The Privilege of Prayer

In the South, where I am from, saying - "I will pray for you" is a common way to escape a conversation that may have gotten too personal or too intense for our liking. Often when someone shares a problem to which we have no answer that little phrase "I will pray for you" is all we have to offer. Then, unfortunately, we often say a flippant prayer in passing so that our conscious doesn't get the best of us if we forget to pray for the person and there we go our deed is done. The problem is that we forget what a privilege it is to pray for someone and what a power prayer can be.

As people we tend to put up barriers around our personal lives. We would prefer to try to solve our own problems without involving others. I actually think this is counter to what God wants. I think he desires us to be as little kids, relying on Him like a child relies on his or her parents. That being said, I am the world's worst at doing just that, ie, trying to control everything, even though I really control nothing. So when a person lets his or her barriers down and asks us for a prayer it is a big deal. It often means that the person is so desperate and so broken that they have given up all earthly hope of an answer and are seeking a supernatural one instead. It is that very desperation that makes us uncomfortable in those types of conversations and the reason we often try to escape them any way we can, even if it means uttering that phrase "I will pray for you."

It would be a wonderful phrase if we would take their prayer request as seriously as they do. You see there is no greater privilege than prayer. There are several things a person needs to understand about praying for someone. The first thing to understand is just who we are praying to.

I haven't spoken with Barack O'Bama recently. Honestly, I couldn't if I wanted to. I doubt somehow that many kings or queens would return my call either. Donald Trump is not on my speed dial and Oprah Winfrey doesn't return my emails. For some reason it doesn't bother me though, because I have a direct line to the KING of KINGS. Romans 14:11 tells me that "Every knee will bow and every tongue confess" to my King. That means Barack, Donald, and Oprah too. It is all too easy for me to say a prayer from my bed, instead of kneeling, or to say a flippant prayer that falls off my tongue with such little sincerity and emotion that it disgusts me as soon as I say it. You see, the problem is that is it is GOD that I am praying to. He made the world I live on, He says "be still" and the waves are silenced, He says "arise" and the dead breath. That is an awesome contact for my contact list. It is an amazing awe-inspiring honor to be able to take my problems, and the problems of others before such majesty.

The second thing to remember about prayer is the power of prayer. I recently had been praying for a lady at the church I attend who had been diagnosed with cancer. She had a tumor in her stomach. She met the diagnosis with faith inspiring courage and didn't miss a day of church, not even the day she was diagnosed. So this past Sunday when she didn't make it to church it as alarming. The explanation that she was sicker than normal made its way to me through the grapevine. Prayers continued to go up for the lady and on Wednesday the most amazing thing happened - news that at her doctor's visit this week the tumor had "vanished." The doctor said he didn't understand what had happened. I do - its called a miracle. Prayer gives us a direct line to He who makes miracles happen. It wasn't me that made the miracle, I just had the privilege of witnessing it.

So let us all take our prayer life seriously. Let us remember who we are praying to. Let us remember the power of prayer. Let us understand the privilege of prayer. Let us take that little phrase "I will pray for you" seriously. God does.

A one word rebuttal to atheism - Israel.

It’s not easy being God’s chosen people. If you don’t believe me, just look at history. Israel is quite simply a one word answer to anyone who doesn’t believe that there is a God. Come with me and let’s examine one of God’s greatest miracles – the Jewish people, and their home country of Israel. I ask only one thing from you, leave your preconceived prejudices and disbeliefs behind and examine this from a purely logical standpoint.

Over the past 10 years two countries have dominated the headlines in worldwide media like no other. The country most often mentioned in the media is the United States of America. With her economic, military, and geographic prowess this seems quite logical. The United States has an estimated 310 million people as of 2011. The U.S. also has 3.79 million square miles of land. This means that the United States ranks as the third largest country in both land and population.

However, the second most mentioned country in the media was Israel. Israel seems a bit out of place when listed beside the United States for top billing in the media. With only 7.7 million people and only 5.8 million Jews, Israel is far from a match for the United States in population. In fact, Israel is only the 95th largest country by population in the world behind such unknown countries as Azerbaijan, Benin, and Burundi (no offense if you are from one of these). In fact, Israel doesn’t even have half of the population of Burkina Faso or Malawi. If you are looking for Israel to be a large country in land mass think again. It is only the 151st largest country in the world with 8,522 square miles of land. To put that in perspective, it is just a little smaller than Vermont the 6th smallest state in the United States of America. So why is Israel so out of place in the media? It certainly isn’t logical for it to be such.

