John Piper on Six Ways Christians Should Respond to Cultural Exclusion, Hostility

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John Piper on Six Ways Christians Should Respond to Cultural Exclusion, Hostility

Christian Post Report – Christian minister John Piper is seen in this photo shared publicly in 2012 by his Desiring God ministry on Facebook.

Theologian John Piper explained how the church in America is living with “cultural indifference or derision or exclusion or hostility,” and why this is not strange but normal, and how Christians are called to respond to it according to the Bible.

Speaking at the Bethlehem 2016 Conference for Pastors and Church Leaders in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Piper quoted Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, as saying that Christianity in America is becoming “less nominal, more defined, and more outside of the mainstream of American culture.”

“More outside of the mainstream of American culture” is not the same as saying true Christianity is declining in numbers or faithfulness, clarified Piper, founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary.

The theme of the three-day conference, which concluded Wednesday, was: “Think It Not Strange: Fiery Trials and the Testimony of Christ.”

The forces that are making it desirable for nominal Christians to become non-Christians are the same forces that are making our culture increasingly inhospitable to true Christianity, Piper explained, referring to the rise of the “nones.”

“The worldview and the moral convictions of mainstream American culture are increasingly at odds with the worldview and the moral convictions taught in the Bible,” he said, adding, “The condition of unbelieving culture is not the report card of the church.”

Piper said the aim of the conference is “to strengthen your settled and peaceful conviction that living with cultural indifference or derision or exclusion or hostility is not strange but normal, that God calls in those many sorrows to live a life of overflowing and Christ-exalting joy and love.”

He quoted 1 Peter 4:12–19, which he said, tells us what is coming upon the Christians in this life and how they should respond.

The sufferings of Christ stand before the believers as a summary of what they can expect, he said. “When these kinds of things happen to you as Christians, they are not strange. This is normal.”

“…In God’s wisdom, He has planned that the sufferings of Christ save us from the sufferings of punishment, not the sufferings of purification. They save us from the fires of hell, not from the fires of refining,” Piper explained.

Peter calls for six responses, he shared.

One, do not be surprised, Piper said. Peter is saying, he explained, “Settle it in your sober mind, and in your heart — suffering is not strange. That’s where we start. We start with truth. Revealed truth about God and the way he runs the world. He is telling us: I do it this way. So don’t be surprised.”

Two, entrust your soul to a faithful Creator. Jesus showed how to suffer without retaliation, even when being treated so unjustly, Piper said. “We entrust the justice of our cause, and we entrust our souls to a faithful creator.”

Three, do not be ashamed. “Christianity is founded on a shamed Christ,” Piper said. “We have come to a rejected Christ. Thrown out. Despised. Hated. Slandered. Spit on. Mocked. Stripped. Nailed like a piece of meat to pole. And taunted. This is our forerunner.”

He added, “This is what Peter is calling us to be in our day: unashamed of Christ! Unashamed of ridicule, sarcasm, mockery, snubbing, abandonment, suffering. Objectively shamed, and subjectively unashamed.”

Four, Rejoice. “It was an utterly pervasive teaching of the early church: the Christian response to suffering is joy,” Piper said.

“If there is someone in your church clamoring for you to show them from the Bible how they have a right to carry a gun to save themselves and their family from suffering and death, by all means spend ten cents of your labor on that. And then spend a million dollars on this. You don’t need the Bible or the Holy Spirit to persuade human beings to protect themselves. But to bring into being a church of people who rejoice when they are treated unjustly — that is a miracle that you should give your whole life to,” he added.

Five, overflow in good deeds. “Suffering. Entrusting your soul to God. Unashamed. Rejoicing. Doing good. This is not a mere private morality of avoidance — not doing bad things. This is a public morality overflowing with good works that help other people,” Piper explained.

Six, glorify God. “If, when you suffer, you are not surprised and you trust God, and despise shame and rejoice in your suffering, and overflow in good deeds, and you show that your treasure is not in this world but is in God, you show that He is glorious — gloriously satisfying,” Piper said.

He concluded: “Therefore, in whatever trials come don’t be surprised, entrust your soul to your faithful Creator, don’t be ashamed of Christ, rejoice in hope, fill your life with good deeds. And show the world that God is gloriously satisfying.”

