This Train

There's some interesting and provocative articles in the latest Christian Counterculture newsletter.

Other related resources of interest (I hope to review these someday):

• Kingdom Now
• Robert Jewett, John S. Lawrence, Captain America and the Crusade against Evil: The Dilemma of Zealous Nationalism
• D. Brent Laytham, ed., God Is Not Religious, Nice, "One of Us", an American, or a Capitalist
• Erwin W. Lutzer, Why the Cross Can Do what Politics Can't
• Cal Thomas and Ed Dobson, Blinded by Might: Why the Religious Right Can't Save America, (2nd ed.)

And then there's this

A dear brother from Tacoma sent me this encouraging e-mail:

I am praying for you. It is hard to know how to encourage you, but I want to. So I’m going to try. When I used to go fishing in the ocean, the waves could make me sea sick. I learned that when I was looking at the swells or straight down at the water, I would lose my sense of equilibrium. If I looked out at the horizon, I could stabilize my sense of plumb and level and the sick feeling would dissipate. In the Christian walk, I have learned that it is kind of like when I used to dive on the swimming team in high school. If I tucked in my head as I did a forward flip, I would make a complete revolution. If I tried to flip forward but held my head up or back, I would do little more than a belly flop. Where ever my head went my body was sure to follow. As I walk with the Lord, if I should look down at myself and my straight circumstances and sinfulness, I fall down. If I look up to heaven, I walk uprightly. Trials will come and go. You may well recover from this critical malady. You will look back on this time as a trial that God was always intending to bring you through. You will see His faithfulness, His love, and His exactly measured trials-not too much, but just enough. However, should you not recover, my dear friend, will you look back from heaven and see anything differently? Will He appear any less faithful or loving?

He is our Zenith, our Horizon, faith is the stable platform upon which we stand. If we look up we will not falter or fall. God is able to provide all that you and your wonderful family need. He is so gentle, so thoughtful, so kind. You are so precious to Him. No good thing will He withhold as you walk uprightly. You have comforted His battered sheep, He will certainly comfort you.