Sharing the life changing Gospel message found in Jesus Christ
However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:20
Be modest in your talentsand spiritual success God works through you. What God does for you is greater than what you could ever do for Him.
The “KUWTK” couple reveals their newborn son’s name one week after Kim announced his arrival.
A Keeping Up With the Kardashians source told PEOPLE that the couple “had a name in mind, but wanted to meet the baby before they decided.”
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were apparently biblically inspired when it was time to name their fourth child.
Here’s a hint: “Psalm” means song in Hebrew
The couple’s new baby, Psalm, will be the little brother of North, South and Chicago West.
“The inspiration was the Book of Psalms in the Bible,” Jenner told ET Onlineof her daughter Kim Kardashian West and son-in-law Kanye West‘s choice of moniker for their fourth child. “I think it’s just a wonderful way to celebrate how they feel. And he’s such a blessing, so it’s perfect.”
The couple’s newest child was born May 10 via a surrogate, but they waited a week before announcing on Twitter that their baby boy’s name was “Psalm.”
If you’re not up on theology, a psalm is a sacred song or hymn and is also the title of a book in the Bible.
As you might expect, the new name inspired strong reactions from social media users. Some despise it and some loved it with one fan writing,
“The book of Psalm was created by King David to give praises to God. This name is perfect for where you and Kanye are in your lives right now. You are publicly giving God praise for the world to see.”
Another fan wrote,
“It’s actually pretty perfect. ”
Despite often criticised over lifestyle choices, the couple have both been open about their Christian faith.
Kanye West has recently shared videos from a church gathering he has been hosting which includes much gospel music.
World Leprosy Day: Gospel for Asia-supported workers’ hands-on care for sufferers brings practical help and spiritual hope to those still marginalized by long-feared disease. WILLS POINT, Texas – Gospel for Asia (GFA) is spotlighting its efforts to bridge the historic social gulf caused by the disfiguring disease that leaves sufferers disadvantaged and often despised–one outstretched arm at a time. As Gospel for Asia-supported workers prepare a series of events offering hands-on care to sufferers across Asia, to mark World Leprosy Day, Sunday, Jan. 27, the organization is also publishing a special report on worldwide efforts to eradicate the disease.
The latest in an in-depth series of GFA reports addressing key global issues, “Leprosy: Misunderstandings and Stigma Keep it Alive” examines how leprosy continues to see those infected shunned despite breakthroughs in treatment, and the fact that most people are naturally immune to the disease.
Though there have been significant medical advances, more than 210,000 new cases were diagnosed in 2016–the majority of them in India. Millions more around the world are suspected to be infected but are not yet symptomatic because the disease’s incubation period is so long.
While doctors and scientists continue to work on prevention and treatment, GFA-supported workers are providing practical and emotional help to those affected. Often losing fingers and toes because leprosy’s nerve damage means they are unaware of infection and injury, many sufferers are left physically unable to work, or as a result of being shunned.
Through associated local churches and members of its Sisters of Compassion ministry, specially trained women missionaries, GFA helps provide practical care, from cooking and cleaning to bathing and dressing wounds. As well as providing physical help, these healing touches also seek to tend to emotional wounds by demonstrating to leprosy sufferers that they have not been rejected.
“When we were completely lost and dejected, Christ came to us and lived among us,” said GFA founder Dr. KP Yohannan.
“By serving these precious people who happen to be afflicted with leprosy, we are not doing anything extraordinary or special. We are simply extending the love that was first given to us.”
GFA’s ministry also endeavors to release patients from the guilt many carry because, the report notes, over the centuries many have believed the disease is the result of some great sin of theirs.
“Eliminating discrimination and false conceptions of leprosy is key to eliminating the disease itself,” the reports adds. All too frequent are “the stories of men and women abandoned by their spouses, in-laws, or even kicked out of their homes by their children.”
The World Leprosy Day outreaches are being arranged in addition to GFA’s ongoing ministry to care for patients. GFA-supported workers have reached thousands of leprosy patients since the Reaching Friends Ministry, as it is called, began in 2007. They visit some of the isolated colonies in which many patients are forced to live, often cut off from the rest of the world.
“We thought we would name the ministry differently, where they won’t have to remember their sickness or feel the stigma of it,” said Tarik, the pastor who helped launched the initiative.
“We thought, ‘Let us call them “friends” because they have been created in the image of God, like us. It is only the sickness that keeps them different, but let us not make that a barrier. Let us accept them as friends.’ “
Among the Sisters of Compassion reaching out is Sakshi, a former leprosy sufferer whose story is shared in the report: at one time she considered suicide because of her despair. Receiving treatment and care, and coming to faith through Reaching Friends Ministry, she now offers help and hope to others.
