Culture in Focus applies God’s Word to today’s headlines to expose spiritual lies and equip Christians to have meaningful conversations. These researched articles are designed to inform Christians about what is transpiring in our culture and why it matters to God. It could be that many of our national troubles are God’s response to our culture.
“Trump Impeached Again” is blared across the Washington Post in massive block letters. … Once more, our nation finds itself in uncharted territory. This snap impeachment was so rushed that there is not even sufficient time for the Senate to conduct a trial, begging the question of whether a president can complete the impeachment process after he has already left office. … What has become of our country? Far too many Americans look around themselves and simply fail to recognize…
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All eyes are on Vice President Mike Pence today as he presides over the certification of the Electoral College votes for our nation’s next president. Theories abound regarding what he may or may not do in light of the numerous allegations of election fraud … If the case for election fraud is so overwhelming, why are the hopes of many being pegged to our vice president and the legislature?
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November 3rd—Trump vs. Biden, or Something Bigger?
For many the first presidential debate of 2020 highlighted a question with which they’ve long struggled: How could anyone support and vote for such a foul-mouthed, mean-spirited, bully who has seemingly single-handedly destroyed civil public discourse in America? … Like it or not, one of two people will be president come January 20, 2021. … Yet, as contentious as these two candidates have proven to be with each other, something bigger is at play…
Justice Ginsburg Now Stands before the Ultimate Judge
If 2020 has taught us anything, it ought to be how fragile life truly is and that, as James 3:13–15 cautions us, we should never take tomorrow for granted. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed from this life on Friday due to metastasized cancer. While the temptation is strong to immediately begin the political calculations…
A Biblical Look at Black Lives Matter
Black lives are just as valuable as the lives of any other human being who is created in the image of God. Because of this, black people deserve to be treated equally under the law and granted the same rights and protections as any other American citizen. When this is not realized in our country,…
A Matter of Life and Death
Abortion deaths are down significantly from the 56 million global average between 2010 and 2014. Nevertheless, abortion remains the world’s leading cause of death, killing more than 42 million innocent babies in 2019. To put this into perspective, the total number of deaths by every other cause in 2019 was 58.6 million…
No Place for God in Major Political Party
Only those willing to align our national policies with God’s moral laws have any chance of truly succeeding in Washington D.C. We must not forget that the solution to our nation’s troubles is ultimately a spiritual matter. If we seek God’s blessing upon our nation, then we cannot exclude Him from our politics….
Should Women Be Trusted to Draw the Line on Abortion?
“My body; my choice” has been a prevailing mantra among abortionists for nearly 200 years. The belief espoused by Pete Buttigieg that women alone have a right to determine if and when they should have an abortion was also a favorite argument among Spiritists during America’s spiritism movement of the mid-1800s….
Alienated from the Country We Love
“Trump Impeached Again” is blared across the Washington Post in massive block letters. … Once more, our nation finds itself in uncharted territory. This snap impeachment was so rushed that there is not even sufficient time for the Senate to conduct a trial, begging the question of whether a president can complete the impeachment process after he has already left office. … What has become of our country? Far too many Americans look around themselves and simply fail to recognize…
The Illusion of Race
Race is a relatively new idea. It emerged in the nineteenth century as the evidence for evolution began to accumulate. Prior to this time Europeans generally had believed that the book of Genesis furnished a historical account of man’s creation and the peopling of the world. Race was an exciting idea. Scientists thought it offered a key to human history, one that would explain why…
What Is Intersectionality?
The term “intersectionality” has become a cultural buzz word. Churches are embracing this concept, newscasters readily promote it, and political activists use it to empower their messages. Despite its popularity, there is perhaps no more inherently divisive ideology than that of intersectionality. As a facet of cultural Marxism—more popularly known as critical theory—intersectionality relies upon…
What Is Cultural Hegemony?
Demands that we defund and abolish the police, the New York Times’ 1619 alternative history project, open calls for Marxism, Robin Diangelo’s book White Fragility, and a myriad of other seismic cultural shifts rely upon a concept sometimes called “cultural hegemony.” It is vital that as Christians we understand this concept….
What Is Cultural Marxism?
America is reeling from Marxist ideology wrapped in terms such as “socialism,” “social justice,” “intersectionality,” “critical theory,” and “white privilege.” These are facets of cultural Marxism. So, what is cultural Marxism, and how does it differ from classical Marxism?
For Such a Time as This: The Church’s Next Great Battle
Some doctrines serve as a fulcrum within Christendom. What God’s people believe concerning these doctrines necessarily swings the entire thinking, mission, and approach of the church. It is as if the crux of the Christian faith and the effectiveness of the church rests upon these doctrines. … Today there is a prevailing ideology that is perhaps the greatest threat the Christian faith has yet faced because it threatens a bevy of fulcrum doctrines within Christendom….
Our Hope Does Not Rest in the Balance of the Supreme Court
If we are not actively seeking to bring godly understanding and transformation to the hearts and minds of those around us, then it matters very little who is appointed to the Supreme Court. What difference does it make if the Court protects an environment that is conducive to sharing the gospel if God’s people refuse to share that gospel? Before we jump into a blood-battle over who should fill Justice Ginsburg’s vacancy…
The Real-World Consequences of Fake News
Following a now debunked New York Times report in September detailing a new sexual misconduct allegation against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh from his college years, Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MN) filed an impeachment resolution pressing the House Judiciary Committee to investigate Justice Kavanaugh. She was supported by public calls for impeachment from several Democratic presidential candidates…
The Fake News Epidemic Is Growing
In the waning hours of the anniversary of the president’s 2018 fake news awards, we were reminded that the problem of fake news persists today. Moreover, it seems to be growing, as is evidenced by BuzzFeed’s now debunked bombshell report which triggered an avalanche of frenzied analysis and reporting by nearly all major news outlets…
What Did We Learn from Kavanaugh vs. Ford?
Far too often we find ourselves whipped into a national frenzy because of some narrative dominating the news cycle, only to set it aside weeks later and nearly forget about it. Whether it be the separation of families at the border, the opioid epidemic, net neutrality, tensions with North Korea, voter fraud, or any number of other examples, it seems as if there is always some new “national crisis” that demands our full attention, prompting us to forget about the previous emergency. And since one crisis is immediately followed by another, we never seem to stop and process what we should have learned through these nationally shared experiences…
Is Trump Protecting Us from National Judgment? (Part 2)
We now have a president who is actively striving to turn our nation away from sinful practices that invoke God’s judgment. We’ve already considered how President Trump is confronting a culture of lies, endeavoring to stop the shedding of innocent blood, and is providing aid to those who are oppressed, helpless, and poor. However, there are more areas where President Trump—whether he realizes it or not—is working to stave off calamity by resisting the very things that invoke God’s judgment.
Ford’s Fight: When “Your Truth” Is Presented as “the Truth”
Throughout the nation, ordinary people from every walk of life were glued to televisions, radios, and mobile devices, listening in as the Senate Judiciary Committee heard two emotional testimonies on the charge of sexual assault. Christine Blasey Ford was given opportunity to share “her truth.”
Kavanaugh’s Fight: When Idealistic Belief Is Dangerous
Today, we are told that all women must be believed on principle. However, this implicit faith in the infallible testimony of allegedly victimized women inherently undermines two of our nation’s most valued tenets: the presumption of innocence and due process.
Alienated from the Country We Love
“Trump Impeached Again” is blared across the Washington Post in massive block letters. … Once more, our nation finds itself in uncharted territory. This snap impeachment was so rushed that there is not even sufficient time for the Senate to conduct a trial, begging the question of whether a president can complete the impeachment process after he has already left office. … What has become of our country? Far too many Americans look around themselves and simply fail to recognize…
When Big Tech Causes the Truth to Stumble
God’s grievance against the nation in Isaiah 59 was their rejection of truth. A culture of lies had been fostered, resulting in oppression and injustice. Truth had stumbled in the public squares, preventing righteousness from entering and provoking God to judge the nation. What does it look like when truth stumbles in a nation’s public squares?
