Pastor Derek Buikema of Orland Park Christian Reformed Church recently interviewed Rod Dreher about his latest book, Live Not By Lies. Even though sales of this book have been excellent, Pastor Buikema notes that little attention has been given to the book by the mainstream press.

The heart of this excellent interview is a phenomenon we are seeing but don’t always want to acknowledge: we are living in a time of soft totalitarianism. Those who have been blessed to live in the USA all their lives are often not as quick to recognize this as those who have come from communist nations.

Dreher is not overexaggerating what we are facing but rather highlights the confluence of force displayed in media, education, government, and many businesses in our nation. In the Soviet Union, you dared not speak out against the government. In the USA today, businesses monitor employees to see if they are straying from the party line. College students who post flyers for conservative groups are called before Diversity Deans and asked to sign pre-written apologies. Is this the equivalent of the Gulag Archipelago? Of course not, but let’s not minimize or ignore what is taking place just because we don’t feel the pressure as acutely.

The great challenge is to not live by lies. We are called to faithfulness, truth, and love. Many Christians think this is simply niceness. But neither the prophets nor Jesus was nice, but rather loving in the true, biblical sense, speaking the truth even when it wasn’t popular. We must live according to objective truth. It is essential to do this in both words and actions.

We do best to consider the lives of those who have gone before us. Rev. 12:11 declares, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

Many are willing to exchange liberty for comfort. Will we be guilty of doing the same or will we live with courage and hope despite what we may face?

Please watch this 35 minute video and please consider sharing it on your social media platforms:

Editor’s Note: The views and opinions expressed are those of Rod Dreher
and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Illinois Family Institute.

When the Equitable Restrooms bill was introduced in Springfield, a familiar pattern started to emerge. As IFI readers may know, HB 1286 legalizes “all-gender, multiple-occupancy restrooms” in sporting complexes, stadiums, entertainment centers, conference centers, and other big venues in Illinois. Yes, “all-gender” is just what it sounds like – males and females using the same multiple-occupancy restroom at the same time, anytime. There are urinals, stalls, and partitions in co-ed bathrooms.

So our first reaction at IFI was the same as yours and your neighbor’s. Don’t they know these restrooms will be places where rapes and crimes will occur? Don’t they know that at the very least women will lose their privacy when men are in these restrooms? Don’t they know that a 16-year-old girl who needs to use the restroom is vulnerable to men who will frequent these places with evil intentions? So why would we want to create all-gender bathrooms, especially since there have been crimes committed by more than a few men in women’s restrooms in recent years?

Those are all good questions. Unfortunately, those questions aren’t at the center of debate in Springfield — yet. Like I said at the beginning, a familiar pattern has emerged.

The first complaint by the sponsor and those on the left who support this bill is that HB 1286 doesn’t really do what people think it does. The bill only legalizes and permits, not mandates, these restrooms. Well, IFI readers know this. We wrote about it last month. But some people hearing about this for the first time wrongly thought the bill mandated the restrooms, so the far-left’s been painting the picture that ALL of us are mistaken. And they’re making that the central issue of the debate. If that sounds familiar, you’re right.

In the Garden of Eden, Satan asked, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” Satan placed doubt in Eve’s mind that she might be completely mistaken.  That’s the left’s strategy as well – a lie leading to doubt. “All opponents think this bill requires these restrooms to be built. Therefore since it doesn’t, it’s okay to pass the bill.”

We know the bill just permits these restrooms… for the time being at least. But we also know they’re going to be dangerous and that’s why we’re opposed. The left then goes to the second tactic – temptation.

As Satan said, “Well, God knows if you ate of that fruit, your eyes would be opened and you would be like God.” Hmmm…..doesn’t sound that bad, almost tempting. So Eve takes the fruit and gives it to Adam and they sin.

The left once again draws attention away from the truth by saying, “The bill merely provides the framework on how to construct these restrooms. All we’re doing is making sure that if someone does construct these restrooms, they need to do it a certain way for safety reasons.” That might sound more reasonable, but it completely masks the question of ‘Why do we need to provide the framework in the first place?’  What they are trying to avoid is that all-gender multiple occupancy restrooms are currently illegal. And common sense tells us that they’re unsafe. And there’s no amount of framework that will make them safe.

So believe it or not, legislators are not yet publicly debating your privacy or safety in legalizing these restrooms; they’re merely talking about providing the framework for construction of these restrooms which will inevitably also provide the framework for crimes against women and girls.

Even California hasn’t done what Illinois is proposing. Why? It’s unsafe. The closest California has come is proposing a single-use “transgender bathroom” in every school. They would keep the boys and girls restrooms as they are.

Christians are called to love God and love one another. We defend God’s Word here on earth and simply repeat God’s loving reasons why we should not do this or that as it will harm God’s people. We also proclaim what God says would make things better for all people.  In the Capitol, that often means opposing others who feel they are doing the right thing in their own minds.  The hard part is taking all of the slings and arrows that come from intentional misrepresentations, lies, and deceit. And it’s no fun being mocked, ridiculed, and laughed at for standing up for Christian values in this culture war. History repeats this pattern over and over for us Christians. It’s the path Jesus endured to the point of death on a cross. Yes, carried out by those He created and came to save, no less.

But the fact that it’s no surprise allows us to recognize it for what it is and forge ahead with our playbook – which is Scripture – to love God and others, pray for those who persecute us, and to defend God’s Word here on earth. So please continue to do those things.

There are many reasonable, albeit timid, legislators who need you to help them stand up against these assaults on basic values. And please know that the witness slips you filled out on-line against HB 1286 really do witness to many in our Capitol against the lie that gender is chosen by people rather than by God. (“So God created mankind in his own image…male and female he created them” – Gen. 1:27 and “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” – Jer. 1:5)

Finally, please know that your prayers are felt and invaluable to our cause. We at IFI appreciate them. I pray every day for the far-left – for their health and welfare and their coming closer to God. This is the same prayer I say for myself and my family. This is a spiritual battle, after all.  Do we have the votes to stop HB 1286? I don’t know. I do know this, though. We have a God Who has already won the victory over Satan, both in this world and the next. Which is why God never asks us to be successful. Rather, God only asks us to be faithful to Him – both in our private lives and public capacities.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send a message to your local state representative to ask him/her to vote against this legislation when it comes up for a vote on the House floor sometime this session. Urge them to reject this foolish woke agenda that fails to recognize biological facts. Ask them to protect the privacy, dignity and safety of all Illinois citizens, especially women and girls.

Please, speak out against this destructive bill.

With the vast number of books, movies, and songs written commiserating the consequences of bad choices (which would include most every Country and Western song written), one would think that young Americans would not need to be told to think carefully about their choices in life.  A popular British band sang, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” not that long ago, but America’s youth apparently never got the memo!  They are being led down the primrose lane to danger and destruction as lambs to slaughter, being told they can live however they wish and suffer no ill consequences. It is, I suppose, another example of human nature’s “it’ll never happen to me” mentality!

The ignorance of the young regarding important life matters is tragic.  It is a fundamental of science that “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”  This law is not confined to steel balls suspended in a Newton’s Cradle gadget.  It affects everything we do; from the food we eat to the words we use with each other.  And we are fools indeed if we believe that we can make major life decisions recklessly without suffering any consequences!  It is as certain as the sun rising every morning that the pain and suffering of America’s youth right now is largely the result of their being told they can do whatever they want and that they should not let anyone tell them what they can and cannot do.

Studying predators’ ability to camouflage themselves in their search for dinner is most instructive.  From tiny spiders blending in with their environment, to lions hiding in grass of the same color as their fur, to human hunters who create sophisticated ways to hide from their game, we all understand the purpose of camouflage.  It generally works to the detriment of the prey.  We may joke about the smooth salesman who talks you into buying a car you can’t afford, but the “sales job” being foisted upon America’s youth is not about their money.  It may well cost them their lives!  It has already cost the lives of millions of unborn babies; and those who are behind this sales pitch have no more regard for your 10-year-old than they do for the baby in your womb!

The words “con job” or ”scam” are too kind to be applied to what the Left is doing to America’s children and youth. If another country was destroying our children as the Left is, we would consider it an act of war; yet the prevailing message of cultural leaders and the Media is that the Left, and only the Left, really cares.  American children are plagued by depression, suicide, drug use, violence, and murder as never before in our history but are given no tools with which to deal with their suffering.  The Left has preached for 60 years that there is no God, no truth, no right or wrong, and that people can do as they want sexually without consequences.  So, young people do as one would expect them to do when given such a green light, only to find themselves overwhelmed with trouble and pain they cannot understand or resolve.  Then to add insult to injury the Left gets filthy rich off the misery they have created by legalizing more drugs and selling abortions to kill the babies the nation’s children have produced.

How has this deception been so successful?  How has the Left been able to become wealthy and powerful off the very lives they have been exploiting and destroying?  Tragically, they have employed tactics the Bible has been warning mankind about for thousands of years, and largely by disconnecting America’s youth from the Bible which, if known and followed, would have protected them from the tragedies they are now experiencing.

The Bible is Truth, and abundant research reveals that following its principles generally protects one from the dangers promulgated by the Left, similar to how a thorough knowledge of currency protects one against forgeries.  Christ said, “you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”  He is also personally called “Truth,” meaning that He is the source of all that is true and is in perfect harmony with truth.  To turn one’s back on truth leaves one with only lies to live by, and if the truth “sets you free,” what will lies do?  For starters, look at America’s youth and you will see.  They are slaves to destructive false narratives and addictive behaviors.  The fact that these lies are so hurtful and self-contradictory is lost on them as they have no standard by which to judge what is true, what is real, what is good or what is evil. They flounder along hoping that some new experience will make them happy, give them a reason to live, or fill the inexplicable void in their hearts.

They are told that there is no real meaning in life, and no purpose or consequences for their daily choices, yet they find they have pain, guilt, and confusion.  Told that their sexuality is nothing more than a “bodily function” to be experienced and experimented with for their own pleasure, they do not understand why they feel dirty, used, and disconnected.  Confusing young people by offering them freedom, but giving them license, Leftists place these naïve children, as it were, in the cockpit of a plane flying through dense clouds and tell them to fly like birds!  But, when they crash and burn, it is always  someone else’s fault.

