Oregon Ducks Quarterback---"All in for God"

It wasn't surprising to college football fans that Oregon Duck quarterback Marcus Mariota was awarded the coveted 2014 Heisman Trophy as the country's best college football player.

Mariota also won a number of other football awards this year.

He will lead the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl game tomorrow.

Given the controversy that often follows athletes who play sports at this level, it's refreshing to know that Mariota's character and faith run as deep as his talent on the gridiron.

His stats as a player are impressive to say the least.

CNS reports  that according to the Heisman Trophy website, Mariota led the nation in passing efficiency with a mark of 186.3 by completing 254 of his 372 passes for 3,783 yards and 38 touchdowns while throwing just two interceptions. He also rushed for 669 yards, scored 14 times, and recorded one touchdown reception.

Mariota's total of 53 touchdowns ties the Heisman record for most touchdowns by a winner with St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford in 2008.

Mariota received the second-highest percentage of possible points in Heisman history with 90.92 percent, according to ESPN. Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith received 91.63 percent in 2006. Southern California running back Reggie Bush received 91.77 percent in 2005, but his victory was later vacated for NCAA rules violations.

But his interview with Fellowship of Christian Athletes is the most impressive to me.

Rick Warren to Mars Hill: "Don't Be Bitter"

Southern California Pastor Rick Warren addressed the various congregations of Mars Hill church this past Sunday by video.

The Seattle based mega church officially and legally dissolves tomorrow night---December 31.

The path that has led to this dissolution has been actively reported by the media, both locally and nationally.

Warren said to those attending the last service under the Mars Hill structure, "Let me suggest this:"

2014: Barronelle Stutzman's Year Of Tolerance

Barronelle Stutzman, owner of Arlene's Flowers in Richland, Washington was dragged into court again last week as the saga of 'Tolerance" continues to be enforced by the ACLU and the Washington State Attorney General.

I've written about this a number of times over the past year and have regular contact with her as the legal action continues.

She is being sued by the ACLU on behalf of 2 homosexuals and by the Washington State A/G because she declined to provide service for a homosexual "wedding" in the Tri-Cities.

She has repeatedly told the courts she is not prejudiced or bigoted toward the homosexuals which have been her customers for the past 9 years.

Even their own testimonies confirm that to be true.

In declining the "wedding" business, Barronelle has explained repeatedly it is a matter of her religious biblical belief regarding marriage that precludes her participation. Not hate, bigotry or intolerance.

Her attorney says she has a right not to be coerced into an expression that violates her religious convictions.

In this latest court appearance, both sides brought motions for summary judgement. The State and the ACLU want her found guilty before the trial even begins.

The Christmas Truce

Christmas is a time for joy and celebration---a time for giving and receiving.

It can also be a time for "truce."

Christmas 1914 was such a Christmas. World War I was raging, men were dying from exposure and from bullets.

Some years later, in 1981, Private Stan Brown told historian Paul Nixon, "On Christmas Eve, as far as we were concerned, we was still at war, but in the evening on sentry-go we heard singing from 'Jerry'."

He decided to investigate "Jerry" (the enemy), "We were shocked," he recalls, "to see flags with 'Happy Christmas' from the Jerry's end."

After analyzing their enemy and reaching the conclusion that the enemy was safe---at the moment---Pete says he "and the rest of his trench decided to creep forward."

History records this day as the "Christmas Truce." More on that in a moment.

My favorite American poet once fought his own personal battle at Christmas, but his was a battle rooted not in politics or hate, but in grief.

He, too, found a Christmas Truce.

Murdered NYPD Officer's Family Model's the Message of Christmas

We have become aware of the assassination of two New York police officers this past Saturday. Both shot in the head while sitting in the police car.

We may not be aware that one of the officers, Rafael Ramos, had just completed chaplain's training and was to be commissioned as a NYPD chaplain the day he was murdered.

The Wall Street Journal reports that officer Ramos was a deeply spiritual man and had earlier posted a quote on his Facebook page which read, "If your way isn't working, try God's way."

Instead of calling for vengeance or agitating for protests and marches, Ramos' family members are modeling the true message of Christmas.

A "Snaketivity Scene" Put Up On Michigan Capitol Grounds

Yesterday, the Satanic Temple put up a "Snaketivity Scene" on the state Capitol grounds in Michigan.

The Satanists explained it was a demonstration of alternative ways of celebrating the holidays.

They said, "We are really pleased to be a part of what is perhaps a new holiday tradition at the Capitol."

The image of a baby in a manger, surrounded by his virgin mother, a father with enough faith to accept the angel's explanation of the events and shepherds first terrified with fear by the angelic proclamation, now worshiping at the manger with hearts of joy, continues to create fear and conflict.

State Senator Rick Jones has put up a Nativity Scene at the Capitol. He says he is happy to "represent the light and not the darkness."

The manger scene reminds us that Jesus is the Light of the world.

The Snaketivity Scene reminds us that "the light shines in darkness and the darkness comprehends it not."

It also reminds us that Isaiah predicted that "the people who walk in darkness will see a great light."

