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On the night of the institution of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus prayed for His disciples and for those who would become His disciples, “that they may all be one” (John 17:21). This was a profound prayer for unity among Christ’s disciples. Sadly, the occasion for this prayer, the “Passover” of the new exodus, the meal commemorating the death of the Lamb of God for His people, has become the focal point for some of the most serious controversies and divisions in the church. It is no longer the meal that unites us but instead has become the meal that divides...

Pope Francis, during his recent love-filled tour of the Phillippines, raised his hand in a salute and prompted some Internet tongue-wagging. Standing next to Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle in Manila, the Pope raised his index and pinkie fingers, keeping his third and fourth fingers down and his thumb extended. The cardinal did the same. All of which prompted the Los Angeles Times to post on its music blog that the pontiff might have been making the sign of the horns, a heavy metal staple among concert fans, or perhaps a centuries-old devil sign.

Catholics are supposed to listen to the pope. Why? As explained in their church’s catechism: “For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered.” That’s a pretty broad mandate. But when Pope Francis starts cautioning Catholics against breeding “like rabbits,” some Catholics don’t like what they hear — including once and future Republican presidential contender Rick Santorum. “The pope is the leader of the Catholic Church, and when he speaks as...

NewSpring Church pastor Perry Noble is in hot water with the South Carolina Baptist Convention over a sermon he preached at the Upstate-based megachurch in which he interpreted the Ten Commandments as 10 “sayings” or “promises” rather than commandments. The Rev. Tommy Kelly, president of the convention, issued a statement calling on members of the state’s largest denominational group to “remove ourselves from these positions and problematic statements and call for NewSpring to correct these positions if it chooses to say that it affiliates with South Carolina Baptist churches.” In his Christmas Eve sermon, which Noble said he believed God...

Missional Meditation Consider this comment I received on the “Modernized Hymns” post. "I have tried to avoid God my whole life. I wouldn’t know a traditional hymn from a modernized hymn. I’ve never even stepped foot into a church…until this past Sunday. The people on stage sang a song by David Crowder, and I began to feel the very presence of God. It was like nothing I ever felt before. Tears streamed down my eyes and right then, I bowed down and made a decision to surrender my life to Jesus. I ask you a simple question…wasn’t David Crowder’s song...

January 22, 2015Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children    Reading 1 Heb 7:25—8:6 Jesus is always able to save those who approach God through him,since he lives forever to make intercession for them. It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens.He has no need, as did the high priests, to offer sacrifice day after day,first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did that once for all when he offered himself.For the law appoints men subject to...

As a church history professor, I am sometimes asked how certain practices developed in church history. For example: When did the Roman Catholic (and Eastern Orthodox) emphasis on praying to saints and venerating relics and icons begin? A somewhat obscure, but extremely helpful, book by John Calvin answers that question directly.In his work, A Treatise on Relics, Calvin utilizes his extensive knowledge of church history to demonstrate that prayers to the saints, prayers for the dead, the veneration of relics, the lighting of candles (in homage to the saints), and the veneration of icons are all rooted in Roman paganism. Such practices infiltrated...

My dear friends, we as "Christians first and conservatives second" continually offer great solutions, ideas and suggestions based in TRUTH and REALITY to our nation which would bring ETERNAL liberty (John 1:12, 8:32,36), fiscal soundness and relief, moral and social healing and the restitution of liberty until the Lord comes, but tragically these truths and suggestions - which are rooted and based on Almighty God's Word and moral absolutes - are scoffed and slandered at as evil by the majority of Americans, the GOP and Progressive Democratic Party (Isa. 5:20). In light of the moral relativistic, decadent and lawless mindset...

If some one had told me a few years ago that he thought Herod at one time came near the kingdom of God, I should have been inclined to doubt it. I would have said, "I do not believe that the bloodthirsty wretch who took the life of John the Baptist ever had a serious thought in his life about his soul's welfare." I held that opinion because there is one scene recorded in Herod's life that I had overlooked. But some years ago, when I was going through the gospel of Mark, making a careful study of the book,...

