“New Hampshire has passed a law that prohibits the state government from treating houses of worship with harsher restrictions during times of emergency than organizations and businesses deemed to be essential services.” - C.Post

“This Thursday (Aug. 12) will mark 39 days since Reeves’ [age 49] initial COVID diagnosis. A small victory was returning to his church office for a couple hours of work earlier this week.” - BPNews

“Locke and Feucht are sideshows in the midst of a global pandemic and a time of Christian service and mission. Hungry for media attention and skilled at getting the headlines, both have given many non-Christians another reason to reject Christianity.” - Ed Stetzer

“The specific issues are many, some comparatively new (critical race theory, former President Donald Trump), some all too familiar (racism and race relations beyond the one theory, roles of women, sexual ethics, Christian nationalism, church handling of abuse), all with a political edge.” - C.Today

“On each corner of the paper, I write the following headings. Top Left Corner: Big Picture, Big Action, Big Inspiration, Top Right Corner: Verse Groupings, Bottom Right Corner: Illustrations, Bottom Left Corner: Applications. I start with the top right corner.” - Jess Rainer

Texas: Federal court blocks transgender mandate for healthcare professionals

Indiana: Catholic high school can fire staff in same-sex marriages, court rules

“Wilder viewed Christians as a specific challenge, he said, because growing up, he was taught that evangelicals practiced a ‘cheap faith;’ that they believed their lives didn’t necessarily need to reflect the faith they claimed to profess.” - C.Post

Our ladies’ wanted to do a Bible stuidy with Cymbala’s book, Spiritual Warfare Is Real. Is this pretty solid?

“During consideration of a budget resolution, senators approved in a 50-49 vote an amendment by Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., that bars federal funds from being used to pay for abortions. The amendment also blocks funding for government programs that discriminate against individual health care professionals or institutions that object to abortion.” - BPNews

“At most denominational conferences these days, leaders have to recognize and reckon with the challenge of continued declines in membership. But for the US Assemblies of God (AG), which drew 18,000 registered attendees to its General Council meeting in Orlando last week, it’s a different story.” - C.Today

“Pastors are advocating for vaccines but misinformation has driven some evangelical hesitancy about getting COVID-19 shots, Moore told Washington Post Live.” - RNS

“This article features recent data from Beyond Diversity, a study conducted in partnership with Dr. Michael O. Emerson and the Racial Justice and Unity Center, exploring whether or not practicing Christians from various racial backgrounds think their race offers them an advantage in life, as well as how they feel when the term “white privilege” is mentioned.” - Barna

“People can sign up for the course for the cost of $275. Below the join button, however, is the statement: ‘A full scholarship is available to anyone harmed by purity culture and my past books. Use code GIFT at checkout.’” - C.Leaders

“Silence is often a way out. Silence is a way to neglect our responsibilities as a mentor or boss. Silence is an excuse not to fulfill what Scripture says about the older teaching the younger….The opposite is also true…. So how do we know when we should or should not respond?” - Treg Spicer

We can find NT passages that refer to a completed OT canon (Matthew 5:17–18; 23:34–35; Luke 24:44–45; Romans 3:2; 2 Timothy 3:14–16). But we look in vain for NT passages that identify a completed NT canon. This shouldn’t surprise us since during the writing of any NT book to which we might appeal, the NT canon as an organic whole had not yet been completed.

“According to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, at least $2.7 million from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has gone to support a project at the University of Pittsburgh that includes the possible removal of organs and tissue from pre-born babies who are still alive.” - BPNews

“Members of a seven-member task force named to oversee an independent, third-party review of the SBC Executive Committee’s handling of sexual abuse claims have released an update calling for proposals from firms interested in conducting the review.” - BPNews

“…according to a study published last month in JAMA Psychiatry. Nearly 8% of Muslims in the survey reported a suicide attempt in their lifetime compared with 6% of Catholics, 5% of Protestants and 3.6% of Jewish respondents.” - NPR

“The fallen tendency to grumble does harm to everyone and everything it touches – families, schools, businesses, churches.” - P&D

“Consider the evidence that various types of abortion laws and policies have on the reduction in the rate of abortion. State-level restrictions and policies that affect abortion rates usually take one of the following seven forms…” - BPNews

“Just as Moses, Gideon, and others led through what they felt would handicap them in following God’s call, introverted pastor, you can do this. With God’s help, an understanding family, and some hard, purposeful, intentional work – if God has called you to it, He will equip you.” - C.Leaders

“Vidu aims to recover and defend a hard operation view, in which a unity of operation is maintained in all God’s dealings with creation. He sees the doctrine of inseparable operations as functioning as a “dogmatic rule.’” - Ref21

“Facebook already asks for your thoughts. Now it wants your prayers.” - RNS

“Despite the attention the church has received after six of its members died, Davis explained that the six recent deaths were not the only reasons the church held the second vaccination event.” - C.Post

“The new August 2021 issue of Themelios has 226 pages of editorials, articles, and book reviews. It is freely available in three formats: (1) PDF, (2) web version, and (3) Logos Bible Software.” - TGC

“A Texas judge has granted full custody of eight-year-old James Younger to his mother, who has fought publicly to transition her son into a girl against the father’s wishes.” - N.Review

Read the series.

The Key Lukan Passage on the Two Comings

It is a bold and somewhat subjective statement to make, but the Parable of the Pounds (or Ten Minas)¹ in Luke 19:11-27 is perhaps the key passage in this Gospel, if not in all the Gospels, on the theology of the two comings of Messiah.² Since I believe it to be so crucial, I will give it special attention. The parable is introduced as follows:

“Many of these situations are completely out of our control. Yet our perspective, the way we choose to approach or react to them, is up to us. Will we focus on the bad news, health and financial challenges, political unrest and other difficulties we are surrounded by?” - Sally Clarkson

“According to a study from Lifeway Research, when asked which feeling they seek to avoid the most, 4 in 10 U.S. adults (41%) say fear. Far fewer say shame (24%) or guilt (22%). Around 1 in 10 aren’t sure.” - Lifeway

America’s Revival features calls to prayer, claims Jesus trumps COVID and Mike Lindell conspiracy theories