Evicting the "Holy" from the Holy Land

While atheists seek to remove Baby Jesus, the shepherds, the wise men and their camels from America's public square, terrorists this week are seeking to remove Israel from their rightful land.

They are trying to evict the "Holy" from the Holy Land.

And many nations in Europe are complicit with the effort.

Associated Press reports that "Israel suffered back to back setbacks in Europe this week, while the Palestinians at the United Nations set a deadline for an Israeli withdrawal from parts of their land by 2017."

In Geneva, the international community delivered what the AP calls "a stinging rebuke to Israel's settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, saying 'the practice violates Israel's responsibility as an occupying power'."

"Occupying" power?

The declaration to remove Israel by 2017 was submitted Wednesday evening to the UN Security Council for a possible vote.

This week the EU voted to recognize a Palestinian state "in principle."

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is understandably outraged.

Is the United States government equally outraged?

Franklin Graham on Movie "Unbroken"

Franklin says, "Angelina Jolie did an incredible job with the film 'Unbroken,' but unfortunately stopped at chapter 33, leaving out the most important part of the book."

Why was chapter 33 left out?

Earlier this year an article in the Los Angeles Times, which chronicles the development of the film, said, after much consideration, the film storyline "came to Jolie at 2 AM in Cambodia."

She came home, met with chairman of Universal Pictures Donna Langley, shared her vision explaining to Universal that "she would not include the part about Louis Zamperini's alcoholism and the Billy Graham inspired religious conversion."

That's chapter 33 in the New York Times bestselling story about the life of Louis Zamperini.

Franklin says that's the most import part because it is the part of his life when he was truly set free.

Here's the part America won't see in the movie because Jolie promised Universal she would leave it out.

Hollywood vs the Family

An analysis of every major broadcast network and every prime time show that featured "family" as central to its story line finds that 99% of programs that claim to be about families are not actually morally safe for family viewing.

Tim Winters, President of Parents Television Council and the group that conducted the year long study, concludes, "What this says to us is that folks in Hollywood, they talk about shows about family, and they suggest it friendly for family viewing; in fact it's not."

He says, "It's very disturbing, very troubling and very disappointing..."

Most of us already knew that, but this is affirming.

However, the study also revealed something even more disturbing---something we have not seen in television programming until recently.

Homeschool and the Battle for our Children

A recent custody battle in Kansas exposed the bias of the progressive left against homeschooling. It isn't surprising, but it is very concerning.

More than 2 million children have now been removed from government or public education as more and more parents opt to educate their own children and remove them from the current failing environment of public education.

And for good reason.

The attack on the notion of parents educating their children at home is escalating. And it's two pronged.

Every child who does not attend public school represents a loss of revenue to the public school complex.

There is another reason the far left progressives are deeply committed to "educating" every child. There is no more fertile ground for indoctrination than in the government run classroom where children are captive for hours every day for about 9 months of every year.

A California court has declared homeschoolers lack socialization and interpersonal skills---making them a kind of second rate citizen.

This week we have learned that a California high school has had Planned Parenthood in the classroom teaching sex ed---specifically using a gingerbread man-like diagram, teaching freshman about transgenderism.

Planned Parenthood is also behind a course being taught to the kids in the same high school titled, "Sex Check! Are You Ready For Sex?"

The criteria for readiness is stunning.

Our children and grandchildren are the coveted prize of the secular left.

Parents and grandparents must be informed.

White Cop Won't Arrest Black Thief

In cities across America the demonstrations continued yesterday with the chant, "Hands Up Don't Shoot."

Al Sharpton, the headlines read, "Leads Thousands in Nation's Capitol for the 'Justice For All Rally'."

The Seattle Times  reported last night that "Two hours before the Seahawks-49ers kick off, a crowd of demonstrators at Century Link Field had swelled to 400 people chanting 'Black Lives Matter, Not Just On The Field'."

While thousands are marching and chanting, some are actually carrying out deeds of goodness and compassion. Acts that are meeting needs and changing lives.

In fact, a white cop decided against arresting a black thief this past week. A passer by caught part of the actions on video taken with his iPhone.

Generally the media failed to even mention it. Fortunately the video was posted on Facebook.

Here's what happened.

New Campaign-- "No Gender December"

An international campaign is under way this Christmas season called, "No Gender December."

The campaign advocates that consumers should buy more "inclusive gender neutral toys."

Why is this important to those promoting the campaign?

Dr. Rebecca Hains says, "'No Gender December' is to encourage children to shop whatever toys interest them, without defining them as 'boys or girls toys'."

Why is Dr. Hains and others around the world promoting gender neutrality this Christmas?

And what do they hope to accomplish with this campaign?

Chaplain Punished For "Sharing His Faith"

In the ongoing attempt to silence Christian expression---and in effect "secularize" religion to be nothing more than a philosophical belief, the military has punished an army chaplain for discussing matters of faith in his own personal bout with depression during a suicide prevention session.

The punishment includes a warning to, "Be careful to avoid any perception you are advocating one system of beliefs over another."

There's more. Much more.

The letter sent to the chaplain is stunning and should be profoundly concerning to every Christian and conservative in America.

Have Conservatives Been On The Wrong Battlefield?

