Month: June 2016
A Proper View of Sin is Needed When a Christian Leader Falls
Posted on June 30, 2016 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
I am constantly curious by the reaction of Christians to the fall of a prominent Christian leader. Ranging from the “I knew that person would fall” to “my whole world is crashing down,” these reactions reveal our lack of understanding of the nature of sin and our susceptibility to it.
Recently I was listening to a podcast of Dr. R.C. Sproul on the total depravity of man and the nature of sin. This part of his teaching on the doctrines of grace and Reformed theology dealt with sin from an honest and biblical perspective. Dr. Sproul made a very poignant statement that Christians need to hear and understand. He said:
“There is no sin that a Christian is not capable of committing.”
This is a timely comment as many people become disillusioned by the fall of a Christian leader. If we become discouraged by the sin of another we are showing that we do not have a proper view of sin. If we believe for one minute that there is any person not capable of falling due to sin we are gravely mistaken.
Dr. Russell Moore recently wrote on how our response to the sin and fall of another is evidence of our misunderstanding of sin:
SPORTS: A New Idol for A New Generation
Posted on June 29, 2016 in Family, Theology by Nathan Cherry
I recently watched the Cleveland Cavaliers pull off an improbable comeback to win the NBA finals. With their team down 3-1 the Cavs won 3 straight games to bring home Cleveland’s first NBA championship; a promise LeBron James issued two years ago. It was an exciting game and series for fans, but it also reminded me of how much Americans worship sports.
To be fair, I love sports. I’ve been playing and watching since I was a kid. What I am most thankful for is that my parents never allowed sports to interfere with our family, or our life as part of the church. That doesn’t seem to be the case today.
How often have you said to your pastor, “we won’t be around much the next few months, it’s _________ season.”?
VDEO: Powerful Hip-Hop Video “Life On Mars” Confronts Definition of Life
Posted on June 28, 2016 in Life by Nathan Cherry
An odd irony I’ve often wondered about is the various definitions of life employed by our culture. It would seem that the definition of life is fixed: if you’re alive, you’re alive. But that doesn’t seem to be the case. The most glaring example of this is seen in discussions of finding life on planet Mars.
Scientists are hoping to find life on Mars. And by life they mean any simple, single-celled organism they can deem alive. However, many of these same scientists would look at an unborn child with all of it’s millions of cells and beating heart, and refuse to admit that it is a living human being. It takes some philosophical gymnastics to arrive at that conclusion.
A new music video by a Christian hip-hop artist addresses this very hypocrisy.
Dove Award winning artist Je’Kob recently released the video for his song “Life On mars,” which discusses the definition of life. (The video is posted below.)
In the video, Je’Kob addresses the idea that bacteria found on Mars is considered “life” while a baby inside the womb is not given this protected status. He sings:
“Don’t let them find one organism, & got the nerve to call that life,
“Yet they say that my baby’s not alive until it lives outside my wife
“Why are we looking for life on Mars
“When don’t respect life on our Planet Earth, Planet Earth, Planet Earth.”
Watch the video below and share it on social media.
How Serving Fried Chicken to People on the Street Illustrates the Gospel
Posted on June 23, 2016 in Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Long lines were forming as the families and friends of victims of the shooting sought to help by donating blood. Many people stood in long lines for hours waiting their turn to donate, and that’s when local Chik-fil-A owners saw an opportunity to fulfill their promise to “have a positive influence” on the community.
Todd Starnes, writing for Fox News, shares what happened:
To My Catholic Friends: Did You Hear What the Pope Just Said?
Posted on June 22, 2016 in Religious Freedom, Theology by Nathan Cherry
In recent years very prominent Christians have made heretical claims. Claims like hell isn’t real by former pastors like Rob Bell shocked the Christian church and brought immediate outcry. That claim seems to be miniscule in comparison to what Pope Francis has recently claimed.
Pope Francis gave an interview with La Croix, a French-Catholic publication, not long ago. In the interview the Pope made a statement that defies the imagination for the leader of the Catholic Church and has some saying he is the “anti-Pope.”
Pope Francis said:
VIDEO: When People See Abortion They Change Their Mind About Supporting Abortion
Posted on June 21, 2016 in Life by Nathan Cherry
The video below has been circulating social media for a couple of weeks now. The video shows people being asked if they are pro-choice or pro-life. When they answer that they are pro-choice, they are shown a video of what a typical first trimester abortion looks like. Their reactions are recorded as they watch the video. Once the video is finished they are asked if their opinions have changed concerning abortion.
