Dear Cornerstone Family,
I have had the privilege of working alongside persecuted Christians for many years in Asia. I believe one can learn more in a month witnessing their lives and experiences than in a year at the finest and most expensive seminaries in the world. The first-century church was truly persecuted; one that knew that they had to trust in God at every step of the way. A modern example is China, and to a lesser magnitude Vietnam. The church in China numbered approximately 750,000 members in 1950. After intense persecution under Mao’s atheistic regime, today, the church in China numbers well over 100,000,000.
On the flip side, churches in Europe and Canada, and to a lesser degree the USA, have significantly declined over the same time period. There is a significant lack of understanding of the scriptures.
Consider the following excerpt from the Atlantic Monthly:
Many high school seniors believe that Sodom and Gomorrah are husband and wife, while a majority of Americans polled cannot name one of the four Gospels. Jay Leno asked his Tonight Show audience one night to name one of Jesus’ twelve apostles; they came up empty. One in ten Americans believes that Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife, and only one-third knows that Jesus (not Billy Graham) preached the Sermon on the Mount.
I believe this sadly sums up our current situation in the US culture today, and why we must revisit with believers and non-believers alike what it means to be a follower of Christ. The decline of the family unit, beginning in the early 1960s, is now being worsened by today’s culture that widely devalues life. Abortion for convenience, school and church shootings, and rapid increases in suicide rates are a plague in our culture. Our children are apt to be very confused in this culture, especially when regularly hearing on the mainstream media and in school that Christianity is nonsense and only naturalism is true. Many Christians cannot adequately explain what Christianity is or why it is different and much more plausible than any other worldview.
Sadly, many of today’s churches are filled with Christians who have become more and more like the church at Laodicea – consumed with their daily lives and more concerned about political correctness and avoiding conflict than they are with living out the Gospel in their daily lives. We must live the Gospel for our family to see, teach God’s truth to our children, and pray daily for our country and our church.
Join us this Sunday as I present an Introduction to Biblical Apologetics with an approach and some examples to use in defending your faith and in walking with Christ in confidence.
Pastor James Jacobs
Cornerstone Church of Poway
P.S. Check out our mobile-friendly website!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Deck The Halls:
Saturday, Dec. 7, 8:00 am – 2:00 pm
Join us next Saturday for our Deck The Halls church decorating event. Together, let’s transform our church for Christmas to welcome the community. Lunch provided. For questions, please contact Joshua Crandall at joshua.crandall.09@gmail.com.
Christmas In The Park:
Saturday, Dec. 14, 3:30-8:30 pm
We are teaming up with The City of Poway and Interfaith of Escondido and will be doing a food drive during the Christmas In The Park event at Old Poway Park. We will be handing out bags, flyers, and candy canes. We are so excited for the outreach opportunity and hope you can join us! If you or your family would like to volunteer for a 2-hour shift, please mark your connection card, and we will contact you to select a time slot.
Christmas Eve Services:
Tuesday, Dec. 24, 4:00 & 6:00 pm
We are excited about Christmas Eve! Mark your calendars and be sure to invite your family and friends to the celebration. There will be a festive photo area for pictures. Homemade baked goods, hot cocoa, and hot cider will be served in the Cafe. Childcare will be available for ages 0-3. Watch for highlights and more information on our Cornerstone Church Poway Facebook page or www.ChristmasInPoway.com. We look forward to celebrating the birth of Christ with you! Also, if you would like to help, please mark your connection card and we will contact you.