
The United States is sometimes called “The Grand Experiment” because it’s recognized by most as the first country to be formed “by the people/for the people” and is therefore based upon democracy and liberty. The idea behind this phrase is usually rooted in a number quotes, such as:
George Washington: “The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty is finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American People.”
Alexander Hamilton: “The regular distribution of power into distinct departments; the introduction of legislative balances and checks; the institution of courts composed of judges holding their offices during good behavior; the representation of the people in the legislature by deputies of their own election: these are wholly new discoveries, or have made their principal progress towards perfection in modern times. They are means, and powerful means, by which the excellences of republican government may be retained and its imperfections lessened or avoided.”
Thomas Jefferson: “No experiment can be more interesting than that we are now trying, and which we trust will end in establishing the fact, that man may be governed by reason and truth.”
Abraham Lincoln: “Our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.”
John Foster Dulles: “Our nation was founded as an experiment in human liberty. Its institutions reflect the belief of our founders that men had their origin and destiny in God.”
(This subject will come up again later in this blog).
RC Sproul
This holiday season marks seven years since I posted Ligonier Ministries obituary for RC Sproul (1939—2017).
“It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Dr. R.C. Sproul went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, December 14 around 3pm. He died peacefully, surrounded by his wife, Vesta, and family. He was 78. Known to millions of Christians as simply ‘R.C.,’ he was used of the Lord to proclaim, teach, and defend the holiness of God in all its fullness. R.C. now sees the object of his faith, the risen Christ, high and lifted up. He now hears the seraphim’s song before the throne, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!’”
Dr. Sproul had the incredible ability to make complex topics easy to understand. After all these years I’m still moved when reflecting upon his life and legacy. One of my former professors wrote a beautiful tribute to the one-of-a-kind Robert Charles Sproul.
Stay a Step Ahead of Hackers This Holiday Season!
A tip that’s been shared with me, I now share with you…
If you think you need to charge your laptop, phone, or tablet using public USB charging stations, be aware that hackers can use them to steal your data and/or hack your device.
An increase in this sort of hacking is expected during the holidays — so take extra precautions and avoid using applications that include personal or business information, like email, while charging your devices. [Note: Inductive (also known as wireless) charging stations are safer to use, and aren’t as susceptible to hacking].
Here are a few things you can do to help protect yourself from holiday hackers:
- Bring your own power cord, charger with plug, or portable battery charger.
- Avoid using public USB charging stations.
- If you must use a public USB charging station, power off your device.
Revisiting The Shack
“The Theology of ‘The Shack’” is a multi-part series of episodes on The Faith Debate. I mentioned this a previous blog, but want to mention it again.
The movie/book “The Shack” has been a phenomenon over a couple of decades, stirring up quite a bit of controversy along the way. The question swirling among Christians: Does “The Shack” present a biblical view of God?
I dedicated a number of shows to panel discussions on the topic, have preached sermons addressing the heresies found in the book/movie, and even conducted a several-hours-long interview with author William Paul Young (featured over the course of multiple radio shows/podcasts). You’re encouraged to check out these resources. Even as “the moment” for the book/movie begins to wane, the theological errors have gained traction.
The Health Insurance Penalty/Tax
I was recently asked about Obama Care again, and what was changed by the Trump administration regarding the so-called Affordable Healthcare Act. Here’s a website that, even after so many years have passed, could prove helpful. Basically, the “mandate” is still in place, but the “penalty” (or “tax”) is reduced to zero. This change took effect in 2019.
Highlighting Old Radio Shows
For the past three years I have worked to upload as podcasts all episodes of The Faith Debate radio show that are still in existence. Find them on SermonAudio and Odysee. Eight of them are:
“The Confederate Flag and Confederate Statues”
What should Christians think about the Confederate flag controversy? What about Confederate statues or even Christopher Columbus statues? It’s fascinating to examine the intersection of history, heritage, and His providence.
“Old Glory and the Maryland State Flag”
What should Christians think about the National Anthem/American Flag controversy? What about the Christian religious symbolism found on the Maryland flag (and even the Frederick City flag)? To aid one’s understanding it can be useful to examine direct sources, such as quotes from America’s Founding Fathers and the words written directly in government legislation.
