Large numbers of churches were closed last year, with only four of Algeria’s 47 official Protestant congregations continuing and at least 10,000 churches shut down in China, according to Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List (WWL) of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
Reputation is something highly prized by the world and those with a public reputation work hard to protect it. The Lively/Baldoni saga is a case in point. From Hollywood to tribal honor cultures, reputation is highly valued. It is the world's pearl of great price, but Jesus considers us his pearl and sacrificed everything including his reputation to purchase it, setting the bar for his followers to sacrifice similarly so that we may thrive.
The world is hurtling toward being ruled once more by mega empires as autocracies reach a global tipping point and take full control. This outcome was not unexpected even though for many it is lamentable. From his European perspective, regular columnist Jeff Fountain provides insights and hope.
Christianity is becoming increasingly and unfortunately polarized. Conservative and progressive perspectives can be harmonized when correctly understood. This is for the benefit of our faith now and in the future. The pastoral perspective in this opinion explains how.
What does it really mean to love God? We often prioritize our love for Jesus yet he is just one of three persons of the Trinity. Loving is not just knowing about someone, it is about acting on our affections towards them. For the follower of Jesus it is about demonstrating our love through obedience to God's revealed will. We do well to remember that in these challenging times.