Potentially sealing these young peoples’ doom is the fact that the ones who have abused them have convinced them that Leftism, alone, is virtuous, and through lies and deception have isolated them from the Truth that would bring them life and peace.  Christianity is rarely considered by young people today because Leftists and scorners have maligned Christ and believers and have created inaccurate and damaging caricatures of the faith thus transforming the public perception of Christianity into a parody.  The majority of what the public now sees as Christianity has virtually no relationship whatever to genuine Christianity; but due to most true Christians’ unwillingness to fight back, and the Left’s near monopoly on messaging, millions have been fooled.

Thus, the nation which was founded by “. . . the People, of the United States,” with a clear vision of self- sacrifice for the benefit of “(themselves and their) posterity,” has become a nation of vultures, quite literally sacrificing children for adults’ pleasures and prosperity.  On every hand innocent, vulnerable, and powerless children are victims of Leftist schemes.  Millions have died in the womb, and multitudes more are being groomed and exploited for adults’ deviant pleasures through explicitly sexualized school curricula, and prurient events such as “drag queen story hours.”  In the cases where state governments are awakening to the threats against women and children and institute protections, the predators lurk at the state borders, seeking to lure panicked women into their grasp with death-mobiles, specially equipped vans where young women facing a crisis pregnancy are offered the faux fix of a quick abortion.

It has been said that good people plant trees the shade of which they will not live long enough to enjoy. They simply live for others.  We now live in a day when the Left has managed to convince a large number of people, young and old, that selfishness and leeching off others is somehow virtuous!  The Bible warns, “Woe to those who call good, evil and evil, good.”  We all know better but many are intimidated by the Leftists who sit so powerfully, calling “good” those who yield to their corrupt demands and “evil” all who resist.

And so, we are in what some are calling a “cold” civil war!  We are not competing against well-meaning but misinformed people, but against powerful, well-connected, and formidable adversaries who see children and the weak as prey to be devoured and the population in general as sheep to be shorn.   They display a disgusting elitism that has no place in America.  In their arrogance they consider themselves our superiors, while we exist for their pleasure.  This phenomenon is new to most Americans, but it was very familiar to America’s Founders; and it is understood by those who have lived under Leftism across the globe.   We have no delusions about convincing the Leftists to abandon their wickedness, but we do hope, by God’s grace, to warn the vulnerable so that they might escape.

The great hope of the elites is that through subterfuge and deceit they can gain the power necessary to wield the same control over Americans that President Xi has over the Chinese people, and Putin has over the Russians.  When we consider the incalculable harm they have already done to Americans, especially children, one can only imagine the destruction they would unleash if they were to gain absolute power.  They are not benefactors of America’s youth, they are predators!

It is said that John Wycliffe wrote in his 1382 English translation of the Bible that the “Bible is for a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”  It is not an accident, then, that the first country in history to use biblical principles in formulating its constitution and laws, has provided the greatest individual liberties of any government ever created.   It is also not surprising that as the Bible has been gradually rejected over the last fifty years that the body politic has been flipped upside down.  Government officials now have the power and Individuals have become their prey.  What is evident is that the God of the Bible has a personal interest in individuals, and a critical view of mankind’s governments.  In fact, He promises to one day destroy all human governments to establish His own!  (Know this, generally speaking, any human who seeks to overthrow his government is violating God’s word (Rom. 13:1,2).  Genuine Christians will not be involved in destroying America’s government.  God alone has the authority to do such).

In Ezekiel 34, God address the “Shepherds,” the political and cultural leaders of Israel.   He says, “’Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves!  Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?  You eat the fat and cloth yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock.  The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. . . .” (34:2-4 NKJV).   Thus, we see the heart of God for children, and we see that godless political leaders haven’t changed in three thousand years!  God declares Himself the Protector of the powerless, and He will avenge their abuse at the hands of the political and cultural elite.

Parents,  wake up and protect your children!  And you who abuse these young ones, understand this!  You will not escape the judgment of God!

It is simple: good people don’t commit murder. Murderers do!  Multiple mass shootings over the last few years, and especially recently, have caused a great sense of frustration among citizens, yet the only message coming from some politicians is about reducing the number of guns in society. They never address the fundamental issue which is that guns in the hands of good people never cause a problem, and in fact often save lives. Yet law abiding citizens are always the target of Leftists’ gun control laws.

Americans have always had an abundance of firearms. Guns are not the problem. People willing to commit violent crimes is! The problem of mass shootings in America will not be corrected with changes in the laws, but rather with changes in hearts.

The multiple shootings of young people which have occurred over the last few years are worse than tragic. But sadly, they are the logical consequence of a society in denial regarding mankind’s sinfulness and in rejection of God’s authority. From the first murder recorded in Genesis 4 to the recent rampage on the campus of Michigan State University, every one of these killings is a direct assault upon God the Creator and a rejection of His command not to commit murder.

It is irrational to think that we can pick and choose which of God’s commandments we obey and which we flout.  Why would we expect young people to selectively obey God’s 6th commandment when we collectively scorn them all?  Why should young people listen to anything our leaders say when those leaders lie, cheat, steal, and advocate for the killing of the unborn and euthanasia for the elderly? The left has ridiculed America’s founders, the Bible, God, and everyone who promotes historic Judeo-Christian virtues. They then wring their hands in faux dismay when people violate those same virtues. C.S. Lewis got it right when he wrote, “We make men without chests and expect from them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.”

We could expand on his point: We deny truth exists yet get angry when people lie. We mock integrity and are overwhelmed by crime. We say “follow your heart” but are then appalled by people’s selfishness. We scorn God and are surprised by the violence and chaos of a godless society.

Do the Leftists who promote expanded drug use, defunding the police, removing God and the Bible from culture, who trash America’s history and replace science with woke nonsense, not understand what they are doing? Are they well-intentioned but mistaken? Sadly, no!  They know exactly what they are doing and why! Their goal is not a better culture with healthier, happier citizens but rather a godless society that becomes so chaotic the citizens plead with them to take control and bring order even if it means totalitarianism.

But we know better because we know God, we love the truth, and we understand how it all ends! Psalm 2 addresses leaders and citizens who think they can free themselves from God’s principles and cast off his sovereign lordship, “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: The Lord shall have them in derision. . . .” And ultimately, He will “dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

We who love God do not fight this battle with the weapons of men, but with truth. While battles rage on, the ultimate victory has already been won. Jesus Christ won it over 2000 years ago with his death on the cross, and His resurrection!

It would be quite humorous, if it weren’t so ironic, to witness Leftists, who hold such power in American culture, pose as martyrs claiming to “speak truth to power!”  No, at the moment it is Christians, who are the butt of comedians’ late-night jokes, who are mocked and scorned on every hand, who are sued for living their convictions, who are speaking “truth to power.”  Every forum of public discourse and power is dominated by the left.  Government, education, the Media, Arts, Hollywood, Big Tech, business associations and more are firmly controlled by Leftists.  It is a testimony to the power of truth that these Leftist powerbrokers are doing everything they can to silence the few dissenting voices that remain, even as those voices have virtually no cultural power!  It may also be evidence that these Leftists know, in spite of their protestations otherwise, that truth is not on their side!

What are we who love and proclaim truth to do?  We must not yield an inch.  We must make no apology for the truth.  We must shun the methods of the Left.  We must live and act with grace. Scriptures are not merely poetic when they proclaim, “the righteous are bold as a lion,” but “the wicked flee when no one pursues,” (Prov. 28:1).

Jesus Christ told His disciples that they are “the salt of the earth.”  Salt has many beneficial uses, one of which is to inhibit decay.  No one can deny that America is in the state of moral decay pushed by the Left.  However, because of our resistance to this decay, we are hated.  Our presence, words, and actions are irritants and even obstacles to the decadence being promoted by influential God-hating Americans.  In contrast to the “men without chests” being created by the Left, Christians reflect the eternal principles and authority of the God who has redeemed us.  So, if we are to inhibit the decay of our culture, in practical terms, how are we to do that?  We cannot change people’s hearts.  God, alone, does that work.  But we can and must proclaim the message of the Gospel and live so as to represent Christ well.  The Apostle Paul told his young protégé, Timothy, to “. . .reprove, rebuke and exhort. . . .” all who would hear him.  These things do not make a person popular, but they do make him faithful and most effective in confronting the decay that is the ongoing result of Adam’s sin.

If you are a born-again Christian, you, too are “the salt of the earth” and have the grave responsibility to oppose the direction of our culture.  You cannot shrug it off as belonging to someone else.  The immorality, violence, and victimization of children we are witnessing is not an accident but the intentional repudiation of God, the Bible, and righteousness, and God has called no one to be spectators of the conflict!  We all have a high calling on our life!  You can’t afford to sit this out.

The confused and addicted all around us do not need “support” or agreement from us to be happy. They will only be happy when they come to agreement with God, repent of their sin, and trust His grace and forgiveness.

This is truly the message of hope every person on earth needs!

If anything G. K. Chesterton wrote is worth quoting once, it’s worth quoting twice. In our recent discussion about the theological and political significance of words, I quoted Chesterton as saying thus:

“If you’re not going to argue about words, what are you going to argue about? Are you
going to convey your meaning to me by moving your ears? The Church and the heresies
always used to fight about words, because they are the only thing worth fighting about.”

And as we’ve seen in the world of academia, the Left has recognized that words are the battleground of the mind and advanced into the fray with weapons swinging. Journalism is not far behind.

The Associated Press Stylebook, a preeminent reference guide for English grammar and journalistic principles and style—used by both educators and journalists—has chosen some eyebrow-raising guidelines for how reporters ought to address the topic of abortion in their reports. These guidelines show us, on a much more subtle level, how fiddling with words is fiddling with minds. Let’s look at one specific example in detail: the difference between “unborn baby” and “fetus.” (While this article won’t be using direct quotes from the AP Stylebook, the full text of the abortion topical guide can be accessed here.)

When referring to a baby before he is born, reporters are warned that terms such as “fetus” or “unborn baby” have been politicized by both sides of the issue (pro-life advocates argue that “fetus” devalues a human life, and pro-abortion-access advocates argue that “unborn child” equates abortion with murder). Therefore, the AP counsels us, we are to write with appropriate clarity and sensitivity. But the AP then provides a little more detail about what “appropriate” means.