The truth of the matter is that Israel and the Jewish people in general have done more with less than any people group in the world. Having won almost 25% of the world’s Nobel Prizes over the past 100 years, Jewish people have had a huge impact on the world around them despite being only 0.70% of the world’s population. Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, Niels Bohr, Paul Ehrlich, George Gershwin, Franz Kafka, Jonas Salk – the names roll off one’s tongue like a “who’s who” list of historical figures certainly not belying the small size of the people group from whence they came. In fact one could make a straight faced argument that the Jewish people have had an almost supernatural influence in the world around them in order to so outperform their size.

But make no mistake about it, Israel and the Jewish people in general have not only made the headlines due to their terrific accomplishments, the Jewish people have made headlines because of the intense hatred with which the world looks upon them. Indeed Israeli Jews live in constant fear of terrorism and outside attacks. Jews are constantly persecuted in foreign countries and were annihilated like no other people group in history during the Holocaust. Indeed 2 out of every 3 European Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. Persecuted globally, the Jews cannot even feel secure within their own borders. For such a small country of only 5.8 million Jews to be able to maintain its national sovereignty among an estimated 356 million Arab peoples who largely hate them is an amazing almost supernatural feat in and of itself. Yet maintain their sovereignty they have, and even flourished.

I write this article not as a Jew myself, but as a Christian who stands in awe of God and his ability to honor his covenant with Israel and the Jewish people. While I believe that God will save anyone who calls on the name of Jesus, I realize that the Jewish people are God’s chosen people and will always be God’s chosen people. With that delineation has come a terrific promise and an amazing protection, but also a horrendous price for disobedience. I stand as a critical thinker who uses logic as a tool to make decisions. I can see no logical way to interpret Israel’s importance and even mere existence in the world today other than to say it is beyond logic and is eerily supernatural.

"Heaven is for Real" Reviewed

Heaven is for Real is a terrifically entertaining story about a young 4 year old boy's venture to Heaven and back again. I would advise this book as a read for most anyone seeking encouragement, wondering about Heaven, or just seeking an interesting story written in a different perspective. I would strongly suggest this book for anyone that has lost a small child, a child in the womb, or who has recently lost a loved one in general.

The story centers around 4 year old Colton Burpo, an "all boy" youngster from Iowa, who loves swords, super heroes, and his dad. A misdiagnosis leaves Colton hanging on to life by a thread and sends his dad, a preacher, on a journey that will cause him to question God's love only to see that love confirmed in the most amazing way.

The Burpo family begins to understand what a great blessing God has given them when Colton begins to relate his memories from a trip that no one could fathom - a trip to Heaven. Colton often relates these events in a very 4 year old fashion which adds legitimacy to the story that is told through the eyes of the father.

While any near death experience literature is only as believable as the person recounting the story, there is something very sincere and reassuring about hearing the story told through the eyes of a 4 year old. I would invite you to read Heaven is for Real with an open mind, a believing heart, and a childlike awe of just how amazing God's love for his people really is.

Christians Should Be Ashamed!

Christians should be ashamed. As a Christian myself, I believe I am entitled to say that. I also believe I am just as guilty as anyone. For years America has been sliding down the slippery slope of immorality. At the very center of this decline is the media. Enough is enough. ABC has went too far. I for one, will not go quietly into that good night. ABC has a new pilot television show named "Good Christian Bitches." Seriously? Why not - "Good Muslim Bitches?" or "Good Hebrew Bitches?" Oh, I forgot...the ACLU would slap a restraining order on ABC so quickly their heads would spin. But, for some reason its OK to go after Christians.

Is it just me or does this seem to be a very risky strategy by ABC and parent company Disney? Are ABC execs really saying "come on let's poke Christians with a stick. Let's see how far we can push them. After all, they only make up 80% of our viewing audience."

What it is in all reality is an indictment on Christians in this country. ABC believes that Christians will not stand up for their faith, for their families, and for their values. Why would they believe differently, we have compromised our morality to such an extent that we have reached this cliff. So what do we do now? Nothing - Like usual? Will we sit around and do nothing because doing something requires effort? Or will we finally take a stand? I say enough is enough. Contact ABC. Contact Disney. Even more so contact the sponsors of ABC and Disney and let them know that if this show is on ABC that your money will not go to the sponsors and that your viewership will not go to ABC and that your vacations will not go to Disney. It is about time we stood up for ourselves. Every other religion would, but we are either too lazy, too apethetic, or too disingenuine to do so.

