According to 3 ambitious southern Christians, it will begin on June 20th in Plymouth, Massachusetts This nation has been through three large-scale Christian revivals, or "Great Awakenings"- where large numbers of our citizenry refocused their lives upon Christ and His Word.  The last true "Awakening" happened between 1850 and 1910, or over 100 years ago.  (Some scholars and theologians believe there was a 4th Awakening in the early 1970's, but most followers do not consider that a true "Great" Awakening.)  Given the continual problems in the United States, within a more secular society, are we overdue for another revival? "Yes," states Dan Zimmerle, one of the three Christian men who are spearheading the Plymouth efforts.  Dan, along with Phil Castillo and Robert Kilmarx, has spent considerable time, effort, and also some personal funds in trying to initiate a new 2013 America returning to God. Zimmerle and Castillo have a successful radio talk show called One Nation Unde… [more]

What happens when a nation has less than 2% of its population identified as being "Christian"?  What if that same nation has almost two-thirds of its citizens living as atheist, agnostic, or "irreligious"?  The answer is all over the daily news headlines all across the world:  North Korea, and its maniacal and repressive dictator Kim Jung Un. North Korea and its totalitarian regime is teetering on the brink of war, a potentially nuclear war.  They have provoked much of the region and the world for the past fifty years.  It is currently under the leadership of Kim Jung Un, who followed his like-minded father and grandfather.  At one time North Korea looked very different, especially prior to the Korean War of the early 1950's. Christianity first entered the Korean peninsula in the late 18th century, and expanded significantly by the 1880's.  Both Protestants and Catholics achieved a larger presence as the decades wore on- leading up to the war which further split the north … [more]

I have always been a proponent of internet evangelism. When I found out that tomorrow, Sunday April 21st, is internet evangelism day, I had to do an article about it. Internet evangelism day happens every year on the 4th Sunday of April. This website has over 4,000 people per year go to our page that is set up to teach people how to start a personal relationship with Jesus. The internet has broken down the walls between nations and people. It allows a small town pastor in rural Wyoming to speak to people of all nationalities. It allows you to plant seeds where you never thought it was possible to plant seeds before. It truly allows every believer to fulfill the great commission given by Jesus in Matt. 28:19-20 Matthew 28:19-20 THE GREAT COMMISSION 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, 1 baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am w… [more]

Earlier this afternoon three bomb explosions (two at the Boston Marathon finish line and one at the JFK Library a couple miles away) rocked an unsuspecting city, and unsuspecting crowds running in and cheering alongside the famous Boston Marathon.  At this writing, two people have been confirmed dead and approximately 100 persons have suffered injuries- some of them critical.  It is unclear who might have done this; there are currently no suspects. What is unsettling and unnerving for me is the fact that this occured essentially in my back yard, or in "my city".  True, I did move a few years ago up to southern New Hampshire, but I still call Boston my home city and I interact with the city on a very regular basis. My beautiful daughter was born in Boston (as was my wife).  When my mother moved here from Europe, she settled in an ethnic part of the city.  I have worked at the famed Boston Garden, and also at the World Trade Center (Boston version).  My aunt was neighbors w… [more]

As our nation reels at the news of the Boston Marathon Bombing, Christians need to unite in prayer. The Boston Globe is reporting that according to the Boston Police Department, 2 people have been killed and 23 injured by the blast that took place at the Boston Marathon. It is reported that the Massachusetts General Hospital has had to perform amputations on some of the victims According to the New York Post, a Saudi Arabian National is being held at an undisclosed Boston Hospital. The Associated Press has reported that there were 2 other bombs that were found and detonated, but there are also conflicting reports that only 1 other bomb was found. The Red Cross and area hospitals are asking for blood donations. How Do We As Christians Pray For the Victims Of The Boston Marathon Bombing? Prayer List Pray for the the families and friends of the deceased as they mourn. Pray for the injured that their bodies would heal and that the victims with amputations will be ab… [more]

