November 8, 2024

Trump’s Path to Victory Still Runs Through the Church

What to Do After the Election

Power Without Integrity Destroys Us

Civility, Calvinism, and the Coming Judgment Day

PAID CONTENT FROM COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL

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Gen Z Is Turning Online for Spiritual Guidance

My generation is spiritually curious. We’re just looking in the wrong places.

Conservative Anglicans Call for Archbishop to Repent Over Same-Sex Relationships Stance

As the issue continues to divide the Church of England, Justin Welby spoke on a popular podcast about how his views have “evolved.”

Beijing, Let My Daughter Come Home

China should honor its promises to the last 300 children matched with families through international adoption. 

The post The Weekend – 11-9-24 appeared first on Christianity Today.

One of my dear friends said this on a particularly hard day during her divorce. Her statement was not without precedent. When my friend went to her church leaders to describe the physical, emotional, and mental abuse she experienced at the hands of her husband—who was an elder at the church—she left feeling shamed and shunned. Her husband was never confronted. Rather than tending to her pain, these church leaders compounded it. They left her feeling like the church was no longer a place she could trust.

My friend was finished.

The Mass Exodus

A 2017 Barna Group study concluded that she’s not the only one. Ten percent of respondents self-identified as Christians whose faith mattered a great deal to them, and they also considered themselves “dechurched,” which means they used to attend church but had not done so for six months or more at the time of the study.

While this research revealed that loving Jesus but taking issue with the local church was a popular sentiment among white women, Barna’s Trends in the Black Church notes that three in five unchurched Black Americans consider themselves to be Christian, even while churched Black Americans remain one of the largest, most engaged demographics.

Young people, specifically members of Generation Z, are also expressing uncertainty about the church. When asked who or what they view a trustworthy source for their questions, many teens who consider themselves Christian were more likely to answer “myself” rather than “a pastor, priest or minister” or “a church leader.”

As these numbers continue to rise, so does a question: can someone both love God and hate the church? And, perhaps more importantly: are we even allowed to ask these kinds of questions?

Allowed to Ask

Many fear that wavering indicates some kind of spiritual deficit, and they feel unsure how to publicly, or even privately, search for answers. They struggle to believe that the local church can be a place that will address their questions with gentleness. Will church leadership be eager to feed their faith, they wonder, rather than their pain?

This doubt is warranted. Though the church itself is not inherently an agent of harm, when Christian institutions are made up of systems lacking in accountability or responsibility, the church can and does become an unsafe place. Churches don’t hurt people—but they can make it too easy for people to hurt people.

The approximately 16 million women who have left the church in the past decade express a variety of reasons for their departures, ranging from sexism and misogyny to lack of time and competing interests. Gen Z teens say that they want conversation partners who are open to talking about difficult topics related to faith. And many Black Americans speak to the importance of church as a place that offers spiritual comfort, fellowship, and sermons that address topics like racism or immigration.

While the reasons vary, most people who left share a sense that the church cannot meet them where they are.

But what if it could?

Finding a Way Forward

How do I heal wounds inflicted by the church? How should my faith inform my politics? How do I worship beside those who hurt me?

The Jude 3 Project is working to answer questions like these. Motivated by a mission to help Christians know what they believe and why, Jude 3 Project offers courses, podcasts, events, and resources that address current issues that Christians—specifically those of African descent—face in the world today. This week, their Courageous Conversations gathering brings together Black pastors, theologians, and experts to begin honest, inspiring dialogue around some of these questions.

Whether doubts come from wary Gen Zers or brokenhearted abuse survivors, the Jude 3 Project is helping people find the faith to give the church another chance. The answers may not be easy to understand, but they are rooted in the goodness of a God who loves to bring about joy and comfort. Learn more about engaging the questions, needs, and concerns of Christians and non-Christians alike with the library of resources from the Jude 3 Project.

Nicole Massie Martin, MDiv, DMin, is the chief impact officer for Christianity Today, an adjunct professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and the author of Made to Lead: Empowering Women for Ministry.

The post Can You Love God but Hate the Church? appeared first on Christianity Today.

Guest Bio:

Nicole Massie Martin, PhD, holds degrees from Vanderbilt University, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She is the chief impact officer at Christianity Today and founder and executive director of Soulfire International Ministries. She is an accomplished writer and author, serves on various boards and councils, and leads the Grow Ministry at Kingdom Fellowship AME Church in Maryland. 

