“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree,
that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
By His wounds you have been healed.”
~1 Peter 2:24

The death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Christian faith. That life can arise miraculously from darkness and death brings great hope. As spring and “new life” emerge, God’s expression can be seen everywhere. This hope that Christians share is a hope far greater than the changing of seasons.

The Resurrection is the central event that distinguishes Christianity from all other faiths. Only God Himself, through His sacrifice on the cross, could redeem man from sin, fulfilling the requirements of the Law. Only God Himself could rise from the dead, returning to deliver to His followers the freedom He had paid to secure.

Outside of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we know of no other hope for mankind.  That is exactly what German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer once said to Billy Graham: “Mr. Graham, outside of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I know of no other hope for mankind.” But as we know all too well, not all Americans share this belief.

The fall of Adam and Eve left this world a harsh place and gave birth to this world’s moral and fiscal poverty. The suffering caused by a pandemic like COVID-19 and was exacerbated by power-hungry political “leaders” reminds us that brokenness is everywhere. Indeed, Christ didn’t die on the cross for a world that didn’t need Him. He died for one that did and does need Him. Every one of us desperately needs a Savior.

That’s where the Resurrection of Christ brings the greatest hope. Our ultimate hope is not in public policy or in political leaders, though we must always strive to elect godly statesmen who don’t seek self-gain and pray for their time in office. Our hope is not in political solutions, though we must be good stewards of God’s amazing gift of self-government and advocate for biblical principles in the public square. Our hope is in the renewal that one day “the government will be upon His shoulders” as promised. Our future and our political freedoms are vitally important, yet we do well to remember that our ultimate (eternal) hope is in Jesus Christ and what He did on Good Friday and Easter morning. For that we should be truly thankful. And in hope, we look forward to the day when all things are made new.

“… the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid,
for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
He is not here, for He has risen…”
~Matthew 28

Like nearly every other aspect of Scripture, the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, has been questioned by theologians and supposed scholars. One famous scholar, Raymond Brown, states that Luke’s information is dubious on almost every score.^[1] This means that God was not able to communicate the basic historical facts regarding the birth of the Son of God. Is this how we want to start the story of Jesus – as if we are just trying to make things up, like a Joe Biden press conference? We certainly can have confidence in God’s Word even when we cannot line everything up with “secular” histories or the opinions of men.

In the first part of the 20^th century, when there was a great assault against the Christian faith, the Lord, by His grace, raised up J. Gresham Machen as a very thoughtful defender of God’s truth.

In 1930, Machen’s book, The Virgin Birth of Christ, was published. It is considered one of the most thorough and scholarly treatments of the subject. You can read the book free HERE.

Both Luke and Matthew record the birth of Jesus in a different but harmonious way. Looking at the details, we can see that Luke and Matthew alternate in presenting the full story of our Messiah’s coming.

Based on Machen’s excellent thought, here is a compilation of the full birth story as given by Matthew and Luke.[2]

Read through this account with your family as we celebrate the coming of our Lord and Savior!

1. 1. Annunciation to Zacharias – Luke 1:5-24
   2. Annunciation to Mary – Luke 1:26-38
   3. Visit of Mary to Elizabeth – Luke 1:39-55
   4. Return of Mary to Nazareth – Luke 1:56
   5. Discovery of her condition – Matthew 1:18-19
   6. Annunciation to Joseph – Matthew 1:20-23
   7. Marriage of Joseph and Mary – Matthew 1:24-25
   8. Journey to Bethlehem because of the census – Luke 2:1-5
   9. Birth of Jesus – Luke 2:6-7
   10. Visit of the Shepherds – Luke 2:8-20
   11. Circumcision at Bethlehem at 8 days – Luke 2:21
   12. Presentation in the temple at 40 days – Luke 2:22-38
   13. 13 Return to Bethlehem – Not explicitly stated
   14. Visit of the magi – Matthew 2:1-12
   15. Flight to Egypt – Matthew 2:13-18
   16. Return to Nazareth – Matthew 2:19-23 and Luke 2:39-40

^[1] Raymond Brown, The Birth of the Messiah, 413.

[2] Compiled by P. Calvin Lindstrom following the analysis of J. Gresham Machen, The Virgin Birth of Christ, 197. Scripture quotations from the NKJV.

