Articles by Rev. Thorin Anderson
O, Give Thanks!
By Rev. Thorin Anderson   |   11.23.23
Social graces, such as saying, “please” and “thank you” are the “Oil of Civilization,” but they are far more than that. They are not just a matter of being nice. Gratitude, being genuinely thankful, carries with it blessing, maturity, and even spiritual growth and strength. Most important, it is a matter of obedience to God!
Mike Johnson and the Separation of Church and State
By Rev. Thorin Anderson   |   11.11.23
With Mike Johnson’s selection as the new Speaker of the House, the attacks were instantaneous. One criticism directed at the new Speaker was that he routinely violates the “separation of church and state.”  If the accusers had any knowledge of American history, they would not quickly raise such an issue against a Baptist.
The Pastor
By Rev. Thorin Anderson   |   10.24.23
You may or may not know that October is “Pastor Appreciation Month.” Because I have pastored for thirty years, I am hesitant to write on this topic, but I also believe that it is an important issue. A number of surveys have revealed that there is a significant attrition occurring within the ranks of pastors which threatens the future of churches across the United States. These studies show that in recent years over fifty percent of the men who enter the pastorate drop out before achieving ten years of service. 
Anti-Semitism: This Present Darkness
By Rev. Thorin Anderson   |   10.17.23
Words cannot express the horror and disgust that have been aroused by the recent surprise attacks on Israel by Hamas.  The wanton torture, slaughter, and kidnapping of innocent children, youth, and elderly by Hamas terrorists cannot be justified, and witnesses declare that the unspeakable atrocities they committed are reminiscent of the Holocaust! And to top it off, those despicable acts have been met with praise and applause by some!
Cancelling Christianity (Part 2)
By Rev. Thorin Anderson   |   10.14.23
Americans should be dismayed by the fact that the single most effective force for good in the West, which has done so much on behalf of the powerless and weak, referring to Christianity, is under virulent, relentless attack from the Left!
Cancelling Christianity (Part 1)
By Rev. Thorin Anderson   |   10.07.23
Immigrants have long swarmed America’s shores because of the opportunities afforded to all who arrive here. Historically, a person could start a business with all the potential risks and rewards involved or take the safer route of being employed by someone else. Employment and educational opportunities have been virtually unlimited, and the choice was yours to make.
The Feminist’s War on Women
By Rev. Thorin Anderson   |   09.19.23
Self-loathing is a peculiar and tragic phenomenon.  The Bible states that “no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it,” (Ephesians 5:29 NKJV), so there is something particularly ugly about radical feminists fomenting self-hatred in young women. The Bible is correct.  We do love ourselves, but a conflict arises when we see things in ourselves that we don’t like, even though those things may be phantoms of Leftists’ corrupted imaginations.
The Pursuit of Lawlessness
By Rev. Thorin Anderson   |   08.30.23
In the Bible, Judges 21:25, we read that when there was no king (authority) in the land of Israel, everyone “did what was right in their own eyes,” meaning lawlessness became the norm. Sounds like America today! Lawlessness is the antithesis of God, for He created order in the universe; and that order is beneficial! Mankind’s lawlessness originated with Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden (“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and all sin is lawlessness,” I John 3:4 NKJV).
Nothing But the Truth
By Rev. Thorin Anderson   |   08.12.23
A sign along the highway in Wisconsin states, “Lies are destroying America.” It is ironically true. Truth matters, and so do lies. How did we get to the point where virtually everything we hear must be analyzed to determine whether it is true or not? How did so many Americans come to accept lying as normal? And worse, how have so many bought into “Wokism,” which is all out war against Truth!
The Christian’s Political Mandate
By Rev. Thorin Anderson   |   07.20.23
I have had many people tell me that they cannot believe how quickly the Left has been able to bring death and destruction to American cities the last several years, and worse, that so many shrug it all off as nothing.  But those of us who have kept a finger on America’s cultural pulse know that this has been a long time coming. 
Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death?
By Rev. Thorin Anderson   |   07.04.23
Kings and others have used the Bible and assumptions based upon narratives in it to support the divine right of monarchs, but their arguments were weak. History is largely the story of governments coming and going, kings and rulers rising and falling. It is a rather bleak narrative and is not complimentary to humanity. It begs the question, “Does the Bible address human government?”
Wokism: The Tedious Task of Explaining Nonsense
By Rev. Thorin Anderson   |   07.01.23
Anyone who loves God, cares for the truth, cherishes children, appreciates freedom, and desires better racial relationships in America understands that Wokism is decidedly not the answer. Can you, or rather, should you come to terms with such irrational and harmful thinking? Woke ideology is founded on lies. In a nutshell, it declares that whatever we say or believe is somehow “true” and whatever we want is “good,” and not to be denied. It is paganism and arrogance all rolled up in an untidy package, attempting once again to whitewash mankind’s sin.
The Evil Lurking Behind the Veil
By Rev. Thorin Anderson   |   06.15.23
Propaganda has rather negative connotations. Because it is generally used in pursuit of an agenda, truth may be irrelevant or even an obstacle. Whether you agree with the terminology, it is considered propaganda when a country prepares its citizens and military for war. Because it is not generally acceptable to want to kill another person, the military mostly trains its soldiers to hate the enemy.
More than a Holiday
By Rev. Thorin Anderson   |   05.28.23
There is an old hymn, that you might have sung, in which the song writer notes, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. . . .”  We do so quickly forget and devalue the great things we have been given.  From ancient times civic leaders have been wise to erect memorials to citizens who have sacrificed or done great things for their countries.
Snakes in the Grass
By Rev. Thorin Anderson   |   05.24.23
Things are truly upside-down. Christians, who have been scorned forever as weak and milk-toast, are suddenly public enemy number one. And while Christianity has been the source of thousands of American charities and the inspiration for hospitals, medical care, and education worldwide, it is now labeled by the Left as hateful and bigoted. Then we see destructive anarchist groups like Antifa and BLM glorified in the Media and academia as forces for good!  How could this be?
Rev. Thorin Anderson
Rev. Thorin Anderson

Rev. Thorin Anderson is a member of the Advisory Council to Illinois Family Institute and the former pastor of Parkwood Baptist Church on the south side of Chicago. Pastor Anderson has faithfully pastored at Parkwood Baptist Church since September, 2000 until 2022. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Central Seminary. He and his wife Toni have seven children and 19 grandchildren.

Pastor Anderson also serves on the board of directors for Men for Christ, an association that organizes annual weekend men’s rallies in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois on a rotating basis. For more information on these events, please visit MenforChristRally.org.

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