Notes & Quotes:

• “I think everyone has to do their own work of seeking God through the Word, of asking the Holy Spirit for revelation. And what you’ll find is that the gospel is full of examples of ways that God builds our identity in him beyond the confines of the world.”
• “But redemptive leadership says actually who you are and who Christ has called you to be is represented by your lows. The cross becomes the core of our identity.”
• “The world says power makes you who you are. That needs to be crucified. The world says perfection makes you who you are. That needs to be crucified. When we crucify the things that the world says make us great, then we get to become who God calls us to be—people shaped according to the cross. People who are dependent on Christ.”
• “The depth of your integrity shows up in how you handle your low moments. And we don’t learn that from a generation. We learned that from Jesus, who says, ‘I am Lord. Not because I came in riding on a horse. I am Lord because I died on the cross. Because I literally went to the depths for you. And if you want to be like me, then you’ve got to take on what I take on.’”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Learn more about Martin’s work with Christianity Today.
• Get your copy of Martin’s book, Made to Lead, on Amazon.
• Visit the Voices website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out Voices from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow Voices on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Romans 8:28 
• John 15:13
• John 20:11–18
• Romans 16:1–2
• 1 Timothy 2:11
• 1 Corinthians 11:5

The post Leading with Excellence with Nicole Martin appeared first on Christianity Today.

The debate has even inspired competing theological schools of thought: complementarianism versus egalitarianism. Both perspectives confess the essential equality of men and women as persons created in God’s image. However, complementarians believe the Bible sets clear limits on women’s leadership roles, while egalitarians advocate for women’s full equality in the church.

In our Christian battles over women’s roles in the family, church, and marketplace, can our complementarian and egalitarian perspectives coexist? Can Christians of good faith support each other and serve God together in the midst of this tension?

On August 23, CT’s Big Tent Initiative convened a group of influential Christian women for a spirited online discussion featuring voices from both sides of the complementarian/egalitarian divide. “The vision for this webinar is to encourage women and men with real examples of how friendship can help us bridge numerous divides,” said webinar host Nicole Massie Martin, who joined CT this year as the ministry’s chief impact officer.

Martin, an ordained minister, shared the virtual stage with author and CT board member Lauren McAfee for a conversation about their differences (McAfee holds to a complementarian view) and about where they find agreement (they’re both devoted wives, moms, and church volunteers).

“There have always been theological differences about how women should serve in the church,” said Martin. “But behind the scenes, women from various perspectives have been celebrating and supporting each other, overcoming the traditional divides. As we open up about these friendships, there’s a chance we could discover the tools to help us deepen relationships across other divides for our good and God’s glory.”

Joining Martin and McAfee were a diverse panel of teachers, preachers, and scholars including Trina Jenkins, Susie Owens, Lilly Park, and CT associate editor Kara Bettis Carvalho. Learn more about the panelists below, and watch the video recording of the webinar above.

Panelists

Trina Jenkins is the chief ministry officer and devoted senior pastor’s wife at First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Maryland. She and her husband, John K. Jenkins Sr., are the proud parents of six children and seven grandchildren. She has a BA in sociology from the University of Maryland and an honorary DDiv from Truth Bible College in Jacksonville, Florida. She preaches and teaches at churches and other widely attended events throughout the US and Africa, training Christian women to reach their full spiritual potential.

Lauren McAfee is the founder and visionary of Stand for Life. She is also director for ministry investments at Hobby Lobby and previously worked for Museum of the Bible. Lauren is the author of several books, including Beyond Our Control and Created in the Image of God. She has an MA in pastoral counseling and theological studies, as well as a ThM, and is currently pursuing a PhD in ethics and public policy with Russell Moore as her supervisor. She and her husband Michael live in Oklahoma City and have two daughters, Zion and Zara, through the blessing of adoption.

Susie C. Owens is an evangelist, author, radio host, and co-pastor of Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church in Washington, DC, with her husband, Bishop Alfred A. Owens Jr. The Owenses’ international preaching ministries have taken them to churches and events around the world. Susie did her undergraduate studies at Bethel Bible Institute and Brooks College before receiving an MA in religious studies from Howard University School of Divinity and a DMin in African American leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary.

