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Despite the media’s trumpeting of the rediscovery of a long-lost gospel that forces Christianity to re-think itself by portraying the quintessential traitor – Judas – in not just a favorable light but as a trusted friend and confidant of Christ; I would agree with Rev. Donald Senior, President of the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, who believes the authentication and translation of this document will indeed produce, "a short-term sensation, (but) it’s impact on the lives of ordinary believers is going to be somewhat minimal."1

Scholar James Robinson,…  ( Click for more )

Soulforce will be out in force over the next several weeks, their current project – Equality Ride – trying to identify itself with Martin Luther King Jr.’s freedom riders who toured the south confronting racism in the 1960’s. Emblazoned on their bus in bold letters is the slogan, "End Religion Based Oppression!", touting "LGBT Rights"; shorthand for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender. Soulforce is a gay-advocacy group whose purpose is to oppose and refute the supposed misuse of religion in homosexual opposition. The current Equality Riders representing…  ( Click for more )

South Dakota legislators recently made it a crime for doctors to perform abortions under any circumstances except when the mother’s life is in danger. The underlying motivation for this law thought by many to be to force a definitive decision from the U.S. Supreme Court concerning abortion rights for this or any other reason such as rape, incest or the preservation of a woman’s mental or physical well-being. (Which could mean just about anything.)

Much has been made of this decision and its guaranteed challenge by pro-choice forces, which amuses and perplexes many…  ( Click for more )

In dealing with the threat and reality of active persecution against the Christian faith, the key word to the scripture quoted above may very well be yet. The news out of the Middle East – such as the bombing of shrines in Iraq, beheadings and assassinations, a million dollar bounty on the head of the Danish cartoonist who supposedly insulted the Prophet of Islam and the desecration of the Koran during the Abu Ghraib fiasco – has gotten all the attention of the news media. And while global occurrences of religious persecution are on the rise, they certainly are not being…  ( Click for more )

Green - the color of Ireland, the emerald isle; necessitating the wearing of green on St. Patrick’s Day. Images of a pugnacious character, with a look of defiant determination on his face and shamrocks abound. Pride in being Irish is expressed in parades and ceremonies as well. But beyond celebrating one’s Irishness, who was St. Patrick (Ireland’s patron saint) and why should we remember and honor him?

Patricius, a Romanized Briton, was captured by slave-traders from Ireland at the age of 16. During his exile in the wilderness tending his captors cattle,…  ( Click for more )

Tom Lawson asserts that the image of an all-powerful God who can both create and destroy is given scant attention in worship these days.1He’s absolutely right! Who wants to be scared of God? More to the point, why should we be frightened of him?

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, commands and decrees were meant, at least in part, to…  ( Click for more )

In commemorating the 50th anniversary of the deaths of missionaries Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Nate Saint, Ed McCully and Roger Youderain, the movie "End of the Spear" attempts to convey the long-term effects of their massacre on a surprising number of people. For not only were their lives ended and their families forever changed, but countless others were both horrified and inspired by these five ordinary men serving an extraordinary God; including the Waodoni spearmen who killed them. The consequences were indeed far-reaching for those on both ends of the spears thrown that day. …  ( Click for more )

What is the Gospel or good news of Jesus Christ and how should it impact our daily lives? I believe it was summed up by Jesus himself when he said, "…God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16; which was the universal application of God’s love announced to the shepherds by the angelic host, "…saying… I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." Luke 2:10

To inaugurate his ministry, Jesus announced, "The time has come… the Kingdom…  ( Click for more )

Despite Hillary Clinton’s politically pandering reference to the supposed plantation mentality of her political opponents, the conditions of slavery and servant-hood are largely foreign to people in the developed countries of the world. Many third-world citizens do however still toil under conditions of absolute control to someone else’s wishes and desires. Slavery defined is: one who is dominated by others or by an outside habit or influence. Servant-hood on the other hand has the connotation of recompense received in exchange for labor; the conditions of such service…  ( Click for more )

Have you ever wondered how some holidays got their start? All of them intend to be a reminder of something or someone, commemorating the day that a significant thing happened or the person who did it. Some are obvious; Christmas, Easter, July 4th. Some are not. Others we view in a light not at first intended; one of those being Valentine’s Day.

Originally this celebration commemorated the martyrdom of one, possibly two priests, both named Valentine. One, a priest and physician; the other, bishop of Terni, were beaten and beheaded along the Flaminian Way in Rome, Italy,…  ( Click for more )

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 real 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 that…  ( Click for more )

Last week we dealt with a number of issues vexing the church as it attempts to be genuinely tolerant, joyfully inclusive and meaningfully relevant while standing firm for decency and scriptural holiness. In modifying our church services to foster open and heartfelt worship, we must none-the-less refrain from accommodating a cavalier attitude about the nature of worship and the God we lift up in worship. 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 to…  ( Click for more )

Christmas fell on Sunday for the first time in over a decade this year and I don’t remember having the kind of debate then that occurred last month. This year, apparently attempting to be needs sensitive – a number of churches decided to cancel Sunday morning services to allow their congregations more time with family. In their defense, many held additional services on Christmas Eve but the lack of worship on Christmas morning still seems to me to be a strategic retreat for the church in the face of cultural pressure.

Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s…  ( Click for more )

Honesty, accountability and integrity are personal attributes that 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 our parents. These genetically…  ( Click for more )

A brand New Year with new opportunities and responsibilities is about to unfold. I hope you will look at this New Year as if it were a blank piece of paper, ready to record your responses to the possibilities for success in 2006. But don’t fill it with New Years’ resolutions and promises you won’t or can’t keep! Pray over it like Gideon prayed over his fleece (Judges 6:36-42), seeking the Lord’s direct involvement in developing your goals and priorities for the upcoming year. It can and will be as interesting, exciting, and productive as you allow God…  ( Click for more )

Over the past decade, compensation for chief executives of major U.S. companies has soared more than 400 percent, while the average household income has risen just 12 percent since 1992. Delphi Corp., a subsidiary of General Motors, recently sparked renewed interest in (and anger over) this type of earnings disparity when Delphi’s chairman proposed 90 million dollars in bonuses for its top executives while seeking a 60 percent pay cut for it’s hourly employees.

Delphi, one of Indiana’s largest industrial employers is in bankruptcy, having lost 1.2 billion dollars…  ( Click for more )

What does our contemporary culture have against Jesus? Even non-Christians used to pay tribute to the author of, ‘love your neighbor as yourself, go the extra mile and turn the other cheek’; even if they seldom sought him first in all things. Today however, the fact that this holiday is meant to celebrate his birth is no longer considered essential by some nor culturally sensitive by others. New York schools have gone so far as to allow symbols of other religious holidays celebrated during this season – the Jewish Menorah and the Muslim star and crescent - while…  ( Click for more )

James asks, "...do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend.’ You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by his faith alone." James 2:21-24Is this a contradiction of Paul’s…  ( Click for more )

"…but immediately goes to work in the life of the believer." With this statement John MacArthur sums up the information presented in The Gospel According To Jesus and it’s sequel, The Gospel According To The Apostles.1 In them he investigates the two supposedly contradictory schools of thought within Christendom essentially expressed as works vs. grace.

Paul emphatically states,..."it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works , so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9) But James declares…  ( Click for more )

"…for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Have you ever seriously considered that possibility? Abraham comes immediately to mind as having done so (Genesis 18:1-33), one of his "visitors" possibly being the Lord God himself. Abraham’s nephew Lot was later rewarded for his hospitality offered to two of these visitors who were accosted by his neighboring Sodomites; he and his family ushered to safety as Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed as a result of this wickedness. (Genesis 19:1-22 – see also Genesis 32:22-32 and Judges 6:11-16…  ( Click for more )

That seems unreasonable, doesn’t it? I don’t see how everything benefits me. In fact, I don’t like a lot of what happens. Yet much of thankfulness has to do with our perspective and attitude toward life. Some people suffer through hardship or calamity and ask, "Why me?" Others realize it could have been worse, and thank God it wasn’t. Some people see gloom and doom, others see opportunity to serve; instead of continually questioning their fate, they understand what they can and do what they must. Happiness often depends on how much we put into life rather…  ( Click for more )

That sounds radical doesn’t it? Yet can we be zealous about anything and not be significantly different as a result? That’s the point isn’t it - to be unique in our approach, support and enthusiasm for the things we are interested by and believe in? But therein lays the problem as well, as fans of all sorts are expected to show enthusiastic support for the endeavors that excite them. However, expressing real commitment and excitement about our relationship with the Lord and our fellow believers is considered fanatical; going beyond what is reasonable. In actuality,…  ( 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. But at times she gets it just right. Her article, "Parent A and parent B – and baby makes C?", is one such time. In it she says:

The slippery slope that wasn't supposed to happen once same-sex marriage was granted is making Everest jealous.

In Massachusetts this week,…  ( Click for more )

Should Christians be involved in the celebration of Halloween? A good first indicator would be to consider the images it conveys. Ghosts, witches, monsters, demons, blood and gore, the devil, graves and black magic - symbols of evil or good, wholesomeness or unwholesomeness? So then, what's to celebrate? Even the cry, "Trick or Treat!" is a threat or at least bribery. Treat me and I won't play a trick on you. Don't and you're in for it. For some, it is nothing more than an excuse for bad behavior, you're gonna get it either way!

Halloween falls…  ( Click for more )