“Nobody wants to love them, hug them or to come near to them to dress them,” said Sakshi. “They have so many inner pains in their heart, because they also are human beings. They also need love, care and encouragement from other people.”
Observed internationally each year on the last Sunday in January, to raise public awareness of the disease, World Leprosy Day is marked on Jan 30 in India, to commemorate the death of leader Mahatma Gandhi, who championed concern and care for sufferers.
To schedule an interview with a GFA representative, please contact Gregg Wooding @ 972-567-7660 or gwooding@inchristcommunications.com
To read more news on World Leprosy Day on Missions Box, go here.
Gospel for Asia (GFA, www.gfa.org) and its worldwide affiliates have–for almost 40 years–provided humanitarian assistance and spiritual hope to millions across Asia, especially among those who have yet to hear the Good News. Last year, this included more than 70,000 children, free medical services in over 1,200 villages and remote communities, 4,600 wells drilled, 11,000 water filters installed, Christmas gifts for more than 200,000 needy families, and spiritual teaching available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry.
Source: InChristCommunications.com, World Leprosy Day Outreach and Special Report Spotlight ‘Healing Touch’ Ministry to Asia’s Marginalized
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With her impressive vocal range and soulful sound, Team Kelly’s Kymberli Joye has been a standout performer on “The Voice” ever since her initial blind audition.
Now, the minister and worship leader hailing from Windsor, Connecticut has taken her passion for Jesus Christ to center stage with her live Top 11 performance of “Break Every Chain.”
With parents as pastors, the 26-year-old contestant has had Christianity ingrained in her roots, but nothing brings her faith to life quite like worship. Bringing judges to their feet and audiences members to their knees, Joye undoubtedly took “The Voice” audience to Church with her goosebump-raising rendition of this popular Christian song.
Check out her unforgettable performance of “Break Every Chain” below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfIog7RIgFE&feature=youtu.be
Team Kelly’s Kymberli Joye performs “Break Every Chain” during The Voice Live Top 11 Performances.
Life is not easy. Many times it may feel as though you’re constantly dodging bullets. Sometimes you may get hit with a bullet in the form of financial distress, depression, slander, inequality and even death, and they are all enough to shake your foundation in Christ… if you allow it.
Recently, I had lunch with a few family members. There was the usual catching up session, plentiful dishes full of tasty homecooked food, and much laughter. But there was something else that I didn’t like: the gossiping and constant judgment of those who were not present. Some time ago, I would have been the one sitting with them and judging those relatives right along with them, but thankfully the LORD dealt with me concerning this. So I kept my distance and did not take part. Perhaps you’re asking yourself why I didn’t tell them that what they were doing was wrong? The simple reason is that the women were all elders (except one) in the family and do not take lightly to anyone younger than them saying anything against what they are talking about. They definitely knew that I did not like their topic of conversation, which is why I have been on the receiving end of much judgment in the past. Well, these women just kept on going on and on about our other relatives, picking out every problem and judging them for it. My spirit was so troubled by it, that I walked away and put my earphones on to listen to some praise music. I needed to drown out the ugliness of the conversation, and I got to thinking: how did I manage to be a part of such slanderous speech in the past? How did I continue to spew such ugly words and descriptions about other people? I did it under the guise of being ‘concerned’ about them, but truly, it was just an excuse to focus on the negative in someone else’s life rather than deal with the disappointments and rejections of my own life, as well as the ugliness that I allowed to multiply in my heart. Matthew 15:18 tells us that the words that we speak come from our hearts, and this defiles us.
There are so many things that we allow to dwell in our hearts, and they eventually come out in the form of words. These words are ones of negativity, doubt, self-beating, gossip, slander and so much more. This is normal for those who are of the world, but it is not normal for us as His people. So, the question is: how different are we from the world? Do we immediately become angry when things do not go our way? Do we seek revenge when someone has wronged us? Do we talk about others in an effort to elevate ourselves? We have to be honest with ourselves when we ask these questions because GOD cannot be fooled. Sometimes we think that we are alright. We are kind to people, we keep away from bad company, we watch our tongue… until something happens out of our control. Maybe you were standing in line for an extremely long time at some government office (in South Africa, we have many stories about the Department of Home Affairs as well as the licensing department!), and you’ve been there since 7 am in the morning, but now it’s 12:00 pm and it’s lunchtime for half of them. Which means that the line is only about to go slower. Well, this just gets you into a tizz, doesn’t it? You probably join in the conversation happening around you about how incompetent the government workers are, how they are clearly not qualified for the job that they do, and so on and so forth. I’ve been there and done that, but just because everyone else is mumbling and grumbling, doesn’t mean that we have to do it. Instead, we could be sharing the gospel with the person sitting next to us (yes, I know that at first, it may seem awkward and you might get some strange or angry looks) or showing a good attitude when everyone else is in a bad mood. You’d be amazed at how many people you can get to smile just by being a cheerful person. You actually attract people to you and then you can tell them that your joy is all thanks to Jesus.
