We’ve all heard sermons referring to the Body of Christ as “the Army of the Lord.” Many of us have sung old hymns echoing that sentiment, such as my childhood favorite, Onward, Christian Soldiers. And William Booth thought so highly of the concept he named his organization the “Salvation Army.” “Yet I considered it necessary to send to… Read More »
Now that marijuana has been legalized for either recreational or medical use in numerous states, the issue has remained one of the hot buttons in the culture and political wars, with frequent mentions in the news. Many pro-marijuana folks have tried to support the idea that the Bible is silent on the issue of recreational drug use and… Read More »
I cannot even begin to count the number of sermons, books, and other teachings I’ve encountered on this topic over the last 40 years. As I was listening to my wife quote the latest iteration from a best-selling Christian author’s book, it suddenly hit me that in every instance I can remember, the authors — while excellent teachers… Read More »
One concept linked to prayer in the New Testament on multiple occasions is the giving of thanks to God. Earlier in this series, I cited a pair of Scripture verses concerning prayer which also mention thanksgiving and I want to reiterate them for this article: Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it Colossians 4:2 Rejoice always, pray… Read More »
Merry Christmas! As we navigate the hoopla inherent to the season when we celebrate Jesus’ incarnation as God-in-Sandals, the Pew Research Center took a poll of Americans concerning Christmas. One of the questions asked was, “Do you believe that Jesus Christ was born to a virgin, or don’t you believe this?” 73% of those responding responded affirmatively, 19%… Read More »
What the Heck is a “Blood Libel?” The so-called “blood libel” is a theological fiction perpetrated by both Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions — and decades later carried to its logical conclusion by the Nazis during the Holocaust — that was used to justify the persecution and murder of literally millions of Jews over a time period… Read More »