“Fetus” is preferred in many instances (especially in scientific and medical contexts) when we are discussing a baby after 10 weeks of the mother’s pregnancy. “Embryo” is the appropriate term for a baby up to 10 weeks of the mother’s pregnancy. So when are we allowed to use “unborn baby?” Ahh, that’s a term that we to be used when “fetus” would seem too clinical for the context. E.g., “Sarah loved her unborn fetus more than anyone else in the world” sounds quite weird. So while the AP doesn’t explicitly say so, the examples they provide us seem to indicate what they think is “appropriate:” use the more clinical terms “fetus” and “embryo” in most cases, except for when they sound too clinical for the context, such as a mother loving her unborn baby. Saying “fetus” in such contexts doesn’t evoke the proper emotional reaction.

Yet that’s the whole point! The reason pro-life advocates insist on using the term “murder of an unborn baby” is precisely because saying “demise of a fetus” sounds too clinical! It doesn’t evoke the proper emotional reaction. Think of the difference between saying “the underdeveloped hominoid life form was severed with a sharp dividing instrument” and saying “the little girl was beheaded with an axe.” The more clinical our language, the less we feel natural emotional responses, which is why the abortion industry insists on “terminating pregnancies” instead of “dismembering unborn babies.”

The AP is onto the right principle: we ought to use “unborn baby” when omitting to do so wouldn’t evoke the right emotional response. However, the AP isn’t applying this principle evenly—they recognize the beauty of maternal affection but not the horror of abortion. By writing a topical guide that suggests we use “embryo” and “fetus” as our default terms when writing about abortion, they are suggesting we “clinicalize” a topic that is anything but clinical.

The AP also presents a few other eyebrow-raising guidelines, such as:

• Use “anti-abortion” instead of “pro-life,”
• Use “abortion-rights” instead of “pro-choice,” and
• Use “anti-abortion counseling center” instead of “crisis pregnancy center.”

Yet again, we have stumbled onto the vocabular battlefield and found pairs of competing words fighting over the same subject. And yet again, the difference lies not in the subject we are referring to (we’re talking about the same clinics and procedures either way); the difference lies in the connotations we pin onto it. We might be tempted to give way and just use the politically correct vocabulary, consoling ourselves in our heart of hearts that “we’re referring to the same thing either way,” but we’re not using the same connotations either way. And thus, in the end, we really aren’t meaning the same thing either way.

“Happy holidays” technically refers to the same time of year as does “Merry Christmas”—but removes Christ from the picture. “Transgender” technically refers to the same condition as the phrase “someone who is confused about their sex”—but acquiesces to the lie that sex is mutable. And “termination of a fetus” technically refers to the same procedure as “murder of an unborn baby”—but implies nothing more than a clinical separation of cells, rather than the horrific death by dismemberment or poisoning it really is. Just like “happy holidays” allows us to talk about Christmas without mentioning Christ, this connotation swap allows us to talk about murder without mentioning its horror. It further cements the idea that abortion is benign, first into our vocabularies, and then into our minds. When a whole generation can grow up talking about Christmas without thinking about Christ, or talking about abortion without thinking about murder, the vocabular battle will finally have been won.

And that world will be a scary place.

The high incarceration rate in America has raised many questions over the years and is one reason used by the Left for demanding radical changes to or even a dismantling of the Nation. They sometimes try to blame America’s Judeo/Christian roots for the problem; however, only a superficial understanding of history allows for such a conclusion.

Yes, America does have an embarrassingly high number of people in prison, but it is simplistic to demand a fundamental transformation of the nation to correct it. To do so ignores the tremendous good America has done for the world, its historic support for the nation of Israel, the creative genius of its people, and the hope it has provided for the down-trodden of all nations. There is only one reason millions of people want desperately to come here: America remains a great beacon of hope and opportunity. So, is America still good, or not? Will God bless us with a great future, or is the end near?

While the causes of America’s crime rate are numerous and too complex to analyze in detail here, I believe that it is safe to say that our liberties are, in fact, one significant factor. People who are free and have minimal outside supervision can, unfortunately, use that freedom for either good or evil! This is a dilemma and begs the questions: does the good America has done warrant patience with its failures, and is the moral and spiritual superstructure upon which the nation was built still strong enough to support a wholesome culture into the future? I, for one, say, “yes” to the first, but struggle with the second. It does, however, raise an important point: people who are free must be worthy of that trust.

America’s Constitution and laws “run” on Judeo/Christian principles and to think those principles can be discarded without bad consequences is foolhardy. Like filling your gas tank up with Kool-Aid! Free people must have both the wisdom to make good choices and the discipline to carry them out. Our second president, John Adams, wrote,

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. 
It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” 

James Madison, considered the “Father of the Constitution,” and the fourth President of the United States, noted that the Constitution requires

“sufficient virtue among men for self-government.”  

So, what is to be done when millions of Americans have become irreligious and immoral?

Does an honest appraisal of the current situation in America suggest that the moral character of the Nation may no longer be sufficiently strong to warrant trusting the Constitution as our governing document?  Do too many people lack the personal character necessary to govern themselves and thus we careen toward anarchy? This possibility is frightening!

There are only two real options to the growing chaos of the nation: The first is Marshall law, or more precisely, tyranny. The Left is doing everything in its power to push us there. While we do not yet know who the real power brokers are behind this movement, they have enlisted thousands of foot soldiers who are under the delusion that somehow good will come from tearing down law and order and putting substantial power in the hands of a small number of people, while breaking the will of anyone who might resist. Those who know history know that tyranny, whether under a king, emperor, general, or comrade is always bad for the people! Give the Leftists credit for dumbing down the public educational system to the point where they could accomplish such miseducation, and shame on America’s parents for allowing it to happen to their children!

The second option would be, in simplistic terms, to cultivate a “moral and religious” people again.

I pause for a moment for the reader to consider those options. I know of no other option available to address the current crisis. Allan Bloom, who was no evangelical Christian, was prescient when he wrote in “The Closing of the American Mind” (1987) that the breakdown of Christianity as America’s common ideology would lead to disaster.

Thus, the question is whether returning to a common, Christianity based ethic is a viable possibility for America, as it is I believe, and as the Founders noted, the only foundation for the liberties the U.S. Constitution provides. This question may send Christians into discussions of theology, eschatology, Calvinism, and a host of other related topics, but I am not sure there is time for much discussion. The enemies of liberty are not at the gate, they are inside the gate and at every level of government. They are, as someone has noted, “psychopaths hungry for power,” and they will not be easily deterred or dislodged. They have created a political landscape where a significant percentage of the electorate is dependent upon them for their daily bread, another portion is beholden to them for their jobs, and a third, rather naïve group, has been deceived into thinking they, the Leftists, are beneficent. With the Media, Hollywood, unions, the entertainment industry, Big Tech, and others supporting their deceptions, they will, in human terms, be difficult to defeat. They are the “Goliath” in the current cultural/political war, but we know whose side God is on!

It is my opinion that we have but one possible pathway to restored liberty:  Those who claim to trust in Jesus Christ alone must do just that: trust Him! And trusting Him requires that we humble ourselves, cease from conduct that is displeasing to Him, and intentionally obey His commands, understanding that He will do as He wills!  Preachers who proclaim week after week that God loves you and wants you happy, healthy, and wealthy need to stop the deception and call on everyone to bow the knee in repentance and submission.  God is our Sovereign, not our personal genie! And, as Scriptures note, He “. . . is not mocked. Whatever a man sows that he will also reap.” If America is to survive, if our liberties are to continue, if the nation is to continue to be a “city on the hillside” offering hope to the world, we will need to see a heartfelt repentance and turning from evil by millions of Americans and a fresh outpouring of God’s grace in revival!

God alone knows what lies ahead for America, once the greatest nation in human history.  But there are two famous quotes I would close with.  The first is,

“I know not what course others may take,
but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!”
(Patrick Henry)

The second is from Joshua, the successor to Moses.

“As for me and my house,
we will serve the Lord.”

May we stand with courage and may God yet have mercy on this Great Nation!

This past Monday morning, I was teaching hundreds of ministry school students at Christ for the Nations in Dallas on the topic of demons and deliverance.

During the class, I stated that in the days ahead, I believed that satanic manifestations would become much more open and overt in our society. Rather than hiding himself in the culture, the devil will reveal himself more clearly.

After teaching, I got back to my room and began to read headlines and receive emails that confirmed the very thing I was saying.
(More on that in a moment.)

Of course, we’ve been seeing this trend for years now.

• One prominent example would be the rise of Drag Queens in our culture, some of them in overtly satanic attire, reading to toddlers in libraries and performing at churches.

• Another prominent example would be the “Shout Your Abortion” movement and the celebration of radical, pro-abortion legislation. This is in stark contrast to the old Bill Clinton adage that abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare.”

• Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was a radical feminist group with the acronym WITCH, standing for the Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell. (I kid you not.) They certainly got their message across!

But most groups are not that overt (even if tongue in cheek), and gay activists learned decades ago that the in your face, “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it” approach was not working. Instead, gay strategists adopted a policy of presenting themselves to be exactly the same as the couple next door, just like you in every way, except gay. (This was laid out in the watershed 1989 book After the Ball: How America Will Conquer It’s Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90’s.)

So, from a strategic viewpoint, most groups wanting to bring about radical change to society do so in more covert, incremental ways rather than announcing, “We’re a terrorist conspiracy from hell!”

In the same way, Satan doesn’t march around as a huge, horned dragon carrying a pitchfork.

As a senior demon counseled a younger demon in C. S. Lewis’s classic book The Screwtape Letters,

“The fact that ‘devils’ are predominately comic figures in the modern imagination will help you. If any faint suspicion of your existence begins to arise in his mind, suggest to him a picture of something in red tights, and persuade him that since he cannot believe in that (it is an old textbook method of confusing them) he therefore cannot believe in you.” 

These days, however, it’s as if Satan is coming out in full force, red tights and all – if not literally, then metaphorically. What else can be said of the performance of “Unholy” at the Grammy Awards this past Sunday night?

