It is a plain and simple fact that what is known as Evangelicalism today is desperately sick, and rapidly losing its vitality and power. Not its political power. Good riddance to most of that, as far as I am concerned. It has been a confusion of the Two Kingdoms which has not saved very many souls but has engendered compromise after compromise on our part, and bitterness on the part of our political opponents.
Full Story » Until about seven months ago (suspiciously around the time of the presidential election), I never paid much attention to the messages blazoned on the backside of the car in front of me. Lately, however, it seems that bumper stickers have become the last bastion of free speech – the final frontier of public politically incorrect expression. As I was making my way home from work the other evening I saw one that got my attention. It was simple in its design: a website address in white letters on a black background. It was the name of the website that really got me thinking – churchcanbefun.com
Full Story » By now, most people have at least heard of Susan Boyle, the unlikely vocal sensation who stole the show on the April 11th broadcast of Britain’s Got Talent. If you haven’t seen the YouTube clip of Susan’s performance, you need to click here and watch it. Take note of the almost immediate change in the attitude of the audience once Susan begins to sing. This clip in on pace to be the most-watched video clip EVER on the internet. There is something purely magical about the whole scenario that clearly illustrates the power of music. Susan’s song in the auditorium that night transcended everything else that might have been on people’s minds. A thousand mockers and skeptics were instantly transformed into fans, and it made no difference that the majority of those people probably weren’t even familiar with the song or the play from which it came. Susan Boyle became an instant celebrity and a roomful of strangers became a community because of one simple song.
Full Story » A popular minister whose sermons are broadcast on radio and television claims the Bible teaches that God has allowed Satan to be in control of this world until Jesus returns. He gave specific passages like Satan being labeled the “prince of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) and argued that when Satan tempted Jesus in the desert and offered him the kingdoms of this world, Jesus didn’t argue or say anything about the world being Satan’s. Christians will use all types of excuses to keep themselves out of today’s religious-moral-cultural battles. One of the most diabolical excuses is to claim that Satan is the rightful god of this world.
Full Story » On Saturday, my wife and I went to see Knowing, starring Nicolas Cage, which is a strange mix of UFOlogy, panspermia, the destruction of Earth by fire (2 Pet. 3:10), the Edenic Tree of Life, and determinism vs. randomness. Cage’s character, John Koestler, is giving a lecture to his astrophysics’ class at M.I.T. when he presents the conundrum of determinism vs. randomness.1 When the class asks him what he believes, he picks randomness. “There is no grand meaning, there is no purpose.” He ends the session with “I think s**t just happens.” The perfect summary of an atheist’s worldview.
Full Story » If not for God’s providential, merciful, purposeful, intervention in all things, you could be excused for thinking 2008 was a year to regret and forget – speaking economically, politically and spiritually. In 2009, hang on to the fact of God’s constant, and dare I say, mighty, sovereignty. It’ll help get you through until negative trends reverse and sanity is once again seen by Americans as a sensible public trait. Pray.
Full Story » While most people think they were casting their vote on Tuesday for political reasons, they were actually voting for cultural reasons. Although election seasons always spawn heavy words and light action, rarely have both campaigns offered so very little policy and so very much empty rhetoric. It goes to show that every rule has an [...]
Full Story » My friend, Lee, recently suggested I log on to a taped, 10 minute segment of the Oprah show. There, professor Randy Pausch, a man with pancreatic cancer and only a few months to live gave a very moving final lecture
Full Story » After last week’s article was posted, I received an email that chided me a bit for being too broad with my “anti-new-age” paintbrush. The reader was concerned that in my attempts to discount the new-age teachings of The Secret, I had overlooked that Scripture itself places a huge emphasis on thinking and meditation.
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