The United States has been out partying at the bar for a long time now and is really in no shape to be driving. While the U.S. can no longer be considered a Christian nation; it remains a land blessed with an awful lot of Christians and it’s the American church’s responsibility to grab the keys now and again and be the designated driver.
Having had eyes opened, ears unstopped, and minds made new, believers are full of invaluable wisdom and keen insight. A church that is silent in affairs of State, quiet in all political consideration, mum on matters of business and finance, and ciphers on the college green and at town hall; is a church that wishes to unnecessarily impoverish itself and its fellow countrymen. A nation’s believers, more than any other sector, is best positioned to ensure the peace, prosperity, and vitality of a country. Of course, many of the contributions to the national conversation springing from a biblical worldview and perspective will not be met with cheers and salutes but with boos and nasty dismissals. That’s okay– we expect to get some guff from our inebriated neighbor when we question the wisdom of his worldly ways. What’s more; we don’t live for the approval and esteem of those we share the stage with but with the Lord, our life’s sole audience.

The U.S. House of Representatives has just recently impeached President Trump and, before handing over the articles of impeachment to the Senate for a trial, is looking to gain support for the measure from across the fruited plain. Impeachment, we’re told, is a political process and exercise. In which case, the real jurors are you and me. Congress is loathe to overturn the people’s decision without the hearty assent of the people. So, what do you think? What do we think? What should the Church have to say? We shouldn’t be silent. Mark Galli, the outgoing editor of the top evangelical periodical, Christianity Today, caused quite a stir when he published an editorial with the imprimatur of the magazine, calling for the Senate to convict the President and remove him from office. Before long, the evangelical world formed ranks and volleys of cannon fire have been crisscrossing the twittersphere ever since. Where should we file in or should we make every effort to sit this one out? It’s a good topic for conversation! Please follow the link to read Galli’s editorial and consider joining us this Sunday morning (January 5th) at 8:30am upstairs in the Family Life Center for a roundtable discussion on Christianity Today’s call for the President’s impeachment. Should be a stimulating and eye-opening exercise. Hot coffee and a fresh-baked treat will greet you at the door!

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December 29, 2019

James 5:13-18

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

December 22, 2019

December 15, 2019

Job 38:1

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

How is it that two very different things can be said to be equal? We understand that a dollar bill is equal in value to four quarters, that water in frozen crystals is equal to water in liquid droplets, and that an F-sharp is the same note whether played on stringed instrument or a woodwind. While almost no two things are exactly the same in substance, there are many things that are perfectly equal in essence. Value, therefore, shouldn’t be ascribed by comparison to another thing but in accord to its essence. Diversity doesn’t necessitate hierarchy.
Man and woman are two very different creations and yet the Apostle Paul asserts in the New Testament that they are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). The Bible affirms the equality of all human beings regardless of gender, race, nationality, or socio-economic status. The Bible also affirms the diversity present in God’s creation. God Himself is one in essence and yet there are profound differences in the roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Men and women are equal in essence and yet their roles too are very different.

For the last fifty years or so, the question of what role, if any, women should have in the leadership ministry of the church has been a source of a lot of discussion and division. Most recently, John MacArthur (a prominent evangelical pastor in California) re-fired the debate when he admonished Beth Moore and other women preachers to give up their ministries and “go home”. A video of MacArthur’s comments went viral on the internet and created brush fires on social media and in the blogosphere. That being the case, I thought it would be a good time for us to talk about this issue and see if we can’t benefit some from the exercise. I’m not confident that we’ll be able to resolve something that has kept Christians of good conscience apart for decades now, but I’m confident we can learn from the Bible and one another. As a basis for our discussion, I’ve chosen a thoughtful and scholarly piece by Robert Hart. While it may be in the deep end of the pool and you won’t be able to keep your head above water without doing some swimming, you can always just hang on to the side! Give it a shot and then come prepared to share in the conversation Sunday morning at 8:30, upstairs in the Family Life Center. Coffee and a home-baked treat will greet you at the door! Hope to see you there!

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