Paul de Vries

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  Nov 7, 2014

  Martin Luther, Ignatius Loyola, and Protestant Reformation

  The Reformation was a precious but complex step in Church history, where the beloved Biblical teachings of the amazing grace of God were renewed. We are all beneficiaries – Protestant, Roman Catholic, and everyone else. What can we learn from Martin Luther, Ignatius Loyola and others from that era – and especially from the Living Lord now – so that we can approach this 500th anniversary with a renewed awareness of the Lord and his purposes for his whole Church?

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  Oct 22, 2014

  Climate Change, Creation Care, and the Cosmic Glue

  In 2014, the agenda for right action when it comes to the creation, our environment, is still best described by the Scriptures. Creation-care guidance includes four vital Biblical teachings, all four of them introduced early in the Bible and then repeated significantly throughout its pages.

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  Sep 17, 2014

  9/11 in NYC: 2014 Prayers and Remembrances

  From Rockefeller Center I took the subway to St. Paul's Chapel, directly across the street from where the World Trade Center Twin Towers had stood, on the east side of WTC. Thirteen years ago those towers became a huge pile of massive steel, toxic ash, broken concrete, human remains, and burning fuel from the airplanes and massive tanks full of heating oil for the Towers.

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  Sep 11, 2014

  9/11 in New York City: Liberty and Prayer for All

  Thirteen years have passed since the tragic terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center Twin Towers. We remember that day as if it were yesterday. Two years ago I wrote on our reflections on 9/11. Much has changed, yet what matters remains the same.

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  Sep 10, 2014

  The Bible's Prophetic Calling and Why I Am a 'Clerical Error'

  Who I am today is the result of a huge "clerical error" – where nobody lost, but many gained.

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  Aug 7, 2014

  Why Christians Must Pray for the Middle East Now More Than Ever

  We live in a time of great persecution against followers of our Lord Jesus in very many places in the world. More people are paying a great price for their commitment to Christ now than any other time in the life of his Church. We must act, starting with effectual, fervent prayer.

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  Jul 3, 2014

  What Is the Answer to Apathy and Ignorance in the World?

  Such grace-based spiritual freedom is the best antidote to Jihadist exploitation and oppression. Existential freedom fully supports all people's right to choose their religion and values – and also to choose to change their religion and values. This is why the Gospel is transmitted by witness, not by warfare.

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  Jul 1, 2014

  Hobby Lobby Case and What It Says About Corporations With a Conscience

  The Supreme Court was right to allow corporations to be exempt from the mandate to pay for abortion pills or contraception when their leaders have established religious reasons against them. Moral issues can stand as questions for the liberty of conscience – whether individual conscience or corporate conscience.

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  Jun 9, 2014

  Why the Great Gospel 'Divorce' Is Still Not Working (Part 2)

  Yesterday we examined the wholeness of the Gospel that fully integrates the saving Gospel and the social Gospel. The Gospel is one, a unified whole like a precious two-sided coin.

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  Jun 8, 2014

  The Great Gospel 'Divorce' and Restoring Gospel Faithfulness (Part 1)

  What's truly tragic in an ironic way is that many of our divisions make no sense at all! For example, are you an American passionate about the health and safety of all babies being nurtured in the womb? If so, you are most likely against abortion-on-demand, and you are drawn to supporting the Republicans. However, are you passionate about the healthy environment of all people once they are born? If so, you are now likely drawn to supporting the Democrats and their programs for protecting and