May 20, 2021, 1:00 p.m. ET
This personal reflection is part of a series called
, in which writers respond to a single question: What do we believe?
The new evangelical Christianity that emerged out of the cultural tumult of the 1960s and 1970s was vividly supernatural. It was born out of the fear that Americans were turning away from Christianity, and it promised a God who was intensely present, always loving and almost magically invincible.
Preachers promised that ordinary people could heal and prophesy in Jesusâ name. (Here they might quote John 14:12: âWhoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing.â) Churches like Bethel Redding, in California, founded schools of Supernatural Ministry. Throughout the country, Christians went on prayer walks to cleanse their cities. They began to sniff out demons and exorcise people.
"It d be nice if all the Biden voters would put their signs back in the front yard so their neighbors at least know why they re starving to death," Locke told his congregation Sunday.
Pastor Greg Locke Doubles Down on Accusation 'Fake President' Biden 'Stole the Election' msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
We can often compartmentalise our lives into the ‘spiritual’ and ‘natural’. Some have referred to it as the ‘sacred’ and ‘secular’.
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)
To simplify, sometimes we may think we need to keep spiritual matters separate from the everyday matters of life. Or if you are anything like me, it can be difficult to see how we can mesh them together cohesively.
Having a family with young children means much of my life is made up of chores and ‘normal’ matters. I often need to remind myself that, yes, while I may be doing ‘another’ load of washing or I find myself ‘back at the kitchen sink’, I am actually doing everything before the Lord and I often need to change my mind, heart, and attitude.
March 15, 2021
Business Insider has put together an interesting look at a serious new problem facing a growing number of evangelical pastors in the U.S.: the far-right radicalization of their congregations. Across America, pastors are seeing political conspiracy theories spread like wildfire through their churches, as more and more evangelical Christians start to believe baseless lies about COVID-19, President Joe Biden’s legitimate electoral win and the fate of former President Donald Trump.
These conspiracies have been boosted by white evangelical leaders and so-called “prophesies” from people like Mark Taylor, Jeremiah Johnson and Kris Vallotton assured Christians that God would grant Trump an electoral win a narrative that helped fan the flames of the January 6 attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Vallotton and Johnson have both apologized for their debunked “prophesies” but the damage has certainly been done. A conservative outlet called the American Enter