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keith wade
Feb 24, 2023: The Christian Index: Hundreds pray for revival across Georgia campuses on Collegiate Day of Prayer
Pastor Matthew Vandegriff of Poplar Springs Baptist Church and Timothy Agee, Pastor of Young Adults at Hopewell Baptist, joined Georgia Baptist Campus Minister Keith Wade and students on a prayer walk on the Gainesville campus of the University of North Georgia. Wade said, “May we continue to see the Lord move among this campus and students be bold to share Jesus.”
Pastor Matthew Vandegriff of Poplar Springs Baptist Church and Timothy Agee, Pastor of Young Adults at Hopewell Baptist, joined Georgia Baptist Campus Minister Keith Wade and students on a prayer walk on the Gainesville campus of the University of North Georgia. Wade said, “May we continue to see the Lord move among this campus and students be bold to share Jesus.”
Kristen Waggoner
The Christian right’s wish list for Trump is worse than you think
At this year’s edition of Pray Vote Stand, the Christian right’s most influential political gathering, activists previewed their campaign to further cement Trump’s Christianization of the federal bench. The Center for Judicial Renewal, which is run by the political arm of the far-right American Family Association, presented a list of lawyers and judges who it says adhere to “Christian faith” and a “biblical worldview,” according to a report by Peter Montgomery at People For the American Way’s Right Wing Watch. The list includes Kristen Waggoner, Supreme Court litigator and president of the Christian right legal powerhouse Alliance Defending Freedom; current federal appellate judges James Ho, Kyle Duncan and Lawrence VanDyke; and current and former deans of the nation’s top evangelical law schools at Regent University and Liberty University. If Republicans regain the White House and the Senate in 2024, they will have additional opportunities to further one of Trump’s top achievements in the eyes of his loyal evangelical base: stacking the federal courts with Christian nationalist ideologues.
(Sarah Posner/MSNBC 9/21/23)
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At this year’s edition of Pray Vote Stand, the Christian right’s most influential political gathering, activists previewed their campaign to further cement Trump’s Christianization of the federal bench. The Center for Judicial Renewal, which is run by the political arm of the far-right American Family Association, presented a list of lawyers and judges who it says adhere to “Christian faith” and a “biblical worldview,” according to a report by Peter Montgomery at People For the American Way’s Right Wing Watch. The list includes Kristen Waggoner, Supreme Court litigator and president of the Christian right legal powerhouse Alliance Defending Freedom; current federal appellate judges James Ho, Kyle Duncan and Lawrence VanDyke; and current and former deans of the nation’s top evangelical law schools at Regent University and Liberty University. If Republicans regain the White House and the Senate in 2024, they will have additional opportunities to further one of Trump’s top achievements in the eyes of his loyal evangelical base: stacking the federal courts with Christian nationalist ideologues.
(Sarah Posner/MSNBC 9/21/23)
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joshua walker
Abigail Kessler
After hearing over three hours of public comment on the topic, Flagstaff City Council approved a resolution supporting abortion access in the city at its meeting Tuesday...........Many commenters who spoke against the resolution cited religion, specifically Christianity, as their reason for opposing abortion, quoting Bible verses and prayers and using religious language.
The group included a few local pastors: Joshua Walker, teaching elder of Church of the Resurrection (though he said he was here as a “concerned citizen” rather than a pastor), David Berry, senior pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship, Barbara Swee, associate pastor of Northland Christian Assembly, and Jim Dorman, founding pastor (now retired) of Christ’s Church of Flagstaff. “I’m here today on behalf of myself and the nearly 300 people of my church,” Berry said. “ ... Together we are all in vehement opposition to the proposed resolution 2023-12. The mission of Flagstaff as we’ve been reminded is to protect and enhance the quality of life for all. That certainly includes the most vulnerable among us who cannot defend and speak for themselves, people in the womb.”
Some of those who supported the resolution mentioned the separation of church and state in their comments, saying that to act based on the religious beliefs of other commenters would go against it.
Northern Arizona University professor of comparative cultural studies Diana Coleman also noted that these beliefs were from a subset of one religion.
“We have not heard the religious side, as I’ve heard people say; we’ve heard from a thin, select fringe of conservative Christianity that doesn’t represent all of Christianity,” she said. “ ... We do have separation of church and state, we have the establishment clause. This religious-inflected dialogue is inappropriate to be forced on and also very disingenuous.”..........Matthews said the religious views should be heard, however, as they were community members’ perspectives.
“I don’t think that it was about well, this is a religious thing or a God thing, so you need to be shamed into making a decision,” she said. “ ... This is their belief and they are part of the community.”
In his part of the discussion, McCarthy said the question was about who was making decisions.
“Someone [tonight] said there are differing opinions on the issue. Well, that’s obvious. But one side, who would say ‘pro-choice,’ they’re saying, ‘I’m not going to make that decision for you.’ The other side is saying, ‘I want to make that decision for you.’” --Abigail Kessler; Ariaona Daily Sun; Flagstaff City Council adopts resolution supporting abortion access 3.11.23
The group included a few local pastors: Joshua Walker, teaching elder of Church of the Resurrection (though he said he was here as a “concerned citizen” rather than a pastor), David Berry, senior pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship, Barbara Swee, associate pastor of Northland Christian Assembly, and Jim Dorman, founding pastor (now retired) of Christ’s Church of Flagstaff. “I’m here today on behalf of myself and the nearly 300 people of my church,” Berry said. “ ... Together we are all in vehement opposition to the proposed resolution 2023-12. The mission of Flagstaff as we’ve been reminded is to protect and enhance the quality of life for all. That certainly includes the most vulnerable among us who cannot defend and speak for themselves, people in the womb.”
Some of those who supported the resolution mentioned the separation of church and state in their comments, saying that to act based on the religious beliefs of other commenters would go against it.
Northern Arizona University professor of comparative cultural studies Diana Coleman also noted that these beliefs were from a subset of one religion.
“We have not heard the religious side, as I’ve heard people say; we’ve heard from a thin, select fringe of conservative Christianity that doesn’t represent all of Christianity,” she said. “ ... We do have separation of church and state, we have the establishment clause. This religious-inflected dialogue is inappropriate to be forced on and also very disingenuous.”..........Matthews said the religious views should be heard, however, as they were community members’ perspectives.
“I don’t think that it was about well, this is a religious thing or a God thing, so you need to be shamed into making a decision,” she said. “ ... This is their belief and they are part of the community.”
In his part of the discussion, McCarthy said the question was about who was making decisions.
“Someone [tonight] said there are differing opinions on the issue. Well, that’s obvious. But one side, who would say ‘pro-choice,’ they’re saying, ‘I’m not going to make that decision for you.’ The other side is saying, ‘I want to make that decision for you.’” --Abigail Kessler; Ariaona Daily Sun; Flagstaff City Council adopts resolution supporting abortion access 3.11.23
tommy waller
Are the Christian Cowboys helping Israel Evangelical missionaries?
Shannon Nuszen, director of the counter-missionary organization Beyneynu, released a written statement in which she claimed, “Jewish communities across Israel have raised concerns regarding the activities of Hayovel, a Christian organization led by Tommy Waller. “Hayovel is an evangelical group that provides substantial volunteer support for agricultural work in Judea and Samaria. Jewish communities have been troubled by the organization’s mission, which founder Tommy Waller has openly articulated.
(Rivkah Lambert Adler/Jerusalem Post 11/18/23)
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Shannon Nuszen, director of the counter-missionary organization Beyneynu, released a written statement in which she claimed, “Jewish communities across Israel have raised concerns regarding the activities of Hayovel, a Christian organization led by Tommy Waller. “Hayovel is an evangelical group that provides substantial volunteer support for agricultural work in Judea and Samaria. Jewish communities have been troubled by the organization’s mission, which founder Tommy Waller has openly articulated.
(Rivkah Lambert Adler/Jerusalem Post 11/18/23)
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Jim Wallis |
- Sojourners -
|
Jim Wallis is a globally respected writer, teacher, preacher, and justice advocate who believes the gospel of Jesus must be transformed from its cultural and political captivities. He is a New York Times bestselling author, widely recognized public theologian, renowned speaker, and regular international commentator on ethics and public life. He is the author of 12 books, including American’s Original Sin, God’s Politics, The Great Awakening, and The Call to Conversion. His podcast, The Soul of the Nation with Jim Wallis features conversations with grassroots organizers and political leaders and discusses how to take action to promote racial and social justice, life and peace, and environmental stewardship. He served on President Barack Obama's White House Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships and has taught faith and public life courses at Harvard and Georgetown University. “Coach Jim” also served for 22 seasons as a Little League coach for his two baseball playing sons.
Apr 1, 2023: Christian Post: Nancy Pelosi ridicules archbishop for barring her from communion, not being LGBT advocate
Pelosi was speaking at an event at Georgetown University’s Center on Faith and Justice, part of the “Higher Calling” series focused on the faith of politicians. The March 23 event was moderated by Jim Wallis, a progressive Christian and the Center’s executive director.
Pelosi was speaking at an event at Georgetown University’s Center on Faith and Justice, part of the “Higher Calling” series focused on the faith of politicians. The March 23 event was moderated by Jim Wallis, a progressive Christian and the Center’s executive director.
Jan 12, 2022: Freelance Christianity: Throwing Away the Image of God
At the beginning of a recent episode of “Consider This,” NPR’s daily afternoon news podcast, Rev. Jim Wallis, the chair of the Faith and Justice Center at Georgetown University, commented on the fact that many of those who participated in the January 6th, 2021 Capitol insurrection began their activities with a prayer thanking God for “gracing us with this opportunity to stand up for our God-given unalienable rights.” While part of the motivation for the insurrectionists that day was the “Big Lie” that the November 2020 election had been stolen, Wallis focused his attention elsewhere.
At the beginning of a recent episode of “Consider This,” NPR’s daily afternoon news podcast, Rev. Jim Wallis, the chair of the Faith and Justice Center at Georgetown University, commented on the fact that many of those who participated in the January 6th, 2021 Capitol insurrection began their activities with a prayer thanking God for “gracing us with this opportunity to stand up for our God-given unalienable rights.” While part of the motivation for the insurrectionists that day was the “Big Lie” that the November 2020 election had been stolen, Wallis focused his attention elsewhere.
Lance Wallnau
Dr. Lance Wallnau, CEO of the Lance Learning Group and recognized thought leader and futurist, has shared platforms with Mike Pompeo, Ken Blanchard, and John Maxwell; has spoken at the UN, Harvard, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and London School of Theology; was adjunct Professor at Wagner Leadership Institute; and for 30 years has consulted with global governments, CEOs, entertainers, and entrepreneurs.
New speaker of the House releases select January 6 footage to allow Christians and conservatives to change the narrative
Days after House speaker Mike Johnson, a conservative Christian who says he is guided by the Bible, started releasing security camera footage from the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump, Trump supporters are using the release to rewrite the narrative of what happened that day. “The show is over,” said “Trump prophet” and Christian entrepreneur Lance Wallnau on a recent episode of “FlashPoint” airing on The Victory Channel, which says its mission is “truth and news, all in the spirit of faith.”
(Steve Rabey/Baptist News Global 12/4/23)
Read More>>>>>
Days after House speaker Mike Johnson, a conservative Christian who says he is guided by the Bible, started releasing security camera footage from the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump, Trump supporters are using the release to rewrite the narrative of what happened that day. “The show is over,” said “Trump prophet” and Christian entrepreneur Lance Wallnau on a recent episode of “FlashPoint” airing on The Victory Channel, which says its mission is “truth and news, all in the spirit of faith.”
(Steve Rabey/Baptist News Global 12/4/23)
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"The more heat we bring in the next year, exposing what happened on January 6, the more we gut the narrative out from them so they can’t bring it up, and start to expose the blatant corruption of this Communist Justice Department." --Lance Wallnau
Over 12K Sign Christian Petition Condemning 'False Prophet' Mike Johnson
In response to Mike Johnson recently becoming the new House speaker, over 12,000 people have signed a Christian petition condemning the congressman as a "false prophet" among other Republican Party members.