Contact ABC

Also - if anyone has a list of ABC sponsors - please post that in the comments section. Thanks.

The Prince of Screw Ups.

Man have I screwed up in my life. In fact, I have screwed up a lot. I continually do no matter how hard I try to do better. I certainly do not deserve to be a Prince, but yet that is exactly what I am. In fact, the kingdom to which I am an heir is the wealthiest in the entire world. The streets are made of gold. My Father, well, He is the King of Kings. All will one day bow to Him. How bout you? Are you a Prince or Princess? Well, you can be. In fact, my Father is looking for children to adopt. The adoption process isn't hard - consider it a gift. All you have to do is accept it. You see, most people do not understand Christianity for what it is. It is so simple, people make it hard. We think that we are not good enough to have a relationship with the Almighty God. We think He could never love us. We think we are just screw ups. How could we ever measure up to the mighty heroes of the Bible?

Well, the truth is that the heroes of the Bible were screw ups too. Imagine if you will a television announcer making the introductions of the great Bible heroes.

"He had everything he could have ever wanted. He lived in Paradise with the most beautiful woman ever created and all he had to do was follow the rules - But he didn't. And as a result sin entered into the world, he was kicked out of Paradise and God had to sacrifice His only begotten son to restore His relationship to humanity. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Adam."

"This lucky fellow survived The Great Flood because he was found obedient to God. He built an ark, watched all the animals come two-by-two, and survived the Flood. Then he became drunk and laid naked for his children to see. This caused a family feud which resulted in him cursing his son Ham and giving his land to his son Shem. Meet Noah."

"This man is the Father of Nations. He is one of the most influential people in the Bible. Yet, he didn't trust God when God told him he would have a son with his wife. He doubted because his wife was old and he decided to try to have a son himself. So, at his wifes behest he had a son with his wife's servant. Then, when his wife had the son God had promised, he ran his wife's servant and his firstborn son off. The son he had with the servant saw his lineage create the Muslim faith while the son he was promised by God watched his heirs lead to Jesus and the Christian Faith. I give you Father Abraham and his sons Ishmael and Isaac."

"Isaac's son, he was a twin who deceived his father in order to steal his brother's birth right and become a great figure in the Bible. In fact, he became known as Israel and from him many nations were formed. Here is Jacob."

"And finally, this great king was said to be a man after God's own heart. He is famous for killing a giant with a slingshot and is likely the greatest king of the Old Testament. Yet, he lusted for another man's wife, committed adultery with her, and then sent her husband to the front lines of battle and had him killed thereby essentually murdering him. It is the Great King David."

You see, my article isn't to mock these Biblical Greats, because they truly did great things and truly had great relationships with God. My point is that everyone is human and we have ALL BLOWN IT. It doesn't matter how badly - God wants to forgive us. He wants to have a relationship with little ole us. He wants to make us Princes and Princesses and heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven. So tell me...screw up. Can you, will you, accept this free gift? Will you be a Prince or Princess today? Or just a screw up?

Prayers for a Friend.

As I type these words today, an older friend of mine from the church is very ill. She is more than a friend, she is the one who first invited me to attend the church to which I now gratefully belong. Her simple act of obedience, in inviting my family (largely strangers to her at the time) to her church has had so many trickle-down affects that it makes me stand in awe of my creator and appreciate what a master weaver he truly is. By obediently following his will, she has brought glory upon God because I now stand truly amazed at all that has come from her simple gesture.

You see, SHE INVITED ME TO CHURCH. So what you may say. Well, SHE INVITED ME TO CHURCH...and...I brought my family - and that is just the beginning of the story. My oldest daughter was saved at this church. Her two best friends were also saved at this church. From the love of this church I have seen my mother come forth and make her salvation public. I have seen my oldest daughter and my wife baptized. And all this because SHE INVITED ME TO CHURCH. But wait, that is just the beginning of the story.