As the Breitbart headline announced, “Non-Binary Pop Star Sam Smith Performs BDSM, Devil-Themed ‘Unholy’ at the Grammys.” How lovely!

But even that only told part of the story.

As explained in more detail by the American Family Association,

“During the annual Grammy Awards ceremony on Feb.5, originally designed to recognize outstanding artists in the music industry, Pfizer pharmaceutical company felt it fitting to sponsor performers Sam Smith, who claims to be non-binary, and Kim Petras, who claims to be transgender. These two gave the nation a Satan-themed performance of their song ‘Unholy,’ in which Petras performed inside a cage with drag queens dressed in devil costumes, while Smith gyrated in a costume with devil horns sticking out from a top hat.

“The entire ‘performance’ depicted a hellish scene with lots of darkness, blood red colors and flames.”

So, you have:

1. the name of the song, “Unholy”;
2. both lead performers denying their biological realities, one of them wearing devil’s horns;
3. drag queens in devil costumes;
4. BDSM-related themes; and
5. the fires of hell

I would say that is pretty clear!

No wonder podcaster Liz Wheeler tweeted, “Don’t fight the culture wars, they say. Meanwhile demons are teaching your kids to worship Satan. I could throw up.”

Compared to some other past hits (whose lyrics are virtually unrepeatable in moral circles), the lyrics to “Unholy” are relatively tame. It is the overall message of the Grammy performance that shouts out its depravity loudly and clearly.

Similar to this is the announcement from The Satanic Temple that it is raising funds to provide “free religious [meaning Satanic] Telehealth medication abortion care in New Mexico.”

But this could be good news for us as followers of Jesus.

The greater the darkness, the clearer our light is seen.

May it shine brightly in front of the whole world! And may we shine as lights without shame, without compromise, and without hypocrisy.

And don’t be surprised if, in the days ahead, in front of your very eyes, you witness scenes as if taken straight out of the Bible where, in broad daylight, visibly demonized people get set free in Jesus’ name – dramatically, gloriously, and in full public view.

Things are heating up.

This article was originally published at AsdDrBrown.org.

In the wake of SCOTUS decision to strike down Roe v. Wade and the so-called “right” to abortion, we praise God for the dozens of states in the nation that have moved to ban or greatly restrict this heinous practice. In blue states like Illinois however, those who love death are busy establishing new death chambers, expanding to strategic new locations and inviting people over the state line to destroy innocent human life. Illinois State Lawmakers are going out of their way to support an industry committed to ending the lives of innocent pre-born babies.

As we once again recognize Sanctity of Human Life Sunday (January 22, 2023), Christ followers must respond intentionally, bringing both salt and light to this desperate situation. (Click HERE for a bulletin insert.) Here are some suggested deliberate steps we all can take:

Be intentional in prayer. If we truly believe that the fervent prayer of the righteous “avails much” (James 5:16); and if we truly believe that God hates the shedding of innocent blood (Proverbs 6:17); and if we truly believe that we are called to “deliver those who stumble toward death” (Proverbs 24:11); and if we truly believe that the second great commandment in God’s law is to love our neighbor—born or unborn (Matthew 22:36-40); we should be offering up earnest prayers regularly throughout the day.

We should pray for mothers who are facing an unplanned pregnancy or who are facing threats, abuse, and coercion to end their pregnancy. We should pray for abortion workers to leave their work that enables the “termination” of pre-born life. And we should pray for our local community, elected officials, leaders, and neighbors who do not understand the gruesome truth that abortion takes a human life.

We highly recommend that Christians intentionally participate in 40 Days for Life prayer vigils. If we truly believe that God’s ears are attentive to our cries and that He answers every prayer that aligns with His perfect will (1 John 5:14, Psalm 34:15 and 5:3), we can wait in eager anticipation for His hand to work when the time is right.

• Pray that human life would be cherished at every stage of life, regardless of circumstances.

• Pray for the end of abortion in all states.

• Pray for the pregnancy resource centers that are helping women facing an unplanned pregnancy.

• Pray for political and church leaders, and that they would be willing to stand up for life.

• Pray that God will open the eyes of policymakers and candidates running for office to the sanctity of life. Pray that they will become defenders of innocent human life and not enablers of sexual immorality and death.

• Pray for a softening of hearts and minds. May God give us opportunities to minister to those who are hurting and may our conversations be filled with His grace and love.

Be intentional to educate yourself. Being pro-life is much more than being anti-abortion. Contraception, sterilization, IVF and, on the other end of the spectrum, the so-called “right” to die movement, all foster and promote a culture of death. Read and/or watch experts on these topics to learn how to defend the pro-life position with reasons.

Also, be cognizant of the ways contemporary negative attitudes toward having and raising children undermine the culture of life. Avoid making critical remarks about children being a burden or interfering with your sleep/work, schedule or budget. Start seeing them through God’s eyes, as a blessing and a reward. (Psalm 127:3-5)

Moreover, Bethany Bomberger’s book, Pro-Life Kids, is an excellent resource that reinforces the importance of every human life and Ryan Anderson’s newest book, Tearing Us Apart: How Abortion Harms Everything and Solves Nothing, discusses the lasting impact that abortion has had on our country.

Be intentional and proactive in your church. Talk to your pastor and church leaders about supporting a local pregnancy center, recognizing and celebrating Sanctity of Life Sunday, and explaining the importance from a biblical view of voting for candidates committed to supporting pro-life legislation. There are a variety of resources that you can share with your community. You can find these at sanctitysunday.com.

Encourage your church to host meetings throughout the year to highlight the battle for the right-to-life. These can include documentary film screenings, special speakers, right-to-life apologetics, and Bible studies on God’s view of every human life.

Encourage your church to have a ministry that reaches out to post-abortive women who, like all of us, need to know that Jesus paid for all of our sins on the cross and that His love, mercy, and forgiveness are available and sufficient. The local church can be a place for these women to start healing.

Be intentional to be an advocate. Whether with a large audience or just your family, start a conversation about life and its value.  Need help talking about abortion? Check out the pro-life apologetics organization Life Training Institute. They have been equipping Christians to defend their unborn neighbors since 2004.

You can also attend the Annual SpeakOut Illinois pro-life conference. This year’s event will be held in Oakbrook Terrace on February 25th. For more information, click HERE.

Additionally, we encourage you to join us for the annual IFI Worldview Conference on March 18th at the Village Church of Barrington. This year we are featuring three well-respected Pro-Life Christian leaders who will help us better understand, debate and persuade people in our spheres of influence to the sanctity of human life. Learn more HERE.

Promote, help, donate to, and fundraise for your local crisis pregnancy center and/or local pro-life group. Attend a Hike for Life fundraiser or banquet.

Speak out against pro-abortion legislation. Most people have absolutely no idea what bills are being decided in Springfield or Washington, D. C. It is vital to get alerts from IFI and other pro-life groups who will let you know when to speak out on specific pending legislation.

Visit your local lawmakers to thank them for their service and to see how you can pray for them. Let them know how important the life issue is to you and to our culture. Urge them to become a champion for the pre-born.

Make sure you are subscribed to Illinois Family Institute’s emails and Action Alerts to stay involved about bills affecting the unborn! As responsible citizens that love their community, use this information to contact your representatives. Hold them accountable to protect human beings at all stages of life, from conception to natural death.

Be intentional to celebrate life. It is tragic to realize that we are immersed in a culture that does not value life. Many babies diagnosed with Down Syndrome in the womb are aborted. Other potential disabilities and/or genetic conditions are targeted as well. Women use abortion as a means of birth control. Senior citizens who need assisted living or who live in nursing homes are frequently mistreated, ignored, or forgotten.

Celebrating the people you know who have challenging conditions can set an example to others not only how to treat “the least of these” with respect and dignity, but to think about them as equally worthy of life as those of us blessed with good health.

Be intentional to promote and support pro-life candidates. In every election cycle we have opportunities to promote pro-life candidates running for local, state, or federal office. You should pick a candidate or two to support in word, with your time, and, if possible, with your finances. They are the ones voting to pass laws that either expand or limit ending precious pre-born human life.

You should make your pro-life views known to your community during election time.

“It should be the highest ambition of every American to extend his views beyond himself, and to bear in mind that his conduct will not only affect himself, his country, and his immediate posterity; but that its influence may be co-extensive with the world, and stamp political happiness or misery on ages yet unborn.” ~ George Washington

Additionally, you can support pro-life candidates by putting up yard signs, making phone calls, distributing literature, going door-to-door with the candidate, hosting a meet-and-greet in your home, using social media, attending rallies, and marching in parades.

Go one step further and identify your local pro-life elected officials and write them a letter of encouragement and thanks.

Conclusion

Scripture is clear, God is infuriated with the shedding of innocent blood (Psalm 106:38; Proverbs 6:16-17) and the apathy of so many Christians who remain on the sidelines in the face of evil (Ezekiel 12:2; James 1:22-25). Make no mistake, He sees what is going on in Illinois and in the rest of the world. But God gives us insight into why it appears He may have overlooked this grave evil.

The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. ~2 Peter 3:9

God wants us to repent, and He is sovereign. He wants to work through us to change everything–even the hearts of those who work inside these clinics. Let’s not forget that God specializes in cases that look surmountable. (Jeremiah 32:37; Luke 1:37; Ephesians 3:20; Luke 18:27)

God wants us to repent, and He is sovereign. He wants to work through us to change everything–even the hearts of those who work inside these clinics. Let’s not forget that God specializes in hard cases. (Jeremiah 32:37; Luke 1:37; Ephesians 3:20; Luke 18:27)

We are to pray for one another too (Ephesians 6:18; James 5:16), because we tend to grow weary and discouraged. Therefore, we should be praying for the strength and resolve of those who are on the frontlines of this battle as we also pray that God would remove all fear and timidity from Christians who have not yet engaged in the battle for truth, righteousness, and the sanctity of human life.

Lawyers for Mark Houck, a pro-life father of seven being prosecuted by the Biden administration, dropped bombshell evidence in defense of the pro-life advocate at a January 17, 2023, pretrial hearing in Philadelphia. Thomas More Society attorneys produced new evidence – never before considered by a federal court – that when the United States Congress passed the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, it expressly intended to exclude so-called “escorts” operating outside of abortion facilities from being encompassed by the FACE Act.

