Your Bible shows plainly that Jesus Christ and the early church observed the seventh-day Sabbath. So did His first followers. Yet today, the vast majority of those calling themselves “Christian” worship on Sundays and do nothing to keep the seventh-day Sabbath holy. How did this change occur? And what should you do about it?
“A house divided cannot stand,” I said to the gentleman across from me in the Firestone waiting area. We had talked for over an hour as we watched the news on TV. It didn’t seem that long as we shared several things in common: an interest in history, gratitude for having grown up and lived in the United States, mutual displeasure with current events, and even a common Latino background. Notably, however, we differed in age, him being at least 30 years my senior. Until I said those words, the conversation was light, casual, and easygoing.
The respected journal Foreign Affairs recently published an article on the emerging role of “middle powers” (“Can Middle Powers Lead the World Out of the Pandemic?,” June 18, 2020).
About a year ago, there appeared to be a thaw in the perpetually tense relationship between North and South Korea, stirring hope for increased unity between the two countries. However, last week North Korea “blew up an inter-Korean liaison office in its city of Kaesong”—an office built in 2018 that was used for inter-Korean meetings (Deutsche Welle, June 16, 2020).
We all get offended at one time or another. And, very likely, we have offended someone ourselves. What does God want us to know about offenses?
One of the meanings of the word “offense” is “being annoyed or feeling resentment towards someone who has insulted or disregarded us.” People say or do things that hurt and anger us, whether inadvertently or intentionally. Our feelings may range from annoyance to anger, from mild irritation to great indignation, or from resentment to rage. Likewise, our words and actions may arouse these feelings in others.
Twitter is a popular way to communicate in this age of social media. In a few words, a person or organization can put out opinions, random thoughts, political positions, personal philosophy, or simply go on a rant about some pet peeve or complaint. In a matter of moments, these ideas can be “blasted” around the world. This popular, wide-open forum of communication can be abused since intentionally inaccurate information or perversion is often promoted, sometimes by prestigious individuals or organizations.
Finnish politician Päivi Räsänen is a physician and a Lutheran who has written on and spoken extensively about homosexuality and the Bible. Her views on homosexuality reflect the Bible’s clear teaching that homosexuality is a sin. As Jonathan Van Maren describes in a May 28 article for First Things, her position and writings on the matter have resulted in her being interrogated by Helsinki police on several occasions.
Concerns are rising that the ongoing border dispute between India and China in the Himalayas will expand to include military action. At the end of May, many sources reported that troops on both sides have engaged the other in physical attacks, though both sides claim no shots have been fired and that altercations have been limited to clubs and stones, injuring dozens.
News reports occasionally feature “The Big One”—the expectation of an earthquake of mammoth magnitude wreaking widespread destruction. What did Jesus say about earthquakes? Does the Bible foretell a massive earthquake striking the Earth in the last days?
They came from many miles away, descending on the agreed-upon location. The many peoples gathered together as a raging throng. They brought with them an impressive array of guns and firepower. Their goal was simple: to resist perceived oppression. Even more—to throw off the rule of their masters. In their minds, they had suffered enough at the hands of this regime. They viewed themselves and oppressed and downtrodden—prisoners and slaves even. The stage was set for the confrontation, and what would be the greatest riot—except that it was very short-lived.