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And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my...

From escaping Iran through the mountains as a Muslim refugee, to surviving domestic abuse and imprisonment in a Turkish prison, to carving out a life in Sweden, Annahita Parsan’s story is the stuff of a Hollywood movie. Parsan, a convert from Islam to Christianity and mother of two, has emerged as one of the most prominent religious figures in Europe, both because of her unlikely geographic and spiritual pilgrimage and her decision to reach out to Muslims with the gospel -- at great personal risk. The former refugee is now the leader of two congregations in Sweden. She not only...

And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence. And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the Lord yonder. And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said,...

Perak mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria claimed today that Muslims are forbidden from joining the candlelight vigil in memory of the Korean pop star who died of suspected suicide this week. The mufti asked about the necessity for Muslims to pray for a deceased non-Muslim to go to heaven especially when he allegedly committed suicide, after Astro Awani contacted him for his opinion. “Cannot. You’re forbidden from doing that. If the artist or individual was Muslim, we gift him the al-Fatihah verse. If it’s a non-Muslim, why would we pray heaven for him instead? “What more he committed suicide, why...

The Supreme Court has now heard the arguments in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, a case that pits gay rights against religious rights. But a ruling is not expected until June 2018. That gives us plenty of time to ask ourselves, “Would I lose my livelihood because of my religious convictions? Am I willing to suffer for my faith?” In America, an increasing number of Christians have answered yes to that question, including Jack Philips of Masterpiece Cakeshop. People like this should be commended for their steadfastness and should serve as examples to the rest of the Church: We show love...

Question: "What is the prayer of salvation?" Answer: Many people ask, “Is there a prayer I can pray that will guarantee my salvation?” It is important to remember that salvation is not received by reciting a prayer or uttering certain words. The Bible nowhere records a person’s receiving salvation by a prayer. Saying a prayer is not the biblical way of salvation. The biblical method of salvation is faith in Jesus Christ. John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have...

“Duck Dynasty” stars Miss Kay and Phil Robertson are known for their kind deeds and penchant for sharing the gospel — and during a recent trip to NYC and Washington D.C., a simple gesture from Miss Kay led to a transformative conversation. Miss Kay explained in a video uploaded to Phil Robertson’s Facebook page on Thursday that she decided to seek out the maid who cleaned her room so she could give her a thank you gift, explaining how the interaction sparked a conversation about the gospel. “I went to find the lady that cleaned my room … and I...

"The doctors of the law are not just of those times, there are so many even today. That is why we need to pray for shepherds. Pray so that we do not lose the key to knowledge and do not close the door to ourselves and the people who want to enter." Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Do not forget that salvation is free, an expression of God's closeness, because "when you forget the gratuity of salvation you fall, you lose the key to knowledge of the history of salvation". "That is why we need to pray for ourselves as shepherds",...

Peter Jenkins was of the Watergate generation, a cynic who picked up his college diploma and a 75-pound backpack and set off, as he puts it, “to give this country one last chance.” Now more than five years and 4,750 miles later, he is a believer. “I have America in every cell of my body,” he exults, “and I could feel God everywhere.”.. By the time Jenkins reached the Mississippi he was no longer a vegetarian. A poor mountain man in Virginia, who offered Jenkins a lamb chop, had made him feel foolish about his no-meat diet. Once a “hyper...

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16a, NASB).“What makes you different?” Steve asked. “I’m a follower of Jesus Christ,” responded Sammy.” The Christian faith of one of the most popular and highly paid 1960s-70s actors is the fulcrum on which Steve McQueen: American Icon is balanced. Greg Laurie, pastor, author, and long-time McQueen fan, narrates the engaging and entertaining documentary that is coming to select theaters this Thursday, September 28, for one night only. Laurie was drawn to McQueen’s story largely because of...