The Thomas More Society filing on behalf of Houck in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, quotes U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), chief sponsor of the FACE Act. Kennedy clearly stated that clinic escorts are excluded, because they do not provide reproductive health services in a facility, as required under the FACE Act.

“The FACE Act was never intended to cover disputes between advocates on the public sidewalks outside of our nation’s abortion clinics,” declared Thomas More Society Executive Vice President & Head of Litigation Peter Breen, who is representing Houck. “This new evidence shows clearly that Congress intended to limit the FACE Act to patients and staff working in the clinic, and not to take sides between pro-life and pro-choice counselors and escorts on the sidewalk. The Biden Department of Justice’s prosecution of Mark Houck is pure harassment, meant solely to intimidate our nation’s pro-life sidewalk counselors who provide vital resources to help pregnant women at risk for abortion.”

The Thomas More Society filing highlights a key exchange between Kennedy and U.S. Senator David Durenberger (R-MN), over a bipartisan amendment they negotiated to strip clinic escorts of the right to bring lawsuits under the FACE Act (139 Cong. Rec. S15682):

Mr. DURENBERGER. By defining “aggrieved person” in this way, was it your intention to exclude clinic escorts or so-called clinic defenders? 

Mr. KENNEDY. That is correct. Demonstrators, clinic defenders, escorts, and other persons not involved in obtaining or providing services in the facility may not bring such a cause of action.

Durenberger then reiterated that escorts are not covered under the FACE Act (139 Cong. Rec. S15686):

The bill, as currently drafted before us, allows legal relief only to clinic patients and personnel. And this is the critical, if you will – not the only, but the critical – change that has been agreed to by the proponents of this legislation and by the Senator from Massachusetts. We have recognized that Federal law should be extended narrowly to protect only those who were actually attempting to obtain or provide medical or counseling services. It does not protect the escorts.

Thomas More Society attorneys filed the Objections to Government’s Jury Instructions in response to the Biden Department of Justice’s proposed jury instructions, which claim that, under the FACE Act, “A provider of reproductive health services includes any staff member or volunteer escort who is an integral part of a business where reproductive health services are provided.” The Biden Department of Justice claims that volunteer abortion escort Bruce Love is a “provider of reproductive health services” under the FACE Act.

Thomas More Society attorneys have provided alternate jury instructions, arguing that the clear language of the FACE Act requires that the reproductive health services must be provided “in a…facility,” which excludes escorts – a view reinforced by the clear statements supplied by the Congressional record.

United States of America v. Mark Houck is currently set for a jury trial, January 24 through 27, 2023, before United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Read the Objections to Government’s Jury Instructions, filed on January 17, 2023, by Thomas More Society attorneys on behalf of Mark Houck, in United States of America v. Mark Houck, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, here.

About the Thomas More Society

The Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, religious liberty, and election integrity. Headquartered in Chicago and with offices across the country, the Thomas More Society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. For more information, visit thomasmoresociety.org.

The famous quote often misattributed to Albert Einstein defines insanity as “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Living as Christians in the rebellious state of Illinois often feels like we are surrounded by insanity.

The November elections revealed that this state has not been brought to repentance. Our state loves abortion, sexual perversion, corruption, and educational malfeasance. Our legislature believes the perverse agenda it has advanced still does not go far enough. All of this is obvious to anyone who is spiritually awake.

The duty that God sovereignly gives to us does not change with circumstances. While we might feel there is no point for prayer and righteous action, that would be a sinful response.

The Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2 gives very clear direction in terms of how we must pray for those in authority.

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Verse 1 speaks of supplications, prayers, and intercessions. A supplication is an urgent request to meet a need. The word translated as prayer is a common word for how we speak to our great God. The word intercession is not a common word. It is a formal request made to a high official, in this case the triune God who rules over all.

As Bible scholar William Mounce discusses in his commentary Pastoral Epistles, the focus of this passage is how we are to intercede for all types of people. We are to desire the spread of the gospel and the salvation of all men. This includes our elected officials, some who think of themselves as aristocracy and even kings.

The 103rd Illinois General Assembly started at noon on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. It is our Christian duty to pray for our elected officials even as we know so many of them are set against God’s truth.

How should we bring our supplications, prayers, and intercessions? Here are some suggested points for prayer.

• Let us pray for the salvation of those who are still lost in sin and bondage and under God’s judgment.

• Let us pray also for the legislators that are true Christians and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. May God give them courage to speak what is right and true in the face of opposition.

• Let us pray that legislation that goes against God’s clear revelation will be frustrated and not passed into law.

• Let us pray that many more citizens of our state will be brought to saving faith and repentance.

• Let us pray that churches in our state will faithfully preach God’s Law and Gospel and not succumb to the pressures of this world.

• Let us pray for those who work in Springfield who seek to bring God’s truth and shine as a light for Jesus Christ.

Let us pray and not give up in our praying (1 Thess. 5:17).

I am hearing that December was Chicago’s coldest month in about forty years. It was bitter! But it is not just this winter I feel is cold, it is winter in general. Having spent several years in Alaska as a boy, cold did not affect me much until recently, as my age caught up with me. Lately, I have been looking at winter a little differently, and realized that it is like an annual message from God.

Things have not always been this way, of course. In the first chapters of Genesis, we discover a canopy of vapor in the atmosphere over the earth rendering the entire globe a tropical paradise.  Apparently, it was a balmy 80 degrees everywhere. It is also likely that the vapor blocked much of the damaging rays from the Sun, giving the Earth’s inhabitants longer life.

But with mankind’s fall in Genesis 3, things changed, though the climate was not immediately affected. That alteration would come after a few generations when the wickedness of man reached the point that God could no longer allow it to continue.  In Genesis 6:5 we read that God saw that wickedness permeated mankind‘s every thought and deed.  Not so different from today!

So, God determined to wipe the slate clean, so to speak, and start again. But one man pleased God, the man, Noah, and his family; and because he pleased God, they were spared. But the flood that God brought upon the world changed everything, including the weather. With the elimination of the vapor canopy over the earth, the temperatures at the poles dropped radically, freezing animals that were not able to adapt. This explains how certain mammals have been found, frozen for thousands of years with greens undigested in their stomachs! The world turned cold quickly, a metaphor for the hearts of men without God. Cold and dead. (Have you noticed that with America’s turning from God there has been a corresponding coldness and hardening of hearts in the culture and politics?)

Now, instead of the verdant garden created for mankind to enjoy, the world turns cold and barren for a season each year, and at the poles is virtually uninhabitable, as a reminder of the consequence of our turning our backs on God.  He does not eliminate life in winter, but it certainly appears as though He did.  By His grace, for most of the planet, winter lasts only for a few months and is followed by the wonders of Spring; but it is an important reminder year after year that there is a greater “life cycle” of which we ought to be mindful.  In the realm of the spiritual, we are experiencing a long, bitter winter.  The oft-repeated question of the skeptics, “How could a loving God allow all the suffering that people experience?” is proof that the world is in a dark place, inexplicable if people are truly good at heart.

One could respond that the beauty of snow and the abundant winter activities available contradict my point, but those winter pleasures are merely a thin veneer over what is in reality stark and barren.  If you do not make adequate preparation or have a warm destination, low temperatures become your enemy. Hypothermia is a real threat and is not far from anyone inadequately dressed in cold weather; and foraging for food, even for the trained, becomes more difficult when the ground is covered by snow.

Interestingly, in Genesis 8:22, having destroyed every living soul other than those on the ark, God declared that He would never bring another flood upon the earth, even though man’s heart remained sinful. But He promised that while the world stands the cycles of the seasons would continue, “seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night. . . .” as if to remind us daily and seasonally that another day of accounting is coming.  No, He will not flood the earth again, but he does not want us to forget the reason behind the flood: our sinfulness, and our inescapable accountability to Him.

Even in Winter His grace is seen, but do not err in thinking that He is only grace, or as some false teachers declare, “Love wins out,” meaning we can live as we want.  Love will win, but only after God’s holiness is established across the globe, and sin is vanquished.  Mankind’s thousands-year-long winter will come to an end and be followed by God’s wonderful and eternal Spring, but only for those who have eyes to see and a heart to trust in Him.

The hysteria over “global warming” as it is perceived today is unwarranted, as God maintains control of such things; but the alarmists are correct in their assessment that earth’s climate must remain within certain limits to be hospitable to mankind.  It is finely tuned by its Creator, and Winter is not primarily for the skier, snowmobiler, or skater, but is a tersely worded message to remind us of our separation from Him.

C.S. Lewis understood the message of winter and used it to perfection in his novel, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.”  Winter may have its beauties, and some lament its passing, but if winter were all there was, the earth would die.  Thus, the world rejoices with the arrival of Spring each year, and those who love God look forward with anticipation and joy to the day He brings, and an end to the winter of our separation as He ushers in the Spring of His eternal presence.

The question facing every human is whether they have come to terms with God. He is perfect in every way and can tolerate no deviation from perfection in those who inhabit His eternal home. We cannot achieve that perfection, and notably reject it out of hand; but those who are ashamed of their sinfulness and ask His forgiveness, He graciously forgives and credits with Christ’s perfection, as if they were perfect after all!  Such is His great love! (John 3:16).

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works. . . .” (Ephesians 2:8, 9).

IFI was honored to interview theologian, pastor, and author Dr. Carl Trueman earlier this year. In this interview, Pastor Derek Buikema of Orland Park Christian Reformed Church asked a pressing question: “How did we get here?” Dr. Trueman tracks the intellectual genealogy of our culture’s current ideological position.  

Dr. Trueman notes that over the past 200-400 years, Western societies have come to prioritize inner feelings, and he tracks this “progressive” position, which he calls expressive individualism, back to 16^th century philosopher, Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Dr. Trueman examines the secularization of Christianity in the West, the dangerous culture of expressive individualism, the importance of a scriptural foundation, and the responsibilities of Christians. 

The full 33-minute interview can be viewed HERE. So, sit back and enjoy this special production, and then please consider sharing it with your friends.

