Reversing Course for the “Backsliding” Soul
March 3, 2012
Podcast: Download (Duration: 31:45 — 5.5MB)
“My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20).
“Backsliders.” It is a word not found in Scripture but it is commonly used to describe someone who professes to be a Christian but currently is “not living the Christian life.”
We all know examples of Christians who continue to practice sin for extended periods of time (think of King David or Lot). Maybe we have been one of them ourselves. Just last week we discussed the tragic life of Whitney Houston, who started her life in a church singing gospel songs and was a professing Christian, but then recently died after years of living in highly publicized sin.
So is prolonged “backsliding” an indication that a person wasn’t genuinely saved in the first place? If so, how much time and what indicators would lead to that conclusion? Or is a “backslider” a true believer who is being defeated by the flesh — as every believer sometimes is — and thus, their salvation is not in doubt? And finally, what can we do to avoid “backsliding” in our own lives and to help others out of it?
I hope you’ll join us this Saturday on The Christian Worldview as we discuss this interesting and important topic.
Lessons to be Learned from the Life of Whitney Houston
February 23, 2012
Podcast: Download (Duration: 50:49 — 8.7MB)
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
After growing up singing gospel songs in a Baptist church in New Jersey, Whitney Houston became the most decorated female singer of all time, selling over 170 million albums, singles, and video worldwide. She was known as “The Voice” because her singing ability was considered by many to be unparalleled.
Two weeks ago on the eve of the Grammy Music Awards, 48-year-old Whitney Houston tragically died while taking a bath at a Beverly Hills hotel presumably from a fatal reaction to prescription drugs and alcohol.
So what are we to make of the life and death of Whitney Houston? Was she just another superstar to succumb to the pressures of fame and fortune? And what about her Christian background — what should we learn from that?
This Saturday on The Christian Worldview, 30 high school seniors and a former drug dealer who gave His life to Christ (who also knew Whitney Houston’s husband Bobby Brown) will be LIVE in studio as we discuss “lessons to be learned from the life of Whitney Houston”.
How the Book of Genesis is the Doctrinal Elephant in the Room
February 18, 2012
Podcast: Download (Duration: 50:48 — 8.7MB)
Guest: Paul Taylor, author, No Time for Itching Ears
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires” (2 Timothy 4:3).
This past Sunday was “Darwin Day”. Whereas Christians celebrate the birth of their Savior and Lord Jesus Christ on December 25th, secularists and humanists celebrate their own hero-god Charles Darwin on his birth date, February 12th.
There is no doubt that the Bible-rejecting evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin have had immeasurable impact on the world, but they have also influenced the church and Christians as well. Many professing Christians think that it’s incompatible with “what we now know in modern science” to believe in a more literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis that, for instance, the earth is thousands of years old rather than billions.
Our guest this weekend on The Christian Worldview is Paul Taylor, the director of ministry development for Creation Today. He has written a book entitled “No Time for Itching Ears
For a recent example of unsound doctrine on the Trinity which caused confusion and division, read:
James MacDonald, TD Jakes, and the Elephant in the Room (Tim Challies)
The Elephant in the Room (Voddie Baucham)
Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich: What Should A Leader Be?
February 10, 2012
Podcast: Download (Duration: 59:47 — 10.3MB)
“Then Pharaoh said to his servants, ‘Can we find a man like this [Joseph], in whom is a divine spirit?’” Genesis 41:38
With lots of money, organization, and decisive wins in Florida and Nevada, it looked like Mitt Romney was finally going to pull away from his Republican challengers — Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and Ron Paul — and was destined to be the Republican nominee that would face President Barack Obama in this year’s presidential election.
And then this past Tuesday happened. To almost everyone’s surprise, Rick Santorum, a former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, crushed his rivals and completed an unexpected and convincing sweep in Minnesota, Missouri, and Colorado turning the Republican primary process on its head … again.