Brent Bozell, founder and president of Media Research Center (MRC), recently told a group in Washington DC that "conservatives have been on the wrong battlefield for the past 50 years."

"Our focus is always on the political with solutions always on the political," he told the audience.

He said the secular left is not fighting on that battlefield because "they understand that if you change the culture, the political is going to fall in place."

Bozell shared his thoughts as to how to "change" the culture---some are obvious, some more subtle.

We have some thoughts about that as well.

And any conversation about working to change the culture for good, invariably invites the question, especially among evangelicals---"Is that really what we are called to do?"

US Census Bureau To Eliminate Marriage Questions?

The US Census Bureau is considering a plan to eliminate questions about marriage from the American Community Survey (ACS).

Researchers who use the data and recognize marriage as an important explanatory variable are dismayed and shocked by the proposal.

The ACS surveys about 3 million American households every year, making it the largest survey in America outside of the census conducted every 10 years.

The survey has consistently provided researchers with a useful dataset about the US.

In fact, the data from this survey is used to determine the distribution of funds for some government programs.

Why would the Census Bureau eliminate marriage?

UW Scientists: "Life More Rare Than First Thought"

Two University of Washington astronomers have concluded that many of those promising "habitable" planets scientists have said existed may be "nothing more than a mirage."

The secular search for life often leads to a mirage.

For years we've been told that Earth is only one of many---maybe millions or billions of planets that could, and may support life.

This scientific "truth" has been used by some like the late atheist Carl Sagan to undermine the significance of the Earth in both Creation and the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, concluding it's all a myth--all of it.

The narrative goes something like this: "If there really was a God, why would He choose this planet from the millions of inhabitable planets that would and may support life?"

Sagan said the idea of this planet being somehow exceptional or "chosen" is delusional.

University of Washington scientists are now saying "just because scientists determine a planet is in what they call an inhabitable zone in relation to a sun, doesn't mean it is inhabitable."

The study, although it was likely not the intention, seems to support the idea of a Privileged Planet.

46% Say US Founders Would Not See Us as a Success

A new survey from Rasmussen Reports finds that nearly half---46% believe America has lost her way and is not a success as the Founders envisioned.

About 36% of American adults believe the Founders would see today's America as a success.

We can't know for sure how they would view our current state of affairs, but they did share some insights that can give us an idea of how they might feel about these matters.

Their insights give us hope, not pessimism. And their advice puts the issue squarely on Christian people of faith---not politicians.

ISIS Turning Churches Into Prisons

Terror group ISIS has been turning Christian churches into prisons in the Iraqi city of Mosul, which used to be the site of a large Christian community before it was driven out by the jihadists.

These church buildings are among the most ancient and beautiful Christian church buildings in the world.

Not only are they being misused, but there are now fears that the buildings themselves may be destroyed with Christians detained within the buildings.

We live far from Mosul and Chaldea and these areas of incarceration and devastation, but in a very different yet similar way, a kind of "incarceration" is seen in some of our own churches and culture. And in some of our own personal lives.

Why is Disney Blocking "God?"

The Disney Channel has been asking people, kids I presume, to post on the Disney site what they are thankful for.

But apparently they didn't want the truth.

Last Sunday Lilly celebrated her 10th birthday.

After church and lunch at the Golden Corral, the Anderson family went home.

Lilly, their 10 year old, headed for the computer.

She loves the Disney Channel, so she got on their web site and noticed an invitation to post, "What are you thankful for?"

So Lilly typed in her answer: "God, my family, my church and my friends."

She pressed the enter key and waited for her post to appear on the Disney site.

It didn't. But why?

Ferguson: "Sin, Not Skin is the Problem"

Benjamin Watson, New Orleans Saints tight end, initially wrote on his Facebook page:

"At some point while I was playing or preparing to play Monday Night Football, the news broke about the Ferguson Decision. After trying to figure out how I felt, I decided to write it down. Here are my thoughts:"

His thoughts have gone viral with more than 800,000 people putting a "Like" on his thoughts and more than 400,000 sharing them with their friends.

I want to share his thoughts as well.

A New Gospel

Homosexuals and radical environmentalists are working with common cause.

While the narrative of their agendas are different, the cause is identical: To revise the gospel. To facilitate a "new" gospel. One shaped by the cultural "norms" of our times.

With the success of killing the Benham brothers television show with HGTV recently because the brothers are biblical Christians and hold to biblical teaching on human sexuality, homosexual activists are emboldened to now attempt to dispose of the popular Duggar Family show on TLC network.

The Duggar's show, "19 Kids And Counting," has a reoccurring theme that reflects their Christian biblical beliefs.

However, because those religious beliefs are incompatible with the anti-nature, anti-biblical, anti-gospel sexual behavior of the homosexual community, there is an all out effort to kill another TV show because of what the participants believe.

On a different track but with the same goals, extreme environmentalists are now, with government approval and involvement, providing financial incentives to preach "green" sermons that advance the green agenda.

More than 30 churches have already signed up.

I'm reminded of Paul's warning regarding the preaching and teaching of "another gospel."

And what about the Establishment Clause?