Christmas Eve Candlelight Service – What Are We Celebrating?

Be a light in your neighborhood

Opening song – Hallelujah Christmas – Cloverton

Angels We Have Heard On High – Baloche

1 John 4:9-10

“By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Galatians 4:4-5

“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

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Scripture and the Authority of God in the 21st Century – Part 2

Scripture - it is finished in red letters

Part Two – The Authority of God Historically in American Culture

As late as 1873 God’s authority and the supremacy of the Bible was raised as an unassailable tower of strength. In that year retired President of Yale, Reverend Theodore Woosley, in a speech to the Evangelical Alliance proclaimed, “In what sense can this country be called a Christian country?  In this sense certainly, that the vast majority of the people believe in Christ and the Gospel, that Christian influences are universal, that our civilization and intellectual culture are built on that foundation . . .”[1]  John Warrick Montgomery paints a very accurate picture of the influence of Christianity on life in America that supports Woosley’s contention.[2]  He suggests that because American culture was influenced from its very inception by Christian theism there existed a depository of values from which Americans drew.  Through the early 20th century America utilized this “inherited capital” of Christianity as a vanguard of sorts to draw upon when answering the questions of life that resulted from societal turmoil.  Eventually however, the forces unleashed in the Enlightenment, most notably empiricism coupled with scientific inquiry informed by naturalism managed to shake off what was viewed as religious constraints.

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Book Review – The Atheist Who Didn’t Exist – Andy Bannister

Atheist Who Didnt Exist cover

One of the clearest distinguishing characteristics of the so-called new atheism, is its moral certitude. Richard Dawkins, the late Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett ,and Samuel Harris, as well as many others have declared that atheism has finally and convincingly won the war against Christian theism.

So sure are they of this decisive victory that they have made loud proclamation of the fact and proudly published their summaries of the conflict. Dawkins’s The God Delusion, Hitchens’s God Is Not Great, Harris’s The End of Faith, and Dennett’s Breaking the Spell as well as several other books by these authors and others all trumpet their perceived triumph.

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Pastor You Must Be A Theologian – Part 4

Scripture and compass

In this series of posts I’ve been discussing the great need of the Church today that it’s shepherds be theologians in the highest sense of the word. I share with you a quote by CH Spurgeon who was speaking about the importance of pastors preaching the full counsel of God’s Word. He stated:

“The glory of God being our chief object, we aim at it by seeking the edification of saints and the salvation of sinners. It is a noble work to instruct the people of God, and to build them up in their most holy faith: we may by no means neglect this duty. To this end we must give clear statements of gospel doctrine, of vital experience, and of Christian duty, and never shrink from declaring the whole counsel of God. In too many cases sublime truths are held in abeyance under the pretense that they are not practical; whereas the very fact that they are revealed proves that the Lord thinks them to be of value, and woe unto us if we pretend to be wiser than He. We may say of any and every doctrine of Scripture—to give it then a tongue is wise in man. If any one note is dropped from the divine harmony of truth the music may be sadly marred. Your people may fall into grave spiritual diseases through the lack of a certain form of spiritual nutriment, which can only be supplied by the doctrines which you withhold. In the food which we eat there are ingredients which do not at first appear to be necessary to life; but experience shows that they are requisite to health and strength. Phosphorus will not make flesh, but it is wanted for bone; many earths and salts come under the same description— they are necessary in due proportion to the human economy. Even thus certain truths which appear to be little adapted for spiritual nutriment are, nevertheless, very beneficial in furnishing believers with backbone and muscle, and in repairing the varied organs of Christian manhood. We must preach “the whole truth,” that the man of God may be thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

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Kingdom Intelligence Briefing 53 – A Pastoral View of the Need to Teaching End-Time Prophecy

Kingdom Intelligence Briefing

In this episode, Dr. Mike Lake interviews me. In this heart-felt discussion, Mike and I examine the need for local congregations to address end-time prophecy, how to approach the subject and maintain balance, and encourage pastors to become true theologians for the sake of the flock. This episode is a timely word for both pastors and congregates.

Listen here.