Christians who care about America’s future will seek to increase our individual devotion to God, as well as our collective obedience to Bible teachings. But now an alarm is raised, claiming that Christians who believe this, and who act on it, are actually dire threats to society. Consider these article quotes:

• From Christians Against Christian Nationalism: “Christian nationalism demands Christianity be privileged by the State and implies that to be a good American, one must be Christian. It often overlaps with and provides cover for white supremacy and racial subjugation. We reject this damaging political ideology and invite our Christian brothers and sisters to join us in opposing this threat to our faith and to our nation.”

• From John Blake, at CNN: “At first glance, these snapshots look like scenes from an outdoor church rally. But this event wasn’t a revival; it was what some call a Christian revolt. These were photos of people who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, during an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The insurrection marked the first time many Americans realized the US is facing a burgeoning White Christian nationalist movement. This movement uses Christian language to cloak sexism and hostility to Black people and non-White immigrants in its quest to create a White Christian America.”

Is something dangerous happening here? Is a Christian revolution brewing up? Relax, nothing is happening. Nothing except a couple of scaremongers who don’t like Christian political involvement. They wrote a book and are pushing it on print and broadcast media. However, the book is only smoke and mirrors.

Instead of getting your understanding, and forming your opinions, on stories from enemies of Christ, let’s look at what the Bible says and what their book says. We’ll cover these topics:

1. How obeying our call to evangelize the earth leads to Christian societies and nations.
2. That America was founded as a Christian nation, and still largely is one.
3. The story behind this sudden hate of Christian nationalism.
4. Reviewing the so-called study of Christian nationalism and its claimed dangers.
5. Don’t be ashamed of Christian evangelism, or of its outcomes.

Consistent Christian evangelism yields a Christian nation

Where does the concept of Christian nationalism come from? It is the natural long-term outcome of consistently practiced Christian evangelism. Here is my version of how this goes.

• The Great Commission calls us, Jesus’ followers, to “make disciples of all the nations… teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

• We learn to conform our desires, preferences, and activities to always honor God. Because non-Christians view us as role models, as “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14-16), we become change agents in society – yeast, as it were (Matthew 13:33).

• The result of our preferences and role modeling is a society that prefers, and encourages, the behaviors, attitudes, and trappings of Christianity. This society also discourages ideas and activities that challenge the collective beliefs.

• A society in a particular geographical region amounts to a nation. It needs ways of ensuring justice, domestic order, and protection from external marauders. In effect, it wants a suitable government.

• A Christian society forms its government from its people. Note that this government doesn’t impose Christianity on the nation. Rather, the laws are Christian-based because the society wants it that way. The government’s laws are downstream of the nation’s culture.

America always was, and still remains, a Christian nation.

Was America formed as a Christian nation? Certainly! From the very beginning there are farms, towns, and cities filled with people accepting and advocating a Christian-based culture. We came from Europe, especially England, and brought with us the English common law, itself an expression of Bible themes of law and justice. According to Dr. Stephen Flick, their contemporaries recognized that America was a Christian nation.

According to Mark Edwards at CNN, because certain politicians passed treaties with Muslim countries, or that because these politicians weren’t effusive Christians, that we weren’t a Christian nation. This claim is rubbish. We’re a Christian nation because the general population thought it so, and acted to make it so. Look at it from the opposite point of view. If we were a non-Christian people, then all of the Adamses and Jeffersons in the world couldn’t make us a Christian nation by edict.

From Got Questions, some people ask if America still is a Christian nation, with a Christian culture. Perhaps the answer is that we’re still a Christian nation, but seriously backsliding.

How did “Christian nationalism” become a hated concept?

All things considered, the term “Christian nationalism” is fairly obscure. So why has it suddenly become an term of universal scorn? Here’s another batch of this media hate:

• At Christianity Today, Morgan Lee blamed the January 6 “attack” on conservative Christians, saying: “In the aftermath of the Capitol attack, many saw a clear connection between the violence and Christian nationalism.”

• At Time magazine, Andrew Whitehead said: “In order to understand what led to the deadly Capitol insurrection and the spate of proposed voting laws we must account for the influence of Christian nationalism, a political theology that fuses American identity with an ultra-conservative strain of Christianity. But this Christianity is something more than the orthodox Christianity of ancient creeds; it is more of an ethnic Christian-ism. In its most extreme form it legitimizes the type of violence we saw on Jan. 6 and the recent flood of voting restrictions. Violence and legislation not in service of democracy, but instead for fundamentally anti-democratic goals.”

• At New York magazine, Sarah Jones says: “An ideology is on the march. Traces of it are detectable in a racist massacre in Buffalo; in Tucker Carlson’s monologues; in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s public comments. Find it again in the right’s anti-abortion rhetoric, which poorly disguises demographic anxiety, or in the right’s response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which shows it embracing God and guns with ever greater conviction. This ideology has a name, argue sociologists Samuel L. Perry of the University of Oklahoma and Philip S. Gorski of Yale University. Perry and Gorski call it white Christian nationalism, and in their view, it represents a pressing threat to democracy.”

If you search online for “Christian nationalism” you’ll be flooded with articles, almost all of them bearing the same theme of “Christian nationalism bad.” Notably, most all of the articles involve Andrew Sullivan or Samuel Perry. That is, the articles either are written by them, or interview them, or reference their book Taking America Back For God: Christian Nationalism in the United States.[i]

It’s as though these authors are running a private campaign to generate pushback against, to suppress, politically active Christians. Because outside of the authors’ influence, there is no particular concern or alarm online about Christian nationalism.

Are Whitehead and Perry onto something? Is their book insightful research, a revelation about an undiscovered threat to American democracy? Or is it just smoke and mirrors? Deciding which it is means reading their book. I’ve taken the trouble to read it, and review it in the next section. You’ll see that the book doesn’t deliver what it promises.

• It has uncertain research using irrelevant statistics.

• It claims that Christian nationalism is merely political, never involving religion.

• It says those who want to preserve Christian culture are essentially power hungry bigots.

The book claims insights but delivers only slanders. As a consequence, Whitehead and Perry aren’t credible when they bring up Christian nationalism. Article writers who rely on their work are also not credible, for they rely on political opinions and not useful facts. Read on, through the next section, and you’ll see what I mean.

The book “Taking Back America For God” is bad scholarship

Critics maligning Christian nationalism all seem to start with the book Taking America Back For God: Christian Nationalism in the United States. A raft of quotes from this book, along with interviews and derivative articles, have brought authors Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry into prominence. Robert Jones, a colleague who wrote its forward, calls the book “one of the clearest portraits we have of the greatest existing threat to democracy in our fraught contemporary moment.” (page ix)[ii] 

However, this “clearest portrait” doesn’t actually criticize Christian nationalism, but rather a manufactured “strawman” of non-religious political activism. This strawman empowers the authors’ argument that Christians who care about laws and politics are just power-hungry people. I’ll dissect this book in these ways:

1. The authors slander Christian nationalism through a non-religious invention.
2. They assert that Christian nationalism is only about political influence.
3. They claim that Christian nationalism is dangerous to society.
4. The authors try to make irrelevant statistics prove their case.
5. Conclusion: The book is propaganda, not scholarly.

A. The authors slander Christian nationalism through a non-religious invention.

As discussed earlier, faithfully obeying the Great Commission results in a multitude having a zeal for Jesus. These people shape society into having a Bible-influenced culture. Christian nationalism is the natural outcome of consistently favoring Christian morals. Even the authors recognize this, quoting Christian Smith saying:

Twenty years ago sociologist Christian Smith argued that scholars and journalists has got white evangelicals all wrong – specifically, those evangelicals who were seemingly sympathetic to Christian nationalist rhetoric and ideals. First and foremost, Smith explained, white evangelicals are not a monolithic group. They hold diverse opinions about the nation’s Christian heritage and should not be stereotyped as staunch Christian nationalists. But more than this, Smith argued, the use of “Christian nation” language, for most rank and file evangelicals, was not intended to mobilize political action, but to shore up their identity as Christians and to mobilize religious action. Their primary interest is not to “take America back for God” through political force, but simply to live as faithful Christians, redeeming their increasingly secular society through interpersonal influence. (pages 57-58)[iii]

But having quoted Smith, and the religious origins of Christian nationalism, the authors dismiss him:

Twenty years ago, Christian Smith argued that conservative Christians’ calls to “take America back for God” were really about religious renewal and personal transformation rather than political power. We beg to differ (pages 86-87).

They prefer their own political formulation, where religion plays little to no part:

Simply put, Christian nationalism is a cultural framework – a collection of myths, traditions, symbols, narratives, and value systems – that idealizes and advocates a fusion of Christianity with American civic life. But the “Christianity” of Christian nationalism is of a particular sort. We do not mean Christianity here as a general, meta-category including all expressions of orthodox Christian theology. Nor will we use terms such as “evangelicalism” or “white conservative Protestantism” (to the extent that these represent certain theological-interpretative positions) as synonyms for Christian nationalism. On the contrary, the “Christianity” of Christian nationalism represents something more than religion. As we will show, it includes assumptions of nativism, white supremacy, patriarchy, and heteronormativity, along with divine sanction for authoritarian control and militarism. It is as ethnic and political as it is religious. Understood in this light, Christian nationalism contends that America has been and always should be distinctively “Christian” (reflecting this fuller, more nuanced sense of the term) from top to bottom – in its self-identity, interpretations of its own history, sacred symbols, cherished values, and public policies – and it aims to keep it that way. (page 10)

Are you among those who think that Christians should evangelize, and use the Bible to influence judges and leaders? According to the authors your religious motivations are a lie. You’re actually a bigoted person seeking to impose your biases, and maintain your privileges in society. That’s what the book’s readers are learning, and what is being repeated in recent opinion articles.

B. The authors assert that Christian nationalism is only about political influence.

Time after time, the authors show by their language, and by their choice of quotes, that they don’t like the concept of Christian society. Perhaps that’s the reason for this book, which creates a strawman of Christian nationalism and gives it serious character faults. Check out these samples:

• Christian nationalism is about power, not religion. The authors say: “Appeals to someone’s religion, in this case Christianity, may involve a plea to live out transcendent Christian values of love, mercy, or justice. Appeals to Christian nationalism, by contrast, involve either a proprietary claim or a call to arms, always in response to a perceived threat. In short, Christian nationalism is all about power.” (page 86)By saying this, the authors try to confine actual Christianity to individual purity and holiness. They ignore that God intimately cares about national unrighteousness and injustice. (Isaiah 10:5-8,12-19; Jonah 1:1-2).

