Evangelism

Pastors Should Be Bolder than Politicians

By now you may have seen a video of Salem Media’s Charlie Kirk sitting on a stage talking about Christians frustrated that President Donald J. Trump isn’t saying or doing enough when it comes to the sanctity of life.

The Turning Point USA founder mentions a Christian who told him President Trump wasn’t as pro-life as most people think. Charlie responded by asking a provocative and fog-cutting kind of question.

“Has your pastor spoke out regularly against the slaughter of the unborn?” he asked.

“Well, no, no, my pastor doesn’t do politics,” the man replied.

“Oh, so you want Donald Trump to speak out on holy matters when the person you tithe an offering to, that you call your home church, won’t even whisper about it?”

More than four months since the presidential election and just over two since January’s “Sanctity of Life” month, fewer people may be focused on how culturally engaged their pastors are in the pulpit.

But it should still matter to each of us.

Pastors carry a heavy burden – and enjoy an awesome opportunity to help lead and guide their congregations in the dizzying and dangerous culture.

“Let’s remind each other what church is,” Kirk went on. “Church is not a place where you go to be affirmed. Church is a place where you go to be saved and corrected. It is not a place to be told about how your lifestyle is the greatest thing ever. You go there to be reminded that you need a Savior and that your life is currently in error. But people don’t like that.”

He continued,

“Is it a church, which is about correction and elevating the Divine? Or is it a place where a ‘Ted Talk’ occurs with organized parking, above average coffee, a motivational speech and good music with nice lights? A church should be unafraid to go against the culture and not conform to the world but preach the Word.”

Christians are hungry for pulpit teaching that is comprised of sound doctrine coupled with practical application. They come into a Sunday service often beaten down by the lies of the world. Pastors who can bring clarity with conviction will be serving their congregations well.

The Bible is timeless and has a lot to say about the current challenges of the world. Pastors should be likewise engaged.

It’s not political to speak out about abortion and affirm the sanctity of life. It’s biblical (Psalm 139:13-16).

It’s not political to affirm the exclusivity of one-man, one-woman marriage. It’s biblical (Genesis 2:24).

It’s not political to acknowledge there are two genders. It’s biblical (Genesis 1:27).

Ministers worried about offending or running off attendees do those in attendance no favors by skirting or softening the truth of God’s Word. It was the apostle Peter who was quoting the prophet Isaiah when he said that Jesus was “a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense” (1 Peter 2:8).

Pastors should be far bolder than politicians, unafraid of criticism. Dr. Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has observed, “Those who teach and preach the Word of God are God-appointed agents to save God’s people from ignorance.”

If you’re blessed to have such a pastor, don’t forget to give thanks to God – and let them know how much you appreciate their outspoken candor and conviction.

Image credit: Internet Archive

The Beauty of the Bible’s Interconnectedness

A year ago, I was taking an online class through Regent University’s School of Divinity when another student posted an image in a discussion post: a beautiful visualization of “Bible Cross-References.”

The image was created by Chris Harrison, an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute. He also directs the university’s Future Interfaces Group.

The image takes data from 63,779 cross references in the King James Bible, between its 1,189 chapters, depicting them in a “multi-colored arc diagram.” Cross references are words, phrases, people and quotes used by one biblical author and repeated by that author or picked up and used in other Bible books.

Harrison explains his visualization, saying, “Each of the 63,779 cross references found in the Bible are depicted by a single arc – the color corresponds to the distance between the two chapters, creating a rainbow-like effect.”

Harrison’s academic work, listed on Google Scholar, includes titles about computers and technology this English major can barely begin to understand, such as “TeslaTouch: electrovibration for touch surfaces.”

Another of his research presentations is titled, “Electrick: Low-Cost Touch Sensing Using Electric Field Tomography.”

“Electric Field Tomography.” Sure.

But the Bible Cross-References I get. The image demonstrates the interconnectedness of Scripture, or what Norman Geisler and William Nix call “the unity of the Bible,” in their book From God to Us: How We Got Our Bible.

They explain that this unity offers evidence for the inspiration of the Bible, which is “composed of sixty-six books, written over a period of some fifteen hundred years by nearly forty authors in several languages containing hundreds of topics.”

Geisler and Nix add,

“Yet the Bible possesses an amazing unity of theme – Jesus Christ. One problem – sin – and one solution – the Savior – unify its pages from Genesis to Revelation.”

While this is not conclusive evidence for the inspiration of Scripture, it strongly indicates a divine hand behind the writing and editing and formation of the Bible, guiding each writer and bringing these books together as they were written through God’s chosen people, the Jews.  

