Christianity

The Great Exchange

The War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States ended when the nations made peace in Ghent, Belgium, on December 24, 1814. However, news traveled slowly across oceans in those days, and the bloodiest engagement of the war — the Battle of New Orleans — took place January 8, 1815. Although the war […]

mental health and the church

Mental Health and the Church: S.O.S

Mental Health and the Church: Save Our Slighted This is an urgent call to all leaders within the General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh Day). There is a segment of our brethren (in, and outside of our denomination) that is being underserved, and if we are to call ourselves Christians, we must make […]

On Mission . . . In Pakistan

Pakistan is an Islamic country in South Asia. It shares its border with India, Afghanistan, Iran, and China, and the good news is preached here. Pakistan is a member of the International Ministerial Congress. Religious beliefs Christians are free to worship and share the good news in most regions of Pakistan, as long as they […]

General Epistles BIS 104

Learning to Love Those You Serve

John opens his first epistle by defending and establishing the understanding of the humanity of Christ. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life…” (1 John 1:1). John is making the […]

Master Builder

I have seen many kinds of church buildings in my journey. I can remember something about all of them, except the first (my first year of life). Several churches from my childhood stand out in memory. In one of them, we were building a sanctuary while we were there. It was enormous and in the […]

Worship singing

What Is Real Worship?

In the life of a Christian, worship is a necessary discipline in developing a relationship with our Maker and Savior. How did I learn about real worship? There were times before taking classes through Artios Christian College (formerly, LifeSpring School of Ministry) when I believed that worship was only what happened at church with the […]

a church in the woods

Learning to Love the Church

I used to think Christianity was a religion full of rules and regulations, all designed to determine if you were a Good Christian or a Bad Christian. But all of that is wrong; none of it is in the Bible. All of that “do good, get good” stuff is mere religiosity, cannibalized Christianity. The truth […]

Standing for Moral Marriage

Is there any difference between love, desire, and lust? If we’re listening to today’s conversations, not much! Tolerance and equality, it seems, can also be tainted to mean accepting what isn’t moral or good. Allow me to explain. A friend — we’ll call him George — dearly loved three young women. This reciprocal relationship quickly […]

fans at a concert

From Modernity to Postmodernity: A Primer for Leaders – Part 4

Christianity is changing. Not in the core essentials that were affirmed by the apostles. But rather, the way we talk about, communicate, and even view our faith has changed radically in the past few decades. Anyone who spends much time reading serious analysis of 21st century Christianity, culture, and ministry will frequently come across the […]

people in a crowd

From Modernity to Postmodernity: A Primer for Leaders – Part 3

“It seems like we are speaking two different languages.” If you have ever thought this, you aren’t alone. As religion columnist Phyllis Tickle observed, approximately every 500 years, Western culture—and the Church in particular—undergoes such a significant change in paradigms that words often develop two sets of meanings. True to the pattern, we are currently […]