By Robert G. Rayburn. A very sympathetic expression was evident on the face of the Chancellor of the University of Missouri as he said to me, “Dr. Rayburn, I don’t want to discourage you unduly, but with such a small number of people in your denomination, I don’t think it is possible that you will be able to get enough support to make Covenant College a via
Church Leadership
The Promise of the Cross
By Faythe A. Dobbs. The event of the cross is unique in that it is an accomplished fact; yet it bears a promise that was looked to with expectation before it happened, and now we also look to this promise. Promise, in one sense, is an agreement to do (or not do) something. Because of the cross and Christ’s work there, I can put my trust in Him.I agree to join in covenant relationship with Him. Promise, in another sense, means to give a basis for expectation. What can we expect as a result of the cross for our lives?
The word cross itself evokes thoughts of suffering and pain. During this time of year especially, we think of Christ on the cross. And when we hear the verse about bearing our own cross, it is hard to respond enthusiastically. But how many of us see the cross as a way to joy? Certainly Christ saw the cross as necessary to the attainment of joy. Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus “who for the joy set before him endured the cross.”
How do I personally envision the cross? Is there promise in the cross for me, or is my focus on an event that happened 2,000 years ago with little eternal significance? Sometimes I can empathize with C. S. Lewis who, soon after his conversion, said, “The irrational dead weight of old skeptical habits, the spirit of this age and the cares of this world steal away all my lively feeling of the truth.” And I might add -joy! So what present promise does the cross hold for me? I have enough trouble just picturing the event itself. It is hard to put my twentieth-century self- with its sanitized, Americanized mindset – back to the scene at Cal
Building a Case in Prayer
By Richard Pratt. In ordinary conversa
Easter Celebration ’89
In 1 Corinthians 15 the Apostle Paul wrote: “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you . . . that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter …” (verses 1-5). Christ died and was raised. Why did Christ die and for whom? We have learned the answer to those questions and can recite them like catechism. But often the truth is obscured because of its familiarity.
Let’s look at this in perspective. The Christian message is a global message because Christ’s people are globally located. They are among every tongue, nation, tribe and people. Though we might find stronger pockets of God’s people in certain places from time to time, they are scattered across this planet. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son …” (John 3:16). With that statement, John was reminding us that the Gospel is universal.
Paul says that just as Jesus’ death had global ramifications so does His resurrection from the grave. Both the crucifixion and the resurrection are the highlights of Christ’s great redemptive drama enacted for our salvation. Both events remind us that Christianity is a missionary religion.
Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the world. He also came forth from the tomb to seal world
The Church’s Vital Ministry
In the lead article in this month’s issue by Bob Burns, we emphasize a subject that is highly important for the church interested in growth and ministry. That should be characteristic of every church; however, such is not always the case. I hear pastors and other church leaders talk about church growth and ministry, but some are not doing the things that are conducive to either.
The church is one, reflecting our unity of faith. The church is also a diversity, showing our dis
A Response to the Woman’s Role
By D. Clair Davis. The Lord has told us that He has given pastors and teachers to His church to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. (Ephesians 4:12) Pastors don’t do all the work, but they train us to do it. Grasping that is the greatest single breakthrough in Christ’s church today. It started with the Church of South India in the 1920s. In the 1930s the Navigators taught us about discipling people to disciple others. (2 Timothy 2:2) By now, everywhere you go church bulletins say: “Ministers: every mem