Home

Thoughts

It’s Not Only Athletes: What Platform Has God Given You?

Last spring I had the privilege of speaking at a conference for NFL players put on by Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO), a group which exists to unite a community of pro athletes and couples to grow as disciples of Jesus and positively impact their spheres of influence. They have a fantastic outreach to professional football and baseball athletes and their wives. I’ve seen firsthand the amazing difference they’re making. In the off-season I exchanged emails and texts with dozens of NFL players and cha..Continue reading

Motherhood Is a Marathon

I wanted to do great things for God. In the spring of my senior year of college, on the brink of embarking upon my own journey into adulthood, my future was undecided and that was simultaneously terrifying and thrilling. As a philosophy major, my path was narrower than I had realized, but I was sure it would take me on some grand and glorious adventure. I knew the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. “Glorify” sounds like such a grand term. It evokes images of battlefie..Continue reading

Is Love of Money Really the Root of All Evils?

Is the love of money the “root of all evils” or only the “root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10)? “All evils” is the formal English equivalent of the original Greek (pantōn tōn kakōn). It is remarkable that all older versions of the Bible translate 1 Timothy 6:10 in the more literal way: “The love of money is the root of all evils” (or all evil). This includes the Wycliffe Bible, Luther Bibel, Geneva Bible, King James Version, Douay-Rheims, Darby Bible, and Revised Standard Version. Bu..Continue reading

Daily Verses

Deuteronomy 10:21 (10-21-16)

He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.— Deuteronomy 10:21 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... He is our praise! The God who parted the Red Sea and supplied manna to the Israelites in the wilderness is also the God who did the most amazing miracles in us — he has turned our selfish hearts to do his will and turned our lives to do his eternal work in the world. Then, after doing those things in us, he ha..Continue reading

Love Written in Red

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16, NKJVFor God so loved you that He gave His Son, His only Son, the Son Whom He loved – He gave heaven’s most precious Treasure – He gave everything He had – in order to offer you eternal life. Do you doubt the love of God? Why? Because of the bad things that He allows to happen to good people? Because of the unfairness and injustice and unkindness and mi..Continue reading

Deuteronomy 10:20 (10-20-16)

Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave...— Deuteronomy 10:20 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... What do you find yourself holding onto most often? What is your source of security, reassurance, hope, and stability in times of trouble? What do you encourage folks to do and who do you encourage them to hold onto during times of trouble? My Prayer... Dear God and Abba Father, please be with a number of people I know that are un..Continue reading

Patiently Waiting

God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. Genesis 8:1, NIV When the text says God “remembered,” it simply means the time had come for God to act on His own initiative, which required nothing of Noah except patient waiting. I wonder if Noah was just going about the chores he had been doing every day for weeks and months, feeding the animals, cleaning the stalls, when he was startled by ..Continue reading

Daily Wisdom

Proverbs 11:12 (11-12-16)

He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace. — Proverbs 11:12 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Wise folks don't have to prove their wisdom by disrespecting others and putting them down. Instead, they hold their tongues and let their lives speak what is good, honorable, righteous, and true. In a world of sarcasm and in a culture that is attracted to the person who can put down others with quick and razor-sharp "put downs," we..Continue reading

1 Corinthians 11:11 (11-11-16)

Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.— 1 Corinthians 11:11 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... "We are all one in Christ Jesus!" Paul told the Galatians (Galatians 3:26-29). Satan, however, constantly tries to divide God's people. One of his most effective means of division has been to divide men and women — whether in families or churches. Paul reminds us that if Jesus is our Lord, we recognize we need each other and ..Continue reading

We Can See God

No one has ever seen God, . . . God the One and only [Son], who is at the Father's side, has made him known. John 1:18, NIVAll through the ages people have longed to actually see God. They have drawn pictures and written books and composed music and constructed temples, all for the purpose of unveiling the mystery of what He is like. But we are no longer left to our imaginations, wondering in educated ignorance. We can know for sure. Although “no one has ever seen God, . . . God the One..Continue reading

