Christ Came to Disarm Rebellious Sinners, But Not to Disempower Them

A meditation on the line between good and evil that runs through each person. Fleming Rutledge|December 24, 2021

 

In any polarized situation, the overriding human tendency is to draw a line with oneself and one’s allies on the good side and the opposing party on the wicked side, with very little attempt made by either side to understand the other. As these positions harden, it becomes almost impossible to achieve the insight necessary for a breakthrough.

For some years now I have kept a file that I call “The Line Runs Through.” This title is from Václav Havel, former president of the Czech Republic and one of those who resisted the Communists and was put in prison for his activities. When he came to power after the “Velvet Revolution,” Havel was conspicuously forgiving toward his former enemies and other collaborators. Some blamed him for this, but he maintained his position. In the central European regimes of the ’70s and ’80s, Havel said, “The line [between good and evil] did not run clearly between ‘them’ and ‘us,’ but through each person.”

The line between good and evil runs through each person. These words find an echo in Paul’s letter to the Romans: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. … I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand” (7:15–21, RSV throughout). Is there anyone who does not recognize this? Continued, here.

Chinese Christian Media Ministries Face Bitter Winter of Censorship

Many Chinese Christians are lamenting that the winter of internet mission in China is entering its darkest and coldest hour. This week, Chinese state media reported the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) has announced its “Measures for the Administration of Internet Religious Information Services,” which will come into effect on March 1 and will restrict online ministry to Chinese government-approved religious groups with special permits on government-approved websites.

 “No organization or individual shall preach on the Internet, carry out religious education and training, publish sermon content, forward or link to related content, organize and conduct religious activities on the Internet, or live broadcast or post recorded videos of religious rituals…” without approval, stipulates the new regulation jointly formulated by five government bodies, including the Ministries of Public and National Security. 

A few months ago, I had a dream in which this passage of Scripture came up repeatedly: “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations” (Ps. 90:1). In the dream, I thought “Lord, what is this to remind me of?” Then I woke up and learned that our ministry’s second main WeChat channel had been permanently shut down by the Chinese government, less than a month after our first channel was removed. Hundreds of thousands of followers just evaporated overnight. Having both major channels blocked meant it would be extremely hard for our ministry to regain as much influence as before.  

Continued

 

 

ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY THEN AND NOW: What Happened to Lazarus After He Rose From the Dead?

ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY THEN AND NOW: What Happened to Lazarus After He Rose From the Dead?: By John Sanidopoulos Lazarus was a close friend of Christ, from Bethany, about three kilometers east of Jerusalem. He lived there with his...

Should a Christian Date or Marry a Non-Christian?

 

What Does the Bible Say about Women Pastors?

 There is perhaps no more hotly debated issue in the church today than the issue of women serving as pastors. As a result, it is very important to not see this issue as men versus women. There are women who believe women should not serve as pastors and that the Bible places restrictions on the ministry of women, and there are men who believe women can serve as pastors and that there are no restrictions on women in ministry. This is not an issue of chauvinism or discrimination. It is an issue of biblical interpretation.

The Word of God proclaims, “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent” (1 Timothy 2:11–12). In the church, God assigns different roles to men and women. This is a result of the way mankind was created and the way in which sin entered the world (1 Timothy 2:13–14). God, through the apostle Paul, restricts women from serving in roles of teaching and/or having spiritual authority over men. This precludes women from serving as pastors over men, which definitely includes preaching to them, teaching them publicly, and exercising spiritual authority over them.

Continued

Why wasn't Jesus named Immanuel?

In the prophecy of the virgin birth, Isaiah 7:14, the prophet Isaiah declares, “The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” This prophecy had an initial fulfillment during Isaiah’s day, but it ultimately refers to the birth of Jesus, as we see in Matthew 1:22–23: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).” This does not mean, however, that the Messiah’s actual given name would be Immanuel.

There are many “names” given to Jesus in the Old and New Testaments, and Immanuel is one of them. Isaiah elsewhere prophesied of the Messiah, “He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus was never called by any of those “names” by the people He met in Galilee or Judea, but they are accurate descriptions of who He is and what He does. The angel said that Jesus “will be called the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:32) and “the Son of God” (verse 35), but neither of those was His given name.

The prophet Jeremiah writes of “a King who will reign wisely” (Jeremiah 23:5), and he gives us the name of the coming Messiah: “And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness’” (Jeremiah 23:6, ESV). Jesus was never called “The Lord Our Righteousness” as a name, but we can call Him that! He brings the righteousness of God to us. He is God in the flesh, and the One who makes us righteous (1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

George Herman Ruth was named George, of course. But we can call him other things, and we’re talking about the same person: “Babe,” “the Bambino,” “the Sultan of Swat,” or “the Colossus of Clout.” The names for Babe Ruth multiplied due to his personal history and his signature talent on the ballfield. In a similar way, we can call Jesus by His given name, but we can also call Him “Immanuel.” Or “Wonderful,” “Counselor,” “Prince of Peace,” or “The Lord Our Righteousness.” The names of Jesus Christ multiply due to His divine nature and miraculous work.

