Why “Disclosure Day” Isn’t a Problem for Christianity

Full Disclosure

Oh, don’t get too excited; I don’t have anything to disclose. On the other hand, there is a new movie from Steven (Close Encounters) Spielberg that is meant to make us question our beliefs, a movie called “Disclosure Day.”

It may seem to some that I have recently relocated to a cozy dirt home under a rock, seeing that I haven’t heard of this movie until about 2 a.m. this morning. But I did watch the trailer that included Spielberg’s vision for the film. It also included the question, “What if it’s all true?”

What If Bones…?

Well, I don’t know what Steven Spielberg has been up to over the last sixteen years, but back in October of 2010 I published a post right here entitled “Dinosaur Bones Found on the Moon.” The intention of the post was to initiate thought, thought about how Aliens (or even bones on the moon) could affect our faith.

Many Christians hold a strongly anthropocentric view of creation that leaves little room for life on other planets. They limit all life, not just intelligent life, to the created life forms inhabiting Earth. The only exceptions are spiritual, angelic beings or demons. For some, even microbial extraterrestrial life would seem to create a major challenge to their faith.

However, the article I wrote back in 2010 presented reassurances that are as valuable today as they were back then. Because of God’s nature (without which He could not be God), whatever is out there would have had to have been part of His Creation.

The Creator and Sustainer

Speaking of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, the Apostle John wrote:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. – John 1:1-3 KJV

There are multiple passages which affirm that not only the earth, but the “heavens” were created by the Word of the Lord and that all creation (which would necessarily include E.T.’s home planet) was made by the Word (Jesus) and for His pleasure.

If God’s sovereignty extends to the stars named in Scripture, then the question becomes: how far does that reach?

Heavenly Property Line

In Job 9:9 and Amos 5:8 we read that God, OUR God (the one in which we Christians place our trust), created “the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades.” These verses remind us that the God revealed in Scripture is not a local deity confined to Earth, but the Creator whose authority extends across the heavens themselves.

The Pleiades cluster is about 400 to 450 light years away. The stars in the Bear, or Ursa Major, are mostly around 80 light years away. But the stars in Orion vary widely, ranging anywhere from 500 to over 1,300 light years away!

So, just to put the whole idea into perspective, aside from all the other bodies of light in the sky, the God of Christianity would still be the God of any alien coming from a planet up to and including over 1,300 light years away.

Yet, that’s nothing compared to V762 Cassiopeiae. This one star, the farthest we can see with the naked eye in a dark sky, is at least 16,000 light years away!

But all this astronomical math becomes secondary when we remember that God, to be the God of the Bible, must be wholly distinct from time, space, and matter. Only God is eternal. Only God is omnipresent. Only God exists independently of creation and reigns over all things.

Even little green—or gray—men, if they exist, would still be part of the created order and would ultimately bow before the Holy One of Glory.

So no, I’m not afraid of a movie like Disclosure Day. What should concern all of us, including Steven Spielberg, is that Scripture repeatedly teaches that one day everything hidden will be revealed (Matt. 10:26; Mark 4:22; Luke 12:2–3; 1 Cor. 4:5).

One day, all that is hidden…will be disclosed.

If extraterrestrial life were ever confirmed, it would not dethrone God or undo the Gospel. It would simply mean that God’s creation is larger and more astonishing than we imagined.

My Initial Thoughts After Reading the Quran

Does the Quran intimidate you?
Do you worry that reading it might somehow weaken your Christian faith?

I understand that concern. But having begun reading it for myself, I want to pause and offer an honest assessment—not as a final verdict, but as a thoughtful set of early observations.

One book needs a sword. The other IS a Sword.

One Book Needs a Sword. The Other Is a Sword.

That line captures my instinct so far—but it needs explanation.

1. On Beauty and Readability

Reading the Qur’an in English, I do not find it beautiful in the way I expected. It does not strike me as rich, layered, or narratively compelling like the Bible often does.

Now, to be fair, Muslims would strongly object here—and not without reason. The Qur’an’s primary claim to beauty lies in its original Arabic form, not its translation. Even some non-Muslim scholars acknowledge its rhetorical power in that language.

Still, as an English reader, my impression stands: it does not read as something extraordinary.

2. Repetition and Tone

The Qur’an is highly repetitive. Core themes—belief, disbelief, judgment, obedience—appear again and again.

In an oral culture, repetition makes sense. It reinforces memory and emphasis.