Chicago Bears linebacker Sam Acho is a preacher’s son who is passionate about his faith and believes wholeheartedly that Christians are called “to be the hands and feet of Jesus.” Acho expounded upon his faith in a recent episode of The Chicago Sun-Times’ “Face to Faith” podcast, saying that Jesus is part of who he is and that his faith roots run deep. The NFL star’s family even runs a ministry that makes medical mission trips to Nigeria, where they help those in need with dental care, eye care and surgery. “There’s so much in Scripture that talks about …...

Baptism.  Is it required for salvation?  This is a topic that is often glossed over, but when it does come up tends to generate some of the most heated debates.  After all, a topic pertinent to whether or not someone is saved is going to cause some pretty strong friction between Believers.  As with all things, we need to discuss winsomely and lovingly and test everything with Scripture.  I've been on both sides of this debate and two things I've learned are first, baptism is a commanded ordinance and Christians need to immediately obey the command regardless of whether...

About half of Protestants in the U.S. now agree with the "historically Catholic belief" that both faith and good deeds are needed for salvation, rather than faith alone, a Pew Research Center survey shows.White Evangelicals stood out as the strongest believers in faith alone, however.Pew, which released the survey to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, explored different questions, though one of the main focuses was on the requirements for salvation.Fifty-two percent of U.S. Protestants said both good deeds and faith in God are needed to get into heaven; 46 percent said faith alone (sola fide) is needed. Among Catholics,...

The following 18 questions have been blessed to helping folks come to a decision for Christ - or to give them assurance of their salvation. I have had them written in the flyleaf of my New Testament for many years - and they have born much fruit. My prayer is that you will think on these questions until God through Jesus Christ our Lord, which is our hope, will grant you comfort through faith. I post this not as fodder for argument, but for some material for quiet time meditation with God.

You know that my focus lately has been on correctly preaching the Gospel of Grace.  The Gospel + anything = nothing.  There can be no mixture of law and grace (Romans 11:6).  It's either all law or all grace and we know that no one has ever been able to keep the law except Christ (Psalm 14:3, 53:3, Isaiah 64:6-7, Romans 3:9-23, James 2:10).  The law was not given to make us righteous, but to show us our desperate need for a Savior who actually can make us righteous (Romans 3:19-26, Galatians 3:24).  You can summarize all of Paul's...

If you thought like I do that the Church might be gone in the next few months or years what would you want to tell people?  I've thought long and hard about this and I keep coming back to the Gospel.  Ultimately, all of our Christianity, biblical knowledge, and prophecy study is worthless if we don't believe the Good News. The Apostle Paul made clear that Jesus' literal resurrection is what gives our faith its power.  If Jesus did not rise again then we are still dead in our sins and hopeless - our faith is in vain (1...

Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants his social network to fill the role that churches and social clubs once did in communities.

I have been running across a cultural reference lately which I hadn’t given much thought to, until the sheer repetition of it in reading, and media and even some conversation, led me to look it up. The reference is to “taking the Red Pill” or people coming to a “Red Pill moment”. What does it mean? (Where else to go but Wikipedia?) The red pill and its opposite, the blue pill, are popular cultural symbols representing the choice between: Knowledge, freedom and the (sometimes painful) truth of reality (red pill) or Falsehood, security and the blissful ignorance of illusion (blue...

Everyone ultimately has to make a decision: will they trust themselves and their understanding or will they trust God and His.  This choice isn't just for unbelievers, but for those who call themselves "Christian", as well.  For very, very soon those who have placed their faith in themselves and their works and abilities will discover whether that was a wise or foolish decision.  As for me, I have nothing to boast or glory in save the Cross of Christ.  I'm staking everything - my life, my soul, and my future on Jesus Christ and Him alone.  I'm taking the...

Nadab and Abihu were the eldest sons of Aaron and along with their father were the first priests to serve in the Tabernacle.  Their story is a terrifying warning to us about God's unbending requirements.  In Leviticus 10 we learn that they brought a "strange fire" before the LORD - in other words, a fire not authorized by God.  As a consequence they were immediately consumed and killed by fire. In like manner, God has authorized only one acceptable sacrifice for us to bring before Him.  God's Word tells us that no one is righteous in His sight (Psalm...