Some Christians know they are going to heaven. Other Christians are pretty sure they are going there. Many unbelievers, meanwhile, assume they are going to heaven, or they simply don't believe that heaven is even a real place. Try asking 20 Christians and 20 unbelievers about their hope for the afterlife. You will start to see the science behind the assurance of salvation. In other words, there is knowledge to be gained through the systematic study of their responses.

Religion is man's attempt to get to God and to heaven. Christianity is God coming down to man to save him by giving him a relationship with the Lord and one day bringing him to paradise. There is a consistent reality in those who profess faith in Jesus Christ. The ones who say they know they are going to heaven are the same ones who give Jesus all the credit for their eternal life in heaven.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/the-science-behind-the-assurance-of-salvation-97323/#maGY4iRw9QRifphT.99

 HOUSTON – Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, unveiled Ministry Grid, an Internet-based online ministry training tool for pastors, church staff and volunteers that he believes will better equip pastors in training new leaders to become disciples of Jesus Christ.

"We believe that Ministry Grid will give more pastors and church leaders the ability to do precisely what Ephesians 4 calls us to do: train the saints for the work of ministry," Rainer said at last week's Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Houston, Texas.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/lifeway-launches-ministry-grid-online-training-tool-to-reach-new-believers-in-christ-98148/#k2WWkPw2uLbEdsbK.99

 I consider myself a very blessed man in a number of ways. This blog has become one of my great blessings. One of the reasons I love this blog community is the variety of people who interact on it. There has been an increase in the number of people who aren't Christians who comment on various posts. I want to share with you the perspective of one young woman on how she views Christians. These comments come directly from her comments on some of my posts. They have not been changed.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/what-do-non-christians-really-think-of-us-98064/#DhJdSO3s2GWg2lRI.99

 HOUSTON – The Woman's Mission Union made a bold proclamation at this past week's Southern Baptist Convention in Houston, Texas, by announcing the partnership between the WMU, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and Pastor Jay Dennis of First Baptist Church at the Mall in Lakeland, Fla., to eradicate the poison of pornography that is destroying marriages, hurting children, and fracturing the mission of the church.

Wanda Lee, executive director of national WMU, told pastors and church leaders at the convention that "the church must be vigilant in the fight against pornography, demonstrating the power of God to redeem those who have been trapped in its grip."

"Through this campaign," she said, "we are calling out a million men to live free of pornography. And challenging one million women to come alongside them and commit to pray for their spouses, their sons and their friends, as we work together to combat this evil that is destroying our families and invading our churches."

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/so-baptist-womans-mission-union-works-to-eradicate-porn-from-families-lives-98065/#3FVEIVkTCdJ5xMeH.99

 The release this week of the movie "This Is the End" coupled with Hollywood's intensifying love affair with apocalyptic-type films gave some pastors in the Staten Island, N.Y.-area a chance to answer a local reporter's question, "Why the fascination?"

"The multiplication of apocalyptic movies is a very interesting phenomenon," said Pastor Dave Watson at Calvary Chapel in Mariners Harbor, as reported in a Staten Island Advance article written by Maura Grunlund. In addition to "This Is the End," the pastor noted that the comedy "Rapture-Palooza" was also released this month.

"As we look at the social, economic, ecological, political and moral problems that the human race faces, it is quite predictable that there would be a market for speculation with how it all ends or resets itself," Watson said. "This speaks, I believe, to a spiritual hunger, a desire by humankind to know, and, if possible, control his or her destiny."

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/more-this-is-the-end-type-movies-released-why-the-apocalyptic-fascination-98058/#pxvSv1ybD5Q8FOXl.99

 A three-judge panel from an appellate court decided to throw out a lawsuit against Arizona's "Day of Prayer" proclamations over the belief that the plaintiffs lacked standing.

Judges from the Arizona Court of Appeals Division One unanimously concluded Tuesday that the suit advanced by the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation was invalid.

Writing for the panel, Judge Donn Kessler said the offended party could not show how they were specifically harmed by the Day of Prayer Proclamations issued by Governor Jan Brewer.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/court-throws-out-atheist-suit-against-ariz-day-of-prayer-97959/#pvdBjFWSQEsdaYzq.99

"What if a child dreamed of becoming something other than what society had intended? What if a child aspired to something greater?" (Jor El from Man of Steel)

This line is obviously referring to Superman, but what if this is the question that your Heavenly Father is asking of you right now?

Of course the Man of Steel has great reasons to dream of being something greater, to name a few:
Flight
X Ray vision
Super strength (because he is superman you know)
And the list goes on and on
So what would you say to someone so incredibly endowed with superhuman abilities if they simply chose to follow the self-centered and mediocre path that society so often intends?

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/are-you-a-man-or-woman-of-steel-97948/#KG5DP0zqVsV4JtBL.99

You can have a thriving ministry without a thriving relationship with God, but only temporarily. Anyone can fake it in the short run, but to go the distance, you need a passionate devotional life and continual closeness to Jesus. Often, pastors tend to allow the busyness of ministry and the necessity of studying for sermon preparation to replace a real, personal walk with Jesus. But God wants better for you.

Three T's for a thriving walk with Jesus…

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/how-to-have-a-thriving-intimacy-with-god-97847/#3BglBEvlmcFRxD2e.99

Willow Creek Community Church, founded nearly 40 years ago by Senior Pastor Bill Hybels as an "Acts 2 church," has opened the doors of its new 60,000 square-foot, $10 million Care Center in South Barrington, Ill., to provide thousands of local families continued access to a grocery store-styled food pantry, car repair and donation services, dental and optometry clinics, legal assistance and a whole lot more.

The Care Center, launched on June 3 after 10 years of planning, has been called "a Christian Walmart for the poor" by one publication due to its approach and layout, which resembles more of a high-end shopping mall than a thrift shop or traditional food pantry, according to The Chicago Tribune.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/willow-creek-community-church-unveils-massive-10m-care-center-97760/#gdOWje2XIil8RJCP.99

 The secular powers that be are putting pressure on pastors to limit their practice of the Christian faith to just the four walls of the local church.

That's why the current administration has emphasized a restricted "freedom of worship" rather than the First Amendment's robust guarantee of Freedom of Religion; it's why believers concerned about the redefinition of marriage are being told to shut up and go along, and why organizations such as Catholic Charities face crushing fines if they don't provide contraceptives to their employees.

Now of course, we all know that some churches and ministers have been accused of becoming too involved in partisan politics. Even when we've been right to enter the political arena for good causes, too often we have been self-righteous, a tad arrogant, and sometimes beholden to this party or that.

But just because sometimes we get it wrong doesn't mean we should stop altogether. As G. K. Chesterton observed, "If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly."

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/men-in-black-robes-revolutionary-preaching-97735/#gOBcLe1dfGLSdyIR.99