Faithful America, an online Christian group that supports social justice causes, released their second-annual "False Prophets Don't Speak for Me" campaign featuring a list of top Christian-nationalist leaders in both church and politics along with a petition on Tuesday. The list, which in addition to Johnson, identifies former President Donald Trump, pastor Mark Burns, self-proclaimed prophet affiliated with the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) Julie Green, Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Ohio Representative Jim Jordan, conservative activist and radio talk show host Charlie Kirk, pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, Texas' Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Archbishop Carlo Viganò, self-proclaimed prophet affiliated with NAR Lance Wallnau, and co-founder of Moms for Liberty and school board chair in Sarasota, Florida, Bridget Ziegler as "false prophets."
(Natalie Venegas/Newsweek 11/4/23)
Read More>>>>>
In response to Mike Johnson recently becoming the new House speaker, over 12,000 people have signed a Christian petition condemning the congressman as a "false prophet" among other Republican Party members.
Faithful America, an online Christian group that supports social justice causes, released their second-annual "False Prophets Don't Speak for Me" campaign featuring a list of top Christian-nationalist leaders in both church and politics along with a petition on Tuesday. The list, which in addition to Johnson, identifies former President Donald Trump, pastor Mark Burns, self-proclaimed prophet affiliated with the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) Julie Green, Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Ohio Representative Jim Jordan, conservative activist and radio talk show host Charlie Kirk, pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, Texas' Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Archbishop Carlo Viganò, self-proclaimed prophet affiliated with NAR Lance Wallnau, and co-founder of Moms for Liberty and school board chair in Sarasota, Florida, Bridget Ziegler as "false prophets."
(Natalie Venegas/Newsweek 11/4/23)
Read More>>>>>
July 11, 2023: Bucks County Beacon: Pennsylvania’s Prayer Warrior: Abby Abildness And Her Dominionist Crusade In The CommonwealthWe initially reported on the NAR in August last year. As stated in that report, some of the NAR’s most prominent leaders include: Cindy Jacobs, John Benefiel, Lance Wallnau, Abby Abildness, Dutch Sheets, Chuck Pierce, Ché Ahn, Lou Engle. Jim Garlow, Steve Strang (Charisma News), Steve Shultz (Elijah List).
June 2, 2023: Media Matters: Fox’s Jeanine Pirro appears on Christian nationalist program FlashPoint to warn of “takedown of religion” in America
In addition to the Christian nationalist figures such as Wallnau and Kunneman appearing at FlashPoint Live’s June 8-9 event in Ohio along with Pirro, the lineup includes actor Jim Caviezel, who recently openly embraced the QAnon conspiracy.
In addition to the Christian nationalist figures such as Wallnau and Kunneman appearing at FlashPoint Live’s June 8-9 event in Ohio along with Pirro, the lineup includes actor Jim Caviezel, who recently openly embraced the QAnon conspiracy.
Mar 23, 2013: Right Wing Watch: Lance Wallnau Seeks to Break the ‘Demonic Strongholds’ That Are Preventing GOP Candidates from Winning Elections
Thousands of conservative Christians gathered in Florida this week for a “Fire and Glory Tour,” organized by right-wing evangelists Mario Murillo and Lance Wallanu, who are associated with the dominionist New Apostolic Reformation.
Thousands of conservative Christians gathered in Florida this week for a “Fire and Glory Tour,” organized by right-wing evangelists Mario Murillo and Lance Wallanu, who are associated with the dominionist New Apostolic Reformation.
Jan 23, 2023: New Republic: The Rise of Spirit Warriors on the Christian Right
Over in California, Jim Garlow, a politically connected pastor whose ministry, Well Versed, targets government leaders, cast the state’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, as “the chief of the baby-killers” and invited “intercession prayer leader” Maryal Boumann to his show, World Prayer Network, which is posted on YouTube, to discuss California’s “diabolical” Proposition 1, which added the right to the use of contraception and abortion to the state’s Constitution. In an Atlanta, Georgia, arena, Lance Wallnau, who is affiliated with the prophets and apostles of the neo-charismatic Reformation Prayer Network, which aims to “reverse the curse over America” by “igniting a holy reformation in every sphere of society,” and who claimed that former President Donald Trump was “anointed” by God to “restore the crumbling walls that separate us from cultural collapse,” prayed over Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene to a cheering crowd.
Over in California, Jim Garlow, a politically connected pastor whose ministry, Well Versed, targets government leaders, cast the state’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, as “the chief of the baby-killers” and invited “intercession prayer leader” Maryal Boumann to his show, World Prayer Network, which is posted on YouTube, to discuss California’s “diabolical” Proposition 1, which added the right to the use of contraception and abortion to the state’s Constitution. In an Atlanta, Georgia, arena, Lance Wallnau, who is affiliated with the prophets and apostles of the neo-charismatic Reformation Prayer Network, which aims to “reverse the curse over America” by “igniting a holy reformation in every sphere of society,” and who claimed that former President Donald Trump was “anointed” by God to “restore the crumbling walls that separate us from cultural collapse,” prayed over Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene to a cheering crowd.
Jan 10, 2023: Baptist News Global: The New Apostolic Reformation drove the January 6 riots, so why was it overlooked by the House Select Committee?In 2015, one of the apostles, Lance Wallnau, had a vision: “The Lord took me to Isaiah 45,” Wallnau claimed. “He said, ‘The next president will be the 45th president. I want an Isaiah 45 Cyrus.’”
In the Hebrew Scriptures, Cyrus is not a believer in Yahweh but is used by God to free the Jewish people, who were exiled in Babylon. So, Wallnau figured, even though Trump may not be a believer, he could be used by God to free conservative Christians, who were exiled in the U.S. due to the liberal Democrats.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, Cyrus is not a believer in Yahweh but is used by God to free the Jewish people, who were exiled in Babylon. So, Wallnau figured, even though Trump may not be a believer, he could be used by God to free conservative Christians, who were exiled in the U.S. due to the liberal Democrats.
matt walsh
Jan 20, 2022: Daily Citizen: Matt Walsh Speaks the Truth About ‘Gender Ideology’ on Dr. Phil – Upsets ‘Non-Binary’ Activists
Kudos to Matt Walsh, a conservative Christian author and activist, who participated in a Dr. Phil show with two “non-binary,” “transgender” activists. He explained the truth about the false “gender ideology” that has swept across our culture, courageously speaking before a hostile audience.
Kudos to Matt Walsh, a conservative Christian author and activist, who participated in a Dr. Phil show with two “non-binary,” “transgender” activists. He explained the truth about the false “gender ideology” that has swept across our culture, courageously speaking before a hostile audience.
erin walter
May 31, 2022: Dallas Morning News: Some North Texas clergy say helping abortion patients travel a ‘powerful’ experience
“Being a chaplain for these 20 people seeking abortions was one of the most spiritual, powerful, meaningful experiences of my ministry,” said Rev. Erin Walter. She is director of Texas Unitarian Universalist’s Justice Ministry and accompanied a group as chaplain several weeks ago.
“Being a chaplain for these 20 people seeking abortions was one of the most spiritual, powerful, meaningful experiences of my ministry,” said Rev. Erin Walter. She is director of Texas Unitarian Universalist’s Justice Ministry and accompanied a group as chaplain several weeks ago.
buddy walters
Feb 20, 2023: Religion News Service: Beth Moore tries to untangle her ‘all knotted-up life’ in new memoir
The other mentor was Buddy Walters, a former college football player who taught no-nonsense, in-depth Bible studies in Texas for years and who instilled in Moore a love for biblical scholarship. When she met Walter, Moore was filling in for a women’s Bible study teacher at her church who had gone on maternity leave. Under Walter’s tutelage, what started as a temporary assignment became a lifelong passion for Moore.
“I don’t think he would have picked me as a student,” she said. “It just was that I could not get enough.”
The other mentor was Buddy Walters, a former college football player who taught no-nonsense, in-depth Bible studies in Texas for years and who instilled in Moore a love for biblical scholarship. When she met Walter, Moore was filling in for a women’s Bible study teacher at her church who had gone on maternity leave. Under Walter’s tutelage, what started as a temporary assignment became a lifelong passion for Moore.
“I don’t think he would have picked me as a student,” she said. “It just was that I could not get enough.”
priscilla wan
March 2, 2023: Christian Post: ‘A ripple effect from Asbury’: Secular universities now seeing revival gatherings on their campuses
Priscilla Wan, director of the Faith Hope Love House of Prayer who is involved in campus ministry at OSU, also attended the event, telling CP that it was “powerful.”
“A small group of young men from OSU led two hours of worship/prayer with cajon, electric guitar, piano and two singers. Virtually the entire time was vertical ... meaning no speaker, and hardly anyone addressing the crowd,” she recounted.
Priscilla Wan, director of the Faith Hope Love House of Prayer who is involved in campus ministry at OSU, also attended the event, telling CP that it was “powerful.”
“A small group of young men from OSU led two hours of worship/prayer with cajon, electric guitar, piano and two singers. Virtually the entire time was vertical ... meaning no speaker, and hardly anyone addressing the crowd,” she recounted.
bashar warda
Kathryn Jean Lopez
Christianity in Iraq, on the other hand, is in a different place, on the other side of the ISIS genocide that drove most of the Christians from Mosul to Erbil, near Kurdistan. When it comes to the persecuted Church, Iraq is a hopeful story, if a work in progress.
“ISIS is defeated, Christ is victorious,” Archbishop Bashar Warda tells me. “The Church is back again. Mass is back again.”
Warda, who established the exchange program with Franciscan University, says it has helped change how young Iraqis see Americans.
At first, many of his people thought the students coming to teach them must have been desperate for jobs. But as the Iraqis got to know the American teachers, they saw real faith, talent and generosity.
The young people are coming because “they want to serve the needs of the Church. They show the beauty and kindness of American Catholics,” Warda says.
During the genocide, Warda was able, with the help of the Knights of Columbus and Aid to the Church in Need, to establish a Catholic university and a hospital, among other things, for the people who wound up on his doorstep as refugees from ISIS.
He was able to help Christians see a future in Iraq — education for children and jobs for their parents. Warda credits good priests like then-Father (now Bishop) Thabet Habib Yousif Al Mekko for doing the difficult work of “accompanying his people through that long, painful road.” (Both Warda and Thabet were in Orlando for the annual Knights of Columbus convention this summer.)
This is no small thing. In 2014, Iraqi Christians understandably were tempted to think “this is the end ... That there is no future for them in Iraq,” Warda remembers. --Kathryn Jean Lopez; Press Republican; Christianity is alive and well in Iraq 9.18.23
“ISIS is defeated, Christ is victorious,” Archbishop Bashar Warda tells me. “The Church is back again. Mass is back again.”
Warda, who established the exchange program with Franciscan University, says it has helped change how young Iraqis see Americans.
At first, many of his people thought the students coming to teach them must have been desperate for jobs. But as the Iraqis got to know the American teachers, they saw real faith, talent and generosity.
The young people are coming because “they want to serve the needs of the Church. They show the beauty and kindness of American Catholics,” Warda says.
During the genocide, Warda was able, with the help of the Knights of Columbus and Aid to the Church in Need, to establish a Catholic university and a hospital, among other things, for the people who wound up on his doorstep as refugees from ISIS.
He was able to help Christians see a future in Iraq — education for children and jobs for their parents. Warda credits good priests like then-Father (now Bishop) Thabet Habib Yousif Al Mekko for doing the difficult work of “accompanying his people through that long, painful road.” (Both Warda and Thabet were in Orlando for the annual Knights of Columbus convention this summer.)
This is no small thing. In 2014, Iraqi Christians understandably were tempted to think “this is the end ... That there is no future for them in Iraq,” Warda remembers. --Kathryn Jean Lopez; Press Republican; Christianity is alive and well in Iraq 9.18.23
Raphael Warnock
April 6, 2023:
CBN has an article about the upcoming election. They note that GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley and others are sounding the alarm. "All of this wokeism is trying to change the core of what the family is," Haley tells CBN News. "The family has always been one that prays at home, goes to church, teaches morals, grows their children, and sends them out to do God's work. That's always been the case until now."
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is expected to run, recently echoed that same concern on The 700 Club. "If we teach our kids garbage, if we do not remind them that this is a Judeo-Christian nation and is the most exceptional nation in the history of civilization, if we can't teach them the basics of reading and writing, and reasoning, if we get those things wrong, no secretary of state can fix that problem. The next generation will grow up thinking, gosh, we were taught America is racist. We were taught America is founded on an illogical idea and there is an oppressor class. You can't get those things back," Pompeo said. CBN also mention Trump and Ron DeSantis. Oh, and they also mention Mike Pence....who they think might has a chance...but I say not a single chance in hell.