How a Stripper-Pole Halftime Super Bowl Show Can Give Us Hope
“The #Superbowl is the only time of the year when it is socially acceptable to watch half-naked women with your family.” This was the reaction of a 16-year old boy after watching the Super Bowl LIV halftime show…. More shocking to some was Jennifer Lopez who made her entrance clutching a stripper pole, performing her risqué dance routines in front of her 11-year-old daughter. At one point, she even mimicked the crucified Christ atop her stripper pole as throngs of dancers bowed before her…
How to Use Amazon’s Censorship Headlines to Talk about the Gospel
Big Tech censorship has advanced yet another step forward in its war on contrarian thinking. LifeSite News reports, “Amazon has removed the books of Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, the psychologist whom critics have dubbed ‘the father of conversion therapy.’ In other words, for claiming that change is possible for those who experience unwanted same-sex attraction, Dr.…
Big Tech’s War on Truth
Internationally, social networks have readily censored verified journalists who have challenged their respective country’s political authorities, but now these social networks are censoring journalists and influential personalities in the United States based upon differences in political and social ideology. On June 12, 2019…
What’s Our Endgame?
On television, Game of Thrones’ Battle of Winterfell and in theaters, the release of Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame made this weekend arguably the biggest pop culture weekend in modern history. But even the most popular…
Our Hope Does Not Rest in Mike Pence
All eyes are on Vice President Mike Pence today as he presides over the certification of the Electoral College votes for our nation’s next president. Theories abound regarding what he may or may not do in light of the numerous allegations of election fraud … If the case for election fraud is so overwhelming, why are the hopes of many being pegged to our vice president and the legislature?
Crisis of Decision: America at the Crossroads
Disruptive as it may be, the challenges made to the 2020 elections are a blessing because they have exposed corruption in our electoral process where it may otherwise have gone unnoticed and unreported. … As Americans, we find ourselves at a moral crossroads. … True unity comes from God, but our enemy is offering a counterfeit form of unity that undermines God’s desire for our nation. … So where do we go from here?
Warnings and Encouragements for 2021 | INSIGHTS #143
It is vital that we see how Satan is deceiving our nation. And it is essential that we respond in faith. Instead of being like the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz, God has called to be like His Son, the Lion of Judah. In this edition of INSIGHTS, Dave Warn and Leona Smith warn us of the many lies being perpetuated in our nation right now, but they also provide insights for us to know the truth and walk boldly in Christ, especially as we prepare for 2021.
How to Pray for Partisan Issues Like This Contested Election
It can be difficult to know how to pray for political issues that are inherently partisan, such as the contested presidential election of 2020. Far too many people find it easier to simply disengage than to be controversial. So, what does it look like to pray for political issues in a manner that is not overly partisan?
Persevering through a Never-Ending Election
What must a candidate show in court to invalidate an entire state’s election results? This is the unprecedented question at play in the 2020 presidential election. … there appears to be a spirit of fatigue upon our nation and upon our churches. We’ve simply found this entire process to be too exhausting and tiresome. Consequently…
What Should Christians Do in This Contested Election?
Pastor Gary Hamrick warned in the days preceding the 2020 election that the devil is prowling around looking for a nation to devour. Indeed, our elections are a pivotal battlefield in our spiritual war. It is through our election process that we…
Impeachment: When We Judge Ourselves
The dramatic impeachment of President Trump has been filled with more twists, plot gaps, and anti-climactic revelations than any soap opera. Never has there been such a partisan impeachment process. Throughout the entire ordeal…
What Is God Trying to Accomplish Through Impeachment?
Before we become overly cynical regarding the drama unfolding in Washington D.C., perhaps we should ask the Lord whether there is a reason for our leadership’s apparent lack of wisdom and failure to provide justice and meaningful solutions to the mistakes uncovered. It could be that we ourselves are the root of the problem—not our government leaders….
Jeffrey Epstein’s Story Reminds Us That True Justice Cannot Be Averted
Mystery shrouds both the life and death of Jeffrey Epstein. In life “he lied about the identities of his clients, his wealth, his financial prowess, his personal achievements.” In death, questions and conspiracy theories abound. Did Epstein commit suicide by hanging himself in his jail cell, or was he murdered by strangulation to keep him from talking to the authorities about the elicit behavior of some of the world’s most powerful and influential personalities?
How to Use Illegal Immigration to Share the Gospel
“People are coming to this country illegally, we are taking them out legally,” President Trump announced ahead of a planned “major operation” focused on removing criminals from America.[1] Operation Border Resolve targeted 2,105 illegal immigrants in more than a dozen cities who had received final deportation orders but had not reported to Immigration and Customs…
Alienated from the Country We Love
“Trump Impeached Again” is blared across the Washington Post in massive block letters. … Once more, our nation finds itself in uncharted territory. This snap impeachment was so rushed that there is not even sufficient time for the Senate to conduct a trial, begging the question of whether a president can complete the impeachment process after he has already left office. … What has become of our country? Far too many Americans look around themselves and simply fail to recognize…
2021 Is Finally Here! Will It Be All That We Hope?
Like everything else in 2020, Christmas this year proved to be more eventful than expected for my family. While driving to my grandmother’s house, a plow truck ran us off the road and into an exceptionally deep, snow-filled ditch. One moment I was working to ensure our family arrived at my grandmother’s house on time so as not to be berated by my relatives for delaying Christmas dinner, and the next moment I found myself impossibly stuck in a car tilted to the side at a 60-degree angle….
How Should Christians Respond to Tyranny?
“Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God” nearly became the motto of the United States. … Our founding fathers were convinced that Christians have an obligation to defend freedom and to resist tyranny. However, Romans 13 informs us that all authorities are appointed by God. Were our founding fathers misguided? How should Christians respond to tyranny?
When Big Tech Causes the Truth to Stumble
God’s grievance against the nation in Isaiah 59 was their rejection of truth. A culture of lies had been fostered, resulting in oppression and injustice. Truth had stumbled in the public squares, preventing righteousness from entering and provoking God to judge the nation. What does it look like when truth stumbles in a nation’s public squares?
Biblical Principles for Enduring House Arrest
Many of us are becoming restless. As Attorney General William Barr put it, “The idea that you have to stay in your house is disturbingly close to house arrest.” We want to be freed from our homes and return to some semblance of normalcy. These feelings are natural, but they may be distracting us from what God is trying to accomplish in our lives during this time….
How to Be Confident During COVID-19
“The idea that you have to stay in your house is disturbingly close to house arrest,” Attorney General William Barr admitted….restless Americans across the country are finding it extremely difficult to remain confined to their homes as their livelihoods are increasingly jeopardized. There is now open talk of civil disobedience as Americans face the very real prospect of a new Great Depression….
Alienated from the Country We Love
“Trump Impeached Again” is blared across the Washington Post in massive block letters. … Once more, our nation finds itself in uncharted territory. This snap impeachment was so rushed that there is not even sufficient time for the Senate to conduct a trial, begging the question of whether a president can complete the impeachment process after he has already left office. … What has become of our country? Far too many Americans look around themselves and simply fail to recognize…
What Are Whiteness and Ethnocentrism?
Our society is rife with examples of conflict between communities … Sometimes communities deliberately make others feel unwanted, but often these social cues are relayed subconsciously. … Recently this idea has become an important part of our national conversation on racial issues….
Not Your Parents’ Racism
Historically, racism has been defined as “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.” This is no longer the definition undergirding our modern conversations about racial issues. Instead, modern academics have…
The Illusion of Race
Race is a relatively new idea. It emerged in the nineteenth century as the evidence for evolution began to accumulate. Prior to this time Europeans generally had believed that the book of Genesis furnished a historical account of man’s creation and the peopling of the world. Race was an exciting idea. Scientists thought it offered a key to human history, one that would explain why…
What Is Intersectionality?
The term “intersectionality” has become a cultural buzz word. Churches are embracing this concept, newscasters readily promote it, and political activists use it to empower their messages. Despite its popularity, there is perhaps no more inherently divisive ideology than that of intersectionality. As a facet of cultural Marxism—more popularly known as critical theory—intersectionality relies upon…
What Is Cultural Hegemony?
Demands that we defund and abolish the police, the New York Times’ 1619 alternative history project, open calls for Marxism, Robin Diangelo’s book White Fragility, and a myriad of other seismic cultural shifts rely upon a concept sometimes called “cultural hegemony.” It is vital that as Christians we understand this concept….
What Is Cultural Marxism?
America is reeling from Marxist ideology wrapped in terms such as “socialism,” “social justice,” “intersectionality,” “critical theory,” and “white privilege.” These are facets of cultural Marxism. So, what is cultural Marxism, and how does it differ from classical Marxism?
