Christian Heritage News

By Al Mohler - Posted at 9Marks: We live in an age where steadfast faithfulness to biblical conviction increasingly exacts a social cost. Churches and entire denominations, feeling the mounting pressure of an increasingly secular culture, capitulate on fundamental doctrines and core teachings of the Christian faith—especially doctrines that intersect with the LGBTQ revolution. Church after church continues to sacrifice theological fidelity in the name of cultural relevance. Where you find a church, however, you find unwavering commitment to the Word of God—especially in those moments where the culture demands theological surrender. Complementarianism is one of these doctrinal commitments under severe scrutiny. To be clear, complementarian theology is a secondary issue for Christians—you can reject complementarianism and be a faithful follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, committed to the gospel and the expansion of Christ’s kingdom around the world. While it is secondary, second-t

Pastor Wang Yi  - Image Source: Barnabas Fund By Helen Raleigh - Posted at The Federalist: Published December 9, 2019 One year after his arrest, Pastor Wang Yi is still in Chinese detention. Let us all pray for him and the thousands of innocent Christians facing persecution under the oppressive Chinese regime. This Dec. 9 marks the one-year anniversary of the Chinese government’s raid on the Early Rain Covenant Church in the city of Chengdu, in Sichuan province, China. Chinese police arrested about 100 church members, including Pastor Wang Yi and his wife Jiang Rong, and ravaged then sealed church property. One year later, most of the arrested church members including Wang’s wife have been released, although Jiang’s movement is restricted and she is under government surveillance. However, there is still no word about the fate of Wang and several other church elders. Wang founded the Early Rain Church in 2008. Unlike other house churches that have gone to great lengths

Joni Eareckson Tada is a radio host and the founder of the Joni and Friends International Disability Center.  (Photo: Joni and Friends/A. Larry Ross Communications) By Samuel Smith - Posted at The Christian Post: Popular evangelical author, radio host and disability rights activist Joni Eareckson Tada fears that evangelical Christians are bending to societal pressure and enabling the decline of American moral standards by not being willing to speak up for what is biblically right. In an interview with The Christian Post about her newest 365-day devotional, A Spectacle of Glory: God's Light Shining through Me Every Day , Eareckson Tada touched on a political issue that hits close to her heart — physician-assisted suicide. As Colorado recently became the sixth state to legalize physician-assisted suicide, Eareckson Tada, the founder of Joni and Friends, commented on a recent survey that found that nearly four out of ten evangelicals and two-thirds of Americans believe it

By Bob Rupert - Posted at the Journal of the American Revolution : Robert Erskine was born in Dumfermline, Scotland, to Ralph and Margaret Erskine on September 7, 1735. Ralph Erskine, being a Presbyterian minister, raised Robert to be thrifty, God-loving, determined, and well-educated. In 1748 and then again in 1752 he was enrolled in the University of Edinburgh. There are no records of his performance or if he even completed his studies. Upon leaving the university he moved to London and found employment that allowed him to get by. In 1759, he formed a business partnership with a Mr. Swinton selling hardware and farm tools. In 1760, hoping to do business in the American colonies, Swinton travelled to the Carolinas with a significant consignment of merchandise. Erskine never heard from him again and was forced to file for bankruptcy. Using his mechanical talent, he invented and patented a “Continual Stream Pump.” His plan was to use the profits from the sale of the pumps to payof

Image Source: The Daily Citizen By Sharon James - Posted at the Evangelical Times : ‘If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear’, wrote George Orwell. Nearly 75 years ago Animal Farm was published. Famously, its author, George Orwell, believed that real liberty must involve the freedom to call out lies. We live now in an age of unprecedented gender confusion. Activists for trans rights want to change the way we speak, and change the way we think. We are told to address men as if they are women, women as men, or people (who demand it) as ‘non-binary’. A new faith is being imposed by force. Of course those who are suffering from real gender confusion should be treated with respect and compassion. But all too often Christians stop there. We fail to challenge the false teaching that is causing confusion. Continue reading...