Prayers

TLG Prayers Clenched Hands

Daily Prayer for October 10

...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith. Romans 3:23–25a, NIV Lord our God, we praise your name because you have set up a mercy seat on earth, because you forgive our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ. May your mercy be seen at work in many hearts. Shed your light upon all ..Continue reading

TLG Prayer

The Greatness of God

Passage: Ephesians 1:17-20 Prayer: Dear Father, God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory.Give me a spirit of wisdom and of revelation so that I may truly know the Savior.Let the eyes of my heart light up with comprehension, that I may know how vast is the hope to which you have called me!May I come to know how truly boundless are the riches of your glorious inheritance that you have in us, your special people.May I understand to its depth how immeasurable is the greatness of your power in u..Continue reading

TLG Prayers Clenched Hands

Daily Prayer for October 9

They were standing by the sea of glass, holding harps that God had given them and singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: "Lord God Almighty, how great and wonderful are your deeds! King of the nations, how right and true are your ways! Who will not stand in awe of you, Lord? Who will refuse to declare your greatness? You alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship you, because your just actions are seen by all." Revelation 15:2b–4, TEV O Lord God, we t..Continue reading

Questions & Answers

Who-Was-The-Angel-Of-The-Lord

Who Was The Angel Of The Lord?

Who was the “Angel of the Lord” mentioned so often in Scriptures? Angels The word “angel” simply means a “messenger of God” for a messenger from God and in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, angels are always messengers of God or His representatives, depending upon the situation. Angels are powerful spirit beings that can, with God’s command, appear in human form. One angel is powerful enough to kill 185,000 soldiers in one quick passing (2 Kings 19:35) so this may be why the author ..Continue reading

14-Good-Bible-Discussion-Questions-About-Faith

14 Good Bible Discussion Questions About Faith

Here are 14 good Bible discussions on the subject of faith. 1. Why is it hard to have faith in God? When a man came up to Jesus to discuss his mute son, he told Him, “I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able” (Mark 9:18b) so “Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:23-24). The son’s father said he believed but then says, “Help my unbelief” b..Continue reading

Sorcery-Bible-definition

Sorcery Bible Definition

One of the most common images around Halloween is that of an old witch huddled over a boiling cauldron creating a potion. Likewise, sorcerers, are depicted as having special powers and using potions that cause supernatural things to happen or mythical creatures to respond to their beckoning. In either case, the witch or sorcerer is the one that has the power to make these thing happen. Given the popularity of sorcery in popular media and literature, it is important to understand what does the Bi..Continue reading

What-Is-The-10th-Tenth-Commandment-In-The-Bible

What Is The 10th (Tenth) Commandment In The Bible?

What is the 10th Commandment in the Bible? Is this Commandment still in effect today? The Ten Commandments When Moses brought down the Ten Commandments to Israel, they had already broken most of them by the time he came down the mountain, but these commandments were not from Moses but from God, written by God Himself in tablets of stone, which signifies their permanence. Moses did bring some laws and these were the Mosaic Laws but even these weren’t his ideas but from God, however the Mosaic La..Continue reading

Church & Ministries

Hot Topics

Incarnation or Reincarnation

The human male baby, born of a woman created in God’s image, is what the Creator gives us at Christmas time. Jesus is the perfect image of who we were meant to be. Thus, we need the incarnation, not reincarnation. We need the final revelation of God in human form, who, bearing our sins, died on the Cross for us and was raised from the dead in newness of life. Incarnation or Reincarnation? The “no crying” chubby little thing in the manger, captured with Hallmark brilliance, fails to express the..Continue reading

Are Short-Term Mission Trips a Waste of Time and Money?

