“Occupy till I come” was an important catch-phrase among the leaders of the early Adventist movement, as it reflected their belief that since Christ’s return was imminent, the people of God should occupy themselves with the task of sharing the Gospel and other important work. This mind-set stood in contrast to the popular (and largely debunked) image of the Millerites abandoning their daily work and possessions to await Christ’s return.
Read MoreIt was a clip that showed up a few times in my newsfeed recently, and it got me thinking.
The speaker, a prominent theologian, was speaking about "Biblical Worldview" and commenting on the intense negativity we see in today’s society. Why are people so angry? He suggested people have decided that they can “enforce judgment, decide what is to be listened to, and decide how punishments are to be executed because, partly, they have decided there is no God and no objective reality for that God to judge - that they’re going to have to do it for Him.” This perspective, in part, has played into why people are hostile to a biblical worldview and angry about what Christians believe or how we behave, so they "cancel" you. Punish you. Try to change you.
Read MoreIn this last article, I will lay out what will be basically required of any model to complete the unfinished work of our past. On top of this, I will also offer two rudimentary models for restructuring the denomination which would alleviate some of the stress of our leadership shortage and give us stronger footing for revitalizing the denomination.
Read MoreI’d rather we die the way we are than change one thing and survive.” This is an actual quote from a church member in a dying church, but it is the sentiment of many church members who find their congregation on the precipice of closure.
Read MoreYou can only understand the Advent Christian denomination if you understand that it was a movement before it was a denomination…
Read MoreNearly two years ago, Nathaniel Bickford wrote an article that shook the Advent Christian denomination to its core. He pointed out that we have problems that demand solutions - too few leaders, too many positions, and no denominational standards…
Read MoreLast night, I read a recent Christianity Today article about the growth of medically assisted suicide in Canada, where it has been legal nationwide since 2016. (Several U.S. states including Oregon and California also have laws permitting medically assisted suicide. In our postmodern world, suffering of any kind is taboo.
Read MoreJefferson Vann shows how biblical terms for death help to counter the notion that it involves conscious survival.
Read MoreWhen a friend texted me last week and suggested that I watch the new documentary about the Duggar family, Shiny Happy People, I thought it was worth a look. I had heard of the Duggar family but like all reality TV, I ignored them. I may have seen them once or twice on The Today Show but a story about a family with 19 kids struck me as unrealistic at best and bizarre at worst.
Read MoreLike so many, I’ve thought much about the death of Tim Keller this week. When he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2020, many of us who benefited from his ministry and his published works knew that he faced a serious life-threatening challenge. Yet, when we heard the news of his death last Friday, it was still a shock. For many, myself included, Keller was the most important Christian apologist of our day.
Read MoreDevin Nicely responds to a reader’s email….
Read MoreJefferson Vann examines how the book of Job uses the Hebrew word ‘erets.
Read MoreWe often confuse the law, what we are to do and even what Christ calls us to do or commands us to do, like follow him and love one another, with the Gospel. For example, Jesus in Mark 8:34 (and elsewhere) said to the crowd and to his disciples. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” This is the call to be his disciple. Yet this is not the Gospel. To be his disciple you and I must heed what Christ’s commands here but this is still not the Gospel. Yet, without the Gospel we could not heed this command.
Read MoreHave you considered that Jesus goes to a cross so that you may go there too? I don’t mean that only metaphorically or spiritually or any sense other than physically. Jesus went to a cross so that you could be nailed up there beside him.
Read MoreA quarter century ago, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckaby wrote a book titled, Character is the Issue: How People With Integrity Can Revolutionize America (B&H, 1997). I think the book is accidentally prophetic in ways that the author never intended.
Read More