While in 2014 the days of throwing Christians to wild beasts in the arena may be behind us, the persecution of Christians around the world isn't. In fact, the number of our brothers and sisters subjected to imprisonment, torture, and death for their faith in just the last twelve months dwarfs the number who suffered during the entire tenure of Nero. As a new report from a leading ministry to the persecuted church shows, last year was one of the most violent on record for believers worldwide—and 2015 could be worse. Open Doors International released its World Watch List earlier...

I’m sitting in a donut shop. I’ve been here many times and nobody has ever complained about this place, saying, “This donut shop is too donutty.” It’s a donut shop; so you expect it to be donutty. No one ever said that a sporting event was too sporty, a library too booky, a concert too musicy, an airport too planey, a home too homey, a college too schooly, or a hospital too hospitally. Yet, I hear all the time, “That church was too churchy.” But what else should it be? Why the double-standard? Why do we condemn the church for...

January 21, 2015Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr  Reading 1 Heb 7:1-3, 15-17 Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High,met Abraham as he returned from his defeat of the kingsand blessed him.And Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything.His name first means righteous king,and he was also “king of Salem,” that is, king of peace.Without father, mother, or ancestry,without beginning of days or end of life,thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. It is even more obvious if another priest is raised upafter the likeness of Melchizedek, who...

I read the Newsweek article on the Bible and of course noted all the falsehoods in it. I pray for the writer Kurt Eichenwald, but also hope to respond to the falsehoods and that he and Newsweek won't succeed in further undermining the Bible. http://www.newsweek.com/2015/01/02/thats-not-what-bible-says-294018.html This is a partial response to the article's falsehoods in the section on Christians and the question of keeping the Mosaic law or not. From the article: >>When they heard about the goings-on in Antioch, a debate ensued: Did gentiles have to become Jews first (like Jesus) and follow Mosaic Law before they could be...

The distractions of the world and the temptations of the Devil would be enough to derail almost any pilgrim on their journey to heaven. But add to these the manifold frailties of our sinful flesh, and this triumvirate of Christian foes would seem to rule out any hope of reaching the Celestial City. Devotion and zeal can fade with every bend in the road until we are lost and alone. Despair and anxiety set in. Such have been the struggles of all pilgrims. Because of the One who sets us on our pilgrimage, we leave the delusional comforts of our...

January 20, 2015Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Heb 6:10-20 Brothers and sisters:God is not unjust so as to overlook your workand the love you have demonstrated for his nameby having served and continuing to serve the holy ones.We earnestly desire each of you to demonstrate the same eagernessfor the fulfillment of hope until the end,so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who,through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises. When God made the promise to Abraham,since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,and...

January 19, 2015Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Heb 5:1-10 Brothers and sisters:Every high priest is taken from among menand made their representative before God,to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,for he himself is beset by weaknessand so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himselfas well as for the people.No one takes this honor upon himselfbut only when called by God,just as Aaron was.In the same way,it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,but rather the one who said...

Captured By Grace [video at link] Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner turned bombardier, survived a plane crash and prisoner of war camps during WWII. He returned a hero, but his greatest battle was yet to come.

There are many passages of Scripture that seem to be commonly brought up in the Church today. Just for one example, Romans 8:28. It is a particularly important passage, but considering the time we live in, where the powerful worldly culture encourages people to feel entitled to nothing but good things, and to blame or deny God if something bad happens, then it can be expected that we might have more need to hear Romans 8:28 today. Then it seems that there a lot of Scripture passages that aren't heard that much in the Church today. Here are a few...

The late Dr. J. Vernon McGee's Sunday sermon broadcast for today, 1/18/2015. Thru the Bible Ministries. ttb.org

I was flipping channels and came across Dr. Charles Stanley preaching a sermon. I am, in general, suspicious of TV preachers. But Stanley came across as the real deal. Anyone care to offer opionions on his ministry?