Racism, Marxism, Guilt, Government and the Bible’s Prescription of both the Problem and the Solution

Wednesday Evening, June 24, Lifespring Church hosted a Zoom Q&A with Drs Ardel Caneday and P Andrew Sandlin on discerning the current cultural crisis tearing apart both our society and sadly, many churches.

How do we understand the current cultural divide (and conflict) going on, related to both our common heritage and our cultural divides and to racial and political tensions? What is the relationship between our current struggles and a shifting cultural worldview below the surface?

Topics included:

What is racism? Is racism a sin? What are the roots of the riots and protests? What is Cultural Marxism? What worldview is behind the monument toppling? Should we leave conservative churches that have embraced “wokeness?”

Ardel Caneday and  P. Andrew Sandlin are two men who have taught in academia and the church for many years, from the same consistent foundation: That the Bible is God’s authoritative Word and applicable to every difficult issue we face in life, including racism and political conflict. (II Timothy 3:16-17)

The Lordship of Christ: Christians, Government and Culture…in a time of COVID-19 Crisis audio

On Sunday, May 17, Lifespring Church of Crosby, MN hosted a Zoom conversation with questions principally directed to with Drs. Ardel Caneday and P. Andrew Sandlin concerning Christian thinking, Spheres of Sovereignty, Church, Worship, business, politics and COVID-19.

This was a 90 minute discussion and has been Re-formatted into an MP3 file, which is linked below.  It is worth taking the time to listen to these seasoned Christian Leaders and theologians discuss these topics and address audience questions, beginning with a short refresher by Dr. Sandlin on the three spheres of God’s ordained Sovereignty over life in this world (Church, Family and Government)

The conversation ranged from discussing proper uses of the Apostle Paul’s instruction for Christians and the church in Romans 13, radical two-kingdom theology, the role of the church within society, whether churches should ever cancel public worship assemblies, whether the civil magistrate is bound to God’s law, America’s Founders’ view of human nature, the diabolical basis of coronavirus fear, and more.

The Lordship of Christ: Christians, Government and Culture…in a time of COVID-19 Crisis.  (thanks to Joe Bancks, Joe Reed, Corban Noah and Isaac Ohman for helping with discussion and audio re-formatting)

Alice in the Palace

“Alice, did you know your Daddy loves you?” 
“Yes!” 
“Alice, do you know Jesus loves you?” 
“Yes!” 
“Alice, pretty soon Jesus is going to send some of his friends to get you so you can go visit him, ok? They’re really nice and you don’t have to be afraid.” 
“Okay.” 
Then she looked up at me with a smile and a twinkle in her eye and said, “But you can’t come with!” 
Not yet. But soon enough.
- Alice in the Palace

Today, June 8, marks the second anniversary of Alice’s death. Two years since we’ve gotten to hold her; two less years until we see her again.

To mark the day, I want to make her story available to as many as possible, so this week it’s available on Amazon for $5.99, which is about as low as Amazon will allow. If you buy the print edition, you can get the kindle version free.

It gives me great delight to know Alice’s brief life continues to be used by God for the good of his people. For my part, I read Alice in the Palace again over the course of a couple nights this week, and it was sweetly painful and pleasurable to relive that journey. After all, remembering her always makes me happy, and if her death didn’t still hurt a little bit, that would just suck. I had some memories I’d quite forgotten about jarred loose, and it was fun to hear her voice in my head once again.

I was happy to discover that the things I was thinking and writing about God then are the same things I’d write today. I might be able to say it better, but wouldn’t say it and different. I am happy to offer no regrets or retractions. His promises have not failed us.

What I wouldn’t give to go back to this moment however so briefly.

To buy Alice in the Palace, click here. If I was good at marketing I’d say leave a rating and a review, but I’m not.

To read an article I wrote for our church newsletter about some of the way Alice’s death has impacted my life, see here

jr