Where Does Our Allegiance Lie?
My sense is that the Church in the United States is desperately in need of this perspective, which the immigrants whom God has brought to this country can help us to understand from their personal experience. For many, “God and Country” have melded into one phenomenon, but Scripture is clear that there should be absolutely no competition for our first loyalty—not from our country, not from our families (Luke 14:26), not from our possessions (Matthew 6:31-34). We need our immigrant brothers and sisters, who know what it means to be “aliens and strangers,” to help remind us of where our true allegiance should lie.
Engagements Are the New Weddings
The heightened expectations for proposals affects how we date and choose our future spouse, how we view and navigate our own relationships. When it seems that everything is supposed to be spectacular—with filtered photos and sparkling diamonds—what happens when your relationship feels just a little bit ordinary? How do you know if it’s love? How do you know if he’s the one? We may be tempted to measure our passion against relationships we see on social media feeds or in movies. We may judge a guy by the aww-factor of his proposal, instead of the content of his character.
Speaking of the Poor — It’s Not Their Fault!
There are systemic issues of injustice that affect the poor and help keep them poor, even in America. When we follow Jesus, who always will take us among people, including the poor, and we are seeking the kingdom of God, we are compelled to show mercy and do justice. But to throw the poor under the bus, so to speak, suggesting that they just need to make better choices without at least giving equal voice to the systematic injustices… Well, that might just show that we have allowed the Bible to be absorbed into a story other than the story of Jesus and the kingdom of God.
That’s where Hebrews 4:14-16 helps us! It plainly says that Jesus, the great high priest, understands our weaknesses. He knows firsthand what it is like to be “human.” AND, he doesn’t want us to run away from the throne “of grace” but to run TO it! We can drag whatever we need to about ourselves before this greatest of high priests knowing that he not only understands but wants us in his presence for strength and healing.
Family Worship and Its Benefits
As we think about family worship, we should note up front that there is no verse of the Bible commanding Christian families to gather together each evening to worship. However, there are plenty of commands making it clear that Christian parents are to teach their children the faith, read the Word, and pray. In essence, they are to worship. Of course, we are to do this spontaneously as we drive down the road or tuck them in at night. These moments should be treasured and seized upon. However, seizing these moments does not negate the need for organized family worship in the home. Rather, family worship is an essential compliment to these moments, because it provides the type of consistency and planning that parents and heads of homes need to fulfill these biblical commands.
a celebration of 3 stay at home moms in 3 different regions of the country
New York lawsuit seeks ‘legal personhood’ for chimpanzees
Chimpanzees “possess complex cognitive abilities that are so strictly protected when they’re found in human beings,” Steven Wise, the president of Nonhuman Rights Project, told Reuters.
“There’s no reason why they should not be protected when they’re found in chimpanzees,” he added.