At this church my wife went on a mission trip to Haiti that changed her life. She came back and left her job in order to study medicine so that she could do medical mission work. Then my wife and I sent gifts to Haiti so that children who rarely see Christmas gifts would wake up with presents for the first time in years. My mother was so moved by the stories of the Haiti mission trip that she started a sewing ministry with my grandmother and they now send dresses to orphans in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. All of this because - SHE INVITED ME TO CHURCH. But wait, that is just the beginning of the story.

Today, as I set here typing these words I am intensely praising my God in Heaven for being so amazing as to be able to weave together this incredible tapestry. My prayers are music to his ears and they are as a result of her INVITING ME TO CHURCH.

Prayers be with you friend - your meaning on my life as well as many others you surely cannot grasp.

Tennesseans Send Pro-Prayer Message to Foreign Liberals.

"Don't tread on me" was the message that fans and football players alike sent in Rhea County, Tennessee on Friday night. Soddy Daisy High School had been warned about holding a prayer before its football games by the Freedom From Religion Group from Madison, Wisconsin. The liberal organization tread on three things that Tennesseans hold very dear - religion, football, and state sovereignty. Tennesseans have a reputation as wonderfully courteous people, but they also will circle the wagons when "outsiders" threaten their way of life.

Dr. Jim Scales, the Superintendent for Hamilton County Schools had instructed Soddy Daisy High School Principal John Maynard to honor the request of the Freedom From Religion Group to cease prayers before football games. Rhea County's stadium announcer asked if any fans would like to join the players on the field for a prayer - in light of Hamilton County's dilemma. The entire stadium emptied on to the football field for prayer with both football teams. Perhaps this was the desired goal of the liberals from up north, but as a Tennessee boy myself - I rather doubt it. Kudos for Rhea County and their stadium address announcer and Kudos to the fans at that game.

No-Volunteering for Volunteer State.

I am proud to be a resident in a state known as the Volunteer State. Tennessee picked up that moniker when during the war of 1812 Tennesseans volunteered far and above the average to go fight for our country. Since that date Tennesseans have always had a very high volunteer rate for wars, for humanitarian relief efforts, for anything that requires being a "bit neighborly." From Davey Crockett in the Alamo to Sergent Alvin York in World War I, Tennesseans have been heroic in their volunteering efforts to such an extent that the name has become synonymous with the state. We are proud of our service after all serving others is the Christian way. We have named our sporting teams thusly. Yet, sadly, no one seems to be taking much notice of the fact that middle Tennessee is calling out for help of its own at the moment. Indeed, Nashville and surrounding areas are totally underwater with scenes emerging that look eerily similar to a smaller scale Katrina. Nevertheless, national media outlets are focusing on the oil spill in the Gulf, certainly understandably so, but meanwhile the anguish of the state which has came to the aid of so many is largely being ignored. With 22 dead and counting and untold amounts of damage not yet accounted for, Nashville is a grade A disaster that is only making the back pages. And perhaps in one of the strangest ironies of my day - the only major network giving much attention is Steve Oberman and MSNBC. Perhaps fellow Orange State blogger Rob Huddleston put it best in his blog VOLuntarilyConservative when he stated "you can look out your window for flying pigs now."

For information on donating to a relief effort see the corresponding link.

Gay Policeman Arrests Street Preacher for Denouncing Homosexuality

When the "Hate Crime Bill" was pushed through Congress thereby making it a crime to criticize homosexuality, most did not notice. As Americans we have become accustomed to being apathetic with regard to our legislature. Truth of the matter is that Congress is so out of touch with most Americans that mainstream America pretty much assumes that Congress is going to be screwing up a great deal of the time and that there is nothing new to see here. Christians should certainly take notice of this legislation however as the ramifications of similar laws were on display in the Cumbrian England town of Workington on April 20th.

On this date 42 year old Dale McAlpine, an energy worker that is also a street evangelist, was arrested for proclaiming the Biblical doctrine that homosexuality is a sin. Apparently Mr. McAlpine was approached by Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Sam Adams and asked if there was a problem. Mr. McAlpine, who had been asking passers-by to repent and seek salvation, replied that there was not a problem.

The PCSO then told McAlpine that "he was gay and he was the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender liaison officer for the police." Mr. McAlpine recalled. ‘I said, “It is still a sin”, and our conversation ended. It wasn’t a loud or aggressive conversation," recounted McAlpine. Mere moments later 3 additional police officers arrived and arrested McAlpine and charged him with making insensitive remarks in public.