• Christian nationalism is rooted in white supremacy. The authors say: “Not only do Ambassadors prefer clear racial boundaries, but because “Christian heritage” has historically been shorthand for “white-dominated society,” Christian nationalism is also closely linked with a preference for racial subordination.” (pages 101-102)The authors also say: “Christian nationalism idealizes a mythic society in which real Americans – white, native-born, mostly Protestants – maintain control over access to society’s social, cultural, and political institutions, and “others” remain in their proper place.” (pages 118-119)As far as bringing up “white supremacy,” this Hot Air article notes that even Asian and black people are being called white supremacists when they defy “class warfare” politics.

• Christian nationalists want to enslave women. “So why would Christian nationalism still influence abortion attitudes even after the usual suspects like religiosity and political ideology have been accounted for? Ultimately, we contend the connection is found in the identity itself and in Christian nationalism’s commitment to male authority over women’s bodies.” (pages 75-76)To the authors, it’s never about the babies and never about ethics. Rather, men want to use the babies to become masters over women’s bodies. Through their logic, we see the value that authors place on human life.

The authors assert that Christian nationalism is merely a tool for for maintaining a powerful place in society. It’s never about obeying the Great Commission and, as I’ve already elaborated on, being culture-changing yeast in society (Luke 13:20-21). But they’re looking at their invented version of Christian nationalism, and not the real thing.

C. The authors claim that Christian nationalism is dangerous to society.

The authors think that a multi-cultural society is a fine thing, not understanding that it is by nature a cultural battleground seeking a winner (Matthew 6:24). They’re alarmed by a renewed Christian consensus. Consider their words:

• Converting people to Christ is somehow bad. The authors say “… it is Americans’ private worlds that strong Christian nationalists are most desperate to influence. This is actually the case for all reactionary movements, American Christian nationalism being a textbook example.” (page 123)

• Christian nationalism threatens society. The authors say: “Therefore, strong support for Christian nationalism is – without a doubt – a threat to a pluralistic democratic society.” (page 161)

Note how the authors label Christians as “reactionary.” That label is used only by socialist and Marxist “revolutionaries.” They’re worried about an American Christian religious revival, which thwarts their planned remaking of society. A renewed Christian culture will certainly challenge multi-culturalism.

For a closing argument, the authors look to their strawman and claim: “At its core, Christian nationalism is a hollow and deceptive philosophy that depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world, rather than on Christ.” (page 163) This is true of their invented Christian nationalism, but not true of a Christian nationalism coming out of renewed Christian devotion.

D. The authors try to make irrelevant statistics prove their case.

The authors found the 2017 Baylor Religion Survey, which asked some questions about religious belief. From this survey they created four roles regarding Christian nationalism (Ambassador, Accomodator, Resister, Rejector). Finally, they asserted things about demographics and these four roles. (page 25-38)

However, this Baylor survey is useless when describing Christian nationalism. The author’s “Four Americans” concept relies on only six questions from the survey, which are: (pages 6-8)

1. The federal government should declare the United States a Christian nation.
2. The federal government should advocate Christian values.
3. The federal government should enforce strict separation of church and state.
4. The federal government should allow the display of religious symbols in public spaces.
5. The success of the United States is part of God’s plan.
6. The federal government should allow prayer in public schools.

The questions say nothing about the character of Christian nationalism. The survey questions don’t suggest that Christian nationalism is wrong, or racist, or anything. They don’t even approach the concept. All of the racism and irreligious preening is imputed to Christian nationalism, or its strawman, by the authors, using their own biases and politics. Mark Hall, at Discourse magazine, comments on the vagueness of the survey’s questions.

However, there are excellent reasons to be skeptical about the survey methods Whitehead and Perry use to measure Christian nationalism. They rely upon responses to six statements to measure the extent to which one embraces the phenomenon, but two of them are ambiguous and three of the six simply measure whether one is committed to the strict separation of church and state. One may reasonably conclude, for instance, that religious monuments should be permitted to remain on public land, that voluntary prayer should be permitted in public schools, and that states should not be able to discriminate against religious institutions and not be the sort of dangerous Christian nationalist they describe.

The questions can be interpreted many ways regarding Christianity and government. Neil Shenvi reviews the book, and shreds the authors’ claim to scholarship:

Any debate over “Christian nationalism” has to begin with definitions. While the authors recognize that “Christian nationalism” is “not a single idea… but rather a more dynamic ideology incorporating a number of beliefs and values,” (p. 7) they do offer the following definition: “Simply put, Christian nationalism is a cultural framework–a collection of myths, traditions, symbols, narratives, and value systems–that idealizes and advocates a fusion of Christianity with American civil life” (p. 10). They go on to state that Christian nationalism “includes assumptions of nativism, white supremacy, patriarchy, and heteronormativity, along with divine sanction for authoritarian control and militarism….[it] contends that America has been and should always be distinctively ‘Christian’” (p. 10).

Given this definition, we must next ask “how can Christian nationalism be measured?” Most of the authors’ conclusions were based on a 2017 survey which asked participants to respond to six statements (see above) with “strongly disagree,” “disagree,” “unsure,” “agree,” or “strongly agree.” Each answer was scored on a scale from 0 to 4 and the results were totaled, so that each participant was placed on a scale from 0 (lowest support for Christian nationalism) to 24 (highest support Christian nationalism). To facilitate interpretation of data, the authors then grouped participants into four categories by total score: Rejecters (0-5), Resisters (6-11), Accommodators (12-17), and Ambassadors (18-24). Each category represented approximately one-quarter of the U.S. population (21.5%, 26.6%, 32.1%, and 19.8% respectively). Accommodators and Ambassadors were both characterized as being “supportive” of “Christian nationalism” while Resisters and Rejecters “opposed” Christian nationalism.

This survey formed the basis for the bulk of the book’s analysis. What should we think of it?

First, many of the questions contained serious ambiguities. For example, is the statement “the federal government should advocate Christian values” in Question 2 asking about “Christian values” in general, which are often shared by other religions, or about “uniquely Christian values”? The survey doesn’t clarify, but this distinction makes a huge difference. Nearly everyone thinks that U.S. law should recognize that murder is immoral, which is surely a Christian value. But few Christians think that U.S. law should recognize that premarital sex or blasphemy is immoral, although these are also Christian values. Our answer to Question 2 will then depend on how we interpret the ambiguous phrase “Christian values.”

Or take the statement in Question 5, “The success of the U.S. is part of God’s plan.” Is this true? It depends on what the authors have in mind. A biblical view of God’s sovereignty entails that everything, whether the success of the U.S. or the rapid industrialization of China or the death of a sparrow, is part of God’s plan. What the authors really seem to be asking is whether the United States’ success is a reward for obedience.

Or what about the statement in Question 6, “The federal government should allow prayer in public schools”? Well, obviously, they should allow prayer in schools; isn’t the real question whether prayer should be mandated or led by a teacher?

Of course, participants could try to guess what the researchers meant when they asked these questions, but the necessity of this kind of guess-work is exactly what social scientists should try to prevent by asking clear questions. It’s possible that the authors were constrained in reproducing the wording of previous surveys for continuity’s sake. But because of the questions’ ambiguity, we often have no idea how they were interpreted by those who responded. Two people who “strongly agree” and “strongly disagree” with the “strict separation of church and state” might actually hold identical beliefs but might simply be interpreting “strict separation” in two different ways.

Second, because of how responses were scored, a person who marked “unsure” for all six questions, would receive a total score of 12, and would consequently be classified as an “Accommodator” who is “supportive” of Christian nationalism. That doesn’t make much sense.

The data, and the “Four Americans” roles, don’t contribute to the book’s arguments. After going through the trouble of presenting statistics from the Baylor Religion Survey, they aren’t used to shape, or advance, the book’s assertions about Christian nationalism. It’s merely filler material, meant to provide academic cover to the character slanders.

The scholarship isn’t repeatable. A rule for scholarship is that other researchers should be able to examine the same data and reasonably come to the same conclusions. But with this collection of Baylor Religion Survey questions, coming to the same conclusions on Christian nationalism is likely only if these other researchers also are similarly prejudiced towards Christian society.

E. Conclusion: The book is propaganda, not scholarly.

I judge the book to be mere propaganda dressed up as scholarship. Consider:

• Their research data doesn’t support their assertions.

• They only use quotes about Christian nationalism that demonstrate their assertions.

• Arguments for a religiously-based Christian nationalism are suppressed.

The book is an opinion piece, and not to be taken seriously. That said, the authors’ claim of scholarship is being taken seriously by journalists who already don’t like Christianity and don’t want to read the book. So in that sense the authors can be called successful political writers.

Whitehead and Perry do have one good point: don’t make governors out of your religious rulers. Even if you start out with the best of intentions it tends to end up badly, with the governors telling the people how to worship. For example, I wrote about the see the 1637 Scottish rebellion, fought to preserve Scottish presbyterianism against King Charles’ imposition of Anglican beliefs. It’s a better thing to let society convince its lawmakers, that they should do the “right thing” in their governance. As always, politics is downstream of society.

Don’t be ashamed of Christian evangelism, or of its outcomes

It seems that Whitehead and Perry wrote their book to discourage Christian activity regarding American politics. They’ve certainly created a buzz against Christian nationalism. But if Christian nationalism were wrong – the Bible version, not their strawman – then Christianity would be merely a personal self-improvement philosophy.

Jesus didn’t come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17-19). Among other things, this means that, just like Old Testament prophets did, Christians have a role in seeking a righteous society. As I noted once before, it’s as though America was designed to be run by Christians.

Note that socialists aren’t ashamed to evangelize. They do it everywhere, with zeal. That’s why your children go to college and come home ruined. And that’s why, as Jazz Shaw at Hot Air explains, public schools – staffed by teachers trained by socialists – evangelize your children, and then tell them to hide these teachings from their parents.