Lilly Park, PhD, serves as associate professor of biblical counseling at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. She joined the Southwestern faculty in 2020. Her research areas include theological anthropology, marriage and family, and cross-cultural competencies. Lilly is the author of numerous articles and essays.

Kara Bettis Carvalho is an award-winning journalist and associate features editor at Christianity Today. She earned her master of theology degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and has served in staff and lay leadership roles at her local church. Among the many stories she has written for CT, last year she wrote about “Scottish Complementarians Who Teach Women to Preach.”

Nicole Massie Martin is the chief impact officer for Christianity Today, an adjunct professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and the author of two books, Made to Lead: Empowering Women for Ministry and Leaning In, Letting Go: A Lenten Devotional. A nationally recognized speaker, Nicole earned a BA from Vanderbilt University, an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a DMin from Gordon-Conwell. She resides in Maryland with her husband, Mark, and their two daughters.

The post Beyond the ‘Gender Roles’ Debate appeared first on Christianity Today.

On February 28, CT and Seminary Now joined together to host a roundtable discussion featuring Black evangelical leaders from a variety of vocational ministry settings. Their conversation explored the blessings and challenges of being a Black leader in today’s divided and often volatile ministry environment. Their journeys in the church, academia, and the arts offered practical lessons for creating, serving, and leading in a variety of contexts. Featured panelists for the online conversation included Chicago-based pastor Marshall Hatch Sr. on church leadership, author and poet Rachel Marie Kang on creativity and the arts, Baylor University seminary professor Daniel Lee Hill on theology and higher education, and CT’s own chief impact officer Nicole Martin on women and ministry leadership.

Inspired in part by a June 2020 blog post from webinar moderator Carmen Joy Imes, the discussion featured multiple entry points, ranging from historical to sociological to devotional. Imes, an Old Testament scholar at Biola University, spoke frankly about her relatively recent awakening to the importance of seeing the world—and reading the Bible—through cultural lenses that are different from her own.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to help the Christian community experience Black History Month in a fresh way by interviewing these four outstanding leaders,” she said prior to the event. “Over the past decade it’s become increasingly apparent to me how important it is for me to learn from those who come from different social locations and how much I’m missing out on when I don’t. It’s been a wonderful journey meeting Christian leaders from a variety of backgrounds and hearing their perspectives on the world.”

Imes has been energized by new friendships and connections across cultural lines. That 2020 blog post, a review of Esau McCaulley’s Reading While Black written at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, was indicative of the trajectory of change in her relationships, ministry, and even her reading diet.

“My childhood was very monochromatic, and I’m so thankful to be in a different space now, with a wide and growing set of friendships and teachers from around the world,” she said. “I believe we’re stronger together, working side by side for human flourishing.”

Imes and the webinar panelists presented an hour of insight, testimony, and practical wisdom for addressing the challenges facing today’s Christian leaders. Watch the full-length replay of the webinar in the video above.

About the Panelists

Rachel Marie Kang is a New York native, born and raised just outside New York City. A mixed woman of African American, Native American (Ramapough Lenape Nation), Irish, and Dutch descent, she holds a degree in English with creative writing. She is the founder of The Fallow House and author of Let There Be Art and The Matter of Little Losses: Finding Grace to Grieve the Big (and Small) Things.

Rev. Dr. Nicole Massie Martin is the chief impact officer at Christianity Today. She is the founder of Soulfire International Ministries and author of Made to Lead: Empowering Women for Ministry and Leaning In, Letting Go: A Lenten Devotional . She and her husband reside in Maryland with their two daughters.

Rev. Dr. Marshall Elijah Hatch, Sr. has been the senior pastor of New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church of West Garfield since 1993. Born in Chicago, his spiritual development began at Shiloh Baptist Church under the pastorate of his father, the late Reverend Elijah J. Hatch. In 1985 he was ordained and appointed as the pastor of Commonwealth Baptist Church of North Lawndale. In the summer of 1998, he was awarded the Charles E. Merrill Fellowship of Harvard Divinity School. He is professor of ministry at Northern Seminary.

Dr. Daniel Lee Hill (PhD, Wheaton College) is an assistant professor of Christian theology at George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University. He is the author of Gathered on the Road to Zion and is currently working on a manuscript, Gospel Freedom , that retrieves the insights of 19th-century abolitionists in order to construct an evangelical account of public life.