Think this couldn't happen in the United States, try reading the hate crimes bill which was pushed through with such little fan fair. Numerous preachers worry that the federal government could even try to imprison them for denouncing homosexuality as a sin.

After reading about Mr. McAlpine I was amazed. I am not sure which amazed me more however, the fact that he was arrested for his actions, or the fact that the police department has a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender liaison. What is this world coming to when we have homosexual police patrol units marching the street arresting people who disagree with their lifestyle. Oh my, you just cannot make this stuff up.

Fading Away

“People never crumble in a day – it’s a slow fade.” This is the chorus of Casting Crown’s “Slow Fade” song. The lyrics are just as applicable to a nation as to an individual and unfortunately for America, we have been in a slow fade for some time now. When “I dream of Jeannie” made its debut on television in September of 1965 it was the most embattled show to come across the airwaves. Television rating organizations had all kinds of problems allowing “Jeannie” to show her belly button. Today, that is laughable. One evening I was forced to turn “King of Queens” because it had 4 curse-words in 2 minutes. That’s just not appropriate for my children. Sorry. Then I found my wife turning an episode of “Bones” because of inappropriate sexual content. In fact I found myself encouraging my wife to watch sports with me because it’s the only thing on that doesn’t have cursing, sex, or violence - at least not at an audible level. It has been a slow fade.

I was told by someone I know this week that I view the world in black and white. She told me that there is a lot of gray out there and that it is irresponsible of me to view rules as being hard-fast. As a lawyer turned financial consultant I know a few things about gray. In law school they taught us that you could take the case if it passed a “straight face test.” This meant that if you could argue your client’s side with a straight face then you could bring the suit. There are a lot of shades of gray in law. In the financial realm everything is speculative. Talk about gray. You do your best to predict tomorrow's outcomes, but truly you are trying to predict the future which is as gray as it gets.

But God's word has no gray in it, not even a hint. It is black and white. I have sinned enough for 10 lifetimes and I still feel my own self-inflicted scars about the things I have done, but it was not God’s word that wavered, it was me. God didn’t suggest the 10 Commandments he commanded them. They are not the 10 suggestions. God is the same today as he was when he made the world and when the world ends, God will still be the same. God doesn’t slow fade even if his people do.

You see God hasn’t changed his stances on divorce, homosexuality, cursing, gambling, etc, etc, etc. We as a culture have changed our stances. We have replaced spanking with grounding, the doctrine of “love the sinner, hate the sin” with “have tolerance on different ideas and cultures.” Do you realize how many times tolerance is in the Bible? Zero. God is merciful, God is good, but God is not tolerant. God doesn’t say – “well it’s ok this time.” God says – “IT IS WRONG!" If it was wrong yesterday in God's eyes, it is wrong today in God's eyes. And it will always be wrong in God's eyes. While not tolerant, God is forgiving. He says "repent, come to me, and I will forgive you.”

Oh America, why have we been in a slow fade? Oh Christians, why us too? We have allowed this thing to happen without the slightest of a whimper of protest. In Casting Crown's song it says "Be careful little eyes what you see." We have slowly allowed questionable things into the culture, and now that slippery slope is causing a large avalanche.

The positive thing to remember however is that God is merciful – let us repent of our sins no matter how great and take this country back for God Almighty! What has been a slow fade can be an instantaneous snap back to reality, back to worship, back to repentance. Let us pray for our country, but let us turn off our televisions when questionable shows are on. Let us write letters to networks. Let us, turn off our radios when things counter to the will of God begin to play. Let us live like we are from another world, not of this one. Lest we continue to slow fade to a point of no return.

Rapping Up Eternity

I come from a day and age where rap was first making its appearance on the scene. I admit that I enjoyed Run DMC, Kool Moe Dee, Will Smith (back then Fresh Prince), and Kid N Play as much as the next guy or probably more. However, the lyrics of those rap artists are a far cry from the violent and vulgar lyrics of many of today's artists. Today if I want to listen to rap music I will listen to Christian rappers KJ-52, T-Bone, or the eclectic styles of Toby Mac. Yes, there is such a thing as Christian rap music and many of the artists are trying to impact their more worldly brethren. Take for instance KJ-52 and his numerous letters and even songs reaching out to Eminem.