For Such a Time as This: The Church’s Next Great Battle
Some doctrines serve as a fulcrum within Christendom. What God’s people believe concerning these doctrines necessarily swings the entire thinking, mission, and approach of the church. It is as if the crux of the Christian faith and the effectiveness of the church rests upon these doctrines. … Today there is a prevailing ideology that is perhaps the greatest threat the Christian faith has yet faced because it threatens a bevy of fulcrum doctrines within Christendom….
A Biblical Look at Black Lives Matter
Black lives are just as valuable as the lives of any other human being who is created in the image of God. Because of this, black people deserve to be treated equally under the law and granted the same rights and protections as any other American citizen. When this is not realized in our country,…
Where America’s Riots Have Gone Wrong
What began as a cry for justice quickly evolved into a demand that Americans embrace a foreign approach to governance. Some, such as author and social critic Os Guinness, have noted that the leaders of this movement are attempting to replace the ideology of the American Revolution with that of the French Revolution. Fundamentally, they are replacing a biblical model with an expressly anti-biblical model….
Proof Our Nation Is Desperately Sick
Pedophiles, infanticide, real and fake hate-crimes, voter fraud, corruption, violence, sexual abuse within the church, promiscuity, mass shootings, anti-Semitism, government gridlock, incentivizing criminality, and more dominated our nation’s news cycle over the course of little more than one week. But because we become distracted and forget these reports after a matter of days…
Is There a Spiritual Issue behind the National Debt?
It appears that our economy is far more precarious than we realize. As a nation, we are drowning in a sea of debt. On the campaign trail, President Trump and his fellow Republicans preached fiscal responsibility, nevertheless, despite Republican majorities in both the House and the Senate, America continues to increase its debt…
Seeking Refuge in a Precarious Economy
In 2010, Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, warned that monetary policies are on an “unsustainable path.” Similarly, former financial consultant for Fortune 100 companies and founder of Dent Research, Harry Dent, believes that the U.S. economy is set for a “shakeout more painful than anything we’ve seen before” with “the worst stock…
Stock Market: A Precious Investment
The Dow hit a new high of 19,000 in the wake of Donald Trump’s election, and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq are also at record highs.[1] Stocks like Caterpillar and U.S. Steel have surged in anticipation of Trump’s plan to rebuild America’s infrastructure. Pharmaceutical stocks, such as Merck and Pfizer, have risen in the hope that…
Is There Refuge in a Precarious Economy?
In 2010, Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, warned that monetary policies are on an “unsustainable path.” Similarly, former financial consultant for Fortune 100 companies and founder of Dent Research, Harry Dent, believes that the U.S. economy is set for a “shakeout more painful than anything we’ve seen before”[1] with “the worst stock decline…
Real Estate: A Precious Investment
Property prices fell 36%, when adjusted for inflation, between the U.S. real estate peak in 2006 and the year 2012.[1] Since then, real estate prices have been steadily rising and are once more near their pre-recession highs. Low mortgage rates helped to make 2016 a great year for real estate investors, with home values, prices, and…
Money Tips from God
Lest we succumb to the false notion that God is opposed to saving and growing money, consider Proverbs 21:20, “The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down” (NIV). It is not more spiritual to live as paupers. God does not expect us to give away every extra dollar that…
Is God Calling-In His Loan?
We deceive ourselves when we view our jobs, our pensions and 401Ks, and our investment portfolios as the source of our wealth. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “God gives you the power to gain wealth …”. Also, Philippians 4:19 says, “God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” For many…
International Real Estate: A Precarious Investment
Real estate analyst, Mark Hanson, notes that housing prices in the United States are the same to 20% higher than they were during the 2006 real estate bubble, but median incomes are down 5% to 10%. He believes the housing market is being propped up by unorthodox capital at a time when average families are…
Gold & Silver: A Precarious Investment
“Most people buy gold as a reaction to the uncertainty around them,” according to Forbes, and this is because “Gold is a synonym for wealth and money …”[1] The world is brimming with global instability—whether it be Brexit and the potential collapse of the European Union; the Chinese economic bubble; Russian aggression; the threat of ISIS;…
Alienated from the Country We Love
“Trump Impeached Again” is blared across the Washington Post in massive block letters. … Once more, our nation finds itself in uncharted territory. This snap impeachment was so rushed that there is not even sufficient time for the Senate to conduct a trial, begging the question of whether a president can complete the impeachment process after he has already left office. … What has become of our country? Far too many Americans look around themselves and simply fail to recognize…
Our Hope Does Not Rest in Mike Pence
All eyes are on Vice President Mike Pence today as he presides over the certification of the Electoral College votes for our nation’s next president. Theories abound regarding what he may or may not do in light of the numerous allegations of election fraud … If the case for election fraud is so overwhelming, why are the hopes of many being pegged to our vice president and the legislature?
Crisis of Decision: America at the Crossroads
Disruptive as it may be, the challenges made to the 2020 elections are a blessing because they have exposed corruption in our electoral process where it may otherwise have gone unnoticed and unreported. … As Americans, we find ourselves at a moral crossroads. … True unity comes from God, but our enemy is offering a counterfeit form of unity that undermines God’s desire for our nation. … So where do we go from here?
How to Pray for Partisan Issues Like This Contested Election
It can be difficult to know how to pray for political issues that are inherently partisan, such as the contested presidential election of 2020. Far too many people find it easier to simply disengage than to be controversial. So, what does it look like to pray for political issues in a manner that is not overly partisan?
Persevering through a Never-Ending Election
What must a candidate show in court to invalidate an entire state’s election results? This is the unprecedented question at play in the 2020 presidential election. … there appears to be a spirit of fatigue upon our nation and upon our churches. We’ve simply found this entire process to be too exhausting and tiresome. Consequently…
What Should Christians Do in This Contested Election?
Pastor Gary Hamrick warned in the days preceding the 2020 election that the devil is prowling around looking for a nation to devour. Indeed, our elections are a pivotal battlefield in our spiritual war. It is through our election process that we…
INSIGHTS: Post-election Concerns and What to Do
Are the root issues resolved now that Congress has certified the electors and Joe Biden is the President-elect? If not, what does Jesus have to say about nations like America? In this edition of INSIGHTS, Dave Warn and Than Christopoulos explain two concerns and what Christians need to do.
Justice Ginsburg Now Stands before the Ultimate Judge
If 2020 has taught us anything, it ought to be how fragile life truly is and that, as James 3:13–15 cautions us, we should never take tomorrow for granted. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed from this life on Friday due to metastasized cancer. While the temptation is strong to immediately begin the political calculations…
Why the Black Community Cannot Grant Americans the Forgiveness They Seek
Collective guilt contravenes our Christian faith (Eze. 18:20) and the very principles upon which our country was founded. Moreover, it makes us as a nation vulnerable to the tyranny of retaliation. … What we are witnessing in America today is an afront to the biblical practice of repentance and forgiveness. Kneeling before our fellow man in order to confess…
Why Our Corrupt System Must Be Replaced
A veto-proof majority of city council members announced on Sunday their commitment to disbanding the Minneapolis Police Department. … It turns out Black Lives Matter is right about one thing—the system does need to be replaced. However, the reason has nothing to do with…
Are God’s People Subverting His Message in a Time of Difficulty?
Is God’s message to America being subverted by His own people? In the midst of a pandemic, have His people replaced God’s remedy for an infected nation with something more palatable? It may be that we have claimed a promise that does not belong to us, and we are preaching a message that is unsuited to this crisis….
Preparing to Minister in a Pandemic
Two things offer Christians a great advantage in understanding what is transpiring around us. In Matthew chapter 22, some religious leaders asked Jesus a question. These were people trying to make sense of the world around them, but…
The Importance of Regret to the Gospel
In the Bible, the Apostle Paul was no stranger to regret. Having been personally enslaved by sins that haunted him throughout his life, the Apostle Paul was intimately familiar with the guilt and despair that can come from one’s past. Yet he was also intimately familiar with the…
Jeffrey Epstein’s Story Reminds Us That True Justice Cannot Be Averted
Mystery shrouds both the life and death of Jeffrey Epstein. In life “he lied about the identities of his clients, his wealth, his financial prowess, his personal achievements.” In death, questions and conspiracy theories abound. Did Epstein commit suicide by hanging himself in his jail cell, or was he murdered by strangulation to keep him from talking to the authorities about the elicit behavior of some of the world’s most powerful and influential personalities?