In The Christian Worldview’s continuing series on analyzing some of the more debatable views of the candidates (at least for Christians), such as Mitt Romney’s Mormonism and Ron Paul’s libertarianism and foreign policy, we will look this Saturday at the character and leadership of Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich to see how each compares to what the Bible calls a leader to be.
How Does God’s Promise To “Bless Those Who Bless Abram” Apply Today?
February 4, 2012
Podcast: Download (Duration: 50:47 — 8.7MB)
Dr. Will Varner, Professor of Bible and Greek at The Master’s College
“Now the LORD said to Abram … I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).
The above passage from Genesis has been a topic of debate for time immemorial? (It came up last week in our discussion about Ron Paul’s views on Israel.) So what exactly does it mean God will “bless those who bless Abram”?
Was that blessing for those who lived just during the time of Abram or did it extend to his descendants as well? And if to his descendants, does that mean both Jews, from his son Isaac, and also Arabs from his son Ishmael?
And how are we to “bless Abram”? Does “we” refer to individuals or nations or both? What does “blessing Abram” mean for the United States and our relationship with the secular state of Israel? And what about the common Christian belief that the Jews and the nation of Israel have been replaced in the “favored” or “chosen” category by the church?
As you can see, there are lots of questions to ponder when it comes to understanding what God’s call for Christians is when it comes to the Jews and Israel. Fortunately, our guest on Saturday, Dr. Will Varner, has insight and experience with this issue. Dr. Varner is professor of Bible and Greek at The Master’s College and is the director of their Israel Bible Extension program.
We will also hear from Dr. Wess Stafford, the president of Compassion International, one of the world’s most respected, gospel-centered child development organizations. If you haven’t had the chance yet to find a child to sponsor as part of The Christian Worldview FaithWorks Initiative with Compassion International, click here or call toll free 1-855-549-7535.
Are Ron Paul’s Views Consistent With A Biblical Worldview?
January 28, 2012
Podcast: Download (Duration: 50:47 — 8.7MB)
“For it [governmental authority] is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil” (Romans 13:4).
There are now just four Republican presidential candidates remaining who are vying for their party’s nomination to run against President Obama in this fall’s general election. Only one of them professes to be a born-again Christian of the Protestant kind — Ron Paul. (Mitt Romney is a Mormon and Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich are Roman Catholics.)
If you’ve watched any of the Republican debates, Ron Paul doesn’t fit the modern Republican mold. Not only does he look much older than the other candidates (Paul is 76), but his views, especially as they relate to foreign policy and personal liberties, are outside the Republican mainstream as well.
But should they be considered outside the biblical Christian mainstream? While most “experts” say Ron Paul is “unelectable” and “out of step”, his blend of conservative and libertarian positions on the issues attracts many followers. Even prominent pastor Voddie Baucham recently explained in a column why he is voting for Ron Paul.
In The Christian Worldview’s continuing series of analyzing various aspects of the presidential candidates (for example, we discussed Romney’s Mormonism in Nov. 2011), we’ll take a closer look this Saturday at some of the more controversial views of Ron Paul to see whether they are consistent with a biblical worldview for government.
Being a Light in a Culture of Darkness
January 21, 2012
Podcast: Download (Duration: 50:22 — 8.6MB)
Guest: Vasko Kohlmayer, columnist, Washington Times
“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).
One would only need to compare an evening of network television today with the 1950’s to conclude that American culture has become more openly crude, immoral, and depraved. There’s no doubt that sin was in existence back in the “good ol’ days”, but generally speaking, sin wasn’t applauded and goodness wasn’t scorned.
Yet that is exactly where America is today. For example, an upstanding Christian man like Tim Tebow would have been almost universally praised as a role model 60 years ago, but now a vocal segment of the country tears him down. Or how about the ABC sit-com, Modern Family, airing an episode this week where a two-year-old is portrayed as saying the f-word? Do you think that would have gotten laughs a couple generations ago?