Reaching out to explicit rap artists seems to be paying some dividends. Jason Bellini, aka "Sketch the journalist," is a freelance hip-hop writer from Texas who has been writing letters to rappers behind bars. And, he is encouraging other Christians to do the same. He has had some success as apparently "Lo Life" of the "5th Ward Boyz" has been converted and is now doing Christian concerts behind bars for the other inmates while spreading a positive message. He has even changed his handle to "New Life."

Let us hope that "New Life" really has found a new life and turned over a new leaf. It is certainly not unheard of. Just check the guys from my day and time. If you want to listen to Run DMC now - well, they have went Christian as well. And while rap may not be your thing, and it usually isn't mine, it is an influential type of music. Rap music has the ability to reach a great number of people that more traditional types of music would never be able to. I for one am all for sending a positive message no matter what the medium used to do it. The Bible says to "sing a new song." Maybe, just maybe rapping a new song will work just as well or better.

If you should decide to write a letter of encouragement to a rapper behind bars, Jason Bellini has provided a list of addresses and names in this linked article.

From Teen Heartthrob to Worthy Role Model

He was a teenage heartthrob upon whom all the girls had crushes and all the boys wanted to be like. I should know, heck, I dressed like him and even had my hair styled like him. Now, some odd 25 years later, you could still do worse when picking a celebrity to pattern yourself after.

Fame is a tough gig, it usually chews up and spits out its childhood stars, but every once in a while there is a surprise. During the 1980s there was no bigger child star than Kirk Cameron who played Mike Seaver on television’s Growing Pains. Cameron played the typical teen leading man: cool, cute, and mischievous with a penchant for trouble and a teenage libido for the ladies. Behind the scenes however Kirk Cameron was also living a typical life…the typical life of a Hollywood teen star. By his own admission Cameron was making more money than his parents and with that money came a freewheeling lifestyle that was very self centered. He had never really given much thought to God, but the fact that he could not see him, nor really had any need of him lead the teen idol to be a self proclaimed atheist.

All that changed during his late teens when Cameron started doing a little soul searching. He had been enjoying a lifestyle where he had everything he ever wanted, yet, he was not happy and he began to wonder if there was something more to life. At age 17 Cameron became a Christian, but he struggled at first with denying himself and truly following God. As he strengthened his relationship with Christ, Cameron began to change the way he related to Hollywood too. He began to ask that certain lines be removed from his scripts. He began truly living the Christian lifestyle. It was not easy.

“I have had people tell me, well Kirk you sure picked the wrong religion in Hollywood didn’t you,” Cameron said when relating how he has often been blacklisted from acting parts due to his Christianity. Indeed, Hollywood is more than willing to allow you to worship God, so long as it is not “THE GOD” of the Bible Cameron suggested. Cameron is quick to point out that he didn’t find God, God was not lost. Instead, God found him and he is very thankful that he did.

Today you can find Cameron on the big screen as the star Buck Williams from the ultra popular Christian series Left Behind. Or perhaps you are more familiar with the efforts he has put into trying to save the American family in his encouraging and uplifting movie Fireproof. And while we are on Fireproof, perhaps there is no better example of the stark difference between Kirk Cameron and the rest of Hollywood than when he refused to kiss his “stage wife” during the movie. In one of the final scenes where Cameron kisses his wife, the director was forced to bring Cameron’s actual wife in and turn her back to the camera so that Cameron could truly perform the kiss scene. Now that, my friend, is conviction.

As if making Christian movies isn’t enough, Cameron also has become a fixture in Christian television with his award winning evangelism television and radio show The Way of the Master. And he even managed to be a burr beneath the skin of the Darwin crowd when he reproduced Darwin’s On the Origin of Species with a creationism slant. Copies of the work were then distributed free at numerous universities.

In a day and age where Hollywood teens grab the press for all the wrong reasons, Cameron is an inspiration. He is also an outcast. Cameron wouldn’t have it any other way. He has had all this world has to offer, now he is putting up his treasure in another world.

Christian Leaders See Problems With Being Politically Correct

This is a strange day and time to be a member of the United States military. At a time when special interest groups beg a sympathetic President to allow gays in the military, the military is taking a hard line stance on Christian speakers. In the past two months the armed forces have rejected public speaking engagements featuring two of America's most prominent Christian leaders. First, Tony Perkins the president of the Family Research Council was dis-invited to speak at Andrews Air Force base. On the heels of that decision, the Pentagon dis-invited Franklin Graham to speak during the National Day of Prayer.

