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A noted politician is on record sharing his views on the moral condition of his country, particularly citing the need for religious zeal among true believers in Christ. In addressing those he considered genuine Christians he said, “You are the most important members of our community. (And I doubt this claim would be disputed by any experienced politician.) Today, as faith falls out of fashion, this is more true than ever before, both in our nation and in all of Europe. So I ask you now to seriously weigh the important role that you have; consider all the various responsibilities…  ( Click for more )

The first three commandments of the Decalogue speak directly to our relationship with God. The first being, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 For, “The Lord our God, the Lord is One.” Or “alone.” Deuteronomy 6:4 The second commandment cautioning, “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything… You shall not… worship them, for I, the Lord your God am a jealous God,…” Exodus 20:4,5 The third warning, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the…  ( Click for more )

Repeated events involving the real and at times imagined desecration of the Muslim holy book make for big news across the nation and around the world. Predictably, violent acts erupt among adherents of the Quran in response to these supposed slights. Attempting to explain the shock and anger expressed by those brandishing their holy “scriptures” in one hand and a gun in the other, one Muslim leader asserted that we Americans don’t understand the importance accorded these writings; that they whole-heartedly believe them to be God’s word – whereas…  ( Click for more )

The image of an all-powerful God who can both create and destroy is given scant attention in worship these days. But both testaments of our Bible seem to indicate we should be aware of the duality of His being, the key being a proper understanding of what it means to be “afraid.” Moses dictated a number of commands, decrees and laws to be observed by the Hebrew people, “…so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands...” Deuteronomy 6:13 The laws,…  ( Click for more )

I generally try to be positive in my correspondence and interaction with people, and my comments today hopefully won’t be interpreted as an attack on anyone. However, news coverage of three individuals this week – and reactions to them – seem to me to be symptomatic of so many in society today.

The one featured Melissa McCarthy, a plus-sized actress who has gained a fair amount of acclaim in recent years; who even more recently appeared on the cover of Elle magazine, draped in a rather over-sized coat. Some immediately took offense and tweeted…  ( Click for more )

Despite the discovery of a long-lost gospel a few years ago that some thought would force Christianity to re-think itself because of its portrayal of the quintessential traitor – Judas – as a trusted friend and confidant of Christ; I would agree with Rev. Donald Senior, President of the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, who asserted that the authentication and translation of this document did indeed produce, “a short-term sensation, (but) it’s impact on the lives of ordinary believers is going to be somewhat minimal.”1

Scholar…  ( Click for more )

Our world is awash with sound, portable sound no less, so we can always be in range to hear the latest news, gossip, music, etc. The pertinent question for today though is: Is there a difference between hearing someone and listening to them?

We all learn over time to tune out “background noise” and concentrate on the task at hand, but what do you define as background noise? The IPhone you’re surreptitiously looking at during class or the lecture your professor is delivering, the instructions your parents are attempting to convey or the television…  ( Click for more )

The concept of slavery and even servant-hood are largely foreign to people in the developed countries of the world today. Many third-world citizens do however still toil under conditions of absolute control to someone else’s wishes and desires, while some modern-day laborers wonder if their treatment by corporate CEO’s wouldn’t qualify them to be defined as “servants” at the very least. Slavery defined as one who is dominated by others or by an outside habit or influence, while servant-hood has the connotation of recompense received in exchange…  ( Click for more )

A fundamental principle of Biblical evangelism is the need for Godly sorrow, which brings repentance that leads to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10); God commanding all people everywhere to repent. (Acts 17:30) An oft-overlooked aspect of the Gospel being, “God will give to each person according to what he has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” Romans 2:6-8

The truth…  ( Click for more )

Who in their right mind would desire to be broken (as in experiencing crushing sorrow and disappointment), which can lead to incapacity and ineffectiveness? Yet could it be to our benefit to feel deep sorrow and remorse for our short-comings and sin, which can then lead to a subduing of our rebellious instincts and the development of real capabilities? (2 Corinthians 7:10,11) Is that what Jesus was alluding to when he characterized people as blessed who were mournfully poor in spirit; comparing them to the meek and merciful, the pure in heart and peacemakers –…  ( Click for more )

Honesty, accountability and integrity are personal attributes that also lend themselves to building and sustaining great nations; yet they are sorely lacking at every level of society today. Since all three are components of character, it might be to our benefit to examine how it is developed and integrated into our lives. Many behavioral scientists might list a number of attributes that may or may not include those presented here, however I believe these are worthy of consideration none-the-less.

Part of what defines us as individuals is passed on to us by…  ( Click for more )

Are you kidding me? Am I not supposed to talk now? That’s hardly the point, but a number of scriptural admonitions indicate the importance God places on the things we say and the way we say them. And any casual listening in on the conversations taking place around us reveals the frivolous, coarse, indifferent way we treat people in our discussions with one another and the loose way we sometimes handle the facts concerning the circumstances they find themselves in.