“If $1,500 per teenager has to be raised so that a youth group can go on a short-term mission trip we need to make sure that it was worth the investment! A sure way of doing this is to make sure that, in addition to whatever humanitarian projects are being done, the lost are being reached and the believers are being energized, encouraged and, maybe even equipped, to share the Gospel!” Okay, I know this is a powderkeg subject. There are two very divergent views when it comes to this question. O..Continue reading

Major New Research Devastating to Abortion; Times Flips It the Other Way Around

Researchers compared mental health outcomes for women who had been granted abortions and those who had been denied it due to the baby’s gestational age. It found that those who seek abortions have similar mental health outcomes whether they are granted the abortion or denied it for reasons of law or policy beyond their control. Abortion proponents have been telling us for years the damage it would do to women if abortion were made illegal. Now a major gold-standard study has shown that argument..Continue reading

Zero Gee and I Feel Fine … Remembering John Glenn

I was born on May 5, 1961, the day the first American, Alan Shepard, was launched into space atop a Redstone rocket. Shepard did not orbit the Earth but took a 300-mile parabolic trajectory—a short hop that got him to the edge of space. In the day, NASA did not announce who would fly on each mission until a day or two before the launch. Not knowing who would be tapped for the mission, my parents planned to name me after both John Glenn and Alan Shepard. The man for whom I was named has died. Jo..Continue reading

Life & Society

Bush-Appointed Judge Halts Law Banning Dumping Babies in Trash Over ‘Likely’ ‘Burden’ to Abortion

AUSTIN, Texas — A federal judge appointed to the bench by Republican President George H.W. Bush has halted a Texas rule banning the disposal of aborted babies with medical waste, following legal criteria for an emergency injunction that requires judges to rule based on the “likelihood” that the complainant will succeed on the merits of the case. U.S. District Court Judge Sam Sparks issued the injunction on Thursday during a hearing that was described as “testy.” According to the Austin Statesm..Continue reading

Music

Behold: A Christmas Collection by Lauren Daigle

Award-winning singer/songwriter LAUREN DAIGLE, will release her first-ever Christmas album titled BEHOLD, on October 21 via Centricity Music. Produced by Paul Mabury and Jason Ingram, the style of the holiday album pays homage to the sounds of Lauren's hometown of New Orleans. Featuring soft jazz renditions of Christmas favorites, BEHOLD includes such classics as "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "Silent Night," "O Come All Ye Faithful," "What Child Is This," "O Holy Night," and more; in addition to an original composition titled "Light of the World", which was written by Paul Mabury and Jason Ingram. Pre-orders for the album[...]Continue reading

Majesty In A Manger by Various Artists

The Integrity Music family of artists and writers have come together to start a new tradition celebrating Emmanuel, God With Us, in worship with Majesty In A Manger. It's a collection of original songs that focus on the coming of Jesus Christ from artists and writers like, Paul Baloche, All Sons Daughters, Darlene Zschech, Seth Nirva, Travis Ryan, Michael Farren and more. This is a worship album that was created with the intent that churches around the world can adopt these songs as we celebrate Jesus' birth. From the soulful sounds of newcomers Seth Nirva on "Fill The[...]Continue reading

Adventure by Matthew Parker

Track Listing 01. Adventure 02. Ghost 03. Unstoppable (feat. Micah Ariss) 04. I Ain't Got No Money (feat. Spencer Kane) 05. Down In Flames 06. Heaven Calling 07. Night Sky 08. Remember Me (feat. Tristan Peace) 09. System Victim (feat. Hillary Jane) 10. Spark (feat. Rapture Ruckus) 11. Gone 12. Dynasty (feat. Cash Hollistah) 13. Tidal Wave (feat. Micah Ariss) 14. Fly (feat. Twilight Meadow) 15. My Love Continue reading

