This is tax week. Monday, April 18th is tax day, the day most Americans love to hate. The tax burden appears to be too high. The government often wastes taxpayer dollars. Sometimes those dollars are spent on unspeakable acts of immorality and injustice. Some governmental leaders and agencies are corrupt. Often the “will of the people” is ignored or even despised. Protests seem useless. All of these things appear to be a good reason not to pay taxes or at least, be disdainful of the process. But God has a different perspective. At the time Paul wrote to the Romans about paying taxes Nero was the Emperor. Nero set the standard for corruption and immortality in government. He targeted Christians […]
Current Events
156 posts
The political debates pretend to talk about important things. Yet they ignore the one issue that supersedes all others. The debaters, the commentators, the analysts all ignore that God actively rules the world and the universe! Don’t misunderstand; God is not a politician. He is not limited by the feeble thinking of men. He is not for a particular political party. He is “for” his own honor and glory. He is accountable to no one, especially not to public opinion and votes. This is what the debates don’t get. As Paul told the thinkers in Athens, minds among the most formidable in the world, we all live, move and exist because of God. Yet the debaters and moderators ignore this […]
Stupidity, Arrogance, and Futility in Paris The nations of the planet have agreed to the plan of the UN sponsored gathering on climate change. The major goal of the agreement is stated below in Article 2 of the document. This article is not about whether climate change exists. Regardless of what you believe about the existence and cause of climate change, there is one key factor that must not be missed. If change is to occur it will be by the hand of God and not by the hand of men. Should man be responsible? Of course! But can man bring about change apart from the will of God? Of course not! My problem with this agreement is that it […]
On a beautiful Sunday morning there were signs. There were negotiations, there were weapons, there were plans, there was a grand scheme. There was deception. There was a belief things could be managed, that our country would be safe. There was also one missing component in the policy making of our country on that Sunday morning, December 7,1941. Like today, there was a refusal to believe what the Bible said about the human heart: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” Jeremiah 17:9 I have no way of knowing what this December 7th will bring. But I do know that the reality of the deceptiveness of the […]
In one way or another your children are hearing about the growing threat from ISIS. The attack on Paris is all too real. They will have questions, concerns and fears that need to be addressed. You can be sure that not once in the national media will you hear that the Living God of the Bible be called upon for protection. So what do you tell your children? First tell them that just because God is not acknowledged by the media and others does not mean that he is powerless. All of these attacks by ISIS are unfolding as God has purposed. You can also point out that as a country we have begun to act as if God does not […]
The leaders of the G20 nations met and observed a moment of silence regarding the terrorist attack in Paris. At the beginning of each of Sunday’s NFL games there was also a moment of silence for Paris. Tragically, the main purpose of a moment of silence is not to offend anyone who does not believe in Christianity. Everyone can feel included. However, nothing is accomplished except to ignore and offend the Lord of the Universe. It was not always so. In 1944, Franklin Roosevelt led the nation in prayer for the Allied Forces for success on D Day against the “unholy forces of our enemy.” He began the prayer by addressing Almighty God and ended the prayer by asking that […]
Paris: cafes, a concert, a football match, shots, explosions, non-stop media, equals terror. Now exchange the name of your city for Paris. Suddenly terror becomes personal. The Holy Spirit authored Scripture knowing exactly what fears you would face this night. The face of terror is ugly and unnerving. Cafes, concerts and sporting events are common experiences that we share with the people of Paris. Our prayers unite with those coming from Paris. We could just as easily share their terror as well. But God speaks to us in his word, bringing comfort in the face of fear. He knew that there would be people who claim that our God cannot save us. Terrorist attacks or not, our God is our […]
One unshakeable, one certain truth sustains us even though the chaos of shattered lives threatens those on both sides of the Atlantic. Despite the desires of those who would bring terror to all the corners of the earth our hope remains in our God, a refuge strong and sure. We pray for those in Paris for safety, for comfort and that they would seek refuge in the living God of the Bible and his Son. Psalm 46 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their […]
On Thursday morning October 1st, students at a community college in Roseburg, Oregon went to class. They were “protected” by a gun free zone and by academic freedom that is designed to keep religion and mention of the Christian God from education. It was a bright, beautiful fall day. But one man determined that there would be nothing beautiful about this day. The actual story of the shooting and murder of the college students is slowly emerging. The killer asked students if they were Christians. If they said yes they were shot in the head. If any other group had been selected for murder in this way the outcries of civil rights violations and hate crimes would have been deafening. […]
How big is your God? In Syria, Russian and United States combat planes appear to be flying missions with different objectives. The close proximity of the these two armed forces combined with the uncertainty of the Russian’s strategic objective is unsettling. Also, it appears that the Russians and Iranians are working together. Wars have started with less provocation. Hurricane Joaquin has the potential to strike the Eastern seaboard. Recent storms hitting the same area have done considerable damage. Again, there is reason to be concerned for life and property. In Roseburg, Oregon a 26 year-old man murdered at least 10 students at a community college. According to one news source the gunman asked the students if they were Christians. If […]