Month: November 2013

Lewis: The Danger of the “Great” Man

  

There are many good reasons to have commemorated the 50th anniversary of C. S. Lewis’s death. His writings will continue to live and breathe new life into others until the Lord’s return. The insights he offers often can be counter-intuitive. Here’s an example from his Reflections on the Psalms, as he bids us to reconsider which type of sinner may be the more dangerous: It seems that there is a general rule in the moral universe which may be formulated… Read more »

On Being Thankful

  

Thanksgiving is not just the fourth Thursday in November, as dictated by the government. For Christians, every day is one of thanksgiving, even when our circumstances tempt us to think we have little for which to be thankful. Whenever we give in to that temptation, we erect an obstacle to the flow of God’s blessings. Stop and think. No one is immune from difficulties; the difference is God’s presence in those difficulties. It’s from that perspective that I offer thanks… Read more »

The Iranian Deal: Realism vs. Idealism

  

Obamacare has been so front and center lately—and will continue to be so because of its effect on everyone—that our foreign policy with respect to Iran has taken a back seat in the public’s mind. Foreign policy usually takes a back seat, as we’re nearly always more concerned about what we see happening here at home. Yet what happens here in the future is vitally connected to what’s happening over there. We have blustered for years now about Iran’s development… Read more »

Going Nuclear in the Senate

  

Nearly everyone in America believes in majority rule, but that comes in different forms. Majority rule doesn’t always mean a simple majority—anything above 50%—but can also be set up as a type of super-majority. That’s why the Founders said that amendments to the Constitution would require 3/4 of the states voting in favor, not just one more than half. They also said that presidential vetoes could be overridden by a 2/3 vote in each chamber of Congress. Similarly, no president… Read more »

Finney: Effective Prayer

  

Charles Finney writes of “agonizing prayer.” What he means by this is a deep connection of the individual with the heart of God for the salvation of others. It’s not an external effort—the harder we pray, the more will happen—but an internal identification with the will of God and a sincere desire to see His will fulfilled. Properly understood, this type of prayer stems from humility and will never become proud when an answer is received. Finney explains it this… Read more »

Remembering—and Rereading—C. S. Lewis

  

Fifty years ago yesterday, C. S. Lewis, just one week shy of his 65th birthday, slipped into eternity. At the ripe young age of twelve, I was unaware of his death. The whole world was watching the unfolding events surrounding the JFK assassination, so the passing of a university professor whose writings had awakened a generation to the vibrancy of Christianity, went virtually unnoticed. Lewis himself felt his influence had waned in his later years. Most observers agreed, and they… Read more »

November 22, 1963

  

I remember the day vividly. Well, the entire four days, actually. On Friday, November 22, 1963, I was in my junior high classroom that afternoon. It was a little strange at first because the teacher wasn’t in the room; he was huddled with other teachers in the hallway just outside. They were listening to a transistor radio. I recall all the students were wondering what was happening. Then he came in the room and told us that President Kennedy had… Read more »