond comprehension” how Earnest — an accomplished student, athlete and musician who was studying to be a nurse at California State University, San Marcos — “traveled down the rabbit hole” of violent anti-Semitism. She expressed willingness to meet with him at some point.

Earnest was also convicted of arson for setting fire to a mosque in the nearby suburb of Escondido about a month before he attacked the synagogue.

“All people in this country should be able to freely exercise their religion without fear of being attacked,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. “This defendant’s horrific crime was an assault on fundamental principles of our nation.”

Earnest’s parents issued a statement after the shooting expressing shock and sadness, calling their son’s actions a “terrifying mystery.”

“To our great shame, he is now part of the history of evil that has been perpetrated on Jewish people for centuries,” they said.

This article originally appeared here.

Beth Moore, Part 2—What It Was Like to Leave the SBC

By

Jessica Lea

-

December 29, 2021

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Beth Moore, Part 2: What It Was Like to Leave the SBC

Beth Moore is a Bible teacher with a speaking ministry that’s taken her across the nation, challenging thousands of people. She has written multiple best-selling books and Bible studies. Her latest, co-authored with her daughter, Melissa, is “Now That Faith Has Come: A Study of Galatians.” Beth lives in Houston, Texas, where she leads Living Proof Ministries and enjoys life with her husband, Keith.

Other Ways to Listen to This Podcast With Beth Moore

► Listen on Apple
► Listen on Spotify
► Listen on Stitcher
► Listen on YouTube

Key Questions for Beth Moore

-How did writing a study on Galatians impact you personally?

-Earlier this year, you left the Southern Baptist Convention. What was that like for you?

-What advice would you give to people who are staying in denominations they find difficult?

-What gospel hope does Galatians offer to people bearing the weight of the law?

Key Quotes from Beth Moore

“Most writers would say that the pandemic made it extremely hard to write. You would think we were all home and it should have been the easiest thing. It’s not true. It was so burdensome, so, so worrisome.”

“Where I landed was true to my convictions in Christ as I understand the Word and as I seek in a very wobbly way to walk with the Lord Jesus day to day. But in the midst of those things, will I get a ton of things wrong? Yes, absolutely I will. But where I felt like I was landing on some of these things, Galatians was very affirming and it was like, stand and don’t let go and don’t back off.”

“You can tell a tree by its fruit, not by its mouth, but its fruit.”

“When you’ve known of Jesus all your life, began to know him in childhood, for me, it was around nine…I’m just not bailing this late.”

10 Prayers for a New Pastor or Staff Member

By

Chuck Lawless

-

December 29, 2021

Yesterday, the church where I am interim pastor (and a member) affirmed our candidate for our next senior pastor. I’m excited about the days to come, and I’m honored to support him and pray for him. Maybe one of these ways to pray for a new pastor or staff member will help you to pray for long-term leaders, too:

1. That he will have courage to preach the Word. This task is not going to get easier in the years to come, so I want to know I’m always praying for the man who leads me and my family spiritually. We need him to give us God’s Word.

2. That his family will experience a healthy transition. Generally, a pastor and his family are moving to a new location and a new place of ministry. When his family loves that transition, a pastor’s work is much easier. I pray for his marriage and his parenting in these changing times.

3. That he will model consistent, growing, godly living. All of us who pastor must set the example as we shepherd the flock. We who are the flock thus have the responsibility to pray the enemy will not win in our pastors’ lives.

4. That he will have a quick read of church culture. I realize that understanding a church is a ministry-long journey as the church grows, but it helps when a new pastor can evaluate his new congregation’s culture quickly.

5. That he will experience quick connections with the church staff. It’s not always easy to become someone else’s “boss” almost overnight via a church affirmation. Healthy church staffs, though, can make all the difference in the world as a congregation looks toward the future (and, if you’re interested, here are some posts about healthy church staffs).

6. That he will have a unique ability to remember names. People matter. Their names matter. When a pastor identifies members by their names, he grants them significance and value. Many of us, though, have to work at this task.

7. That he and his family will develop genuine friendships in the church. To this day, I still have friends I pastored over 30 years ago—and I count them incredible gifts of God to me. Pastoring is more fun when you’re pastoring real friends.

8. That he will know God’s vision for the future. The best pastoral leaders I know have a clear vision for what they believe the church should become. They believe in that vision, promote it, and lead toward it.