Moderator: Dr. Carmen Joy Imes is associate professor of Old Testament at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University in Southern California. A graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Wheaton College Graduate School, her books include Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters and Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters.

The post Conversations on Faith, Mission, and Black Leadership appeared first on Christianity Today.

At ages 9 and 11, my girls watched my husband and me vote for the one we believed would be the best-qualified president of the United States, Vice President Kamala Harris. And now they witness the grief that comes from knowing that the candidate we championed has lost the race. They watched as our faces fell when we heard the results. They experienced our sorrow, not only for this loss but also for the fear of what might happen in the coming days and years.

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With former president Donald Trump as our next president, I am acutely aware of the darkness that lingers in the shadows of his victory. Our country is still deeply politically divided, and while many of his supporters celebrate his reelection, I fear the deepening of this divide, one that has potential to cause a great chasm between me and those who voted for him—many of them brothers and sisters in Christ.

But as troubled as I am over this outcome, I am also aware that more than the presidency is at stake. Our country has proven its allegiances, and though I am upset and worried because Trump was reelected, I’m also aware of the relief and excitement that many Trump supporters are experiencing.

These different reactions are unavoidable, but despising our political rivals is not. Even my younger daughter has noticed our fractured public life. She has classmates echoing their parents’ declarations that people who vote for Trump are “stupid”—or that those who vote for Harris are “not Christian.” 

As a parent, I always expect to have conversations with my children about how to live in love. But this election season, we’ve had to expand those talks into lessons about how our children can reject this kind of demonization and protect themselves from those who may demonize them or my husband and me as their parents. 

It should not be this way. I’m not fazed by political celebration over a win or disappointment during loss, which is a normal part of any election. But I am concerned that there are too few spaces for those who weep to be in durable community with those who rejoice. The act of celebrating alongside those who grieve—and vice versa—is a source of necessary balance, a needed check on our impulses to be thoughtless in our happiness or bitter in our grief. For believers, that balance helps keep politics in perspective, subordinate to Jesus.

This need to be together in our rejoicing and weeping is not just a political challenge. It also follows a biblical pattern that we see in the story of the Israelites building the foundation for the second temple in Ezra 3. Those who wept at the loss of what had been were there together with those who rejoiced at the possibility of what could be. It became impossible to “distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping,” Ezra records, “because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away” (v. 13).

This brief note about the mixture of triumph and despair is important because it reminds us that regardless of how they felt, the people remained together. Their covenant with God required that they learn to work together amid their differences, not simply for the sake of unity among themselves but for unity against outside adversaries. This passage should remind us that we too have a need for national unity amid our differences, that unity is necessary to preserve our freedom and democracy.

And while they differed in weeping and rejoicing, the crowd in Ezra 3 was united in praise and trust of God. “He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever,” they sang together (v. 11). American Christians of all political affiliations must keep this higher truth in mind in the weeks ahead. 

For those of us who are unhappy with this result, let me encourage you not to despair. I am praying for you, and I hope you will pray for me—and for our next president “and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Tim. 2:2). Regardless of who leads our nation, we can seek God’s wisdom for how we can continue to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city” even when we feel we are in exile (Jer. 29:7).

For those who are happy with the outcome, let Ezra’s story remind you to be firm in your demands of accountability and justice from the administration you elected. Remember that your earthly allegiances must never supersede your faithfulness to God. And remember to pray for our next president, his cabinet, our nation, ourselves, and your fellow Christians who are worried about what comes next.

This week, I will take time to mourn with my daughters in what feels to me like a true loss. But I will do so alongside my neighbors and many Christian brothers and sisters who are reassured or outright joyful that President-elect Trump won. And I will praise God alongside them, too, for he is still good, and his love still endures forever.

Nicole Massie Martin is the chief impact officer at Christianity Today.

The post God Is Faithful in Triumph and Despair appeared first on Christianity Today.

Though my tourist-level Spanish could not bear the weight of references to the divine, I knew the meaning of the song in my soul. Voices rang to the glory of God. Words I couldn’t translate expressed the depth of our depravity encompassed by his unconditional love. 

While we shared neither language nor ethnicity, my experience in worship with Latino pastors and leaders in America reminded me: This community, like every culture, is important to the kingdom of God. And the wider church has much to learn with and from these siblings in Christ about faith, community, and resilience. 