But as a modern reader, the repetition can feel less like structured teaching and more like constant reassertion. The same warnings and claims return so frequently that it raises a natural question:

Why the need to restate the same points so often?

3. Treatment of Women and Social Order

There are passages that, at face value, seem to place women in a subordinate role and permit forms of discipline within marriage (such as Qur’an 4:34).

There are also references to slavery and to relationships with those “in one’s possession.”

Now, these are debated areas:

  • Some argue these verses regulated existing practices, not endorsed them absolutely
  • Others argue they reflect a moral framework that is difficult to reconcile with modern ethics

At the very least, these texts demand careful and honest examination. They are not as easily dismissed—or defended—as some might suggest.

4. Familiar Stories, Limited Development

The Qur’an repeatedly references biblical figures—Abraham, Moses, Jesus—but often in abbreviated or fragmented ways.

Rather than expanding on these narratives, it seems to assume prior knowledge and then reuse select elements.

To me, this gives the impression not of deeper revelation, but of partial familiarity—as though the stories are known, but not fully developed in this context.

5. A Text in Conversation with Its Critics

One of the most striking features is how often the Qur’an addresses opposition directly.

The Muhammad is accused within the text of:

  • inventing the message
  • being taught by others
  • being a poet or madman

And the Qur’an responds—frequently.

This creates a pattern:

  • accusation
  • denial
  • reassertion of divine authority
  • warning or challenge

It reads less like a detached theological work and more like a real-time exchange with skeptics.

6. Authority and Assurance

The Qur’an strongly emphasizes obedience:

  • believe
  • pray
  • give
  • do good

At the same time, it also speaks of God guiding whom He wills.

This creates a tension between:

  • human responsibility
  • divine determination

That tension isn’t unique to Islam—it exists in Christian theology as well—but it is very present here and worth deeper study.

7. The Nature of “Truth”

Truth is repeatedly referenced in the Qur’an, but often in a way that assumes agreement rather than builds a case step-by-step.

The central claims seem to be:

  • God is one
  • the Qur’an is from God
  • Muhammad is His messenger

Those are asserted with authority, but not always argued in a way a modern reader might expect.

8. A Self-Aware, Self-Defending Text

Perhaps the most noticeable characteristic is this:

The Qur’an frequently reaffirms its own authority, especially in the face of doubt.

That doesn’t automatically discredit it—but it does define its method. Its primary validation is internal, not external.

That stands in contrast to how many readers experience the Bible, which often presents its claims through narrative, history, and eyewitness testimony.

Final Thoughts (For Now)

I am still reading. These are not final conclusions.

But I would say this:

  • The Qur’an is not something Christians should fear reading
  • It is a text that invites scrutiny because it repeatedly addresses scrutiny itself
  • And engaging it directly is far more valuable than forming opinions at a distance

Whatever one ultimately concludes about it, the honest path forward is the same:

Read it. Think carefully. And test every claim.

Christian Democrats: Balancing Faith and Politics

Preface

Before we go any further, understand that I am writing primarily to those who identify as both Christian AND Democrat. You can be one or the other, or you can be both, but it’s really intended for those who claim Jesus as Lord and the Democrat Party of the United States as their political camp.

Also, it is not my intention to discuss whether or not a true Christian can be a Democrat. How one decides to vote is completely up to him. As we often say, it’s a free country.

Are You Really a Christian?

So, let’s start with the most basic question. Are you really a Christian?

Don’t try to skirt the question. Don’t try to redirect. It shouldn’t be a problem for you to answer in the simplest of terms. It’s either a “yes” or a “no.”

If you are already feeling the need to qualify your answer for fear of offending someone or getting cancelled, I see a big, red flag.

If you are a Christian, you are a follower of the historical crucified-and-risen Jesus Christ. It means you have believed Him to be the Son of God, the Word of God made flesh, and the Redeemer of your soul. It means you identify with Christ and seek to become more like Him.

You are NOT a genuine Christian if you believe all it takes is to be born in America and eat at Chik-fil-a. If you would like to be sure, please refer to my article.

What Christians Do

Only God knows your heart, but if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then you naturally want to obey His commands If you are a Christian, becoming more like Jesus is a natural process of spiritual maturity that can be seen by all.

But what about government? What about those in authority over us? Does the Bible have anything to say about how a Christian should address those that occupy the White House?

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity–the man Christ Jesus. – 1 Timothy 2:1-5 NLT

So that leads me to the main point of writing: Do you pray for President Donald J. Trump?