Luke 6:27-28 tells us to love our enemies, to do good to those that hate us, bless those who curse us and pray for those that mistreat us. Whoa. Is that even possible, Jesus? You know what’s going to come next: all things are possible for those who believe (Jesus just dropped the mic on that one). It’s easier for us to love those who love us, to hate those that hate us, to bless those that bless us, to pray for those that we feel like praying for, and to utterly forget about those that mistreat us. It’s far easier, right? But then, what would make us different from the world? In the Old Testament, we know the whole ‘eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth’ thing, right? But Jesus turned that on its head. He came and spoke about living a life so different, and so weird, that people would need to just stop and take a look at us. Jesus said that we are the light and salt of the world, and in order to maintain our light and ‘saltiness’, we are going to have to be different. Oh, it certainly is not easy, but it sure is worth it.
I would like to invite you to take your walk with Christ to a whole different level by being abnormal in the world. Be extraordinary in a world of mundaneness. Be weird in a world where sin is normal. Embrace your role as a servant of the Most High, daughter of a King, son of the Holy of Holies, warrior of the Great I Am. Choose to set aside your feelings of inadequacy, the need to fit in and be accepted, and all your embarrassment to live your life GOD-led and not people/situation-led. We were promised joy, peace, love and everything else that GOD has to offer us, but that doesn’t mean that there will not be suffering and persecution. As Jesus suffered, so will we suffer, but it’s only for a moment in the light of eternity with Christ. Let GOD take control and transform you into someone that even you would never have thought to become.
When someone says that they are a Christian…what exactly does that mean? Do they believe in Jesus as the Christ? Is He their Savior or could their knowledge and belief be based on things that they have heard on TV or maybe at church? What about the Trinity? It is never mentioned in the Bible so where did that idea come from?
All of these questions are good questions and they can be answered, up to a point, by reading and studying God’s Word. The first question about being a Christian is actually the toughest because there are many people who claim to be Christians even though they only attend church on special occasions. Granted, being a Christian is not dependent upon church attendance but you should want to have fellowship with fellow believers. Anyone can claim that they are a Christian just by saying so and many do just that. But the reality of it is that a Christian should be changed in their heart not just by knowing about Jesus or that they went down the aisle one Sunday or on a revival night.
Anyone can walk down the aisle and say a few words which can lead others to believe that they are sincere in their belief, but if their life doesn’t change then those were just words and nothing more. Being a Christian and serving the God and Creator of the universe is a change which is complete and whole. Meaning that you won’t go back to the life you had before, you won’t do the things which you were doing prior to becoming a Christian. If you haven’t gone “all in” with Jesus then your claim to Christianity is false.
Our God is awesome and He loves us deeply otherwise He would not have sent Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins.
The Trinity is referenced in the gospels not so much as the “Trinity” but by description. When Jesus was baptized God the Father spoke and said He was His Son in whom He was pleased and the Holy Spirit came down in the form and shape of a dove and rested upon Jesus. In this, you have the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit of the Trinity. God proved that Jesus was and is His Son by the resurrection after His death on the cross which paid our sin debt in full, all that we have to do is believe and repent of our old life and walk with Him from this point on. Amen
My journey into Billy Graham’s life was absolutely fascinating! I always loved M. Graham and his teachings but I thought, even if he inspired millions of people around the world, for sure, he must have gotten some inspiration from those who were closest to him.
I’m convinced most people know who Billy Graham was unless you live under a rock! But just in case some of you don’t know who this man was…
The Christian evangelist William Franklin Graham was born on November 7, 1918, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Billy Graham was an evangelist at revival meetings and on radio and television for over 40 years. He was basically the greatest evangelist there ever was. He preached the Christian gospel to as many as 220 million people in live audiences over 185 countries. He was credited with preaching to more individuals than anyone else in history, not counting the additional millions he has addressed through radio, television and the written word.
It was a traveling evangelist Mordecai Ham, who would set Graham on a profound spiritual path. At the age of 16, he attended a series of revival meetings done by M. Ham and his sermons really spoke to him. After high school, he enrolled in a conservative Christian school and later to the Florida Bible Institute. After graduating from the Florida Bible Institute with a bachelor in theology, Graham moved to Illinois and he enrolled at Wheaton College for further spiritual training. At the tender age of 19, he got baptized in a southern Baptist Church and one year later, he was ordained.
