Category: Theology
Is Voting for “The Lesser of Two Evils” a Biblical Position for Christians?
Posted on March 23, 2016 in Public Policy, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Is it appropriate for Christians to vote for the “lesser of two evils” in an election where there is not a good candidate?
I was in a discussion with some friends recently in which the question was raised of who Christians should vote for if the candidate choices were Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. On one hand, Clinton is pro-abortion, pro-homosexuality and same-sex “marriage” and pro- many other things that Christians oppose. She is not a fit candidate for any Christian to support.
But on the other hand is Donald Trump. Trump claims to be a Christian but says he has never asked God for forgiveness and doesn’t need to, he is belligerent, insulting, and proud of his own sins. His brand of “Christian” is false and has the potential to drive people away from Jesus rather than to Him. Overall he is not an expression of Christianity or an example of Christ that a Christian should endorse.
The conversation turned to the idea of voting for the “lesser of two evils” and it was quickly decided that Trump is that choice. This bothered me. I knew I could not vote for Trump just because he was a little less “evil” than Clinton but I wasn’t sure how to articulate why. Then I read an article by Dr. Albert Mohler on the subject and it made perfect sense.
VIDEO: This Animated Explanation of Heaven and Earth is Great for Kids – and Adults!
Posted on March 22, 2016 in Family, Home School, Theology by Nathan Cherry
I ran across this video explaining heaven and earth at a blog site I frequent. It’s simple in its composition but the depth of theological insight and teaching is definitely there.
Many people are confused by the difference between heaven and earth. Are they one and the same? Are they totally separate? How will God bring them together? Is God bringing them together now or will that happen in the future? There is a lot of questions and the average church attending Christian does not have many answers.
This fun video illustrates the difference and explains in simple terms what God did, is doing, and will do with respect to heaven and earth. Take a look and see if you don’t learn a few things. Watch it with your kids and start a conversation about how they can come directly into God’s presence each and every day.
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Some Worthwhile Christian Opinions on Donald Trump. And Why He is Not a “Christian Candidate”
Posted on March 16, 2016 in Public Policy, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Donald Trump seems to be eliciting a reaction from nearly everyone with his presidential campaign. Some are energized by the un-politician and his blunt remarks. Others are angry over what they believe are racist, bigoted, xenophobic statements. And still others, like Pastor Max Lucado and well-known Christian media outlet The Christian Post are so incensed that they have broken political silence to denounce Trump.
Max Lucado has been a fixture of Christian culture for decades. I grew up reading his books and being inspired by his ability to paint word pictures from the biblical text. And though Lucado has written millions of words in his books, he has remained silent during presidential campaigns; refusing to endorse or condemn any candidate. Until now.
Likewise, The Christian Post has been a go-to resource for many people of faith for many years on all things religious. The Christian Post has never taken a position on a presidential candidate; even though many criticized their silence. All that has changed as The Christian Post makes it clear who they will not be supporting in this year’s election.
So why would two icons of Christian culture break their long-standing tradition of not endorsing or condemning a presidential candidate now? After all, President Obama ran for re-election; isn’t that enough to warrant an op-ed? What is it about Trump that has caused even the most reserved and controlled of Christian media outlets to break their silence?
I believe it is the mass support by self-identified “evangelical Christians” for Trump that has both Lucado and The Christian Post concerned. Specifically it is the concern that people outside of faith in Jesus Christ will conclude that all Christians are like Trump. This is particularly troubling given many of Trump’s claims. The Christian Post says:
What is the Most Important Lesson My Kids Can Learn from Me?
Posted on March 9, 2016 in Family, Theology by Nathan Cherry
As parents we spend a lot of time teaching our kids. Over the years I have helped teach my kids to:
tie a shoe,
ride a bike,
dress,
brush their teeth,
vacuum the floor,
and eat with a fork.
These “lessons” were often informal, not something planned with a manual and graded when we were done.
I’m sure you can recall many “lessons” you taught your kids as they were growing up (or maybe you’re still teaching because your kids are young; or hard-headed.) We often teach our kids without even realizing that we are doing so; a truth that is both interesting and somewhat frightening.
We’ve all been told that kids watch our every move and will learn by watching; they will imitate us. So we do our best as parents to be polite, use our manners, and refrain from burping at the dinner table. We want our kids to learn good habits so we try each day to set an example for them. But what about the lessons that can’t be learned by simply watching and observing someone else?
If You’re a Christian and Supporting Donald Trump: Read This
Posted on March 2, 2016 in Public Policy, Theology by Nathan Cherry
I liked watching the Celebrity Apprentice. I thought it was fun to watch these celebrities get told off by Donald Trump because I was pretty sure most of them hated him and would be the first to break a bottle over his head in a bar fight. So of course it made for entertaining television; come on, you were just as intrigued by Dennis Rodman as I was.
However, watching Trump rise politically has been the most confusing and bewildering experience. How can a man say the things Trump says and still be in the race? I’ve seen local politicians be mercilessly attacked and forced from office for less. (I have a theory that the media secretly wants Trump elected, but I’ll save that for another time.)