9. That the ministry he has left will sense God’s comfort and leading. The excitement of one church in gaining a new pastor is often the pain of another church losing their beloved leader. We’re all in this Great Commission task together, so we need to pray for each other’s congregations.

Why Does Mark Give Credit to Isaiah for Malachi’s Work?

By

Mike Leake

-

December 29, 2021

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet…

You expect immediately after this statement a quote from a prophet named Isaiah. But you don’t get that. The verses immediately after are from another prophet; namely, Malachi.

Behold, I send my messengers before your face, who will prepare your way…

He then proceeds to actually quote Isaiah:

the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight…

Why does Mark ignore Malachi and give all the credit to Isaiah? Can we really claim an inerrant Bible if we’ve got a gospel writer misattributing a source? That’s basic level scholarship. As I set about answering these questions we will also learn a little about textual variants.

My Bible Doesn’t Say “Isaiah the Prophet”

Some of my readers will grab their trusted KJV to check these verses and you won’t find “Isaiah the prophet” It will simply read “As it is written in the prophets…” No problem, then. Some may even go so far as to argue that this is part of the modern translations—they bring more confusion than help. The only problem is that it’s quite likely that “Isaiah the prophet” is the original. How do we know this?

Have you ever heard the phrase “textual variant”? It’s what happens when the many biblical manuscripts we possess conflict with one another. In this instance there are some manuscripts which read “as it is written in the prophets” and others have “as it is written in Isaiah the prophet.” Only one of these (or I suppose neither is a possibility) is original. What is inspired is what Mark actually wrote. So how can we figure that out. At times it is difficult, but the general rule of thumb is that “the reading that best explains the origin of the other readings is probably original.”

Those who have given their lives to figuring these things out have given us five specific rules (or maybe strong suggestions—because sometimes we break those rules):

Prefer the shorter reading because scribes don’t add words
Prefer the more difficult reading because nobody changes something to make it more difficult
Prefer the reading that is most similar to the author’s typical vocabulary.
Prefer the reading that accords best with the context and author’s theology.
If dealing with parallel passages prefer the one that is less harmonious because a scribe wouldn’t change something to create less harmony between the texts.

There are also rules for weighing external evidence. We typically prefer the older manuscripts, the ones that have the most widely separated geographical areas, and the greater number of texts types which support that reading. Scholars differ on which text types to prefer, but the basic rules still apply here.

3 Dangerous Characteristics of False Doctrine

By

Jonathan L

-

December 29, 2021

Consider this half-century old quote regarding false doctrine:

Here is the great evangelical disaster—the failure of the evangelical world to stand for truth as truth. There is only one word for this—accommodation: The evangelical church has accommodated to the world spirit of the age. … Truth carries with it confrontation. Truth demands confrontation: loving confrontation, but confrontation nevertheless. If our reflex action is always accommodation regardless of the centrality of the truth involved, there is something wrong. — Francis Schaeffer

Francis Schaeffer knew that having sound doctrine was not only crucial, but also difficult. We live in a time and place where the conveniences of accommodating falsehood far outweigh the inconveniences of holding to what the Bible teaches—in the short run, at least. The reality is that our doctrine has eternal implications. When Paul warns Timothy of false teachers, he explicitly ties sound doctrine to the gospel (1 Tim 1:10-11). This is because the gospel requires faith and repentance. If we distort Jesus, then the object of our faith is not the Savior, and if we distort his commands, then God-honoring repentance is impossible.

3 Reasons to Beware of False Doctrine

1. False Doctrine Is Subtle

There are two types of teachers in the world: true teachers who teach true things, and false teachers who teach false things. Both claim to tell the truth. Jesus said that despite their sheep-clothing cover-up, we’d know them by their fruit (Matt 7:15). Listen to these striking words from Jeremiah:

An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes? (Jer 5:30-31)

When our ears are tickled and our hearts are preyed on, do we reject it or do we “love to have it so”?

2. False Doctrine Is Powerful

Good doctrine saves souls. Once again, we look to Paul’s admonition to Timothy:

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Tim 4:16)

Bad doctrine is powerful too, but in an opposite way. That’s why condemning false teaching is not a matter of winning arguments or feeding egos, but clearly (and lovingly) warning people. Do we treat false doctrine like lethal poison?

