Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), the great British literary genius, said this:
Fraud and falsehood only dread examination. Truth invites it.
We see evidence of this today, especially in 21st-century American culture where sparks continually fly in the battle taking place for people’s hearts and minds. Largely, this is a conflict between truth and lies, between reality and fantasy.
On the About page for Word Foundations, I have cited for some time two passages of Scripture: Matthew 7:24-25 and Psalm 119:105.
In Matthew 7:24-25, Jesus declared, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.”
In Psalm 119:105, in talking to God, the psalmist stated, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
This day I’ve added a third passage: John 17:17, where, in His great high priestly prayer, Jesus offered this request and made this declaration to His Father: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
The name Word Foundations refers to the bedrock truth of God’s Word. God’s truth—His Word—is the only foundation on which you can build a stable, fulfilled, and satisfying life.
Such a foundation is solid because it is the truth, and since it is the truth, it invites examination. Honest inspection and analysis are healthy because invariably, they will validate reality.
Some truths in our culture are hard to recognize as truths. They constantly are maligned and misrepresented in our culture. Some of these concepts even are obvious from the start, but a great many people now deny them or refuse to acknowledge them because their minds have been swept away by the cultural tide of political correctness.
During 2019, I have added 57 articles to the Word Foundations library, for a total now of 256. The goal of this work is to uphold the truth. I am flawed and do not always uphold it adequately or effectively, but I also endeavor to let the truth speak for itself. As Samuel Johnson has indicated, the truth can withstand thorough investigation.
You’re invited! Dig in, discover truth, and build on the solid foundation of God’s Word
—B. Nathaniel Sullivan—
January 1, 2020
Passing the Baton
January 4, 2019—article 200
This post highlights Always Ready Ministries as an excellent resource for learning about, talking about issues that matter from a biblical perspective.
Lessons from Orlando
January 11, 2019—article 201
How did Christians respond to the June 12, 2016 shooting at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida? They didn’t demonstrate hate, but love! Still, some gay rights advocates remain unconvinced. Lessons abound in the events occurring in the aftermath of the horrific shooting. Let’s learn from them!
Lessons from Lakewood
January 18, 2019—article 202
Lakewood, Colorado is the home of Jack Phillips’s bakery, Masterpiece Cakeshop. In standing up for his convictions regarding marriage, Jack has demonstrated how to be an effective follower of Jesus Christ. You may not ever be thrust into the limelight as Jack has been, but you still can follow his example.
Nine Reasons God Will Judge New York and America for New York’s New Abortion Law—Unless We Repent, Part 1
January 25, 2019—article 203
Nine Reasons God Will Judge New York and America for New York’s New Abortion Law—Unless We Repent, Part 2
February 1, 2019—article 204
Proceed with Discernment
February 6, 2019—special feature
Where are the leaders of the evangelical church taking the church with regard to the issue of homosexuality? Their rhetoric raises yellow and even red flags! Believers need to make sure they know and understand what God’s Word teaches!
Nine Reasons God Will Judge New York and America for New York’s New Abortion Law—Unless We Repent, Part 3
February 8, 2019—article 205
Nine Reasons God Will Judge New York and America for New York’s New Abortion Law—Unless We Repent, Part 4
February 22, 2019—article 206
Nine Reasons God Will Judge New York and America for New York’s New Abortion Law—Unless We Repent
This article puts all nine reasons on one page.
Sharpening Your Spiritual Vision
March 2, 2019—article 207
What is a biblical worldview and why is it important? What are the practical implications of applying it in one’s life? This article addresses these questions.
Elusive Neutrality: The Myth of Avoiding Being Perceived as Political
March 4, 2019—article 208
In what is, in part, an apparent effort to be perceived as politically neutral, Pastor J. D. Greear and other evangelical leaders are distancing themselves and their ministries, including the SBC, from what they see as a connection to the Republican Party. The Democrat Party, however, stands for abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, and Democrats are repeatedly refusing to make infanticide illegal? Do these leaders really want to send the message that it’s OK for Christians to support the Democrats? They haven’t denied it. Still, “No political party or candidate that supports infanticide (or in my view, abortion, for that matter) is deserving of any Christian’s support or vote—no matter how much “good” might be perceived, advocated, or even accomplished in other areas of public policy.”
