“the unfortunate reality is that this beautiful, biblically based truth has been hijacked by elements of the extreme religious right, often with anti-Semitic implications.” - Michael Brown

“Amid such challenges, some observers have wondered whether religious liberty can persist as a basic value in an increasingly secularized American society. It must, say religious liberty advocates.” - BPNews

Read the series.

Last time we considered a passage from Ephesians 5 that provided some basic principles to underlie our exercise of fellowship. This time I’d like to consider a different Pauline passage, one that helps us recognize when we’re succeeding.

In the opening paragraph of Philippians 2, Paul exhorts the church to live out their unity in Christ in several specific ways—

Psalm 66… “Think of the many ways in which God has been good to His people. Review His kindnesses to your church. Recall the kindnesses that He has shown specifically to you, and then share these blessings” - David Huffstutler

“Overall, 57% of Americans say science has had a mostly positive effect on society. This share is down 8 percentage points since November 2021 and down 16 points since before the start of the coronavirus outbreak.” - Pew

“My main audience is not professional academics, but I attempt to be academically responsible. I aim to explain a complex topic simply but not simplistically.” - Naselli

“Such musical interventions have already been shown to help people with cancer, chronic pain and depression. The debilitating consequences of stress, such as elevated blood pressure and muscle tension, can also be alleviated through the power of music.” - The Conversation

“We think we know what it means for God to be good, until we try to explain it. Then we usually start listing other attributes…. It takes some reflection to understand all that we mean—or should mean—when we confess that God is good.” - Kevin DeYoung

“Isabelle Ayala filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit…. claims to have been pressured by AAP-affiliated doctors into so-called ‘gender-affirming care’ as a minor.” - Breakpoint

Have the blessings God promised to the Chosen People of Israel been redirected to all believers in the church? Will the church receive the prophetic future God promised the Jewish people repeatedly throughout the Old Testament?

People who answer yes to these questions hold to a position referred to as Replacement Theology, or Supersessionism.¹ This influence is growing today; and it’s important to ask, “What should we who love Israel—and God’s future plan for Israel—do about it?”

“Burnout in the ministry almost always involves some specific sin(s) in our lives. In my own experience, the major sin involved in ministerial burnout is pride.” - Ref21

“Two futures look possible. One is outright schism. That happened before…. The other potential future is a reaction to Pope Francis when he dies with the cardinals electing another traditionalist like Benedict XVI.” - Roger Olson

“…the world-famous activist and atheist Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s declaration of new Christian faith is a stunning event. Accustomed as we are to ideological entrenchment, Ms. Ali’s repudiation of her secular bona fides (Richard Dawkins called her a “major hero of our time”) feels genuinely unlikely” - World

Similar themes… Podcast: How New Atheism Collapsed and Gave Way to New Faith - TGC

“when I hear someone say, ‘Contemporary worship music all sounds the same,’ I think of my music history students and wonder if that person simply doesn’t like the music very much.” - CToday

“It might sound like hyperbole to say that this resurgent form of the Social Gospel is changing our politics. But its proponents have helped reshape many Americans’ perspectives.” - CNN

Read the series.

The next chapter in the book is by Alan Kurschner, one of the editors of the volume. It engages G. K. Beale’s view of the chronology of the first part of Revelation 7. Basically, Beale believes that the two peoples mentioned in Revelation 7:4-8 and 7:9-12 are the same but seen at different times; the first appearance of them is upon earth, while the second appearance is in heaven (144).

“Hanover Press is a publishing house committed to producing original Protestant academic theology and classic Baptist literature with the quality of a university press and the ecclesial mindset of an evangelical publisher.” - London Lyceum

Exodus 34:6-7 “It is truly amazing to discover, therefore, that the first thing God had determined to reveal to us about His name (or character) was that He is merciful.” - Ligonier

“a growing number of church attendees in the U.S. are embracing prosperity gospel teachings as if they reflect genuine Christianity. The study compares beliefs to a similar study in 2017 and shows several alarming trends.” - Lifeway

“A bipartisan group of representatives and senators attended, while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) spoke at the event.” - Axios

Related…

“A Finnish court of appeal on Tuesday tossed out the “hate crime” charges against a lawmaker and Lutheran bishop who have been in a four-year legal battle for expressing traditional Christian beliefs regarding sexuality and gender.” - CPost

Forgiveness is a broad subject with a lot of variables. Our poll is about a general perspective. It always “depends.”

Everyone agrees that we forgive as God forgives. But does God forgive us if we do not repent (or confess our sins)? Thus forgiveness is conditional or all would be saved.

Others argue that Christ’s words, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” teaches unconditional forgiveness.

What is forgiveness? Is it letting something go and accept a damaged relationship or emotional distance because of the offense? Or is it complete reconciliation, as thought he offense never occurred? How we define forgiveness may color how we describe our view about it.

“Really excellent….A writer I’ll stay alert to.” - Mark Ward

“What if, instead of a process limited only to biology, Darwinian evolution was promoted to a fundamental law governing all physical reality? That’s exactly what some scientists have tried to do, most recently in a much-heralded paper” - Breakpoint

“the term evangelical has become especially unattractive to folks who either retired or are getting very close to it…. among those born in the late 1980s, the share who self-identify as evangelical has actually risen very slightly since 2008. ” - Ryan Burge

“The Vatican first asked Strickland to resign on Thursday. When Strickland refused to step aside, according to DiNardo, the pontiff decided to remove him from office.” - CPost

Related:

“The first time I shared my testimony, my campus ministry leader said, ‘I love that we see God’s grace through TikTok.’ I was shocked.” - TGC

Posted previously in 2010.

Men and women, young and old, rich and poor—they all gathered at the square by the water gate. They wanted to hear the Book of the Law read. Ezra was more than willing and read from dawn to noon while everyone stood with rapt attention. Teachers helped translate and explain words grown unfamiliar after decades of neglect.

“anyone can dig in their heels and refuse to commit to pushing ultimate explanations as far as possible, which will of course prevent a theistic conclusion. Doing so, however, comes at a heavy cost.” - Acton

“The guidance… stipulated that people who have undergone transgender surgical procedures or taken cross-sex hormones can be baptized provided ‘there are no situations in which there is a risk of generating public scandal or disorientation among the faithful.’” - CPost