News from The Kingdom

 Millions of people throughout the world have read The Da Vinci Code or God Delusion. Millions saw a film based on the novel or TV documentaries about both themes. It is challenging the faith of many churchgoers, and confusing millions about what the Bible really says.

This kind of books and movie show how ignorant most Christians are about biblical history. Most people almost never actually study the Bible as they would a textbook on science, mathematics or history. They usually read only a select few “inspirational” passages with which they are familiar, leaving the rest of the Bible as a sort of black hole about which they are totally ignorant. Many churches, rather than lamenting this ignorance and lambasting the book’s distortions, are recognizing this as a teachable moment. Publishers are seizing the opportunity, too, as for a church struggling with scriptural ignorance and public complacency, the opportunity seems almost—well, heaven-sent. (more…)

If you are reading this commentary, you will understand what I am talking aabout. Again, if you are reading now, it means that the world did not end on September 10, 2008.  Why that date?  If you remember one of our previous articles, it’s the day that European Organization for Nuclear Research switched on the Large Hadrons Collider under the border of France and Switzerland. (more…)

After nearly two centuries of humiliation and decline, the imperial Chinese Dragon is stirring again and moving purposefully toward the center of the world stage. China, once termed “a slumbering giant” and the “sick man of Asia,” is rapidly emerging as the new epicenter of Asian industry, trade, finance—and military power!  As the most populous nation on earth with the world’s largest army, newly assertive China is generating concern throughout East Asia and beyond. This ancient and cunning “dragon” is determined to reclaim a position of dominance in the 21st century that she believes is rightfully hers. The appearance of an ambitious and militant superpower in the Far East is extremely significant and will have ominous consequences for America and the West. (more…)

Today’s headlines focus on the political campaign and the economic crisis. Who will win the White House this November, Republicans or Democrats? Will another major financial institution go bankrupt, signalling further weakness of the economy? There are many urgent problems confronting today’s world, but their size and complexity can lead us to punch the “ignore” button on the world. But we cannot, we must not, fall into that trap and tune out the momentous signs on the world horizon. (more…)

Money is a necessary evil, or so the saying goes. It is certainly a necessary medium of exchange, but it doesn’t have to be evil. Whether money is a good or bad influence depends on our approach to it.

Jesus Christ wasn’t opposed to wealth or a high standard of living. He said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). The Bible is a guidebook toward the abundant life He wants us to enjoy. Money can be an integral part of the right kind of success.

On the other hand, the love of money has corrupted and twisted the lives of many people and is a root cause of much evil (1 Timothy 6:10). The Phillips Modern English translation captures the essence well and serves as a worthy commentary on this particular passage: “For loving money leads to all kinds of evil, and some men in the struggle to be rich have lost their faith and caused themselves untold agonies of mind.” (more…)