Not Liberty but Coercion: A High Priority for Leftist Elites
March 9, 2019—article 209
A shift in America’s view on rights is leading to tyranny in the United States. Here’s proof! Thank God for Alliance Defending Freedom and it’s commitment to preserve religious liberty!
Five Ways Social Justice Stands in Opposition to Authentic, Biblical Justice
March 16, 2019—article 210
Does the Bible Recommend Socialism? Ten Reasons Why Members of the Early Church Would Say No, Part 1
March 23, 2019—article 211
Does the Bible Recommend Socialism? Ten Reasons Why Members of the Early Church Would Say No, Part 2
March 29, 2019—article 212
Does the Bible Recommend Socialism? Ten Reasons Why Members of the Early Church Would Say No
This article presents the contents of the previous two articles on one page.
Social Justice and Biblical Christianity Are Incompatible: Here’s Why, Part 1
April 7, 2019—article 213
Part 2 is available here.
The One Trait Characterizing Satan that Believers Should Cultivate and Exercise
April 13, 2019—article 214
The “I Am” Statements of Jesus in John: Clear Affirmations of Jesus’ Deity
April 19, 2019; in celebration of Easter on April 21, 2019—article 215
Who Is Jesus? This Question Confronts All of Us
Easter, April 21, 2019—article 216
Social Justice and Biblical Christianity Are Incompatible: Here’s Why, Part 2
April 26, 2019—article 217
Part 1 of this series (article 213) emphasized that “Those Who are Forgiven Are Compelled to Forgive.”
Here, in part 2, we explore the disturbing reality that “Those Who Demand ‘Social Justice Equality’ Are Unforgiving.”
Social Justice and Biblical Christianity Are Incompatible: Here’s Why, Part 3
May 5, 2019—article 218
This article examines the leftist political agenda of the Democrat Party, plus ways social justice warriors in the church are implicitly supporting the Democrats and encouraging conservative Christians to support them.
Social Justice and Biblical Christianity Are Incompatible: Here’s Why, Part 4
May 10, 2019—article 219
This post explores the dangers of redefining what it means to be pro-life.
My Plea to Conservative Evangelical Pastors: When You Uphold Biblical Marriage, You Uphold the Gospel
May 17, 2019—article 220
A Course Change that Always Will Lead to Disaster, Part 1
May 28, 2019—article 221
Leaders within what has been the conservative evangelical church are trying to change the church’s course with regard to important biblical teachings. Danger ahead!
A Course Change that Always Will Lead to Disaster, Part 2
May 31, 2019—article 222
Don’t be misled by what numerous leaders within evangelical circles are trying to do with regard to the issue of abortion. You can’t be pro-life and support abortion, or support those who support and promote abortion or infanticide.
A Course Change that Always Will Lead to Disaster, Part 3
June 8, 2019—article 223
The second Revoice conference concluded Saturday, June 8, 2019. It represents attempts from evangelical leaders to change the message of the church regarding homosexuality. Don’t be taken in by the emotional, “feel good” rhetoric!
This article and the next are available here on a single page.
A Course Change that Always Will Lead to Disaster, Part 4
June 10, 2019—article 224
Concerns about Revoice continue to mount.
The previous article and this article are available here on a single page.
Social Justice Ideologies on Trial: Understanding and Responding to Resolution 9 at the Southern Baptist Convention
June 16, 2019—article 225
Resolution 9 at the 2018 meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Birmingham, Alabama authorizes the use of critical race theory and intersectionality (two social justice ideologies) as long as they are used under the authority of Scripture. Here’s the rub. Critical race theory and intersectionality contradict Scripture. Why was Resolution 9 even offered to the convention for a vote? Good question!
Two Underlying Things About Resolution 9 that Are Affronts to Scripture, Despite the Resolution’s Declarations to the Contrary
June 23, 2019—article 226
Flawless Design
June 26, 2019
On this, the fourth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s ruling that mandated same-sex marriage in all 50 states, we remember the egregious decision and affirm once more God’s design for marriage—one man and one woman committed to each other for life.
Lessons from Richland
June 29, 2019—article 227
Barronelle Stutzman is a florist in Richland, Washington. On Friday, March 1, 2013, she politely turned down a request to provide and arrange flowers for the same-sex “wedding” of a longtime customer and friend, Rob Ingersoll. Not long afterward, she was sued by the ACLU and Bob Ferguson, Washington’s attorney general. Her case has taken many twists and turns, and now it is on its way back to the Supreme Court. If Barronelle loses her case, she stands to lose everything; yet she remains resolute in her determination to uphold natural marriage. Is Barronelle hateful? Is she a bigot? Apparently the people of Richland and surrounding communities don’t think so. They voted her best florist in the area four out of seven years—including 2019. Pray for Barronelle and her legal team at Alliance Defending Freedom. Your religious liberty is at stake, too!
Principles of Liberty, Part 1
July 6, 2019—article 228
Join me as we retrace some of the historical events that led up to the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia during the first few days of July, 1776.
Principles of Liberty, Part 2
July 8, 2019—article 229
This post examines four bedrock principles of liberty embedded in the Declaration of Independence, tenets we need to rediscover and embrace anew today.
Principles of Liberty, Part 3
July 10, 2019—article 230
The Declaration of Independence is a timeless document, because it upholds numerous principles necessary for freedom to thrive in an ordered society. In this article, we mine an additional six principles of liberty from the Declaration and affirm the need for the nation to rediscover them and embrace them once again.
Recapture the Spirit of ’76
July 13, 2019—article 231
It wasn’t just the timeless truths the Founders of America upheld that caused America to rise to become the freest, stablest, most prosperous nation on earth; it also was how the Founders upheld them. To recover American liberty today, we need to emulate the Founders of this great country!
Eight Things You Need to Know About the Heartbeat-Bill Movement
July 21, 2019—article 232
This post includes a point of action for Tennesseans.
Upsetting the World—Aright
July 27, 2019—article 233
When Christians share the gospel or stand up for righteousness in the culture, it is not uncommon for people to get upset. Why? And how should Christians respond? This post seeks to address these and related questions.
Recapture the Founders’ Wisdom
August 2, 2019—article 234
August 2, the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, reminds us not only of the sacrifice and courage of the signers, but also of their wisdom. Join me as we hunt for and examine principles of timeless wisdom as expressed by numerous signers of America’s birth certificate. Note that we don’t need only to rediscover and appreciate their wisdom; we also need to reapply it today!
Pushing Back Against Amazon’s Tyrannical Censorship—
Amazon is censoring books from its website that carry a Christian view of homosexuality and unwanted same-sex attraction. How should we respond? Part 1 describes the situation, and parts 2 and 3 point to the wisdom of the Founders of America for insights on how we can help preserve freedom and liberty.
Six Ways J. D. Greear Goes Wrong in His Recent Blogpost on the Church’s Discussion About Homosexuality
Finding Freedom in Christ and Pointing Others to Him
September 12, 2019—article 241
Freedom March is a movement created to give those whom Christ has freed from the bondage of same-sex attraction, homosexuality, and transgenderism a platform for sharing their stories. The Orlando Freedom March is to be held on Saturday, September 14, 2019 at Eloa Park. This is a movement of God!
Fighting for the First Amendment, and Winning: Alliance Defending Freedom
September 21, 2019—article 242
This post reviews several victories for religious liberty in court, and Alliance Defending Freedom was involved in all of them.
Seeing the World Through a Biblical Lens: Highlights from Classic Word Foundations Articles, Part 1
September 27, 2019—article 243
This post consists of a compilation of 16 quotes from Word Foundations articles written in 2015 and the first half of 2016.
Are We on the Verge of Saying Our Final Goodbyes to Authentic Liberty in America?