Here’s why we ultimately should…

3. False Doctrine Is Dangerous

Any doctrine that is contrary to the gospel is damning. If we buy into it we will spend eternity in hell. That’s a watery paraphrase of what Jesus told the Pharisees for promulgating a false doctrine of works:

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. (Matt 23:15)

Does the prudence with which we guard ourselves against false doctrine reflect the eternally serious implications of straying into it?

The three warnings regarding false doctrine above are expanded on from Secret Church 7: Angels, Demons and Spiritual Warfare.

Effective Youth Ministry Strategies: 10 Keys for Impact

By

Terrace Crawford

-

December 28, 2021

When the topic of effective youth ministry strategies comes up, I think back to a testimony I heard years ago. A missionary shared how he felt God’s call overseas to a group of people who needed Christ. He shared candidly how he nearly gave up after ministering for 16 years (!) without seeing any fruit.

I’ve felt like that missionary so many times. And I consistently hear from other people in the trenches who are so close to giving up. Bottom line: Youth leaders often don’t feel as if we’re being effective in ministry. As a result, we want to quit.

That’s why I want to share these highly effective youth ministry strategies. Throughout the years, they’ve helped me maintain maximum impact.

10 Effective Youth Ministry Strategies You Need Now

1. Prayer

Unlike many lists where prayer lands at the bottom, I’d suggest it’s the master key. Without prayer, you can’t be effective and remain in ministry for the long haul. Don’t ever underestimate the power of prayer. The conclusion of the missionary’s testimony was powerful. After a 16-year wait, God brought revival to those people. Hundreds accepted Christ because of this person’s faithfulness and prayers.

2. Vision

In every ministry I’ve been part of, I’ve been more effective when I’ve clearly communicated my vision. This involves communicating to the people I partner with and to those I minister to. As the scriptures say, “Where there is no vision the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). If you want to be effective in ministry, make sure you communicate where you’re going and how you plan to get there.

3. Disciple

One of the very last commands of Jesus before leaving Earth was for us to “go and make disciples” (Mattnew 28:19). If we follow this command and reach those who don’t know Christ and disciple them, we will be effective because we are doing what Christ told us to do.

Punches Thrown in Front Row During Pastor’s Sermon; Church Commits to Walking Alongside Assailant

By

Jesse T. Jackson

-

December 28, 2021

While preaching this past Sunday, Bishop Kevin Adams, the Senior Pastor of Olivet Baptist Church (OBC) in Chattanooga, Tennessee, witnessed one man approach another in the front row and punch him in the head.

In a video captured from the church’s livestream, Adams can be heard preaching from Matthew 2 and reading, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and we have come…”

It was then that 34-year-old Marcus Williams casually walked up to pastor Chris Sands, who was sitting in the front row, and punched him in the face.

Sands, who is Adams’ first assistant and is the church’s youth pastor, swiftly jumped out of the pew and defended himself while absorbing some more of Williams’ blows. As the scuffle broke out, some congregants can be heard screaming, and Adams calmly told Williams to “stop” while others restrained him off camera.

WTVC News reported that Sands told officers that Williams had threatened him a few months ago because he thought Sands insulted his mother.

Adams said that Williams, who started the fight, grew up in their church and that the man’s mother is like a sister to him. “Wonderful young man. I think the world of him,” Adams explained in a Facebook live video. Adams also revealed that Williams had just left rehab.

“All of us go through stuff. You all know I’ve been through my stuff. We all been through stuff,” Adams shared, expressing his care for the man who disrupted their Sunday worship service.

Adams said that Williams was supposed to return to rehab, but was nearby the church and decided to come in. The pastor explained that Williams was “under the control” of “some other forces and influences” when he approached Sands and started to attack him.

“We know that the Bible says, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but it’s principalities, powers, and spiritual wickedness in higher places,” Adams said.

When Williams was removed from the sanctuary and brought to the fellowship hall, he reportedly began to cry and was immediately apologetic for what he did. “It was almost like he didn’t even know he was there,” Adams told his followers on Facebook.

Why Are People Fine With Steph Curry’s Faith, but ‘Hate’ Tim Tebow’s? Ray Comfort Answers

By

Jessica Lea

-

December 28, 2021

ray comfort — Left: User:Sports Spectrum, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Center: Screen grab from YouTube: @Living Waters. Right: TechCrunch, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Why do people find the Christian faith of Steph Curry to be acceptable while finding the Christian faith of Tim Tebow to be polarizing? Evangelist Ray Comfort believes there is one clear reason: Tebow talks about the offensive parts of Christianity.