CNS News reports that "Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D.-N.Y.) has been visiting Christian churches recently, appearing at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on Sunday, March 26, and at the Evangelical Crusade Christian Church in Brooklyn on Palm Sunday. “It’s such a joy to join together with @SenatorWarnock at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem where he once served and where he’s preaching a guest pastor today,” Schumer said in a tweet he sent out on March 26.
CBN has an article about the upcoming election. They note that GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley and others are sounding the alarm. "All of this wokeism is trying to change the core of what the family is," Haley tells CBN News. "The family has always been one that prays at home, goes to church, teaches morals, grows their children, and sends them out to do God's work. That's always been the case until now."
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is expected to run, recently echoed that same concern on The 700 Club. "If we teach our kids garbage, if we do not remind them that this is a Judeo-Christian nation and is the most exceptional nation in the history of civilization, if we can't teach them the basics of reading and writing, and reasoning, if we get those things wrong, no secretary of state can fix that problem. The next generation will grow up thinking, gosh, we were taught America is racist. We were taught America is founded on an illogical idea and there is an oppressor class. You can't get those things back," Pompeo said. CBN also mention Trump and Ron DeSantis. Oh, and they also mention Mike Pence....who they think might has a chance...but I say not a single chance in hell.
CNS News reports that "Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D.-N.Y.) has been visiting Christian churches recently, appearing at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on Sunday, March 26, and at the Evangelical Crusade Christian Church in Brooklyn on Palm Sunday. “It’s such a joy to join together with @SenatorWarnock at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem where he once served and where he’s preaching a guest pastor today,” Schumer said in a tweet he sent out on March 26.
kay warren
Dec 18, 2018: Christian Post: Are Christians who commit suicide condemned to Hell?
Saddleback Church co-founder and best-selling author Kay Warren whose son, Matthew, died by suicide at age 27 in 2013, has also emphasized that suicide doesn't condemn a Christian to Hell.
"God's promised us that Matthew's salvation was safe and secure. Matthew gave his life to Jesus when he was a little boy. And so, I'm absolutely 100 percent confident based on the work of Jesus that Matthew is in Heaven," she told The Christian Post in an earlier interview.
Mar 2015: Kay Warren: Christianity Today: No More Needless Deaths
Saddleback Church co-founder and best-selling author Kay Warren whose son, Matthew, died by suicide at age 27 in 2013, has also emphasized that suicide doesn't condemn a Christian to Hell.
"God's promised us that Matthew's salvation was safe and secure. Matthew gave his life to Jesus when he was a little boy. And so, I'm absolutely 100 percent confident based on the work of Jesus that Matthew is in Heaven," she told The Christian Post in an earlier interview.
Mar 2015: Kay Warren: Christianity Today: No More Needless Deaths
tish warren |
For over a decade, Tish has worked in ministry settings as a campus minister with InterVarsity Graduate and Faculty Ministries, as an associate rector, and with addicts and those in poverty through various churches and non-profit organizations. She is a founding member of The Pelican Project and a Senior Fellow with the Trinity Forum. She lives with her husband and three children in the Austin, Texas area.
Jan 3, 2023
JW Wartick
J.W. Wartick has an MA in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. His interests include theology, philosophy of religion--particularly the existence of God--astronomy, biology, archaeology, and sci-fi and fantasy novels.
Jan 4, 2016: JW Wartick: Always Have a Reason: “Faithful Elephants”- How a children’s story taught me war is terrible
Dec 18, 2015: JW Wartic: Always Have a Reason: Star Wars: The Force Awakens- a Christian perspective
Sept 1, 2015: JW Wartick: Eclectic Theist: 80s Fantasy Movie Review: “The Last Unicorn”
Mar 15, 2015: JW Wartick: Sunday Quote!- Does Concordism Fail?
Oct 29, 2014: JW Wartick: Always Have a Reason: “The Railway Man”: Forgiveness is more powerful than hate
Sept 24, 2014: JW Wartick: Always Have a Reason: A Brief Musing on the “Prosperity Gospel” – Psalm 4:6-7
Dec 18, 2015: JW Wartic: Always Have a Reason: Star Wars: The Force Awakens- a Christian perspective
Sept 1, 2015: JW Wartick: Eclectic Theist: 80s Fantasy Movie Review: “The Last Unicorn”
Mar 15, 2015: JW Wartick: Sunday Quote!- Does Concordism Fail?
Oct 29, 2014: JW Wartick: Always Have a Reason: “The Railway Man”: Forgiveness is more powerful than hate
Sept 24, 2014: JW Wartick: Always Have a Reason: A Brief Musing on the “Prosperity Gospel” – Psalm 4:6-7
Feb 3, 2014: .JW Wartick (JW Wartick "Always Have a Reason") shared "Sunday Quote! – Secularism as necessary in the Political Sphere?" He writes: The quote this week is from Elizabeth Shakman Hurd, The Politics of Secularism in International Relations, a book which makes me reminisce upon The Myth of Religious Violence by William Cavinaugh. The book is about how secularism comes into play with international relations, and how secularism is often turned into the wielding of power of the secularist over the religious other. Here’s a juicy quote explaining one of the products of secularism:
“[T]he objective of laicism is to create a neutral public space in which religious belief, practices, and institutions have lost their political significance… The mixing of religion and politics is regarded as irrational and dangerous. For modernization to take hold, religion must be separated from politics… Laicism adopts and expresses a pretense of neutrality… This makes it difficult for those who have been shaped by and draw upon this tradition [laicism] to see the limitations of their own conceptions of religion and politics.” -Elizabeth Hurd, “The Politics of Secularism in International Relations”
“[T]he objective of laicism is to create a neutral public space in which religious belief, practices, and institutions have lost their political significance… The mixing of religion and politics is regarded as irrational and dangerous. For modernization to take hold, religion must be separated from politics… Laicism adopts and expresses a pretense of neutrality… This makes it difficult for those who have been shaped by and draw upon this tradition [laicism] to see the limitations of their own conceptions of religion and politics.” -Elizabeth Hurd, “The Politics of Secularism in International Relations”
paul washer
Paul Washer
We should never present Christ to the unbeliever as the cherry on top of an already wonderful life. The unbeliever must see that he has no life, and that all his personal achievements prior to Christ are monuments to his own vanity: made of sand and quickly passing. – Paul Washer
craig Waters
Dec 12, 2022: Baptist Press: Wyoming pastor’s Santa cause is pointing to Christ
It’s not uncommon for Craig Waters to experience a case of mistaken identity.
Children routinely walk up to the pastor and tug on his pants, committed to getting an audience with him if only for a minute. To be fair, Waters’ white hair and beard, considerable girth and jolly nature have a lot to do with it. It’s almost like kids can sense that a Santa suit hangs in his closet.
It’s not uncommon for Craig Waters to experience a case of mistaken identity.
Children routinely walk up to the pastor and tug on his pants, committed to getting an audience with him if only for a minute. To be fair, Waters’ white hair and beard, considerable girth and jolly nature have a lot to do with it. It’s almost like kids can sense that a Santa suit hangs in his closet.
sharon E watkins
Rev. Dr. Sharon E. Watkins serves as General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. As General Minister, she is general pastor of the denomination, responsible for representing the wholeness of the church, for reconciling differences, and for helping the church retain its clarity of mission and identity. Her work includes interpreting The Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and convening tables for cooperative work.
Mar 28, 2015: Huffington Post: Disciples Of Christ Church Threatens A Boycott Over New Indiana Bill That Allows LGBT Discrimination
“Purportedly a matter of religious freedom, we find RFRA contrary to the values of our faith — as well as to our national and Hoosier values,” stated the letter, which was signed by Sharon E. Watkins, the church’s general minister and president, as well as the leaders of its overseas and domestic missions.
“Purportedly a matter of religious freedom, we find RFRA contrary to the values of our faith — as well as to our national and Hoosier values,” stated the letter, which was signed by Sharon E. Watkins, the church’s general minister and president, as well as the leaders of its overseas and domestic missions.
CHARLES WATSON JR |
Charles Watson Jr. is a Baptist-endorsed chaplain. But at 33 he’s found what’s likely to be a lifelong passion — advocating for religious liberty. As education and outreach specialist for the Washington based Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, the Georgia native aims to expand the base of support for religious liberty and engage the next generation of advocates.
Charles Watson Jr Files
"I believe religious liberty is always one generation away from extinction. Protecting it demands our utmost vigilance, including a targeted approach to the education of young people. This means we can never get so comfortable with this liberty that we take either one of the two religion clauses in the First Amendment — preventing an establishment of religion and protecting free exercise of religion — for granted. Fighting against government-sponsored religion and defending each citizen’s right to the free exercise of religion have to be the priorities of everyone who wants continued religious liberty for all in this country. Those two clauses were intended to keep government neutral — neither helping nor hurting religion, but taking a step back and allowing people of faith to practice their religion as they see fit.
If you are of the mindset that one particular religion should be given favorable treatment over others, then you probably are a little concerned to see religions other than your own being treated equally. It has been true for every civil rights or social justice issue in this country: when one group has been privileged or preferred, change can feel like assault or punishment to the previously entitled group. Actually, it is the pendulum swinging back to neutral, and that is where it should be in this country when it comes to religion.
I am inspired when people of different faiths can work together with each other in a collective advocacy effort. The BJC often collaborates with a wide range of religious and nonreligious organizations; of course, since colonial times, Baptists have worked in alliance with others when we find common cause. When people — regardless of faith — start with what they have in common, the BJC’s efforts to increase the number of religious liberty advocates are more successful.
It is disheartening when people advocate for the government to favor one religion over others. Many nations around the world have shown us that violence is the result of governments who fail to protect religious minorities. That is why our educational efforts at the BJC are focused on providing advocates with reliable resources on religious liberty issues. They can trust that our work is based in Baptist principles and centered on religious freedom for all — not just those who share our faith. We remain steadfast in our coalition work with groups of many faith perspectives, and we will make sure our efforts continue to reach younger generations of future advocates. " --Charles Watson Jr; Baptist News Global: Charles Watson is on a mission: to ensure religious freedom for the next generation ; 9.14.14
If you are of the mindset that one particular religion should be given favorable treatment over others, then you probably are a little concerned to see religions other than your own being treated equally. It has been true for every civil rights or social justice issue in this country: when one group has been privileged or preferred, change can feel like assault or punishment to the previously entitled group. Actually, it is the pendulum swinging back to neutral, and that is where it should be in this country when it comes to religion.
I am inspired when people of different faiths can work together with each other in a collective advocacy effort. The BJC often collaborates with a wide range of religious and nonreligious organizations; of course, since colonial times, Baptists have worked in alliance with others when we find common cause. When people — regardless of faith — start with what they have in common, the BJC’s efforts to increase the number of religious liberty advocates are more successful.
It is disheartening when people advocate for the government to favor one religion over others. Many nations around the world have shown us that violence is the result of governments who fail to protect religious minorities. That is why our educational efforts at the BJC are focused on providing advocates with reliable resources on religious liberty issues. They can trust that our work is based in Baptist principles and centered on religious freedom for all — not just those who share our faith. We remain steadfast in our coalition work with groups of many faith perspectives, and we will make sure our efforts continue to reach younger generations of future advocates. " --Charles Watson Jr; Baptist News Global: Charles Watson is on a mission: to ensure religious freedom for the next generation ; 9.14.14
Charles Watson Jr
“In this nation, Christianity has always been used as a sword. When has it not been used as a sword?...We’ve seen what happens with this. We don’t have to talk about slavery or the Holocaust. We can look at Mother Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., to see what Christian nationalism does. If you were to look at Dylann Roof’s manifesto, it was filled with Christian nationalism.”
--Charles Watson Jr; Baptist News Global; If you’re upset about the Taliban, you should be upset about Christian nationalists too, panelist says 12.22.21
--Charles Watson Jr; Baptist News Global; If you’re upset about the Taliban, you should be upset about Christian nationalists too, panelist says 12.22.21
barry waugh
Barry Waugh (PhD, WTS) is the editor of Presbyterians of the Past. He has written for various periodicals, such as the Westminster Theological Journal and The Confessional Presbyterian. He has also contributed to Gary L. W. Johnson’s, B. B. Warfield: Essays on His Life and Thought (2007) and edited Letters from the Front: J. Gresham Machen’s Correspondence from World War I (2012).
The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are, all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our neighbors, as well as our own, especially in public judicature; giving false evidence, suborning false witnesses, wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause, outfacing and overbearing the truth; passing unjust sentence, calling evil good, and good evil; rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and the righteous according to the work of the wicked; forgery, concealing the truth, undue silence in a just cause, and holding our peace when iniquity calleth for either a reproof from ourselves, or complaint to others; speaking the truth unseasonably, or maliciously to a wrong end, or perverting it to a wrong meaning, or in doubtful or equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of the truth or justice; speaking untruth, lying, slandering, backbiting, detracting, talebearing, whispering, scoffing, reviling, rash, harsh, and partial censuring; misconstructing intentions, words, and actions; flattering, vainglorious boasting, thinking or speaking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others; denying the gifts and graces of God; aggravating smaller faults; hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins, when called to a free confession; unnecessary discovering of infirmities; raising false rumors, receiving and countenancing evil reports, and stopping our ears against just defense; evil suspicion; envying or grieving at the deserved credit of any; endeavoring or desiring to impair it, rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy; scornful contempt, fond admiration; breach of lawful promises; neglecting such things as are of good report, and practicing, or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering what we can in others, such things as procure an ill name. --Barry Waugh; Reformation21; The Scope of Commandment Nine; 8.11.23
trevin wax
Trevin Wax is vice president of research and resources at the North American Mission Board and a visiting professor at Cedarville University. A former missionary to Romania, Trevin is a regular columnist at The Gospel Coalition and has contributed to The Washington Post, World, and Christianity Today. He has taught courses on mission and ministry at Wheaton College and has lectured on Christianity and culture at Oxford University. Some of his books include Psalms in 30 Days, The Thrill of Orthodoxy, Rethink Your Self, This Is Our Time, and Gospel Centered Teaching.
Trevin Wax Files
Treating theologians as “all or nothing” isn’t the way to go. It’s not wise to tar and feather past theologians or uncritically embrace them. Sinful forebears still have something to teach us.
The impulse on social media is to put everyone in quick and easy boxes so we know instantly who the “heroes” and “villains” are, but real life is gloriously complicated. Some of those we might call “villainous” had heroic traits of virtue, while those we might call “heroes” had villainous streaks of sin.
Instead, looking deeper requires us to carefully reckon with sin’s distorting effects in the theological outlook of past theologians. Onsi Kamel recommends we “look at the specific loci of thought and the particular sin, and then investigate in particular how the thought was noticeably impacted by the sin. And then discount or warn about or treat carefully those dimensions of thought.”
We should wonder . . .
How did Luther’s vicious anti-Semitism affect his approach to the Old Testament? Did his view of the Jews shape his sharp distinctions between law and gospel or his two-kingdoms approach to society?
How did Edwards’s slaveholding affect his understanding of mercy and justice? How did it alter the way he understood the Bible or his view of God? How did it shape his view of how society is to be ordered or his doctrine of humanity? Does the fact Edwards’s son became an ardent abolitionist complicate these questions?
How might Barth’s adultery have influenced his views on sin and grace? Did his willful rebellion and theological gymnastics diminish his understanding of God’s judgment? Did they play a part in some of his semi-universalistic musings?
Sanctification is often uneven, and I understand if this article complicates the issue and stirs up more questions than answers. That’s why we need more debate about past theologians, not less. More complexity, not simplistic answers. Truth isn’t served by hagiography or exalted biographical sketches that minimize the sins of theologians from the past. Neither is truth served by the impulse to see only the sins and not the signs of sanctification in the lives of influential thinkers. --Trevin Wax; Gospel Coalition: Should We Cancel Karl Barth, Martin Luther, and Jonathan Edwards? 2.28.23
The impulse on social media is to put everyone in quick and easy boxes so we know instantly who the “heroes” and “villains” are, but real life is gloriously complicated. Some of those we might call “villainous” had heroic traits of virtue, while those we might call “heroes” had villainous streaks of sin.
Instead, looking deeper requires us to carefully reckon with sin’s distorting effects in the theological outlook of past theologians. Onsi Kamel recommends we “look at the specific loci of thought and the particular sin, and then investigate in particular how the thought was noticeably impacted by the sin. And then discount or warn about or treat carefully those dimensions of thought.”
We should wonder . . .
How did Luther’s vicious anti-Semitism affect his approach to the Old Testament? Did his view of the Jews shape his sharp distinctions between law and gospel or his two-kingdoms approach to society?
How did Edwards’s slaveholding affect his understanding of mercy and justice? How did it alter the way he understood the Bible or his view of God? How did it shape his view of how society is to be ordered or his doctrine of humanity? Does the fact Edwards’s son became an ardent abolitionist complicate these questions?
How might Barth’s adultery have influenced his views on sin and grace? Did his willful rebellion and theological gymnastics diminish his understanding of God’s judgment? Did they play a part in some of his semi-universalistic musings?
Sanctification is often uneven, and I understand if this article complicates the issue and stirs up more questions than answers. That’s why we need more debate about past theologians, not less. More complexity, not simplistic answers. Truth isn’t served by hagiography or exalted biographical sketches that minimize the sins of theologians from the past. Neither is truth served by the impulse to see only the sins and not the signs of sanctification in the lives of influential thinkers. --Trevin Wax; Gospel Coalition: Should We Cancel Karl Barth, Martin Luther, and Jonathan Edwards? 2.28.23
Trevin Wax Files
Cultural apologetics is about discovering what makes people in a culture “tick.” Why do they believe what they believe? What is plausible in this society? What is their view of the good life? You discern these sensibilities in films, in TV series, in books, songs, musicals, even YouTube tutorials. This manner of apologetics examines the culture and then looks for ways to bring the truth of the gospel to bear, into a missionary encounter with that culture.
If apologetics is about making arguments to defend Christian truth, cultural apologetics is about making arguments that showcase the beauty and goodness of Christianity, using cultural touchpoints as an opportunity for gospel witness. It’s a precursor to evangelism. It sets the stage so that the beauty of the gospel can be accentuated.
--Trevin Wax; Gospel Coalition: Don’t Overlook the Value of Cultural Apologetics; 4.5.22
If apologetics is about making arguments to defend Christian truth, cultural apologetics is about making arguments that showcase the beauty and goodness of Christianity, using cultural touchpoints as an opportunity for gospel witness. It’s a precursor to evangelism. It sets the stage so that the beauty of the gospel can be accentuated.
--Trevin Wax; Gospel Coalition: Don’t Overlook the Value of Cultural Apologetics; 4.5.22
June 20, 2023: Trevin Wax: Gospel Coalition: If You Care About Spiritual Abuse, Watch Your Language
Trevin Wax Files
Speaking plainly about death gives us more opportunities to highlight the future hope of resurrection. The Bible tells us death is awful but also that love is stronger than death (Song 8:6). Do you feel the power of that promise? Love beats death.
When I look for softer ways to speak about death, I muffle the shouts and cheers of resurrection victory. But when I acknowledge how harsh and horrible death is, I get to wave my finger in the face of that tyrant and say, “O death, where is your sting!”
That’s why I’d rather say “death” and then stand defiant in resurrection hope. No matter how many times that foe robs us of our friends and loved ones, no matter how gaping the hole of our own future gravesite, we can look that ancient enemy in the face knowing the decisive battle has already been won—when the last enemy is defeated, death itself will be swallowed up by the grave (1 Cor. 15). In Adam, all die. In Christ, all will be made alive.
So remember, Jesus didn’t come to conquer a friend. He didn’t come to ease our “passing.” He came to conquer and overturn death forever. “Passing away” language doesn’t do justice to the power of our enemy or the promise of our hope. -Trevin Wax; Gospel Coalition 2.24.23
When I look for softer ways to speak about death, I muffle the shouts and cheers of resurrection victory. But when I acknowledge how harsh and horrible death is, I get to wave my finger in the face of that tyrant and say, “O death, where is your sting!”
That’s why I’d rather say “death” and then stand defiant in resurrection hope. No matter how many times that foe robs us of our friends and loved ones, no matter how gaping the hole of our own future gravesite, we can look that ancient enemy in the face knowing the decisive battle has already been won—when the last enemy is defeated, death itself will be swallowed up by the grave (1 Cor. 15). In Adam, all die. In Christ, all will be made alive.
So remember, Jesus didn’t come to conquer a friend. He didn’t come to ease our “passing.” He came to conquer and overturn death forever. “Passing away” language doesn’t do justice to the power of our enemy or the promise of our hope. -Trevin Wax; Gospel Coalition 2.24.23
May 9, 2014: Baptist Press: HGTV cancels show; stars called 'anti-gay'
Trevin Wax, managing editor of LifeWay Christian Resources’ “The Gospel Project” curriculum, said via Twitter, “Here we go again, folks. Express your religious views, lose your contract.”
Trevin Wax, managing editor of LifeWay Christian Resources’ “The Gospel Project” curriculum, said via Twitter, “Here we go again, folks. Express your religious views, lose your contract.”
michael wear
Michael Wear
“The majority of white evangelicals have accepted this idea that Trump wants what they want — I’m not sure this indictment changes that...I don’t think there is any clearer picture of what’s going on in the right-wing political space. What used to be assertions of evangelical influence are now assertions of evangelical assimilation into a political movement.”
--Michael Wear; Center for Christianity and Public Life 8.4.23
rob webb
Rob Webb earned his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2011. Shortly afterwards, he and his wife and moved to Colorado to start his career with an aerospace company while working on his graduate degree. In 2014, Rob received an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering with a concentration in Astrodynamics and Satellite Navigation from the University of Colorado–Boulder. As a Christian, particularly a Young Earth Creationist (YEC), working in the secular rocket science (i.e., aerospace) field, Rob Webb has experienced what many modern-day believers have—engaging in a workplace with beliefs counter to the wisdom and science of this world.
Rob Webb Files
Despite Satan’s head being victoriously crushed by Jesus Christ and ultimately destroying Satan’s work via the cross (1 John 3:8), our enemy remains determined in his hatred of the church. And since he knows the victory is certain and imminent, he’s looking to take casualties with him, prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). So, in his feeble attempt to prevent God’s kingdom from expanding (Matthew 6:10), Satan still deceives many to do his bidding and destroy our unborn neighbors, all under the pretense of “choice.”
-Rob Webb; Answers in Genesis; 5.6.22
-Rob Webb; Answers in Genesis; 5.6.22
Stovall and Kerri Weems
July 27, 2023: Christian Post: Church of the Highlands founder Chris Hodges denies ‘engineering’ takeover of Celebration Church
Founder and leader of Church of the Highlands in Alabama, Chris Hodges, has dismissed claims in a lawsuit by Celebration Church founders Stovall and Kerri Weems that he, along with several other high-profile members of the Association of Related Churches, engineered a takeover of the megachurch for financial gain and damaged the couple's reputation.
Founder and leader of Church of the Highlands in Alabama, Chris Hodges, has dismissed claims in a lawsuit by Celebration Church founders Stovall and Kerri Weems that he, along with several other high-profile members of the Association of Related Churches, engineered a takeover of the megachurch for financial gain and damaged the couple's reputation.
peter wehner
“The ethic of Jesus has gotten in the way of successfully prosecuting the culture wars against the left. If the ethic of Jesus encourages sensibilities that might cause people in politics to act a little less brutally, a bit more civilly, with a touch more grace? Then it needs to go. Decency is for suckers.”
--Peter Wehner; The Atlantic
--Peter Wehner; The Atlantic
“The former president’s son,” Wehner writes, “has a message for the tens of millions of evangelicals who form the energized base of the GOP: the scriptures are essentially a manual for suckers. The teachings of Jesus have ‘gotten us nothing.’ ”
- Peter Wehner, evangelical Christian & former adviser to President George W. Bush
- Peter Wehner, evangelical Christian & former adviser to President George W. Bush
mikey weinstein
October 25, 2023
How Christian Nationalism Spread In The US Military
As tensions between Moscow and Washington, D.C. rise along the Ukrainian border, an officer responsible for some of the most powerful weapons in the U.S. arsenal tells his men that he knows how to respond to the situation because he has seen it all before — in the Book of Revelation. While the scenario sounds like the plot of a Tom Clancy novel, this is no work of fiction, according to Mikey Weinstein, a former air force officer who is the founder and head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. (Joseph Hammond/Religion Unplugged)
Read More>>>>>
As tensions between Moscow and Washington, D.C. rise along the Ukrainian border, an officer responsible for some of the most powerful weapons in the U.S. arsenal tells his men that he knows how to respond to the situation because he has seen it all before — in the Book of Revelation. While the scenario sounds like the plot of a Tom Clancy novel, this is no work of fiction, according to Mikey Weinstein, a former air force officer who is the founder and head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. (Joseph Hammond/Religion Unplugged)
Read More>>>>>
jack wellman
Jack Wellman is pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane, Kansas. With degrees in Biblical studies, history, and education, Pastor Jack's primary focus is theology, apologetics and evangelism.
Jack Wellman
When I was witnessing to a stranger the other day, he was convinced that he was a pretty good person, but compared to whom? Compared to his own ideas of what is good and what is bad. God’s idea is that we need to be perfect, having the required righteousness of Christ. I reminded him that none of us are really good, not even one of us (Rom. 3:10); it’s just that we’ve been forgiven by a very good God. He said, “Well, at least I’m not a murderer,” but I told him that each of us will have to stand and give an account for what we’ve done in this life (Rom. 14:12; 1 Cor. 5:10) and that God will not say, “Well, compared to your neighbor there, you’re a pretty good guy.” No, we will stand alone, and God won’t say, “Okay, I’ll wait until you find someone who’s worse than you and then judge you according to how bad they are.” Try that in a court of law. I can guarantee that it won’t work.
Paul said that not only is it foolish to compare ourselves with others, but we dare not even try to classify ourselves in a certain standing before God based upon what we think (2 Cor. 10:12a). Jesus said that we must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matt. 5:48) and that our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees (Matt. 5:20), so that presents a problem. Nothing sinful or imperfect can even enter heaven (Rev. 21:27). We must compare ourselves to the model of Christ and not others, and that’s a pretty high bar to reach, but there is a solution. For those who have repented and trusted in Christ, they will be seen as having the same righteousness as Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). Problem solved. - Jack Wellman; Rhetorical Jesus; Do You Compare Your Life To People Around You, or to Me? 10.8.23
Paul said that not only is it foolish to compare ourselves with others, but we dare not even try to classify ourselves in a certain standing before God based upon what we think (2 Cor. 10:12a). Jesus said that we must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matt. 5:48) and that our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees (Matt. 5:20), so that presents a problem. Nothing sinful or imperfect can even enter heaven (Rev. 21:27). We must compare ourselves to the model of Christ and not others, and that’s a pretty high bar to reach, but there is a solution. For those who have repented and trusted in Christ, they will be seen as having the same righteousness as Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). Problem solved. - Jack Wellman; Rhetorical Jesus; Do You Compare Your Life To People Around You, or to Me? 10.8.23
Jack Wellman
"Here is where David admits that his sin is not going away and “is ever before” him, meaning that unconfessed sin is sin that is not forgiven. David does eventually confess in his repentant state of mind. He admits that his sins are primarily (but not only) against God and by confessing, he wants to be justified and be seen as blameless in God’s sight." -Jack Wellman
"Here is where David admits that his sin is not going away and “is ever before” him, meaning that unconfessed sin is sin that is not forgiven. David does eventually confess in his repentant state of mind. He admits that his sins are primarily (but not only) against God and by confessing, he wants to be justified and be seen as blameless in God’s sight." -Jack Wellman
Jack Wellman
When Jesus was speaking about adultery, He said that it’s not only the physical act that is sinful, but in our minds we can sin too. The Lord said “that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt 5:28). To be sure, sin begins in the mind before it’s ever manifested in the flesh. We think about it…ponder it, and then act on it. The fruit the human heart naturally produces evil works, so whatever starts in the mind can end up being “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these” (Gal 5:19-21a), and the bad news about those who bear such fruit is that “those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal 5:21b). The fruit reveals the root, and until we’ve received the Holy Spirit, we cannot possible bear righteous fruit like “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). -Jack Wellman; Christian Crier
jared C wellman
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SBC Executive Committee member once again criticized for sexually crude social media posts
Likewise, Jared Wellman, an Arlington, Texas, pastor who chairs the Executive Committee, denounced Fredrick in a tweet: “There is never a proper context to objectify another person. This is especially true for the Christian, who knows by God’s Word that people are made in God’s image.” (Mark Wingfield/Baptist News Global 2/3/23) READ MORE>>>>> |
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Howard-John Wesley |
Dr. Howard-John Wesley is the product of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and graduated magna cum laude from Duke University with a bachelor of science in biomedical and electrical engineering. While in medical school, Dr. Wesley yielded to the call of God and walked away from a path to a medical career to attend seminary at the prestigious Boston University School of Theology where he was a Martin Luther King, Jr. scholar and a summa cum laude graduate in biblical studies and African American religious history. He received his doctor of ministry in preaching from Northern Baptist Seminary. His passion for and excellence in preaching has a orded him the opportunity to serve as an adjunct professor at Hartford Seminary, Boston University, and Virginia Theological Seminary. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Virginia Union University and the Vice-Chairman of John Leland Center for Theological Studies, the Board of Visitors of the Duke Divinity School, and the Board of Directors of the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Missionary Convention. Dr. Wesley is the son of the late Rev. Dr. Alvin and Dr. Helene Wesley and represents the fourth generation of Baptist preachers in his family. He is an avid golfer, moviegoer, spades player, and aspiring chef. He is a Lifetime member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., as well as a member of Sigma Pi Phi Boule, the rst successful and oldest African American Greek-lettered organization. His sons, Howard-John II (Deuce) and Cooper Reece, are the greatest joys of his life.
Dec 17, 2021: Because of Them We Can: Historic Virginia Church Creates ‘VERSES’ Bible Based Trivia Card Game
The historical Alfred Street Baptist Church, located in Alexandria, Virginia, which traces its history back to the early 1800s, has now entered into the world of gaming. The game was inspired by Pastor Howard-John Wesley, who alongside his ministerial team and creative producer, were looking for a way to make creating Bible study lessons easier while Wesley was in his PhD program during the pandemic. That’s when they decided to create a Bible based trivia game show entitled “VERSES.”
The historical Alfred Street Baptist Church, located in Alexandria, Virginia, which traces its history back to the early 1800s, has now entered into the world of gaming. The game was inspired by Pastor Howard-John Wesley, who alongside his ministerial team and creative producer, were looking for a way to make creating Bible study lessons easier while Wesley was in his PhD program during the pandemic. That’s when they decided to create a Bible based trivia game show entitled “VERSES.”
Apr 6, 2015: Christian Post: Obama Family Attends Prominent African-American Megachurch for Easter; Pastor Touches on Questions of Same-Sex Marriage, Healthcare, Resurrection of Christ
President Barack Obama and his family attended the prominent Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, on Easter Sunday. The pastor, Rev. Howard-John Wesley, touched on a number of social issues in his sermon, including same-sex marriage, healthcare, and the resurrection of Christ.
President Barack Obama and his family attended the prominent Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, on Easter Sunday. The pastor, Rev. Howard-John Wesley, touched on a number of social issues in his sermon, including same-sex marriage, healthcare, and the resurrection of Christ.
ralph douglas west
May 2, 2018: Christianity Today: Tim Keller, John Piper, and Andy Stanley Among the 12 ‘Most Effective’ Preachers
Ralph Douglas West, founder and senior pastor of The Church Without Walls in Houston. A multisite megachurch pastor and adjunct professor of preaching at Truett, West has reflected on Martin Luther King Jr. as a preacher, and a sermon of his on Christian maturity was featured in Preaching Today.
Ralph Douglas West, founder and senior pastor of The Church Without Walls in Houston. A multisite megachurch pastor and adjunct professor of preaching at Truett, West has reflected on Martin Luther King Jr. as a preacher, and a sermon of his on Christian maturity was featured in Preaching Today.
thomas west
Thomas West (PhD, Southeastern Seminary) is the pastor of Redeemer Queen’s Park in London, England. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have two children, and they share their story at TheWestLondonLife.com.
Thomas West
Cultural apologetics is concerned with helping unbelievers want the gospel to be true even before they completely understand the good news in all its fullness. Keller accentuated this approach by focusing on grace, not just as a theoretical or propositional concept but as a deeply affective and living reality that’s beautiful to behold.
Here’s how Mason describes it: “He showed us how grace applied to a whole range of personal and pastoral situations—and how that changed the way we think about God, ourselves, and other people. We’re deeply indebted to him for that.”
It’s hard to think of another Christian leader whose works are as widely influential among British evangelicals in the present day.
Fuller traces out the effects of God’s grace even further. “Keller was a helpful corrective in his irenic tone. To British evangelicals, who often feel they are a beleaguered minority holding back a liberal tide, he was a great model of holding firmly to confessional truths of the Scriptures with generosity and with grace.”
Keller helped British people see that the God-satisfied center of Reformed theology has implications for all of life and ministry. -Thomas West: Gospel Coalition; 5 Ways Keller Influenced British Evangelicals 8.23.23
Here’s how Mason describes it: “He showed us how grace applied to a whole range of personal and pastoral situations—and how that changed the way we think about God, ourselves, and other people. We’re deeply indebted to him for that.”
It’s hard to think of another Christian leader whose works are as widely influential among British evangelicals in the present day.
Fuller traces out the effects of God’s grace even further. “Keller was a helpful corrective in his irenic tone. To British evangelicals, who often feel they are a beleaguered minority holding back a liberal tide, he was a great model of holding firmly to confessional truths of the Scriptures with generosity and with grace.”
Keller helped British people see that the God-satisfied center of Reformed theology has implications for all of life and ministry. -Thomas West: Gospel Coalition; 5 Ways Keller Influenced British Evangelicals 8.23.23
Karen Wheaton
Karen Harris Wheaton Towe is an American Pentecostal preacher, Gospel music singer and recording artist based in Hamilton, Alabama whose career has spanned the late 1970s until the present time. She has toured throughout the U.S. performing at events that also featured preachers and Christian artists such as Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, Benny Hinn and the Gaither Homecoming. Her singing voice is classified in the Mississippi Delta style, which is fused with blues, urban contemporary gospel, and bluegrass gospel influences. She is the Director and Founder of "The Ramp," a youth ministry located in the city of Hamilton, Alabama. The Ramp operates with the goal of "awakening a generation," holding Christian rallies, concerts, and conferences for teenagers.
Mar 29, 2015: Youtube: "Lord You're Holy" by Karen Wheaton
D2D4H (Destined to Dance for Him) ministers in a MIGHTY way under the direction of Shannon Lehew
Dec 17, 2014: Daystar: Karen Wheaton, Rodrigo Rodriguez, Ricky and Cyd Texada (12.17.2014)
Coming up on Marcus and Joni, Rodrigo Rodriguez ministers through music, plus Karen Wheaton and Ricky and Cyd Texada share their stories.
Nov 2, 2010: Youtube: 03. Karen Wheaton Live! "Lord You're Holy" & "Exhoration III"
Karen Wheaton Live! "Lord You're Holy" & "Exhoration III". Eddie James directs Choir & Band.
D2D4H (Destined to Dance for Him) ministers in a MIGHTY way under the direction of Shannon Lehew
Dec 17, 2014: Daystar: Karen Wheaton, Rodrigo Rodriguez, Ricky and Cyd Texada (12.17.2014)
Coming up on Marcus and Joni, Rodrigo Rodriguez ministers through music, plus Karen Wheaton and Ricky and Cyd Texada share their stories.
Nov 2, 2010: Youtube: 03. Karen Wheaton Live! "Lord You're Holy" & "Exhoration III"
Karen Wheaton Live! "Lord You're Holy" & "Exhoration III". Eddie James directs Choir & Band.
hugh whelchel
Hugh Whelchel is executive director of the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, a biblical advocacy think tank based in the Washington, DC area, and author of How Then Should We Work? Rediscovering the Biblical Doctrine of Work.
Hugh Whelchel
God gave humanity dominion over the earth to steward with authority, responsibility and care. In Genesis 1:28, we are told that one of the things we are created to do is to subdue the earth. The Hebrew word, translated “subdue” in verse 28 (Hebrew kabash) in that context, means to make the earth useful for human beings’ benefit and enjoyment.
Stewardship implies an expectation of human achievement. If God entrusts me with something, then he expects me to do something with it, something worthwhile, something that he finds valuable. God has entrusted us with certain resources, gifts and abilities. Our responsibility, as Dr. Ken Boa, president of Reflections Ministries, writes, “is to live by that trust by managing these things well, according to his design and desire.”
--Hugh Whelchel
Stewardship implies an expectation of human achievement. If God entrusts me with something, then he expects me to do something with it, something worthwhile, something that he finds valuable. God has entrusted us with certain resources, gifts and abilities. Our responsibility, as Dr. Ken Boa, president of Reflections Ministries, writes, “is to live by that trust by managing these things well, according to his design and desire.”
--Hugh Whelchel
tim whitaker
June 24, 2023: Flux: Can evangelical Christianity be saved from right-wing extremism?
Activist and podcaster Tim Whitaker describes how and why he and others are trying to build an inclusive faith
Activist and podcaster Tim Whitaker describes how and why he and others are trying to build an inclusive faith
james emery white
2010: Preaching: The 25 Most Influential Pastors of the Past 25 Years
A quarter-century has brought great changes to the preaching landscape, and today’s list of contributing editors includes names that would have been unknown to most pastors 25 years ago: Rick Warren, Bryan Chapell, James MacDonald, Robert Smith, Dave Stone, James Emery White and Ed Young Jr. (though his pastor dad would have been a good candidate for the original list—and is now among our senior consulting editors).
A quarter-century has brought great changes to the preaching landscape, and today’s list of contributing editors includes names that would have been unknown to most pastors 25 years ago: Rick Warren, Bryan Chapell, James MacDonald, Robert Smith, Dave Stone, James Emery White and Ed Young Jr. (though his pastor dad would have been a good candidate for the original list—and is now among our senior consulting editors).
leslie white
Lesli White is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth with a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications and a concentration in print and online journalism. In college, she took a number of religious studies courses and harnessed her talent for storytelling. White has a rich faith background. Her father, a Lutheran pastor and life coach was a big influence in her faith life, helping her to see the value of sharing the message of Christ with others. She has served in the church from an early age. Some of these roles include assisting ministry, mutual ministry, worship and music ministry and church council.
Lesli White
If the devil can get you to believe the physical world is more real than the spiritual world, he can trick you into pursuing things like money, power and fame and have you believing that materialistic things are more important than being in a relationship with God. If you think this, then you won’t seek first the kingdom of God. But there is far more greatness in God’s Heavenly Kingdom than any material possession we acquire while in physical form on Earth.
In 1 Timothy 1:9-11, lying is listed as something that is practiced by the lawless. Just as there are people around you who will lie to avoid confronting the truth, there are people who will buy into lies in order to avoid God’s truth. While the devil lies constantly, God never does. In fact, He is the source of truth. Hebrews 6:18 tells us, “It is impossible for God to lie.” Jesus tells us He is the way, the truth and the life. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be people of truth. Believing these lies keeps us from fully living this. --Leslie White; Belief.Net: 6 Lies Satan Wants You to Believe About God
In 1 Timothy 1:9-11, lying is listed as something that is practiced by the lawless. Just as there are people around you who will lie to avoid confronting the truth, there are people who will buy into lies in order to avoid God’s truth. While the devil lies constantly, God never does. In fact, He is the source of truth. Hebrews 6:18 tells us, “It is impossible for God to lie.” Jesus tells us He is the way, the truth and the life. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be people of truth. Believing these lies keeps us from fully living this. --Leslie White; Belief.Net: 6 Lies Satan Wants You to Believe About God
thomas white
Feb 16, 2023: Christian Post: Cedarville University experiencing ‘outpouring of the Lord’ in campus revival
A Christian university in Ohio is seeing spontaneous prayer and worship among its student body days after a revival began at Asbury University in Kentucky.
Cedarville University President Thomas White described what was happening as “a special outpouring and sensing of the presence of the Lord,” adding that it “will be left to the historians” to determine if it was truly a revival.
A Christian university in Ohio is seeing spontaneous prayer and worship among its student body days after a revival began at Asbury University in Kentucky.
Cedarville University President Thomas White described what was happening as “a special outpouring and sensing of the presence of the Lord,” adding that it “will be left to the historians” to determine if it was truly a revival.
andrew whitehead
Andrew Whitehead is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). He has been interviewed on NBC News, NPR, and the BBC. He has also written for the Washington Post, Time, NBC News, and the Religion News Service, where he examines Christian nationalism, religion and American culture, and childhood disability and religion. His work has won several awards including the 2021 Distinguished Book Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion for his book Taking America Back for God. He has also won distinguished article awards from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion and the Association for the Sociology of Religion. In 2017, he was awarded an Excellence in Research award from the College of Behavioral, Social, and Health Sciences at Clemson University. Whitehead is also a Project Director at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at IUPUI, and a co-Director of the Association of Religion Data Archives (theARDA.com), the world's largest online religion data archive.
November 5, 2023:
American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church: A conversation with Andrew L. Whitehead
Andrew L. Whitehead’s accessible book American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church raises difficult but necessary questions about the influence of Christian nationalism in America. What is it? Why is it dangerous for our faith, our churches, and our country? How can Christians see through Christian nationalism as a false god that twists the good news of Jesus away from his call to “love your neighbor as yourself”? (Jim Denison/Denison Forum)
Read More>>>>>
Andrew L. Whitehead’s accessible book American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church raises difficult but necessary questions about the influence of Christian nationalism in America. What is it? Why is it dangerous for our faith, our churches, and our country? How can Christians see through Christian nationalism as a false god that twists the good news of Jesus away from his call to “love your neighbor as yourself”? (Jim Denison/Denison Forum)
Read More>>>>>
Andrew Whitehead
"....nationalism is this desire to see the United States elevated above any other country or people to the detriment of those others. And so it's less like a patriotism of cheering for your fellow countrymen or women. And wanting now to actually to see the U. S. dominate. And be the only people that can compete, right? And so it isn't just, cheering them on and then, cheering on other folks from other countries, or at least, representing them well. But now it should be just us on the stage. It should be only us to have an access to winning a medal or whatever else. And this idea of nationalism is wanting to see the U. S. elevated over and above everyone else, whereas patriotism is wanting to see people around us flourish as a part of a healthy community. And so when we're talking about Christian nationalism, again, seeing this particular expression of Christianity elevated over and above any other type of Christian over and above any other type of religious other, religious minorities or people who are not religious, wanting to see only the quote unquote us the in group benefit from American society. And so I think that's where it leads us away from the gospel. And it also leads us away from a healthy patriotism of wanting to see America do well and do better. And to see those around us do well and do better. And yeah, that's how we can distinguish between patriotism and nationalism
--Andrew Whitehead; Denison Forum; American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church: 10.30.23
--Andrew Whitehead; Denison Forum; American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church: 10.30.23
August 18, 2023:
I was a Christian nationalist
Reading sociologist Andrew L. Whitehead’s new book, American Idolatry, I had the distinct feeling of being back at my childhood church. Whitehead and I met during our freshman year of high school in the youth group of a large rural evangelical church in northern Indiana. This is the church where we learned to love and follow Jesus. Where we learned to read the Bible. Where we found Christian community and made lifelong friendships, including with each other. And it is where we were unwittingly formed into ambassadors of (white) Christian nationalism. (David C Cramer/Anabaptist World)
Read More>>>>>
Reading sociologist Andrew L. Whitehead’s new book, American Idolatry, I had the distinct feeling of being back at my childhood church. Whitehead and I met during our freshman year of high school in the youth group of a large rural evangelical church in northern Indiana. This is the church where we learned to love and follow Jesus. Where we learned to read the Bible. Where we found Christian community and made lifelong friendships, including with each other. And it is where we were unwittingly formed into ambassadors of (white) Christian nationalism. (David C Cramer/Anabaptist World)
Read More>>>>>
Andrew Whitehead
“Christian Nationalism is not just a problem ‘out there,’ but is something that we have to take ownership of and educate ourselves about and resource our leaders in order to confront and oppose. Christian Nationalism betrays the gospel and threatens the church..............What I later came to recognize, study, and define as Christian Nationalism, was — and for many people still is — taken for granted. I didn’t question the tenets of Christian Nationalism, and more importantly, how they differed from various expressions of the Christian faith............It is so encouraging to see the denomination grappling with Christian Nationalism, committing to having the hard conversations, and equipping its clergy and congregations to respond to the current cultural and political moment. The church is setting a wonderful example!”. --Andrew Whitehead; Word & Way; Disciples Confronting Christian Nationalism 8.8.23
Feb 23, 2023: Rolling Stone: The Christian Nationalist Machine Turning Hate Into Law
Long a shadowy force in American politics, Christian Nationalism is having a coming out party. The movement seeks a fusion of fundamentalist theology with American civic life. “They believe that this country was founded for Christians like them, generally natural-born citizens and white,” says Andrew Whitehead, author of Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States. Whitehead emphasizes that the danger of Christian Nationalism to democracy is that the movement “sees no room for compromise — their vision must be the one that comes to pass.”
Long a shadowy force in American politics, Christian Nationalism is having a coming out party. The movement seeks a fusion of fundamentalist theology with American civic life. “They believe that this country was founded for Christians like them, generally natural-born citizens and white,” says Andrew Whitehead, author of Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States. Whitehead emphasizes that the danger of Christian Nationalism to democracy is that the movement “sees no room for compromise — their vision must be the one that comes to pass.”
lamor whitehead
Mar 12, 2023: Daily Mail: When good pastors go bad: From disgraced Carl Lentz's multiple affairs in Hillsong scandal to NYC's 'bling bishop', these are the biggest falls from grace
New York City's notorious 'bling pastor' Lamor Whitehead, the founder of Brooklyn's Leaders of Tomorrow International Church, was charged in December 2022 with scamming his parishioners out of more than $100,000 and lying to the FBI.
Whitehead, who made headlines for preaching prosperity, was robbed at gunpoint by two men while he was giving a live-streamed sermon.
It was later revealed that he had previously served two years in a state prison on multiple counts of identity fraud and grand larceny before he was released early for good behavior.
According to the indictment, Whitehead scammed one of his parishioners out of $90,000 from her retirement savings.
It says he had promised to buy the woman a home, but instead spent the money on luxury goods and clothing.
Separately, federal authorities allege Whitehead extorted an unnamed businessman out of $5,000 in April and May of 2022 and asked the man to lend him $50,000, promising he could make them both 'millions'.
The pastor also made a name for himself negotiating the surrender of a subway shooting suspect who was wanted for killing a Goldman Sachs employee.
In May 2022, Whitehead rolled up to the NYPD's Fifth Police Precinct on behalf of the shooting suspect in his $350,000 Rolls-Royce, wearing a Fendi blazer.
Whitehead, who denies the fraud allegations, was later hit with further fraud charges for fabricating bank records in an attempt to finance his million-dollar New Jersey mansion, federal prosecutors said.
The pastor allegedly created a fake bank account to get a mortgage loan in 2019 and altered bank records to make it appear that the LLC had an average balance of more than $2 million, when it actually had less than $10.
New York City's notorious 'bling pastor' Lamor Whitehead, the founder of Brooklyn's Leaders of Tomorrow International Church, was charged in December 2022 with scamming his parishioners out of more than $100,000 and lying to the FBI.
Whitehead, who made headlines for preaching prosperity, was robbed at gunpoint by two men while he was giving a live-streamed sermon.
It was later revealed that he had previously served two years in a state prison on multiple counts of identity fraud and grand larceny before he was released early for good behavior.
According to the indictment, Whitehead scammed one of his parishioners out of $90,000 from her retirement savings.
It says he had promised to buy the woman a home, but instead spent the money on luxury goods and clothing.
Separately, federal authorities allege Whitehead extorted an unnamed businessman out of $5,000 in April and May of 2022 and asked the man to lend him $50,000, promising he could make them both 'millions'.
The pastor also made a name for himself negotiating the surrender of a subway shooting suspect who was wanted for killing a Goldman Sachs employee.