Source : Christian Post

Silent Film ‘Providence’ Tells Old-Fashioned Love Story With a Modern Twist

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Silent Film ‘Providence’ Tells Old-Fashioned Love Story With a Modern Twist
AMC theaters across the U.S. will be showing a limited theatrical release of “Providence,” a modern day retelling of an old-fashioned love story that is sure to warm hearts this Valentine’s Day weekend.

The silent cinematic feature tells a love story that spans four decades and reveals how a lifetime of choices, mixed with chance encounters and divine intervention, leads one to their destiny.

The storyline follows the lives of two characters named Rachel and Mitchell, two people who grow up together in the small town of Providence, Tennessee. Throughout their lives their paths keep intersecting, but misunderstandings pull them apart until tragedy brings them back together.

The faith-based flick features three actors who portray each phase of the two lead characters’ lives: Emily Knapp and Chase Anderson (“Where Hope Grows”) are Rachel and Mitchell as children; Stacey Bradshaw (“Touched by Grace”) and Josh Allen play the teen counterparts; and Rich Swingle (“Beyond the Mask”) and Juli Tapken portray the adult sweethearts. Other cast members include Irene Santiago (“High School Musical”), who plays Rachel’s mother, and Jenn Gotzon (“Frost” and “Nixon”) has a cameo role.

Film critic Kirk Fernwood of One Film Fan said: “‘Providence’ is a charming, artistic, attractive, earnest, and innocently simple film with a deep, heartfelt message.”

Husband and wife duo, Fred and Sharon Wilharm of Main Street Productions, teamed up to make the romantic film. The silent film “Providence” is not a first for them, in 2014 the couple released a multi-award winning silent cinema movie called “The Good Book.”

For “Providence,” Sharon served as the writer/director and Fred as the producer, cinematographer and editor.

“Without dialogue, the movie is able to speak to people in a very personal way,” Sharon said in a statement to The Christian Post. “Each person interprets the scenes and hears in their mind dialogue that makes sense to them.”

“Providence” was the winner of “Best Story,” “Best Directing” and “Best Lyrical Music” at Faith Film Fest 2015 and has been selected to screen at other film festivals.

“‘Providence’ is about true love and connecting with your soulmate,” Fred Wilharm added. “We wanted to let people know it’s never too late to find true love and that true love is worth the wait.”

“Providence” is set to release in Atlanta, Tulsa, Los Angeles, New York City, Destin, Charlotte and Jacksonville on Feb. 12.  For more information, visit providencemovie.com.

Source : Christian Post

Rick Warren Reveals Secret on How to Find Happiness

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Christian Post Report – Pastor Rick Warren delivers the final message to Mars Hill congregation, Dec. 28, 2014.

To find happiness, Christians must stop worrying about inconsequential things and find relaxation in the grace of God, Pastor Rick Warren shared in a recent devotional.

Warren, who heads Saddleback Church in Orange County, California, writes in his “Daily Devotional” that Christians need to stop worrying about God’s approval, and rather relax knowing that God loves all of his children unconditionally.

“You can’t earn God’s approval. You can’t earn his love. You can’t earn his recognition. God is love, and he loves you unconditionally. If you want to be a happy person, you need to relax in God’s grace every day,” Warren writes.

Warren goes on to suggest that a dangerous way to lose happiness is by constantly trying to prove that you are worthy of God’s love. Such an attitude can result in judgment and feelings of guilt, subsequently removing the happiness from the special relationship a Christian shares with God.

“When you finally realize there’s nothing you can do to make God love you more, it is one of the most liberating feelings in the world. And, it is a key to happiness. Every day, remind yourself of the grace of God, and relax in it,” Warren writes.

Another important ingredient to maintaining happiness is to know what truly matters in life, as it is so easy to lose joy over minor, unimportant things, like gaining weight or being cut off on the freeway, the megachurch pastor writes.

Warren references Philippians 3:7, when Paul realizes that all of his earthly worries proved inconsequential when he found the love of God.

The best way to avoid letting the sorrows of daily life get you down is to avoid being consumed by pop culture, Warren writes, adding that focusing on the eternal will help Christians shake America’s obsession with consumerism and fads.

