The “Washington for Jesus” event in 1980 became a turning point for a nation reeling from the Vietnam War, Watergate, Roe v. Wade and the feckless presidency of Jimmy Carter. A 20-year-old Jonathan Cahn was there and deeply moved. Forty years later Cahn, now a bestselling author and Messianic rabbi, had a vision to call America to return to God during an even darker period—once again on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Last month a pastor named Antione Ashley invited me to speak in his church in Deland, Florida, near Orlando. Ashley is only 33, but he has seen the Holy Spirit move powerfully in the past few years. When he began leading Arise Church two years ago, he made it clear that he wouldn’t apologize for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
With the Christmas season upon us, Jim Denison, co-founder of Denison Forum, pastor, author and digital-ministry leader, offers surprising insight on Christmas traditions and Santa Claus.
It annoys me when Christians try force people to fit in narrow categories. For years, we’ve done this with gender. I wish I had a dollar for every time a preacher has claimed that “all men hide their feelings” or “all women love to shop” or “all men refuse to ask for directions.”
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia regarding a Catholic foster care agency that refuses to compromise its religious beliefs by placing children with same-sex couples.
I remember the Civil Rights era and the Vietnam War. I even remember the assassination of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. And, of course, I was alive during the Watergate scandal, President Nixon’s resignation, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Iraq War, the Clinton scandal, and 9/11.
As a whole, most of us do not like change and that also includes the church. But because of Covid-19, churches have had to change to adapt to this pandemic.
Through the use of technology (youtube, streaming, podcast, etc.), the church is now able to spread the message of Jesus Christ through technology to those outside of their congregation.
Now that we have realized that the use of modern technology can be used to provide church services, we need to consider how technology can also enhance our worship services.
There is no denying that our culture today is dominated by images in our everyday life. And like the old saying goes “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Because images are part of our everyday life and they can convey a message better than words, we need to explore more possible ways to affect a person’s understanding of the gospel and God’s love through how we worship.
Churches have been on lockdown for months. COVID-19 forced us to go virtual, and the pandemic has turned pastors into awkward television evangelists who preach to empty auditoriums using smartphones.
I didn’t agree with all of President Obama’s policies when he was in the White House, but I prayed for him regularly because 1) he was my president for eight years, and 2) I’m a Christian, so I try to follow God’s Word. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 says believers should pray “for kings and for all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty.”