It was there, at Wheaton’s College that he met, Ruth McCue Bell, who would later become his wife.
Ruth was born in China in 1920. Her parents, Dr. Nelson Bell and Virginia McCue Bell, were medical missionaries with the Presbyterian Hospital. Ruth never intended to marry, since she knew how hard the life of a missionary was but all changed when she met Billy at age 17, in 1937. She said, she loved Billy’s gentle spirit and prayed to God, she would be able to serve Him, with Billy, whom she wished would become her husband.
Ruth was an amazing Christian author and Billy respected her work very much. He was very proud of what she was accomplishing as a mother and as a writer. He said about his wife, that she was also a marvellous cook and a fabulous mother. He often turned to her for advice about his ministry. Often being away from home, He was so respectful of his wife that he swore he would never be alone with another woman other than her. He would ask members of his team, to go into his hotel room and check before he came in, just in case a fan might be there waiting for him. He also shared that his greatest temptation was wanting on a few occasion, to not listen to God and his calling because he wished he could stay home with his wife and children. He found leaving them to be very hard. He struggled many times with that. But he also knew how is calling was important and he did not want to disobey God.
Ruth knew how important her role was as a wife and mother. She treasured her role as Billy’s confident, advisor, administrator and closest friend. She preferred to stay away from the spotlight and was more at ease working behind the scenes. She helped him with the research for his books and was a very important helper when came time to prepare his sermons. She was an amazing writer and poet and she authored as well as coauthored 14 books.
Billy had Ruth as a firm anchor, she would stand by him and make sure he stood firm whenever he would become tempted to dive into politics which fascinated him so. In 1964, when rumors were circulating about Billy Graham running for the White House, she told him boldly, “If you run, I don’t think the country will elect a divorced president”.
Ruth always helped her husband who was always facing many temptations. She was a strong and talented woman. She was a gifted evangelist too but a more private one. She was sharing the gospel with their circle of friends including the First Families.
Reverend Graham’s wife had also a very witty sense of humour. Barbara Bush once said, that Ruth had been asked if she ever thought about divorce, she answered: “ Divorce? No. Murder? Yes”.
Like M. Graham said many times, he could not have done what he has, if it was not for the support of his dear and beloved wife who inspired him so. She was behind the scenes most of the time, but played a major role in Billy Graham’s life and who he became, which is the greatest evangelist there ever was.
-Smile.
After growing up in a broken home, and spending some years in a foster home, I spent many years of my life trying to figure out who I was; really. Was I really someone’s child, someone that didn’t fight for me while I was in a foster home for years? In the foster home, I was not really a daughter, I was a foster kid. I didn’t really belong, it was a “temporary” home for years. I was another mouth to feed in the home. I became a wife at a young age and for many years that seemed to be my identity but deep down that never satisfied me.
I am a mother, a wife, a daughter, a friend, even a patient.
All of my identities, everything that I believe I am, are all dependent on somebody and something else. Don’t get me wrong these are important roles in my life and I get to share my gifts and leave my mark in each of these lives but all of these are just roles in my life and are just a part of what makes me, me. What if all of these people were suddenly gone, what would be left of me? The question still plagues me, who am I?
Gifts and Talents
I believe my true identity goes much deeper than the just mere connection with someone else. God gives us all gifts and I soon realized that I could link up all of my gifts and talents in some way to my roles in my life. Character is the core of who you really are because when your back is up against the wall and you have no choice this is when your true self will show.
I am a good listener. Often times people call me to vent or to give them my opinion but most of the time I listen. People need that, they need for people to listen to them. Most everyone seems to be in a hurry these days and take very little time to slow down and listen. Listening comes easy for me. Hebrews 2:1(ESV) says;
“We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we
have heard, so that we do not drift away.”
So, because of this scripture, I see God also wants me to be a good listener to Him as well.
I am Loyal. I am loyal to my husband, loyal to my children, loyal to my family even though at times they may try my patience. I am loyal to my Heavenly Father, I trust Him, serve Him, rely on Him and seek Him daily. Matthew 24: 45-46 (ESV) says;
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master
has set over his household, to give them their (physical, and spiritual)
food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master
will find so doing when he comes.”
I demonstrate my loyalty to God and loyalty to those who He has called me to serve.
I am trustworthy. I don’t gossip, I don’t tell someone else’s story if told something in confidence I keep it in confidence. I have learned to trust God and I believe He trusts me.
Psalm 91:2 (ESV) says;
“I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress:
my God; in him will I trust.”