You Wouldn’t Believe What Privilege Costs by CIVILIAN

A follow-up to 2012s Should This Noose Unloosen, YWBWPC's ringing guitars and sonorous vocals sway with austere, precise drumming while thoughtful bass paints outside the lines. Unlike its predecessor, "all of these songs were written after having just fallen ass over tip for a gal" as Alexander so eloquently puts it. "I wrote with the same intention to, through art, add nuance to how we talk about government and poverty except this time my brain was drenched in dopamine and serotonin."[...]Continue reading

Never Lose Sight by Chris Tomlin

Often called America's Worship Leader, Chris Tomlin returns with his new album, NEVER LOSE SIGHT, on October 21. As the songwriter behind the worship favorites "How Great Is Our God," "Our God," and "Whom Shall I Fear," Chris' songs lead people to the heart of Jesus and into a deeper worship of Him. Featuring "Good Good Father" and the new single "Jesus," this brand new album is filled with songs that draw us closer to Jesus and give voice to our praises, prayers, cries and hopes.[...]Continue reading

Marc Martel Announces ‘The Silent Night EP’

Marc Martel, former co-vocalist of Canadian Christian contemporary pop/rock band Downhere, is preparing to release a new Christmas EP. Entitled The Silent Night EP, the EP will feature Martel's signature vocals set to several classic Christmas carols. Martel has already been dropping a few songs as singles these past few Christmases, in the form of "O Holy Night" and "O Come O Come Emmanuel." Both of those will be featured on the EP alongside new arrangements of "In the Bleak Midwinter," "..Continue reading

Switchfoot Releases Surprise Live Album

Switchfoot pulled off one of the best-kept surprises of Christian music in recent years and released a new live album on Friday, October 21. Fans had previously been given no indication that the band was planning such a release. Live in Chicago The Looking for America Tour marks Switchfoot's first major live album in 7 years, since 2009's The Best Yet Live in Nashville. Featuring cuts from their critically-acclaimed new album Where The Light Shines Through as well as several of the b..Continue reading

David Dunn Debuts Music Video For New Single ‘I Wanna Go Back’

BEC Recordings' David Dunn has debuted the music video for his new single, "I Wanna Go Back," from his forthcoming early 2017 release Yellow Balloons. Click below to watch the music video. This single is currently the No. 2 most added song at AC radio for the second week in a row with 25 adds. Click here to get the single at digital outlets. RELATED BEC Recordings Announces New Artist Signing, David Dunn "'I Wanna Go Back' is a song of nostalgia, of longing for the time in my li..Continue reading

World

American

Vice President Pence Says Obamacare Repeal Will be Pro-Life: “We Will Protect the Sanctity of Life”

After meeting with pro-life leaders, pro-life Vice President Mike Pence said that any legislation approved to repeal and replace Obamacare would be pro-life. Pence held a “listening session” with several pro-life leaders late Thursday and asked for suggestions or improvement on the legislation that a House committee has already approved. The meeting lasted over an hour. “The conversation focused on ensuring that the sanctity of life is respected and included in efforts to repeal and replace Ob..

Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer Falsely Claims Planned Parenthood Provides Mammograms

The lie that Planned Parenthood does mammograms continues. On Tuesday, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer defended the abortion giant’s taxpayer funding by claiming that it provides mammograms, maternity care and other important health services for women, according to the Daily Caller. #Trumpcare cuts @PPFA funds, hurting millions of women who turn there for mammograms, maternity care, cancer screenings & more. pic.twitter.com/8ZmgEPZikv — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 7, 2017 Pla..

Hawaii Senate Passes Bill Forcing Pregnancy Centers to Promote Abortions

Sailing through the Democrat-controlled senate on a 22-3 tally, a Hawaiian bill that would force the state’s five pro-life pregnancy centers to advertise taxpayer-funded abortions was sent along to the house Tuesday in Honolulu. Patterned along similar lines with a 2015 law in California that is likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court as soon as this year, the Hawaiian senate bill (SB 501) was originally introduced with a parallel house bill, which was on hold as the senate bill went through. ..

