What would it take for you to push someone off a building to their death? Can small, seemingly insignificant compromises lead to horrible actions which you would have considered unthinkable a few choices before? Are there social pressures and psychological techniques that can lead you to abandon your most sacred moral values? These are some of the questions raised in Derren Brown’s Netflix special, The Push. Continue reading “Are You a Killer?”
Christmas Wars
This time of year it is not uncommon to hear about battles over nativity scenes, Christmas greetings and other secular vs. sacred topics. This year is no different as we see new polls showing an ever increasing move toward removing Christ from the marketplace and from individual homes. There is certainly a place for that discussion, but it is NOT what this blog is about. Instead it is about something far more important.
Is it possible that we can get so caught up in the perceived attempt to rob us of our Christian faith, that we totally miss the attempts to rob us of our Christ? Continue reading “Christmas Wars”
Trans-WHAT?
As a Life Coach and Pastor, I thought I had heard it all. Quite honestly, it takes an awful lot to surprise me. I have had multiple people walk into my office, drop a bombshell and then search my face for some hint of judgment or criticism. As the old Ray Steven’s song goes, they “began to cry and then to confess to sins that would make a sailor blush with shame.” Despite all of that, however, I was recently thrown a curve ball and was indeed caught off-guard.
The Muslim Jesus – Part 3
Will Jesus return to earth one day as King of kings and Lord of lords, or will He come back to let all the Christians know that they have been getting it wrong for the past two-thousand years? This question illustrates the large chasm that exists between what Christians and Muslims believe about Jesus’ Second Coming.
In part one, I wrote about what Muslims and Christians believe about the nature of Christ. If you haven’t read it yet, you may want to start there. You can read part 1 here.
In part 2 we looked at the beliefs pertaining to the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. You can find part 2 here.
Today, we will survey the beliefs Muslims and Christians have concerning the return and future destiny of Jesus.
It is impossible to encapsulate the beliefs of billions of people into a few short paragraphs. Likewise, neither Muslims nor Christians are homogeneous in their beliefs even within their own religion. We can however extrapolate the most commonly held views by the vast majority of each group. I hope that I will adequately achieve that goal here.
Some Confusion about the Apocalypse
The Apocalypse has been the subject of fascination by Bible students, Hollywood and many in between. Unfortunately there are many misconceptions about the “End of Days” that are way off base when compared to what the Bible actually has to say. Here are a few common misconceptions to help stir your intellectual juices:
Big Mouth Christians
In the quintessential definition of rebellion, much of modern American culture appears to be tolerant of everything EXCEPT the traditional morals and values of our ancestors.
What was once considered obvious common sense is now labeled “out of touch”, “antiquated”, “bigoted” and “hateful”.
From protests to Nightly News and Social Media, some members of our communities are increasingly being told to keep their big mouths shut. The rhetoric is mind-numbing. Continue reading “Big Mouth Christians”
Feeding the Lions
Imagine being a Christian during the Roman persecutions. It must have been horrifying to wait your turn to be ripped apart by wild beasts. I wonder if some of the Christian prisoners were forced to feed and care for the very lions that would eventually kill them. I also wonder if we are doing something similar today.
Sex Games
With rogue nation states and terrorist groups wreaking havoc across the globe, the attentions of the American media is intently focused on the critical issue of which candidate’s wife would make the worst First Lady.
Even as death tolls rise with an estimated thirty killed in Brussels and another 70 killed by Taliban terrorists in Pakistan during their Easter attack aimed at Christians, the media and their sponsors are obsessed with stimulating the most vulgar of man’s instincts while promulgating rumors and innuendo. Continue reading “Sex Games”
Portending Apocalypse
As I read through various news articles related to the current anti-prayer culture war, my mind raced to memories of words I learned from the Biblical book of Revelation many years ago. The Apostle John relayed his vision of the future as given to him by God. He told of a day when the world would be in turmoil and people would stubbornly resist the call of God.
The refusal to repent is nothing new. We see it with Cain who failed to master his sinful thoughts before following through and murdering his brother Abel. The builders of the tower of Babel thought they could reach God without His help, and were scattered because of it. Noah preached the whole time he was building the ark. God didn’t want to bring the flood, but people continued in their anarchy and destruction. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah resisted the visitation of Angels and sought to harm them instead of receiving the grace that was available.
Foreshadowing Antichrist
Just this week, a mystery over two thousand years in the making has finally been answered. Not only does it validate biblical and historical legitimacy, it also serves as a harbinger that those who forget the past are often condemned to repeat it.
After searching for over one-hundred years, archaeologist in Israel have finally unearthed the Greek fortress Akra which dates to around 200 BC. According to the ancient historian Josephus, and the writings of the Maccabees, the stronghold was built by Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) to control the city of Jerusalem.
The additional uncovering of arrowheads, sling stones and other items also corroborates the authenticity of the Maccabean revolt. The revolt of the Maccabees – and the origin of Hanukah – has been disputed by many historians. This find serves as evidence that the stories are more than legends.