Today's Devotions

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Showcase: Assorted Treats

  • Because of Who You Are +

    Time and again Vicki Yohe provides us with songs that simply capture the heart of someone devoted to Christ as… Read More
  • Who are you? The roles of elder, pastor and congregation +

    Todd Nighswonger of Cornerstone Simi Church, talked about the role of elders, pastors, and the congregation living in community. http://storage.cornerstonesimi.com/sermons/audio/11_103_A_People_of_Worth_pt3.mp3… Read More
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kell(the following is from Collin Hansen's blog at the Gospel Coalition: http://intelmin.org/2012/08/collin-hansen-when-we-suffer-when-to-disobey/)

Peter and the other apostles set the example: when told by authorities they could not testify to the risen and ascended Christ, they responded, "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). So we know that Christians must not obey authorities when their command directly contradicts God and his revealed Word. This is the basis for Christian civil disobedience.

From there, however, things get complicated and personal. As Albert Mohler describes in this substantive new video (audio link below), we Christians living in the West can now envision a time when we ask for God's protection from our authorities. Earlier this year The Falls Church in Virginia, led by long-time rector John Yates, lost their meeting facility, assets, and parsonage in a decisive court judgment after years of fighting to leave a denomination where many have stopped preaching the gospel. Tim Keller sketches the scene in New York City, where many elected officials shook church leaders with hostile opposition to the "invasion" of evangelical worship in public schools.

No doubt, our culture is changing. Christians are no longer respected or understood as we once were, Yates observes. But watch to the end of this video (audio), when Yates calls on Christians to focus on what's important, reject superficial faith, and identify with our truly persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. Indeed, when we suffer loss and opposition for our faith, we can rejoice as believers counted worthy of suffering for the name of Jesus (Acts 5:41). Hear the words of James, who told us, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness" (James 1:2-3). If you suffer, Yates says, maybe you really are a Christian after all.

http://tgc-audio.s3.amazonaws.com/podcast/When%20We%20Suffer,%20When%20to%20Disobey.mp3

Reflections to Consider

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Publications

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Music

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Audio & Video

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Favorites

  • Embracing God's Mystery +

    One of the sad aspects of humanity is our jadedness, Read More
  • Soaring by Surrendering +

    How do birds soar? Read More
  • Transcendence & Immanence +

    Scripture Isaiah 57:15 For this is what the high and exalted One says— Read More
  • October Devotional: Deliverance +

    Isaiah 49: 8 This is what the Lord says: Read More
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Hidden Blessings

  • Transforming this World: The Hope of Glory by NT Wright +

    Wright confronts the perspective that this world doesn’t matter, and that we live only to be in heaven. He shows… Read More
  • What is Good in a World that Defies Hope: a talk by NT Wright +

    This is the second part of three talks by NT Wright at Harvard University in November, 2008 on the topic… Read More
  • The Stream, the Lake and the River: NT Wright +

      Acts 2.1-21; John 7.37-39; a sermon at the Eucharist on the Feast of Pentecost, 11 May 2008, by the… Read More
  • Jesus in the Perfect Storm by NT Wright +

    Zechariah 9.9-17; Luke 19.28-48; A sermon for Palm Sunday, April 17, 2011, In the University Chapel of St Salvator, St… Read More
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