First, while many American churches are suffering from an inability to reach younger generations, Latino churches are swimming against that tide. Aaron Earls of Lifeway Research has described Hispanic congregations as “newer, younger, and more effectively evangelistic than the average US Protestant church,” and he notes that “a majority conduct their services only in Spanish (53%), while 22 percent are bilingual.”

Young people in immigrant families in America often serve as teachers for their parents in a variety of ways, ranging from learning English to navigating the complexities of unfamiliar health care and educational systems. This dynamic makes younger people integral to the life of the church too. Latino congregations tend to be willing to embrace them not as passive recipients of the faith but as active participants in shaping it. Young Christians are called upon early to help lead worship, teach, and serve as translators.

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This reverse intergenerational ministry, where young people tend to bring their families into the fold, demonstrates both the dynamism and complexity of faith that transcends age barriers. Having to navigate so many roles at young ages can uniquely equip Christians for ministry—but it’s also taxing and can be traumatic, marked by poverty, loss, and injustice.

“Gen Z doesn’t need to be reached; they need to be rescued,” one younger Latino leader told me during a gathering at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena in August. “It’s going to be messy.” This messy, beautiful process of integrating multiple generations is exactly what Latino Christian communities are willing to do. 

Pastors Josh and Noemi Chavez talked to me about what this looks like in their intergenerational ministry in Long Beach, California. “When I started pastoring, I was in my 20s. Thinking about young people was easy. I had to intentionally consider the older generation,” Noemi reflected. “Now, in my 40s, I have to intentionally think about the younger and the older. If the Great Commission is at the center of the vision and mission of the church, then as leaders we can lovingly shepherd the hearts of each generation and find joy in the expression of the gospel message.”

When successful, that witness creates a rich tapestry of faith that honors tradition while embracing newness and innovation. And many Spanish-speaking congregations are a cultural tapestry, too, serving as a gathering place for people from multiple countries with real differences in thought, expression, and, notably, political views. 

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Contrary to popular US misconceptions, the Latino evangelical community is not a monolithic voting bloc. Hispanic voters in America hold a wide spectrum of political ideologies, including on immigration. Yet while many predominantly white churches are politically homogenous, Latino clergy told me they see a diversity of political views in their congregations.

This ability to maintain unity in worship is particularly striking and countercultural in today’s polarized climate, a valuable model of prioritizing faith and community over political disagreements. These Hispanic congregations are proof that it’s possible to debate politics and keep breaking bread together.

“The sent church is a diverse church,” Gabriel Salguero shared. “It is a reflection of the Kingdom of God.” With his wife, Jeannette, Salguero is the founder of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition and The Gathering Place Church in Orlando. For decades, they have shepherded pastors and church members from nearly every continent and walk of life, and he sees ideological differences as a strength, not merely an obstacle to overcome.

“The church needs this diversity, even diversity of thought,” Salguero remarked at the summit in Orlando. “If we’re all thinking exactly the same, we’re not all thinking.”

With a tapestry of generations and a range of varying views, what could possibly hold these communities together in Christ? The short answer is the Holy Spirit—and coffee.

While the service provides inspiration, the coffee afterward provides communion. After-service conversations over a cafecito, a café con leche, or pan dulce provide crucial opportunities for relationship-building and community formation. This is the space where those new to the congregation can become known, the young can connect, the elders can reminisce, and the pastors can provide holistic care. 

This commitment to being present with people in their everyday lives reflects a deep understanding of the familia cultural value, leading to profound care for others.

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That model of care is ever more important as the broader church grapples with challenges of declining attendance, generational gaps, and cultural relevance. The Latino church in America reminds us that the gospel is not just a message to be preached but a life to be lived—in community, across generations, embracing diversity, overcoming challenges, and always open to the new things God is doing. 

“Hispanic churches continue to be a driving force in the revitalization of faith in the US,” Enid Almanzar, chair of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, told me after the summit. No church or ethnicity is perfect, of course. No community is free from the scars of striving to be more like Christ. 

Yet in these complex times, the Latino church provides a beacon of hope to believers in America and beyond as we seek to be the church that our world so desperately needs. Like Paul, writing to the Corinthians about the churches in Macedonia, I “want you to know about the grace that God has given” these fellow believers (2 Cor. 8:1) so you can benefit from their example of faith.

Nicole Massie Martin is the chief impact officer at Christianity Today.

The post Latino Churches’ Vibrant Testimony appeared first on Christianity Today.