I have just got done investigating one of the most insidious and malicious scams I have seen to date on the internet. The scammers are the owners of www.christianprayercenter.com. It is a website that advertises heavily using Google AdWords. They say that millions of Christian will pray for you worldwide. They also claim to have miracle prayer requests answered. The only reason I stumbled upon this scam is because of a person reporting them to me on Christian Faithbook. They clicked on the ad in order to place a prayer request. After signing up, and filling out all the forms to place their ad, they were asked for a donation. Now I do not have a problem with people donating to a website. That is not the issue. The issue is that they did not give an option for not giving a donation and when they tried to post their prayer request without giving a donation, the prayer request was denied! So what you have is people charging you for prayer! I decided to go to this website and offer m… [more]

Are we, in 2013, a Christian nation?  Former Vice-Presidential candidate Darrell Castle, Esq. says "No".  I had an opportunity to ask the former Constitution Party VP candidate several questions about his Party, current U.S. politics, and whether or not America has turned its back on God.  Mr. Castle has been a member of this political "3rd-party" since its founding, and is currently the Party's media response director.  Many pigeonhole the Constitution Party as being the very right-wing end of the Republican Party; an ultra-conservative offshoot.  They have typically offered a Presidential candidate since their inception- although they have never managed as many votes as Ross Perot did in 1992. Many Republicans and/or Conservatives believe that running a CP candidate (for President, Congress, Governor, etc) helps the liberals win said political post due to splitting the conservative vote. Is that the case? Why or why not? If the CP does in the end-game help liberals, why run a… [more]

"Obamacare" or the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been in the news for a long time, but everyday Americans (including Christians) still do not comprehend what it will mean to their wallets and purses.  For all of the political outcries and debates, the fact is that a typical family will pay, in increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles, between 25% and 57% more than they do now.  To put that into dollars, if you pay $600 per month for your share of an HMO or PPO plan, you will need to fork over an EXTRA $125- $310 per month.  In a time and economy when many are struggling and living paycheck to paycheck, how will folks come up with this additional money- which could be as much as $3,600 in a year?  (Aside from the personal increase, all businesses will be forced to pay higher costs for their portions/ contributions of their employees healthcare.  How many business might close their doors, or downsize, due to this 2014 change?) The previous statistic is for persons that… [more]

Many Christians have heard of Martin Luther's declaration titled "The 95 Theses", but unfortunately most of those persons have never actually read through the entire 16th century document.  Protestants of nearly-all denominations hail it as the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation, but upon reading Luther's statements and learning about the aftermath of it, the assumptions may be challenged.  For one, Luther was still a strong Catholic at the time of his writing of the 95 Theses, and officially remained part of the Roman Catholic Church for 3-4 years after his challenge of the Pope and of Rome. The papers that Luther nailed onto the church door in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517 focus primarily on the selling of papal indulgences.  An indulgence was when a monetary gift was given to a parish in exchange for the sinner to not have to serve the priest's mandated "punishment" after the repentant sinner received his absolution of sin from the priest.  And of course an indulgence gran… [more]

Today I read an great article written on the Christian Post called "Google, Twitter, and Facebook Leaders Tell Christian Media to Embrace Tech Giants". It was written by my friend Alex Murashko. In the article it talks about how Christian media, including Christian internet media should embrace these so called giants. Honestly, my blood boiled at the hubris! After being a part of Christian media now for the last 2 years I can honestly say that my experience with 2 of the 3 so called tech giants has left a very foul taste in my mouth. So allow me if you will, to share my experience with these 3 so called tech giants and see if maybe there was a little bit of hubris involved in their request for the faith community to embrace them. My Efforts To Embrace Google, Facebook, and Twitter Google - The Fickle Bride That Never Meets You At The Altar When I first started blogging I didn't even realize that I had become part of what is called Christian Media. I wasn't even sure what blog… [more]

