In this recent dialogue local Chicagoland area Pastors Calvin Lindstrom, James Pittman and Brandon Myers give an update on The Orchard Evangelical Free Church (EFC).

Last week we embarked on a study in Ephesians 1, which so clearly and powerfully shows us how God as a Trinity works out our salvation. God the Father planned and predestined his redeemed for adoption as sons! What a grand and glorious truth that is! And his plan entailed sending his Son, Jesus to carry out the work of redemption.

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!

Did you know? When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Joe Kennedy, the high school football coach who fought for his right to pray after games, they overturned a decision that had long restricted religious expression in public schools. This was a historically significant ruling that restores the civil rights of teachers, coaches and employees across America to live out their faith and pray on a public school campus.

Can you name the famed characters of Looney Tunes? Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck, Barnyard Dawg, Foghorn Leghorn, Sylvester, Yosemite Sam, Porky Pig, etc. And a personal favorite…Bugs Bunny. Their antics were crazy. Even…looney. The word “looney” has an ample number of synonyms. Silly. Stupid. Crazy. Even the softer "strange.” Our world is rampant today with looney-ness.

The landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Faithful Carrier case (Groff v. DeJoy) changed the legal standard for religious accommodation at work. This will impact all businesses with 15 or more employees.

In our recent discussion of fatalism contrasted with the biblical worldview, we saw that physical resources are only as good as the theology that wields them. That is, some otherwise wealthy cultures are shackled by fatalist worldviews positing that there is little point in trying to improve anyone’s lot in life—people are irrevocably bound by their social class or by their circumstances. Societies like these might be given the resources to help those in need, but if they fatalistically refuse to help the lowly or distressed, the suffering may very well go on suffering.

In articles like these, I, and other writers, tend to focus on the alarming decay of the Christian worldview and value system in the United States. And, since the enemy's attacks on our culture truly are alarming, we are indeed making good use of our time in exposing them. However, it's also important to step back and consider just how much Christianity has influenced—and still persists in influencing—our culture. We still have many blessings to thank the Lord for, and there is still much to defend.

Last week the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark decision that Lorie Smith, a Colorado-based Christian graphic artist and web designer, did not have to create content that violated her beliefs. In response, the editor-in-chief of Mother Jones, tweeted, “perhaps gay stylists, designers, caterers, and planners should start withholding services from Christian conservatives and see where that goes.”

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?”

Thank goodness it’s over. June. Formerly known as the start of summer, it’s been the time for vacations, picnics, baseball, and beaches. Often, the beginning of air conditioning season. Then came “Pride Month.”

In a world where bad news in reporting is the norm, a single piece of good news can feel like a rainstorm in the desert. I recently came across an encouraging piece of news in the form of a YouTube channel called Dude Perfect, and it’s good timing for parents with the disappointing news about Mr. Beast.

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.

Did you know a lot of people on the left now deny wokeism exists? They are saying that it can’t be defined and just means whatever you want it to mean. Therefore, they say, wokeism is merely another conservative mantra for whatever policy one disagrees with. Politicians in Illinois have been saying that a lot these days in order to pass (you guessed it) woke legislation.

For many years I have been saying that LGBTQ+ activists will overplay their hand, resulting in a moral and cultural revolution in the opposite direction... The pushback is accelerating, and for good reason.