“There’s a brand of Christianity that the whole world commends,” said Comfort in a video published on Dec. 25, 2021. “It’s one that speaks of being blessed by God, success, family, love, and of prayer. But it never publicly speaks of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Why is Tim Tebow so hated? Because he’s not ashamed to talk about sin and the cross.”

Ray Comfort on the Faith of Curry and Tebow

Ray Comfort is the founder and CEO of Living Waters, a ministry that “exists to inspire and equip Christians to fulfill the Great Commission.” His video opens with a montage of clips demonstrating that people think Tim Tebow is a polarizing figure. The video references a 2018 article that asks the question, “Why Isn’t Steph Curry’s Religion as Polarizing as Tim Tebow’s?”

Curry is a point guard for the Golden State Warriors and an NBA superstar. Tebow is a former NFL and MLB player whose achievements include winning the Heisman Trophy when he played college football. At first glance, there appears to be little difference between how the two athletes express their faith.

Curry sometimes posts Bible verses on his social media and includes a reference to Philippians 4:13 on his Twitter profile. He publicly credits God for helping him with his success, openly talks about praying for others, and sometimes wears a wristband during games that says, “In Jesus Name I Play.”

Tebow is quite open about his Christian faith as well and also posts verses on his social media. He was well-known for putting Bible verses on his eye black during football games and for kneeling on the sidelines in prayer to God.

Both Curry and Tebow take part in charity work. Curry and his wife, Ayesha, started the Eat.Learn.Play Foundation, which focuses on helping children in the areas of food insecurity, education, and physical activity. The Tim Tebow Foundation supports children as well, focusing on orphans, children with special needs, and children with severe medical needs. Tebow’s foundation also fights human trafficking.

“It seems to be a mystery,” said Comfort, regarding the division Tebow causes in contrast to Curry, who is “universally beloved, celebrated and compensated for his religious beliefs,” according to the 2018 article.

Ray Comfort Explains

People’s responses to the two athletes is not a mystery, however, says Ray Comfort. The reason they elicit different reactions is that Tebow is not afraid to talk about unpopular Christian beliefs in sin, God’s judgment, and our need for forgiveness. And he does this “because he cares about the fate of the lost, as should every Christian,” said Comfort.

Bible Survives Christmas Morning Fire That Destroyed Everything Else in Texas Family’s Home

By

Dale Chamberlain

-

December 28, 2021

Tragedy struck the home of Texas couple Robert and Darla Voigt on Christmas morning when a fire resulted in the total loss of their San Antonio residence. Amid the rubble, the couple expressed gratitude for two reasons: the family made it out of the home uninjured, as did a family Bible. The Voigt family is taking the undamaged Bible as a sign of God’s protection.

“I always thought this will never happen to me. That’s a lie,” Robert told Amanda Henderson, a local reporter, outside the remains of the family’s mobile home. “We lost everything we own. Everything. Clothes, everything.” Included in the loss were Robert’s diabetes and heart medications.

While little could be salvaged from the fire, the Voigt family did celebrate when they found that a family Bible had survived.

Tweeting the news as it broke on Christmas afternoon, Henderson said, “Take a look at their Bible, virtually untouched by the flames,” above an image of Darla Voigt holding the family Bible.

“Not one page is burnt in the Bible. Not one page. God was with us last night,” Robert said.

The Voigt couple is also thankful that their son, who is also named Robert, was able to alert them with enough time to evacuate themselves and their 17 year-old daughter.

“My wife tried coming through here; couldn’t get through because of all the smoke. So, she came back around and I went around to the front of the house and went into my daughter’s room and dragged her out. It’s what a father does. Takes care of his children,” Robert said.

While three of the family’s four dogs initially went missing, Darla’s dog, named Sister, has safely returned to the family.

“That’s my dog and my heart sank, and just knowing I had her safe again was just overwhelming,” Darla said.

Charity in India Started by Mother Teresa Blocked From Receiving Foreign Funds

By

International Christian Concern

-

December 28, 2021

India (International Christian Concern) – According to Christianity Today, India has blocked the Missionaries of Charity, a charity founded by Mother Teresa, from receiving foreign funds to operate in India. This development comes more than a week after the charity was falsely accused of engaging in forced religious conversions.