How to Use Illegal Immigration to Share the Gospel
“People are coming to this country illegally, we are taking them out legally,” President Trump announced ahead of a planned “major operation” focused on removing criminals from America.[1] Operation Border Resolve targeted 2,105 illegal immigrants in more than a dozen cities who had received final deportation orders but had not reported to Immigration and Customs…
How to Use Amazon’s Censorship Headlines to Talk about the Gospel
Big Tech censorship has advanced yet another step forward in its war on contrarian thinking. LifeSite News reports, “Amazon has removed the books of Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, the psychologist whom critics have dubbed ‘the father of conversion therapy.’ In other words, for claiming that change is possible for those who experience unwanted same-sex attraction, Dr.…
NYT Receives Another Pulitzer Prize for Printing Fake News
“I listened in stunned silence as Nikole Hannah-Jones, a reporter for the New York Times, repeated an idea that I had vigorously argued against with her fact-checker” … What does it mean for our country when our national paper of record is repeatedly rewarded with our nation’s highest journalism prize for deliberately distorted, misleading, and false reporting? At the very least, it indicates that…
The Real-World Consequences of Fake News
Following a now debunked New York Times report in September detailing a new sexual misconduct allegation against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh from his college years, Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MN) filed an impeachment resolution pressing the House Judiciary Committee to investigate Justice Kavanaugh. She was supported by public calls for impeachment from several Democratic presidential candidates…
Are America’s Networks Protecting Child Sex-Trafficking?
“NBC, ABC and CBS News have all now appeared to run cover for some of the world’s most powerful rape rings, allegedly killing stories and firing employees who tried to expose the outlets.” This shocking lead to a Daily Caller news article highlights the latest in a series of outrageous abuses by our nation’s news networks….
Re-Framing Reality: Why the News Media Made Al-Baghdadi More Sympathetic Than Trump
“Last night, the United States brought the world’s number one terrorist leader, to justice: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead,” President Trump proudly announced to the nation Sunday morning. “He was the founder and leader of ISIS, the most ruthless and violent terror organization in the world. … Last night was a great night for the…
Truth May Be the Greatest Casualty of Mass Shootings
The facts-first model of journalism is the latest casualty to social justice warriors and the Twitter mob. It began with a spree of mass shootings on Sunday, August 4. Within a 24-hour period, mass shootings occurred in El Paso, Texas; Dayton, Ohio; and Chicago, Illinois, but because the Dayton and Chicago shootings failed to fit the media narrative, they were largely ignored….
The Blinding Effect of Preferred Narratives
As humans, we possess an incredible ability to convince ourselves of what we want to believe, irrespective of what reality may be. In the immediate hours following the murder of 12 people at a Virginia Beach municipal office, Senator Chris Murphy tweeted…
2020: A Year of Deception
“And the angel threw him [Satan] into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer.” Revelation 20:3 Revelation 20 teaches that Satan not only attempts to deceive you and I individually, but that he schemes to deceive entire nations. Due to…
How Should Christians Respond to Tyranny?
“Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God” nearly became the motto of the United States. … Our founding fathers were convinced that Christians have an obligation to defend freedom and to resist tyranny. However, Romans 13 informs us that all authorities are appointed by God. Were our founding fathers misguided? How should Christians respond to tyranny?
Biblical Principles for Enduring House Arrest
Many of us are becoming restless. As Attorney General William Barr put it, “The idea that you have to stay in your house is disturbingly close to house arrest.” We want to be freed from our homes and return to some semblance of normalcy. These feelings are natural, but they may be distracting us from what God is trying to accomplish in our lives during this time….
One Vote away from Tyranny
Regardless of one’s politics, it is deeply disturbing the frequency with which serious presidential candidates have proposed solving controversial matters through executive orders. Without blushing, multiple candidates readily declared their intention to ignore the will of the people and proper legislative process in favor of imposing their will upon the nation by executive fiat. This is particularly troubling when one considers the extreme policy positions represented among the candidates during the DNC debate….
One Vote away from Tyranny
Regardless of one’s politics, it is deeply disturbing the frequency with which serious presidential candidates have proposed solving controversial matters through executive orders. Without blushing, multiple candidates readily declared their intention to ignore the will of the people and proper legislative process in favor of imposing their will upon the nation by executive fiat. This is particularly troubling when one considers the extreme policy positions represented among the candidates during the DNC debate….
No More Divisions: Confronting Gun Control
Few things divide Americans like the issue of gun control, and debate on the matter is often visceral. Sometimes we become so entrenched in our political camp that we lose perspective on the debate. In the case of gun control, we may be surprised to discover that, throughout American history, robust gun laws have always existed alongside a firm belief in gun rights….
Why a Quick Fix for Mass Shootings Won’t Work
Public mass shootings incite waves of grief, fear, and outrage that lead to a strong desire to do something. Inevitably, this leads to a national debate regarding gun control. Z. Byron Wolf reports, “The details don’t really matter when it comes to mass shootings in the current political climate. The script now is set —…
Mass Shootings and the Search for a Quick Fix
Three of the deadliest mass shootings in modern history occurred in the year 2017. The magnitude of these shootings, coupled with their proximity to one another, has provoked a general sense that mass shootings are on the rise. Is this true? And what can we learn from our national search for a quick solution?
2021 Is Finally Here! Will It Be All That We Hope?
Like everything else in 2020, Christmas this year proved to be more eventful than expected for my family. While driving to my grandmother’s house, a plow truck ran us off the road and into an exceptionally deep, snow-filled ditch. One moment I was working to ensure our family arrived at my grandmother’s house on time so as not to be berated by my relatives for delaying Christmas dinner, and the next moment I found myself impossibly stuck in a car tilted to the side at a 60-degree angle….
Celebrating Easter in the Shadow of Death
It is easy to think abstractly about Jesus’ sacrifice and his promise to resurrect the dead, but it assumes new meaning when we ourselves are facing the reality of death. … C.S. Lewis preached a sermon in 1939 titled “Learning in War-Time.” Lewis concludes that the threat of…
Is This New Year’s Resolution a Wise Way to Begin 2019?
As we usher in 2019, millions of people throughout the nation are crafting new year resolutions. In New York City, some of these resolutions certain to stretch God’s patience. Is this truly a wise way to begin the new year?
A Light That Transforms
Christmas should not depress or exhaust us but should transform us! Each year, my highlight of this season is to reflect on Jesus, the light of the world entering human history as a baby to begin a global invasion of everything good (John 1:5–8). Through the purity, goodness, and love that emanated from Jesus resting…
November 3rd—Trump vs. Biden, or Something Bigger?
For many the first presidential debate of 2020 highlighted a question with which they’ve long struggled: How could anyone support and vote for such a foul-mouthed, mean-spirited, bully who has seemingly single-handedly destroyed civil public discourse in America? … Like it or not, one of two people will be president come January 20, 2021. … Yet, as contentious as these two candidates have proven to be with each other, something bigger is at play…
Justice Ginsburg Now Stands before the Ultimate Judge
If 2020 has taught us anything, it ought to be how fragile life truly is and that, as James 3:13–15 cautions us, we should never take tomorrow for granted. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed from this life on Friday due to metastasized cancer. While the temptation is strong to immediately begin the political calculations…
A Biblical Look at Black Lives Matter
Black lives are just as valuable as the lives of any other human being who is created in the image of God. Because of this, black people deserve to be treated equally under the law and granted the same rights and protections as any other American citizen. When this is not realized in our country,…
America’s Drift
From the early 1960’s until now, American culture has undergone a transformation that has left it almost unrecognizable. This shift is not only apparent to all who take the time to observe it, but it also has significant implications for the future. There are four particular cultural changes that should concern every Christian familiar with…
How to Use Amazon’s Censorship Headlines to Talk about the Gospel
Big Tech censorship has advanced yet another step forward in its war on contrarian thinking. LifeSite News reports, “Amazon has removed the books of Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, the psychologist whom critics have dubbed ‘the father of conversion therapy.’ In other words, for claiming that change is possible for those who experience unwanted same-sex attraction, Dr.…
When Did Pride Become a Virtue?
Pride Month 2019 is nearly finished, and this year’s festivities have continued the tradition of stretching cultural boundaries while seeking to capitalizing on shifting national values. As “Queen of Pop” Madonna prepares to conclude the month-long celebration of pride at the WorldPride finale on Pride Island, it is worth asking the question, “When did pride become a virtue?”…
Mayor Pete and the Dawning of a New Political Era
As a Millennial, Buttigieg appeals to younger voters, being a fresh face in a year when Millennials are poised to become the largest eligible voting bloc. TIME reports, “Many Democrats are hungry for generational change, and the two front runners are more than twice his age.” However, generational change for the sake of change can be a terrifying prospect, and…
Why Does the Church Focus on Sexual Issues?