“America is on trivial pursuit. We’re living for things that don’t really matter. So to be counter culture, you’ve got to focus not on what’s current but what’s eternal. When you live in light of eternity, you realize that the small things you’re worrying about aren’t going to matter in eternity, and instead of stressing out, you can be a happier person,” Warren writes.

Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Church in California has also spoken on the importance of maintaining joy in times of struggle, referencing Paul in Philippians and how he had an ongoing attitude of joy despite facing possibly being beheaded.

“Even when Paul thought about his potential death, he was still full of joy. In verse 21 of Philippians 1 he said, ‘For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better,'” Laurie said in a recent sermon reported by The Christian Post.

“Then Paul got down to the bottom line of it all when he said in chapter 4, verse 4, ‘Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!'” Laurie added.

Source : Christian Post

‘Bringing Up Bates’ Sneak Peek at New Episode: Michaella and Brandon’s Wedding

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‘Bringing Up Bates’ Sneak Peek at New Episode: Michaella and Brandon’s Wedding

Christian Post Report – “Bringing up Bates” episode 304, The last few moments before Michaella walks down the isle, 2016.

The “Bringing Up Bates” series is back with all-new episodes on UPtv and in an exclusive clip given to The Christian Post, viewers are given a glimpse into Brandon and Michaella’s wedding bliss.

In episode 304 of the hit show, the big day that Michaella and Brandon have waited for arrives. After months of planning the Bates family are faced with the bittersweet reality that their daughter will soon be leaving home.

Confronted with having to accommodate 800 guests at the wedding, the Bates clan get everything ready. In the emotional episode set to air on Feb. 4, Michaella and Brandon say “I do” and finally share their first kiss.

Watch below for an exclusive clip of the moments before Michaella walks down the aisle:

Michaela, 24, the eldest Bates daughter still at home, and Brandon, a college student, were engaged last April following their formal courtship. As seen on the show, Brandon surprised his bride-to-be with clues at seven different locations, culminating in the long-awaited proposal at Great Falls, Virginia, just outside Washington D.C.

Since the series first premiered on New Year’s Day in 2015, “Bringing Up Bates” has become the highest-rated series in UP’s history. The reality series takes a fresh look on the ever-changing family dynamics of Gil and Kelly Jo Bates and their 19 children, aged 2 to 26, and three grandchildren, including the newest addition, baby Carson.

In upcoming episodes, viewers will get to see Michaella and Brandon’s wedding and honeymoon destination, and watch Erin and Lawson’s budding music careers.

For more information visit TheBatesFamily.com

Source : Christian Post

Christian Music Festival ‘Winter Jam’ Hits Theaters Nationwide in ‘This Is Winter Jam’

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Christian Music Festival ‘Winter Jam’ Hits Theaters Nationwide in ‘This Is Winter Jam’

Christian Post Report – The legendary Winter Jam festival is not only touring cities around the country this year, but a film featuring a behind the scenes tour will be in theaters in April.

The concert event will be featured in select movie theaters and will give fans a behind the scenes look at the biggest annual Christian music festival.

Over 600,000 people attended Winter Jam’s 47 shows last year, breaking previous attendance records over the past 20 years.

For those who can’t attend one of the 2016 concert events in-person, Fathom Events is giving Christian music lovers an opportunity to watch their favorite artists on the big screen and enjoy performances by Jeremy Camp, Francesca Battistelli, for KING & COUNTRY, NewSong, Family Force 5, and Building 429.

Eddie Carswell, the NewSong founder who also created Winter Jam, credits God for allowing the tour to utilize another platform that can reach more people.

“We are thrilled to partner with Fathom Events and WORD Entertainment to bring our story, our ministry, and a whole new perspective on our tour to the big screen for current and new fans alike,” Carswell said in a statement shared with The Christian Post.

“We continue to be humbled and awestruck to witness God’s redeeming story through this tour. Only He can take the credit and the glory for Winter Jam’s platform and its phenomenal growth.”

Kymberli Frueh, Fathom Events vice president of programming, spoke about the unique opportunity to bring some of the biggest names in Christian music to the big screen.

