An angel of the Lord announced, in the language of Luke 2:10, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Angels always seem glad to banish the fear of men who are earnestly seeking the Lord as is evidenced at the end of our Saviour’s earthly ministry when at His resurrection, heavenly messengers declared to the women who came to His tomb, “Fear not ye: for I know that ye …
One evening I was crossing on the ferry-boat from Oakland to San Francisco, California, and among other passengers, I noticed a Roman Catholic priest. Going over to him I introduced myself as one seeking to present the Gospel of God to men. He was a pleasant, affable man, and we were soon engaged in a conversation on the momentous truth of justification by faith, based on the Scripture: “To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5).
The priest maintained that he firmly believed the Scriptural declaration, but …
Baptism is one of the central events of a believer’s Christian life. Foreshadowed by the ritual cleansings performed by the Jewish community and the baptism of repentance administered by John the Baptist, Christian baptism is commanded for every believer. The Scripture institutes this act as an important ordinance in our life of obedient testimony (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:4).
What should the mode be? Sprinkling, pouring, and immersing are used, but biblically, baptism by immersion is preferable, although sickness and immobility may require another method. Baptism is usually performed by someone of spiritual authority within the local church leadership. …
The biblical canon (meaning rule or standard) is the revealed Word of God—the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. As Protestants, we believe that the canon of the early church was comprised of 39 books in the Old Testament and eventually 27 in the New Testament. While books from the Apocrypha might be of limited benefit for Christian reading, they are not God’s Word, and the Jewish people and the early Christian community never considered them as having the same weight as the accepted Scriptures.
From the time of the early church, December 25th has been celebrated throughout Christianity. It has served to commemorate the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Even though He was not literally born on that particular December 25th over two thousand years ago, Christmas day and the surrounding holiday season reminds us yearly of the glorious condescension of the infinite to the finite. At The Moody Church, we heartily partake of this season of guided worship and family fellowship.
Outside of Christianity, Christmas has accumulated secular, cultural significance. Many observe the holiday with no understanding of who Jesus Christ is or why …
When the State Becomes God: What to do when government invades your God-given freedoms
To obey, or to disobey?
History is filled with stories of conflict between the church and state. More often than not, these conflicts happen when the state overreaches its proper role and stifles its citizens’ freedom of conscience, freedom of worship, and the right to propagate one’s faith. Perhaps one of the most egregious examples of this happened in the first century when Christians who would not declare “Caesar is Lord” were ostracized or put to death. This was based on the accepted dictum that if …
Throughout the Christian life, we are faced with questions. We hope that these brief biblical responses to pastoral and theological issues, as well as questions that are frequently asked about day-to-day life, will prove helpful.
If you are seeking direction concerning a personal circumstance in your life, you may find some guidance among these responses. However, we strongly encourage you to utilize your local church leadership for face-to-face advice and biblical counsel.
Some of the issues are not considered core doctrines of Christianity. While we advocate the viewpoints expressed, we understand that some believers may disagree based upon interpretive or …
With Rhyme and Reason: A Word Portrait of Avis B. Christiansen
Many a lost soul has been won to the Lord by wandering over the cobblestones of memory’s lane and hearing again the sweet hymns of the church. When the roll is finally called up yonder, Avis B. Christiansen will find stars in her crown never dreamed of. As poetess and hymn writer, her inspired words have brought easing of pain to broken hearts and, through the Holy Spirit, helped to work the miracle of salvation in many others.
Mrs. Christiansen has both the rhyme and the reason for expressing …
Throughout history, the mode of burial has been culturally dictated. No method is biblically mandated, however, in early Jewish culture, bodies of the dead were often allowed to decompose until only their bones remained. The bones would then be placed in the family “bone box.” When the Scriptures speak of men going to “rest with their fathers,” their bones literally did!
By the time of Jesus, the culture had adopted the use of individual bone boxes known as ossuaries. When Jesus was laid in the tomb, it likely was to precede His eventual placement in an ossuary. Praise God that …
Arising out of Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:31, the subject of the unpardonable sin has been repeatedly twisted, undermining the confidence of believers. Contextually speaking, Matthew 12 is couched in the common confrontation between Christ and the Jewish leaders (the familiar term is “brood of vipers”). In chapter 12, Jesus had freed a man from the power of a demon. This dramatic event caused a vicious reaction from the Pharisees, who accused Jesus of performing His miracles by the power of Beelzebub (Satan).
Jesus responds to this outlandish affront by condemning their accusations. He who has perfect communion with the …
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