“Ex-GI Becomes Blonde Beauty!” splashed across the front pages of The New York Daily News in 1952 when George Jorgensen Jr. returned home from a sex-reassignment surgery in Sweden as Christine Jorgensen. Six decades before Caitlyn Jenner, and among the first to undergo such a procedure, Christine Jorgensen was America’s original transgender sweetheart.[1] Crowned Woman of…
Laid Bare
Intended to empower Christians to be relevant and influential voices capable of speaking into the issue of homosexuality, Laid Bare demonstrates how to use the Bible and social data to transform the most common questions related to homosexuality into open doors of opportunity to share the gospel.
Hasn’t Same-Sex Marriage Been Settled by the Supreme Court?
Marriage as it has always been understood and defined in every civilization and at all points in history until this century is now fundamentally altered in the eyes of the law. Nevertheless, we as Christians understand that marriage is a sacred act that is divinely defined and accomplished. As such, we have neither the right, nor…
Should Christians Be Preppers?
The swift decline of Venezuela and the sudden collapse of strategic infrastructure serve as a visceral reminder that we are not promised tomorrow (James 4:13–14), nor are we promised endless peace and prosperity (1 Thess. 5:3). In light of this, should Christians be “Preppers,” or should they wait and trust upon the Lord to provide for them in times of difficulty?
North Korea: Contemplating the Inconceivable
“Yesterday’s conflict does not have to be tomorrow’s war,” President Trump told reporters in Singapore after an historic meeting with Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un.[1] Never before has a sitting U.S. president met with a ruling Kim family patriarch, but now the two leaders have signed a joint pledge in which “Chairman…
Why Is North Korea so Aggressive?
For decades, North Korea has projected hostility toward the United States, but their aggression has escalated to a new level in 2017. Highlights include: June 13 – Otto Warmier, an America college student who was tortured and detained in North Korea for 17 months, was returned to the U.S. severely brain damaged and in a…
North Korean Crisis: A Product of Failed Foreign Policy
The Korean Armistice Agreement halted the bloodshed of the Korean War which cost the United States 36,000 American soldiers and wounded another 100,000.[1] Signed on July 27, 1953, the armistice was designed to suspended hostilities while a formal peace treaty could be negotiated. Sixty-four years later, no such peace treaty has been signed.[2] As such, the Korean…
North Korea: The Doomsday Scenario
Despite North Korea’s paranoia, the world does not want a war with North Korea. Aside from the casualties and cost of war, any invasion of North Korea must include a plan to rebuild the country after it is defeated. However, North Korea’s society, government, infrastructure, and technology are abysmal. According to Business Insider, “North Korea’s…
North Korea: Do We Really Want a Return to Normal?
When a nation is in rebellion to God, God is that nation’s worst enemy. History is replete with mighty nations who have experienced the judgment of God because of their rebellion. According to Leviticus chapter 18, God judged mighty nations in the land of Canaan because of their adultery, homosexuality, and the practice of infanticide.…
How to Use Illegal Immigration to Share the Gospel
“People are coming to this country illegally, we are taking them out legally,” President Trump announced ahead of a planned “major operation” focused on removing criminals from America.[1] Operation Border Resolve targeted 2,105 illegal immigrants in more than a dozen cities who had received final deportation orders but had not reported to Immigration and Customs…
One Vote away from Tyranny
Regardless of one’s politics, it is deeply disturbing the frequency with which serious presidential candidates have proposed solving controversial matters through executive orders. Without blushing, multiple candidates readily declared their intention to ignore the will of the people and proper legislative process in favor of imposing their will upon the nation by executive fiat. This is particularly troubling when one considers the extreme policy positions represented among the candidates during the DNC debate….
The Fake News Epidemic Is Growing
In the waning hours of the anniversary of the president’s 2018 fake news awards, we were reminded that the problem of fake news persists today. Moreover, it seems to be growing, as is evidenced by BuzzFeed’s now debunked bombshell report which triggered an avalanche of frenzied analysis and reporting by nearly all major news outlets…
Are Border Walls Immoral?
Congress is not a place known for its moral convictions, yet in this new year, our new Speaker of the House has taken upon herself the mantle of preaching morality. According to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and some of her colleagues, we cannot end what has become nearly the longest government shutdown in history by providing partial funding for a national border wall because our nation’s values and morality are at stake….
Is There a Spiritual Issue behind the Immigration Debate?
When illegal immigrants are granted all the rights and privileges of citizenship without a change of allegiance, it can be said that the foreigner is rising in influence among us. Sometimes, as a means of judgment, God permits foreigners to make demands, to oppress, and sometimes even to invade and conquer nations in sin….
A Pattern of Fake News
Despite only being at the mid-point in June, this has been an active month for “fake news” reports. Increasingly, our nation’s most prominent news outlets are presenting facts in a manner that seems to be intentionally misleading … hence the popular accusation, “fake news.”
Alienated from the Country We Love
“Trump Impeached Again” is blared across the Washington Post in massive block letters. … Once more, our nation finds itself in uncharted territory. This snap impeachment was so rushed that there is not even sufficient time for the Senate to conduct a trial, begging the question of whether a president can complete the impeachment process after he has already left office. … What has become of our country? Far too many Americans look around themselves and simply fail to recognize…
Truth May Be the Greatest Casualty of Mass Shootings
The facts-first model of journalism is the latest casualty to social justice warriors and the Twitter mob. It began with a spree of mass shootings on Sunday, August 4. Within a 24-hour period, mass shootings occurred in El Paso, Texas; Dayton, Ohio; and Chicago, Illinois, but because the Dayton and Chicago shootings failed to fit the media narrative, they were largely ignored….
The Blinding Effect of Preferred Narratives
As humans, we possess an incredible ability to convince ourselves of what we want to believe, irrespective of what reality may be. In the immediate hours following the murder of 12 people at a Virginia Beach municipal office, Senator Chris Murphy tweeted…
Proof Our Nation Is Desperately Sick
Pedophiles, infanticide, real and fake hate-crimes, voter fraud, corruption, violence, sexual abuse within the church, promiscuity, mass shootings, anti-Semitism, government gridlock, incentivizing criminality, and more dominated our nation’s news cycle over the course of little more than one week. But because we become distracted and forget these reports after a matter of days…
No More Divisions: Confronting Gun Control
Few things divide Americans like the issue of gun control, and debate on the matter is often visceral. Sometimes we become so entrenched in our political camp that we lose perspective on the debate. In the case of gun control, we may be surprised to discover that, throughout American history, robust gun laws have always existed alongside a firm belief in gun rights….
Is a School Shooting Coming to Your Community?
Listening to the top of the hour news update while driving, I was appalled by a soundbite addressing how sometimes students of the past hid under their desks to prepare for a nuclear attack, but today’s students are always hiding under their desks because they are always under attack. The speaker claimed students are being…
Why Have School Shootings Become a Part of Our Culture?
Gone are the days when chewing gum ranked among the top problems in public schools. When tragedy strikes, it is natural to opine for the “good ole days” of yesteryear when times were simpler, and morals mattered. In such moments, we are reminded of what our nation has sacrificed on its journey into relativism, and…
Are You a Person of Conviction?
Cultural influencers are people who are convinced. Martin Luther King Jr. was convinced that the challenges of African Americans could be changed through nonviolence and civil disobedience. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, was convinced that the good news of Jesus Christ needed to get to the remotest parts of the earth. Alexander…
Should Christians Be Preppers?
The swift decline of Venezuela and the sudden collapse of strategic infrastructure serve as a visceral reminder that we are not promised tomorrow (James 4:13–14), nor are we promised endless peace and prosperity (1 Thess. 5:3). In light of this, should Christians be “Preppers,” or should they wait and trust upon the Lord to provide for them in times of difficulty?
California’s Fire Reveals Priceless Truth
Can you imagine sifting through the ashes of your home, searching for something of value in the aftermath of a wildfire? This is what many in Paradise, California are doing. In fact, I listened to a news report where a victim said the only possession of his that survived the fire was a ceramic teapot that he had made in high school….
Hurricane Michael: Is God Delivering a Message?
Few things make us feel more powerless than natural disasters. Faced with the fury of “Mother Nature,” we are reminded of how little control we truly have over our own lives. But rather than become circumspect, we quickly become distracted, and we fail to receive what may be a message from God delivered in such a way as to make it unavoidable.