Chinese Family Planning Offices Dragged Her Into a Car and Forced Her to Abort Her Six-Month-Old Baby

It was impossible not to shed tears as Yue Zhang shared the trauma of being forced to abort her baby – six months into the pregnancy – a child she wanted and loved. At an event held today at the Heritage Foundation, along with Reggie Littlejohn, president of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, and pro-life Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), Yue Zhang courageously spoke about how the Chinese Family Planning Committee dragged her into a car, took her to the hospital, and forced her to abort her baby. ..

Australia

What the Son of God gave up for us

CHRISTIAN LIVING | Mark Leach – Rector of Darling Street Anglican, Rozelle, Sydney Tuesday 22 November 2016 Some of the most radical, inspiring and challenging verses I’ve ever read are 1 Cor 9:1-23 where Paul outlines his rights as an Apostle. A Roman citizen, a Hebrew of Hebrews, he comes from a background of privilege. In addition, he is an Apostle transformed by an encounter with Jesus and he is the guy who started the church in Corinth. But Paul says he gives up all his rights, his freed..

Teens skip schoolies to teach God’s word

BIBLE SOCIETY NEWS Friday 18 November 2015 A team of 14 young people aged 15-27, mostly schoolies, leave this weekend for a two-week mission trip to Cambodia for Bible Society Australia. The main focus will be visiting the literacy schools run by Bible Society Cambodia. “The schoolies are giving up their party time to go and help out in the literacy schools and give Bibles to the graduates. The team will also run children’s programmes in villages giving out a special booklet, Jesus is Born, th..

The blessed peacemakers of Israel

MISSION NEWS | Anne Lim Friday 11 November 2016 Children in Israel and the Palestinian Territories are going to sleep with a book of Bible stories about peace under their pillows, says Dina Katanacho, director of the Arab Israeli Bible Society based in Nazareth. The colourful picture book in Arabic – containing 15 biblical stories, 15 stories of contemporary children, questions and prayer – is shaping the attitudes of the next generation, Dina said. “The impact of this book was really big, be..

Australia notes:  Guy Fawkes Day

On Saturday night, here in Australia, fireworks started going off everywhere. It dawned on my daughter the lines “Remember, remember/the Fifth of November.” It was Guy Fawkes day! The old boy is burned in effigy and explosions are set off in commemoration of the Gunpowder Plot, in which a band of Catholic terrorists packed the basement of Parliament with gunpowder with the idea of blowing up the English government and killing King James. The plot was discovered when a conspirator wrote a letter ..

Law & Government

Unhinged ‘Street Preacher’ Lambasts Georgia Police Officer: ‘You Deserve a Sniper Bullet’

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — A shocking viral video that has been making its rounds on social media shows a self-identified street preacher lambasting a county police officer as he walks away, tongue-lashing him with the proclamation, “You deserve a sniper bullet in your head.” Jim Gilles of Indiana had been holding signs and calling out to passersby outside of Creflo Dollar’s World Changers Church International on the morning of Oct. 9, 2016 as members were arriving for services. Dollar has been a cont..

Planned Parenthood Asks Court to Stop Texas From Cutting Org From Medicaid Program

AUSTIN, Texas — The abortion and contraceptive giant Planned Parenthood filed for an emergency restraining order on Friday in an effort to stop officials in Texas from cutting the organization from the state Medicaid program. “Defendants’ unprecedented and indefensible actions show these terminations to be nothing more than a politically motivated witch hunt and the culmination of a concerted effort over more than a decade to come between the provider Plaintiffs and the thousands of low income ..

Trump Inauguration to Feature Prayer of Prosperity Preacher Paula White Who ‘Secured His Calling’

WASHINGTON — Prominent Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Franklin Graham, and prosperity preacher Paula White will be among the ecumenical selection of faith leaders who will present prayers and readings at Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony next month, the inaugural committee announced on Wednesday. “Since the first inaugural ceremony, our leaders have paid tribute to the blessings of liberty that have been bestowed upon our country and its people,” Committee Chairman Tom Barrack said in a st..