Written by Trevor Grant Thomas

I have bad news: I’m dying. I have worse news: so are you. Whether sick or healthy, young or old, Christian or not, conservative or liberal, democrat or republican, each of us has an inevitable date with the moment in which we will depart this world. Most of us have a bit of trouble with this. In fact, of all the things that scare us, for most, death is the ultimate terror.

As the book of Genesis reveals, it was not supposed to be this way. Death was not part of the picture “in the beginning.” We were always supposed to live forever in glorious and perfect splendor with our Creator. To live “happily ever after” is the fitting ending to so many fairy tales—and movies, TV shows, novels, and the like—because this is the way things are supposed to be.

Death was the tragic consequence of wanting to rule our own world. But thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus and His resurrection, death does not have the final say in the lives of those who have put their trust and hope in the One who died for our sins, and who was raised to life on the third day. As one scans history, no other date put such a mark in time as when Jesus Christ shed His grave-clothes and departed the tomb.

Of all the religions of the world, only Christianity claims an empty tomb for its founder. The physical resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of Christianity. British theologian Michael Green said it well when he noted, “Without faith in the resurrection there would be no Christianity at all.” Noted biblical scholar, professor, and author Wilbur M. Smith said that, “The resurrection of Christ is the very citadel of the Christian faith. This is the doctrine that turned the world upside down…” Indeed it did.

C.S. Lewis notes that, “In the earliest days of Christianity an ‘apostle’ was first and foremost a man who claimed to be an eyewitness of the Resurrection,” or more accurately, a witness of the resurrected Christ. He adds that, “to preach Christianity meant primarily to preach the Resurrection.” And preach they did.

The transformation of the disciples of Jesus is one of the greatest evidences of His resurrection. For decades following Jesus’ death and resurrection they preached His “good news.” Biblical references and strong extra-biblical sources have almost all of the disciples dying martyrs’ deaths. James, the son of Zebedee, according to Scripture was, “put to death by the sword (probably beheaded).” According to early church historians Peter was crucified in Rome, and Paul (of course not one of the original 12, but an apostle nonetheless) was beheaded there. Strong church tradition has Thomas, the “doubting” disciple, being run through with a spear.

The faith of Jesus’ Apostles spread to thousands upon thousands in a relatively short period of time. As the “good news” of Jesus spread, many of the early believers suffered intense persecution. Fulton Oursler, in The Greatest Faith Ever Known, notes that “Thousands of these men and women would die themselves in the arena, burning on pitch-soaked pyres, crucified, they would die for Jesus Christ, and for the Faith, the Church that Christ founded.”

The persecution of the church continued for centuries. Nevertheless, Christianity endured, and the number of Jesus’ followers continued to multiply. After Constantine’s conversion in the year 312 the church passed from persecution to privilege. Councils were called, the Scriptures were translated into various languages, and faithful missionaries carried the gospel to ever farther reaches of the world.

The impact of the resurrection of Jesus extends far beyond religious institutions. The influence that Christianity has had on the world can be measured in practically every facet of life. Everything from the family, to science, government, medicine, art, literature, business, and so on, has felt the impact of the message of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The world’s first university, birthed in 1088, was The University of Bologna in Italy. It was founded to teach canon law. The second oldest university, The University of Paris, grew out of the cathedral schools of Notre-Dame and soon became a great center for Christian orthodox studies. Dr. Alvin J. Schmidt, in his book Under the Influence: How Christianity Transformed Civilization, points out that every college established in colonial America, except the University of Pennsylvania, was founded by some denomination of Christianity. He adds that, preceding the Civil War, 92 percent of the 182 colleges and universities in the U.S. were established by some branch of the church.

By around 1450, Johannes Gutenberg had nearly perfected his printing press. Making use of movable metal type, Gutenberg’s press was the world’s most efficient means of large-scale printing. This process of printing remained virtually unchanged for four centuries. The first major work mass-produced on Gutenberg’s press was the 42-line Bible (or “The Gutenberg Bible”). This magnificent work ushered in the age of the printed book, and the era of mass communication. Soon, millions of homes, schools, and churches had their own copies of God’s Word, and news of the resurrection of Jesus now spread faster than ever before.

