In the late 1970s a major US denomination issued the following statement on creation: The Bible record of creation rules out the evolutionary philosophy which states that all forms of life have come into being by gradual, progressive evolution carried on by resident forces.  It also rules out any evolutionary origin for the human race, since no theory of evolution, including theistic evolution, can explain the origin of the male before the female, nor can it explain how a man could evolve into a woman.  The account of creation is intended to be taken as factual and historical… Fast forward thirty years and see what’s changed.  The same denomination issued the following statement this year: The advance of scientific research, particularly in the last few centuries, has raised many questions about the interpretation … Read entire article »

For the first year and a half of my Christian life I experienced the waste-land of carnal, self-effort.  Then I learned about the Spirit-filled life (Ephesians 5:18-21), and it radically transformed me.  TCC affirms the absolute necessity of living moment-by-moment under the gracious direction and control of the Holy Spirit. But the issue of God’s guidance in our lives needs some clarification.  I absolutely “trust the leading of the Holy Spirit”—what I don’t trust is my evil heart!  The Scriptures make it clear that the Holy Spirit inspired the Word of God, and that it is objectively true “down to the last dot of an ‘i’. ”   In fact, the Spirit-filled life and the Scripture-filled life are virtually the same thing—and they certainly are integrally related.  Just look for a … Read entire article »

God himself is the fountain of life: . Psalm 36:5-9 Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like a great deep. O LORD, You preserve man and beast. How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. .. And living in reverential fear of God is a fountain of life, because it gives us understanding so that we can live life with God’s perspective: . Proverb 14:27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares … Read entire article »

Did you know that forgiveness exists on two levels?  The Bible clearly teaches that we are sinful, separated from a holy God, and cut-off from the life he offers (Romans 3:23; 6:23; Isaiah 59:2; Ephesians 2:1-3).  When we repent (literally, “change our mind” about God and ourselves—agreeing with what he says about his holiness and our guilt) and believe (transfer our trust from ourselves and anything we can do, and trust in Jesus’ payment alone), then we become God’s children (John 1:12).  This is forgiveness on a “judicial” level—we’ve broken God’s law, and God, the Judge of all the earth (Psalm 7:11; 50:6; 75:7; 82:8).  Yet look at what Jesus said (John 3:16-18): . God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall … Read entire article »