Jesus spoke to this issue in a way that makes me extremely uncomfortable when he said, “…men…  ( Click for more )

Any number of issues vex the church today as it attempts to be genuinely tolerant, joyfully inclusive and meaningfully relevant while standing firm for decency and scriptural holiness. One prominent issue is the modification of our church services to foster open and heartfelt worship, while refraining from accommodating a cavalier attitude about the nature of worship and the God we lift up in praise. It’s a difficult balancing act to maintain, similar to Paul’s call for confidence in our salvation (Hebrews 4:16) coupled with his admonition to, “…continue…  ( Click for more )

Why? More to the point: How can we be salt and light in the world if we seclude ourselves from it? (Matthew 5:13-16) The answer, at least in part, being that exercising caution in our relationships is not about avoiding all contact with the word (See 1 Corinthians 5:9,10) but in guarding ourselves from over-exposure to the evil to be found there. As in, “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.” Proverbs 22:24,25 It’s really about the level of intimacy…  ( Click for more )

The debate between supporters of creation and evolution ebbs and flows, often turning mean-spirited. Many Christians are reluctant to respond because they feel they have nothing to add to the conversation but ‘The Bible says…’; which doesn’t sound very convincing when others are citing dates and figures as facts, however dubious some of them may be. (It being difficult to cite scripture effectively when your opponent doesn’t believe in the Bible – there being no common ground for your discussion.) Teaching both evolution and intelligent…  ( Click for more )

Jesus’ teachings are packed with allusions to the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings. His three favorite books, based on the number of times he referenced them, being Deuteronomy – from the Torah (from which he quoted the most), Isaiah – from the Prophets, and Psalms – from the Writings. These books representing the “Bible” Jesus and his followers read and were reared on, our Old Testament.

Many times though, these passages were quoted in part or connected to other scripture; a common practice among Jewish rabbis –…  ( Click for more )

Despite all the economic woes of the past several years, and the rather feeble recovery we seem to be experiencing in its wake, I’m not sure we’ve genuinely addressed the real issue that almost single-handedly brought us to our knees – greed. A moral issue not confined to the “high and mighty” but one effecting every social strata; as part of our most recent financial meltdown was fueled by the average person’s insatiable desire for bigger, better houses, cars, boats, T.V.’s etc. Banks did engage in predatory advertising and gave…  ( Click for more )

God said, “Let us make men in our image, in our likeness,… So God created men in his image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:26,27

The Mishnah, an interpretive body of Jewish scriptural ordinances in the Talmud, records a rabbinic saying that gives insight into a reply Jesus made to a trick question posed to him by his opponents concerning taxes. Attempting to diminish his reputation among the masses, they asked, “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar?”; who was a repressive – often…  ( Click for more )

Calvinism is based on scripture such as Romans 9:16, which asserts that God’s sovereign choice “…does not… depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” Which has led some to claim that it is impossible to know with any degree of certainty that anyone’s salvation is sure – as no act of repentance, nor commitment to godly living guarantees forgiveness of sin and admission to heaven. Strict Calvinism holding that it is entirely up to God, who is free to assign us to heaven or hell based exclusively on his will…  ( Click for more )

Belief and unbelief in the same person; is that even possible? If you are unsure, maybe we should ask; Does your faith ever waver, and are we a REAL Christian if it does?

Have you ever wondered about God’s existence or his ability to provide what you need in a timely fashion? Did he really love us enough to send His Son to die for us? (Can we even ask those questions and not be immediately condemned?)

First of all, we must realize that there is a difference between honest questioning – a seeking for answers – and a non-conforming,…  ( Click for more )

Kathleen Parker is a syndicated columnist for the Orlando Sentinel whose op-ed pieces are published nationwide. While not a dyed-in-the-wool conservative, she is not a die-hard liberal either; occasionally addressing controversial issues in a unique manner that often fails to please either side. An article she wrote several years ago, “Parent A and parent B – and baby makes C?”, is worthy of revisiting – as this and related issues (such as the recent Supreme Court ruling against Prop. 8 restricting gay marriage in California) have only intensified…  ( Click for more )

The crucial importance of what some would like to believe is only an archaic Old Testament injunction to “love your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:18) finds its fullest expression in the New Testament. Paul declaring that the fulfillment of the “entire law” is found in obedience to that command. (Galatians 5:14) Which is only possible as we learn to love God first and foremost (Deuteronomy 6:5) and thereby gain the capacity to express love for others through Him. (See John 3:16 & 1 John 4:19)

Peter exhorts us to, “Above all,…  ( Click for more )

Have you ever doubted who you are and what you’re about? Do you crave a sense of purpose and undeniable direction in your life? What are you willing to do to obtain that purpose and the understanding it takes to implement it into your life? The best way to answer these questions may be to examine the lives of two men who understood the meaning of life as well as their place in it.

Paul, revered by the church as a saint and an Apostle, authored more books in our Bible than anyone else and was considered a world class theologian and accomplished debater even…  ( Click for more )

Answering that question necessitates posing another. What does it mean to be compelled? Webster’s defines it as accomplishing a task by force or great effort, doing something forcefully or to be driven; the definition most applicable for the concept under consideration. Significantly, the English word compel is a French/Latin combination meaning to drive together – as in a nail compelling two pieces of wood to join together. Should this sense of being compelled to perform a task come from within or be exerted from outside ourselves? (As in Acts 16:6; 16:9…  ( Click for more )