Tag: Jesus
VIDEO: Actor Jim Caviezel Delivers Powerful Message
Posted on May 17, 2014 in Life, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
I am a huge Jim Caviezel fan. My first exposure to him was his role as Jesus in Mel Gibson’s epic movie “The Passion of the Christ.” Since that movie took the world by storm I have been a fan of Caviezel for his willingness to stand boldly for his faith in Hollywood.
Even though Caviezel knew that it could be a death sentence for his career as an actor, he felt called to make the movie and was obedient to that call. Since that time Caviezel has been an outspoken voice for faith in a town not know for any faith at all.
In this video Jim Caviezel shares on everything from how he got the role as Jesus in The Passion to his latest project recording an audio Bible. And while I wish someone else was doing the interview – this particular guy is a little too light-hearted for the message being shared, the message shared by Jim Caviezal in this video is a much needed one.
So you say you are a Christian but don’t believe all the Bible?
Posted on May 1, 2014 in Theology by Derick Dickens
From my first days at Marshall University, I met people who said they were Christians, but that they did not believe all of the Bible. This view has never made sense to me. How do they know which parts are true? How do they know which parts are reliable? For some odd reason, they feel they can hold to a proper view of Jesus Christ without ever believing what the Bible teaches us about Jesus. For them, they approach the Bible with scissors and “snip and cut” away things they do not like.
These people are creating their own religion, not embracing the true religion of Christianity.
Eliminating parts of the Bible started by people who used very broad strokes to divide the Bible into parts. First, they said the New Testament is trustworthy, but the Old Testament is not and is “done away with.” These scholars want to talk about the “love” of the New Testament and somehow feel it is incompatible with the law giving, holy God of the Old.
First rule of thumb, when you don’t understand God and you start eliminating attributes of God based upon your misunderstanding, then you are in trouble.
Video: Did You Know This Week is a Holy Week for Jews…and Christians?
Posted on April 16, 2014 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
As Christians we often hear about Palm Sunday, and Easter Sunday. Both are important historical dates in the life of Jesus that we remember and celebrate in the life of the church. But the week between those two Sunday’s is equally important should be remembered and celebrated as well. This “holy week” is the last week of Jesus’ earthly life and conveys much about his passion to redeem mankind.
Watch the short video below featuring Justin Taylor, Dr. Douglas Moo, and Dr. Andreas Köstenberger as they explain a little about this final week between two of the greatest dates in history.
If the video doesn’t appear automatically, please refresh your browser.
Did Andy Stanley Misspeak? Should Christians Violate Their religious Convictions?
Posted on March 12, 2014 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
In light of the Kansas bill that died in committee and the Arizona religious freedom bill that made national headlines for several weeks before being vetoed by Gov. Jan Brewer, mega-church pastor Andy Stanley made some troubling remarks that have evangelicals questioning his intentions.
According to a recent article Stanley said that he:
“..finds it ‘offensive that Christians would leverage faith to support the Kansas law. Serving people we don’t see eye to eye with is the essence of Christianity. Jesus died for a world with which he didn’t see eye to eye. If a bakery doesn’t want to sell its products to a gay couple, it’s their business. Literally. But leave Jesus out of it.’”
Does the Bible Justify Refusing to Serve Homosexual Weddings?
Posted on February 27, 2014 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Note: This article is a follow up to yesterday’s post in which I discussed the article by Kirsten Powers and responses to her article.
Predictably, the pending law in Arizona that would allow businesses to refuse service to homosexuals based on their religious convictions has stirred up controversy around the nation. Proponents of the legislation say it is needed to ensure the religious and conscience rights of Christian business owners are protected from government coercion and mandate. Opponents say the bills are just an excuse for people to discriminate.
What was not predictable in this discussion was how divided Christians themselves would be on the issue. Some Christians are saying no one should have the right to refuse service – not even Christians, and not even when rendering service would violate a person’s convictions. Other Christians are baffled by that position and reiterate that the government should not be allowed to force a person to violate his or her deeply held religious convictions. Dr. Albert Mohler recently said that this was “perhaps the strangest and most disappointing dimension of the current controversy.”
Who Are the Lukewarm That Jesus Spits Out of His Mouth?
Posted on February 18, 2014 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Quite often we hear lessons or illustrations about the “lukewarm” in the church. Almost unanimously these lessons center around teaching that the lukewarm are people that are saved but simply do not live out their faith, or are not active in growing in their faith. They are, according to most teaching, people that confess Christ but do not actively serve, worship, share, or serve Him.
Most often these teachings are based on Revelation chapter 3, the famous passage in which Christ describes people that are “neither hot nor cold” and for that reason he is sickened by the fact that these people are lukewarm and will “spit them out” of His mouth. This is strong language. And people have generally read this passage and believed that these are Christians not doing anything for Christ (which is what makes them lukewarm) and because of that Christ is sickened. But I believe this is an incorrect understanding of this passage; an incorrect view that could affect eternity.
Why I Believe the #CreationDebate Was an Eternal Success
Posted on February 11, 2014 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Answers in Genesis has released a report with the official number it believes watched the debate between founder Ken Ham and evolutionist Bill Nye. Their best estimation reveals that approximately five million people watched the debate around the world; though they also believe the number could be as high as ten million. The statistics for website hits, trending on Twitter, and overall reach are impressive and you can see them here.
But while these numbers are indeed impressive and show that the world is interested in this very sensitive subject, there was more to this debate than purely arguing over origins.
Steve Golden wrote an article at the Answers in Genesis website with, what I believe, is the key to the purpose of this entire debate. He wrote:
Should This “Jesus Tattoo” Advertisement Be Banned?
Posted on February 7, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
The Blaze reports: “A Texas man is suing a local school district after officials refused to display his Christian advertisement featuring a tattooed Jesus during high school football games. David L. Miller’s lawsuit against the Lubbock Independent School District in Lubbock, Texas, comes after he alleges that officials denied his digital billboard advertising the website www.JesusTattoo.org in October.”
Should the advertisement, featuring the image below, be banned or refused simply because it is religious in nature? Isn’t that the definition of religious discrimination prohibited in the Constitution?
The video below the image is an incredible reminder of what Jesus for each person. He willingly took the sins of every person that is willing to ask forgiveness and seek redemption. Watch the video and share it with others that need this amazing message of forgiveness. If the video doesn’t appear automatically, please refresh your browser.
Can You Share the Gospel With a Gay Friend?
Posted on January 24, 2014 in Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
One thing many Christians struggle with is sharing the Gospel with their lost friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Many feel unprepared, insecure, or fear they will be yelled at by people that don’t want to hear about Jesus. Regardless of the reasons why we often don’t share the good news with others, the fact remains that we are called to do so an need to intentionally find ways to witness to others.
As the homosexual movement becomes a more prominent issue in our society Christians need to be prepared to share the Gospel with those identifying as gay. Every person, created in the image of God, is lost in their sin without the redemptive, saving grace of Christ. That means that whether someone is a drug addict, a thief, homosexual, or a really nice person that simply doesn’t know Jesus; all are lost and in need of the Gospel.
For anyone that is wondering where to start or how to go about sharing the Gospel with someone that is gay, help is on the way. The reality is that you really only need to be honest, loving, and allow the grace and truth is Scripture to speak through you. You don’t need a theological education, or be skilled in debate, you just need to care enough to speak and be willing to allow God to use you.