“Cherry Blossoms, Friendships, and Family: How They All Connect to Faith”
Did you ever consider that the DC cherry trees help illustrate the Gospel? How about spiritual lessons to be learned from battlefields in Gettysburg and Antietam? Even Harper’s Ferry, the C&O Canal, and the life of Francis Scott Key. If looking for it, one can find the hand of God at work in Maryland and in the Grand Experiment that is the USA.
“Spiritual Lessons Can Be Learned From The Titanic”
The wreck of the Titanic in April of 1912 helps illustrate many lessons that relate to ministry, mission, evangelism, discipleship, and religious instruction. Even in disasters, even in the pagan nudity adorning the public square, even in what many call a “Godless Culture” there are analogies to be highlighted for Bible students. Are you looking for them?
“Dispensationalism, Covenant Theology, Redemptive-Historical Theology”
What do these mean and how do they shape one’s view of “The Last Days”? The world seems inside out and upside down. Many say the church is adrift, the world is in peril. Is the end near? Some people think so. Perhaps the return of Jesus Christ is just around the corner.
“Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation, and Post Tribulation.”
Donald Trump’s twitter storms. The rise of Islam through large swaths of Europe. Increased incidents of terrorist attacks in the US. Does any of this have anything to do with the Second Coming of Christ?
“Pre-Millennial, Post-Millennial, and Amillennial”
The “Left Behind” book series has proven popular over the past twenty plus years. So popular that it spawned a children’s series of books and several movies. The subject matter of the books? The End Times.
“How’s Someone Move from Unbelief in Christ to Belief in Christ?”
Tune to cable news and you probably wonder, “Can I believe what the newscaster is telling me?” Love certain politicians or hate certain politicians, most would agree government officials don’t always tell the truth. If your marriage is on the rocks, you might start to wonder if there’s anyone, anywhere whom you can believe. Even cute little kids lie about not taking the cookie… while they have their hand in the cookie jar! We end up jaded about the companies for which we work. the bureaucracies that seem to rule our lives , and even the athletes we used to admire and cheer. All these are of little consequence when placed in eternal context. Eternity is a mighty long time. What do you believe about eternity, and your place in it?
Being a Guest on Someone Else’s Radio Show
I had the privilege of spending an hour on “Success Happens with Jen Charlton”. Not sure I’ll ever find the original audio of that show, but for those who missed hearing it live, I featured the content on my show. So, segments are mixed into episodes of The Faith Debate. Proving that Mrs. Charlton is a weak judge of character, she had this to say about me: “Such a pleasure Troy to have you as a guest on Success Happens! You really are one of the truly great guys. Thanks for setting the example for others to follow.”
To this I responded: “In the words of Mac Davis: Oh Lord it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way. I can’t wait to look in the mirror, ’cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me; I must be a hell of a man. Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble, but I’m doing the best that I can.”
Birthday Spam
Another reason to be dissatisfied with Facebook! Lots of nice people wrote lots of nice things about me, and I wanted to be nice in return by saying “thank you”. So, I did. HOWEVER… Facebook marked all my “thank you” messages as spam! Yes, spam! Being nice and polite is spam?!? Yes. According to Facebook. No wonder it’s so hard for people to be nice to others on the platform, when niceties are labeled as “SPAM”. If Facebook were a person I’d say Facebook is impolite. Since Facebook is not a person, but rather is a gigantic technological beast, I’ll say instead that Facebook is rude!
Most of the well-wishers said things about my wife spoiling me on my special day, me feeling old, and making sure to enjoy calorie-free desert. To these little tidbits I retorted: “It’s impossible to spoil me more than my wife does every day! I feel with my fingers – is that how old people do it? And there’s always room for (calorie free) desert!”
One typing-challenged friend wrote, “Happy BD Troy!” Being in a rather silly mood, I responded, “Hmmm. Happy Bangladesh? Happy Bachelor’s Degree? Happy Bob Dylan? Happy Behavior Disorder? Happy Big Daddy? Happy Bondage Domination? I’m at a loss. What could “BD” possibly be? Well, thanks anyway.” To this my friend dropped some rather cool trivia, “B.D. is a fictional character in Garry Trudeau’s popular comic strip Doonesbury. In the comic strip nobody is certain what “B.D.” is short for, but he was based on Brian Dowling, quarterback at Yale University, where Trudeau attended college.”
Many blessings to you,
Pastor Troy Skinner