We the Rebels, the Traitors, the Despised and the Beloved

The Rebels - Bielski partisans

Jesus said that the world will hate those we follow Him. He said that Christians are in the world but not of the world. Christians are rebels against the powers of darkness, traitors to Satan, despised by the wicked, and loved by God. What does all that mean?

By Mark D. Harris

Our class had an interesting discussion during Sunday School yesterday. We begin in a large assembly and share announcements and prayer requests. The department includes young and middle aged adults, and one prayer request was a delight; a recently married couple will be having their first child in the spring. Many of the other requests were sad; women with breast cancer, aging and dying parents, and trouble with marriages and children. No one is immune to the disappointments and tragedies of life.

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Suicide in the Bible – When a Christian Ends His Own Life

Will a genuine believer in Jesus Christ who kills himself still go to heaven? Suicide in the Bible addresses that question.

By Mark D. Harris

My wife called me at work several weeks ago; the morning was good but the news was not. Our daughter had been perusing her friends’ posts on Facebook and saw some from one family that were unclear but disturbing. We called them, close personal friends for over 15 years, and learned that their oldest son had killed himself.

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The Sovereignty of God, the Responsibility of Man, and the Suffering of Life

God is totally sovereign, responsible for everything that happens in the universe. Man has the freedom to do what he wants, and is responsible for his actions. These truths are incompatible. What are we to do? 

We have all had days that we will never forget; the day that you graduated, married your lifelong sweetheart, and heard the first cry of your child. We have all had days that we would rather forget; the day that your biopsy report shows cancer, the midnight call that announces that your loved one is dead, or the email that says your job has been terminated. Much as we might wish to have only the first, the second will come. Our usual response is to ask why.

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