Christianity for Today 2

I don't know about you, but I am beginning to feel like "cabin fever" is about to set in.  Living in Minnesota, we try to find our way through a long winter, but when spring comes, it is time to get out and do something.  Well, this COVID-19 virus has forced the winter "stay at home" to linger longer.  So, what is a person to do?  Allow me to make some reading recommendations.  I have not done a book review in quite some time, so it is long overdue.  With few stores open and with restaurants closed, except for the drive-thru, I strongly suggest sitting down and reading a good book.  One that I highly recommend is titled, "Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions."  The author is Greg Koukl, founder and president of an apologetics ministry known as Stand to Reason.  Like many, I have often been fearful of engaging in a conversation with an unbeliever because I felt inadequate to answer his/her questions.  Imag...

We are living in uniquely different times.  Across the globe it seems that life is either in slow-motion or has come to a practical standstill.  Schools are closed, perhaps not to reopen until next fall.  Students will now become engaged in online learning - which should not be a problem for those students who have the drive to learn, but which could prove to be disastrous for those students who struggle with learning.  Restaurants and bars are closed - where does one go for "happy hour" these days?  Drive through lanes are still open but how many Big Macs can a person eat over the course of weeks of semi-isolation?  Libraries are closed.  Many retail stores have reduced hours or are shuttered altogether.  We are being encouraged to remain in our homes.  Churches are canceling services, many going to live-streaming in order to keep their flocks somewhat connected.  Yes, these are uniquely different times.  What can a family do?...

Panic is defined as "a sudden, unreasoning fear, often spreading quickly."  One of the chief contributing factors to a panic is the fear of the unknown.  Our globe today is being ravaged by panic - the fears of the unknown.  The coronavirus is causing nearly every nation on earth to react in such ways that people are moved with fear.  Cruise ships lie in anchor, that is if they can return to a port.  Airlines are cutting back on flights as planes are nearly empty.  Countries are closing borders or at least demanding a 14-day quarantine period for those entering therein.  (My scheduled tour to Israel in April has been canceled because of the threats of quarantine).  There are talks about either canceling March Madness or at least having the games played in empty arenas.  Conferences across the globe are being canceled, leaving hotels with vast numbers of unoccupied rooms.  Some schools are being closed as students are required to enter in...

This past Monday, the people in Israel conducted their third national election within the past eleven months.  For the past year Israel has had only a care-taker government as no one person has been able to form a unity coalition government.  The pending results of Monday's election appear to be better, but still not conclusive.  With final results to be announced next Monday, the unofficial results have Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party winning 36 seats within the Knesset (Israel's Parliament), while his main challenger, Benny Gantz's Blue and White Party, winning 32 seats.  When you focus upon those parties that align themselves with the right-center positions of the Likud Party, then the Prime Minister controls either 59 or 60 seats within the 120-seat Knesset.  That means that he needs either one or two others to join his coalition and then he can form a government.  (Yes, I know that Israeli politics is very complicated). What happens i...