I was born-again in February of 1978 and with only a few months under my belt as a Christian believer I can remember with vivid detail the global news of the mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, perpetrated by the master deceiver, Jim Jones. I remember my pastor’s remarks in his message that following Sunday with regards to the mass suicide and there being introduced for the first time to the concept of “cult”. In my mind, Jim Jones and the demonic debacle of Jonestown would forever be the picture and definition of a cult. Perhaps that national trauma is one of the reasons I am so sensitized to the use of the word, “cult”. To call something a cult is, in my mind, analogous to labeling a church, The People’s Temple, and its leader, Jim Jones.
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Immigration or Invasion? (A biblical analysis of our crisis)
There is a part of me that dreads and has avoided writing an opinion blog on immigration. As it stands currently, it is a convoluted and twisted mess of a crisis that has become politicized within American culture and polarizing within the ranks of Christendom. No one argues the fact that our southern borders are being pressured in significant ways by untold thousands (and millions) of people seeking entrance into the United States. The pressure by these migrating aliens has revealed in several ways the weaknesses of our national policies regarding the entrance to our nation by the foreigner. This is not a new problem in American history, but there is no doubt that currently it is a focal point of national debate and discussion.
Continue ReadingPower of the Creed (A Pre-release book review)
In recent months I have been asked to review an unusual number of soon to be released books. Most of these requests have come from friends who are aspiring to be authors. I am honored that they would think so much of my opinion. I know it’s not due to my grammatical acumen. I am also asked on occasion as to what books I am reading or have read that are impactful or thought provoking which I might recommend. Again, I am humbled to think my endorsement would be of that kind of value. All that being said, I thought I would use this blog site on occasion to review books I am currently reading. I usually have a stack on my desk which I am working through and I know if I were to take the time and write some reviews, my retention levels may actually skyrocket. So, to begin this new aspect of blog writing I want to start with an excellent book which I was asked to review in pre-publication form entitled, Power of the Creed.
Continue ReadingTrump: Constantine or Cyrus?
This blog has been stirring and twirling around inside of me since the 2016 presidential election. I realize that any stipulations or caveats to introduce what I am about to say will never appease either side of the Trump phenomena. Our President has this ability (along with his adversaries) to push people into two camps. You are either “for him” or “against him” and there is little to no gray zone to simply make observations and factual evaluations. The “always-Trump” sycophants who support the President no matter what he does will probably take this article as an attack on the man whom God has anointed; while those “never-Trump” critics will say it has not gone far enough and compromises Biblical Christianity. I guess I will navigate the middle way which will probably get me hit from both sides, but I think the analogy which I want to share has a timeliness which needs to be released as we enter the 2020 election cycle.
Continue ReadingTardy to Worship, Early to Leave
My spiritual journey began at what most refer to as a “mainline, liturgical, denominational” church. There were certain things you could count on (right or wrong) if one attended there. The entire worship service would be one hour and it would start and end “on time”. I can’t ever remember a lesson, sermon, or announcement made about being in your seat when the service began, but I can tell you that our household and just about everyone else’s household who attended that church were in their seats at least 5 minutes before the choir entered and the first note was played. It was the culture of that church and denomination for everyone to be ready when the service officially started. Candidly, it was almost unthinkable to be late for church. In fact, if you were late, ushers would hold you at the back door until an appropriate, designated time arrived where late-comers could be seated and even then you were ushered to a designated area in order to minimize any potential distractions. My parents would have been mortified to have been chronically late. I suppose the special times and seating sections underscored the lesson that this church culture was “be on time”.
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