Kooks who are Christian, are still kooks. And cynics who hate the truth of Christianity will continue to try to denigrate Jesus Christ and his followers.

Both of the above points are clear on this “Non-Judgment Saturday”—a day when much of the world laughed at a sincere, but sincerely wrong, religious “leader’s” prediction of the world’s demise. Harold Camping, an 89-year-old retired civil engineer, has developed a flourishing ministry based on his doomsday message that Jesus Christ would return to judge the earth on May 21, 2011. That judgment would include destruction described in the final book of the Christian Bible, Revelation.

While a small handful of misguided fools responded to Camping’s prediction by selling their possessions, quitting their jobs and waiting prayerfully to be swept into Heaven, a much larger—and in my opinion—much more foolish collection of mockers used Camping’s folly to paint a prejudiced, hurtful and more destructive picture of Christianity.

The mockers correctly see that no person can predict the Coming of the Lord. Their error is believing that, because Jesus Christ didn’t return on a day computed by a flawed human being, then Jesus Christ is NEVER returning.

Their hatred for Jesus Christ and the Christian faith almost compels them to ridicule any self-professed “Christian” who is more kook than Christian. They want to denigrate the true Christian message of love, hope, and most of all, grace.

Real faith in Jesus Christ means accepting the fact that we are not capable of living a life worthy of eternity in Heaven following our death on earth. It means being realistic and humble enough to accept the free gift of forgiveness that comes with belief that Jesus Christ lived a totally righteous life 2,000 years ago, and purposely suffered a painful and undeserved death to “pay for” the sins of every human being, past present and future.

Real faith in Jesus Christ means believing the eye-witness accounts that he rose from the dead and today is waiting to return to judge the world.

Be discerning, but don’t be a fool.

Laughing at a misguided person like Harold Camping does not change reality any more than covering the sun with your thumb makes the sun disappear. Just because you can’t see something, doesn’t mean that it isn’t there.

No one knows when Jesus Christ will return for Judgment Day. But instead of getting some cheap laughs today, accept some important truth: Jesus Christ is returning, and we all need to be ready.

A Happy Resurrection Sunday to my fellow Christians. This day and Christmas Day are the two holiest in the Christian calendar.

They bookend the earthly life of Jesus Christ, who we know as our Lord and Savior. Christmas celebrates the day Jesus was born. Today celebrates the day he came back to life after suffering an agonizing death two days before.

Sounds like a crazy plot for a movie, doesn’t it? At one point in my life, I walked away from my Christian faith, because so much of the ritualistic parts seemed either boring or just plain weird.

About 16 years ago, my wife and I started attending a church where the pastor told us (and the entire congregation) that our doubts and questions were encouraged. God was big enough to handle them!

Through a process of study and opening my heart, my questions and doubts were answered sufficiently for me to renew my commitment to the Christian faith walk.

Is it easy? No, particularly because I remain a stubborn, self-centered human. Is my family a center of Christian hope, love and caring? Not exactly!

We are a work in progress.

If you want answers to the tough questions of life, Jesus has them. Yes, I didn’t say “had them,” because he is still alive.

That’s what I, and millions of Christians around the globe, celebrate today.

Here is an Easter greeting to you.

Many people think of Easter in a secular way, Easter bunny, egg hunts and the like. The original meaning remains the best.

It may seem old-hat and boring, even for those who picked today (Easter Sunday) as one of the two days per year when they graced the inside of a church.

I’m fairly realistic, so I don’t look at this day as the actual day when Jesus Christ, through the power of God, rose from the dead. That awesome event happened one time, more than 2,000 years ago.

I’m more excited about the fact that Jesus is still alive today, and will be for eternity. What’s more, anyone who accepts his free gift of grace can have the blot of sin removed from them, and receive eternal life through faith in his atoning work.

Whew! A lot for some of us to consider. Many doubt that this took place, and doubt that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection mean anything to them.

I pray that you consider the evidence, and make an informed decision. Whatever you decide is your business, of course.

My desire for you would be that you experience life in the Lord.



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In the past couple of days, terrorist plots have been in the news, indirectly targeting two innocent faith groups which have to once again see that people don’t understand some very basic concepts.

The first terrorist plot was launched successfully on Monday, March 29, when twin suicide bombings of the Moscow subway system killed 39 people and wounded scores more. The attack has been blamed on “Muslim extremists” in the Caucasus region.

The second terrorist plot was nipped in the planning stages over the weekend, when nine “apocalyptic Christian militants,” who were plotting to kill law enforcement officers in hopes of inciting an antigovernment uprising, were arrested in raids in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.

The link in those two separate terrorist events was the belief that political change needed to be made through violence, and that the violence was approved by the God of these Muslim and Christian terrorists. Nothing could be further from the truth, and these terrorists couldn’t be further from true Muslims and Christians.

That is a quote by Maulana Jameel Ahmed Ilyasi, secretary-general of the All-India Association of Imams and Mosques, during a visit to Israel, organized by the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) India office. Ilaysi arrived as part of a delegation of Indian Muslim leaders and journalists, and his organization represents half a million imams, who are the main religious leaders of India’s 200 million Muslims.

So he was the voice of reason for a large organization of Muslims, when asked to address Hamas’s call for jihad to destroy Israel. Ilaysi said,

That view would be applauded by the millions of Christians who are in the midst of Holy Week, a time for reflection and recognition of the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I imagine that the Lord is saddened by statements taken from the website created by the recently arrested militants:

and a quote:

According to a news article in the March 30 New York Times,

I’ve been studying the Book of Revelation with another member of my church and our youth pastor. For you non-Christians, let me assure you that it doesn’t state that anyone is to stockpile munitions and be ready to “fight for Jesus.”

Actually, Revelation is clear that the final battle against Satan and his deceived followers will be fought and won by the Lord. No sword-wielding human fanatics will be necessary.

When you read news accounts about “Muslim extremists” or “Christian militants,” please don’t help fan the flames of religious intolerance by spreading the lie that these idiots represent the Muslim or Christian faiths.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, I believe that Easter symbolizes forgiveness, rebirth, and God’s saving power. It is a victory over sin and death, which cause so much harm in people’s lives.

This Easter Sunday, I’ll be thinking about God’s saving power, and the destructive forces, like extremists and militants, that distort the true meaning of the holiday.

Peace.

Communications pro Allan Jenkins, from his base in Hjelm Bay, Møn, Denmark, sends a tweet calling the Danish daily Politiken “complete wimps” for apologizing over the publication years ago of unflattering editorial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Link to story

Was it cowardice, or common sense? If an axe-wielding extremist broke into your home because you posted a comment or cartoon that might be considered “offensive,” or continued to plot ways to kill you, would you be willing to die for freedom of speech? Really?

Why then, do I hear and watch so much “humor” and “editorial comment” knocking the Christian faith, but just about zero directed at Islam? Why do people think it is acceptable, even in the workplace, to use “Jesus Christ” as a swear word, but those same people wouldn’t think of substituting “Prophet Muhammad”?

Christians don’t blow up innocent groups of people, and they don’t grab an axe to attack people who disparage their Lord, Jesus Christ.

Should they? It seems to work for Islamic extremists, at least in Denmark. Allan might think his local journalists are wimps, but maybe they are realists. And maybe we are, too.