6:30 a.m. You’re packed in with two hundred people who love the music as much as you do, dancing to the same beat. DJ Marcos Cruz is blasting through the speakers that surround the dance floor. Bass thunders through the whole place. You love not only the songs the DJ is playing but also the […]
JANUARY 6TH: 3 KINGS DAY CELEBRATION
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was […]
REDEEMING THE HEART OF HIP HOP
Is it coincidence that walking out of the bank a Japanese kid drives by playing 50 Cent? Is it just happenstance that young boys in Ethiopia talk about the death of Tupac? Is it simply chance that the majority of songs on the billboard chart are in the hip hop/rap category? After thirty years, the […]
DISCOVERING GOD: AYA NOEL
We sat down with Aya Noel, a young Japanese Christian with a desire to see the people of her country find God {and she wants to find a husband too}. New Identity Magazine: Where were you born? Aya Noel: I was born in Tokyo, Japan. It’s a big city. NIM: In what year? Noel: 1976, […]
HOLY SPIRIT
You may have heard Christians talking about the Holy Spirit. Many followers of Christ say things like “The Spirit led me to do this or that” or “The Holy Spirit moved in the church service.” For those who do not follow Christ this may be puzzling and a bit weird. It may seem like Christians […]
THE CREATIONISM DEBATE
How exactly did we come to be? The debate about Creationism continues to stir the hearts and minds of individuals since it first became a hotly discussed topic in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Creationism is the belief that human life, the Earth, and/or the universe as a whole was created by a […]
4 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A LOCAL CHURCH
Teaching the Bible, God’s Word—Not Someone Else’s 2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV) For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. Essential to the function of […]
DENOMINATIONAL DIFFERENCES, PART 1
To some extent, Christian denominations can be seen as ways to ‘do church’ differently. Usually, what sets denominations apart is their take on certain biblical subjects, beliefs, interpretations, and practices. Variations on a recipe, if you will. In some denominations, the style of the church gathering is different; others have different perspectives on topics such […]
A JOURNEY TO FORGIVENESS
Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way [Jesus] he found there. He wanted to bring them–both men […]
ARE YOU A DEADBEAT DREAMER?
They said it couldn’t be done. A dreamer who is yet practical, logical, and focused. A creative thinker who can also analyze, be realistic, and lead. How unlikely is it that one with her head so far in the clouds all the time could also be a firm pillar to society and even help balance […]