Christians and Muslims agree that God is one. Christians believe in a triune God: one being in three persons. But Islam’s understanding of Allah as a monad – monolithic and non-relational – creates two significant challenges to a consistent doctrine of God in Islamic theology. First, how do Muslims reconcile their belief that Allah is eternal and self-existent with their belief that the Qur’an also is eternal? It seems either that the Qur’an came into being, or there are two eternally … [Read more...]
Ridgecrest team brings hope to Ukrainian orphans
SPRINGFIELD – Wendy Farrell’s heart for mission work among orphans of the Ukraine grew out of her love for one Ukrainian teenager. In March, Farrell led a mission team of three families and two college students from Ridgecrest Baptist Church here to the Ukraine to work among the European nation’s orphanages. Theirs was only one of many short-term mission teams commissioned by Ridgecrest to share Christ’s love across the globe, from Ecuador, Nicaragua and Cuba to Europe, Africa and South … [Read more...]
Rwanda closes thousands of churches, arrests 6 pastors
KIGALI, Rwanda (BP) -- An estimated 6,000 churches have been closed across Rwanda and six pastors arrested in a government crackdown that began March 1 with 700 closures in the nation's capital of Kigali, according to news reports. The six pastors, who reportedly tried to rally public support for the churches in Kigali, were accused of "masterminding" a plot to disobey the government, the BBC reported March 6. The closures come as the Rwanda Governance Board (RGO) is conducting a … [Read more...]
‘Practicing radically ordinary hospitality’
Butterfield, Rosaria. The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway. 240 pp. $19.99. Rosaria Butterfield defines radically ordinary hospitality as “using your Christian home in a daily way that seeks to make strangers neighbors, and neighbors family of God” (31). Such hospitality makes your home a hospital, a place where people can find healing and grace, physical and spiritual good. It makes your home … [Read more...]
Evidence cited for Christ’s resurrection
NASHVILLE (BP) – Did Jesus really rise from the dead? It’s a question asked and answered each Easter in news reports, television documentaries and personal conversations. This year, two Southern Baptists who train others to defend the faith have offered their thoughts on the best way to answer. Rob Phillips, who leads apologetics for the Missouri Baptist Convention, pointed to the “minimal facts argument,” which defends the resurrection using only evidence “considered virtually … [Read more...]
‘I Can Only Imagine’ film still strong in 4th week
LOS ANGELES (BP) -- The MercyMe faith biopic "I Can Only Imagine" continues to draw strong audiences nearly a month after its debut, grossing $68.5 million and gaining 1,200 more theater screens. Featuring the story behind MercyMe's crossover megahit of the same name, I Can Only Imagine placed sixth at the box office in its fourth weekend April 6-8, earning nearly $8 million and showing in 246 more theaters over the previous weekend, Box Office Mojo reported. Roadside Attractions' … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptists remember, strive to live the ‘dream’
KANSAS CITY – On April 9, 1968, nearly a week after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and on the day of his burial, riots broke out across Kansas City. At the time, Gary Jones was only 12 years old. But he recalls standing on the corner of 12th and Woodland, watching protesters march up the street. Suddenly, a shot was fired and a woman standing nearby threw Jones to the ground to save him. “It was such a frightening moment in my life,” Jones, now a Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) … [Read more...]
Church planter uses radio to highlight refugees’ plight
NOEL – Three years ago, Josh Manning was a manager at Walmart. His career was going smoothly, and planting a church wasn’t on his radar. Neither were refugees. The idea that he might have a half-hour radio show was ludicrous. And yet because of God’s calling, all those things have changed. Regular church attenders at a nearby Buffalo Creek Baptist Church, Manning and his family decided their lives were going to be different. They ended up in Noel, deep in the southwest corner of Missouri, … [Read more...]
Tell me about it
Resurrection Sunday is the greatest day for local churches. If I had a wand, I would wish that every church, every Sunday, had a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. As soon as the day was winding down, I sent out an email blast to about 100 pastors, asking them about their day. Several responded: “We baptized 15 people in Shoal Creek today. Air temp: 31 degrees. Heart temp: off the charts!”— John Swadley, Joplin, Forest Park “Baptized a 35-year-old newly married man today. A 30-year-old … [Read more...]
The hope of Martin Luther King Jr.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (BP) – The apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy is believed to be his last. While personalized to Timothy and his work in Ephesus, clearly the teaching of the letter was intended for more readers. At the time of his writing, Paul was in prison likely facing execution, and because of this, as Calvin notes, “all that we read here ... ought to be viewed by us as written not with ink but with Paul’s own blood” for what he was suffering and sacrificing. Timothy was losing … [Read more...]
Movements of God: Professions of faith rise to 328-plus at Fort Leonard Wood Army base
FORT LEONARD WOOD – In less than a month, more than 328 United States Army trainees and soldiers professed faith in Christ during chapel services on the military base at Fort Leonard Wood. As reported in the March 27 edition of The Pathway, more than 200 soldiers and trainees professed faith in Christ during chapel services on March 11 and March 18, according to Southern Baptist Chaplain, Captain Jose Rondon. But, on Easter Sunday (April 1), the number of soldiers and trainees professing … [Read more...]
American pastor charged with ‘terrorism’ in Turkey
IZMIR, Turkey (BP) -- American pastor Andrew Brunson has been indicted in Turkey on charges of terrorism. The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) claims the charges amount to an admission "that Turkey considers sharing the Gospel an 'act of terrorism.'" "The 62-page indictment, wholly lacking merit, provides no evidence regarding criminal action by Pastor Andrew, which comes as no surprise," the ACLJ stated in a March 20 news release. "Pastor Andrew, who has lived in Turkey for 23 … [Read more...]
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