I am loving and kind. I don’t just tell of my love for people, I do my best to show people that I love them and care for them. I try to have a shoulder for people to lean on. I do my best to express my concern for others situations and the things in life that they are going through. 1 Corinthians 13: 7 (ESV) says;
“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.”
I am compassionate. I can feel empathy for people, even if they don’t want it or deserve it in some people’s eye. I don’t want anyone to feel alone.
I also bear tangible gifts, I am an artist. I love to draw.
I am a musician: I play the guitar.
I am a blogger: I have been open about my health and life as well as my walk with God and how I believe completely in His word. 2 Timothy 1:8 (ESV) says;
“Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord,
nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by
the power of God.”
I am a daughter of a King. Not perfect, I make mistakes, but I am a working towards being more and more like my Father every day. John 1: 12 says;
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he
gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born,
not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man,
but of God.”
Who am I?’ I am what God made me to be.
Millions of Chinese identify themselves with Christianity a reality that President Xi’s administration is fighting hard against. The number has increased gradually and this is seen as a threat to the government which is officially atheist and its power is being put to test.
Under the presidency of Xi Jinping, the government launched a number of initiatives to control and at times limit Christian followers. Chinese Communist Party (C.C.P.) is up in arms to control and fight Christianity. The government constraints and controls religious freedom. Why is the government determined to rob people of their free will to worship?
We are blessed that we have the freedom of worship to our Lord anywhere, anytime and anyhow with no one monitoring of our doings unlike In China where Christians have been pushed to worship underground. China ranked 10th as a country where it is most hard and risky to practice Christianity according to Open Doors, a U.S. based Christian non-profit that traces the persecution of Christians worldwide.
The Lie
Psalms 103:2-3 says, Praise be to the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.
The Chinese government has been persuading Christians to pull down the pictures of our Lord Jesus Christ and replace them with the photographs of president Xi Jinping.They have also gone ahead to tell them about how Jesus won’t drag them out of hardships or cure their ailments which we all know it’s a lie from the devil!
Our God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we have asked for or imagined.
The Christianity crackdown
Over the past 4 decades, there has been a tremendous increase in Christian believers and this has not gone down so well with the government. The Chinese Communist Party is on guard lest Christians invade the country and that’s why they have opted to restrict and put a barrier to free worship. With the crackdown this is what they’ve opted to do against the Christians;
1. The Communist party was very daring in visiting Christians households in Jiangxi Province, removing by force dozens of Christian symbols and images of Jesus from their living rooms and substituting them with the communist president.
2. Bible online sellers like Amazon has been banned so as to suppress Christianity.
3.The government has destroyed churches under president Xi Jinping.The blowing up of the Christian megachurch with dynamite shows how the government has no respect for religious freedom or human rights.
4. Churches across the Zhejiang province were forced to remove their crosses and the government set new limitations that believers must have government approval.
5. Detention of believers, hindering entry to places of worship and interfering with gatherings has forced many Christians to go underground.
6. The Chinese government has actively and openly been popularizing Buddhism and Taoism, as well folk religions while restricting the spread of Christianity.
7. Preachers have also been coerced to show their loyalty to the communist party and have taken to applauding president Xi Jinping and combining party propaganda into their teachings.
8.The new law that took effect on February 2, 2018, says will charge penalties on organizers or unofficial religious happenings and stop them from basic duties like receiving handouts, providing spiritual information online, or teaching children.
9. The Chinese government has lifted up the presidential term limits-you guessed it right on what this means for the church. Lifting up the term limit is a way of allowing the Communist party to suppress the spread of Christianity.
This has forced many Christians to go underground and some members are reluctant to confess their faith. Forcing the removal of crosses from the churches where the preachers could not agree to it, they opted to go underground for the fear of further punishment.
Acts 1:8 says, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
“By 2030, China will almost certainly have more Christians than any other country and the Communist party is very alarmed.” Says Fenggang Yang.
With this power given unto us, we can change anything and even make things happen. Let us unite as Christians and pray for our brothers and sisters in China and every corner of the world where Christians are being attacked for practicing their faith.
As Christians, we are blessed to have the Holy Spirit to empower and give us power and authority. In countries where we have the freedom of worship, let’s spread the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ even to the unchurched.Share the word of God to everyone who cares to listen and save their souls from death.
Recently I’ve been on a spiritual journey that includes deep prayer, meditation, and mindfulness to help me to connect with God. At the same time, I’ve also been on the hunt for some low-impact stretching that could potentially help with chronic pain in a natural way.
Meditation and stretching. Put those two together and what do you get?
Yoga.
So, I’ve said I need to stretch. And I find that meditation brings me closer to God. These all naturally come together in the form of yoga. But, as a Christian, should I do yoga? Am I allowed? Will Jesus love me less?