Does God Use Natural Disasters to Judge People and Nations?
Standing in the wake of catastrophic devastation, it is normal to question God’s role in natural disasters. It is common, in the aftermath of any severe natural disaster, for some to boldly declare it to be God’s judgment upon evil deeds. Like Elijah, it is easy to assume that God must be communicating through major…
Should We Blame God for Natural Disasters?
Within weeks, nine western states have battled forest fires while two record-breaking hurricanes have inundated our southern and eastern coastlines with water. On August 25, Hurricane Harvey struck Houston, Texas in what the Washington Post called an unprecedented “1,000-year flood event”, dropping more than 50 inches of rain within a few days.[1][2] One week later, the…
Are Natural Disasters God’s Megaphone?
On August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey struck Houston, Texas in what the Washington Post called an unprecedented “1,000-year flood event”, dropping more than 50 inches of rain within a few days.[1][2] Only two weeks later, Hurricane Irma delivered “significant devastation” to the U.S. Virgin Islands and pummeled the entire state of Florida.[3] Boasting wind speeds of…
INSIGHTS: Post-election Concerns and What to Do
Are the root issues resolved now that Congress has certified the electors and Joe Biden is the President-elect? If not, what does Jesus have to say about nations like America? In this edition of INSIGHTS, Dave Warn and Than Christopoulos explain two concerns and what Christians need to do.
What Gethsemane Teaches Us about the Election
Faced with the greatest decision of all time, Jesus fell to His knees in the Garden of Gethsemane and asked that His disciples likewise pray. Unfortunately, Jesus’ disciples did not feel the weight of the moment. Instead, they drifted into slumber—twice. Today the fate of humanity may not rest in the balance, but the fate of our nation very well may. We are 13 days from…
It’s Go-Time for Prayer Warriors
Little did I know what was about to unfold when I urgently called us to prayer for the month of September in my last blog. … We need prayer now more than ever. Whether it’s sharing the gospel, praying for the next Supreme Court justice, speaking the truth about BLM and COVID-19, or crying out to God day and night for mercy for our nation, it is go-time for Christian prayer warriors in America….
Hope for a National U-Turn
Hope for America largely rests in next generation turning to Christ, and specifically among those who will one day lead the nation in education, law, business, government, religion, family, the arts, and media. Because of this reality, it is vital that we see a sweeping move of God throughout our nation’s colleges in universities…
A Stunning Thing Just Happened! Will We Sustain It?
Before describing the stunning movement of prayer that God orchestrated last week from coast to coast, let me briefly provide some context. For almost 100 years, concluding around 1915, there was serious national engagement in prayer for college students. Many believers, the vast majority of whom had never attended college themselves, paused on the…
Two Prayers for 2017 (Part 2)
For the last 18 months, presidential primaries, campaigns, debates, the election, and finally the inauguration dominated the news. This is why I posted my last blog that included a prayer focused on the presidency and our government. Now, let’s turn to an equally important topic: “We the people.” Whenever “we the people” ask our…
Two Prayers for 2017
In a matter of hours Donald J. Trump will take the oath of office and become the 45th president of the United States. It cannot be emphasized enough that leadership at every level of government matters; indeed, government is God’s instrument to maintain law and order and to carry out His purposes (Rom. 13:1-7). I…
Do the Emmy Awards Indicate We Are Drifting Into Oblivion?
On Tuesday, it was announced that FOX’s ‘Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show Starring Jennifer Lopez And Shakira’ picked up four Emmy Award nominations … Superbowl LIV now seems like a distant memory from another lifetime, but it is worth recalling that this halftime show was especially scandalous….
Should Christians Support Black Lives Matter?
Regardless of what one believes about BLM’s stance on racism in America, it is difficult to understand how a Christian could support an organization that is so openly anti-God and anti-Bible—unless God’s people are simply unaware of what the Black Lives Matter Network truly believes and represents. So, let us take a moment to educate ourselves on who BLM is and what they believe….
Where America’s Riots Have Gone Wrong
What began as a cry for justice quickly evolved into a demand that Americans embrace a foreign approach to governance. Some, such as author and social critic Os Guinness, have noted that the leaders of this movement are attempting to replace the ideology of the American Revolution with that of the French Revolution. Fundamentally, they are replacing a biblical model with an expressly anti-biblical model….
How a Stripper-Pole Halftime Super Bowl Show Can Give Us Hope
“The #Superbowl is the only time of the year when it is socially acceptable to watch half-naked women with your family.” This was the reaction of a 16-year old boy after watching the Super Bowl LIV halftime show…. More shocking to some was Jennifer Lopez who made her entrance clutching a stripper pole, performing her risqué dance routines in front of her 11-year-old daughter. At one point, she even mimicked the crucified Christ atop her stripper pole as throngs of dancers bowed before her…
Mayor Pete and the Dawning of a New Political Era
As a Millennial, Buttigieg appeals to younger voters, being a fresh face in a year when Millennials are poised to become the largest eligible voting bloc. TIME reports, “Many Democrats are hungry for generational change, and the two front runners are more than twice his age.” However, generational change for the sake of change can be a terrifying prospect, and…
Are Our Cultural Role Models Advocating Violence?
It seems political rhetoric is becoming increasingly violent. Particularly troubling is how many of our cultural role models, celebrities, and entertainers are publicly advocating violence against President Trump, his family, those in his administration, and those who support him. Rather than face criticism for such rhetoric, they are frequently rewarded with laughter and applause or are granted a pass because their frustration is rooted in politically correct causes.
Does God Judge Nations for Specific Sins?
God responds to a nation’s faithfulness to Him (Jer. 18:7–10). Unfortunately, this often necessitates judgment. Scripture is filled with examples of specific deeds that have invoked God’s judgment upon nations.
Journalists Laugh as We Embrace a New Level of Depravity
“[I]n a routine that swerved from raunchy to downright nasty,” according to The Washington Post, comedian Michelle Wolf crossed new boundary lines on Saturday. Speaking at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, Wolf lobbed a salvo of caustic, crass, and hateful comments masquerading as “jokes.” In the course of 19 minutes, Michelle Wolf set a new standard for acceptable depravity during prime-time political discourse….
Why Is Sin Such a Big Deal?
Many people understand that sin is destructive and, when left unaddressed, it has eternal consequences, but do you know that the degree to which we are involved in sin is the degree to which we forgo becoming God’s artists, creating the world He has in mind? If you and I intend to fully express ourselves…
Selling Babies: How WA State Is Becoming a Global Marketplace for Children
“‘Human decency’ died in the dark this morning around 1 a.m. at your WA State Capitol. House Democrats voted to legalize the purchase and sale of human babies in the wee hours of the morning,” according to Washington State Representative Liz Pike.[1] Effective January 1, 2019, human babies will become commodities for sale….
Culture of Lies
Nearly half of all Americans have a negative view of the news media. Only 44% say they can think of a news source that reports the news objectively, and 66% say news outlets do not do a good job of separating fact from opinion. Now we have a president who regularly calls mainstream news outlets…
America in the Balance Bible Study
God has a purpose for nations in His redemptive plan, and He uses such things as a rising national debt, a gridlocked government, and deteriorating family structures to expose a nation’s spiritual waywardness.
Why Contesting This Election Should Matter to Every Christian
Granted, the media has all but coronated Joe Biden, but with 80 electoral college votes across seven states in dispute, neither candidate is close to crossing the 270 vote threshold. As the vote stands today, President Trump is slightly leading with 232 votes to Joe Biden’s 226 votes. … Our news media may have little interest in charges of election fraud, but God cares deeply about the integrity of the vote. According to Proverbs 20:23…
It’s Go-Time for Prayer Warriors
Little did I know what was about to unfold when I urgently called us to prayer for the month of September in my last blog. … We need prayer now more than ever. Whether it’s sharing the gospel, praying for the next Supreme Court justice, speaking the truth about BLM and COVID-19, or crying out to God day and night for mercy for our nation, it is go-time for Christian prayer warriors in America….
What Are Whiteness and Ethnocentrism?
Our society is rife with examples of conflict between communities … Sometimes communities deliberately make others feel unwanted, but often these social cues are relayed subconsciously. … Recently this idea has become an important part of our national conversation on racial issues….
