The psalmist, in 119:73 knows that God’s hands have “firmed him up” — the way the sun is “fixed” in the sky at midday, the way pillars hold up the building, and the way a king has been established on his throne. Why does the psalmist care that God’s hands have firmed him — established him? Because it is the Lord who established him, the Lord can give him understanding to learn the mitzvot, commandments. The connection is important: What the... Read more
Source: Iraq’s Christians trace their history to the first century apostles Thomas and Thaddeus. Most are Chaldean Catholics, practicing an Eastern liturgy but recognizing the authority of the Vatican. Many Chaldeans still speak forms of Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus. But because of ISIS, which has now declared a “caliphate” in the region it controls between Aleppo in Syria to Diyala, Iraq, there are now no Christians in Mosul for the first time in 2,000 years. “It’s an act... Read more
Source: Iraqi Christians forced out of their city after a serious death threat from Islamic militant fanatics have been offered asylum by the Government of France. The Christian community of Mosul, considered one of the oldest in the world, fled the country’s second largest city on 19 July after the Islamic State Group (IS) formerly known as ISIS told them to either become Muslims, pay a protection tax – or die. A logo of ‘N’ for Nazarene was daubed on... Read more
Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Read more
Scott Stanley: In a new paper, Bowling Green State University sociologist Karen Guzzo analyzes how the odds of cohabitation leading to either getting married or breaking up have changed over the years. Before getting to her findings, let’s review some of the cohabitation trends she highlights in her report (based on prior studies). 1) The majority of people in their 30s have lived with someone outside of marriage. 2) Cohabitation, rather than marriage, is now the more common form of... Read more
David George Moore conducted the following interview. Dave blogs at www.twocities.org. Tony Lane is professor of historical theology at the London School of Theology. He is a leading Calvin scholar. Among other things, Lane has abridged Calvin’s Institutes to make it more accessible. *What were the circumstances which led you to write this book (Exploring Christian Doctrine: A Guide to What Christians Believe (Exploring Topics in Christianity))? In 2006 I started to teach an introductory course on Christian Doctrine to... Read more
Allan Bevere, a friend and pastor in Ohio, offers a fresh alternative to political wrangling. What is the church to do?, he asks. In other words, the church that exists in America needs to say to the powers that be in Washington DC, you would be a better and more just nation if you found a place of these children. But, first and foremost, the burden of the biblical concern for the stranger and the alien and the oppressed must... Read more
The 50 most affordable Christian colleges, including my alma mater (Cornerstone University) and my former place of teaching (North Park University). College affordability is an idea that is more helpful to quantify than simply considering the tuition of the institution of your choice. Many universities and colleges have developed very aggressive financial aid packages and have other unique sources of funding that reduce what may be very expensive tuition costs to a more manageable level for lots of students. With that in... Read more
Source When it comes to balancing long-term relationships and careers, professional men’s tennis players seem to do a better job than their female counterparts. Maria Kirilenko recently announced that she was breaking offher engagement to hockey star Alex Ovechkin. She became the third high-profile professional woman’s tennis player in the past two years to see marriage plans derailed. Earlier this year Rory McIlroy called off his engagement to Caroline Wozniacki after invitations had gone out. Maria Sharapova‘s nearly two-year engagement to basketball player Sasha... Read more
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