Many of the greatest artists in history—Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Donatello, Da Vinci, Salvador Dali—were followers of Jesus. This is evident in that many of the great works they produced were scenes or characters from Scripture. Beethoven, considered by many to be the world’s greatest composer, wrote some of the most profound Christian masterpieces of history. Johann Sebastian Bach was, as one scholar put it, indeed “a Christian who lived with the Bible.”

Some of the most famous and influential founders of what is considered “modern science”—Galileo, Kepler, Newton, and Pasteur—were Christians who operated from a strict biblical worldview. For example, in 1595, in Kepler’s first major work, he thought that he had discovered “God’s geometrical plan for the universe.” As a Christian, Kepler believed that the universe was designed by a Creator and thus should function in a very logical fashion. He went as far as to define his view of “science” as “thinking God’s thoughts after Him.”

Isaac Newton is considered by many to be the greatest scientist who ever lived. He is most famous for his laws of motion and universal gravitation. On gravitation he noted that, “Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who set the planets in motion. God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done.”

Recognizing that “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it…” and knowing that we are merely stewards of the Creator of all things, those who follow Jesus are the most generous people on the earth. Take note of the number of influential charities inspired by Christianity. Among them are The Salvation Army, Campus Crusade, Feeding America, Catholic Charities, Compassion International, Samaritan’s Purse, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, World Vision, and the YMCA.

The first hospital in North America, the Hospital de Jesus Nazareno (the “Hospital of Jesus of Nazareth”), was founded by Cortés. With the aid of Benjamin Franklin, the first hospital in the U.S, Pennsylvania Hospital, was founded by a Quaker, Dr. Thomas Bond. The Catholic Church alone operates over 1,100 hospitals and long-term health care facilities in the U.S.

This great nation—the miraculous United States of America—that we inhabit was founded almost exclusively by Christians and upon Christian principles. On July 4, 1837, in a speech delivered in the town of Newburyport Massachusetts, John Quincy Adams, son of John Adams, and the 6^th U.S. President, proclaimed,

Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the World, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day? [Independence Day] Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth?

The impact of Christ’s resurrection can be seen in individuals and institutions, in art and entertainment, in science and industry, in calendars and carols, in tribes and in nations. All of human history—from Creation to Christmas to the Crucifixion—culminates in Jesus leaving His earthly tomb. As I implied earlier, and as history clearly reveals, the resurrection of Jesus stands aloft every other event the world has ever known. Again, virtually every facet of our lives has been impacted by the empty tomb left by Jesus. Though we may acknowledge Him on our currency, and measure our years from His birth, our only real hope is in His resurrection. In the end, the only things that will matter, the only things that will be truly lasting and good, are the things we did in His name.

This article was originally published at TrevorGrantThomas.com
Trevor is the author of the The Miracle and Magnificence of America

Remember last July when CNN’s homosexual “journalist” Don Lemon said, “Here’s the thing, Jesus Christ—if … you believe in Jesus Christ—admittedly was not perfect when he was here on this Earth”? Apparently, Lemon forgot these verses about Jesus:

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Well, Lemon’s at it again—that is, demonstrating his biblical ignorance. This time, in response to a question from Meghan McCain about the Vatican saying it won’t bless same-sex unions, Lemon responded,

The Catholic Church and many other churches really need to reexamine themselves and their teachings because that it not what God is about. God is not about hindering people or even judging people. … I would say to the pope and the Vatican and all Christians and Catholics … go out and meet people and try to understand people and do what the Bible and what Jesus actually said—if you believe in Jesus—and that is to love your fellow man and to judge not lest ye be not judged.

Yes, he said that—all of it. Why, oh, why does someone so biblically ignorant pontificate repeatedly on Christianity?

For the umpteenth time, God judges both people and actions. While God loves his creation, he hates many things that his fallen creatures believe, desire, and do. We learn that in Scripture. We learn too that Christians are to discern properly and to discriminate—that is, judge—between right and wrong actions. We learn that we are to “judge with righteous judgment,” to “expose the unfruitful works of darkness,” and to “declare the whole counsel of God.” God instructs individuals, church bodies, and civil authorities repeatedly to make judgments regarding right conduct.

We also learn in the Old Testament that God does, indeed, hinder and judge people. And as we learn throughout Scripture, God will judge us all.