On Monday, India’s Home Ministry announced that the Missionaries of Charity’s application for renewing it license to receive foreign funds was rejected. This rejection reportedly was made on Christmas.

The only explanation provided by the Home Ministry for the decision was that it came across “adverse inputs” while considering the charity’s application. According to Christianity Today, the Home Ministry did not elaborate further.

Earlier this month, the Missionaries of Charity was put under investigation in Gujarat after several false complaints were made against its shelters. Specifically, the shelters were accused of forcing girls to read the Bible and recite Christian prayers. Missionaries of Charity has denied these allegations as false and an attempt to besmirch the legacy of Mother Teresa.

Missionaries of Charity was founded by Mother Teresa in Kolkata in 1950. The charity now runs hundreds of shelters across India where “the poorest of the poor” receive care.

In recent years, the legacy of Mother Teresa and her works in India have come under assault by radical Hindu nationalists. Nationalists falsely claim Mother Teresa was involved in the fraudulent conversion of India’s poor and desperate to Christianity. These statements and accusations are meant to cast a negative light on Mother Teresa and India’s Christian community.

This article originally appeared here.

Lifeway Research: New Year’s Resolutions Focus on Health, God and Money

By

Aaron Earls

-

December 28, 2021

After a season in which avoiding sickness was on most everyone’s mind, many Americans say their New Year’s resolutions address their health.

More Americans say their past resolutions have focused on their health, their relationship with God, their finances and their relationship with a family member than other possibilities, according to a new survey of 1,005 Americans from Lifeway Research.

“New Year’s resolutions reflect the changes people aspire to make,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “The COVID-19 pandemic may have forced or encouraged more people to make changes outside of the annual reminder a new year brings. But a New Year’s resolution is still something most Americans have made at some point in their lives.”

As people contemplate their 2022 resolutions, more than 2 in 5 Americans (44%) say previous New Year’s resolutions have focused on their health. More than 1 in 4 say they’ve made resolutions on their relationship with God (29%), their finances (29%) or their relationship with a family member (26%).

Fewer say their resolutions have dealt with their use of time (22%), their work (18%) or their relationship with a friend (15%).

More than a quarter of Americans (28%) say they haven’t made resolutions about any of these, while 4% aren’t sure.

This year’s New Year’s resolutions rankings remained similar to a 2015 Lifeway Research phone survey of 1,000 Americans. Compared to the previous study, finances moved from the fifth most common resolution to third on the list this year. The percentage who selected each of the resolution topics, however, dropped from six years ago.

Resolution Makers

Young adults (those age 18 to 34) are among the most likely to say they’ve made New Year’s resolutions in the past about each of the topics: health (52%), finances (40%), relationship with God (35%), relationship with a family member (36%), use of time (34%), work (29%) and relationship with a friend (25%). Meanwhile, those 65 and older (54%) are most likely to say they have not made a resolution about any of the topics listed.

Church attendance also seems to have an impact on wanting to make changes in the new year. Among self-identified Christians, those who attend at least monthly are more likely than Christians who attend less frequently to say they’ve made resolutions in each of the options. Those who attend less than monthly (44%) are most likely to say they haven’t made a New Year’s resolution in any of the areas.

“Making a New Year’s resolution doesn’t reveal who or what a person is relying on to make that change in their life, nor how successful such resolutions are,” said McConnell. “But higher numbers seen among younger adults, those who attended at least some college, and church-going Christians indicate they have higher motivation to make such changes at least in the form of New Year’s resolutions.”

Evangelicals a Rising Force Inside Argentine Prisons

By

German De Los Santos and Rodrigo Abd

-

December 28, 2021

argentine prisons — Jeremias Echague poses for a portrait outside his cell located within the evangelical cell block he joined at the Correctional Institute Model U.1., Dr. Cesar R Tabares, known as Penal Unit 1 in Coronda, Santa Fe province, Argentina, where the 19-year-old waits for his final sentencing for homicide, Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. The day in the evangelical units begins and ends with prayer. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

ROSARIO, Argentina (AP) — The loud noise from the opening of an iron door marks Jorge Anguilante’s exit from the Pinero prison every Saturday. He heads home for 24 hours to minister at a small evangelical church he started in a garage in Argentina’s most violent city.