Everyone changes their mind.
Years ago Fr. Frank Pavone said “America won’t reject abortion until it sees abortion.” Maybe he knew how preceisely accurate his words were, maybe not. But watching this video makes it clear that many people simply don’t understand just how human the unborn are, and what terrible torture abortion really is.
I hope this video continues to circulate social media and that many more minds will be changed because of it. There is no doubt that more people are pro-life today than ever before. We need to continue to educate people on the atrocity of abortion and reject the culture of death that Planned Parenthood and its partners want us to accept.
And, let’s not forget the unborn when we vote for a president in November.
The Reason I Don’t Own Pets Has To Do With Harambe the Ape
Posted on June 15, 2016 in Life, Theology by Nathan Cherry
I had pets growing up. Many of my friends and family today have pets. I don’t have any pets. My kids really like animals and would love to have a pet, but so far I’ve refused to get any pets. One reason for this decision is that I would be a really bad pet owner. I should probably explain that statement.
Pet ownership has gone to a whole new level of crazy in our culture. You can find pet spas, pet resorts, and all manner of comforts and conveniences for your pet: sweaters, shoes, lounge chairs and houses nicer than the people down the street. People now refer to themselves as parents simply because they own a pet and there is a section of greeting cards that is from the pet to the owner (who exactly fills out and signs that card?).
When I say I would be a bad pet owner it’s not because I abuse or neglect animals but because I treat them like…animals. I don’t buy pets expensive food, I don’t celebrate their birthday, and if you call me a parent because I own pets I’m liable to punch you in the throat. I don’t see animals as being on the same level as humans or in any way equal. So the lengths to which some people go to own a pet is beyond my comprehension. (I know a retired lady concerned about running out of money but she refuses to stop taking her dog to groomers or buying unbelievably expensive medicines.)
Why This Progressive Leader in the ACLU Just Quit is Surprising. Hint: Transgender People and Bathrooms
Posted on June 14, 2016 in Public Policy, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
I never thought I’d see the day when a progressive person, a leader in the ACLU no less, decides to quit over the implementation of a progressive idea. Yet that is exactly what Maya Dillard Smith did after her young daughters were shaken by having men in the women’s bathroom.
What makes this an interesting story is that a self-described liberal is seeing first hand just how bad the transgender bathroom policy really is. Many voices have shared concern for the safety of women in light of Target’s decision to allow transgender people to use whatever bathroom they choose. And greater concern was shared when President Obama decided to ask all public schools to allow transgender students to use whatever bathroom and locker room they choose.
The public has pushed back against the idea that grown men should be allowed into the locker room and bathroom with young girls and women. The boycott against Target has grown and Target has watched their stock price drop. Fundamentally, people know that grown men and women should not be in the same bathroom or locker room together. But this progressive, liberal idea has become a central focus in our culture.
This Graph Will Tell You All You Need to Know About Religion in America
Posted on June 9, 2016 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
The above graph is made from data compiled from 2001-2016 by Gallup Research. The information sheds a very bright light on the state of religion in America and why solid biblical teaching is desperately needed inside our churches.
The quick conclusion I came to after looking over the data is that Mormons have the most biblical views of any religious group represented by the data. In each category Mormons scored lowest when needed (on issues like abortion and homosexual relationships) and highest when needed (on the death penalty). That sad reality is disturbing.
Most Evangelical Voters Won’t Vote for Trump. Here’s Why That Is Good and Scary
Posted on June 8, 2016 in Uncategorized by Nathan Cherry
For the first time in several election cycles, and certainly in my lifetime, there is no clear choice for evangelical voters in the upcoming presidential election.
I’m going to lay all my cards on the table and say what I think has been going on, and what will happen in November if Trump and Clinton are the nominees.
To this point I think there has been a deliberate effort to prop Trump up as the presumptive nominee for Republicans. The media has done a fantastic job of propping Trump up by giving him far more coverage than any other candidate; when there were more candidates in the race. When you look at some of the outlandish things Trump has said it is hard to believe he is still in the race. That is, unless that was the plan all along.
What is this was the goal: to make Trump the nominee over all the other serious candidates. Standing next to Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio, Trump is a caricature that is hard to take seriously. And somehow, he ended up as the last man standing. And while some would have us believe that Trump can beat Clinton, I think that is a serious error in judgment.
Why would the media pay so much attention to a caricature like Trump?