Over time, whose yeast, whose evangelism, will be more effective? Will it be that of society-preserving Christian evangelism, or that of those who seek to overturn our values and our society? I know that you don’t beat something with nothing. If Christians won’t evangelize and prophesy, if we just coast through life and ignore opponents of Christian culture, that the yeast from busy socialists will win out.

We must not be cowed by the opinions of our enemies. After all, if we’re not to be afraid when they arrest us for our faith (Mark 13:9-11), certainly we shouldn’t be afraid when we can still do as we please in Christ’s name. So don’t be worried about offending the enemies of Christ. Instead, let them worry about you, as you feast in the presence of your enemies (Psalm 23:5-6).

[i]       Taking America Back For God : Christian Nationalism in the United States

Andrew L. Whitehead and Samuel L. Perry

Updated Edition

Oxford University Press

Copyright Oxford University Press 2020, 2022

Paperback edition 2022

ISBN 9780197652572

[ii]      Page numbers are from the cited edition of the book.

[iii]     The quote is from:

Smith, Christian, Christian America? What Evangelicals Really Want, University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, 2000

Next to Jesus Christ and “love,” Christmas is probably the most popular theme for music.  For most Americans, Christmas has been, as the song says, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!”  But why is this so?

I will tip my hat to the purist who complains that Christmas is commercialized and secularized.  This is certainly and disappointingly true, but I would like to suggest that there is still more to the holiday than the commercials; and it is possible to use the season to promote the message that Christmas should communicate to the nation which it desperately needs at a time such as now.

Anyone familiar with the actual history of Christianity knows that the early church did not celebrate Christ’s birth at all, but rather His resurrection, and certainly did not honor December 25^th.  These were later inventions.

But does their lateness negate their value altogether?  Not necessarily, if for no other reason than that even critics acknowledge that the nation and culture soften noticeably during the weeks leading up to the holiday.

So, that is where I will begin:  The beautiful ”season” of Christmas that most Americans have come to love with carols, lights, decorations, gift-giving, and cheesy movies.  (I will only mention in passing that the Leftist Christmas critics prove that generally, despite their claim of seeking unity and peace, they are dividers and destroyers at heart).  One must ask why our modern Christmas season exists in the first place.  The answer might inform us regarding the real message behind the holiday, and why the Left loathes it so.

Interestingly, the most well-known Bible text, John 3:16, gives the theological basis of Christianity and thus the “Reason for the Season:”  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  Giving is the hallmark of love, and most people would say that the primary emphasis of Christmas is giving.  It should not be overlooked that times of joy and celebration in the Bible (the Feast of Purim, for example) were often marked by giving gifts to friends and family.  And while it is true that creative businesspeople have been quite adept at exploiting the Christmas season for their own purposes, it still has giving at its heart.  And many charities which meet the genuine needs of millions of Americans find their coffers significantly replenished during the Christmas season.

Thus, while Christmas celebrations over the last few decades may have distorted the message that should correlate with Christ’s birth, it is difficult to completely eclipse the One whose birth is, at least theoretically, celebrated on December 25^th.  Christmas has been under assault for many years, directly and indirectly:  From businesses forbidding employees to greet customers with “Merry Christmas,” to schools and communities cancelling Christmas programs altogether or replacing them with “Winter Celebrations.”

So it is that America’s public Christmas is a mere adumbration of the real celebration which ought to be, so we will begin with that:

IT IS A TIME OF JOY-and joy is the spirit of the message the angels brought to the shepherds alerting them of Christ’s birth.  “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior. . . .”

It is joyful because it is the intervention of God into the tragic circumstances of men.  To know that our Creator is actively intervening to bring us aid ought to be thrilling to everyone.

It is joyful because truth is being brought to bear on the problems of men.  So many philosophers and “wise men” have made their suggestions, and so many tyrants have promised peace and prosperity, yet have failed because they did not and would not address the real problem, the sinfulness of humanity.

It is joyful because the source of the malaise which our sin created has been countered by the death of Christ on the cross so that all who repent, and trust Christ as Savior are liberated from sin’s guilt and are made children of God! (John 1:12).

IT IS ABOUT GIVING-At the heart of America’s public Christmas and its source, Christ’s coming as a babe to live a perfect life, die a vicarious death, and rise eternally, is the epitome of giving.  It has been said that “you can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”  The message of the Bible is that of God taking a personal interest in the affairs of men, giving of Himself, and giving what was necessary to deliver those who desire deliverance from their own self-destruction.

IT IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS-If families are not able to gather often, most still find ways to be together around Christmas.  And while gifts and toys may be a focal point for children, the memories of family times past draw them together.  It is truly a family holiday.  And so it is with the original.  God sent His Son; and He provides that those who trust Him will be called His children, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God,” (John 1:12 NKJV).

IT IS ABOUT CHRIST-This should go without saying, but with the cancel culture of our day we need to be reminded that the “most wonderful time of the year” is wonderful because it is about Jesus Christ!  I cannot imagine celebrating someone’s birthday while excluding the one whose birthday is being celebrated, yet that is what so many Americans are doing without thinking about it; and it is what the anti-Christian mob advocates.  But I would suggest that rejecting Jesus Christ has eternal consequences.  Those who would irradicate all references to God or Christ from American culture and vernacular do so for the same reason some would do away with police and courts: they wish to live without restraint.  Dangerous indeed!

IT IS ABOUT BELIEVING-That is, believing, trusting what God has said in His letter to mankind.  There is no other source of wisdom that can compete with the Bible.  It has been with us for thousands of years, has transformed untold millions of lives and changed the course of history.  Wherever it has intersected with verifiable events it has been found accurate, and those who have trusted it have discovered peace.  Its message is simple yet profoundly rich.  It answers the questions that haunt our thoughts and explains the trauma that is our story.  Our sins have offended the sinless One and separated us from His presence.  That separation, without His intervention, is irreparable by any effort of our own, and worse, we have not sought its repair.  Thus, in love He bore our guilt and covered the cost with His own death on a Roman cross that a way of reconciliation might be provided.  All that is required of us is that we heed His call, believe His Word, and trust His promise to forgive our sin! As He explains it: “Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV).

The chaos and cacophony that surrounds us today ought to be all we need to understand that after some six thousand years of history no plan of man has brought relief, and that if we do not find salvation in God, there is none to be found!  It is in this knowledge that we find the Christmas Season to be a reason for hope.  It reminds us of God’s eternal plan, His gracious patience, and His infinite love.  We do not know how much longer the wait will be, but what we hunger for, the personal presence of the Prince of Peace, will be worth the wait!

May I ask you a candid question?

If you are a follower of Jesus today, what kind of person were you before you knew the Lord?

Perhaps you were raised in the faith and, as far back as you can remember, you always loved the Lord.

But others, like me, can sing, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me” – with an emphasis on that word wretch.

Although I was raised in a fine home, supported and loved by a wonderful mom and dad, I had become a wretched human being.

• I started getting high at 14 years-old and was shooting heroin at 15.
• I stole money from my own father on several occasions and, of course, lied about it, to his face.
• I caused my parents untold grief and pain.
• I broke into a doctor’s office with a friend and stole drugs, just to do it. We also broke into a few other homes just for fun.
• I lied through my teeth to those very same friends – my best friends.
• I had a very cruel tongue and was mean-spirited and nasty.
• I was full of pride.
• I had a terrible temper.
• I gratified the flesh however I could.
• I mocked God.

Are you getting the picture? And this is from my limited, human perspective, not from God’s perfect, omniscient perspective.

Paul put it like this: “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.” (Colossians 1:21) So much for the idea of us being good people who just needed a little help along the way!

Paul also wrote this:
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.” (Ephesians 2:1–3)

Yes, that is how God saw us when we were lost in our sins. We were His enemies. We were rebels. We were transgressors and sinners. We were “by nature deserving of wrath.”

And it was in that very state, the state of being God’s enemies, that Jesus died for us.

Yes, it was then that He set His love on us and laid down His life for us – when we were still scheming; when we were still immoral; when we were still corrupt; when we were still vile. That’s when He died for us, as He looked at the human race through all time, took full note of our evil, and laid down His life for us.

What extraordinary love. What mind-boggling compassion. What unmerited mercy and favor and grace.

We deserved nothing. He gave us everything.

We merited death. He died in our place.

What can we do in return but give the whole of our lives to loving and following and serving Him with all our hearts and souls?

But there’s something else to consider. Jesus saw who we could be.

It’s true that He saw our sin and our guilt. He knew full well what we deserved. And tragically, if we refuse His grace, we will pay our debt in full.

But He didn’t stop there.

He looked at a man like Saul of Tarsus (aka Paul). He saw his murderous ways. In Paul’s own words, “I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man” (1 Timothy 1:13).

Yet Jesus appeared to Him – while he was that very man he just described, “a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man” – and told him who he was going to become and how much he would suffer for Jesus’ name.

From that time on, Saul (Paul) was never the same. As he explained, “I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief” (1 Timothy 1:13).

But if that could be said of Saul/Paul, who was a deeply devout, tremendously learned Jew, how much could it be said of many brazen sinners today? How many have no idea who they are sinning against? How many are deluded into thinking they are doing right when they are guilty of terrible wrong?

There are men and women who are Christians today who once were abortion providers. Some of them will tell you that they thought they were doing the right thing. They genuinely believed in the goodness of abortion – until their eyes were opened.

It’s the same with people who are practicing Muslims. Or staunch atheists. Or people with what we deem to be destructive political ideologies. (For all conservative readers, just think “Democrats.”) Some might even be our ideological or societal enemies, even sworn enemies.

But Jesus died for them too.

They too can be transformed, just as we were.

They too can receive forgiveness and new life, just as we did.

And in many cases, they too are acting “in ignorance and unbelief.”

So, while we engage in the culture wars and stay involved politically (and we do this without compromise or wavering), let us not think and fight as the world does, demonizing our opponents to the point of dehumanizing them.

Instead, let us ask God for His perspective, seeing the potential value in every human life, remembering that Jesus died for each and every one of us, and envisioning what the worst of our enemies could become on the other side of the cross.

And rather than retweet (or re-post) the latest nasty, mean-spirited, derogatory, mocking comment or meme about one the people we find it easy to hate, how about we stop for a moment and breathe a prayer for their redemption?

What might happen if we did?

This article was originally published at AskDrBrown.org.