October 5, 2019—article 244
Soon, the Supreme Court will decide if the 1964 Civil Rights law preventing workplace discrimination on the basis of sex also prohibits discrimination based on gender identity. The case has implications for everyone in America. Pray that authentic liberty prevails.
King David a Rapist? Not so Fast!
October 14, 2019—article 245
It has become fashionable in some evangelical circles to say that Israel’s King David didn’t just commit adultery with Bathsheba—Uriah’s wife—but that he raped her. Does biblical evidence for this exist? This post explores where the evidence points. It also explores the cost of interpreting the Bible in light of culture rather than interpreting culture according to biblical truth.
Seeing the World Through a Biblical Lens: Highlights from Classic Word Foundations Articles, Part 2
October 18, 2019—article 246
This post consists of a compilation of 16 quotes from Word Foundations articles written from late August, 2015 to late July, 2016.
Reclaiming Marriage
October 25, 2019—article 247
The Supreme Court’s ruling on June 26, 2015 redefining marriage was an overreach of government authority and an abuse of power in the extreme. Citizens concerned about marriage—and this should include all Christians—have a duty to push back against this and to reclaim natural marriage. Now, in the state of Tennessee, a new initiative gives Tennesseans the opportunity to do just that. The initiative begins by asking the question, “Is marriage an institution created and given to us by government, or is it God-given?” This post introduces readers to the initiative and informs readers how they can more and begin to become involved in what will hopefully become a movement. Together, we can reclaim marriage!
95 Theses for the Protestant Evangelical Church in the 21st Century
October 31, 2019
Two years ago on this date, I released the following article in recognition of the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. More was involved than just commemorating the reformation, however. The modern church desperately needs a reformation as well—and I also had this reality in mind. ~ These are my own “95 Theses for the Protestant Evangelical Church in the 21st Century.” They remain timely and relevant, so it seems appropriate to republish them, 502 years after Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church at Wittenberg.
Return to the Founders’ Perspective on Rights, Part 1
November 4, 2019—article 248
A critical step in restoring and preserving ordered liberty and avoiding chaos in America will be understanding and returning to America’s Founders’ perspective on rights. Oh, how far we have departed from the ideal they upheld!
Return to the Founders’ Perspective on Rights, Part 2
November 4, 2019—article 249
Only God-given, unalienable rights are compatible with liberty and authentic freedom.
Return to the Founders’ Perspective on Rights, Part 3
November 15, 2019—article 250
No decision in the history of the Supreme Court of the United States violates the principles of freedom and liberty upheld by America’s Founders as does the ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. Same-sex “marriage” isn’t just about the private affairs of those who petitioned the Court to establish it. It is about everything else, as well. Obergefell v. Hodges is moving this country from liberty to tyranny as is nothing else. To counter, we must rediscover natural marriage as God-given and unalienable, and we must uphold it as such. Will you join me in a movement to do these very things? The hour is late, but truth is on our side.
Thanksgiving in America Through the Years—November 22, 2019
Heed the Pilgrims!
Socialism
Ditching Socialism in the New World: A Lesson for 21st-Century Americans
November 26, 2019—article 251
Critical Race Theory and Racism
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- Spitting in God’s Face: Making Believers Feel Guilty when they Ought to Be Thankful, Part 1
December 5, 2019—article 252 - Spitting in God’s Face: Making Believers Feel Guilty when they Ought to Be Thankful, Part 2
December 16, 2019—article 253
- Spitting in God’s Face: Making Believers Feel Guilty when they Ought to Be Thankful, Part 1
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Recognition of Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941 ~ 2019 — A Lesson from WWII for 2018—and Beyond
The Certainty of Christmas, Part 1
December 23, 2019—article 254
The Certainty of Christmas, Part 2
December 25, 2019—article 255
Needed: 20/20 Vision for 2020
December 31, 2019—article 256
Seven Trends that Will Challenge Bible-Believing Christians in 2020 and Beyond
Copyright © 2019 by B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All rights reserved.
top image: Photo by Paulius Dragunas on Unsplash