Bible

Pastor and author Alistair Begg on Sunday urged Christians in the U.S. to maintain a biblical worldview as they live in a culture that has "dismissed" their beliefs, saying today's church is under constant pressure to affirm sin and secularism.

As Author Berk Decker notes in his book You’ve Got to Be Believed to Be Heard, “people buy on emotion and justify with fact.” The more believable, likable, and relevant we seem to people, the more effective our engagement with them. However, I fear that many of us are pursuing the opposite strategy with the “culture wars” of our day. In our passion for declaring and defending biblical truth, we are tempted to see our opponents as our enemies. When we attack them and they respond in kind, our “side” rewards our passion and applauds our courage. But are lost people attracted by such antagonism or repelled by it?

“Heaven is a fairy tale for people afraid of the dark.” –Stephen Hawking

I’m afraid of the dark.

If we’re talking about the endless kind of darkness that offers no light anywhere, no hope ever, and nothing but nothingness, who among us would not panic at the thought of that?

I expect people like Mr. Hawking simply find the idea of Heaven too good to be true, and thus conclude that it must be a product of man’s delusional yearning for “pie in the sky by and by.”

And yet, there are solid reasons for reasonable people to believe in the concept of a Heavenly home after this earthly life. Here are some that mean a lot to me. By no means is this list exhaustive. It’s simply my thinking on the subject.

The God who made us created us with a longing for Himself and a satisfaction in nothing less.

When we get to Heaven, we will finally be satisfied, but not until then. “I shall be satisfied with Thy likeness when I awake” (Psalm 17:15).

“I go to prepare a place for you,” said our Lord. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:3).

If it were not so, I would have told you.

Jesus said that. I believe Him.

I choose to believe.

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The American Bible Society has released its third chapter of its 12^th annual “State of the Bible” report, showing that Americans who consistently read and apply the Bible have higher levels of hope and resilience.

A variety of things and people are being blamed for the growing mass shooting problem in America: access to guns, social isolation, politicians, talk show hosts, authorities, harmful ideas, and more. Behind events this tragic are a number of contributing factors. At the same time, we can no longer think of mass shootings as isolated incidents. They must be understood as indications of social breakdown, along with spiking rates of addiction, overdoses, violent crime, suicide, sexual confusion, and even airplane incidents.

A West Virginia School district has agreed to pay $225,000 to end a lawsuit filed by a prominent atheist group over the district's former elective Bible class.

The publishing house Desclée de Brouwer recently announced that it is replacing the phrase "fishers of men" with "fishers of persons " in a new Spanish version of the Roman Catholic Bible, The Jerusalem Bible.

Summer is the time of year when many families like to go on vacation. The kids are out of school, the weather is warm, and it's a great time for a roadtrip! There are many places to choose from around the country (and even around the world!), but parents may want to consider taking their families to a place where they will not only have fun, but will learn about the Bible and be encouraged in their faith. Below are seven places in different parts of the country that provide fun, educational, and edifying experiences for the whole family!

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For Christians, the Bible is much more than a simple book of faith. It’s a record of history, a collection of poetry, verses of proverbs, and a testament to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is quite literally the inspired word of God.

Scripture was designed to speak to the heart of humanity, radically changing us from the inside out. Over the years, a number of influential Christians have shared their reflections on the Bible and how we, as believers, can better approach the gospel with open hearts. If you’re searching for a way to better understand the place of scripture in your Christian walk, you may find guidance in one of these 10 profound quotes.

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The thing that often makes tragedy overwhelming, incomprehensible, and soul-numbing is just how unexpected it can be. Life is going according to plan, and suddenly your world is rocked and you are left reeling.

That’s why it’s so important to have Truth stored up in your heart before tragedy strikes. By being in the Word and in prayer every day, you’re building up a savings account of Truth that you can one day pull from when you need it most.

If, however, you find yourself in the midst of tragedy right now, or currently know someone facing unspeakable hopelessness and hurt, these 10 prayers can be a light for your path as you pray through the hard times.

God never promised a pain-free world. But he did promise never to leave us or forsake us. He does promise his steadfast love never ceases, and his mercies never come to an end. If you are in the midst of hard times, cling to Him and trust in his goodness and love for you.

Here are 10 prayers you can pray when tragedy strikes…

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