I’ve been voting for many years and am generally enthused in some way to go to the polls and cast my vote. However, my biggest fear is that when I step into that ballot box in 2016 that I will be faced with the choice between Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders for President. If that is the choice we may see more write-in ballots this year than any election in history. (Don’t be afraid to write my name in there, I’ll go to Washington for you.)
The reason I say this article is for Christians supporting Trump is two-fold:
Is Worship an Emotional Experience – Or Does It Reveal Our Theology of God?
Posted on February 24, 2016 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Can we truly worship God apart from our emotions? The debate over what “worship” in churches should and should not be like confronts us with the idea of whether it is possible to be divorced from our emotions and truly worship.
That question has been on my mind as I rethink what it means to worship. We know that we are to “worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24) But it seems the practical application of worshipping God “in spirit and in trust” is what is up for debate.
Discussions and comment threads over the use of instruments (and the banning of others); the use of dance (and the sin of dance); and the use of traditional hymns versus modern songs (aren’t the Psalms the most “traditional” hymns?) has made the discussion difficult to learn from. Each side is convinced of their right-ness on the issue. And in many cases opposing sides are willing to “agree to disagree”; a nice change from the typical name-calling (“legalist,” and “hippie” come to mind). But this is important.
The worship of God is not like the disagreement of whether or not Christians should drink alcohol. Our worship of God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is central to our lives as believers. Refusing to think critically about this topic could be spiritually deadening.
Worshiptainment: An Idol in Our Lives and Our Churches that Must Be Brought Down
Posted on February 17, 2016 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Back in the 1950’s and 1960’s, A.W. Tozer, a highly respected pastor, author, and theologian, was concerned that people just wanted to be entertained, even when they came to church. His fear was that society in general was moving towards an insatiable desire to be entertained. It seems his fears were well-founded and the subject needs to be revisited once again.
Like many, I have been in public settings where people would normally be interacting but they were all staring at their phones. It seems the next tweet, Instagram photo, or Facebook post was more captivating than the people around them. And now, our reliance on social media for stimulation and entertainment has made its way into the church. Entertainment has, in many ways, become another possible master for us to choose from.
A recent article at Desiring God explores the reality that entertainment has become the master of choice for many people, even Christians. The author confesses that entertainment has been used “…to distract me from the guilt of sin, friction in relationships, or anxiety about work. It became what daily prayer and Bible reading should have been — a safe haven to retreat for rest and comfort.”
But the result of choosing entertainment as a master is that it will slowly draw us away from Christ:
Should Children Be Allowed or Encouraged to Pray?
Posted on February 11, 2016 in Family, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
That was the first prayer I remember praying. I prayed it each night with one of my parents before going to sleep. Somewhere along the way I stopped praying that prayer and started praying my own prayers. But that prayer was said with the heart of a child that sincerely wanted to talk to God but didn’t necessarily know how.
I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about the idea of children praying and all the theological implications behind it. As a theology student I can say I have not. As a parent I can say it never occurred to me. That is, until I read an article by Tim Challies in which he answers a question about whether or not it is appropriate to let kids pray.
How Would 1.5 BILLION Dollars Change Your Life? It Might Ruin It!
Posted on January 20, 2016 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
I can’t help but wonder how many of my Christian friends have decided to “just buy one” in hopes of winning. No doubt it is with the promise that they will tithe and feed a small nation that they justify their purchase of what they hope will be a life-changing ticket. (Cue “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).
While we dream of how large sums of money would change our life we need to come face to face with the reality that at times our dreams are full of envy and idolatry; and we lack faith and thankfulness. This is easily seen in the definition of “large sums of money” from one country to the next. As people cross our borders in hopes of making $30,000 a year working I am reminded that there is a family living in a tent in Haiti.
I was further convicted of my own selfish greed by John Piper’s blog post entitled “7 Reasons Not to Play the Lottery.”
Piper, speaking to both Christians and people in general (which is presumably why he did not title his post “7 Reasons Christians Should Not Play the Lottery”), lays out a case for being wise stewards of all that we’ve been given. More than that he argues that the lottery is enabling poverty and keeping people from growing out of poverty. Some of his reasons include:
What If You Showed Up At Church Sunday Morning and Heard This?
Posted on January 14, 2016 in Life, Theology by Nathan Cherry
uppose you went to church on Sunday morning to hear God’s Word and listen to a sermon or lesson intended to help grow you spiritually. You’re eager to know how God’s Word applies to your life today and how you can look through a biblical lens at the issues that permeate our culture. You sit eagerly waiting to hear the message God has given your pastor when the pastor begins by say he/she wants to discuss the biblical support for abortion!
That may seem far-fetched; as if there is no way any pastor would express support for something so obviously wrong. Right?
Unfortunately the reality that there exists members of the clergy that regularly teach God’s Word to those gathered in their congregation while also supporting abortion is true. Even sadder is that it is not one or two “rogue” or isolated pastors adhering to this lamentable position. In fact, according to a recent article, 53 pastors in the state of Texas alone support abortion: