“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20 NIV)
There’s an old saying: There’s no place like home. That phrase has been sung about, poems have been written about it, many a sampler hangs on the walls of people’s houses with that saying on it… in fact, it has been used so much it has become a cliché. But for all that, it still rings so true… There’s no place like home! Continue reading
She is portrayed as a female Grim Reaper, that is to say, she is a skeleton dressed in a shroud and carrying a large scythe. At her feet may be seen an owl, a symbol of wisdom in western iconography, and of death in ancient Aztec symbolism. She is the object of devotion in one of the fastest growing cults in the world—the cult of Santa Muerte, Holy Death.
Santa Muerte is a folk saint revered by Hispanics throughout Mesoamerica and the United States. She is considered an all-powerful saint, who dominates the world and gives immediate results to petitions made to her. Being the spirit of death, it is noted that her scythe cuts down the life of all men equally, rich or poor, righteous or wicked. Therefore, she is reckoned to be a saint for all peoples. One of the most popular sayings about her is that Santa Muerte “does not discriminate.” She accepts your worship and answers your prayers no matter who you are. That is why her followers include pious Catholics, drug traffickers, prisoners, prostitutes, policemen, blue collar workers, and members of the LGBT community. There is also a growing constituency among neo-pagans and Wiccans. Continue reading
We live in a divided society. We are reminded of that every night on the news. Our newspapers and magazines are full of photos of protests, riots, shootings, and violence. Race divides us. Politics divides. Economics divides us. We are a fractured people. We mourn the division, and we all probably wonder if there is any hope for unity. Can we ever truly and peacefully come together? Continue reading
Recently I have been doing research on the Emergent Church. Just in case you are not familiar with this movement, let me give you a little background. The Emergent Church movement originated in conversations between various pastors, youth pastors and church leaders back in the 1990’s. They were concerned about certain trends and practices they saw in the church. They were especially concerned about how relevant and effective the church was in reaching a postmodern culture. Out of their conversations arose an entire movement which has swept through America, Britain, Australia and other parts of the world.
The original ambitions of those involved in these conversations were noble and good. However, in their efforts to address the concerns of a postmodern society, they ended up becoming a postmodern movement. It seems, at least in their thinking, that to be relevant you must accommodate yourself to the culture—even if this accommodation involves sacrificing some of the foundational truths of the Christian faith. Continue reading
On this day we celebrate the 240th birthday of our country. As we reflect on our history and heritage, let us also reflect on how our nation came to be, and the values underlying its founding. Indeed, let us consider the principle concepts that guided our Founding Fathers in creating this nation. As men grounded in an essentially Christian worldview, with a tradition of Judeo-Christian ethics and philosophy, these great statesmen were committed to the idea of liberty. And for them, liberty was not something that must be established by men. Indeed, it was just the opposite. Liberty was a God-ordained and God-given right of every human being. It was not a human creation at all. It was wholly divine in origin. Continue reading
TRUTH BUILDERS MINISTRIES 