Well, first, let’s see”¦what does the Bible say about the word “yoga”? Nothing. Zero. There’s no record of that word being used.
So now what do I do? Since the Bible doesn’t talk about yoga specifically, I have to use the brains God gave me to dig a bit deeper. Then I can determine how best to deal with this current cultural trend.
Let’s start with a few of the basics:
Yoga began as a spiritual disciple in Hindu which includes breath control, meditation, and static postures of the body. Some people who practice yoga are active Hindus or Buddhists. Many are not.
In the western world, yoga is a broad term that is often descriptive of people engaging in the physical body postures that encourage strength and stamina. Sometimes this is combined with meditation for mental strength, but not exclusively. Some yoga classes used sacred words such as “Om”, “Namaste”, and certain chants that hint to Buddhism and Hinduism. Other classes make no reference to the spiritual world at all and are simply a form of physical exercise. Yoga potures have Sanskrit names that have spiritual meanings. Many times these are replaced with English names that simply describe the form the body is taking. (For instance, “lotus” has become “criss-cross applesauce”.)
The word “yoga” in Sanskrit means “yoke” or “union with God”. God tells me to not worship another god, and I must obey.
So I know that yoga started as an ancient spiritual practice of another religion which should lead me to move forward with caution. But I also know that Jesus came to redeem all things.
Is it possible to engage in a moderated form of yoga that feeds our Christian souls, or should we avoid it altogether? Can we be aware of the potential pitfalls and dangers of the spiritual side of yoga and then practice it in a meaningful way with a Christian bent and attitude?
The famous American minister John Piper seems to think that we can’t. He says we should avoid yoga completely, citing it as antithetical to Christianity.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Piper has some good things to offer. But in this situation I tend to think that maybe he’s throwing the proverbial “baby out with the bathwater”.
Christians have often taken “secular” symbols or practices and re-stored them into something that is healthy and even God-glorifying. Take Christmas, for example. December 25, the day on which we now celebrate Jesus’ birth, was reclaimed from the pagans. That date was redeemed from a pagan holiday to a Christian celebration.
Jesus has come to redeem all things. Even pagan holidays. Possibly even stretching and meditation and breathing?
Over the ages, Christians have used wisdom and the discernment to choose what is right for them as individuals and as a Body of believers. To apply Jesus’ redemption to various non-Christian things.
“Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial.” 1 Corinthians 10:23
So I need to decide if yoga could be beneficial (or detrimental) to me. In my case, I truly believe God has given me the wisdom and discernment to be able to stretch and strengthen my body without accidentally worshipping a false god. I even believe that I can meditate and breathe while I simultaneously reflect and contemplate how incredible God is. All without slipping into the devil’s snare.
But I am aware that this may not be the case for all people.
Personally, think that I can apply the idea of a “yoke” or “union with God” in yoga to my relationship with Christ. But that doesn’t mean I’ll just sign up for any yoga class that is offered. I need to be wise and first ask questions about how spiritual a class is before taking it. For my own purposes, I tend to learn at home with videos, so there’s not much of a risk of me getting caught in an awkward situation. If something gets a little weird, I can just turn it off.
Holy Yoga is a practice that is gaining traction, offering the grounding of the Gospel while reframing the positive aspects of yoga in a Christian way.
“Holy Yoga embraces the essential elements of yoga: breath work, meditation and physical postures. In all of these elements, Christ is the focus of our intention and worship.”
So as I‘m making a decision about yoga (or anything in my life!), I need to ask if it creates a risk of becoming a detriment to my walk with Jesus. If so, then I absolutely shouldn’t do it! But if yoga can be practiced in a way that is healthy to my body and mind, while drawing me closer to Christ with mindfulness and meditation, then is it possible that even John Piper can’t argue with that?
If you and I were having coffee together, and I asked you, “Hey, how’s your prayer life?”, how would you respond?
I know for most followers of Jesus, myself included, prayer is one of those things that we know we should do, but struggle making it a regular practice throughout our daily life.
Like any relationship, communication with Jesus is vital if we actually want to grow closer to Him. So we commit to pray. We sit down in the morning with our coffee and Bible, and start praying. It feels awkward, and we start to stumble through different things to pray for. We look at the clock after we’ve prayed for everything we can think of, and three minutes have passed. We get discouraged, pull out our phone, and give in to the noise of social media rather than the calming presence of our Creator.
I don’t know if you can relate to this scenario, but it strikes close to home for me. We want to pray. But it feels awkward, boring, and we quickly run out of things to say. And then we wonder, does my praying even make a difference?
