Christianity is a faith with a long and detailed history, with numerous events of lasting significance occurring throughout the ages.
Each week brings the anniversaries of great milestones, horrid tragedies, amazing triumphs, telling tribulations, inspirational progress, and everything in between.
Here are just a few things that happened this week, Nov. 11-17, in Church history. They include the death of Oswald Chambers, a major Billy Sunday revival event in Boston, and the passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
(Screengrab via Vimeo/DesiringGod.org)Theologian, John Piper.
Bethlehem College & Seminary Chancellor and DesiringGod.com founder John Piper has stated that Jesus Christ did not support dishonesty in the parable of the “Unjust Steward.”
Also called the “Parable of the Dishonest Manager,” the story, found in Luke 16:1-9, centers on an unnamed manager who, upon learning he will be fired, purposely lowers the amounts that debtors owe his superior.
“The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings,” concluded the parable.
In an episode of “Ask Pastor John” that was posted online on Wednesday, a listener inquired about what the parable meant for believers, namely “what are the…
(Photo: Unsplash/Charlein Gracia)Three children sitting together in this photo uploaded on May 28, 2018.
Jesus mentioned children several different times throughout his ministry.
One of his most famous interactions with kids occurred in Matthew 19:13-15, which happened after he had gone into Judea, having just spent time in Galilee and taught those gathered there about the nature of marriage, adultery and divorce.
“Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there,” the passage reads.
Theologians have pointed out that when Jesus said that for one to receive the Kingdom he or she must do so like a child in order to enter it reveals something important about God’s nature and how He relates to us, his children.
Such childlike receiving is expressed in total trust, notes Kent Hughes, professor of practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, writing on the WTS website in a 2016 essay adapted from his book Luke: That You May Know the Truth.
So in the Gospels when Jesus instructed the disciples to not hinder children from coming to Him, “for to such belongs the kingdom of God,'” He did not say that the Kingdom belongs to those specific children, but those who are “like” them, Hughes explained.
And without their parents, children are utterly helpless, he went on to say.
“A newborn, naked, with flailing hands and feet lifted…
(PHOTO: FACEBOOK/Scott Crenshaw)Pastor Scott Crenshaw preaches at the Tabernacle of Praise in Fort Worth, Texas, in this photo from Dec. 10, 2017.
Pastor Scott Crenshaw said he felt like a rock star when he was senior pastor of the multicampus New River Fellowship Church based in Weatherford, Texas.
After helping Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston grow its young adults worship ministry, Crenshaw went onto become New River’s senior pastor and helped expand the congregation from one campus to three and from about 500 members to over 2,500.
But that all came to a crashing halt in 2016 when his departure from the church for “viewing inappropriate images” on his church computer made national headlines.
It was then that Crenshaw and his family were forced to seriously address a problem affecting their family that data show a majority of Christian men have some sort of struggle with — an addiction to pornography.
“Technology was my downfall but now technology is helping my restoration process,” Crenshaw told The Christian Post in an interview on Monday.
A little over two years removed from his fall from grace, Crenshaw is now serving full-time as an interim pastor at Lake Country Church in Fort Worth, Texas, a role he began about six weeks ago.
News of the best-selling author came to light after his wife Kay was forced to pull out of a speaking engagement in Northern Ireland to “return to the United States to be with her family”.
In the Facebook post from the Illuminate Women’s Conference asked people to “please keep Rick, Kay and their family in your prayers”.
Updating people on the pastor’s health, Kay Warren commented under the Facebook post: “Hello dear friends – just an update on Rick. He is much better today!
“The surgery went even better than expected and he will be released in a few days. Things were quite serious for a day but he is strong and tough and he is on the road to recovery!
“Thank you for your prayers for us! I am keenly disappointed to not be with you at Illuminate 2018 – trusting that our sovereign God holds all things in His hands.”
The Saddleback Church also told . that Warren’s surgery went well and he is expected to fully recover.
“Please keep Pastor Rick, Kay and their family in your prayers,” the church told said.
Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.
The show celebrating 100 years since the end of WW1 will air on BBC One on Sunday.
Sharing their joy of performing at the the Royal Albert Hall, the London-based choir posted on their Facebook page: “We are honoured to be part of Royal British Legion Festival Of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall to commemorate those who lost their lives in conflicts.
“This year is extra special as we celebrate 100 years since the end of WW1.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were among many who attended the special event.
The event marks 100 years since the signing of the treaty which ended the battle on the Western Front of the First World War at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.
The Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of Sussex, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Kent and Prince Michael of Kent all laid tributes to Britain’s veterans on the centenary of the Armistice.
Prime Minister Theresa May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also laid wreaths at the foot of the Whitehall memorial, along with Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow.
The traditional two minutes’ silence was held at 11 o’clock and was marked by the chiming of Big Ben – despite the ongoing renovations to the clock tower.
Fast Facts: Crossroads Baptist Church was formed in January 2017 by the merging of two churches together into one congregation. Living Hope Baptist Church (established in 1955) was a church in decline numerically and financially. LHBC owned property with 6 buildings that were in much need of repair and remodeling. Parkway Baptist Church (established in 1998) had no building and was renting space from LHBC. PBC was growing, seeing people trust Christ, had many baptisms every year, and hundreds of thousands of dollars saved in the bank.
Since the merger, the church has seen increasing growth—both numerically and spiritually. God has truly blessed the ministry of Crossroads Baptist Church. Please pray for the church’s “Round-Up Sunday” today, November 11. Traditionally, this has been a high attendance Sunday for the church. Please pray for pastor Kirk Beard and his leadership as well as their discipleship Program which kicks off in January 2019.
“Pray for . . .” is the Sunday blog series at ThomRainer.com. We encourage you to pray for these churches noted every Sunday. Please feel free to comment that you are praying as well.
The Citizengo petition reads: “We at CitizenGO wish to help take Asia Bibi and her family out of the country and give them a better life. However, they are now prohibited from leaving Pakistan, and her court case might be reviewed.
“That is why we are asking the Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, to intercede as soon as possible so that this Christian woman and her family can leave, and that the necessary security measures will be taken to keep them alive.
“We also ask United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, US President Donald Trump, and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, to pressure Khan with all available diplomatic tools in order to achieve complete freedom for Asia Bibi and her family.”
Citizengo and the British Pakistani Christian Association (BPA) will hold a one-hour silent vigil outside the Pakistan High Commission on Monday at 3pm in support of Asia Bibi.
The Citizengo petition reads: “We at CitizenGO wish to help take Asia Bibi and her family out of the country and give them a better life. However, they are now prohibited from leaving Pakistan, and her court case might be reviewed.
“That is why we are asking the Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, to intercede as soon as possible so that this Christian woman and her family can leave, and that the necessary security measures will be taken to keep them alive.
“We also ask United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, US President Donald Trump, and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, to pressure Khan with all available diplomatic tools in order to achieve complete freedom for Asia Bibi and her family.”
Citizengo and the British Pakistani Christian Association (BPA) held a one-hour silent vigil outside the Pakistan High Commission on Saturday in support of Asia Bibi.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster will give evidence in person on Tuesday to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, over claims he ignored child sex abuse allegations.
Survivors of rape and assault will testify over five days, along with church leaders, officials and child protection experts in a hearing examining the Archdiocese of Birmingham, where Cardinal Nichols served as Archbishop from 2000 to 2009.
The case centres on Fr John Tolkien, the son of JRR Tolkien – author of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit – who was questioned by police in 2002 over an abuse allegation, but was never charged.
Cardinal Nichols faces accusations that senior church officials allowed Fr Tolkien – who died in 2003 – to continue working, despite an alleged victim being promised years ago by senior officials that Fr Tolkien would be forced to retire.
Cardinal Nichols is expected to be questioned about how much he knew about claims against Fr Tolkien and other clergymen.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse is investigating how a number of key institutions in Britain handled sex abuse claims.
Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