In May 2022, Whitehead rolled up to the NYPD's Fifth Police Precinct on behalf of the shooting suspect in his $350,000 Rolls-Royce, wearing a Fendi blazer.
Whitehead, who denies the fraud allegations, was later hit with further fraud charges for fabricating bank records in an attempt to finance his million-dollar New Jersey mansion, federal prosecutors said.
The pastor allegedly created a fake bank account to get a mortgage loan in 2019 and altered bank records to make it appear that the LLC had an average balance of more than $2 million, when it actually had less than $10.
Donald Whitney
Donald Whitney
Although the Holy Spirit produces the desire for godliness, progress in godliness isn’t automatic. After all, God says, “Train yourself for godliness.” The Spirit motivates and enables us to train ourselves, but He doesn’t do the training for us. The practical, day-by-day obedience to the command is our Spirit-empowered responsibility. The key to cultivating practical godliness in real life is discipline: intentional, ongoing participation in the God-given means of grace found in God’s Word. That’s why I prefer the New American Standard Bible’s rendering of 1 Timothy 4:7, “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” The “purpose” of the practice is godliness, that is, the “holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” The God-designed responsibility you have in this lifelong pursuit is to “discipline yourself.” What kind of discipline? Well, obviously it’s not bodily discipline (as the next verse—1 Tim. 4:8—makes clear), otherwise body-builders would be the godliest people on earth. Rather the Bible is referring to spiritual discipline. And the practices found in Scripture which cultivate practical godliness have come to be known as “the spiritual disciplines.” So, the way we discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness is by practicing the biblical spiritual disciplines. -Donald Whitney; Gospel Coalition; Cultivating Practical Godliness
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Nov 19, 2021: Southern Equip: How God Helps Us Pray According to His Will
To pray the Bible, you simply go through a passage line by line, talking to God about whatever comes to mind as you read the text. See how easy that is? Anyone can do that. Apr 1, 2016: Crossway: An Interview with Donald Whitney
In this video, Justin Taylor sits down with Donald Whitney to discuss his new book, Family Worship. |
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Timothy Whitt
Timothy Whitt
James 2:17, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
James once again wants to make it clear. Faith in God equals working to be God’s hands, feet and voice in this world. The Bible is clear in verses like Ephesians 2:8-10, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” we are not saved by our works. However, in verses like James 2:17, and again in James 2:26, “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” The Bible is clear that your life must exhibit a working faith. So now is the time for you to reflect on your life of faith. If you do not see yourself doing, going or speaking for God then it might be time to give your faith life some CPR.
--Timothy Whitt; LetterPile; Your Faith - Dead or Alive, a Devotion From James 2:14-19 8.2.23
James once again wants to make it clear. Faith in God equals working to be God’s hands, feet and voice in this world. The Bible is clear in verses like Ephesians 2:8-10, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” we are not saved by our works. However, in verses like James 2:17, and again in James 2:26, “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” The Bible is clear that your life must exhibit a working faith. So now is the time for you to reflect on your life of faith. If you do not see yourself doing, going or speaking for God then it might be time to give your faith life some CPR.
--Timothy Whitt; LetterPile; Your Faith - Dead or Alive, a Devotion From James 2:14-19 8.2.23
galyn Wiemers
Galyn Wiemers
Paul was “called” an apostle. The Greek does not have “to be” in it. So it says “a called apostle” It was never in his mind something he had earned or attained. There are many kinds of apostles: “self appointed apostles”, “man ordained apostles”, “vocational apostles”. Paul was “a called apostle”. This word form usually has the passive meaning. The word “called” means designated and set apart.
“Set Apart” means “to mark off, to separate by a boundary.” It is a perfect passive participle indicates that this was done to Paul without his assistance. Paul had set himself apart to be a Pharisee, but God set him apart for the gospel. The word “Pharisee” means
separated one” and comes form the same root as the word translated “set apart”. The Pharisees where set apart by men and by tradition. Paul uses this verb in Galatians 1:15 and says that he was set apart “from birth”.
-Galyn Wiemers; Generation Word
“Set Apart” means “to mark off, to separate by a boundary.” It is a perfect passive participle indicates that this was done to Paul without his assistance. Paul had set himself apart to be a Pharisee, but God set him apart for the gospel. The word “Pharisee” means
separated one” and comes form the same root as the word translated “set apart”. The Pharisees where set apart by men and by tradition. Paul uses this verb in Galatians 1:15 and says that he was set apart “from birth”.
-Galyn Wiemers; Generation Word
Galyn Wiemers
In Matthew 16:1-5, the religious leaders in Christ’s day were trying to make a decision about who Jesus was. So far they had rejected the available information they already had about Jesus, including: 1. The witness of John the Baptist 2. Jesus’ own words 3. Scriptural testimony 4. Jesus’ miraculous works The Pharisees and Sadducees (religious leaders) came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. Jesus replied: “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and
overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.’ Jesus then left them and went away.” Matthew 16:1-4
Although the Pharisees and Sadducees presented themselves as open-minded seekers who wanted to know the truth, the fact was that they would only hear the truth on their terms. Jesus’ response to them indicates that he didn’t view them as real seekers desiring revelation from God, but, rather, men who had rejected the truth time and time again. We too can deduce that those who reject God’s available revelation while still presenting themselves as “open-minded truth seekers” will be rebuked just like the Pharisees and Sadducees. Jesus says, “A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign.” Why does he say this? Because only a morally corrupt generation would reject all the revelation God had already provided. Jesus made it clear that no miraculous sign would be given. In other words, God will not ever split the sky, step out of the heavens, and appear in all his glory just long enough for a New York Times photographer to snap his picture and a CNN cameraman to catch it on film. Although that would be very impressive proof of the reality of God’s existence, our creator knows that even an incredible supernatural appearance would do mankind little good. Why? Because as soon as God vanished back into heaven, everyone who’d rejected all his previous revelations would begin to explain away the latest miracle. If men have already found a way to disprove God’s revelation in nature, logic, scripture, and history, they won’t hesitate to again use their science and philosophy to explain away even the most obvious revelation of God’s existence. Consider the Exodus generation. They were a generation of people enslaved in Egypt when Moses first spoke to Pharoah concerning their freedom. He then called upon signs from God and struck Egypt with ten terrible plagues. The Exodus generation experienced all of the ghastly plagues and later walked through the Red Sea after it was parted by the very hand of God. They were led through the wilderness by a pillar of cloud and fire, and they experienced an incredible manifestation of God on Mt. Sinai. And yet, even after witnessing all these miraculous works of God, the Exodus generation still didn’t believe he would lead them into the Promised Land. Because of their disbelief, they spent the rest of their lives wandering in the wilderness. Hebrews 3:16-18 says: “Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? --Galyn Wiemers; Hope for America’s Last Generation
overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.’ Jesus then left them and went away.” Matthew 16:1-4
Although the Pharisees and Sadducees presented themselves as open-minded seekers who wanted to know the truth, the fact was that they would only hear the truth on their terms. Jesus’ response to them indicates that he didn’t view them as real seekers desiring revelation from God, but, rather, men who had rejected the truth time and time again. We too can deduce that those who reject God’s available revelation while still presenting themselves as “open-minded truth seekers” will be rebuked just like the Pharisees and Sadducees. Jesus says, “A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign.” Why does he say this? Because only a morally corrupt generation would reject all the revelation God had already provided. Jesus made it clear that no miraculous sign would be given. In other words, God will not ever split the sky, step out of the heavens, and appear in all his glory just long enough for a New York Times photographer to snap his picture and a CNN cameraman to catch it on film. Although that would be very impressive proof of the reality of God’s existence, our creator knows that even an incredible supernatural appearance would do mankind little good. Why? Because as soon as God vanished back into heaven, everyone who’d rejected all his previous revelations would begin to explain away the latest miracle. If men have already found a way to disprove God’s revelation in nature, logic, scripture, and history, they won’t hesitate to again use their science and philosophy to explain away even the most obvious revelation of God’s existence. Consider the Exodus generation. They were a generation of people enslaved in Egypt when Moses first spoke to Pharoah concerning their freedom. He then called upon signs from God and struck Egypt with ten terrible plagues. The Exodus generation experienced all of the ghastly plagues and later walked through the Red Sea after it was parted by the very hand of God. They were led through the wilderness by a pillar of cloud and fire, and they experienced an incredible manifestation of God on Mt. Sinai. And yet, even after witnessing all these miraculous works of God, the Exodus generation still didn’t believe he would lead them into the Promised Land. Because of their disbelief, they spent the rest of their lives wandering in the wilderness. Hebrews 3:16-18 says: “Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? --Galyn Wiemers; Hope for America’s Last Generation
james wigton
March 6, 2022:
Rev James Wigton; pastor at First Baptist Church of Cape Coral in Florida wrote the following in a column a local paper there called the News-Press"
"The News Press carried a guest commentary on Oct. 17 (C.A. Farrington, Bible’s truth about a fetus, abortion) advocating that “there is nothing in the Bible to indicate that a fetus is considered to be anything other than living tissue,” and that the fetus does not become a living being until after it has taken its first “breath.” The author claims biblical support for this position. The author further claims that the Old Testament provides for a “ritual” abortion.
Nothing could be further from the truth – if you believe the Bible as I do."
The quote that caught my immediate attention was "..if you believe as I do." So, if you dont believe like he does, then it's Ok to accept the position he is trying to criticize?? The 9 words he chose leaves a lot of room for interpretation. As a believer ...... assuming he is...then truth is truth whether anyone else believes it or not.....in fact, truth is truth even if no one believes it. I didnt bother to read the rest because his truth appears to be subjective and truth is not subjective.
Rev James Wigton; pastor at First Baptist Church of Cape Coral in Florida wrote the following in a column a local paper there called the News-Press"
"The News Press carried a guest commentary on Oct. 17 (C.A. Farrington, Bible’s truth about a fetus, abortion) advocating that “there is nothing in the Bible to indicate that a fetus is considered to be anything other than living tissue,” and that the fetus does not become a living being until after it has taken its first “breath.” The author claims biblical support for this position. The author further claims that the Old Testament provides for a “ritual” abortion.
Nothing could be further from the truth – if you believe the Bible as I do."
The quote that caught my immediate attention was "..if you believe as I do." So, if you dont believe like he does, then it's Ok to accept the position he is trying to criticize?? The 9 words he chose leaves a lot of room for interpretation. As a believer ...... assuming he is...then truth is truth whether anyone else believes it or not.....in fact, truth is truth even if no one believes it. I didnt bother to read the rest because his truth appears to be subjective and truth is not subjective.
bob wilkin
Bob Wilkin
I have had people point to Galatians 5:4 and say, "Doesn't Paul say that at least some of the Galatian Christians had fallen from grace? And, if they could fall from grace, so can we today." How did they take the verse out of context? We would agree that the book is addressed to Christians (Galatians 1:6,9; 5:1). We would also agree that some of the readers had fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4) and some were on the verge of doing so (Galatians 5:2). We would even agree that it is possible for believers today to fall from grace. The text clearly does not limit this falling to the Galatian Christians only. Any Christian who reverts to seeking to be justified by law has fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4). The problem is in the conclusion we draw, not in the premises. The whole issue here is what falling from grace means. Does it mean that the believers in question have fallen from their positional standing in grace? If it does, then Paul contradicts himself because in other passages he clearly states that is impossible (cf. Romans 8:38-39; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; Colossians 2:13-14; 1 Thessalonians 5:10; 2 Timothy 2:13). Since scripture is God's Word, it cannot contradict itself. Thus, whatever Paul meant by falling from grace he did not mean falling from one's position as a child of God. Is there not another obvious alternative, one which fits the context and Pauline and biblical theology perfectly? Falling from grace means that a believer who reverts to pharisaical thinking and practices has fallen from a present experience of grace. While our position in the grace of God is secure, our experience of His grace is not. If a believer today is unwittingly duped into joining a works-salvation cult, he will cease to experience God's grace until he leaves the cult. In fact, if a believer joins any group, cult or otherwise, which teaches that we must produce good works in order to maintain our salvation, he will cease to experience grace. Even the linking of assurance to the quality of our lives can lead a believer to fall from a daily experience of grace. Falling from grace is a real problem today. May we proclaim the gospel and assurance clearly so that we can help people begin anew or continue to experience God's grace in their daily lives. --Bob Wilkin
jen wilkin
Jen Wilkin is an author and Bible teacher from Dallas, TX. She has organized and led studies for women in home, church, and parachurch contexts. Her passion is to see others become articulate and committed followers of Christ, with a clear understanding of why they believe what they believe, grounded in the Word of God. Jen is the author of Ten Words to Live By: Delighting in and Doing What God Commands, Women of the Word, None Like Him, In His Image, and Bible studies exploring the Sermon on the Mount and the books of Genesis, Exodus, Hebrews, and 1 Peter.
