Christian Worker (Page 19)

The novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 will be remembered historically for the societal adjustments it has produced on a world-wide scale. Business models have changed, dining out has changed, we shop differently, we consume media differently, and we have even developed an extended vocabulary. Words and phrases like “social distancing,” “flattening the curve,” and “selfisolation” have taken on new meaning. Another term, one that carries a great deal of weight, is “essential business.” This expression produces much debate, and understandably…

When Moses ascended Mount Sinai and originally received the Law from the LORD, he heard, for the first time, the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments, which God established as the foundation for Israelite society. Among the precepts instituted in the wilderness that day, the requirement to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Ex. 20:8) would later generate great controversy throughout the life of Jesus as the first century Pharisees’ interpretation of the requirement (long ignored throughout Jewish history) took…

Throughout the Scriptures, the call to spiritual maturity is expressed in various ways. For example, in Philippians 3:12-16, Paul used an athletic metaphor to illustrate the need for spiritual growth. If we are to mature spiritually, we must have the attitude of an athlete pursuing a prize. It is not enough to encourage people to study and know their Bibles without teaching them why they should grow! We are to study and know our Bibles because the Bible teaches us…

What is hope?  Biblical hope is more than a mere wish or desire.  It is “favorable and confident expectation” (Vine’s).  Our hope is based on Jehovah God (Ps. 31:24; 39:7; 71:5; 1 Pet. 1:21), God’s word (Ps. 119:49-50, 81-82, 114; 130:5; Rom. 15:4; Tit. 1:2), and Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 1:1; Tit. 2:11-13; Heb. 6:19-20; 1 Pet. 1:3, 15).  Think of the words of the song we sing, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness!”…

The headline read: A SOCIETY LIKE NO OTHER. The article depicted society in a state of near-total depravity. Political corruption was beyond description. From the highest office in the land to the meanest local official, oppression was the norm. Justice and equality were strangers. Society at large, like its governing bodies, had spiraled out of control. Violence, murderer, and rioting in the streets were so common in metropolitan cities they were no longer considered “news-worthy.” Immorality raged — drunkenness, public…

Over the last several months I’ve had many conversations with friends from different parts of the country. Not surprisingly, the primary topic of discussion has been COVID and how it has affected the church. Sadly, there are places where the virus has hit the church very hard. Not because Christians have caught it but because they are fighting about it. Particularly, about how the church should handle it. I have heard many reports of elders resigning, members arguing and leaving their…

She was twenty-five. Her live-in boyfriend came home from work, said he did not love her anymore, and left. She was devastated. Her mother believed she might be suicidal and asked if I would speak with her. An hour later, we were in her mother’s living room. I asked her to tell me her story—how she got to this place in her life. She left church and home when her father died. She moved in with the man of her…

In American society, we are constantly bombarded with ”rights”: women’s rights, civil rights, human rights, children’s rights, parents’ rights, homosexual’s rights, immigrant’s rights, victims’ rights—even criminals have lawyers that specialize in rights of violators of civil law! The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) fights tooth and nail for the right of freedom of speech (a right that seems to be extended to all except those who espouse and promote Christian values). One hot-button topic and a rights issue that has…

It is easy to take certain words, phrases, or statements of God’s word for granted. Too often we read over them as if their meaning is comprehended by all and appreciated in a way that God intends, when in reality we may be overlooking a great lesson or significant biblical truth.  Consider for a moment the statement Paul employs as he closes his warnings concerning the works of the flesh. “…they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom…

Introduction The well-known hymn declares, “There is power, power, wonder-working power, in the blood of the Lamb.” As we study the New Testament, we identify numerous benefits of the blood of Christ.  It has reconciling power. The Gentile Ephesians were at one time “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise” (Eph. 2:12), but they were “made nigh by the blood of Christ” (2:13); they were reconciled unto God by the cross (2:16). Even “when…

Friedrich Nietzsche said, “All I need is a sheet of paper and something to write with, and then I can turn the world upside down.” Unquestionably, Nietzsche understood the power of the written word to influence minds and bring about change. He recognized that words written live on long after the death of the author and produce fruit for generations to come. The problem is that Nietzsche used his pen for evil, and along with so many like him, his…

For the past two years there has been one unread text message on my phone. It is from August 7, 2018. My brother in Christ, Brandon, sent a message that simply says “Thanks!”. I met Brandon just a few days before that. He had met a Christian businessman in central Texas who moved out to San Angelo. After finding some online resources and studying for himself, Brandon reached out to his friend who reached out to me. Brandon was a…