Harrison explains how this image, which portrays that unity, came to be, saying,

This set of visualizations started as a collaboration between Pastor Christoph Römhild and myself in 2007. He had assembled a digital dataset of cross references found in the King James Bible.
Cross-references are conceptual links between verses, connecting locations, people, phrases, etc., found in different parts of the Bible. Cross-references are included in the margins or footnotes of some Bibles.

One example of these connections would be a word like “covenant,” an agreement between God and an individual or group of people, that is used by different biblical authors and elaborated on throughout Scripture. The word is used 282 times in the Old Testament and 34 times in the New Testament.

Different references to covenants can be traced throughout the Bible, from Abraham to Moses at Sinai, and from David to the New Covenant given to us by the Son of David, Jesus Christ.

Another example would be similar commands like “fear not” or “do not be afraid” – repeated hundreds of times, in different contexts, through the books of the Bible.

Harrison says that he and Pastor Römhild “struggled to find an elegant solution to render the data – 63,779 cross references in total.”

Eventually, he writes,

“We set our sights on something more beautiful than functional. At the same time, we wanted a visualization that honored and revealed the complexity of the Bible at every level – as one leans in, smaller details should become visible. This ultimately led us to the multi-colored arc diagram.”

Harrison explains what the whites and grays at the bottom of the image represent:

The bar chart that runs along the bottom represents all of the chapters in the Bible, starting with Genesis 1 on the left. Books alternate in color between light and dark gray, with the first book of the Old and New Testaments in white. The length of each bar denotes the number of verses in that chapter (for instance, the longest bar is the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119).

Harrison has also created visuals showing the “Distribution of Biblical People and Places” and a “Biblical Social Network (People and Places).” They’re worth checking out, as well.

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Image credit: Chris Harrison

Pastor John MacArthur’s Last Lap

Pastor John MacArthur has long said that he doesn’t believe in retirement.

“You don’t retire from a calling,” said Grace Community Church’s shepherd back in 2022. “You don’t retire from being a pastor. You’re faithful to the end.”

Dr. MacArthur then added, “The end is when you can’t do it anymore.”

The beloved preacher and teacher stopped short of waving the metaphorical white flag last week, but after struggling to recover from heart surgery and an extended seven-week hospital stay, he made it clear the finish line is in sight.

“I realize I’m on the last lap,” he told attendees of the annual Shepherds Conference via video. “That takes on a new meaning when you know you’re on the short end of the candle. I am all thanks and praise to God for everything He’s allowed me to be a part of and everything He’s accomplished by His Word in these years of ministry. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ.”

John MacArthur has been leading his Sun Valley congregation since 1969. “Grace to You,” his national radio preaching ministry, began somewhat by accident in 1977.

The seeds of that broadcast outreach were sown only a few months after Pastor MacArthur arrived at Grace Community Church. A group of men approached one day and suggested the church begin recording his sermons. They proposed a “tape ministry” that would minister to shut-ins and provide a practical way to evangelize those who might never darken the doors of the church. With the explosion of cassette tapes soon after, the minister’s messages were distributed far and wide.

Grace Community received a letter one day from an individual in Baltimore, Maryland thanking Dr. MacArthur for his “radio ministry.” The young pastor was perplexed.

“We don’t have a radio ministry,” he insisted. Only they did. Unbeknownst to MacArthur or the church elders, somebody was sending the cassette tapes of his sermons to a small Christian radio station back east.

“Grace to You” was born.

Today, Dr. MacArthur’s messages are broadcast on over 2,500 radio stations in the United States and in 27 countries around the world.

Like so many effective preachers and teachers, the Lord has compounded his efforts.

“Win somebody else, who in turn will win somebody else,” says Dr. MacArthur. “Now that’s evangelism. Where you lead someone to Christ and then to such an extent are they strengthened that they can lead others to Christ and you in turn reap the benefits – that’s evangelism.”

Octogenarians who are in touch with reality know the curtain can fall on their earthly life at any time.

But quadragenarians (40-49), quinquagenarians (50-59), sexagenarian (60-69) and septuagenarians (70-79) should recognize that nobody is guaranteed tomorrow.

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring,” wrote Solomon (Proverbs 27:1).

Of course, not everyone is afforded the luxury of realizing the “lap” they’re running is the final one. That’s why we shouldn’t slow up or let up until the Lord calls us up. Or, to quote John Madigan, a favorite college professor of mine, “Carry on, until they carry you out!”

Dr. MacArthur told those gathered at the conference last week that the Lord had placed a message on his heart.

“I didn’t want to lose the opportunity to give it to you, so we printed it up in a booklet,” MacArthur told the Shepherds Conference. He then added, “The good news is you don’t have to listen to me. You don’t have to take notes, because you’re going to get the sermon in a booklet form.”

The title?

“On Finishing Well.”