Before he walks through the door, guards remove handcuffs from “Tachuela” — Spanish for “Tack,” as he was known in the criminal world. In silence, they stare at the hit-man-turned-pastor who greets them with a single word: “Blessings.”

The burly, 6-foot-1 (1.85-meter) man whose tattoos are remnants of another time in his life—back when he says he used to kill—must return by 8 a.m. to a prison cellblock known by inmates as “the church.”

His story, of a convicted murderer embracing an evangelical faith behind bars, is common in the lockups of Argentina’s Santa Fe province and its capital city of Rosario. Many here began peddling drugs as teenagers and got stuck in a spiral of violence that led some to their graves and others to overcrowded prisons divided between two forces: drug lords and preachers.

Over the past 20 years, Argentine prison authorities have encouraged, to one extent or another, the creation of units effectively run by evangelical inmates—sometimes granting them a few extra special privileges, such as more time in fresh air.

The cellblocks are much like those in the rest of the prison — clean and painted in pastel colors, light blue or green. They have kitchens, televisions and audio equipment — here used for prayer services.

But they are safer and calmer than the regular units.

Violating rules against fighting, smoking, using alcohol or drugs can get an inmate kicked back into the normal prison.

“We bring peace to the prisons. There was never a riot inside the evangelical cellblocks. And that is better for the authorities,” said the Rev. David Sensini of Rosario’s Redil de Cristo church.

Access is controlled both by prison officials and by cellblock leaders who function much like pastors—and who are wary of attempts by gangs to infiltrate.

“It has happened many times that an inmate asks to go to the evangelical pavilion to try to take it over. We need to keep permanent control over who enters”, said Eric Gallardo, one of the leaders at the Pinero prison.

___

Rosario is best known as a major agricultural port, the birthplace of revolutionary leader Ernesto “Che” Guevara and a talent factory for soccer players, including Lionel Messi. But the city of some 1.3 million people also has high levels of poverty and crime. Violence between gangs who seek to control turf and drug markets has helped fill its prisons.

How COVID-19 Has Made the Lives of Aspiring Clergy More Daunting

By

Camille Daniels

-

December 28, 2021

COVID-19 clergy — Image by Diana Polekhina via Unsplash

(RNS) — Cooper Young, a second-year seminary student at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts, knew he wanted to become a minister, but like many students in the past two years, his education has become a journey. Classes went from on campus and in person to online from home, and back again.

Meanwhile, since graduating from Syracuse University in 2020, Young has gone through other significant changes: He got married and, after an internship in Massachusetts, was hired as an assistant minister by his childhood church in Chittenango, New York. On the downside, he’d contracted COVID-19.

“I was still in my first year of marriage, but then on top of that, it’s a new job at a church of predominantly people over 55,” Young recalled. Charged with bringing in younger people in the middle of a pandemic, Young said he found himself fighting resistance to his ideas for growth while also fielding the congregation’s objections to the church leadership’s mask policies. “It didn’t seem like a lot was working,” he said.

The torrent of experiences — compounded by the fuzzy consciousness known as “COVID fog” — eventually impacted his mental health.

“I was having a panic attack at one point — the only time it’s ever happened in my life before,” Young said.

For many seminarians, Young is a harbinger of the difficulties many of them will face as they graduate into a religious landscape that has been transformed — spiritually, physically, politically and logistically — by COVID-19, and of the toll this new reality is taking on their mental health.

According to a recent Barna Group survey, pastors have increasingly been contemplating quitting their jobs since the beginning of 2021. In the same poll, female clergy members, like women across all industries, were found to be more likely to quit their jobs than male clergy.

Seminaries, like other institutions of higher education, have stepped up mental health services, but how much help students get can depend on the cultural climate of the school, as some schools may offer more services than others.

Pastor Cooper Young preaches at Crossroads Community Church in Chittenango, New York, on Dec. 19, 2021. Video screengrab

“Our school is pretty open about it, if you have mental health needs and we have mental health needs and we talk about it quite openly,” said Su Yon Pak, a dean and associate professor of integrative and field-based education at Union Theological Seminary in New York.

But the pandemic has put a greater focus on those struggling with their mental health, Pak said. “Because of all the constraints, the restraints, the quarantine, the fear of dying, people dying in the families, not being able to connect, absolutely. It’s not just students. We all struggled through it. It was really hard. And as a school we tried to put that upfront.”