Conservative Attorney Jay Sekulow Supports Judge on Trump’s Supreme Court Shortlist Who Called Abortion ‘a Right’

WASHINGTON — Well-known attorney Jay Sekulow, who serves as chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, which takes up cases for conservative, pro-life and pro-family causes, expressed his support on national television this week for two of the picks on President-elect Donald Trump’s Supreme Court shortlist—Judges Diane Sykes and Bill Pryor—stating that they have a “proven track record.” However, others have voiced concern about the judges precisely because of their track record, ..

Entertainment

Elizabeth “Liz” Thoman, Media Literacy Pioneer, Memorial Planned

Sister Elizabeth “Liz” Thoman, CHM died on December 22, 2019. She was a media literacy education pioneer, advocate, and educator. Here is a link to her obituary: Sr. Elizabeth Thoman, Media Literacy Leader Dies Here is a link to my essay about her, written in gratitude for her life, work, and influence on my life: Sister Elizabeth Thoman Altered the Course of My Life To RSVP for the Memorial Service, click here (or copy and paste): [email protected] If you come, bring a memory to share! Or you ca..

“Silence” Exclusive Clip Ahead of Wide Release Jan. 13

If you live outside of a major entertainment hub like New York City or Los Angeles, chances are that this weekend might be your first opportunity to see the much-anticipated “Silence,” which is generating a lot of Oscar buzz. Based on an acclaimed novel by the same name, “Silence,” directed by Martin Scorsese, follows two Jesuit priests who endure persecution and violence when they travel to 17th-century Japan to spread Christianity and locate their mentor. Check out this exclusive clip from the..

You Picked What?! Watching God’s Best Movies of 2016

Comment countI love reading year-end lists. I’m not such a big fan of writing them. Hey, it’s not easy to sift through all the year’s movies and coming up with what I think are “the best.” What does that even mean, anyway? Are these the best movies, aesthetically speaking? The stuff that secular critics drool over and take home scads of awards? Or are these the movies that I enjoyed the most? The movies that made me smile while leaving the theater? And what about the movie’s message? This blog i..

Shining a Light on Strong Faith: New “Silence” Exclusive Clip Released

Paramount Pictures -- Clip from 'Silence'Directed by Martin Scorsese, SILENCE tells the story of two Christian missionaries, Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Garrpe (Adam Driver), who face the ultimate test of faith when they travel to Japan in search of their missing mentor at a time when Christianity was outlawed and their presence forbidden. The celebrated director’s 28-year journey to bring Shusaku Endo’s 1966 acclaimed novel to life will be in theaters in New York and Los Angeles o..

Health and Science

Ark-compressed

Ken Ham Rebuts Lutheran Leader Who Says Noah’s Flood ‘Not History’: If It’s Not, Jesus Lied

WILLIAMSTOWN, Ky. — Apologist Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis recently rebutted a liberal ELCA Lutheran minister who asserted in a published column that the biblical account of the global flood is “not history,” noting that the man is also calling Jesus a liar, for He spoke of Noah and the Flood. Steve Hammer is leads Esperanza Lutheran Church in Phoenix, Arizona and writes an opinion column for the Ahwatukee Foothills News. In an article dated Aug. 21, which now brings up a 404 error code but ca..

640px-Grand_Canyon_Panorama_2013

A Story Carved In Rock (RJS)

The evidence for an ancient earth – far, far older than the <10,000 year timeline defended in young earth creationism – is abundant and independent of any hypothesis concerning the mechanism of biological evolution. There are only two reasons to doubt the great age of the earth: (1) an ignorance of the data or (2) a prior commitment to a young earth (usually from a specific approach to Genesis). In my experience, adamant defense of a young earth has always been tie..