Dr. MacArthur once observed, “God uses those who have the right passion for the right priority with the right personnel taking the right precaution to make the right presentation, and they submissively keep following until they get to the right place.”

John MacArthur has been the right man at the right place at the right time.

Image credit: X

Katy Faust Fiercely Explains Why God’s Design for Family Matters

Katy Faust, founder and president of Them Before Us, sat down with Jordan Peterson on his show to talk about what family form serves children and humanity best and why. Faust, a Seattle mother of four and a pastor’s wife, explained to Dr. Peterson right off the bat, saying,

“I will just state right up front, I am a Bible-thumping, evangelical to the max. You want evangelical credentials, I got you.”

She then explains how she became a public instigator for the sake of children and the family. Faust told the world-famous psychology professor she is a grace-giver by temperament, but she learned how to become a bold truth-teller when she saw various political and ideological groups trying to redefine the family in order to serve radical adult desires.

Peterson explains “Katy comes down pretty hard on both the religious and biological side” of family, “arguing, and I think rightly so, that there isn’t an ideal that can replace long term, committed, monogamous, child-centered, heterosexual marriage.”

He added, “If you accept the doctrine that what is good for children is good for adults and for the state, then institutions that focus on the flourishing of children, those institutions have to be foundational and prioritized.” Of course, he is speaking of the first institution God created and prioritized: the family.

Watch Faust’s very strong defense of the natural family:

It is well worth watching in full. There are many things that are extremely helpful, encouraging and informative about this in-depth interview. But one of the most truly interesting is watching a very smart Chrisitan mom and pastor’s wife explain to one of the most influential intellectuals in the world why mothers and fathers, lifelong marriage and biology are essential to the family, children and society.

Viewers see these important realizations appear on Dr. Peterson’s face, in real time, as Faust explains some very basic human facts to him about God’s design for humanity and the family.

Kudos to Katy Faust for this masterful and instructive feat.

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Freedom from Religion Zealots Unwittingly Promote Christianity

It’s ironic but true: the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) is obsessed with religion.

The latest proof can be found in a full-page ad in Tuesday’s New York Times featuring an illustrated drawing of the Statue of Liberty holding high a cross with the word “THEOCRACY” in a wave crashing at its base.

“The State of Separation Between State and Church is Perilous,” the headline reads. “Help stem the Christian Nationalist Tidal Wave.”

Founded in 1976 by a mother and daughter upset their local Wisconsin legislators opened meetings in prayer, the FFRF has made it their mission for nearly fifty years to protest any public expression of faith.

To be sure, the group has gotten it very wrong from the beginning. Consider what they told the lawmakers back in 1976:

“It is not the business of governmental bodies to pray,” said Anne Gaylor. “When board members pray publicly, you inflict pressure, compulsion and embarrassment on those of your members and those of your audience who do not accept or share these private religious views.”

Public prayer does no such thing. The only pressure it seems to elicit stems from antagonists obsessed with eradicating it.

Even the Supreme Court has upheld legislative and other public prayers, and it’s a good thing. Its own marshal opens each session with a litany that ends with the phrase, “God save the United States and this Honorable Court!” Several friezes of Moses holding the Ten Commandments are also featured in and on the historic building.

The so-called “Christian Nationalist Tidal Wave” is a laughable farce, a concocted bogeyman that simply doesn’t exist.

Anytime someone dares mention their faith or acknowledge its impact on America’s founding, FFRF seizes on the reference. Perhaps unknowingly, the group regularly calls more attention to faith with their over-the-top campaigns protesting it than were they to remain silent.

In fact, this tried and tired tactic recalls Joseph’s words in Genesis:

“You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Gen. 50:20).

For years, FFRF has put a cross in Lady Liberty’s right hand to mock Christianity and make a claim that facts fail to back up. Originally named “Liberté éclairant le monde” or “Liberty Enlightening the World,”and designed by Auguste Bartholdi, the grand statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

Mr. Bartholdi was said to choose a woman for the statue because of Europe’s long association of certain virtues (generosity, piety, good faith) with women. He wasn’t the first artist to correlate the idea of liberty with a female, but never had it been depicted on such a grand scale and stage.

The torch in Lady Liberty’s right hand is designed to symbolize enlightenment, along with a commitment to freedom and democracy.

Once more, maybe it’s fitting that FFRF has chosen to swap out the torch with the cross. As Christians, we recognize the empty cross as a symbol of triumph and salvation. It lights the way during dark times. It shows us that sin and sorrow are conquered thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice on it. 

Critics of Christianity have a long and storied history of distorting not only God’s Word, but also the intents and beliefs of His followers. It’s heartbreaking that the folks at FFRF seem to believe so much that just isn’t true. But it’s also heartening that God takes ignorance and foolishness and uses it for good.