Four years ago I made a pledge to President Donald Trump. Today, I make a similar pledge to President Joe Biden. I do so with full knowledge that my highest allegiance belongs to Christ, my King, and to his church, for whom he came and died. And yet my King has given specific decrees concerning my ...

An Advent Poem for 2020 John 1:14–18 Steve Bateman “Unprecedented” is the word That dominates our talk A thing that’s not before occurred A word which now we mock. A year we all would like to see Slip tamely to the past Along with all its bitter fruit We hope will not long last. Our 2020 Vision was Significantly blurred. This year has undermined our hope And left our ...

Evangelicals are not monolithic in their views on the election of 2020 or on politics in general. Is there room for disagreement? Is it possible to love one another, uphold sound doctrine, maintain our unity, and stay focused on our God-given objectives as a church even while we differ in our political opinions? I believe ...

“Forever” Advent Poem, Christmas 2017 Steve Bateman Based on 2 Corinthians 5 and Revelation 21–22   “And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” –Revelation 22:5   “Forever,” says His holy Word. Forever it shall be! There are some things that will ...

I am a Southern man. I was born in Missouri, subject of the Missouri Compromise of 1820, an early harbinger of the Civil War. But early in my life, my family moved to Virginia. Eventually, I would also live in North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and, for the last quarter of a century, Alabama. In ...

I had a privileged childhood, growing up in the company of four uncles, on both sides of my family, who did things like surviving the Great Depression, serving their country in World War 2, laboring to bring crops to market, working on their own cars, cleaning their own fish, keeping their wedding vows, publicly worshipping ...

Each year at Christmas, I write an Advent Poem for my church family based on the sermon series we are in at the time. Its not an original idea and a lot of pastors do it, but it has become a tradition a few look forward to. This year, we are halfway through Ephesians as ...

  Here in December of 2016, we now know what God knew before the creation of the world. Donald Trump will be the 45th president of the United States. Even though Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, Mr. Trump garnered the necessary electoral votes to become the chief executive of the government of our divided nation. ...

This month begins with the divisive furor that is the Election of 2016 and ends with the reflective respite of Thanksgiving Day. In like a lion, out like a lamb. Or so we hope. Chances are good that families gathered around Thanksgiving Dinner will be drawn once again into bitter political debates even though the ...