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It bothered me to hear my favorite candidate, Donald Trump, seem to seek to question Ted Cruz evangelical bona fides by saying, not too many evangelicals come out of Cuba. I was going to tweet and advise him not to go there. Then I thought 'Donald Trump is a smart guy' maybe he knows something I don't know.. So I began looking for 'evidence' that Ted Cruz is a 'born again' Christian. You know a person can 'identify' as anything now days. Just because you go to church and mentally agree with Christianity doesn't mean you have come to know...

About 15 years ago, on Christmas Eve, our family departed from the traditional American Jewish observance of the holiday (ordering Chinese takeout) and elected to find an open restaurant. We drove to the local city center (or what passes for it in suburbia) and were stunned to find that not only were all the restaurants open, they were also packed. I had pictured my Christian friends and neighbors at home, gathered around the table Norman Rockwell–style, eating goose or ham or whatever gentiles eat bathed in the twinkling lights of decorated trees. In fact, I liked to think of them...

President Obama’s reactions to ISIS attacks have become predictable and thin. His words seem to lack an appreciation of the grave conflict underway. Obama’s language betrays his adherence to progressive dogma: that the horrific assaults against the West are a nuisance to be managed, minimized, and explained through a value-free deconstruction of history where America sometimes stokes grievances across the Middle East. Although the role and responsibilities of a young government lawyer named Ted Cruz are very different from a sitting president, the accounts of how Cruz responded to the attacks of September 11, 2001 provide some insight into who...

Should parents "discipline" their children rather than "punish" them? And is this distinction especially important for Christian parents?Yes and yes.Far from synonymous, these associated words carry vastly different meanings. As Mark Twain famously said, "The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter 'tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning."In the case of discipline and punishment, 'tis the difference between light and lightning.Big DifferenceTo discipline one's children is to rebuke, correct, and train them because you love them too much to let them grow into harmful, hateful, ungrateful people. Discipline proceeds...

Atheism is cool. At least, that's the popular perception of a worldview that's enjoyed a rebrand and a renaissance in the last couple of decades. Authors like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens have issued forceful public challenges to the claims of the major faiths and the rights they've traditionally been granted, while well-respected and high-profile public figures have lent vocal support to their ideas. When Stephen Fry outlined an atheist (or even anti-theist) position on an Irish talk show, the interview went viral in hours, while comedian Ricky Gervais frequently uses his substantial platform to attack and undermine religion in...

Duck Dynasty's Phil and Miss Kay Robertson met when they were 14 years old  and have been inseparable ever since. As Phil says, "The last thing you want to do is wait until a woman is 20 years old to marry her." After 40 years of marriage, four sons, a slew of grandkids and a mega hit show, the couple is now promoting a new book. In Exploring The Joy Of Christmas, Phil and Miss Kay share Christmas memories, Miss Kay's famous recipes, their favorite carols and more.One of my favorite parts of Phil and Kay's Christmas-themed book is their description of the Robertsons'...

As one looks at the articles and comments found on Free Republic, you can see the complete and utter loathing, disgust, and outright hatred towards Muslims. It is viewed as a justified hatred, built on the actions Muslims have taken for decades against Americans and others. Notable attacks include the Beirut bombing of the Marine barracks, Beslan in Russia, the recent San Bernadino attack, and of course 9/11. However, I was challenged by a few friends recently as to how a professing Christian can have a deep-seated hatred for Muslims. They reminded me of Jesus' command to love one another....

This year, as we proudly hang our seasonal greeting cards, displaying the smiling faces of our loved ones (and yes, sometimes their dogs), it's easy to forget that for many people, the holidays aren't all candy canes and carols. For five-year-old Safyre, the sole survivor of an arson attack that killed her family, and left her homeless, Christmas can be a painful reminder of what she's lost

Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21

O7jimmy at 6 am before Christmas 2015, singing the small song, I'm Not Sorry. Jesus is the Master of the Universe and I'm Not Sorry, answering his call to salvation and abundant life, eternal life.