By Marsha West - Posted at Christian Research Network: Sadly, “Christian” book sellers line their shelves with books that are clearly unbiblical. Books that put a positive spin on New Age spirituality, Eastern mysticism, LGBTQ+ issues and so forth are available through online Christian outlets as well as their brick and mortar stores. I think it’s safe to say that pseudo-Christian publishing houses has to be one of if not the largest suppliers of outright heresy that exists today. Oddly, these organizations and the outlets that distribute for them are responsible (or should I say irresponsible) for much of the apostasy we’re witnessing in the visible Church. This is principally because these money-making enterprises offer false teachers a platform for spreading really really bad theology. As an example, folks shopping for something as important as a Bible will find one in every color, shape and size. That in and of itself is fine. But they’ll also find Bibles offering tr

Posted at the Barnabas Fund : Christian Olga Glamozdinova won a landmark legal case on 14 November when the Russian Constitutional Court ruled that worship services can take place in private houses. The judgment, which will have significant implications for religious freedom in Russia, stated that homes should satisfy not only the material needs of citizens but also their spiritual needs. Olga went to court on 8 October to challenge a fine of 10,000 rubles (£122; $155; €140) imposed by the authorities after she allowed her house in the village of Veselyi, Rostov Oblast, to be used twice a week by her Protestant church for four-hour worship services. She also registered the church at the address of the house, which is built on land designated for “private farming”. She argued the authorities’ decision to fine her for “use of the land for unintended purposes” violated her “right to freedom of conscience and religious confession”, as well as her right to freely own and dispose of h

By David Qaoud - Posted at Gospel Relevance: “I’m spiritual but not religious.” Have you heard that expression before? I recently had a conversation with someone about faith. After a delay to articulate his beliefs, someone nearby helped by saying, “spiritual but not religious.” “Yeah,” he said, “I’m spiritual but not religious.” This is a common phrase, but it abounds with many faults. Honesty is attractive. When talking with someone else about faith who doesn’t hold my views, I would much rather hear someone say, “Look, man. I don’t believe in God at all,” than for them to come up with a religious-sounding statement in order to appease my question. But an honest statement is not always an accurate one. What does someone mean when they use this oft-familiar phrase? Usually, what they mean is that they have a personal one-on-one relationship with God, but they don’t want anything to do with organized religion. They hold to a form of spirituality, but their spirituality is subje

Saugus Campus - Wikipedia By Jordan Standridge - Posted at The Cripplegate: On November 14th a terrible tragedy struck the city of Santa Clarita as a student at Saugus High School shot and killed classmates before turning a gun on himself. Two students were killed a few more injured and the shooter himself was killed by suicide. Events like these are beyond tragic. Yet God in His Sovereignty uses even events like these for His glory. I am always thankful when God rises us the church to respond biblically to these situations. An email written by Josh Petras to his staff (he is the High School Pastor at Grace Community Church in Los Angeles) was forwarded to me and I thought it would encourage you as it did me (with Josh’s permission). Grace Church has several students who attend Saugus High School and I’m thankful God has put Josh there to help them think biblically in such a difficult time as this. Good morning staff,  I will not try to wax eloquently as I reflect ab

By W.J. Seaton - Posted at Herald of Grace: “There is a time to speak, and a time to be silent; and if we must give an account for every idle word spoken, take care lest you have to answer for idle silence.” So spoke an old father of the Church many years ago, and his words still have a ring of exhortation about them for any age of the Church – our own age included. As Mr Spurgeon had it, “Treatises in abundance have been produced upon the sins of speech; but are there not also sins of silence?” And in so many ways, the professing church of our day has become a silent church with regards to the faith once delivered to the saints. Perhaps we have now fully fallen victim to that brand of evangelicalism that places more emphasis on what a Christian doesn’t do, than on what a Christian does. You know the early catechising of many a new convert: “Now that you are a Christian, you must not – – – – .” And the negative begins to dominate the positive instead of being a hand-maid to it, a