A scan of the world today does not present a positive outlook for the Church. How can the kingdom of God be advancing when there are so many strongholds of evil? We see it globally when terrorists persecute Christians. We see it in the corruption of our own government which limits Christian liberties. We see […]
Category Archives: Articles
You Need The Church (And The Church Needs You) by Dr. Michael Youssef
A recent Barna study of 18-35-year-old Christians revealed that nearly half believe attending church is “not an essential part of their faith.” The majority of those who do participate, do so primarily to grow in their faith (63%) and learn about God (61%), which may be why almost half of those polled attend church less […]
Lessons for the Church, From the Pandemic by Adam Miller
The past two years have been a trying time for the church. While I am still optimistic that God is going to do great things through this experience, we cannot deny the negative effects this pandemic has had on the already difficult mission field of New England and the Northeast. Jesus said that He would […]
How Lament Is A Path To Praise by Mark Vroegop
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances….” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18). It’s clear that Christians should not allow the pains of life to steal our joy in God. We should embrace the brokenness in the world with hopeful confidence. That’s true and biblical, but do we know how to “get there?” I find […]
Let ’em Have It: The Value Of The Imprecatory Psalms For Today By Adam Miller
Read: Psalm 58 In a world of constant outrage, we need the imprecatory Psalms, but not for the reason that you might think. We don’t need them to fan the flame of our hate or justify our prejudices. We need them to see the dark underbelly of sin and understand the magnitude of God’s wrath. […]
In Loving Memory…Memorializing John DeBrine
In Loving Memory…Memorializing John DeBrine Our beloved founder, Dr. John DeBrine, passed into glory peacefully during the night of March 3, 2021 at the age of 96. The memorial service for John was held on June 12, 2021. It was attended by many generations who were touched by his ministry throughout the years. “Married to […]
What God Wants…A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving by Adam Miller
Read: Psalm 50 Being a Christian is not easy. There are a lot of requirements for following Christ. Sure, we are not under the Old Covenant anymore–we don’t have to make regular sacrifices, keep a kosher diet, or stone anyone who works on the Sabbath–but it still isn’t a walk in the park. Jesus said […]
Critical Questions: Why Did Jesus Speak in Parables? by Micah Lovell
Read: Matthew 13 One of the most commonly occurring questions from readers of the New Testament is about why Jesus so frequently speaks in parables in the Gospels. Readers are astute to the fact that the parables bring an element of mystery to the overall message Jesus is attempting to preach, but some parables are […]
Extra Mercy, Hold the Sacrifice by Adam Miller
Read: Matthew 12:1-8 One of my favorite phrases in the Gospel of Matthew is actually a rebuke. You wouldn’t notice it at first–it sounds like something you would put into needlework on a pillow–but it is a rebuke all the same: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” At face value, it is like a warm […]
Jesus Has the Authority to Forgive Sins by Adam Miller
Read: Matthew 9:1-17 Throughout this section of Matthew, Chapters 8-10, we have seen Jesus going around the villages of Galilee preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and working miracles that demonstrated His power and authority. In this next section, we will see three unique stories that add a greater dimension to Jesus’ power. First, we […]
The Wind and the Sea Obey Him by Adam Miller
Read: Matthew 8:18-34 It is easy to look at the various stories in Matthew 8 as though they are isolated events, individual vignettes without any overarching narrative, but the truth is that they are all leading up to a point. Jesus has healed a leper, saved the life of a Roman centurion’s servant, restored Peter’s […]
The Gospel of the Kingdom and the Beatitudes
Series: This Way to the Kingdom of Heaven Read: Matthew 4:23-5:12 On my second trip to Israel, I decided to break away from my group when they were going down to the Dead Sea so that I could have a day to myself in the inner city of Jerusalem. It was a friday, so as […]