prosperity

Canada and the U.K. are typically seen as a half step ahead of the United States regarding culture’s slide into the moral and spiritual abyss. That being said, two stories of late should be of great concern to American parents who seek to raise their children according to historic Judeo-Christian values. First, from Canada: A judge in British Columbia ruled that a 14-year-old girl can proceed with hormone injections to help transition from a female to a male body against the objections of her father. Further, the judge ruled that the father must refer to his daughter as a boy and by her chosen male name—and that the girl must be allowed to change her legal name. Again, without the father’s consent. It gets worse. If the father makes any attempt to persuade his daughter to abandon the treat...

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.­­­­ – 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 10 Signs of a Flourishing Church From the New King James Version Unapologetic Study Bible Christian periodicals often run stories of praiseworthy churches, congregations which are notable for their ze...

The World Mission Society Church of God, (WMSCOG) which originated in Korea, currently claims three million followers in 175 countries and about 7,500 churches worldwide, according to their website. While the Christian church labels the WMSCOG a “cult,” this organization counters that “the truth has disappeared, and lawlessness prevails.” They claim to be “leading the true religious reformation by restoring the truth of the early Church to lead mankind to eternal life.” Cult Meaning “A typical cult […] persuades by coercion and exploits its members, economically, sexually, or in some other way,” Rick Ross wrote on The Guardian.  Cult leaders often have strong, authoritative, and even charismatic personalities. They often use intimidation tactics to maintain and grow control over their...

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV) I’ve found myself stuck in a no-man’s-land of wanting to eat healthy but somehow slipping into eating a specific diet just to be prettier. The world wants us to love our bodies by changing them, but Jesus wants us to love ourselves unconditionally. I wish it were that simple! My goal hasn’t always been making my body the best temple for God. There’s a fine line between eating healthy and exercising as a way to worship God and care for His temple, versus eating healthy and exercising to “be pretty” or admired by the world. The behaviors look very similar, but they’re different in a crucial way: One worships the Creator, and the other worships the world He...

Though neither the word “complementarian” nor “egalitarian” is found in the Bible, they can be a common topic of Christian debate. Those who hold to one or the other—or a mixture of both—express differences in their interpretation of the Biblical text and directives. Conversations on the topic can get heated, especially as relating to women’s rights. The issue is complicated and can be daunting to approach without a full understanding of the terms used. So, before you head into the debate, let’s look at what these words mean and what is the main difference between the two. Complementarianism Definition The first tenet of complementarianism is that men and women are equal in personhood. There is no difference in worth. Rather, proponents of complementarianism believe that men and women have...

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” – Genesis 2:2-3 Remember the Sabbath Day by Keeping it Holy By Betsy de Cruz Do you ever start your week on Monday even more tired than you were the Friday before? Many of us dread Mondays not only because it’s hard to get back into the swing of work after a break, but also because we exhaust ourselves all weekend long. God must have known our “Do It All” tendency when He chose to rest. Something tells me the Glorious Almighty God didn’t need to rest. But He knew we would. So he set a pattern from the beginning of ...

When I held my new Bible in my hands, I didn’t know where to start. It was 2004, and I just given my life to the Lord. Everything about Church, God, and the Bible felt so wonderous, awesome, and novel. I knew the Bible was the key to this new life, but I didn’t know how to apply it. Have you ever questioned what is the key to applying the Bible to your life? Rest assured every believer, both new and seasoned, questions this. The foundation of this question is what I was taught as a new believer: to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind,”(Matthew 22:37). We learn what this means and how to do it by reading and meditating on the Bible daily. What is the Bible? The word Bible comes from Greek and Latin words meaning, “Book.” According to the Webster’s dictionary, the ter...

Pushing the Red Button By: John UpChurch Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. – Matthew 5:9, ESV Up till then, we’d crushed the competition. Granted, this wasn’t a sporting event. In fact, the most physically taxing aspect involved pressing a red button. But we had other skills—scholars’ bowl skills. We could answer questions, rack up points, and bury other teams with our wit and finely honed memorization. In fact, we’d rarely been challenged. Then came the county tournament. I grew up in a sparsely populated county. As far as scholars’ bowl competitions, this was it. Sure, we traveled outside the area and competed for exhibition prizes, but the county tourney meant validation at home. And we knew we could win. In the t...

Zion Definition The ancient Hebrew word Tsiyon (Zion) is “a Canaanite hill fortress in Jerusalem captured by David and called in the Bible ‘City of David.’” According to Patheos.com, Zion also means “mountain,” another term for “governments or nations,” but biblical writers often mean “the mountain of the Lord, […] the Rock of Israel” from Isaiah 30:29b. Mount Zion represents “the Kingdom of God” in Revelation 21 and “looks ahead to the New Jerusalem that will descend out of heaven.” Zion can refer to one of three places: the hill where the most ancient areas of Jerusalem stood; the city of Jerusalem itself; or the dwelling place of God. Zion in the Bible Old Testament The Bible’s first reference talks about “the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.” (2 Samuel 5:7). Plenty of...

  BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Genesis 4:6-7 What Cain and Able Teach Us about the Way Out of Sin by Jennifer Waddle Even though I already know the outcome of the story, each time I read Genesis 4, I find myself thinking, Sin is right outside your door, Cain! Hurry, get a broom and sweep it off the porch! But as we know, God’s warning went unheeded. Cain proceeded to rise up against his brother and kill him. Cain did not understand that the KEY to mastering sin—yielding to the Lord’s admonition. It’s really no different with us, is it? We get ...

The Meaning of Jehovah Shalom Jehovah Shalom, translated “The Lord is Peace,” is one of many Old Testament names for God and is first used by Gideon when the angel of the Lord appeared to him at Ophrah in Judges chapter six. Jehovah Shalom in Scripture In the days of Gideon, the children of Israel were living in a constant state of fear and trepidation. The Midianites, a once defeated enemy, had reemerged from the East and begun plundering Israel with an overwhelming mob-like force. Gideon was not immune from the surge of anxiety and wave of uncertainty that had swept the nation. In fact, as Matthew Henrywrites, “distressed; he (Gideon) was threshing his wheat, not in the proper place, but by the wine-press, in some private, unsuspected corner, for fear of the Midianites.” Fearful of attac...

A Prayer of Praise for Worn Out Bibles By Meg Bucher “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12  The fresh pages of my NIV Bible stuck together as I looked up verse after verse at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting I was attending. The rush to keep up with flipping pages and finding verses intimidated me. I was familiar with the Bible from Catholic school, but I never imagined highlighting or writing in it! Surrounding me were students with worn-in Bibles, and I longed to have what they had. Little did I know the journey I was praying for was already underway. Twenty years later, my NIV is ...