Last fall I had the opportunity to make a new friend in my life. Pastor Steve Sjogren was the guest speaker at our pastors conference. When I first started listening to Steve I was immediately struck with the fact that this man was not your normal guest speaker you would find at a pastors conference. Although he at one time pastored one of the largest Vineyard churches in our fellowship, the man I saw was what he himself would call an "irregular" person. You see, a while back, while Steve was still pastoring the Cincinnati Ohio Vineyard church, he had a near death experience. That N.D.E. forever changed his life. Heaven's Lessons Recently Steve asked me to read his new book published by Thomas Nelson and review it. I told him that I am not a book reviewer but because we had become friends, I would share with all of you what I thought about the book. What I did not expect was to be so touched and transfixed by the book. I honestly could not put it down and I am not a big book re… [more]

These days politics is all around us, like it or not.  From the year-long Presidential election of 2012 to the State of the Union address- just last night.  That said, some Christians feel uncomfortable engaging in the political landscape and discussion.  But by doing that are we indirectly steering this nation into the wrong direction?  Should we have more active involvement?  To take it a step further, should we have a viable 3rd political party which is (above all) a "Christian" party?  Would a successful Christian political party (in power) lead to a theocracy? To help answer this I researched a relatively small, but growing, political party called the Christian Liberty Party, or CLP.  I spoke with their National Communications Director, Maynard Eyestone, and here is an excerpt from our conversation: It seems that there are similarities between the CLP and the Constitution Party.  What are the main differences? In our opinion, the most important difference is this:… [more]

The various Lutheran churches represent a large percentage of Protestant Christians in the States.  Some outside the LC may not be aware of the various sub-denominations within the larger Lutheran Church, but similar to other large Christian denominations there are differences even amongst those who all consider themselves to be "Lutheran".  Naturally all look back to German reformer Martin Luther as the leader of their church and movement.  And nearly all current American Lutherans consider a man named C.F.W. Walther as the first major leader of the greater Lutheran church within this country, after his arrival in the U.S. in 1839. According to Lutheran pastor Tom Engel, "The main difference between Lutherans and other mainline Protestants is the way we view the Lord's Supper.  As other mainline Protestants see that the bread and wine only are sybmols of Christ's body and blood, we see that Christ is actually present in the bread and wine.  This understanding gives us the assura… [more]

Many Christians have gotten a little fed up with Facebook. Whether they are finding that their posts mysteriously disappear, or are not shared with all of their friends due to Facebook's decision to censor religious speech, (http://www.christianpost.com/news/facebook-google-apple-censoring-religious-speech-55736/) or they are tired of posts that use inappropriate pictures or language, or they just want a place where they can go to get uplifted and encouraged, Christians have been looking for alternatives to Facebook. It was because of this need that Taber's Truths decided to enter the Christian social networking niche and launch Christian Faithbook. However, since I have always had a big tent philosophy towards other Christians and Christian websites, I wanted to provide you with a list of the best Christian Social Networking sites for 2013. I have used a 3 point criteria for this list. I have made the decision on who to include based on the number of members, number of features, and w… [more]

Baptist represent the largest Protestant (more on this later) group in the nation, and are the 2nd biggest Christian denomination- by far- in the country (after Roman Catholics).  Their influence in our current society is significant, although there are various further groups and divisions within the overall term "baptist".  In this column we will not have time to delve into those differences, but rather review some of the keys of the current Baptist church within the United States.  To do this we interviewed Pastor Fred DeRuvo, ThD. Do you consider Baptists to be Protestants?  Why or why not? Only in a general sense.  Generally speaking, Baptists rose up from the English Separatist movement, which was not connected to Protestantism. Essentially, being Baptist is being part of a fellowship of other believers without the control of a main body or group. What is your opinion on the recent name change of the SBC?  Regarding the name change, I don't think it will really replace … [more]