Pope Francis’ Key Words for a Marriage: ‘Please, Thanks, Sorry’

By

Nicole Winfield

-

December 28, 2021

Pope Francis Marriage — Pope Francis delivers the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for 'to the city and to the world' ) Christmas' day blessing from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis sought Sunday to encourage married couples, acknowledging that the pandemic has aggravated some family problems but urging couples to seek help and always remember three key words in a marriage: “Please, thanks and sorry.”

Francis penned a letter to married couples that was released Sunday, a Catholic feast day commemorating Jesus’ family. It came halfway through a yearlong celebration of the family announced by Francis that is due to conclude in June with a big family rally in Rome.

Speaking at his studio window Sunday, Francis said he intended the letter to be his “Christmas present to married couples.” He urged them to keep having children to fight the “demographic winter” which, in Italy, has led to one of the lowest birthrates in the world.

“Maybe we aren’t born into an exceptional, problem-free family, but our family is our story — everyone has to think: It’s my story,” he said. “They are our roots: If we cut them, life dries up!”

In the letter, Francis said lockdowns and quarantines had forced families to spend more time together. But he noted that such enforced togetherness at times tested the patience of parents and siblings alike and in some cases led to real difficulties.

“Pre-existing problems were aggravated, creating conflicts that in some cases became almost unbearable. Many even experienced the breakup of a relationship,” Francis wrote.

He offered his closeness to those families and reminded parents that the breakup of a marriage is particularly hard on children, who look to their parents as a constant source of stability, love, trust and strength.

“The breakdown of a marriage causes immense suffering, since many hopes are dashed, and misunderstandings can lead to arguments and hurts not easily healed,” he said. “Children end up having to suffer the pain of seeing their parents no longer together.”

He urged parents to keep seeking help to try to overcome conflicts, including through prayer. “Remember also that forgiveness heals every wound,” he said.

He repeated a refrain he has often used when meeting with families and married couples, listing the three most important words in a marriage: “Please, thanks and sorry.”

The One Resolution You Should Make This Year

By

Greg Stier

-

December 28, 2021

It’s at about this time every year that millions of people around the world start thinking about next year. They imagine the habits they will start…next year. They think about the weight they will lose…next year. They dream about the money they will make and save…next year.

But, more often than not, our New Year’s Resolutions give way to the delicious cake, the soft couch and the credit card.

It’s usually not that much different when it comes to our spiritual resolutions. We commit to having our time with the Lord every morning, to do more praying, to give more generously and to share Jesus more often.

But then, well, life happens. We get busy. We forget.

Far too many Christians leave a trail of broken resolutions behind them come February (or, sometimes, by January 2nd!)

Actually, for years and years I was the worst (or the best, depending on how you look at it) at making unrealistic annual resolutions. I would make lists of detailed resolutions in late December and resolve not to break them. But, like a bull in a china closet, I’d soon leave shards of broken promises all across the floor of my once-again-disillusioned soul.

My annual ritual of resolutions reminds me of Peter’s bold resolution to Jesus in Matthew 26:31-33, “Then Jesus told them, ‘This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.’ Peter replied, ‘Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.’”

Peter shattered his bold resolution in less than 12 hours of making it.

When Peter realized that he had broken his promise to Jesus “he went out and wept bitterly” Matthew 26:75.

Flash forward a few months to the book of Acts and you see a totally different person. Peter is articulate and daring (Acts 4:13.) He is both a humble servant and a confident leader (Acts 4:8-12.) He would never fall away, disown or deny Jesus again (Acts 5:29.) He is a promise keeper, not a promise breaker.

What was the difference between the Apostle Peter in the Gospels and the Apostle Peter in the book of Acts, between the one who sank in doubt in the waves on the Sea of Galilee and the one who stood in victory against the Sanhedrin in the Temple of Jerusalem, between the one who broke his resolution to Jesus in Matthew 26 and the one who refused to deny Jesus and was, according to church tradition, crucified upside down?

The answer is rooted in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Jesus spoke these words between the Last Supper and his 3 hour long pray-a-thon in the Garden of Gethsemane, mere hours before his crucifixion. I can imagine Jesus walking down the road to the Garden of Gethsemane and pointing his disciples to a vineyard along the way. I can picture Jesus pausing on that road to share with his young followers his most important lesson when it came to living the Christian life: Like a branch has no power to produce fruit apart from the vine, we have no power to produce spiritual fruit apart from Jesus. Apart from him we can do nothing. Apart from him we are dead branches on the ground. But, in him and through him, we are a vibrant vehicle for spiritual transformation (our own and others.)