Not Your Parents’ Racism
Historically, racism has been defined as “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.” This is no longer the definition undergirding our modern conversations about racial issues. Instead, modern academics have…
The Illusion of Race
Race is a relatively new idea. It emerged in the nineteenth century as the evidence for evolution began to accumulate. Prior to this time Europeans generally had believed that the book of Genesis furnished a historical account of man’s creation and the peopling of the world. Race was an exciting idea. Scientists thought it offered a key to human history, one that would explain why…
For Such a Time as This: The Church’s Next Great Battle
Some doctrines serve as a fulcrum within Christendom. What God’s people believe concerning these doctrines necessarily swings the entire thinking, mission, and approach of the church. It is as if the crux of the Christian faith and the effectiveness of the church rests upon these doctrines. … Today there is a prevailing ideology that is perhaps the greatest threat the Christian faith has yet faced because it threatens a bevy of fulcrum doctrines within Christendom….
A Biblical Look at Black Lives Matter
Black lives are just as valuable as the lives of any other human being who is created in the image of God. Because of this, black people deserve to be treated equally under the law and granted the same rights and protections as any other American citizen. When this is not realized in our country,…
Should Christians Support Black Lives Matter?
Regardless of what one believes about BLM’s stance on racism in America, it is difficult to understand how a Christian could support an organization that is so openly anti-God and anti-Bible—unless God’s people are simply unaware of what the Black Lives Matter Network truly believes and represents. So, let us take a moment to educate ourselves on who BLM is and what they believe….
10 Key Questions Black Lives Matter Has Yet to Address
It is wrong to privilege any race or class of people at the expense of another. Slavery was an abomination and an affront to what America claimed to represent, but so are affirmative action and wealth redistribution—the essence of what Black Lives Matter is demanding. … Regardless of the justifications proffered by political activists, Black Lives Matter seeks to codify inequality and preferential treatment in our national laws and policies … These unaddressed questions should be a part of any conversation about the importance of black lives and whether the American system is inherently racist….
Why the Black Community Cannot Grant Americans the Forgiveness They Seek
Collective guilt contravenes our Christian faith (Eze. 18:20) and the very principles upon which our country was founded. Moreover, it makes us as a nation vulnerable to the tyranny of retaliation. … What we are witnessing in America today is an afront to the biblical practice of repentance and forgiveness. Kneeling before our fellow man in order to confess…
2020: A Year of Deception
“And the angel threw him [Satan] into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer.” Revelation 20:3 Revelation 20 teaches that Satan not only attempts to deceive you and I individually, but that he schemes to deceive entire nations. Due to…
November 3rd—Trump vs. Biden, or Something Bigger?
For many the first presidential debate of 2020 highlighted a question with which they’ve long struggled: How could anyone support and vote for such a foul-mouthed, mean-spirited, bully who has seemingly single-handedly destroyed civil public discourse in America? … Like it or not, one of two people will be president come January 20, 2021. … Yet, as contentious as these two candidates have proven to be with each other, something bigger is at play…
Are We Losing Our Religious Liberty?
Speaking at the University of Notre Dame on October 11, 2019, U.S. Attorney General William Barr argued that the cultural degradation in America today is unique from other points of history and other immoral societies. According to Barr, our hope rests in restoring the traditional religious values that are under assault. Moreover, “We must place…
Mayor Pete and the Dawning of a New Political Era
As a Millennial, Buttigieg appeals to younger voters, being a fresh face in a year when Millennials are poised to become the largest eligible voting bloc. TIME reports, “Many Democrats are hungry for generational change, and the two front runners are more than twice his age.” However, generational change for the sake of change can be a terrifying prospect, and…
Is Trump Protecting Us from National Judgment? (Part 2)
We now have a president who is actively striving to turn our nation away from sinful practices that invoke God’s judgment. We’ve already considered how President Trump is confronting a culture of lies, endeavoring to stop the shedding of innocent blood, and is providing aid to those who are oppressed, helpless, and poor. However, there are more areas where President Trump—whether he realizes it or not—is working to stave off calamity by resisting the very things that invoke God’s judgment.
Why Christians Should Engage in the Fight against Censorship
When the standards of “hate speech” and “dehumanizing language” are inconsistently used to suppress the voice of some and not others, we have a problem. Truth has become relative, and the concept of hate speech is the new Billy club of those who wish to suppress certain views.
Why the Censorship of Alex Jones Should Concern Christians
Considering that Google and its platforms, such as YouTube, accounted for 34% of all time spent on digital media in June of 2018, we should be greatly concerned that Google is taking the initiative to determine what content is and is not appropriate for the social conversation. Freedom of speech is under assault by corporations.
Same-Sex Marriage: America’s New Litmus Test for Holding Public Office
“Do you believe that gay sex is a perversion?” was Senator Cory Booker’s (D-N.J.) question to CIA Director Mike Pompeo during a Senate confirmation hearing for Secretary of State.[1] Booker was concerned about a speech in which then-Senator Mike Pompeo cited a prayer delivered before the Kansas state legislature, mourning how Americans had endorsed perversion,…
What the Supreme Court Ruling on Same-Sex Marriage Means for Christians
What does the June 26, 2015 Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage mean for Christians? The implications of this ruling are enormous and widespread. As such we will focus our attention on only a few implications. In the first place this was a deeply divided decision by the Supreme Court with five Justices ruling in…
The High Stakes in Confronting Homosexuality
In a perfect world, the church would never need to address sinful behavior but could focus its full attention on how to better serve God and strengthen a personal relationship with Him, but we do not live in a perfect world. Instead, we live in a fallen world where sinful behavior continually threatens the ability…
Alienated from the Country We Love
“Trump Impeached Again” is blared across the Washington Post in massive block letters. … Once more, our nation finds itself in uncharted territory. This snap impeachment was so rushed that there is not even sufficient time for the Senate to conduct a trial, begging the question of whether a president can complete the impeachment process after he has already left office. … What has become of our country? Far too many Americans look around themselves and simply fail to recognize…
INSIGHTS: 2020 – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Many can’t wait to turn the page to 2021. However, there were some HUGE positives to 2020. And not surprising, there were some HUGE setbacks. In this edition of INSIGHTS Dave Warn and Than Christopoulos will help you discern what just happened and help you respond in faith.
Stop the Unraveling
Since March, our nation has experienced a dramatic unraveling that, among other things, has already expanded our national debt from 23.8 to 26.7 trillion dollars. No amount of money will repair our nation, but before sharing a vital step to reverse what is taking place before our eyes, let me summarize our recent journey, which…
INSIGHTS: Breaking Out of Chaos, Lies, and Confusion (Part 2)
Many experience anxiety because of believing lies or receiving confusing messages. To break out of this chaos, join Forerunners of America founder Dave Warn and Than Christopoulos for insights that will help you once again experience confidence.
INSIGHTS: Breaking Out of Lies and Confusion (Part 1)
As a nation, we continue to make fearful decisions based on lies and confusion. To break out of these deceptions, join Forerunners of America founder Dave Warn and Than Christopoulos for insights that will help you and your friends experience freedom.
Listen to INSIGHTS in podcast form on:
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/5jTkmmdvt2tZv3HHtAKceL?si=5IrmFbcISMqzrbORNJPiWQ
Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forerunners-of-america/id1522371585
INSIGHTS: Racism – Side Winds Are Blowing!
How is Black Lives Matter different from the Civil Rights Movement led by Martin Luther King? How are Critical Race Theory and The 1619 Project trying to change the fabric of our nation? In this edition of INSIGHTS, Dave Warn and Eddie Ruiz explain how these side winds are currently blowing our nation off course and will likely be used by “the father of lies” to escalate racism in America.
Why the Black Community Cannot Grant Americans the Forgiveness They Seek
Collective guilt contravenes our Christian faith (Eze. 18:20) and the very principles upon which our country was founded. Moreover, it makes us as a nation vulnerable to the tyranny of retaliation. … What we are witnessing in America today is an afront to the biblical practice of repentance and forgiveness. Kneeling before our fellow man in order to confess…
Where America’s Riots Have Gone Wrong
What began as a cry for justice quickly evolved into a demand that Americans embrace a foreign approach to governance. Some, such as author and social critic Os Guinness, have noted that the leaders of this movement are attempting to replace the ideology of the American Revolution with that of the French Revolution. Fundamentally, they are replacing a biblical model with an expressly anti-biblical model….