Douglas-Axe-300×170

‘The Darwinian View is False’: Ph.D. Biologist Dismantles Evolution in New Book

An accomplished molecular biologist with more than two decades of research experience has come out with a new book in which he describes crippling weaknesses in the theory of evolution and argues instead that life must have been invented by God. Dr. Douglas Axe is a credentialed scientist who earned a Ph.D. from California Institute of Technology and held a number of research positions at the University of Cambridge. The author of numerous scientific papers, Axe currently s..

dollythesheep

Scientists Cloning More Animals Using Dolly the Sheep, May Lead to Human Cloning

Apparently clones of the same dead sheep from which Dolly was manufactured are in good health and aging normally. From the LiveSciencestory: Four cloned sheep that are genetically identical to Dolly, the first cloned mammal, are still healthy even in old age, a new study found. The four sheep, which were derived from the same batch of cells as Dolly and could be considered her clone “sisters,” have just reached their 9th birthday, which is equivalent to age 70 in human years, researchers who ha..

US

The new culture war

The old culture war was about morality and was informed by religion. The new culture war, signaled by the election of Donald Trump, is about nationalism vs. multiculturalism and “the people” vs. the elites. Trump has little interest in the old culture wars, with the important exception of being pro-life. But the new culture war is just as emotional, with pretty much the same people on either side. So says Rich Lowry in a piece excerpted and linked after the jump. So where does that leave Christi..

Marching for Life is getting somewhere

Today is the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., where thousands of pro-lifers will commemorate the Roe v. Wade decision on January 22, 1973, by demonstrating against abortion and for the sanctity of life. We’ll see if this mass demonstration gets as much media coverage as the recent Women’s March, which specifically excluded pro-life women. I suspect not. But the pro-life cause is making progress. Abortion rates have dropped below the level they were before Roe v. Wade. (That ruling lega..

No, Trump isn’t censoring government agencies

The media is aghast that President Trump is requiring approval for website posts, clamping down on the use of social media, freezing grants, and forbidding federal agencies from issuing news releases. Censorship! Information control! Orwellian thought police! Well, it turns out, as even the New York Times now admits, this is routine practice during the transition from one administration to another. The same orders were handed down when the Obama administration replaced that of George W. Bush. As..

“The crowd is untruth”

In our discussion of yesterday’s post The Problem with Crowds, Stefan Stackhouse linked to an essay by Søren Kierkegaard, The Crowd is Untruth. That essay is shockingly profound,, with great resonance for today. The Danish Lutheran/proto-existentialist takes a theological, as well as ethical, view of crowds. He points out that the Bible says, “Love thy neighbor”; not “love the crowd.” He deals with “the daily press” and its creation of an abstract “public” that assumes an authority over what we ..

Church & Theology

Chandler_in_hospital

10 Lessons from a Hospital Stay—part 1

Just over two weeks ago, our lives were turned upside down when our three-year-old grandson, Chandler was taken to the hospital by ambulance with severe necrotizing pneumonia. We’re so thankful for the many who have prayed for Chandler in these past days, and we’re thankful for how the Lord has answered prayer in bringing healing. Although Chandler is now at home and resting well, he still has pneumonia and is taking strong antibiotics. We ask for continued prayers for his full recovery and tha..

Chandler-with-Danielle

10 Lessons from a Hospital Stay, part 2

In my previous post, I shared five of the lessons the Lord has been teaching me through my three-year-old grandson Chandler’s illness illness and hospitalization with severe pneumonia. These are in no real order—just the raw truths the Lord has been teaching me during one of the most difficult times in our family’s life. (If you’ve just come across this and are seeing part 2 first, I hope you’ll take a moment to read part 1 which more thoroughly develops those first five lessons with Scripture ..

class-hand-300×200

What the Trinity Debate Can Teach Seminarians

I wrote the other day about why the Trinity debate matters for the pulpit and pew, hoping to help people outside or on the periphery of the debate understand why they should care about it. (By the way, I gave a bit of an intro and some recommended articles in that post, if you already have no clue what debate I’m talking about.) A group of people who participated more directly in the debate is Bible college and seminary students. From undergrads to PhD students, it seems ..