The words of Jesus that Lemon attempted to quote, Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that you be not judged,” are often misunderstood, misused, or abused by those who affirm homoeroticism as good. This admonition from Jesus means several things. What is does not mean is that Christians are prohibited from making distinctions between right and wrong acts. This verse means that,

1.) Fallen humans should not presume to judge the hearts of others,

2.) We are not to presume to know who is saved and who is not, and

3.) We are not to condemn hypocritically a sin in which we ourselves engage. We’re to recognize the universality of sin and offer forgiveness as we have been forgiven.

It’s absurd to claim that the Bible prohibits Christians from making statements about what constitutes moral conduct (i.e., to judge). Neither Lemon nor anyone other than sociopaths believes people should refrain from making moral judgments. Lemon and his ideological allies regularly judge the beliefs, feelings, words, and deeds of others. Has he ever watched CNN?

With pomposity, scorn, and nastiness, leftists regularly judge theologically orthodox Christians. If Christians believe what God’s Word says about sexuality, they are called ignorant, intolerant, hateful bigots—or worse. If “judging people”–in the sense of judging the beliefs, feelings, and acts of people–is wrong, as Lemon says it is, then Lemon and other leftists shouldn’t be judging and condemning Christians as “homophobes” and “transphobes.”

Every civilized human makes judgments every day between right and wrong actions. When Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.—to whom Lemon referred favorably—condemned racism, he was judging. When he said the church was “blemished and scarred” by racism and rendered “weak” and “ineffectual,” he was judging. There is no mistaking that Rev. King heartily endorsed judging. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Rev. King wrote,

How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.

Lemon doesn’t really mean Christians shouldn’t make judgments about right and wrong. He really means Christians shouldn’t make any judgments he hates.

Listen to this article read by Laurie:

https://staging.illinoisfamily.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Bible-Expert-Don-Lemon-Opines-Again.mp3

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I recently wrote about the value of asking ourselves during challenging times the question “What is true about God right now?”

With all that’s going on in our nation these days, perhaps now would be a good time to reflect on that question in the context of current events.

Here are ten things that are true about God no matter what’s going on in the world around us.

#1: He’s Still in Control

Psalm 97:1: “The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.

No matter the outcome of an election, God is still on His throne and will never be voted out or removed from office!

#2: Jesus is Still the Same

Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

We don’t know how long it will be before Jesus returns, but whether He comes today or a hundred years from now—and no matter what happens in the meantime—Jesus is still the same and always will be.

#3: His Word is Still True

John 17:17b: “Thy Word is truth.”

We can still turn to Scripture for help, hope, and wisdom even in the midst of a culture that has lost its way. Our society may not be able to agree on the truth, politicians may stretch the truth, schools might not teach the truth, but we can still find the Truth in the Word of God!

#4: He Still Loves His Children

Romans 8:38-39: “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

If none of those things can separate us from the love of God, I don’t think elections or worldwide pandemic can do it either!

#5: Jesus Still Saves

Romans 10:9: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

That was true when Paul wrote it, and it’s true today. God is still at work in the world to bring lost sinners to Christ.

#6: Jesus Has Overcome the World

John 16:33: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus foretold it two thousand years ago: in the world, we’ll have trouble. But His encouragement can still give hope today: He has overcome the world!

#7: He Still Has a Plan for You

Psalm 37:23: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.”

In times of upheaval, it’s good to know that God still orders our steps. His plans for us aren’t thrown off track based on the changing circumstances around us.

#8: He’s Still Working All Things Together for Good

Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

All things? That’s what Paul said! That’s a big promise that I have a hard time getting my head around, but we can believe by faith that it’s true.

#9: He’s Still Working to Sanctify His People

Philippians 1:6: “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ . . .”

Our problems aren’t just “out there” in the world—we still have the problem of our own sin nature right inside us. Thankfully, God is still at work sanctifying His people and conforming us to the image of Christ. That’s great news!

#10: He Will Never Leave Us

Hebrews 13:5b: “for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

God is always with His people. What a promise! In good times and bad, in times of plenty and times of poverty, in times of peace and times of chaos, in times of sickness and times of health, in times of joy and times of sorrow, in times of peace and times of conflict, He is always there. Always.

There may be plenty of things to be concerned about in our world, but let’s not forget that we have hope beyond this world. Take a few moments to reflect on what is true about God today, and let Him encourage and strengthen your heart!

