The United States is known for its liberality, which extends to aspects of government. The state has been the cornerstone to any form of political expression for the last four decades. Over the years, the United States has made remarkable achievements in human rights promotion. Mostly, this has been achieved through legislation that is strictly intended to protect freedoms. Hence, the US government, as well as a number of international bodies, have enjoyed various levels of success in human rights protection....
One Key Reason Why Church Consultations Fail
Why do church consultations fail? Here's a story that demonstrates the one key reason why many churches get so excited about doing the work of consulting and then feel so disappointed when it doesn't seem to work. It seemed like a good idea, particularly since the church's leadership team had just returned from a conference that was stimulating. They had been challenged by the speaker to start taking action in their church....
What Does Jesus Teach Us about God's End-Times Plan?
Ask any human on Earth how he or she thinks the future will pan out, and you will get different answers. From predictions involving a worldwide human revolution to the Antichrist ruling the world, it is no surprise that different ideas have been proposed regarding the end times and what will occur during them. While there are many different theories about the end days, perhaps one of the biggest questions we could ask is: How does the Bible tell us God’s end-times plan will play out for His creation?...
Is it My Responsibility to Help the Widows and Orphans?
This essay by Frederick C. Mather, taken from The Early Church in Jerusalem, was the starting point of my search for answers to the difficult questions that were coming before our churches at that time. I encourage you to read it carefully and attentively. Our brother Frederick C. Mather made the following statement: "If this citation be accurate, then there is a substantial difference between 'widow' as used here and its use in Acts 6:1....
Why Christians Can Be Bad at Being Kind
While watching the new movie SONYA I was struck by the level of grace and kindness displayed by a woman in a difficult situation. The movie tells the story of Sonya, an orphaned teenager who lives in a work house because she has nowhere else to go. She is tormented by all the girls in the home. You would think that being in this situation day after day, year after year, it would harden her heart against the people that are ill treating her....
4 Keys to Building Confidence in God When Life Falls Apart
I’ve always viewed life as a long string of adventures. Some have been big ones, like moving away from home when I was 18, starting a new job at a bank, getting married, having children and more recently, landing a regular place in a comedy show. Others have been smaller, but no less exciting, like going to the park on a sunny day or simply indulging my love of ice cream....
How Should Christians Approach Progress in Technology?
In a world full of flux and change, progress is ever in motion. Technology-driven progress is often considered to be the greatest determinant of many of the challenges our world faces today. In this article, we examine the biblical perspective of technology as it relates to our views on progress. We consider a broad definition of progress before going on to focus more specifically on technological innovation. By drawing upon several biblical principles and patterns of thought from scripture, we explore the ways in which both the Giver and the Creator of everything we have can help us navigate what will otherwise remain as a challenging journey for as long as time itself lasts....
Self-Care: Selfish Habit or Holy Endeavor?
The concept of "self" has been investigated and debated since its conception. In our daily lives, the word "self" is used constantly in many contexts. For example, I might say "I am a Christian" or "I am an American." However, the individual components of these statements are vague. When I use the words "self" and "me," I am using two completely different concepts. How does theology relate to the "self"? Can we, as Christians, have a "...
Why Should Christians Evaluate What Their Lives Are Built On?
14 Hear, O my people, all of you; open your ears, and listen to me! Should I not plead with you for your children, should I not weep bitterly for those in the ranks of Israel? My heart is struck down within me; my hope was fragmented in my great anguish. 15 Will I let myself be moved away from these, my children? Let my soul not hate these, my other children?...
How to Actually Treat Other Believers Like Family
How you should view other Christians who are committed to the gospel and belong to a local church is pretty clear in the Bible. We're one people, "God's household," as Paul calls it in Ephesians 2:19, which means we're members of the same family. The Greek word translated into English as "household" here is oikos, which is the basis for the word "economics." It was a common term used by Paul to refer to Roman households, or oikoi....