The association of “hate speech” with American Christianity occasionally appears in the US media and in the speeches of politicians and cultural commentators. What this “hate speech” of Christians consists of is sometimes, but not always, clear; but, ironically, tirades against Christian “hate speech” sometimes engender hatefulness and “hate speech” against Christians and innocent employees, … Continue reading Hate Speech, Cultural Sycophancy, and Subversive Beliefs
God’s Knowledge Bowl, Pagans 3––Saints 0
The pagans of this world, God’s world, exist in a paradoxical relationship with the saints of the Old Testament, New Testament, and modern times. On occasion, far too rarely, the saints of God, the saved, the elect, act like they are suppose to and truly outshine the pagans of the world, which they are suppose … Continue reading God’s Knowledge Bowl, Pagans 3––Saints 0
Xenophobia and Anti-Christian Pogroms
Ancient Roman sources, some written before the traditional date of Revelation and some written after it, provide very helpful social and legal observations that shed indirect light on the conundrum of the perennial hostility of various cultures toward the followers of Christ. One could quote the Gospel of John where Jesus states, “If the … Continue reading Xenophobia and Anti-Christian Pogroms
THE TREE OF LIFE
GRANT Graeco-Roman Antiquities & the New Testament John’s teachings about the tree of life clearly play an important role in his prophecies. The main reason for its importance stems from its association with the New Heaven and New Earth in chapters 21-22. There it is portrayed as part of the eternal blessing for those … Continue reading THE TREE OF LIFE
Try a Little Kindness
GRANT Graeco-Roman Antiquities & the New Testament There were a lot of attributes of primitive Christianity that produced consternation and dismay among its onlookers. This includes the early church’s insistence upon kindness, gentleness, and tenderheartedness. Those early followers of Christ recognized that these virtues were incontrovertibly part of the message of God’s kingdom, to a … Continue reading Try a Little Kindness
WHEN BEAUTIFUL IS UGLY
The 19th century Danish author Hans Christian Andersen tells a story entitled the Ugly Duckling, where a scruffy, barnyard duckling grows into a beautiful swan. Almost everyone loves the story of a come from behind person, or in this case an animal, who turns into a winner. But those are popular stories of ugly becoming … Continue reading WHEN BEAUTIFUL IS UGLY
Molding Citizens for the Kingdom of God 