Throughout the television program, as I counseled people who called in search of spiritual help and prayed on the air with those who wanted to open their hearts to Jesus Christ, the station manager standing in the studio listened intently.
"I don't understand it," he said to me as the program signed off. "I attend church every Sunday. I partake of holy communion. I do confession at the stated times. And yet I have no assurance of eternal life."
Unfortunately, millions of Americans share this man's uncertainty, because they are trusting their own efforts to get them into paradise. This kind of thinking permeates all religions, including traditional Christianity.
From the moment Adam disobeyed God in the Garden, man has sought his own way to cover his sin and cleanse his conscience. We desire to do. We ask the same question the crowd asked Jesus: "What must we do to do the works God requires?" (John 6:28).
Guest Authors
Writings from various sources occasionally invited/gathered to share their devotional/commentary material.
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A philosopher from Paris once commented, "God is dead. Marx is dead. And I don't feel so good myself." His attitude illustrates the pessimism rampant in our culture today.
If there really is a God, people wonder, why has He allowed so much suffering in the world?
Many Christians honestly struggle with that same question. Only by turning to the Bible can we begin to understand the problem of suffering.
Basically, there are four types of suffering. The first type is that which comes as the result of natural disasters, such as an earthquake or a large storm. The suffering that results from these disasters happens to . . .
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The goal of First Amendment was to protect religious expression, not restrict it. In the last 50 years, though, ?non-establishment? has been redefined as 'separation,? effectively amending the Constitution and isolating Christians from the political process.
?Will You Be a Casualty in Their Religious War?? read the headline of an advertisement that almost covered an entire page of the L.A. Times. Underneath were pictures of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and Lou Sheldon, along with condemning quotes substantiating their apparent jihad against irreligious secularists. The text of the advertisement read: 'the radical religious right has declared war on America. It is a war of ideas. A war of conscience. It's a religious war. This war strikes at the very heart of our Constitution and threatens the freedoms we hold most dear. Freedom to worship as we . . . |
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It was one week before Christmas. I was 10 years old. Was I contemplating what gifts may await me under the tree? No. My mind was consumed with worry that I would not get home before my father died.
I had just taken my final exams at Quilmes Preparatory School, a private British boarding school I attended near Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was getting ready to go home for the holidays when my grandmother, who lived nearby, called.
"Luis," she said, ignoring any amenities, "your dad is very sick. We really have to pray for him." She gave me no details, but I had a terrible feeling he was dead or dying.
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Let's not overlook a power greater than politics as we seek to change America
America's simmering pot of politics is set to boil over. From now until election day, we'll hear a lot about "political power." And once again, according to a recent [February 2000] survey by the Barna Research Group, the "born again constituency" of 83 million American adults may emerge as a key voting block in the presidential election.
That power tempts evangelicals to trust in political answers to return America to biblical values. As followers of Jesus Christ, we should know better. America is in trouble because the great majority of its people have yet to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.