Tony Perkins believes that Christianity is being victimized by political correctness ran amok. "We see a federal judge who's been on the bench since Jimmy Carter appointed her. She's not a new judge. This is a judge who's been around for quite some time. And she decides all of a sudden that the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional. So I do think what we're seeing is an environment that is hostile to Christianity," Perkins said.

Personally, I believe that the current administration is trying to be so politically correct about religion that it refuses to allow anything at all resembling a national religious identity. Indeed President Obama stated as much last year when addressing the press in Turkey: "One of the great strengths of the United States," the President said, "is ... we have a very large Christian population -- but we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values."

While I will agree with President Obama that there are numerous religious factions within the United States, I do not agree that America does not consider itself a Christian nation. Furthermore I think it does a tremendous disservice to our troops to prevent prominent Christian speakers from speaking to them. Though the military is certainly eclectic from a faith standpoint, it, like America itself, is a predominantly a Christian body. At what point will we the Christian people in this country stand up and demand more from our country and from our elected officials? At what point will be willing to put our political differences aside and join together based on our religious similarities? For there are few more foul and despicable words in today's modern vernacular than "political correctness."

A Divine Investment

We have the Dow Jones, the S & P 500, the Nasdaq, and now the STOXX. Monday morning saw the creation of the STOXX Europe Christian Index which consists of the stocks from 533 European countries which are said to be "ethical" stocks. The STOXX Index screens out companies that generate revenues from pornography, weapons, tobacco, birth control, and gambling.

Superman’s Mom Urged by Doctors to Abort Baby

He was born to Christian missionaries in Makati City, Philippines despite the urging of doctors to abort him. The mother had suffered a life-threatening infection while pregnant and the drugs used to wake her from a coma created a severe placental abruption that the doctors expected would cause a stillbirth in the child and potentially take the mother’s life as well. This story could be a lot different if the parents had decided to follow their doctor’s advice and have an abortion, but due to their Christian convictions abortion was not an option. The mother survived and the child, well, the child became Superman.

Yes, yes I know that Superman doesn’t really exist, but try telling that to the football players in the South East Conference. You see that child that was supposed to be stillborn, the one that doctors advised the parents to abort for the safety of the mother – he became the first player in NCAA football history to pass for more than 20 touchdowns and run for more than 20 touchdowns in the same year. He became the first sophomore in the history of college football to win the Heisman Trophy as the sport’s top player. He became Tim Tebow and with that he became both reviled and idolized simultaneously.

Tim Tebow’s story is an amazing one, but without his mother Pam deciding to have Tim in the first place, the story would never have been written. You can make the argument that Tebow may very well be one of the most influential athletes in history – already. Oh, and he hasn’t even played professionally yet. Tebow chose to play at the University of Florida and while his accomplishments on the field make him arguably the most accomplished collegiate football player in history, it is his Christianity and his willingness to share his faith that has turned him into both a role model and a whipping boy.

You see, Superman’s legend wasn’t just forged between the hash marks, it was created when he helped lead his coach to Christ. It was enhanced when with each and every touchdown he acted like a gentleman and with each and every interview he used the exposure as a bully pulpit to spread his faith. Not since the late great Reggie White the proclaimed Minister of Defense has football seen such an outspoken Christian. And with all respect to White, not even he reached 90 million people at one time. Indeed, Tebow is credited with reaching that insane amount of people when he wore John 3:16 on his eye-black during the national championship game. The next day over 90 million people searched Google for “John 3:16.” Among those who were affected by Tebow’s eye black was former University of Tennessee quarterback Jonathon Crompton who was born again this year after becoming interested in Jesus due to Tebow.

But with success comes enemies and numerous detractors have emerged to urge people that Tebow must be “too good to be true.” National Football League talent gurus like Mel Kiper project that Tebow’s motion is too long and his accuracy is too questionable. Jealous fans of other schools and those people who are just tired of seeing Tebow on ESPN have dubbed him “Baby Jesus” and a “goody two shoes.” The NCAA has even passed the Tim Tebow Rule banning messages on eye-black.