I cried when the movie was over, terrified to be alone, and I was certain that the man on the screen was out to get me. For days, the Candyman lingered in my thoughts, making it impossible to focus. I was lost in my fears until I shared them with my Aunt Judy, a God-fearing woman. As she listened to me and saw my tears, she reminded me that I did not have to be afraid. “All you have to do,” she said with a confident calm, “is rebuke the Enemy, and he will flee from you.”

I needed to hear that because, in my young mind, Candyman was not just an enemy from a movie but the Enemy. The next time thoughts of him entered my mind, I took a deep breath, gathering my small courage, and with eyes closed and fists clinched, shouted out loud, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus!”

Peeking out of one eye, I felt calm for the first time since I’d watched the movie. My childish conception of evil may have been a little confused, but the peace and deliverance from the sense of foreboding evil that the name of the Savior brought me was deep and real.

Evil takes a different form when we become adults, a subtler and cleverer shape. Talk of the Devil is relegated to charismatics, and those who speak of Satan are often dismissed as unreformed, uneducated, or holdovers from the naive hellfire-and-brimstone version of Christianity that we moderns work hard to forget.

Maybe people in developing countries, where witchcraft is vibrant and corruption prevails, are seeing manifestations of evil, we might allow. But that doesn’t happen here. Not in America. Here, when we think of evil, we’re more likely to think of those across political and ideological divides. We might well rebuke them, but that has little to do with Jesus.

Yet the Bible is clear about the reality of evil and the importance of rebuke. God regularly exercises this power, from the cursing of Satan in Genesis (3:14–15) to the rebuke of Satan in Peter (Matt. 16:23) and the chastening of believers who do not repent (Rev. 3:19). In the Old Testament, we see God cursing operatives of the Enemy and reproving kings who do evil (Mal. 1:3; Ps. 11:5; Isa. 59:18; Jer. 22). In the New Testament, Jesus scolds religious leaders who act with evil intent (Matt. 23). Scripture assumes that evil is real, that it is the enemy of God, and that it is overcome by the name of Christ.

As believers, we still have the authority to rebuke in order to resist Satan and the evil of this world. Scriptural rebuke is not a personal power to be manipulated for our own purposes and rivalries. It is a weapon of spiritual warfare in God’s plan to “destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8), a sign of the intolerability of evil in the presence of a holy God.

Perhaps this is why Sonya Massey’s last instinct, before being fatally shot by a police officer in her Illinois home last month, was to rebuke evil in the name of Jesus.

Massey was reportedly having a mental health crisis when she asked police to come to her home to look for a possible prowler. We don’t know exactly what was going through her mind in her final exchange with the officer who shot her. But we do know that in extremis, in a moment of great fear, she understood that evil is defeated by the name of Jesus (Luke 10:17). She understood the truth that when we resist the Enemy, he will flee (James 4:7).

I don’t think, as some have speculated, that Sonya believed the officer who killed her was literally a demon. But because he had the audacity to authenticate his threat to shoot her in the face, there is no doubt that evil was present. As believers, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12)—and these are the enemies Sonya was right to rebuke in her final moments.

She called on the only name that could save her. And while her life was not spared on this side, because of her faith in Jesus, we can be confident she has attained the eternal life for which we long.

Sonya’s story is a reminder of the necessity of rebuking evil—of refusing to be so “sophisticated” that we imagine ourselves not in need of God’s help in the face of the Enemy. With every generation, we yearn for the coming of Christ who will wipe every tear and finally destroy the advancing darkness of this world (1 Cor. 15:24–26; Heb. 2:14–15; Rev. 21:4). But until that time, it is our duty to rebuke the evil around us. The tactics of the enemy are not to be placated or normalized. They are to be bound and defeated.

For this reason, we must rebuke the evils of racism and sexism—not because we simply dislike them, but because they work against the equality of believers (Gal. 3:28) and the goodness of God. We must rebuke political idolatry and apathy to violence not because they are a threat to us, but because they are a threat to the power and peace of God. Our calling, as followers of Jesus, is to hate the evil that Jesus hated and to love the truth Jesus loved. While the Enemy is not always clear to us, and evil isn’t always easy to discern, God will overcome the Enemy once and for all.