Theologian Dallas Willard wrote, “The idea that everything would happen exactly as it does regardless of whether we pray or not is a specter that haunts the minds of many who sincerely profess belief in God. It makes prayer psychologically impossible, replacing it with dead ritual at best.” If God is good, all knowing, and all powerful, why do we need to pray anyway? Since God is ultimately in control, everything is going to happen the way it’s going to happen…right?
While this is a common assumption for a lot of us, it is far from what Scripture says about prayer. One story in Exodus completely blows this assumption to smithereens. Let’s take a look at it.
The story is in Exodus 32, when God was talking with Moses. Verses 7-14 details their conversation. It says, “The Lord told Moses, ‘Quick! Go down the mountain! Your people whom you brought from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted down gold and made a calf, and they have bowed down and sacrificed to it. They are saying, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’’’¨’¨Then the Lord said, ‘I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.’’¨’¨But Moses tried to pacify the Lord his God. ‘O Lord!’ he said. ‘Why are you so angry with your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and such a strong hand? Why let the Egyptians say, ‘Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people! Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’’ So the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people.”
Don’t miss what just happened…God was going to do one thing, Moses pleaded with Him to do something else, so God changed His mind. Do you realize that your prayers have the same power today that Moses’ prayer had?
Mark 11:24 says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
God wants an active relationship with you, which means back and fourth conversation. We are to be active participants in this relationship, rather than mere bystanders just waiting to see what God will do. That means that we must pray, expecting God to listen and respond to our prayer.
Let me clarify, I’m not advocating for a health-and-wealth Gospel. Some teachers declare that if you just have enough faith and name what you want, it will be yours. This is not what I’m saying. Health-and-wealth teaching is dangerous and far from biblical truth.
What I am saying is, let’s raise our view of prayer. God wants to engage in conversation with us, and will act on our prayers. He is a Good Father who listens to His children.
1 John 5:14-15 says, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”
Contemporary Christian music is an interesting phenomenon. Few subjects have generated more conflicts than the kinds of music one should listen to or the kind of music best suited for church music.
Arguably the single biggest alteration in the life of the average Christian congregation within the last 30 years has been the sweeping change in the music that is played on during church service.
Where formal choirs and vocal soloists along with organ and piano once held sway, a flood of guitars and “praise choruses” suddenly came rushing in during the 1980s. An irresistible, grassroots, pop-culture-driven force met the immovable object of tradition and sentiment, and the ensuing years saw no shortage of conflict and controversy as a result.
In telling this history, people often conflate the rise of “praise music” with the rise of “Jesus Rock” and its later avatar, “Contemporary Christian Music” (CCM).
While the Jesus People movement faded by the early 1980s, the impact of its musical innovations continued to reverberate throughout the Christian church. Hundreds musicians evolved into professional songwriters and “worship leaders” and created their own praise-and-worship publishing entities. Seminars and worship workshops crowded the landscape, and many churches across the continent replaced hymnbooks with overhead projectors and—by mid 1990s—big-screen video projectors.
“It is clear that Protestant musical expression has irrevocably changed.”
“Worship Wars” have become a fact of life as traditionalists battle champions of the new music. But the existence of Christians who are constantly creating inspiring songs out of their convictions about God and Christ is both an amazing and unique thing often resulting in separate worship services for the youth or the uneasy compromise of “blended worship.”
Once a well-meaning Christian leader said “Ahh, music is so overrated. We don’t need music in Church? However, we need music and it’s important to offer worship and gratitude to God, not only through our thoughtful expressions and notes, but also through music. Consider this passage from Ephesians 5:15-21:
Do you notice how the Scriptures instruct us to worship? “With psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.”
With that, here are some of the current most popular Christian songs. May these fill your heart and mind with glorious, awestruck thoughts of our God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
I am not totally anti-four spiritual laws (although I prefer to call them, “spiritual truths”), especially if they include a call to repentance (and not just “belief” in God—Mark 1:15).
Nevertheless, I am among those who wonder if there is perhaps a better way to approach evangelism than starting with “you’re a sinner” (that sure is “good news!” isn’t it). What might be some other approaches to evangelism?
I don’t know about you, but I think in most situations I’d be more comfortable with one of the above approaches to evangelism than starting with, “you’re a sinner,” or even, “do you know where you would go if you died tonight?” And the above approaches definitely fit better with the “relationship evangelism” that many people talk about, which is less a shot-gut approach to evangelism and more so an approach to evangelism that takes place over time.
I don’t think the above approaches are a cop-out. Rather, they are about sharing the Gospel, which is the very essence of evangelism (“evangelism” comes from the Greek euangelizomai, meaning, “I proclaim” and related to the Greek euangelium, meaning, “good news”).
