Life's Inanities and Ironies

In early December 2025, actor and evangelist Kirk Cameron dropped a theological bombshell on his podcast * Takeaways with Kirk Cameron *. In episode 86, titled "Are We Wrong About Hell?", he sat down with his son James for a candid discussion about the fate of the wicked. Cameron revealed he no longer finds the traditional view of eternal conscious torment convincing, leaning instead toward ** conditional immortality ** or ** annihilationism **—the idea that immortality is a gift for the saved alone, and the unsaved ultimately cease to exist after judgment. The response was swift and polarized. Long-time ministry partner Ray Comfort quickly reaffirmed the traditional stance of eternal torment . Critics warned of doctrinal slippage, while others praised Cameron for wrestling openly with Scripture. This controversy has thrust one of Christianity's oldest debates back into the spotlight: Does the Bible teach unending conscious suffering in hell, or final destruction? Both ...

In an age where names are chosen because they’re trendy on TikTok or look cute on a Starbucks cup, the Bible takes names deadly seriously. A biblical name is never just a label; it is a revelation of character, a declaration of mission, and a promise of power. Seven centuries before Bethlehem, Isaiah stood in the gathering gloom of Assyrian invasion and proclaimed a word of undimmed hope: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) Every single title is a thunderclap against the darkness. 1. Wonderful       This is the same word used when the Bible says the angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah and “did wondrously” (Judges 13:19). It means that which causes awe-struck silence. The Baby in the manger is the One before whom seraphim cover their faces and cry “Holy!” 2. Counsellor  ...

(Based on Matthew 1:18–25) In a culture obsessed with self-promotion, viral fame, and “main character energy,” the Bible deliberately spotlights one of the quietest men who ever lived: Joseph of Nazareth. He never preached a sermon that was recorded.   He never wrote a psalm.   He never led an army or built a temple.   Yet without Joseph’s humble obedience, the Son of God would have entered the world under a cloud of scandal, and the messianic line would have been broken in the eyes of men. Matthew 1:18–25 tells us everything we need to know about the man God the Father hand-picked to serve as guardian of the Messiah and protector of the virgin mother. 1. Joseph was a just man who hated sin but loved mercy      The Law was clear: a betrothed woman found pregnant by another man could be publicly shamed and even stoned (Deut. 22:23–24). Joseph had every legal right to expose Mary and walk away with his reputation intact.    ...

Most people treat Matthew 1:1–17 like the credits before the movie starts—something to fast-forward through so we can get to the angels and shepherds. But the Holy Spirit never wastes ink. Those forty-two generations are not filler; they are a blazing neon sign shouting, “Grace! Grace! Grace!”   Matthew could have opened with a thunderclap of glory: “Behold, the King!” Instead, he begins with a family tree that looks more like a police blotter. And right there, in a list dominated by men, the Spirit deliberately plants five women—five shocking blossoms—to preach the gospel before the gospel is even explained. Here they are, with the lessons God wrote in blood and history: 1. Tamar – The Rejected Daughter-in-Law Who Became a Mother in Israel (v. 3)   Genesis 38 is ugly: Judah withholds his son, Tamar is cheated of her rights, and she resorts to deception dressed as a prostitute. Judah himself pronounces, “She is more righteous than I.” From that sordid night com...