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On July 10 at Walled Lake Western High School in Michigan, popular teacher Justin Kucera who taught AP World History and coached varsity baseball and basketball and who by all accounts never brought his politics into his teaching or coaching was fired for tweeting, “I’m done being silent. Donald Trump is our president.” Meanwhile,

Paulette Loe, a now-retired Walled Lake Western teacher, encouraged students to read an article from the Atlantic about “how to beat Trump” while still employed. Nicole Estes, a kindergarten teacher in the district, called Trump a “sociopath” and a “narcissist” on Facebook in 2016 and is still employed at Keith Elementary School [also in Walled Lake Consolidated school district].

It should be unbelievable that a teacher could be fired from a government school for expressing his support for a sitting president while indoctrinators are free to bring their politics into the classroom regularly with no fear of retribution. Sadly, this is now the new normal.

Twelve years ago when I was a member of the English Department at Deerfield High School on Chicago’s North Shore working full-time in the writing center, teachers Elliott Hurtig and Jeff Berger-White were teaching the repugnant play Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, and Hurtig was also teaching the historically inaccurate Laramie Project, both plays of which espoused politically “progressive,” morally regressive views of homosexuality.

Setting aside the egregious obscenity in Angels in America, I discussed with a purportedly Catholic writing center colleague the ethical problem of teachers presenting resources from only one side of the debate on this most controversial cultural issue. I made the case that in an educational environment, teachers have an obligation to present resources from opposing voices as well. She responded that because she was absolutely sure opposing voices—that is, conservative voices—were wrong, they shouldn’t be allowed to be presented to students.

This is the kind of presumptuousness that has long poisoned education in America from elementary schools through colleges and universities, and has created a dissolute and destructive culture. Leftists demand absolute autonomy and arrogate to themselves the right to indoctrinate other people’s children because they have unilaterally concluded that their political and moral beliefs are objectively true, and opposing views are false. From kindergarten on up, leftists are indoctrinating other people’s children with their arguable leftist beliefs on homosexuality, opposite-sex impersonation, race, sex, American history, and presidential politics with no negative repercussions.

In his essay “On Liberty,” John Stuart Mills presciently warns about the very arrogance infecting today’s “educators” hell-bent on imposing their beliefs on vulnerable, ideologically malleable students:

The rules which obtain among themselves appear to them self-evident and self-justifying. … People are accustomed to believe, and have been encouraged in the belief …  that their feelings … are better than reasons, and render reasons unnecessary. The practical principle which guides them to their opinions on the regulation of human conduct, is the feeling in each person’s mind that everybody should be required to act as he, and those with whom he sympathises, would like them to act. No one, indeed, acknowledges to himself that his standard of judgment is his own liking; but an opinion on a point of conduct, not supported by reasons, can only count as one person’s preference; and if the reasons, when given, are a mere appeal to a similar preference felt by other people, it is still only many people’s liking instead of one. … his own preference … is not only a perfectly satisfactory reason, but the only one he generally has for any of his notions of morality, taste, or propriety.

In a recent appearance on Mark Levin’s program Life, Liberty & Levin, Dr. John Ellis, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of German Literature at the University of California at Santa Cruz, chairman of the California Association of Scholars, and author of Literature Lost: Social Agendas and the Corruption of the Humanities and The Breakdown of Higher Education: How It Happened, the Damage It Does, and What Can Be Done discussed the root cause of the cultural “shout downs” and riots:

The real problem is way behind the scenes in the classrooms, which the public never sees. … you’ve had a very long campaign of converting the universities into one party campuses. If you go back 50 years … there were 3 left-of-center professors to 2 right-of-center professors. … that’s consistent with a very healthy debate between the left and the right on campus. But by … 1999, a study shows 5 to 1. … By another five to six years later, it’s gone to 8 to 1, and the current studies … coming out now, it’s something like 13 to 1. There’s every reason to believe that that’s getting more extreme all the time because one of these studies looks to the junior ranks—assistant professors, associate professors—and found that the ratio there, left to right, is 48 to 1.  … The hiring being done now is at the rate of about 50 to 1. … So, you’re going to wind up with a complete monoculture within a short period of time. And a one-party campus is a campus that’s dysfunctional. …

The campus is so far left and so irrational now, and it’s leftism that is poisoning the culture. One profession after another is being essentially corrupted. … It’s totally poisoned journalism. It’s poisoned the teaching in the high schools because the high school teachers are all trained on college campuses

Ellis also suggests that parents who continue to send their children to colleges and universities that are in the business of poisoning culture are part of the problem:

Parents have a very fixed attitude, derived from the past, that sending their kids to college is a first rate way to launch them into a life and a career, and then there’s the fact that those great names of the institutions of higher learning of Harvard, Yale, Columbia … are very, very impressive. It casts a kind of spell over the public. They really cannot believe … that what was so glorious is now in fact no longer there.

