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...

“I was a fortunate teenager…   As a freshman in high school I fell in with a group of Jesus-loving , soul-winning , on-fire teenagers . Fifty-plus years later most of them are still my best friends. I can call them at 2 a.m. when life hurts and they’ll pray heaven down. Those are the kind of friends you need.” That wasn’t some preacher making something up. That was a 66+ years old me ruminating on how fortunate I am Fifty years later I'm still reaping the harvest of the choice i made at fourteen. And that’s exactly why I’m yelling into the internet void today: Your teenage squad isn’t just “people you hang with .” They are the architects of your future soul. The Bible doesn’t mince words: - “Walk with the wise and become wise; hang with fools and you WILL be destroyed.” ( Prov. 13:20 )   - “Bad company corrupts good character.” ( 1 Cor. 15:33 )   - One bad decision with the wrong crowd cost Rehoboam 80% of Israel’s kingdom… in a single afternoon ( 1 Kings ...

 Hey there, fellow believers! If you're like me—a committed fundamentalist Christian holding tight to the Bible as God's inerrant Word—you know how crucial it is to dive deep into Scripture, especially in these chaotic times when so many folks are drifting away from the truth. Today, let's chat about Luke 2:21-38 . This passage isn't just some old story; it's a real, historical account inspired by the Holy Spirit , showing us God's amazing plan for salvation through Jesus, the Lamb of God . We'll walk through it together, seeing how obedience, fulfilled prophecies, and heartfelt praise all point to Him. And hey, it'll stir us up to worship and share the Good News boldly. Starting Small: Obedience in Everyday Moments Okay, imagine this: Just eight days after Jesus' miraculous virgin birth in that humble stable—yep, the one prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 and detailed in Luke 1 —Mary and Joseph take Him for circumcision. This was straight out of God's ...

 Hey, brother or sister—yes, YOU, the one who believes the Bible is 100% true from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21—can I steal three minutes of your Christmas season? You already know the Luke 2 script by heart. Census. Bethlehem. Manger. Angels. Shepherds. Cute, right? But what if I told you the Holy Spirit hid a bombshell in plain sight that most Christians completely miss? One little verse that turns the whole nativity from a Hallmark moment into a gut-punching preview of Calvary. Grab your Bible (you know, the real one with paper pages) and look at Luke 2:7 again: “She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger.” Stop. Right. There. In first-century Judea, when a lamb was born for temple sacrifice—especially the Passover lambs raised outside Bethlehem—guess what the shepherds did the moment it dropped? They wrapped it in cloths to keep it from thrashing and bruising itself.   A blemished lamb was worthless.   It had to be perfect. So Mary takes...

As we approach the Christmas season, it's easy to get lost in the hustle of decorations, gifts, and festivities. But for those of us who hold to the inerrant Word of God, the true heart of Christmas beats in the pages of Scripture. In Luke 2:11 , the angel's proclamation to the shepherds rings out with eternal significance: "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour , which is Christ the Lord ." This isn't just a holiday greeting—it's a divine revelation unveiling the three-fold identity of the Babe born in Bethlehem : Savior, Christ, and Lord. In this blog post, we'll unpack this verse, drawing from the unchanging truths of the Bible. As fundamentalist Christians, we stand firm against the tides of modern relativism and liberal theology. We'll explore how this tiny infant in a manger embodies our redemption, fulfills ancient prophecies, and reigns as sovereign God. Whether you're a seasoned believer or seeking truth, let this...

 This is not my usual topic for this blog but it's something that I feel compelled to put out in the world.  I recently rediscovered the TV show *The West Wing*, and I've been diving into it over the past week or so. I largely missed it during its original run, but it's pulled me in now for several reasons. It's undeniably a masterful series—sharp dialogue, superb acting, and some of the best scripting television has ever seen—but what fascinates me most is the window it provides into liberal thought at the turn of the millennium, during the latter years of the Clinton administration . In my view, that era represents the last time the Democratic Party and the broader American left could reasonably be described as at least semi-sane and grounded in pragmatic center-left politics. A couple of aspects of the show particularly struck me as I watched. First, the way Republicans are portrayed often feels like a mirror image of what we now call "Trump Derangement Syndrome...

 Welcome, dear readers, to this reflection on one of the most profound moments in Scripture—the night humble shepherds encountered the Savior of the world . This blog post is inspired by a homily drawn from Luke 2:7-20, a passage that not only recounts the birth of Jesus Christ but serves as a urgent call to every soul: Meet the Savior today, or face eternity without Him. As believers who hold to the inerrant Word of God, we know this isn't just a seasonal story—it's the historical truth of God's redemptive plan, demanding a personal response. Let's dive in, expanding on the key truths to ensure the Gospel's power shines through. The Humble Birth: No Room for the King Imagine the scene: Mary, heavy with child, and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem only to find "no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2:7). So, the Creator of the universe, God in human flesh, is born in a stable and laid in a manger —a crude feeding trough for animals. This wasn't an accident; it...

In the quiet hush of a Bethlehem night over two millennia ago, heaven didn't just whisper—it thundered into our broken world. As we approach the Christmas season , let's strip away the tinsel and commercial glitter to behold the raw, biblical truth of Luke 2:1-20 . This isn't a cozy nativity scene for greeting cards; it's the explosive moment when God Almighty stepped into human history to rescue sinners from eternal doom. If you've ever wondered why Christmas matters, or if your soul hungers for true peace, read on—this story could change your eternity.   The Sovereign Setup: God's Plan Unfolds Picture this: The mighty Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus decrees a census, forcing everyone to their ancestral towns (Luke 2:1-3). Unbeknownst to him, this pagan ruler becomes a pawn in God's chessboard. Joseph, a descendant of King David , travels from Nazareth to Bethlehem with his betrothed, Mary, who is great with child (Luke 2:4-5). Why Bethlehem? Because Script...

As the Christmas season approaches, our minds often drift to the familiar scenes of the nativity : a cozy stable, Mary and Joseph cradling the baby Jesus, wise men bearing gifts, and angels singing overhead. But what if I told you that our polished retellings of this story might be missing some crucial characters—and with them, vital truths about God's redemptive plan? In this blog post, we'll dive deep into Luke 2:1-20, exploring the theme "Who We Leave Out of the Nativity." Drawing from a recent homily I delivered to a group of fundamentalist Christians, we'll uncover how this passage challenges us to embrace the full scope of the gospel, reaching those society—and sometimes even the church—overlooks. The Humble Setting: A World in Motion, But No Room for the King Luke's account begins with the grand sweep of history: "In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered" (Luke 2:1, ESV). Here we see the Ro...

The house was small, the village smaller, and the night had been long—four centuries long. Then came a cry. Not the cry of the Messiah (not yet), but the cry of a baby born to a barren woman and a doubting priest. And with that cry, the silence of God shattered like dawn over the Judean hills . Elizabeth ’s neighbors expected the child to be named Zechariah Junior. Tradition demanded it. But when the Holy Ghost begins a new thing, He does not ask permission from family custom. “His name is John ,” the mother declared. The mute father wrote the same on a tablet, and instantly his tongue sprang free after nine months of divine discipline. The first words out of Zechariah’s mouth were not apology but prophecy: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel , for He hath visited and redeemed His people!” Church, when God names something, the debate is over. He named that child “John”—the LORD is gracious—before he ever drew breath. And He has named every blood-washed believer “redeemed,” “forgiven,...