Pentecost… The Day the Christian Church Was Born

Last updated on: May 26, 2023 at 5:37 pm By Ginny Baxter

How did the Holy Spirit help Christ’s disciples? And why is Pentecost important today? At times, Christians forget that Christ’s apostles were Jews whose lives were deeply rooted in Jewish history and traditions. And also at times, some of those traditions intersected and impacted the traditions that began to develop in the newly formed Christian church. So it was with the Jews’ Feast of Shavuot and the Christians’ day of Pentecost. Christ’s apostles had gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Shavuot,... Read more

Is Tom Cruise Still a Scientologist?

Last updated on: May 25, 2023 at 1:52 pm By Ginny Baxter

0 Comments

Tom Cruise speaks at the 2019 San Diego Comic Con International, for “Top Gun: Maverick” at the San Diego Convention Center (photo courtesy of Wikimedia/Gage Skidmore) How Did the Actor Get Involved with Scientology & What’s His Relationship with the Church Today? (UPDATE: The Church of Scientology has objected to my original post, and I address those objections at the end of this article.) Tom Cruise has been a Scientologist for 30 years, and he remains the celebrity... Read more

Should the Gospel of Thomas Be in the Bible?

Last updated on: May 18, 2023 at 4:50 pm By Ginny Baxter

0 Comments

Probably Not – But Here’s What the Experts Say The Gospel of Thomas is one of many books that early church leaders rejected when they compiled the New Testament. Even so, some modern-day biblical experts are taking a new look at the Gospel of Thomas and asking whether it should be in the Bible. Why debate the issue now? What is the Gospel of Thomas? Fragments of the book were discovered around 1900, and a full copy was found in... Read more

The Biblical 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Last updated on: May 13, 2023 at 10:51 am By Ginny Baxter

0 Comments

Who Are They & What Do They Represent? Revelation, the last book of the New Testament, tells us the story of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. But it’s written in symbolic language that many modern readers have difficulty understanding unless they know the historical setting in which the book was written. The book was penned in the late first century at a time when second generation Christians faced persecution for their refusal to worship past and present Roman emperors.... Read more

Why Do Americans Pray? What Do We Pray For? Does God Answer Our Prayers?

Last updated on: May 4, 2023 at 4:09 pm By Ginny Baxter

0 Comments

New comprehensive survey from Skylight Answers These Questions & More Christianity and church attendance in America are declining, but Americans are still praying. So says a comprehensive nationwide survey commissioned by Skylight, a partner company of Patheos whose app brings people “a world of fresh content from spiritual specialists:... Read more

Dear Lord, Are You There?

Last updated on: May 4, 2023 at 4:16 pm By Ginny Baxter

0 Comments

How God Answered My Most Earnest Prayers Pray fervently in righteousness and avail much (James 5:16). May 4 is the National Day of Prayer – the perfect time to share how God answered two of my most meaningful and earnest prayers. I availed much, you might say. In the first instance, he answered immediately and powerfully. In the second, his answers came slowly over a period of years. But he answered. I believe God always answers prayers. Sometimes, he says... Read more

Beware of Televangelists & Wolves In Sheep’s Clothing

Last updated on: April 28, 2023 at 9:51 am By Ginny Baxter

0 Comments

False Prophets & Fake Faith Healers Hoodwink the Faithful The Rev. Charles Stanley died a few days ago at age 90. As I read the story of his passing, my thoughts turned to other preachers who populate America’s television screens and pulpits. I daresay most are like wolves in sheep’s clothing. I am not accusing the late Rev. Stanley of being one of them. I know nothing about his sermons or the doctrine he preached. But his death reminded... Read more

How Can Christian Churches Reach Millennials?

Last updated on: April 22, 2023 at 2:23 pm By Ginny Baxter

0 Comments

Struggling Churches Might Be Surprised A Key Group for Churches When I was younger, I worked in marketing and public relations after leaving a career in journalism. For a quarter of a century, I helped organizations within my company successfully market their services to the public. I’m retired now, but my mind kicks into marketing/PR mode when I hear about churches in my community and across the U.S. struggling to survive. But you don’t have to be a marketing expert... Read more

Should Politically Active Churches Lose Their Tax-exemption?

Last updated on: April 22, 2023 at 2:27 pm By Ginny Baxter

0 Comments

Many should – but there’s a problem While millions of Americans scramble to file their 2022 federal income returns by April 18, one group can relax. Faith organizations and charities don’t pay federal, state or local taxes on donations, gifts and other unearned income unless they become overtly political. Unfortunately, many churches bend federal tax law to the breaking point, which begs the question: should they lose their tax-exempt status? Without question, I believe many of them should. What Does... Read more

Has the Christian Flag Become Too Politicized?

Last updated on: April 7, 2023 at 7:23 pm By Ginny Baxter

0 Comments

Yes — We Need to Rid Ourselves of It & Christian Nationalism Red, White and Very Blue Christianity and the Christian flag have become politicized by the growth of Christian nationalism, which begs the question: Should churches remove the Christian flag from their sanctuaries altogether or leave it and associate themselves with dangerous right-wing ideology? Sadly, very sadly, my answer is to remove it — unless the church supports extreme right-wing politics. Vista La Mesa Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)... Read more