5 Commitments of Continuing Churches

We have the absolute promise that the church will continue. Jesus plainly declared, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). Thus, we have the advantage of operating from the knowledge that we are on the winning side. Even so, you and I both know of churches that have not continued for Christ—churches who have left off aggressively reaching the world with the gospel and dwindled to nothing or have tried to “reinvent” the church and lost their distinction and effectiveness. So what is the diff..

Finance

Five Ways to Retire With Less Money

What if you are one of the many millions of people who have little chance of having a million dollar retirement portfolio by the time you reach 65? Should you abandon the idea of retirement completely and plan on working until you die? Hardly. The reality is that most people will enter retirement with something much less than $1 million. The ability to retire is often more dependent upon factors beyond your retirement portfolio. Here are some ways to enable you to eventually have some form of retirement, even if you will never amass a retirement fortune. Cut your living expensesA major reason why retirement portfolios need to be so large today is the high standards of living we’ve all become accustomed to. You can cut down on the amount of money that you’ll need in retirement by cutting back on your living expenses now. This will accomplish two positive goals. First, it will free up more money now so that you can invest it either in your retirement portfolio or in other income producin..

How to File the Federal Tax Extension Form

Filing a tax extension is simple. If you need extra time to work through your tax documents and just don’t think you’ll be able to finish your taxes by the April 18th tax deadline, you can file for an extension. Once you file the tax extension form, you’ll have until October 17th 2016 to file your taxes (an extra 6 months). This doesn’t mean that you get an extra 6 months to pay your taxes. That’s why it’s so important to estimate you taxes owed and pay them before April 18, 2016. Otherwise, you might end up with penalties and interest to pay the IRS. Oh and if you still need to file your taxes this year, you can file them for free (even state) here. How to File a Tax Extension Form1. Estimate Your Taxes OwedYou’ll need to have an idea of how much you owe in taxes because you’ll need to send in the payment before April 18th. Gather all your tax documents and create a rough estimate of what you’ll owe. 2. Download and Complete the Tax Extension FormThe IRS requires you to download and c..

Income Tax Calculator: 3 Federal Income Tax Estimators

With tax season around the corner, you might be itching to file your taxes right away. Some people like to file as early as possible, while others are still looking for the answer to their question: when are taxes are due? If you don’t have all your tax forms yet, but want to estimate what your federal income tax return looks like, you’re in luck. There are a few tools available for you to estimate what your return might look like. If you haven’t already received your W-2 or 1099s in the mail, use your last paycheck as a guide to see how much you made and what you paid in for federal and state taxes. Gather as much information as you can about charitable donations, business expenses, or interest paid so that you can get the best estimate when you put your figures into these income tax calculators. 3 Income Tax Calculators to Estimate Your Tax Refund…or Tax BillIRS.gov Tax Refund CalculatorThis no-frills income tax calculator will take into consideration most of the major tax issues tha..

Life Balance: How to Keep it Together

In this ever-changing world in which we live, all of us feel a little “un-balanced “ at times in our lives. What can we do to help us recognize what is causing that unbalanced feeling and how should we go about fixing it? Let’s first identify some of the areas in our lives that we must keep in balance. There are home responsibilities, work responsibilities, community responsibilities, religious responsibilities, educational responsibilities, and social responsibilities – to name just a few. HomeIn your home responsibilities you need to find a balance between all of the many things that you have to do there. For example, who are you at home? Are you a parent, spouse, teacher, cook, seamstress, gardener, doctor, vet, cheerleader, lover, and friend? All of these many responsibilities can wear you down and cause you to feel off-center. It is important that you “job share” these responsibilities. The more you can communicate and share as a family the more understanding and help you will hav..