Conservatives often ask what they can do to help restore health to our ailing culture. Here’s one thing they can do: Don’t send their children to colleges and universities that have “monocultures,” and through those monocultures, poison culture.

Stop being impressed by the worldly accolades poured on the polluted Ivies that now oppose their original mission statements, mottos, logos, and seals. Harvard long ago rejected its original mission statement:

Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well the end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning.

The Princeton University shield once depicted an open Bible inscribed with “VET NOV TESTAMENTUM,” that signified the Old and New Testaments; a ribbon above the Bible that said, “VITAM MORTUIS REDDO,” which means, “I restore life to the dead”; and a ribbon below the shield with the words “DEI SUB NUMINE VIGET,” which mean, “Under God’s power she flourishes.” Such expressions today would be an embarrassment to the faculty and a trigger to most students.

Dartmouth College’s original motto was “VOX CLAMANTIS IN DESERTO,” which is translated as “A voice crying out in the wilderness,” an allusion to Scripture about preparing the world for Christ. Ironically, Dartmouth is now a cacophonous voice creating wilderness out of the semi-tamed culture Christianity created.

When teachers and college professors preach their leftist sermons in schools, not only do they indoctrinate, but they also leave dissenters at the mercy of social tyrants. In other words, government school preachers and college professors fuel bullying. In “On Liberty,” John Stuart Mills writes,

Like other tyrannies, the tyranny of the majority was at first … chiefly as operating through the acts of the public authorities. But reflecting persons perceived that when society is itself the tyrant—society collectively, over the separate individuals who compose it—its means of tyrannising are not restricted to the acts which it may do by the hands of its political functionaries. Society can and does execute its own mandates: and if it issues wrong mandates instead of right, or any mandates at all in things with which it ought not to meddle, it practises a social tyranny more formidable than many kinds of political oppression, since, though not usually upheld by such extreme penalties, it leaves fewer means of escape, penetrating much more deeply into the details of life, and enslaving the soul itself. Protection, therefore, against the tyranny of the magistrate is not enough: there needs protection also against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling; against the tendency of society to impose, by other means than civil penalties, its own ideas and practices as rules of conduct on those who dissent from them; to fetter the development, and, if possible, prevent the formation, of any individuality not in harmony with its ways, and compel all characters to fashion themselves upon the model of its own. There is a limit to the legitimate interference of collective opinion with individual independence: and to find that limit, and maintain it against encroachment, is as indispensable to a good condition of human affairs, as protection against political despotism.”

You know there’s a problem when a left-leaning site like the satirical website the Onion skewers the close-minded propaganda that leftists identify as “education” as it did in a post titled “College Encourages Lively Exchange of Idea”:

As an institution of higher learning, we recognize that it’s inevitable that certain contentious topics will come up from time to time, and when they do, we want to create an atmosphere where both students and faculty feel comfortable voicing a single homogeneous opinion. … Whether it’s a discussion of a national political issue or a concern here on campus, an open forum in which one argument is uniformly reinforced is crucial for maintaining the exceptional learning environment we have cultivated here.(emphasis added for fun).

Leftists are fond of saying that free speech does not guarantee freedom from consequences. They fail to acknowledge that if those consequences are loss of employment, First Amendment speech protections are, in effect, nullified. And we all know, leftists couldn’t care less.

Listen to this article read by Laurie:

https://staging.illinoisfamily.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Education-in-a-Pro-Propaganda-Culture_podcast_01.mp3

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Last Sunday in an on-air, post-game interview and subsequent tweet, Chicago Bears kicker Eddy Piñeiro Jr. said, “If you don’t believe in God you better start believing he’s REAL.” Anyone watching the moment with eyes unclouded by hatred of and rebellion against God, could see the joy of a man who wants to share his joy with others. But what Chicago Tribune opinion columnist Eric Zorn saw was this:

Piñeiro’s post-game remarks—including a follow-up tweet—were a taunt, not an expression of humility. They implicitly derided nonbelievers and deployed his success as evidence of the superiority of his theological outlook.

