We have seen lots of cultural revolutions in this country, but now the foundations of this country are being razed. And part of that foundation is simply God. At least God was mentioned and a certain amount of the moral underpinnings of this country came from that source. And that is being eliminated. We live in an increasingly difficult environment and as followers of Christ we need a perspective to help us deal with the real world. We need a clear vision of how God views and feels about us … [Read more...] about A Future and a Hope
History
Why Western Values are Shifting
A British columnist who writes for The Times of London, recently wrote: “Why is so much of the political, cultural and business establishment meekly going along with the onslaught against normative western values and the repudiation of rationality itself? The answer lies in what’s been happening to the west over the past half century. The current culture wars reflect decades of cultural Marxist chickens coming home to roost. There’s been a revolutionary long march through the institutions aimed … [Read more...] about Why Western Values are Shifting
The Exposing Light of Persecution
I have been reading a book about church history by Ivor Fletcher. Today, I want to address the topic of persecution. There are two basic concepts that struck me as I read this book. One was the idea that obeying God is hard. I would ask us to question relatively speaking in our modern context, how hard is it to obey God? The other question that was brought to mind was, how will we, in all the churches of God, use markers of identity to distinguish among ourselves. Will … [Read more...] about The Exposing Light of Persecution
Jacob’s Trouble
Jacob was the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham. After God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, the descendants of Jacob’s 12 sons became the biblical nation of ancient Israel. God made specific promises to the people of Israel in terms of their behavior: Blessings for obedience, but if Israel failed to obey God, then the status of power and wealth God promised to bless them with would be removed. In Deuteronomy there is a beautiful description of what God promised He would do for … [Read more...] about Jacob’s Trouble
Judgment on the Nations
When people remove God from the equation of life, Satan will fill the vacuum. If God is backed out of the picture, then Satan’s attitude is allowed to move in and become a little more dominant. When people in positions of leadership in this world back God out of the picture, the space is filled with self-determination. The emphasis comes back on man. When self-determination becomes the dominant factor, pride very quickly rises to the surface. The word pride here simply means exaltation, to … [Read more...] about Judgment on the Nations
Being the People of God
What is the Church, and why does it matter?” The answer to that question very much depends on the narrative that one places himself into. What is the story that surrounds our life? Secular narrative is evolutionary where all change is progress. Anything that’s happening must necessarily be contributing to the betterment, the evolution, the growth of this naturally occurring world. This concept, however, does not present those who adhere to it a sense of purpose. Christians who adhere … [Read more...] about Being the People of God
A Story of New Beginnings
God uses a pattern of "new beginnings" throughout the Bible. These patterns reveal God's persistent love for mankind even when man is rejecting His way of life. In the beginning, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good . . ." (Genesis 1:31 NIV). Gensis 1:27 says this included the creation of the first man and woman. From scripture we understand God’s purpose is to create a family, the God family beginning with Adam and Eve. Every physical thing that God created, … [Read more...] about A Story of New Beginnings