Two institutions contributed to developing the theological and ministry stance of Advent Christian clergy: Aurora College (University) and New England School of Theology (Berkshire Christian College). In Occupy til I Come Susan Palmer…
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Sometimes the realization of some truth crashes over you all at once, like a wave breaking on the shore. Other times it mounts slowly, each piece gathered and joined together like a puzzle, until you finally see the picture…
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Difficult passages such as Psalm 82 are commonly ignored or dismissed with a badly exegeted interpretation leaving laymen confused when they look at the surrounding context and similar uses of the word elsewhere in scripture; but that’s enough of my ranting. Let’s take a closer look at this issue.
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I’m not here to rehearse the biblical, theological, historical, and cultural arguments about abortion. Many others have done that far better than myself. The matter that is now front-and-center for Christians like myself is how we follow Christ in a post-Roe context?
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The subject of special music in church services is one that I’ve given quite a bit of thought…
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It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything on this blog, or on this website. But hopefully I’m now in a position where that can change. Here’s a brief update, and some encouragement for those who are experiencing some “stormy seasons” or “cloudy days.”
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Jefferson Vann shares an article explaining why Paul said that “to die is gain” in Philippians 1:21.
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If I were going to invent a religion I would not invent Christianity. The faith, if it were false, would simply be too fraught with philosophical conundrums to be easily foisted off on any targeted worldly audience…
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In “Research on my suggested translation of τῶν οὐρανῶν” Jefferson Vann attempts to prove that the Greek phrase can mean “from the sky” and asks for feedback.
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I was recently befriended by an elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), and to my absolute joy, our conversations have been the most cordial and friendly of any I have had with an LDS member…
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Can it really be five years? It is hard to believe that so much time has passed from when I published the first blog post on Advent Christian Voices…
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A review of Christian literature by David E. Dean, featuring his favorite reads from 2021.
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How does one train for godliness? Consider the athlete with whom the Apostle Paul compares the Christian life, “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable” (1 Corinthians, 9:25).
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For some time I have been fascinated by the way the Apostle Paul lays out most of his letters. In a letter like the one he wrote to the Roman believers he lays out the Gospel using the indicative mood. That means that everything he writes from 1:1 to 6:10 is descriptive. There are no imperatives or commands given until 6:11, where he urges his readers to consider themselves to be, by God’s grace in Christ, dead to the rule or dominion of sin. Yet, he really does not give more detailed directives until he comes to 12:1-2.
Therefore, I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable act of worship; and do not be conformed to this age but be transformed by the renewing of your mind for the purpose of you being able to approve what the will of God is, the good, the pleasing and the perfect.
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Last week, I threw up a meme on my Facebook page. It’s a 1960 photo of a very young Ruby Bridges escorted by federal marshalls as Ruby became the first African American to attend William Frantz elementary school during the desegregation crisis in New Orleans. The meme included these words, “If this child was strong enough to survive it, your child is strong enough to learn about it.”
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Last week I published an article titled Can Church Planting Revitalize the Advent Christian Church? Its central premise was “although church planting sometimes seems at odds with church revitalization, it can be a means to revitalize churches because it puts the mission of being Christ’s witnesses to the world front and center.”
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In response to our Christmas letter to family and friends, we received a rather curious response from someone who accused us of living in fear because we take the necessary precautions regarding Covid-19. The person told us to start watching vvarious far-right media sources if we wanted to know what was right about Covid-19, and also indicated that “freedom and not safety” should guide our lives. We chose to respond with what we hope was kindness and grace while at the same time offering a clear understanding based on actual medical evidence and not political propaganda. A number of friends have told me of their frustration with vaccine deniers among their family and friends. And one Tennessee megachurch pastor told his congregation that anyone who wanted to wear a mask or who had been vaccinated was not welcome in his church. Sadly, he’s not the only one. So I share this letter with you in hopes that you might find it helpful in interacting with deniers.
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Jefferson Vann talks about the meaning of the phrase “eternal judgment” as it appears in Hebrews 6:2.
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How can we revitalize our churches, train leaders, and plant churches? Are these goals important? I suggest that although church planting sometimes seems at odds with church revitalization, it can be a means to revitalize churches because it puts the mission of being Christ’s witnesses to the world front and center. Through planting churches, local churches will see the imminent need to train leaders who can lead their church and send them off to plant new ones locally. The problem will necessitate solutions.
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