Zorn mistook a wish for a taunt, joy for arrogance.

Zorn then meanspiritedly mocks and mistranslates (or transmogrifies) Piñeiro’s statements, twisting them beyond recognition:

I made a field goal, therefore Jesus is real and atheists and agnostics should get on board!

Serious, theologically orthodox Christians don’t believe Jesus is real because of the successes they experience or gifts they are given. In fact, the Bible teaches that Christ-followers like every other human in this fallen world will suffer: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Maybe Piñeiro, who evidently loves Jesus and desires that all would come to know and love Him, wanted to take this opportunity to share some really good news—news about Christ. Maybe Piñeiro wants atheists and agnostics to one day see the kingdom of Heaven. Is that wish a taunt or an expression of love for the lost?

While Zorn may know a thing or two about writing, he’s as bad at theology as is his ideologue-in-arms Rex Huppke, so here’s a primer in theology (trigger warning for Zorn who may find Jesus’ belief “in the superiority of his theological outlook” off-putting):

• Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

• Jesus says, “For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

• Jesus commands his followers to “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

• Jesus says, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”

• Jesus says, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

• Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

• Peter says to followers of Christ, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Zorn’s beef is really with God.

Listen to this article read by Laurie:

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More than 2,000 years ago He was born in Bethlehem. This Baby, born of a virgin, of the lineage of King David, was the long-awaited savior, the Lamb of God, the Prince of Peace — the Word of God in flesh (John 1:14).

The prophet Isaiah wrote:

The Lord himself will choose [a] sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel — ‘God is with us.’

The prophet Micah foretold:

You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.

People may try to deny who He was, but His birth, His death, and His resurrection changed the course of history. Our very calendars reflect His existence: the date assignation A.D. being Latin for “Anno Domini” translated “in the year of the Lord.”

The entire world recognizes Christ’s birth daily with the dating of documents!

Surely this was no ordinary man whose birth altered the calendar!?

Consider that Jesus’ birth fulfills over 300 Old Testament prophecies. What are the odds?

Bible scholars tell us that nearly 300 references to 61 specific prophecies of the Messiah were fulfilled by Jesus Christ. The odds against one person fulfilling that many prophecies would be beyond all mathematical possibility.

It could never happen, no matter how much time was allotted. One mathematician’s estimate of those impossible odds is “one chance in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion.”

Isaiah penned the words foretelling the birth of Jesus that inspired the great composer George Frideric Handel to write the Messiah:

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

And the apostle Paul described the humility and sacrifice of Christ in Philippians:

Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11)

At this wonderful time of year, even a darkened world celebrates Christmas, the commemoration of Christ’s birth.

But that foretold miraculous birth was only the beginning.

The nativity is merely the first chapter of God’s plan of redemption that culminated in Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. As a result, anyone who calls upon  the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in faith will be redeemed from the eternal consequences of sin. (Romans 10:13)

As written in Matthew:

And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)

I pray that you will celebrate the hope of the season: the Savior has come to reconcile us to God! And because He lives, we can live!

May the blessings of this season fill your hearts with joy!

When most Americans hear the term “New Age” they might think of a little boutique that sells cotton caftans, CDs of sitar music, and multicolored assortments of crystals. It all seems to point to dubious fashion sense and outdated home decor, but nothing ominous, nothing harmful. Yet, in reality, the New Age movement has had a serious negative impact on many unsuspecting people.

People who have never set foot inside a New Age store, people who would laugh at the thought of pretty rocks containing healing powers — these same people are enthusiastically and blindly embracing dangerous New Age philosophies, all because of their admiration and devotion to the powerful and popular woman who is advancing these beliefs.

Who has become the High Priestess of the New Age Movement? Who is this woman who commands the respect of millions, whose stamp of approval can make or break a book, movie, or political candidate? She is the host of the highest rated talk show in television history, a magazine publisher, and an Academy Award nominated actress. She is Chicago’s very own, Oprah Winfrey.

