   Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) and George Whitefield (1714-1770) were close friends for thirty years. It was an unlikely friendship. Whitefield was an Englishman and Franklin was an American; and, in the later years of their friendship, America was moving toward independence, much to the dismay of England. Whitefield was an eloquent and fiery evangelical […]
3337) Ben, George, and an Interesting Speech Read More »
   A man got into a cab at LaGuardia airport.  The friendly cab driver, a recent immigrant from Southeast Asia, asked in broken English why he was in New York. The man replied, “I am a Lutheran minister and I am here for a convention. Do you know what a Lutheran is?” “Oh yes,”
3336) Welcoming the Foreigners Read More »
    (…continued)  I went to church conventions for over 40 years. I heard many debates on resolutions in which well-meaning Lutherans have supported various causes in the name of peace and justice.  Some have wanted to support unjust regimes because at least they kept the peace, and some have wanted to support violent revolutions
3333) Peace and Justice and Pontius Pilate (2/2) Read More »
   Many Christians place a great emphasis on ‘Peace and Justice’ issues.  There are many churches in which you will hear more about peace and justice than about Jesus Christ.  To be concerned about these issues is certainly implied in the teachings of our Lord, who was called the ‘Prince of Peace,’ and who
3332) Peace and Justice and Pontius Pilate (1/2) Read More »
  (…continued) But as soon as one starts talking about government, things get complicated, so I’ll illustrate this with a less complex setting– the family.    Let’s say little brother hits big sister.  Now big sister has at least three options.    Option #1 is she can just ignore it.  If she
3306) What Good is Government? (2/2) Read More »
     “I don’t get mad, I get even,” is what we used to say on the playground, trying to sound tough as we plotted our revenge.  The Bible, however, has a different approach to the matter.  “Love your enemies and pray for those who hurt you,” it says.    But then it
3305) What Good is Government? (1/2) Read More »
   The New Testament gives us some guidance to help us understand our duties and responsibilities as citizens of a nation.  It does not give specifics, but it does set parameters.  Government is to be respected, obeyed, and appreciated; but it is not to be followed blindly, nor should it be obeyed when obeying
3299) Martin Luther and Politics Read More »
A PRAYER FOR TODAY Our Father and Our God, we praise You for Your goodness to our nation, giving us blessings far beyond what we deserve. Â Yet we know all is not right with America. Â We deeply need a moral and spiritual renewal to help us meet the many problems we face. Â Convict us of
3295) Happy Birthday, America! Read More »
Adapted from “Lincoln’s 700 Words of Biblical Meditation,” by Daniel Dreisbach, posted March 4, 2015 at: http://www.lawliberty.org ——————————————-    On March 4, 1865, as the sun broke through the clouds shortly after noon on a wet Washington day, Abraham Lincoln took the presidential oath of office for the second time.  The speech he just
3294) Abraham Lincoln’s ‘Sermon on the Mount’ Read More »
Above: Abraham Lincoln in 1860, before the Civil War; and in 1865, near the end of the war (age 56). ——————————————   This week we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our independence as a nation, and although we have much to worry about these days, we do also have much to celebrate. Our Constitution, democracy,
3293) The Greatest American Speech Read More »
