After he was released from prison for his role in the Watergate cover-up, Charles Colson became one of the leading evangelical thinkers in America. Colson calls the Church to engage with the culture, bringing the truths of God’s Word into the public arena. In this excerpt from his book How Now Shall We Live?, Colson encourages Christian leaders never to lower their prophetic voices. After all, when the Church holds out the words of the Bible, she does not speak for one mere sector of the electorate; ultimately, she speaks for God.

  Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Psalm 51:5 (ESV) Since its publication in 1946, Dr. Benjamin Spock’s (1903-1998) book Baby and Child Care has sold millions of copies, and its views, which were controversial initially, are now part of mainstream thinking on parenting. He argued that children are naturally good until exposed to the world’s problems and do wrong in response to evil within society. Seeking to empower parents, Spock taught that “what good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their babies is the best after all.”1 Raising […]

Pastor John Scripture Reference: Isaiah 42:1-17

  In 1512, in a series of sermons1 preached in Frankfurt-on-the Main, the Franciscan Thomas Murner satirically pointed out the worldliness and greed present among many clergy members: “When the lay lord has shorn the sheep, the priest comes in and fairly disembowels it, the begging friar follows and gets what he can and then the pardoner.”2 Indeed, it was an age plagued by supposed shepherds fleecing the flock.

  J. C. Ryle was a persistent advocate of Scripture reading and faithful preaching. As Bishop of Liverpool he did all in his power to advance knowledge of the Bible. At a time when the influence of the church was declining and the population growing rapidly, Ryle maintained the importance of the Bible both for individual salvation and cultural transformation. In this extract from his booklet How Readest Thou?, Ryle recalls the world-altering transformation accomplished by men of God armed only with Scripture, good theology, and Spirit-filled preaching.

  “Pass the turkey, please.” You can hear the subtle scrape of the fork on the plate to get the last delicious bite of grandmother’s dressing with giblet gravy. Can you picture the scene? Aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, parents and grandparents all gathered around a table crowded with various casseroles, another new sweet potato recipe, cranberry sauce and of course, the majestic bird as the main attraction. Just after everyone gathers at the table and way before the scramble for the best couch to nap on during the Cowboys game, someone announces, “Let’s all say what we are thankful for.” […]

Pastor John Scripture Reference: Isaiah 6:1-7

  GRANADA HILLS, Calif. (BP) — Thanksgiving is a holiday with a twin focus in our culture. On the one hand, it’s a day dedicated to cultivating and expressing our thankfulness to God for all His many blessings in our lives. On the other hand, Thanksgiving has also come to be very closely associated with the concept of family: the family dinner, the family reunion. Indeed, as Thanksgiving approaches, some people will travel huge distances to share one meal with relatives that they may not see at any other time during the year. And it’s precisely here that Thanksgiving can […]

  Traditional marriage is on the rocks in the West, and not just because of the influence of the homosexual activist community and the introduction of so-called gay marriage. Heterosexuals are also to blame for marriage’s bad press. Since the 1960s and 70s, heterosexual cohabitation outside of marriage has skyrocketed. In fact, the number of American couples cohabiting has risen 1,500 percent in the last 50 years, with more than 7.5 million couples currently living together. Most American adults in their 20s will live with a romantic partner to whom they are not married at least once, and most marriages […]

by Bryan D. Spinks As members trickled in for the later service, folks greeted each other with either short, happy hugs or long and comforting embraces.A musician encouraged the members to join in the songs-accented by bongo drums and electric guitars-when the spirit filled them. A large screen projected the words, but many of the members knew the hymns by heart and instead closed their eyes in meditation. Young and old raised their hands and waved their palms upward, swaying and tapping their toes to the beat. An energetic singer put a new spin on traditional hymns, singing 2,000-year-old teachings […]