It was Major Ian Thomas, founder of Torchbearers International (a gap year Bible teaching and evangelism program that has 25 centers around the world, one of which my son attends), made this prayer famous, “I can’t. You can.“

The Major, as he was affectionately called during his life, was tired of all the broken promises and resolutions he had made to himself as a young evangelist. He was tired of being tired doing the work of the ministry. That’s when he stumbled on this key truth in John 15:5, Galatians 2:20 and so many other passages of Scripture.

Here’s how The Major described his own spiritual transformation, “As a young evangelist, my love and enthusiasm for Christ as my Saviour kept me very, very busy until out of sheer frustration, I finally came to the point of quitting. That was the turning point which transformed my Christian life. In my despair I discovered that the Lord Jesus gave Himself FOR me, so that risen from the dead He might give Himself TO me, He who IS the Christian Life. Instead of pleading for help I began to thank Him for all that He wanted to be, sharing His Life with me every moment of every day. I learned to say ‘Lord Jesus, I can’t, You never said I could; but You can, and always said You would. That is all I need to know’. From that moment life became the adventure that God always intended it to be.” – Major W. Ian Thomas

A work glove on its own does not actually do any work. The glove needs the hand to fill it and do the work through it. In the same way we need Jesus, through his Spirit, to fill us and do the work through us (thanks for the illustration Zane Black!)

Instead of making endless lists of resolutions may we make a moment-by-moment, day-to-day declaration of dependence on the Holy Spirit who dwells inside of us. When we do that, the life of Christ himself flows through us. He produces the fruit in us. He does the work through us. Our effort is relentless reliance on him that leads to complete obedience to him!

Does this mean that we never make commitments, resolutions or promises to ourselves? Of course not! But, what it does mean, is that we “put no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3.) It means the one resolution we must keep is a constant reminder to ourselves to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18) and to allow the life of Christ to flow through us. As we learn to do that the lists will take care of themselves, because Jesus will be living through us and he never breaks his promises!

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

This article originally appeared here.

Connecting Parents: An Essential Part of Children’s Ministry

By

Dale Hudson

-

December 28, 2021

When I first started in children’s ministry over 33 years ago, I had a strategy that was not conducive to ministering to parents.

I thought my job was to reach and disciple children. And it was. But there was a vital part I was missing.

I was not spending time and effort into ministering to parents as well.

My thought process was — I’ll minister to the children and the adult ministry can minister to the parents.

And that was partially true. Of course, adult ministry should focus on reaching and discipling parents. But so should children’s ministry.

You have a unique opportunity. You see, you have an open door to minister to parents. Why? Because you are ministering to their children. And parent’s obviously love their children. When you do something nice for a child…when you invest your time in a child…when you show that you care about a child…you quickly get the attention of their parents. Do something nice for my child and you’ve got my attention.

No matter how far a parent is away from God, if you do something nice for their child, you’ve got their attention.

Because of this, we should always be looking for ways to help parents. If ministering to parents is not in your job description, then write it in. It’s just as important as your ministry to children.

How can you minister to parents and help them get connected to the church family (many times their first connection to the church will be through their child who attended first with a friend or family member)?

When a guest family shows up, make sure you not only help the child get to their class / service, but help the parents as well. Help them get connected. Give them info about small groups. Walk with them to the worship service and introduce them to a few people.

Invite them to be part of your spiritual milestones. This is one of the best opportunities you have to get families connected to your church. Need more info about milestones? Click here for more about it.

Andrew Davison: Have There Been ‘Many Incarnations’ of Jesus?

Religion Will Help People Process Discovery of Aliens

Other Ways to Listen to This Podcast With Beth Moore

Key Questions for Beth Moore

Key Quotes from Beth Moore

My Bible Doesn’t Say “Isaiah the Prophet”

3 Reasons to Beware of False Doctrine

1. False Doctrine Is Subtle

2. False Doctrine Is Powerful

3. False Doctrine Is Dangerous

10 Effective Youth Ministry Strategies You Need Now

1. Prayer

2. Vision

3. Disciple

Ray Comfort on the Faith of Curry and Tebow

Ray Comfort Explains

Resolution Makers

New Articles

New Podcasts