Hard Conversations

Tens of thousands of refugees are entering the U.S. from Afghanistan. I am sure, with a few exceptions, all are Muslims, which, to the delight of many on the Left, bolsters their case that America needs to be more pluralistic, cultural, philosophical and religiously. So how should churches respond to this humanitarian crisis that may contribute towards the increasingly diminishing status of the Christian faith in postmodern America?

On the one hand, the whole world hears about it whenever well-known Christian leaders fall; before long, they become the butt of late-night comics. Sadly, we have witnessed too many spiritual leaders falling from grace lately. But, on the other hand, it seems hardly anyone notice, even in the church, those among us whose faith journey reflects what the apostle Paul confessed shortly before his martyrdom: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race and I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). This videoblog is about a 98-year-old pastor whose recent passing assures us that it is still possible to finish strong in the Lord. To truly appreciate this servant’s faithful walk with the Lord, I, first, raise this question: Which Judean king (out of 20) is the only one who finished well, without any dark cloud hovering over him? Of course, this king wasn’t sinless, but Scripture itself does not mention any failing, small or large, on his part. And, may I add, the fact that most of us are unfamiliar with this king is quite telling about what we deem as success before God’s eyes.

No, this isn't a political analysis of the disturbing development taking place in Afghanistan right now. Rather, it is my attempt to understand the decision made by President Biden from the standpoint of parents whose children are serving in wars, and how one of them, who just returned from her stint in Afghanistan, is feeling upon seeing her Afghan friends and colleagues scrambling for life. Ultimately, this videoblog is about whether American Christians, many of whom are concerned about domestic injustice, should also lend themselves to care about what's happening to people, Christians or otherwise, several thousand miles away from the bubbles of America.

This presentation is the third and last installment of the series, “End-Times Prophecy: Are We Living in the Last Days?” In this message—“Are We Preparing Ourselves in Anticipation of the Next Eschatological Event?”—I examine possible signposts that may point to the emergence of the next eschatological occurrences prophesized in Scripture. For those who adhere to partial Preterism, that event is the Second Coming of Christ; for Pretribulationist, the rapture, and for Posttribulationist, the Great Tribulation.

Multiple resurrections, judgments, deaths, and comings of Christ . . . Sounds like a heresy, right? (I say that in tongue in cheek.) Well, it is called the premillennial pre-tribulation view, and it's a popular eschatology held passionately by those who advocate it. Even if you don't agree with this view, you should get to know it since many in popular culture assume that that's the default eschatology of conservative Christians. In this brief presentation, the eschatology of premillennial pre-tribulation view is laid out chronologically, from the rapture to the new heaven and new earth. Thank you

Are we living in the last days? What do you think? In the first installment of this series, I will first address the theology of eschatology (i.e., the study of end things or days) that focuses on the key difference between the two major schools of eschatology: preterists and futurists. The crux of their difference really comes down whether the Church and Israel are two separate entities or one and the same. This matter will not be covered here since it was discussed in the video TIA II, “Why Are Some Christians So Passionate About Backing Israel While Some Are So-So About Her.” And if, indeed, we are living in the final days, how should we live?

The Miami condo collapse is eerily similar to the infamous collapse of Sampoon Department Store in 1995 that took the life of 502 people, as well as the collapse of a tower in Siloam in Israel 2,000 years ago that killed 18 people. In this brief presentation, we are looking at what Jesus said about the latter event and then weight its relevance in light of the recent tragedy that probably took life of close to 150 people. May the Lord comfort the grieving families and strengthen the resolves of first-responders.

Critical Race Theory is in the news almost everyday. While some people are passionately for it, wanting to see CRT taught in public schools, others are dead set against it. In many ways, this theory is tantamount to the 'One-Size-Fits-All' approach that makes sense only if significant historical developments, beginning with the genesis of slavery, are completely ignored. CRT can do some good to make our imperfect world better but, in the long run, I am afraid its benefit may not outweigh the damage it will erect. Thank you.

In this brief presentation I deal with three questions all at once: first, why are some Christians so passionate about backing Israel (mostly Dispensationists); second, why are some Christians so-so about her (mostly the Reformed); third, why are many in the Middle-East (Arabs and Iranians) so passionately against Israel? These questions are addressed through the theological lens of ecclesiology, eschatology and soteriology. Thank you