I ran across this video of a bluegrass version of the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. Besides being very appropriate for Christmas Eve, it also shows that even the most unlikely parts of the Bible can be put to music. It’s only a little over two minutes long and well worth your time.…
Here are the answers to David Langerfeld’s Christmas IQ Quiz. I have added my comments to a few answers. 1. A. He worked and lived in Nazareth, but he was returning to Bethlehem – “his own city” (See Luke 2:3). 2. E. The innkeeper didn’t “say” anything (See Luke 2:7). The Bible doesn’t even mention an &ldqu…
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how Christians should respond to the pressures we face every day. And I keep coming back to the same conclusion. I can summarize it in three words.Tenacious winsome courage.Tenacious means we don’t give up. Winsome means we face life with a smile, not a scowl.Courage means we do what needs to be don…
A recent USA Today article told of new research regarding who goes to heaven. Most American religious believers, including most Christians, say eternal life is not exclusively for those who accept Christ as their savior, a new survey finds. Of the 65% of people who held this open view of heaven’s gates, 80% named at least one non-Christian g…
All in all, I’m glad Barack Obama invited Rick Warren to lead the opening prayer at next month’s presidential inauguration. I say that even though I share some of the reservations raised by other evangelicals. But weighing everything, I’m glad that the president-elect asked him, and I’m glad Rick Warren said yes. Here’…
A good friend sent an encouraging note this week about KBM. After writing some very kind words, he added this piece of advice: “Ray…. just keep putting your shoes on everyday and go to work.” None of us knows the real impact we have on the lives of others. I tell pastors who struggle with discouragement, “You’re not in a g…
Check out the Keep Believing Ministries December 2008 newsletter. You’ll find the latest news about Keep Believing China, a report on the Pentagon Prayer Breakfast, and an update on the worldwide reach of our website. Did you know that since March, we have had 248,000 visits from 200 countries? …
I ran across this quote from Tim Keller in Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus, a compilation of Christmas writings by various authors. Christmas is the end of thinking you are better than someone else, because Christmas is telling you that you could never get to heaven on your own. God had to come to you. It is telling you that people who are sav…
No doctrine in the Bible is more counterintuitive that the doctrine of grace. We fight against it because it runs against the grain of everything we instinctively believe. Graces forces us to confront two very difficult truths:1) There is nothing at all we can do to contribute to our own salvation.2) If God doesn…
Yesterday and today I’ve been thinking about how much I appreciate the Keep Believing Ministries Board of Reference. We don’t say much about them, but they are an important part of our ministry team. Back when we were starting this ministry (in May 2006), we approached some key Christian leaders asking them to lend their support for thi…