Applied Theology
Books abound on church growth strategy. There are books to grow your church from the inside out. Other books teach church growth from the outside in. One book wants you to grow your church by learning from unchurched Americans. Another book says Christians just need to become contagious (in a good way, of course). Each... Continue Reading →
Recently, I watched an interview Marvin Olasky conducted with Bob Fu, the founder of China Aid. There were many good points to take away from the interview. The most immediate impact for me, however, was Fu’s use of the term Prison Theology. Have you heard of that? I first heard about prison theology when I... Continue Reading →
Ian Bayne, a GOP candidate running for election in Illinois’s 11th District, sent an email to his supporters recently claiming that Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson is taking a stand against religious persecution in the same way that Rosa Parks took a seat against racial persecution in December of 1955. I have been trying to... Continue Reading →
Tryon Edwards, great grandson of Jonathan Edwards, once said, “Most controversies would soon be ended, if those engaged in them would first accurately define their terms, and then adhere to their definitions.” Edwards was perhaps too optimistic about the end of controversy, but he was right to note the power of definitions to bring clarity... Continue Reading →
"He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Rev. 2:7). I am a football fan. And I am a Christian. Therefore, as any good Christian ought, I cheer for the Saints! The Apostle Paul blesses the churches at Ephesus and Colosse because of their love for... Continue Reading →
The lure of chronological snobbery is an almost invincible force which overwhelms us all. Each of us hopes to excel our own pasts and, thus, to excel the generations which gave us birth. So, it is understandable that we are tempted by chronological snobbery. As a term, chronological snobbery was first utilized by C. S.... Continue Reading →
In June of 1982, The Clash released (on Cassette) their only song to reach #1, the punk rock classic, “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” The song was neither toward nor about anyone in particular. Its staying power rests on its ability to speak to so many situations in general. It even speaks (in... Continue Reading →
Last week, the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches (NCFIC) unleashed a maelstrom of confusion and discontent among Christians over the place of Rap in Christian worship. As is always the case in situations like this, there is inevitably more heat than light. Emotions are running high, and unfortunate (and unnecessary) divisions are now forming. After... Continue Reading →
Basically, there are 2 kinds of persecution: Institutional and Incidental. In biblical terms, an institutional example of persecution can be found in the execution of James, the brother of John, in Acts 12. There, Herod used the power of the sword, which is rightly possessed by the government, in a manner that demonstrated how wrongly... Continue Reading →
Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy once proclaimed, “It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness.”[1] Americans in particular have a fascinating attraction to beauty (or, more accurately, to the beautiful). Consider this simple factoid: Vogue magazine has nearly three times the readership of Sports Illustrated—and Sports Illustrated’s most successful issue is... Continue Reading →
Upon incurring trauma or injury, the human body unleashes a dizzying array of processes and chemical reactions for the purpose of sustaining life. Endowed with wisdom from God, our bodies are actually much smarter than we who inhabit them. When trauma strikes, our bodies unleash 1,500 chemical processes. In such trauma, our bodies produce Adrenaline... Continue Reading →
Hopefully, you will be attending an International Day of Prayer (IDOP) event for the persecuted church. I have been part of the IDOP movement for 13 years now, and it provides encouragement for me year after year. Specifically, I am always encouraged in two ways. First, I am encouraged by the joy of the persecuted.... Continue Reading →
As a pastor, I have often had folks close to me ask (in separate—and as far as I know—unrelated incidents) for me to explain why Baptists don’t allow Presbyterians to fellowship with us in the Lord’s Supper. [The questions were not all that succinctly worded, but they were all to the same effect.] So, I... Continue Reading →
As noted in the first part of this article, Christ taught His original followers that persecution would continue on account of Him (Mat 5:10-12). We have seen that the presence of Christ provokes persecution now just as it did when Christ walked the streets of Jerusalem (and was eventually nailed to a cross). What we... Continue Reading →
Few evangelicals would argue against the primacy of preaching Christ in Christian ministry. We evangelicals preach Christ. As we preach Christ, we do so with an expectation of benefit to our hearers. Through the preaching of the Word of Christ, the lost are saved. Paul tells us that this is in fact the way sinners... Continue Reading →
Gregory C. Cochran 