The timing of that final victory is unknown, but God’s promise is sure. I pray that the church can find courage to hate evil as we cling to what is good (Rom. 12:9). The power to rebuke the Enemy is a privilege we cannot take lightly, a reiteration of the victory of Christ. The one who overcame death on the cross is the same one who overcame my childhood fears—and the same one who heard and loved Sonya Massey as she cried out for his help. In him, God has already triumphed over evil. In him, we can embrace the power of spiritual rebuke with confidence that, one day, evil will surely end.

Nicole Massie Martin is chief impact officer at Christianity Today.

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The post Why Christians Rebuke Evil in the Name of Jesus appeared first on Christianity Today.

It was the last verse of Isaiah 39, which marked the end of King Hezekiah’s reign and the beginning of Babylonian captivity. It was the note that sealed a prophetic word of destruction and confirmed the generational consequences of sin. Upon hearing Isaiah say that everything he owned would be carried off to Babylon and his descendants would soon be taken away, Hezekiah replied, “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good” while thinking, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.”

As I listened to this Scripture, my heart sank and I began to weep. I was overcome with grief, realizing how easy it is for one generation to forget its impact upon another and for one person’s blessing to cause them to forget about another’s plight. To be fair, Hezekiah was not the sole reason for the captivity of Israel. But Isaiah intentionally highlighted this moment as one of the nuances in the story that sealed the destiny of a people for a significant time.

If we are not careful, we can fall into the same trap as Hezekiah. Enamored with our own successes and captivated by our own blessings, we can lose sight of the larger picture of God’s kingdom and our footprint upon it. We can become so caught up in the American story that we can neglect to see the significance of what God is doing in the global church. We can become so engrossed in our own cultural and denominational narratives that we ignore or even demonize the grand diversity that makes up the body of Christ. And, if we’re not careful, we can become so distracted by our sense of security in our lifetime that we minimize our impact on the generations that follow.

Though Hezekiah turned his back on the world around him, the redemptive power of the gospel invites us to lean in. At CT, we are leaning in to the richness of Christ at work in the world through our global initiatives. We are embracing the multi-dimensionality of the kingdom through our Big Tent Initiative. And when the world declares exile for the next generation, we are telling the story of God—who reminds us that it is not good for any of us until it is good for all of us.

We invite you to join us as we tell the story of God’s work throughout the world, with all its nuances and redemptive movements. With God’s help, every gift you give will be a seed sown for today and for future generations, until Christ comes for us again.

Nicole Massie Martin is chief impact officer at Christianity Today.

Christianity Today Welcomes Dr. Nicole Martin as Chief Impact Officer

The post May We Never Lose Sight appeared first on Christianity Today.

Black History Month celebrates the achievements made by Black Americans against a backdrop of oppression and struggle. But it’s also a good time to examine and learn from the resilient and deeply rooted faith of Black Christians. Many people are familiar with the exuberant worship and preaching of the Black church. Less discussed is the Black church’s unique embrace of the spiritual disciplines of contemplative prayer, spiritual direction, and soul care.

Author and spiritual director Barbara L. Peacock’s 2020 book, Soul Care in African American Practice, shines a light on the holistic expression of these formational practices in the lives of Black Christians. Drawing from the examples of key figures from Black history and contemporary life, she shows how these spiritual disciplines are woven into African American culture and lived out through its faith community.

Join Barbara Peacock and CT’s new chief impact officer, Nicole Massie Martin, on Feb. 23 at 2 PM EST, for a Black History Month conversation co-sponsored by CT and Seminary Now. In this free virtual event, Peacock will discuss the importance of spiritual disciplines for all Christians and reflect on the lives of the spiritual leaders highlighted in her book, including Frederick Douglass, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and Howard Thurman.

“For centuries, African American leaders have been tenacious in pursuing a relationship with Yahweh,” writes Peacock. “This fight has led to the spiritual maturity of many in spite of persecution, obstacles, oppression, racism, degradation, segregation, and disappointment.”

Barbara Peacock’s stories of discipleship in action provide models of spiritual maturity for the whole church. Register here to attend the live webinar or to receive a link to the recording.

Other Links of Interest

How African American Churches Are Responding to the Mental Health Crisis. Featuring comments from Barbara Peacock and insights from her book.

Black History Month: 20 Stories Christians Should Know. From CT’s editors.

Looking Back to Move Forward. Our 2022 Black History Month webinar.

The post A History of Soul Care appeared first on Christianity Today.