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From Law to Grace » Entries tagged with "Gospel"

Bible Reading, Gay T-Shirts & Jesus’ Message

April 5th, 2012 | 6 Comments

What does a Calvary Chapel Pastor in California have in common with a gay teenager in Ohio? If your first guess was, “I can’t think of anything that they would have in common,” no one would probably blame you for giving that answer. You see, both the California Pastor, Mark Mackey, of Hemet and Maverick Couch, a gay high school student in Ohio, were persecuted — and in the case of Mackey, prosecuted — for sharing a message about Jesus. Looking at it through our own biases and our own beliefs about who Jesus is, we might be tempted to support the Pastor in the one case and be indifferent to the plight of the gay student in the other case, or vice versa. However, if we want to stand for truly conservative principles which … Read entire article »

Filed under: Christianity, Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Freedoms, Law, Religion

Conservative Principles & Assaults on Free Speech

April 3rd, 2012 | 19 Comments

With Texas (and a little sliver of Oklahoma) to our east and Arizona to our west, New Mexico is stuck in the middle of those more populous states. That’s okay. As far as geography goes, there’s much to be said for being in the middle. I like to visit Dallas and Phoenix (although the only time I’ve been to the latter, I was sick as a dog throughout the SBC Annual Meeting last year), but I wouldn’t want to live in either of those places. Whenever I say something like this, my wife tells me that’s where God will end up moving us. I should know better by now. When it comes to where I personally stand on issues — theological, political, social, and economic —  I am most certainly not a moderate. … Read entire article »

Filed under: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, Freedoms, Government, Law, Politics, Religion

Baptist Church Offers Shameless Campaign Stop for Gingrich

February 27th, 2012 | 11 Comments

Why buy campaign ads when you can get a free, tailor-made campaign event in front of 3,000 folks during Sunday morning worship at your neighborhood evangelical church? In what surely would make our Baptist forefathers roll over in their graves, a Southern Baptist megachurch – First Redeemer Church in Cummings, GA — gave over its pulpit (there are other ways to describe this, but I will refrain) for a campaign speech by former Southern Baptist turned Roman Catholic, Newt Gingrich. Put into perspective, this made First Baptist Church of Jacksonville’s introduction of Gingrich at the conclusion of their annual Pastor’s Conference look not quite as morally negligent by comparison.  Since First Redeemer Church and their Pastor, Dr. Richard Lee, offered their sanctuary as a campaign stop last Sunday for another Catholic, Rick Santorum, it seemed only fitting that Gingrich stand behind the sacred … Read entire article »

Filed under: Freedom of Religion, Government, Politics, Religion

Worship at The Village Church & a Quest for BBQ in Dallas

February 20th, 2012 | 6 Comments

On a beautiful Sunday morning in Dallas, my oldest son, Stephen, and I decided to head to the Dallas Northway Campus of The Village Church for the 11:15 a.m. Worship Service. Actually, Stephen didn’t really have any choice in the matter. Truth be told, I didn’t really have a choice either. While I might be an inconsistent Calvinist in my practice, I know and believe in God’s total sovereignty. When I share with the congregation at Bethel Alamogordo on Sundays, “No one is here by accident or coincidence. God has brought each of us here today with purpose and reason, to hear from Him and to leave changed because we have been in His presence,” I truly believe that. By the way, I don’t think you have to consider yourself a Reformed … Read entire article »

Filed under: Christianity, Food, Religion, Southern Baptist Convention, Worship

Pint-Sized Preacher With Passion, But What Message?

August 18th, 2011 | 4 Comments

“What’s your message?”  That was the question that Brian Kilmeade of Fox & Friends asked 4 year-old “preacher” Kanon Tipton.  As most 4 year-old boys are apt to do when asked a question that they do not comprehend, young Kanon just shrugged his shoulders.  Kanon and his parents, Damon and Candy, will be featured on National Geographic Channel’s “Pint-Sized Preachers,” which debuted on Wednesday, August 17.  In their interview with Fox & Friends, Kanon’s mom continually talked about her son’s “passion and sincerity.”  After watching young Kanon, there is no question that he has passion and sincerity.  However, one cannot discern whether something (or someone) is of God simply because the person is passionate or sincere.  If that were the criteria, then a person’s beliefs would be validated as true by the passion and sincerity with which the person holds said beliefs.  Christians … Read entire article »

Filed under: Christianity, Religion

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