Month: February 2017
Predestination and Election: If God has Already Decided Why Should We Preach and Evangelize?
Posted on February 28, 2017 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
You see the doctrines of election and predestination don’t eliminate the preaching of the Gospel or evangelism because those are the only means by which any person can be saved. And since, as Keller points out, no one knows who is and who is not part of the elect, we have a responsibility to preach the Gospel to “all men.” It is not surprising that the Bible calls “all men” to repentance on many occasions. We see the Apostles in the New Testament often preaching to large groups of people and calling them to repent and be saved. And on many occasions Jesus preached to large crowds. More than once we read of many people being saved, but not all. But at every opportunity all were called to repentance and no one was singled out as part of the elect.
Predestination and Election: Why Doesn’t God Choose to Save Everyone?
Posted on February 22, 2017 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
I will be the first to say that the doctrine of election and predestination is one that will require much wrestling. It is not a doctrine that you will one day wake up and fully accept. It is a doctrine that will take time, prayer, study, wrestling, and conversation. And, chances are, you will need to ask God some very difficult questions along the way. That’s ok, God doesn’t mind.
Let me first commend to you this article by Tim Keller. Pastor Keller is a highly respected pastor, theologian, and Bible teacher. Dr. Keller has written a short commentary on three of the most asked questions regarding the doctrine of election and predestination. I highly recommend you read the entire article. The questions Keller addresses are:
If you believe in election, doesn’t that leave you with the problem of why God doesn’t choose to save everyone?
But if everything is fixed and certain, why pray, evangelize, or do anything at all?
I believe the Bible and I see all the teaching about election, but why do I still dislike it?
Do Genesis 1:27 and Galatians 3:28 Teach Transgenderism?
Posted on February 16, 2017 in Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
For those who have not spent much time studying the Bible and the context of these two verses, let’s take a closer look at them and see if they do in fact support transgenderism or not.
In the first verse, Genesis 1:27, is recorded the words of Scripture after the creation of man and woman. The first thing we need to notice is the use of the word “him” and “them” in this verse. The writer of Genesis first says that God decided to man (lit. “mankind,” Heb. adam). So first, God says that He intends to make mankind and will fashion mankind in the image of God. This means, simply that God decided to make mankind in the same image of God, as God’s imago dei (image bearer). In this, both male and female are the image bearers of God and were both made in God’s image.
Don’t Let These Retirement Mistakes and Myths Ruin Your Fun
Posted on February 14, 2017 in Money by Nathan Cherry
It’s not surprising to me that at the top of the list of ways to ruin your retirement is to have too much debt. And, unfortunately, I see this a lot. Debt is a burden that will suck the life out of retirement. It will prohibit you from doing the things you really want and keep you awake at night. And, debt will keep you working far longer than you would like.
Other retirement killers include…
President Trump Starts Strong by Supporting Life and the Mexico City Policy
Posted on February 8, 2017 in Life, Public Policy by Nathan Cherry
One of the very first actions of President Trump surprised me, in a good way. If more actions like this follow I am very hopeful for the unborn in our country.
I will admit that I am cautiously optimistic concerning the “pro-life” claims of President Trump. He has supported abortion in various ways throughout his lifetime and never been considered a pro-life advocate. So when he claimed, on the campaign trail, to be pro-life, I was skeptical.
But you know what they say: actions speak louder than words.
Within the first few hours of his administration, President Trump reinstated the Mexico City policy, much to my surprised and the delight of many pro-life Americans. In case you are not familiar with this policy, it is a policy that prohibits the federal government from sending any taxpayer money to a foreign organization that performs abortions. In other words, not one penny of your hard-earned money, or mine, will be used to perform abortions overseas.
VIDEO: The Bell Chimes for Every 1 Million Babies Killed by Abortion
Posted on February 7, 2017 in Life by Nathan Cherry
As you watch the video, the bell tolls every time 1 million is reached. So unlike a typical clock that chimes no more than 12 times at once, this bell will toll 58 times before the video is done. You won’t forget this bell either. When you hear other bells chime you will remember this foreboding toll.
The Agony of Gethsemane: The Most Amazing and Terrifying Scene in the Bible
Posted on February 1, 2017 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
In the entire Bible there is a single scene that is at once the most loving and most terrifying in all of Scripture. In fact, it’s the most painful scene in all of history. If we’re not careful, we will pass over this scene without fully considering its implications and appreciating its magnitude.
When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, he demonstrated His obedience to the Father and His love for humanity in the most painful and terrifying way possible. Scripture records the scene for us: