The Christian Message

Thus, the Day of Atonement beautifully portrayed the grace of God toward His people, not only cleansing them through shed blood but also removing sin from His sight. But as striking as this picture is, it was imperfect and temporary, only prefiguring a complete and final atonement. Hebrews 9:24-28 The writer of Hebrews stated this truth clearly when he contrasted the yearly sacrifices with the final sacrifice of Christ for our sins (9:24-28). The fact that the ceremony had to be repeated annually proved that the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins (10:1-4). They just postponed God’s judgment—a judgment that eventually fell upon Jesus and ended the annual cycles (vss. 11-14). Those who trust His saving work enjoy an access to God that Israel never knew (vss. 19-22). Bible Expositor and Illuminator (Christian Life Series) by Union Gospel Press

By Carey Nieuwhof 8 Reasons Most Churches Never Break the 200 Attendance Mark There’s a world of difference between how you organize a corner store and how you organize a larger supermarket. In a corner store, Mom and Pop run  everything , Want to talk to the CEO? She’s stocking shelves. Want to see the Director of Marketing? He’s at the cash register. Mom and Pop do everything, and they organize their business to stay small. Which is fine if you’re Mom and Pop and don’t want to grow. But you can’t run a supermarket that way. You organize differently. You govern differently. There’s a produce manager, and people who only stock shelves. There’s a floor manager, shift manager, general manager and so much more. So what’s the translation to church world? Here are 8 reasons churches who want to grow end up staying small: 1. The pastor is the primary caregiver.  Honestly, if you just push past this one issue, you will have made a  ton  of progress. When th...

A Giant Has Fallen—The Death of Justice Antonin Scalia and the Future of Constitutional Government By Albert MohlerJr “Presidents come and go, but the Supreme Court goes on forever.” So advised a man who ought to know, William Howard Taft. After serving as President of the United States, Taft went on to serve—probably more effectively—as Chief Justice of the United States. But, if the Supreme Court goes on forever, justices do not. Americans were reminded of this truth on Saturday when news broke that Justice Antonin Scalia had been found dead in Texas, where he had gone on a hunting trip. The 79-year-old justice had served almost 30 years on the nation’s highest court and was by any measure one of the most influential justices in that court’s history. Indeed, Antonin Scalia is almost surely the most influential justice to sit on the Supreme Court in many decades. The loss of his influence, as well as his his crucial vote, is monumental. Scalia’s significance lies in h...