“[The film] ‘This Is Winter Jam’ is a can’t-miss opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the biggest names in Christian music on tour,” Frueh said in a statement. “Fathom is looking forward to bringing this content to theater audiences.”

The film offers content that even those who attended the tour would enjoy. Aside from performances, “This Is Winter Jam” will offer backstage access and interviews with the top billing entertainers in the Christian music industry.

While the film will focus on the tour, it also sheds light on Christian rock duo for KING & COUNTRY. In the film, the pair will debut their “Priceless” music video and scenes from their own first feature film, “Priceless.”

The Grammy award-winning brothers, Joel and Luke Smallbone, will act as supervising producers in the upcoming film that tells a redemptive love story set in the world of human trafficking. After touring the world and being welcomed into the ears of countless Christian pop music fans, viewers will witness Joel’s big screen debut in the fall.

Joel will transform into a man named James Stevenson on the silver screen. There he will fight for the heart of a woman who is caught up in a human trafficking.

In a newsletter sent to fans, for KING & COUNTRY detailed the premise of the film which was filmed in New Mexico.

“It’s a story of James Stevenson, a man of extremes, who gets thrown into the dark world of human trafficking,” the message reads. “Can the love, strength, and faith of a woman redefine his past and change the course of his future? This unlikely hero must risk it all to shut down the trafficking ring and save the girl he’s falling in love with.”

For more information about the “This Is Winter Jam” film that will feature for KING & COUNTRY along with previews of their “Priceless” film that will be in theaters this fall, visit http://2016.jamtour.com/movie.

Source : Christian Post

Greg Laurie’s Harvest Festival Carries Tradition of Texas Revivals, Historian Says

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Greg Laurie’s Harvest Festival Carries Tradition of Texas Revivals, Historian Says

Christian Post Report – Megachurch Pastor Greg Laurie shares the significance of Jesus’ last words during a sermon at Harvest Church in Irvine, California, Sunday, November 1, 2015.

Pastor Greg Laurie’s annual Harvest festival is part of a long history of revival events in the southern state of Texas, historian Larry Eskridge says ahead of the stadium event in March.

Laurie, who heads Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, is currently preparing to host the 25th annual Harvest Crusade at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on March 6.

As the megachurch pastor prepares for the massive Christian conference, historian and revival expert Larry Eskridge has stressed the historic importance of holding this year’s crusade event in Texas, which has a long history of evangelical awakenings.

Posting on his personal blog on Wednesday, Laurie shared a recent article written by Eskridge for Worship Leader Magazine that connects Texas’ rich evangelical history with the Harvest Crusades.

In his article, Eskridge notes several historic evangelical revivals that took place in Texas, including early Camp Meetings, in which families would camp out in the same area for a week and meet with preachers, and EXPLO in 1972 that attracted thousands of young evangelicals who gathered for music, training and worship.

Eskridge writes in his article that Laurie’s Harvest festival is an important 21st century representation of the many revival periods Texas has experienced in the past.

Laurie’s festival reminds Christians of the importance of Jesus in the modern world, Eskridge asserts, writing: “But the questions about life and God’s ultimate purpose for mankind that will echo through the minds of those in attendance are surely not so different from the ones their forbears asked in those Texas camp meetings, brush arbors, and revivals in days past.”

The California pastor has preached about the importance of revival in the past, calling on Christians to seek out God and ask for forgiveness during a National Day of Prayer event in Washington, D.C. in 2013.

During his speech, Laurie said that now more than ever revival is needed in the United States, pointing to “trouble in our culture today” that includes the “breakdown of the family, crippling addictions, and random acts of horrific violence.”

Laurie added at the event that he prays that America experience another great spiritual awakening so it may change its course.

“Lord, in Your mercy, we ask that You would exalt our country again. We have had a number of great awakenings in America. We have experienced times of refreshing, and revivals that changed not only the spiritual but also the moral landscape,” Laurie told the audience.

“That is our prayer for America today, Lord. Send a mighty spiritual awakening that will turn the hearts of men and women, boys and girls back to you. You have told us if we will humble ourselves and pray, and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways, that You will forgive our sins and heal our land,” the pastor added.

Source : Christian Post