Oprah Winfrey has been described as the richest African-American of the 20th century, the most philanthropic African-American of all time, the world’s only black billionaire — and perhaps most tellingly — the most influential woman in the world.

Oprah definitely has influence. Her television talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, is seen weekly by an audience of 49 million viewers in the United States. Additionally, millions more worldwide watch Oprah in the 117 countries in which her show is broadcast. With apologies to Madison Avenue and E. F. Hutton, when Oprah talks, people listen. And what Oprah’s audience is hearing now is her ringing endorsement of Eckhart Tolle’s book, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose.

Virtually everyone in America knows Oprah’s name, and most are familiar with her daily television program. But many are unaware of the depth of the spiritual lies she is promoting, and how many needy people are buying this false hope through Oprah’s celebrity. Please watch the following video to get a better idea of the lies she is selling her audience (you can also click this link):

While Oprah has professed to be a Christian, the principles in Tolle’s book are definitely not based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. In keeping with the subtitle of the book, the reader is encouraged to be “focused on the purpose of your Being here on earth.” Not surprisingly, nowhere does Tolle’s vision of one’s life purpose have anything in common with man’s purpose in relationship to God, certainly not as it is expressed in the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The very first question of the catechism asks: “What is the chief end of man?” and the answer is: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” Revelation 4:11 and 1 Peter 2:9 beautifully support the veracity of this historic church document. Nothing in Scripture even remotely supports Tolle’s contentions.

Tolle asserts that there is no death; that in fact man does not have a life, but he is life. Clearly this statement completely denies the truth of God’s Word found in John 14:6, as Jesus tells Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” As Christians we know that “he who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:12

In light of Scriptural Truth, what kind of life can Tolle claim?

A New Earth does acknowledge the existence of God/god, but not God as any Christian would recognize Him. Tolle envisions his god, not as an entity in a particular place, but as “the essence, the intelligence, the animating life essence behind all life forms.” This essence does not appear to include a Son, for again, there is no mention of Jesus, the Son of God.

As a self-proclaimed Christian, how can Oprah countenance this false teaching? Even more troubling, how can she continue to promote such false teaching, knowing that millions of people look to her and are influenced by her words and viewpoints? Sadly, Oprah seems to have left the narrow path that leads to righteousness and, instead, she has started down the broad road that leads to destruction.

Oprah has publicly denied on her television program that Jesus, as the Son of God, is the only way to God (John 14:6). In her mind, there couldn’t possibly be just one way, but rather many diverse ways to God. In taking this position, she has rejected the authority of the Word of the Living God and embraced the distortions and lies of New Age charlatans and false teachers. Rather than Lord and Savior, Christ has become for Oprah “a stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall.” (1 Peter 8a) These New Age lies she promotes are deadly!

Oprah believes that God does not govern the affairs of mankind, nor does she believe in sin, the devil — but rather that “we are our own saviors” (directly contradicting Luke 9:23, which Jesus says; “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” [emphsis added]). On her hit talk show, she has openly expressed her opposition to Jesus as being the true savior.

Earlier this year, her friend Marianne Williamson began teaching the 365 lessons from the New Age Bible, A Course in Miracles, on Oprah’s XM Satellite Radio. Page 147 of the Course Text teaches that we are “God”: “The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself.”

Oprah has also promoted the New Age book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. Page 164 in The Secret states: “You are God in a physical body.”

And now, Oprah is launching an online course with metaphysical teacher Eckhart Tolle based on his book The New Earth: Awakening to Your Soul’s Purpose. In Tolle’s earlier book, The Power of Now, he teaches blasphemy — claiming that we are “God.”

While Oprah is free to believe whatever she wants, it is horrifying that so many souls are being led astray as they follow her lead. This incredibly influential woman could be a powerful ambassador for Christ, but instead, she is being used by Satan to peddle the “spiritual crack” of New Age teaching that leads to addiction, death, and eternal damnation.

As Christ’s return draws closer, we must stand firm in our faith, sure in what we believe and know to be true. Paul’s charge to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2-5 is a charge to Christ followers today as well:

“preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are called to bear witness to the Truth of the Gospel in our circles of influence. Unlike Oprah, we may not be able to reach millions, but by the power and grace of God, we can reach out in obedience, confidence, and faith to the people who He places in our lives.