In her recently released book, "Oasis: Conversion Stories of Hollywood Legends," Mary Claire Kendall delves deep into the lives of 12 Hollywood stars from Tinseltown's golden age to reveal a side of them most are unfamiliar with: their faith journeys. Whether they came from broken homes, struggled with addictions, or were rampant adulterers, each of the stars featured in "Oasis" rose from their own personal battle to find comfort and healing in faith.   Townhall had a chance to catch up with Kendall about her book and in the interview below you'll find out what her inspiration for writing "Oasis" was,...

Cruz Welcomes Endorsements From His Current and Childhood PastorsHOUSTON, Texas – Presidential candidate Ted Cruz today welcomed the endorsement of Pastor Gaylon Wiley, who led him to the Lord as a youth, and Pastor Gregg Matte, his current pastor. At eight years old, Cruz accepted Christ as his Savior and was baptized by Pastor Gaylon Wiley of Clay Road Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. Cruz attended Second Baptist High School in Houston as a teenager.Gaylon Wiley has been an evangelist for more than 40 years. Now retired and living in Tennessee, he still preaches the gospel."Ted was just like all...

One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes points out, as only Lewis could, that Jesus was either the Messiah (and the Son of God) as prophesied in the ancient Jewish scriptures, or He was a liar, a lunatic, or, worse, the "Devil of Hell." Wrote Lewis: "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and...

(AT THE SITE ARE THE FAITH-FRIENDLY BUSINESSES) It's time for a #ChristmasBUYcott! As Faith Driven Consumers, we will spend an incredible $30 billion over the holidays. Because major brands depend on our dollars to meet their goals for the year, collectively we have tremendous power and influence. When consumers like you and me agree to shop only with the companies that are more compatible with Faith Driven Consumers, we'll change the way brands treat us. That's why-right now-we're calling for a #ChristmasBUYcott! This is your chance to live out your faith by doing what you already do when it comes...

Just after the Paris terror attacks last week, I wrote about how I thought they could go down in history as the catalyst that coalesced countries in the West and beyond into a World War III. Since then, other nations’ responses and increased terror attacks have only confirmed that we’ve entered into an unprecedented time in human history and war. Pundits and politicians on both sides of the aisle criticize both the U.S. Congress and President Obama for not officially doing more to fight ISIS. Constitutionally speaking, as commander in chief of the armed forces, the president has the power...

Though everything inside of me wants to hate, be angry, and slip into despair I choose the route of forgiveness, grace and hope, he said in a statement. If there is one thing Ive learned from Amanda in the 10 years we were together, its this Choosing to let my emotions drive my decisions is recipe for a hopeless and fruitless life. Today I am deciding to love, not hate.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz isn't only surging in the polls, he's also rolling out one endorsement after another. Earlier this week, both Rep. Steve King (Iowa) and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (California) announced support for his candidacy for president. Late yesterday evening, the two congressmen were joined by more than 200 faith leaders: Presidential candidate Ted Cruz today announced additions to his Faith Leadership Team which include more than 200 faith leaders from around the nation. This follows the campaign’s announcement yesterday of it’s National Prayer Team, led by Cruz Crew volunteers, dedicated to a focused season of prayer on behalf...

DES MOINES — The hearts of many evangelical voters, polls suggest, are with Ben Carson. But increasingly, their leaders’ heads are with Ted Cruz. While the Texas senator trails the retired pediatric neurosurgeon by double digits in national surveys, prominent evangelical leaders and political operatives who work with the Christian conservative movement say it's the well-funded Cruz who has made the bigger organizational effort with politically active church goers. He’s rounding up the very grass-roots leaders who wield influence with this crucial Republican voting bloc. And here in Iowa, where endorsements have often predicted caucus winners, that matters. "Cruz has...

Very soon Pope Francis will be in Africa, visiting Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic. This will be the first time Pope Francis has ever been to the continent, and it may well be a game-changer – not for Africa, but for him.

The first thing we should know is that nearly one in four people in the world today is a Muslim. 1.7 billion people in the world pray to Allah as their god. To be technical, this works out to be 23% of the world’s population are Muslims. At the end of WWI, that is about 100 years ago, the estimated Muslim population in the world was 300 million. In this relatively short time they have grown from 300 million to 1.7 billion. This is phenomenal growth. This growth does not come from evangelism, it is from having lots and lots...