Month: October 2013

The Rot Doesn’t Start at the Top

Have you ever felt like this: so sickened by the ocean of dishonesty, lack of integrity, and arrogance of the majority of humanity that you just want to seal yourself off from the ugliness of it all? If not for the mercy I’ve received personally from the Lord, and His forgiveness for my own past dishonesty, lack of integrity, and arrogance, I would be tempted to find a nice isolated corner of the world where I could simply let the… Read more »

Jesus: The Author & Perfecter of Faith

About two weeks ago, I wrote a post centered on some of the discouragement I feel at times as I try to carry out the ministry the Lord has given me. The intent of the post was not to focus on the discouragement phase but to highlight the way the Lord placed people in my path to help redirect my thinking. The goal was to encourage my readers that we must never grow so weary that we lose hope. I… Read more »

Finney: Selfish Prayer

Whenever Charles Finney writes about prayer, we should listen attentively. He knew what he was writing about, not as theory but from practice. And always with Finney, the motive of the heart is central. Here’s how he connects the two in his Revival Lectures: Prayer, to be effectual, must be offered from right motives. Prayer should not be selfish, but should be dictated by a supreme regard for the glory of God. A great deal is offered from pure selfishness…. Read more »

Lewis on the Nature of Good & Evil

Writing to his friend Arthur Greeves in 1933, C. S. Lewis offered these thoughts on the nature of good and evil: I think one may be quite rid of the old haunting suspicion—which raises its head in every temptation—that there is something else than God—some other country . . . into which He forbids us to trespass—some kind of delight wh. He “doesn’t appreciate” or just chooses to forbid, but which wd. be real delight if only we were allowed… Read more »

Snyderian Truism #9

How about some controversy today, since I’m normally so non-controversial? I’ve periodically presented what I call “Snyderian Truisms.” If you’ve missed the first eight, there’s a category on the right sidebar you can click to see them. It’s time for #9. When I teach about the 1960s, a decade of radical change culturally in many ways, one of my topics is the self-titled Women’s Liberation Movement. So that students will know where I’m coming from as we discuss this topic,… Read more »

My Contribution to the International Socialist Movement

It’s time for me to confess. I’m a member of the international socialist movement. I must be because I’ve now written for the movement’s website. Are you surprised? No more so than I. The bizarre facts to follow. I’ve been on Twitter now for a few months. You never know who is going to retweet you or how connections are sometimes made. I discovered last night through the “connect” section that the American Socialists were trumpeting their online site, complete… Read more »

The Obamacare Rollout

Every once in a while, I get to a place where I would like to move on to a different topic in my daily commentaries, yet it would seem best to stay on the topic that dominates the news cycle. We’re at one of those places today. Obamacare is so central to what’s happening—or not happening, in this case—that I feel practically compelled to comment on it again. The reason is the truly incompetent unveiling of the program. Not that… Read more »