Why Our Corrupt System Must Be Replaced
A veto-proof majority of city council members announced on Sunday their commitment to disbanding the Minneapolis Police Department. … It turns out Black Lives Matter is right about one thing—the system does need to be replaced. However, the reason has nothing to do with…
A Culture of Lies Produced These National Riots
Fear, ignorance, and misplaced good intentions have prompted far too many people to ignore facts in favor of preferred narratives, but there is a cost to suppressing the truth. … Left unchecked, the fruit of this lie will steal, kill, and destroy everything that once defined our country. Unfortunately, many Americans are like Nero who fiddled as Rome burned. We are frittering away our remaining time. Fearful of being labeled a racist or uncaring, we are reluctant to…
Shell Shocked: What the Mueller Report Reveals about Our Response to Truth
Confronted with the stark contrast between their characterization of “Russian collusion” and Robert Mueller’s findings, newsrooms across the nation have reminded us of just how difficult it can be to admit our errors and accept an unwelcome conclusion…
A Nation Divided
Robert Mueller’s investigation prompted more than 533,000 web articles according to NewsWhip data cited by Axios. For nearly two years, these articles have kept social media ablaze, generating approximately 245 million likes, comments, and shares on Twitter and Facebook. America’s obsession with Mueller’s investigation is unprecedented. Together, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and MSNBC published an average of nearly 13 articles a day for almost two years….
Proof Our Nation Is Desperately Sick
Pedophiles, infanticide, real and fake hate-crimes, voter fraud, corruption, violence, sexual abuse within the church, promiscuity, mass shootings, anti-Semitism, government gridlock, incentivizing criminality, and more dominated our nation’s news cycle over the course of little more than one week. But because we become distracted and forget these reports after a matter of days…
The Fake News Epidemic Is Growing
In the waning hours of the anniversary of the president’s 2018 fake news awards, we were reminded that the problem of fake news persists today. Moreover, it seems to be growing, as is evidenced by BuzzFeed’s now debunked bombshell report which triggered an avalanche of frenzied analysis and reporting by nearly all major news outlets…
Steele Dossier Timeline – Just the Facts
Immense confusion surrounds the development and release of the Steele Dossier. What is it? What does it allege? How did the government get involved? And how did it become public? …
What 5 Months of Missing Texts Reveals about Us as Americans
A pattern is emerging. When asked to provide potentially incriminating documentation, those within the United States government conveniently cannot access those records. Recently, the Department of Justice discovered five months of missing texts in the transcripts of text messages provided to the House Judiciary Committee between FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page…
Are America’s Networks Protecting Child Sex-Trafficking?
“NBC, ABC and CBS News have all now appeared to run cover for some of the world’s most powerful rape rings, allegedly killing stories and firing employees who tried to expose the outlets.” This shocking lead to a Daily Caller news article highlights the latest in a series of outrageous abuses by our nation’s news networks….
Jeffrey Epstein’s Story Reminds Us That True Justice Cannot Be Averted
Mystery shrouds both the life and death of Jeffrey Epstein. In life “he lied about the identities of his clients, his wealth, his financial prowess, his personal achievements.” In death, questions and conspiracy theories abound. Did Epstein commit suicide by hanging himself in his jail cell, or was he murdered by strangulation to keep him from talking to the authorities about the elicit behavior of some of the world’s most powerful and influential personalities?
Proof Our Nation Is Desperately Sick
Pedophiles, infanticide, real and fake hate-crimes, voter fraud, corruption, violence, sexual abuse within the church, promiscuity, mass shootings, anti-Semitism, government gridlock, incentivizing criminality, and more dominated our nation’s news cycle over the course of little more than one week. But because we become distracted and forget these reports after a matter of days…
Is Trump Protecting Us from National Judgment? (Part 2)
We now have a president who is actively striving to turn our nation away from sinful practices that invoke God’s judgment. We’ve already considered how President Trump is confronting a culture of lies, endeavoring to stop the shedding of innocent blood, and is providing aid to those who are oppressed, helpless, and poor. However, there are more areas where President Trump—whether he realizes it or not—is working to stave off calamity by resisting the very things that invoke God’s judgment.
Our Hope Does Not Rest in the Balance of the Supreme Court
If we are not actively seeking to bring godly understanding and transformation to the hearts and minds of those around us, then it matters very little who is appointed to the Supreme Court. What difference does it make if the Court protects an environment that is conducive to sharing the gospel if God’s people refuse to share that gospel? Before we jump into a blood-battle over who should fill Justice Ginsburg’s vacancy…
It’s Go-Time for Prayer Warriors
Little did I know what was about to unfold when I urgently called us to prayer for the month of September in my last blog. … We need prayer now more than ever. Whether it’s sharing the gospel, praying for the next Supreme Court justice, speaking the truth about BLM and COVID-19, or crying out to God day and night for mercy for our nation, it is go-time for Christian prayer warriors in America….
Justice Ginsburg Now Stands before the Ultimate Judge
If 2020 has taught us anything, it ought to be how fragile life truly is and that, as James 3:13–15 cautions us, we should never take tomorrow for granted. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed from this life on Friday due to metastasized cancer. While the temptation is strong to immediately begin the political calculations…
Something Must Change
Where are we as a nation when a pagan is giving greater voice to truth than our Christian leaders? And how is it that she managed to stand more firm in her beliefs when she came under fire for her boldness than what I often witness in the Christian community? Perhaps it is time we…
The Real-World Consequences of Fake News
Following a now debunked New York Times report in September detailing a new sexual misconduct allegation against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh from his college years, Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MN) filed an impeachment resolution pressing the House Judiciary Committee to investigate Justice Kavanaugh. She was supported by public calls for impeachment from several Democratic presidential candidates…
One Vote away from Tyranny
Regardless of one’s politics, it is deeply disturbing the frequency with which serious presidential candidates have proposed solving controversial matters through executive orders. Without blushing, multiple candidates readily declared their intention to ignore the will of the people and proper legislative process in favor of imposing their will upon the nation by executive fiat. This is particularly troubling when one considers the extreme policy positions represented among the candidates during the DNC debate….
What Did We Learn from Kavanaugh vs. Ford?
Far too often we find ourselves whipped into a national frenzy because of some narrative dominating the news cycle, only to set it aside weeks later and nearly forget about it. Whether it be the separation of families at the border, the opioid epidemic, net neutrality, tensions with North Korea, voter fraud, or any number of other examples, it seems as if there is always some new “national crisis” that demands our full attention, prompting us to forget about the previous emergency. And since one crisis is immediately followed by another, we never seem to stop and process what we should have learned through these nationally shared experiences…
Ford’s Fight: When “Your Truth” Is Presented as “the Truth”
Throughout the nation, ordinary people from every walk of life were glued to televisions, radios, and mobile devices, listening in as the Senate Judiciary Committee heard two emotional testimonies on the charge of sexual assault. Christine Blasey Ford was given opportunity to share “her truth.”
Kavanaugh’s Fight: When Idealistic Belief Is Dangerous
Today, we are told that all women must be believed on principle. However, this implicit faith in the infallible testimony of allegedly victimized women inherently undermines two of our nation’s most valued tenets: the presumption of innocence and due process.
Will the Supreme Court Overturn Roe v. Wade?
A frenzied panic erupted among journalists and pundits with the surprise announcement that Justice Anthony Kennedy has resigned his seat on the Supreme Court bench. Immediately, reporters prophesied the imminent end of Roe v. Wade….
Crisis of Decision: America at the Crossroads
Disruptive as it may be, the challenges made to the 2020 elections are a blessing because they have exposed corruption in our electoral process where it may otherwise have gone unnoticed and unreported. … As Americans, we find ourselves at a moral crossroads. … True unity comes from God, but our enemy is offering a counterfeit form of unity that undermines God’s desire for our nation. … So where do we go from here?
How to Pray for Partisan Issues Like This Contested Election
It can be difficult to know how to pray for political issues that are inherently partisan, such as the contested presidential election of 2020. Far too many people find it easier to simply disengage than to be controversial. So, what does it look like to pray for political issues in a manner that is not overly partisan?
Persevering through a Never-Ending Election
What must a candidate show in court to invalidate an entire state’s election results? This is the unprecedented question at play in the 2020 presidential election. … there appears to be a spirit of fatigue upon our nation and upon our churches. We’ve simply found this entire process to be too exhausting and tiresome. Consequently…
The Election Message Pastors Are Reluctant to Share
The contrast between the two party platforms represented in Tuesday’s election and their vision for America cannot be more stark. These are not two paths to the same ultimate goal for America. Instead, they are diverging paths that lead to entirely different futures with entirely different conclusions on moral issues. America stands at a crossroad of decision, and God expect