To say that Jesus would be called “Immanuel” means Jesus is God, that He dwelt among us in His incarnation, and that He is always with us. Jesus was God in the flesh. Jesus was God making His dwelling among us (John 1:1, 14). God keeps His promises. The virgin Mary bore a son. Two thousand years ago, in Bethlehem, we see that baby born and lowered into the hay for a resting place. That baby, as incredible as it seems, is God. That Baby is God with us. Jesus, as our Immanuel, is omnipotence, omniscience, perfection, and the love that never fails—with us.

No, Joseph did not name Jesus “Immanuel,” but Jesus’ nature makes Him truly Immanuel, “God with us.” Isaiah told us to watch for Immanuel, the virgin-born Son of God. He will save us; He will reconcile people to God and restore creation to its original beauty. We know Him as Jesus, but we can also call Him “God with us,” because that’s exactly who He is.

Continued

 

 

The Case for Christ

Lee Strobel, a Chicago Tribune journalist, spent two years of his life researching  the life of Christ trying to disprove  his deity and his resurrection. What he found in the process changed his life forever.

 

Dolly Parton - He's Alive

Don Stewart :: Is God the Father a Distinct Person from Jesus?

There are those who declare that God the Father and Jesus Christ, are the same person. They contend that Jesus is merely a manifestation or development or role of the Father. The Bible, however, says that
the Father and Jesus are distinct from each other. They are not the same person. There are several ways in which the Bible illustrates this truth.

1. The Father Sent the Son

Another distinction we have between the Father and the Son is that the Father is the sender and Jesus, the Son, is the one sent.

Jesus said that it was God the Father who sent Him into the world.

"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work" (John 4:34).

He emphasized it again

By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me (John 5:30).

Jesus made it clear the Father had set Him apart and sent Him into the world.

What about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, `I am God's Son'? (John 10:36).

Jesus said that His words came from the Father.

For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it (John 12:49)

The Apostle Paul also testified that the Father sent the Son into the world:

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law (Galatians 4:4).

Continued Here: Blue Letter Bible 

How Can You Know the Will of God? | Cru

How Can You Know the Will of God? | Cru: The Bible teaches that God has a wonderful plan for your life. But how can you be confident you are living according to His will for you?

Absolute Proof

Living Changed: Spiritual Warfare • Devotional

  One of the most common ways we experience spiritual warfare is in the mind. The enemy is constantly hurling lies at us and trying to get us to agree with the discouraging, destructive, and dangerous things he says. 

But Satan isn’t creative. Creation belongs to God. So the best he can do is figure out which lies hurt us the most and torment us with them over and over again. The attacks impacting us most today are probably the same attacks he’s been throwing at us our whole lives. But his lies only have power when we choose to agree with them.

When we agree with a lie, we give it credibility. We internalize it and let it become a part of who we believe we are. You’ll know you’ve made an agreement with a lie because it will sound like the voice in your head. If we heard an evil, hissing voice like something out of a movie, we’d never listen to it. But because it’s in our own voice, we’re so much more willing to believe it as truth. 

When our thoughts are aligned with God’s word, the devil can’t lie to us. The apostle Paul encourages us to take our thoughts captive. That means not letting our thoughts run wild, but checking our thoughts against the truth of God’s word. He also urges us to think on whatever is true, noble, lovely, and praiseworthy. He understood the mind is a battlefield, and he wanted us to cast out everything that doesn’t line up with God. 

Again, taking thoughts captive and casting out lies is active. We can’t simply think “go away.” Satan can’t read our minds. Sometimes we allow him to influence our thoughts when we pick up the lies he hurls at us, but only God is all-knowing and able to hear our thoughts. When Jesus was in the desert being tempted by Satan, Jesus spoke Scripture and told him to go away. In the same way, we have the authority to command him to flee in the name of Jesus.

With practice, it gets easier to spot the inconsistencies between what you’re hearing and what God promises. You’ll get faster at taking thoughts captive, speaking against lies, and realigning with truth. Ask God to help you spot the lies and remind you of the truth so you can more easily fight back!

Source 

“Habit 1: Flip the Script”

If your life isn’t what you want it to be, it may be because you’re telling yourself the wrong story. You are not the mistakes you’ve made. You are not the labels put on you by other people. You are who God says you are. Anything less is false humility. If you want to change your life, start by changing your story! 

If you want to win the day, you’ve got to flip the script. How? The Bible is a good starting point. Scripture is more than our script; it’s our script-cure. And that’s more than a play on words. Scripture confronts the false identities and false narratives perpetrated by the Father of Lies. It reveals the heavenly Father’s metanarrative and the unique role that each one of us plays in it.

Abraham thought he was too old. Jeremiah thought he was too young. Moses thought he was unqualified. Joseph thought he was overqualified. Gideon had an inferiority complex. Jonah had a superiority complex. Peter made too many mistakes. Nathanael was too cool for school. Paul had a thorn in the flesh. And King David was the runt of the litter. 

None of that matters! Who you are is not the issue. What really mat­ters is whose you are. “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are the apple of God’s eye. You are God’s work­manship. You are more than a conqueror, and nothing can change that. It is what it is; it is who you are. 

There never has been and never will be anyone like you. That isn’t a testament to you. It’s a testament to the God who created you. The sig­nificance of that truth is this: no one can take your place. No one can worship God like you or for you. No one can serve others like you or for you. Jesus doesn’t just live in us; Christ lives as us! 

Start living your life in a way that is worth telling stories about.

It’s time to flip the script!

Think on this: If you want to change your life, start by changing your story.

Source: A Bible Reading Plan By Mark Batterson