Question: What are some more ways to evangelize other than through sharing the four spiritual laws?
SCOTTSDALE’”¹—Feb. 13, 2017— Lee Strobel’s worldwide best-selling book, The Case for Christ, details his real-life journey from Atheism to Christianity. Now, on April 6, for one extraordinary night, the backstory of the skeptic and the facts fills movie theaters as THE CASE FOR CHRIST becomes an exclusive cinema ’”¹event, featuring author Lee Strobel live on big screens nationwide one night before the film’s wide release. The Case for Christ Live Event, premiering the theatrical release of Strobel’s story, will showcase a Q&A after the film with Strobel and his wife, Leslie, as well as other special guests on Thursday, April 6, live at 8p.m. ET, 7p.m. CT, 6 p.m. MT and tape-delayed to 8 p.m. PT, from Fathom Events and Pure Flix. Tickets for this one-night event are available online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change). In addition to seeing the film and participating in the live Q&A, ticket purchasers will also receive a free download of the first two chapters of The Case for Christ book.
“The Case for Christ has impacted the lives of numerous people around the world,” Fathom Events CEO
John Rubey said. “This re-telling of Strobel’s journey of faith brings to life a story that has become hugely influential in the world of Christian apologetics today, and we are thrilled to be a part of its cinematic debut.”
“We believe Lee and Leslie Strobel’s real-life story that led him to write The Case for Christ makes for acompelling movie,” said Michael Scott, CEO and Co-Founder of Pure Flix and a producer of the film. “What a privilege it will be to see them live on movie screens talking about their experiences to a nationwide audience.”
Following the Fathom event, THE CASE FOR CHRIST will release ’”¹ nationwide on April 7. The film stars Mike Vogel (THE HELP), Erika Christensen (Parenthood), Academy Award ® winner Faye Dunaway (BONNIE AND CLYDE, CHINATOWN), Academy Award ® nominee Robert Forster (JACKIE BROWN), L. Scott Caldwell (Lost) and Frankie Faison (The Wire).
Jonathan M. Gunn (DO YOU BELIEVE?) directs THE CASE FOR CHRIST’”¹, written by Brian Bird, (When Calls the Heart, Touched by An Angel) and based on Strobel’s book.
A hard-driving journalist, Lee Strobel was exactly where he expected to be at work: on top. His award-winning investigative reporting recently earned him a promotion to legal editor at the Chicago Tribune. But things weren’t going nearly as well at home where his wife Leslie’s newfound faith in Christ went against everything Lee believed—or didn’t believe—as an avowed atheist.
Utilizing his journalistic and legal training, Lee begins a quest to debunk the claims of Christianity in order to save his crumbling marriage. Chasing down the biggest story of his career, Lee comes face-to-face with unexpected results that could change everything he knows to be true.
Based on Lee Strobel’s award-winning best-selling book and starring Mike Vogel, Erika Christensen, Faye Dunaway and Robert Forster, THE CASE FOR CHRIST opens in theaters ’”¹ April 7. It’s an ideal ’”¹Easter-season movie for anyone who has ever pondered the existence of God … and what role He could play in their lives.
To see the all-new THE CASE FOR CHRIST trailer go to www.thecaseforchristmovie.com ’”¹For press materials, visit: Lovell-Fairchild.com
About 2000 years ago, Jesus left His followers with the command to go and tell the world about Him. Ever since that moment, the message of the gospel has traversed the Earth in almost every way you can imagine!
It goes without saying that every church or ministry is seeking to establish their presence online. After all, what would be the point of having a website if you were not looking for more engagement from it.
But what is tragically sad, is the fact that so many church and ministry websites don’t seem to move past delivering the events calendar and various media elements they have placed online. “the university Student who lends a hand, isn’t that enough?” No! The reason is, if you are not actively pushing these elements to all mainstream social networking sites, your presence will not grow?
When it comes to growing your online ministry, one of the areas that seems to get overlooked the most is in providing and delivering engaging articles that provide answers to questions that many people are going through in life today.
This is where people within your congregation or ministry can play a huge part in helping to deliver this type of content.
How many people have you seen posting short novels in their what-apps groups? So why not have those people put their thoughts together and place it in a well thought out article. Seriously, it is just that simple! You should make it so everyone will want to provide your ministry or church website with content. Think about how many teens you have in your church or ministry.
How many of them have cell phones and are taking selfies and live video’s at rates like never before. What is it? It’s content. We have seen churches utilise Facebook Live to make mock music video’s with various members of their congregation. And it’s still Gains Attention!
Keep your content fresh and growing your online ministry will fall into place and begin sprouting and growing into something unique and beautiful.
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