Jen Wilkin
Note...where this battle for holiness begins. It’s the believer’s mind that must be readied for war. When we strive to live holy lives, we often begin by attempting to curtail sinful behaviors: I should swear less. I should stop spending impulsively.
But Peter points us to the source of our sin: our thoughts. Every sinful action we engage in is the result of a sinful thought that fed a sinful desire. If we want to set our hope fully on grace, we must deal with our sin at the source.
Temptation presents itself to the mind as a reasonable choice. We allow our thoughts to dwell on its reasonableness, fueling our desires. And as James tells us, “Desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:15). For this reason, Paul admonishes us to seek transformation not through the renewing of our actions or our desires, but through the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2) -Jen Wilkin; Gospel Coalition
But Peter points us to the source of our sin: our thoughts. Every sinful action we engage in is the result of a sinful thought that fed a sinful desire. If we want to set our hope fully on grace, we must deal with our sin at the source.
Temptation presents itself to the mind as a reasonable choice. We allow our thoughts to dwell on its reasonableness, fueling our desires. And as James tells us, “Desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:15). For this reason, Paul admonishes us to seek transformation not through the renewing of our actions or our desires, but through the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2) -Jen Wilkin; Gospel Coalition
edrin c williams
May 20, 2022: MPR: How evangelical Christians in Minnesota are responding to calls for racial justice
Guests:
Guests:
- The Rev. Edrin C. Williams is the lead pastor at Sanctuary Covenant Church, which was started in 2003 in north Minneapolis as an intentionally multicultural congregation associated with the Evangelical Covenant Church.
- Carl Nelson is president and CEO of Transform Minnesota, a network of evangelical Christian congregations across Minnesota.
kelly williams
Pastor Kelly Williams and his wife started Vanguard Church in March 1997, in partnership with the Southern Baptist Convention. He has served as the senior pastor since then. They now have two in-person locations in the Colorado Springs and Palmer Lake area and one online location.
The Good Pastors Are Under Siege
Thirty years ago, I was a student at Dallas Theological Seminary, the same seminary that Pastor Andy Stanley attended. See, God had used Pastor Charles Stanley when I was 17 years old to confirm for me that I was called to be a pastor. I was really struggling, and I turned on the television and Pastor Charles Stanley was preaching, and he said strangely enough, “Are you struggling with whether God has called you to be a pastor?” I said out loud, “Yeah, how’d you know?” I sat down and listened. Pastor Charles Stanley said, “If you can do anything else and be happy, don’t be a pastor, but if you can’t, know you are called.” I rose from that moment and committed the rest of my life to being a pastor. I headed off to Liberty University and then with my wife, Tosha, whom I met at Liberty, we headed to Dallas Theological Seminary to prepare for the pastorate to get ready to plant a church with the Southern Baptist Convention.
(Kelly M Williams/The Good Pastors 11/14/23)
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Thirty years ago, I was a student at Dallas Theological Seminary, the same seminary that Pastor Andy Stanley attended. See, God had used Pastor Charles Stanley when I was 17 years old to confirm for me that I was called to be a pastor. I was really struggling, and I turned on the television and Pastor Charles Stanley was preaching, and he said strangely enough, “Are you struggling with whether God has called you to be a pastor?” I said out loud, “Yeah, how’d you know?” I sat down and listened. Pastor Charles Stanley said, “If you can do anything else and be happy, don’t be a pastor, but if you can’t, know you are called.” I rose from that moment and committed the rest of my life to being a pastor. I headed off to Liberty University and then with my wife, Tosha, whom I met at Liberty, we headed to Dallas Theological Seminary to prepare for the pastorate to get ready to plant a church with the Southern Baptist Convention.
(Kelly M Williams/The Good Pastors 11/14/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
rowan williams
July 6, 2023: Presbyterian Outlook: On women pastors and biblical authority: A Presbyterian reflection
More could be said about learning from both the insights and the dangers a biblical text may present. But in closing, I invite you to consider the former Archbishop of Canterbury’s eloquent summary of this important point. Scripture, Rowan Williams contends, is the record of “an encounter, a contest, a wrestling”:
Here in Scripture is God’s urgency to communicate; here in Scripture is our mishearing, our misappropriating, our deafness, and our resistance. Woven together in Scripture are those two things, the giving of God and our inability to receive what God wants to give … The gift of God, the liberty of God, is passed through the distorting glass of our own fears.
So, Williams goes on to suggest,
When we listen to a passage that is difficult, alien, or offensive, I think our reaction should be neither to say, “This is the Word of the Lord, so the difficulty is my problem,” nor to say, “This is rubbish, we ought to produce a more politically correct version of Scripture!” Our task, rather, is to say that the revelation of God comes to us in the middle of weakness and fallibility. We read neither with a kind of blind and thoughtless obedience to every word of Scripture, as if it simply represented the mind of God, nor with that rather priggish sensibility that desires to look down on the authors of Scripture as benighted savages. We read with a sense of our own benighted savagery in receiving God’s gift, and our solidarity with those writers of scripture caught up in the blazing fire of God’s gift who yet struggle with it, misapprehend it, and misread it (A Ray of Darkness: Sermons and Reflections).
(It is worth noting that Williams made these striking observations in a sermon on 1 Timothy 2!)
More could be said about learning from both the insights and the dangers a biblical text may present. But in closing, I invite you to consider the former Archbishop of Canterbury’s eloquent summary of this important point. Scripture, Rowan Williams contends, is the record of “an encounter, a contest, a wrestling”:
Here in Scripture is God’s urgency to communicate; here in Scripture is our mishearing, our misappropriating, our deafness, and our resistance. Woven together in Scripture are those two things, the giving of God and our inability to receive what God wants to give … The gift of God, the liberty of God, is passed through the distorting glass of our own fears.
So, Williams goes on to suggest,
When we listen to a passage that is difficult, alien, or offensive, I think our reaction should be neither to say, “This is the Word of the Lord, so the difficulty is my problem,” nor to say, “This is rubbish, we ought to produce a more politically correct version of Scripture!” Our task, rather, is to say that the revelation of God comes to us in the middle of weakness and fallibility. We read neither with a kind of blind and thoughtless obedience to every word of Scripture, as if it simply represented the mind of God, nor with that rather priggish sensibility that desires to look down on the authors of Scripture as benighted savages. We read with a sense of our own benighted savagery in receiving God’s gift, and our solidarity with those writers of scripture caught up in the blazing fire of God’s gift who yet struggle with it, misapprehend it, and misread it (A Ray of Darkness: Sermons and Reflections).
(It is worth noting that Williams made these striking observations in a sermon on 1 Timothy 2!)
sara williams
A sizeable US demographic, many Evangelicals are sending money and manpower to Israel
Evangelical support for Israel is deeply rooted in the Christian Bible. However, it’s important to note that Evangelicalism is far more varied than the media often portrays, said Sara A. Williams, assistant professor of religious studies at Fairfield University. There is dispensationalist theology, which teaches that the end times can only start if Jewish people reconstitute and repopulate “Greater Israel,” and accept Christ as their Messiah. Some Evangelicals believe the Israel-Hamas war is the beginning of the End Times, meaning the world is entering a phase where God will eliminate sinners, opening the way for Christ’s return. “This belief has gotten ‘into the water,’ so to speak, of American Evangelicalism, and even American foreign policy,” Williams said.
(Cathryn J Prince/The Times of Israel 11/12/23)
Read More>>>>>
Evangelical support for Israel is deeply rooted in the Christian Bible. However, it’s important to note that Evangelicalism is far more varied than the media often portrays, said Sara A. Williams, assistant professor of religious studies at Fairfield University. There is dispensationalist theology, which teaches that the end times can only start if Jewish people reconstitute and repopulate “Greater Israel,” and accept Christ as their Messiah. Some Evangelicals believe the Israel-Hamas war is the beginning of the End Times, meaning the world is entering a phase where God will eliminate sinners, opening the way for Christ’s return. “This belief has gotten ‘into the water,’ so to speak, of American Evangelicalism, and even American foreign policy,” Williams said.
(Cathryn J Prince/The Times of Israel 11/12/23)
Read More>>>>>
todd j williams
Todd J. Williams is president of Cairn University in Langhorne Manor, Pennsylvania. He has extensive leadership experience in secondary and post-secondary education. Previously Dr. Williams served as headmaster and chief executive officer of Trinity Christian School of Fairfax in northern Virginia. He holds degrees from Cairn University (B.S.) and Temple University (M.Ed. and Ph.D.). With an array of professional experience as a professor, lecturer, administrator, chief executive officer, and educational and organizational consultant, Dr. Williams serves churches, schools, and colleges as a visiting teacher and speaker on subjects ranging from biblical and Christian studies to cultural, organizational, and professional issues. His involvement with the Witherspoon Fellowship in Washington, D.C. as its Visiting Lecturer for Spiritual Formation in 2004 has contributed substantially to his interest in and commitment to the John Jay Institute’s vision and mission to prepare Christians for principled public leadership.
Todd J Williams Files
The Constitution guarantees the right of expression. The freedom of expression is a core principle of our constitutional republic. We do not censor. We do not stifle. It is an American ideal.
What I am referring to, though, is something different. I am referring to the dangers of unfiltered, unrestrained and unmeasured personal expression: saying things without thought, without considering the truthfulness, the accuracy and the implications of our words.
This is not a wise way to live. Of course, we can say and do whatever we want, but there is a very poignant verse in the Bible where the apostle Paul says, “All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful” (1 Cor. 10:13). Another way of expressing this is to use a more contemporary axiom, “Just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should.”
Knowing what to say, when to say it, and how to say it; knowing when we should do something because it is the best course of action and not just simply because we can — these require judgment. This is the way of wisdom.
It is not a way of repression but a way of restraint, of self control, and of choosing what is best.
The Old Testament book of Proverbs has numerous references to the importance and impact of our words. In Proverbs 17:27, we see that restraint regarding our words says something about our character: “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.”
The real question is whether we as a society value the personal character qualities of being knowledgeable and having understanding. Another implication of this passage is that when people do not restrain themselves, they show themselves to be the opposite of having knowledge and understanding.
It is possible to assess the character of people by their lack of verbal restraint. We have all experienced this on a relational level. But it has larger societal and cultural implications that begin with us as individuals on a relational level.
We must also consider the damage done by words expressed without filter or consideration. In Proverbs 12:18 we read, “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Words have the power to inflict pain and wound. They also have the power to bring healing.
-Todd J Williams
What I am referring to, though, is something different. I am referring to the dangers of unfiltered, unrestrained and unmeasured personal expression: saying things without thought, without considering the truthfulness, the accuracy and the implications of our words.
This is not a wise way to live. Of course, we can say and do whatever we want, but there is a very poignant verse in the Bible where the apostle Paul says, “All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful” (1 Cor. 10:13). Another way of expressing this is to use a more contemporary axiom, “Just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should.”
Knowing what to say, when to say it, and how to say it; knowing when we should do something because it is the best course of action and not just simply because we can — these require judgment. This is the way of wisdom.
It is not a way of repression but a way of restraint, of self control, and of choosing what is best.
The Old Testament book of Proverbs has numerous references to the importance and impact of our words. In Proverbs 17:27, we see that restraint regarding our words says something about our character: “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.”
The real question is whether we as a society value the personal character qualities of being knowledgeable and having understanding. Another implication of this passage is that when people do not restrain themselves, they show themselves to be the opposite of having knowledge and understanding.
It is possible to assess the character of people by their lack of verbal restraint. We have all experienced this on a relational level. But it has larger societal and cultural implications that begin with us as individuals on a relational level.
We must also consider the damage done by words expressed without filter or consideration. In Proverbs 12:18 we read, “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Words have the power to inflict pain and wound. They also have the power to bring healing.
-Todd J Williams