Despite this, the Denver Broncos traded into the first round to take Tebow with the 25th draft pick in the most recent NFL Draft (a move Mel Kiper gave an “F”). So now Tebow is on the big stage where he will be right where he wants to be – in the spotlight. However, unlike other attention hounds in the NFL - see Terrell Owens and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson - Tebow will look to use the attention to spread a slightly different message - one of hope, peace, and forgiveness. Tebow will once again use the soap box to urge others to experience Christ. And as for the detractors, Superman has had his cape pulled on before and he has overcome much greater odds.

Christianity's Continuance Commemorated by Cluttered Crosses

If a picture is worth a thousand words then what are a thousand crosses worth? How bout 100,000 crosses? The Hill of Crosses boasts in excess of 100,000 crosses to remind on-lookers of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ paid for the sins of mankind. Located in Lithuania, the Hill was first decorated with crosses during the 1831 uprising known as the Cadet Revolution whereby Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, and the Ukraine rebelled against the Imperial Russian Army. Since that time, the Hill has seen numerous Christian pilgrimages and each one seemingly left a cross as a remnant reminder. Over the years, the Hill has come to represent the endurance of Catholicism and to a larger degree Christianity in general in Lithuania despite a great abundance of political and military upheaval. Today the Hill continues to expand as it remains under no one's jurisdiction, rather people are free to build crosses and leave remnants as they see fit.

University's Expulsion of Honor Student Brings Lawsuit

Eastern Michigan University (EMU) has a fight on its hands, and well it should, after expelling a masters student with a 3.91 GPA because she refused to accept a client whose issue concerned a homosexual relationship. Julea Ward a Christian student in the EMU counseling program had previously informed her supervisor that she would not counsel said client in affirmation of his homosexual relationship due to her religious convictions. She told her supervisor that she was willing to counsel the client on any other issues, but that she would not counsel him regarding his sexual lifestyle choice. Upon this decision, Ward was investigated by an academic committee and expelled from school, despite being an honors student just months from graduation. Ward has since filed a lawsuit against the University through the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom. Kudos to Ms. Ward for sticking to her convictions and not backing down in the face of overwhelming pressure. This will be a case to watch in the upcoming weeks. Prayers of support be with Ms. Ward.

An Abortion Gone Oh So Right.

Her medical record reads "born during a saline abortion." Her body has the "gift" (her words not mine) of cerebral palsy. She was born in an abortion clinic and raised as an orphan in a foster home, yet Gianna Jessen isn't going to complain. You are more likely to find Jessen running a marathon than complaining about her cerebral palsy. She just completed a 26.2 mile marathon in 7 hours. For all of us who sometimes think life can be overwhelming, Jessen is a swift dose of reality. For everyone who believes a woman's right to choose overshadows a child's right to live Jessen is God's answer.

Jessen was born with cerebral palsy as a result of a failed third trimester abortion attempt by her then 17 year old mother. For 18 hours Jessen's body was burned in the womb by the saline, but she survived and was born a 2 pound baby girl. Doctor's doubted whether she would ever hold her head up. When she began to walk she needed the aid of braces. And now, well now she runs marathons. If the story ended there, it would be remarkable and awe inspiring. It doesn't. You see Jessen is a devout Christian that now travels the world sharing her testimony and speaking to young people about the horrors of abortions. She has a pretty good perspective from which to speak.

I can find a myriad of excuses not to talk about the Lord. Ms. Jessen has the perfect excuse and instead uses it to her strength to reach people for Christ. Jessen is an inspiration, but I doubt she would see it that way. I think she would be quick to say that Jesus is the true inspiration. As a Christian Jessen lives life to the fullest in a way pleasing to God without excuses. Oh that the same could be said of each and every one of us.

Gianna Jessen was a guest speaker at the 13th Annual Banquet for the Hope Resource Center at the Christian Academy of Knoxville's Campus Center on Saturday April 24th.

How Amazing Is Our God?

Sometimes I stand in awe at God's power and might. What an amazing world he has created. Look at these pictures of volcanic eruptions in Iceland and Chile and let me know if you are not in awe of his might. The picture on the left is of a volcano in Chile that created an instant thunderstorm. The picture on the right is the current eruption in Iceland which is existing right along side the aurora borealis. Simply amazing!

What can FAITH do for you?

My favorite song at this moment is WHAT FAITH CAN DO by Kutless. I invite you to listen to the words to this song. The youtube video is one I thought was rather appropriate for the song.