This Saturday on The Christian Worldview, Vasko Kohlmayer, Christian columnist for the Washington Times, will join us LIVE from Russia to discuss what becomes of a nation when it loves darkness rather than light and what Christians are called to be and do in that kind of culture. Vasco was born and raised under communism and is now an American citizen living and working in Moscow.
Tim Tebow and the Worship of Darkness – Vasko Kohlmayer
How Much Should Christians “Wear Their Faith on Their Sleeves”?
January 14, 2012
Podcast: Download (Duration: 50:42 — 8.7MB)
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
It is impossible to deny that a 24-year-old football quarterback has sparked a national conversation. Maybe “furor” or “mania” would be better words to describe it. Not since Billy Graham has one Christian struck such a nerve in this country with his life, words, and works.
Discussion about Tim Tebow crops up everywhere. He is polled as the most popular athlete in America. Republican presidential candidates want his endorsement. Nearly 50 million people watched him lead the Denver Broncos to a startling victory last Sunday over the Pittsburgh Steelers and most likely even more will tune in Saturday evening as the Broncos face the vaunted New England Patriots and their star quarterback, Tom Brady. It really is “Tebow Time” in America.
One of the common questions people are asking is, “What is driving Tebow mania?” Of course it has something to do with his “miraculous” football victories, but the way Tebow “wears his faith on his sleeve” also elicits huge reaction, both positive and negative. He prays openly during games and thanks “my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” in post-game interviews, win or lose. His charitable foundation pays for sick children to attend his games and also builds hospitals and health care facilities in the Philippines and America. Tim Tebow is unabashedly public with his faith in Christ.
The question we will discuss this Saturday on The Christian Worldview is “how much should Christians wear their faith on their sleeves?” For example, Jesus says in Matthew 5 that Christians should be “salt and light” in this world and then in Matthew 6 says Christians should “pray in secret”. So how public should we be with our faith? Tune in this weekend to find out!
Additional Articles:
Tim Tebow’s Role Model
Poll Finds 43 Percent Of People Believe God Helps Tebow Win
Tebow: The man behind the mania
Tim Tebow takes time to meet families in crisis amid hoopla of playoffs
Have Compassion and Then Do What You Can
January 7, 2012
Podcast: Download (Duration: 50:47 — 8.7MB)
Guest: Mark Hollingsworth, Compassion International
“Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” — Jesus (Luke 18:16).
It can be difficult for us in America to fully understand what physical and spiritual poverty is like in other nations around the world. Many if not most countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America have corrupt governments and pagan influences which often results in extreme poverty, food scarcity, and lack of health care, clean hygiene, education, and most especially, the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.
So what does the Bible call Christians to do, even when these problems seem so overwhelming and so far away? Answer: Have compassion and do something.
This Saturday on The Christian Worldview, you will hear about the life-transforming ministry Compassion International is carrying out for impoverished children around the world. And you will be given the opportunity to get involved yourself by sponsoring an impoverished child or orphan to receive the physical and spiritual help they need.
When you do, you will be changing an impoverished child’s life for the better. And you know who else will change? You.
Behind the Scenes of The Christian Worldview
December 17, 2011
Podcast: Download (Duration: 50:45 — 8.7MB)
This Saturday, you will get a behind the scenes tour of The Christian Worldview Radio Program. First, the question I always ask first-time guests will be turned around on me: “What is your background and how did you become a follower of Jesus Christ?” In other words, you’re going to find out a little more about the host!
From there, you will hear how topics are chosen each week and how the program goes from a studio in Minnesota into your car, living room, or iPod. We are also going to leave some time for you to call or email us with questions about past programs from this year and suggestions for topics in the coming year. Take advantage of that!
This will be our last LIVE broadcast of the year. On the final two Saturdays of 2011 — December 23rd and 30th — we will be airing two of the most popular programs from this year.
So be sure to tune in this Saturday for a rare behind the scenes tour of The Christian Worldview. And may each one of you have a joyous Christmas focused on Jesus Christ!
