One of the reasons we do TruthCurrents here at Evergreen is because I believe we have the responsibility as Jesus followers to be intellectually solid enough in our thinking to be able to apply biblical truths to the currents events and circumstances of our generation.

We need to be able to recognize truth and to identify it to live by it. We also need to be able to recognize what one writer calls “damnable lies,” that is, falsehoods that really do damaging and damning things to a culture. In this final week before an election I want us to consider some damnable lies that are circulating in our day.

R. Albert Mohler, Jr. “This is how religious liberty dies,” October 28, 2024.

Robert J. Pacienza, “It’s time to sound the alarm,” October 18, 2024.

The Washington Times reported last week on a story out of the United Kingdom. A man by the name of Adam Smith-Connor, a 20-year Army veteran, was arrested for anti-social behavior. Taken to court, he was convicted and fined nearly $12,000 and given 2 years of probabtion. What was his crime? Well, Adam Smith-Connor was standing on a street where there was an abortion clinic, with his back turned from the abortion clinic, he closed his eyes, bowed his head, and clasped his hands while he prayed silently. When confronted, he was arrested, taken to court and convicted.

Now if he had been standing in the same posture, in the same location, but thinking about a math problem, or how to get to his next location on Google Maps, he would have been fine. His crime was, he was talking to God. They decided that that was harmful to the abortion clinic, convicted him of anti-social behavior, and this case becomes a precedent for the first ever thought-crime conviction in the United Kingdom.

He’s guilty…of thinking thoughts of which the government does not approve. Well, that could nnever happen here, right? Well, let’s talk.

Ericka Andersen, “A warning for all Christian organizations,” October 17, 2024.

Daniel R. Suhr, “Jailed for exercising your right to free expression?” October 10, 2024.

Bethel McGrew, “Pope Francis strays from doctrine…again,” September 23, 2024.

Jesus Christ left to his church a charge that we call the Great Commission. He told us to go and as we go to make disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them to observe everything that he commanded. But as human history seems to be coming to a conclusion, how do we accelerate the spread of the gospel to the nations in these last days. Let me tell you about what’s happening in the global church.

Justin Schell, “Lausanne at 50: Effective Mission Still Depends on Right Theology,” July 16, 2024.

Leftists in our generation love to say that the very topic of persecution of Christianity is nothing more than overblown misinformation because they say, Christianity is the oppressive force that makes up the patriarchy. In other words, you can’t be oppressed if you’re the oppressor. Well, a new report has a different take on this subject.

Center for Religious Liberty, “Free to Believe? The Intensifying Intolerance Toward Christians in the West,” Family Research Council, 2024.

Maria Baer, “Laws that should be broken,” October 3, 2024.

R. Albert Mohler, Jr. “The empire strikes back,” October 3, 2024.

The publishing industry has a new popular theme: books related to the “threat to American democracy.” Turns out that, according to books like, “The False White Gospel,” “Confronting Christofascism,” “The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy,” and “American Idolatry,” the common theme is: there is a danger to the destruction of American democracy and it is, horror of horrors, American conservative Christians, evangelicals. We are the extremists that the world needs to be warned about. Well, American democracy is in fact in danger, but let’s talk about where the real problems are.

Eric Teetsel, “Killing the filibuster to kill the unborn,” September 26, 2024.

Miles Smith, “'Unburdened’ by the Constitution,” August 28, 2024.

Daniel Darling, “The extremists you warned us about,” August 20, 2024.

Jordan J. Ballor, “The Supreme Court isn’t broken,” August 15, 2024.

One of the story lines that keeps recurring during this election season is the incessant handwringing among the progressive left, worried about the fall of what they call “our democracy.” Pointing fingers, they actually make the claim that conservative evangelicals are the real threat to the survival to the American experiment. Well, let’s think about that for a minute and process what it means for democracy to be in danger.

Joe Rigney, “Avoiding ‘the progressive gaze’ in the voting booth,” August 21, 2024.

James R. Wood, “Against political Donatism,” August 9, 2024.

Miles Smith, “Whose democracy?” July 24, 2024.

Summer is over and school is back in session, but not for Enoch Burke. Burke is a Christian who also happens to be a teacher in Westmeath, Ireland. He was fired from his job recently because he refused to endorse or affirm transgenderism. Because he refused to address students by their trans names or employ third person pronouns, he was suspended, and then after an investigation he was fired. Because he continued to show up for work after he was fired, he was eventually given a 400-day prison sentence for contempt of court. He had not been accused at any point of abusing students in any way. He had not been accused of offering inadequate instruction as a teacher. Nevertheless, Burke was told that his presence was “stressful” for students and staff and he posed a health and safety risk to the population of the school. And by the way, he was also fined €200,000. Can we please talk about free speech?

Timon Cline, “School’s out for ‘blasphemers,’” September 4, 2024.

Andrew T. Walker, “Why free speech should be a Christian priority,” September 4, 2024.

Erin Hawley, “Censoring the truth,” August 29, 2024.

A few weeks ago on X, formerly Twitter, there was an account managed for the Sesame Street character Elmo. A post was made on that account that simply said this, “Elmo is just checking in. How’s everybody doing?” That message received over 200 million views, prompting thousands of people to unburden themselves.

They told Elmo about their broken relationships, about their career and financial struggles, about other personal problems that have created sadness in their lives. There’s a lot of unhappiness in America. Even President Joe Biden chimed in telling us all to be there for one another, to help our neighbors, and, most importantly, ask for help when we need it. In other words, if you’re sad, talk to someone besides Elmo.

Here’s the problem, if you’re sad, you need to be careful who you talk to because you’re not going to get the same advice from everybody.

Adam M. Carrington, “The deadly message of the ‘death capsule,’” August 26, 2024.

Carl R. Trueman, “Assisted suicide and the happiness imperative,” March 18, 2024.