In 1519, the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés arrived in the New World with a mission to conquer the Aztec Empire. He arrived with a small army of 600 men, but he faced a significant challenge. His men were afraid and they were not sure that they could succeed in their mission. To inspire his men Cortés did something radical – he burned his ships. By doing so he eliminated any possibility of retreat and forced his men to fight for victory or death. This act of burning the ships became a symbol of determination and commitment.
Posts published in “Bold Christian Writing”
1 Samuel 29:1-11
Introduction
Jesus Christ is the king of kings and ruler of this world. And He has brought His people into His kingdom to rule with Him. Believers are saved from sin, death, and hell, and saved to rule as kings under King Jesus. He wants His people to mature into people capable of wielding authority. Whether that is in the home, the workplace, or the civil realm, He has created you to take dominion. David’s story is given to us as an example of God’s anointed king demonstrating righteous rule. It is an example for God’s people 3,000 years later in our own time and place.
David has been tested repeatedly, and throughout the trials he has proven himself worthy. His suffering has produced wisdom that he has used well. He has avoided scandalous sin like regicide. He has carefully navigated being a fugitive on the run from a king he refuses to fight, as well as being a defector to the enemy without harming his own people. But now, David is in trouble. He’s been called out to war with the entire Philistine army against Israel. He cannot fight Israel. But he cannot rejoin Saul. He is stuck. And there is no amount of cleverness or wisdom that will get him out of this mess. So what is he to do?
Recently there has been criticism of the idea of Christian Nationalism from some corners of ostensibly conservative evangelical church. For instance, Executive Vice President of G3 Ministries, Scott Aniol posted the following:
Last week a member of the trans community unleashed a wave of devastation upon Christians in Nashville that ended the lives of six of our brothers and sisters in Christ including three young children. I noted in my last post on this subject how we must learn to hate evil again as it continues to creep up in the world around us being endorsed and praised by the mainstream press, academics, culture, and major multi-national corporations.
Psalm 118 by Pastor Andrew Isker Introduction Psalm 118 is about Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem to do battle with Satan, sin, and death. But it…
As Christians we are called to stand firm in our faith even in the midst of turmoil and chaos of the world around us. Recent news of the horrific massacre of six Christians including three young children in Nashville, the news of President Trump’s sham indictment, and the conviction of Douglas Mackey may be discouraging and disheartening, but in these moments we must remember that our hope and our strength come from a higher power.
This week was a difficult week for me both as a Christian and as a father of young children. I looked everywhere for a response from so-called “Christian leaders” and at best I found silence while at worst I found those supporting the “trans community” instead of our own brothers and sisters in Christ.
On Monday, March 27, a woman who believed she was a man deliberately attacked a conservative Christian school in Nashville, murdering three nine-year-old children and three staff members. It was a deliberate terror attack by a transgender on Christians and their children. A 28-year-old woman named Aubrey Hale, who also went by “Aiden” and demanded others use male pronouns to refer to her, was shot dead by police minutes after the attack began.
Given these circumstances, any reasonable person can safely conclude this was an ideological attack. Whether Hale’s manifesto recovered from her vehicle ever sees the light of day is another story, especially if it is damaging to the transgender narrative the regime has devoted massive resources to prop up. What can be pieced together is that:
1 Samuel 28
One of the most lamentable things about the contemporary American religious landscape is that faith is so often treated as a product that is peddled to consumers and not sincere faith in the God of the Bible. You can shut yourself off from what the Bible actually says and easily find some religious authority who will tell you everything you want to hear. Similarly, in 1 Samuel 28, King Saul had rejected God, God no longer spoke to him, and so, on the eve of Battle, Saul did what was punishable by death in consulting with mediums who would tell him what he wanted to hear. And in the very end, he found out what he needed to hear instead.
1 Samuel 27
There is no topic more controversial within conservative Christianity today than the Christian’s relationship to political power. Many Christians believe it is the duty of the Christian to refuse to wield power, leaving it only in the hands of the wicked and godless. But the Bible does not teach that. In fact, the Bible gives us many examples of God raising men up to wield power wisely and shrewdly on behalf of his people. An entire book of the Bible, Proverbs, is about training a son to one day rule as a king. The Bible is a book about maturing men to be able to use authority well. David in 1 Samuel is the prime example of this.
The Left is continuing to lose its mind when it comes to Christian Nationalism. American Christians, of which there are tens of millions, continue to grow stronger in their opposition to Leftism and Globalism. Despite the pessimism from many regarding the 2022 election, in many places, self-consciously right-wing and Christian leaders have gone on the offensive. The Left thought it won big, staving off a red wave, but in reality, it has summoned bold leadership from those who finally know the time of day.
by Pastor Andrew Isker Despite what popular culture says, power and authority are not evil. Power and authority simply are. Power can be wielded wisely…
by ThinkingWest
In recent years angry protesters across the United States have toppled several statues depicting historical figures from America’s past. Much of this anger is driven by outrage at the atrocities in which these historical figures were involved. Unfortunately, much of this anger has been targeted at individuals whose contribution to American history isn’t completely negative in the eyes of the majority of Americans. Even several likenesses of the Founding Fathers have been toppled at the whim of some vehement mob1,2.