The United Methodist Church (UMC), which began in 1968 upon a formal merging of the largest existing groups of U.S. Methodist churches, is currently the third largest Christian denomination in the country.  As such, its reach and influence is wide within our society.  But many outside the UMC do not know what exactly Methodists believe.  In answer to these questions, we have recently asked Senior Pastor David Nichols, of the UMC with a congregation in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to share some basic and intriguing information and insight: What does the word "Methodist" mean?  Where did it come from?  Does it have to do with some kind of methodology of your worship or doctrine?  The word “Methodist” was originally used as a term of derision for the first group that met at Oxford.  Charles and John Wesley and others met and prayed and studied the Bible and then preached in the streets and visited the prisons.  The Wesleys called themselves the Holy Club, others laughed and c… [more]

I am both excited and pleased to announce that Taber's Truths has launched its first sister website. Christian Faithbook, is a faith and family friendly alternative to Facebook. After careful prayer and consideration on how we could be a further blessing to the body of Christ, Taber's Truths saw the need on the internet for a Christian social network that would inform, encourage, and empower Christians to share their faith without the censorship and limitations that secular websites are imposing because of the politically correct agendas. What Does Christian Faithbook Have To Offer? Christian Faithbook is a full-fledged social networking site. You have.... Friends lists, Friend requests, and friends activity feeds You have groups that you can start and gather people around your particular interests You can upload pictures, videos, and post status updates You can share content from other websites or blogs that you own or like You can invite your friends via email so th… [more]

Recently I was asked to chime into the discussion concerning some views and beliefs of Brian McLaren. He is called by some people, an Evangelical leader. Maybe I have gotten old. Maybe I am just too "old school" to understand certain things about what is called "post modern Christianity" or the "emergent church". But to me, what I read and saw was not what I would consider views and beliefs that fit into the broad definition of Evangelical, of whom I have been a part for going on 34 years. In an interview done by Glass House Theology, Brian was asked some questions that caught my attention. Primarily the question asked of him concerning his views on atonement. Here is an excerpt from that interview. Q: In your book, “A New Kind Of Christianity,” you describe how, while a pastor, people would come to you and ask “good questions” that eventually unraveled your set doctrines. Can you tell us one that stuck with you and how it informed your reassembled beliefs? How did you make s… [more]

Ignatius of Antioch, called Saint Ignatius by Catholics and some other groups, lived in the 1st and second century, dying via slaughter by wild beasts in a Roman amphitheater.  He was subjected to death by the Roman emperor, for his crime of living a distinctive and influential Christian life.  Ignatius was the 3rd bishop of Antioch, which was founded by the Apostle Peter following the death and resurrection of Christ.   Ignatius is known as an “apostolic father”, as he is said to have heard and learned directly from an Apostle.  In his case, it was the Apostle John.  He is said to have died in 107 A.D., which is not long after the death of the last Apostles Simon and John, and only about 20 years after the death of the Apostle Andrew. On his journey to death Ignatius wrote a number of letters to various groups and churches that were important to him.  In these letters we can appreciate the wisdom and faith of this early Christian leader.  We also can understand more fully… [more]

Christians are persecuted today in many part of the world.  Here in the United States we are fortunate that we do not have to live our lives under this constant threat.  However, in areas like Egypt and China persecution against Christians is widespread.  There is plenty of information on this situation via different groups such as The Voice of the Martyrs.  One additional group, which focuses on threats against Egyptian Christians (Coptics) is called the Voice of the Copts, and it is led by Dr. Ashraf Ramelah.  Dr. Ramelah has spoken in front of key governmental groups such as the E.U. Parliament and the Italian Parliament. The following is an unedited Q&A Taber's Truths recently had with Dr. Ramelah: What is Pope Theodoros II's role and attitude towards the ongoing strife in Egypt, regarding persecution of Coptics? Pope Theodoros II inherited a great and heavy responsibility. The Orthodox Church has been under attack due to the political involvement of Pope Shendua III an… [more]