"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." Galatians 5:1
Freedom
in Christ does not mean the right to do as we please. Freedom in Christ
means the ability to choose to do the right thing---faith expressing
itself through love.
"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem." Matthew 2:1 OK, I know I'm not too savvy when it comes to geography, but I really didn't know Bethlehem was sooooo close to Jerusalem. Yesterday we took a day trip to visit the site where tradition says Jesus was born. It was so very interesting in many ways. First we met with some Palestinian believers and had some good fellowship over lunch. Then we visited the Church of the Nativity (and the Grotto of the Nativity, which is supposed to be the exact cave where Jesus was born), the Shepherd's Fields, and Rachel's Tomb. My overall impression of Bethlehem was much better than I had expected. It reminded me of Jerusalem, some old and some new parts. I was pleasantly surprised at how much new building was taking place, beautiful buildings. I saw many sign with "U.N." on them. When I asked about the signs, I was told it has to do with...
* Photo courtesy of MamaBearApologetics.com It is never too early to start teaching kids Christian Apologetics and critical thinking. For all the parents and grandparents who have asked which apologetics materials I recommend for parents and kids, I have put together this brief list. I will continue to update it. And in case you are wondering why kids need apologetics, read this great article by my good friend Hillary Morgan Ferrer, "Why Your Children DO Need Apologetics: Correcting Misconceptions." (Note: this list does not include many apologetics books. These are specific for parents and kids.) For Parents: Keeping Your Kids on God's Side: 40 Conversations to Help Them Build a Lasting Faith by Natasha Crain (2016) Talking with Your Kids about God: 30 Conversations Every Christian Parent Must Have by Natasha Crain (2017) Foundation: Comparative Worldview Curriculum by Elizabeth Urbanowicz (2018) For 8-12...
Where is our focus today? When we look around us and observe the culture war taking place, what do we see? When we hear about judges redefining marriage, where is our focus? When we hear about government inculcation of secular values to our children through public, where is our focus? When we see a decline in morals on television, film, and radio, where is our focus? Are we focusing on the circumstances? Or are we focusing on Jesus? I am not suggesting we bury our heads in the sand and ignore what we see happening around us. We are supposed to be alert (Ephesians 6:18, I Peter 5:8) and as wise as serpents but harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16). We should be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16). What does this mean ? First, we remember that our God is good, all the time. He is sovereign, which means He is in control of everything that happens. That is not to say that God causes everything to happen, because God cannot cause evil. However, God does allow bad things to happen becaus...
Comments
Post a Comment