What Democrats Do

It takes no effort at all to find those who hate Donald Trump. It’s not only Democrats, but also some Republicans. There’s even a name for the level of pathological hatred that has consumed the Democrat Party and leftists of all stripes for the past decade. It’s called Trump Derangement Syndrome.

Democrats HATE Trump. Democrats HATE him more than they love America.

Before Trump became President, the Democrats said something needed to be done about the border, illegal drugs, violent crime, and a nuclear-equipped Iran. The moment Trump addressed these issues, Democrats; took the side illegal aliens; condemned the use of force against murderous drug cartels; labeled our police as terrorists; and defended the sovereign rights of those sworn to our destruction.

When Trump is for it, the Democrats are against it. When he condemns it, they praise it. It’s as predictable as rain.

What a Christian Democrat SHOULD Do

Do I even need to say it? Isn’t it obvious by now? If you call yourself a Christian, regardless of party affiliation, Jesus demands you submit to authority, pray for your enemies, love your neighbor, and even if he is a king, pray for your President.

As it is, rampant, illogical, and a seething hatred for Donald Trump that defies all reason is the motivating force behind everything the Democrat Party does. And it is not just the Party, per se. It is the rank-and-file Democrat, too!

Friend, if you cannot find any good in President Trump, yet you can see the positives in people like Bill Clinton, Hugo Chaves, trans school shooters, and Luigi Mangione, then your hate has blinded your heart and seared your common sense.

Love, Not Hate

Before I finish, may I remind you that Scripture is very clear about something?

Are you familiar with the concept of knowing people “by their fruit”? If so, there is a list of “fruit” which every real Christian who follows Jesus should produce. They are called the “fruits of the Spirit” because they are supernaturally produced by the Holy Spirit in the Christian’s life.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23 KJV

It is really pretty simple. If you are a Christian, you should exhibit fruit that is commensurate with a changed heart. If you are a Christian Democrat, then you should be a Democrat who exhibits the same fruit.

Hate is a bitter fruit. A bitter fruit, indeed.

Theological Differences: Born Again vs. Salvation

Thank you for reading this. I’m trying something a little different here. I am speaking into text while at work, so I will most certainly need to edit this later. If you find anything totally crazy or uncharacteristic, please extend a little grace—or kindly let me know.

The last thing I want to do is make a theological assertion that crosses into heresy.

Some of my Calvinist and Reformed friends (and I could rightly call them brethren) will likely never read this. I wish they would. The ones who do rarely comment, perhaps for fear of starting a debate.

Let me be clear: I do not want to debate, argue, fight, hurt feelings, or start a war. None of that advances the cause of Christ (2 Timothy 2:24–25).

But I do want to address what appears to me to be an inconsistency in the way many of my Calvinist friends present the gospel. I doubt they are aware of it. If they are, that would be more concerning.

Let me explain.

A Little Personal Background

The first 26 years of my life were spent in churches that identified as IFB (Independent Fundamental Baptist). My father was a preacher and pastor. My mother was always the pianist or organist. If the church doors were open—even for cleaning—I was there.

Because of that upbringing, I am deeply familiar with the words of Jesus to Nicodemus:

“Ye must be born again.” (John 3:7)

Those words were printed on tracts, painted above pulpits and choirs, and preached in countless sermons. Everyone knew what they meant. They were synonymous with being “saved.”

Jesus came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
He came as the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:2), the Lamb of God (John 1:29), so that we might be reconciled to the Father (2 Corinthians 5:18–19).

It is no wonder that “Ye must be born again” became a well-worn phrase among those who could sing all 50 verses of Just As I Am during an invitation.

When Nicodemus was confused—imagining a second physical birth—Jesus gently corrected him:

“Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John 3:7)

The new birth was not a return to the womb, but the work of the Spirit:

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6)

What “Born Again” Means in Baptist Theology

Whether IFB or now SBC (which I am), Baptists have never implied that being born again involves re-entering a physical womb. Rather, we teach that to be saved, one must be born again.

The phrases are interchangeable.

To be born again is:

  • To become a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17)
  • To pass from death unto life (John 5:24)
  • To be adopted into the family of God (Romans 8:15)
  • To be redeemed (Ephesians 1:7)
  • To be grafted in (Romans 11:17)
  • To be justified (Romans 5:1)

We are not saved by baptism or by partaking of communion.
We are not saved by works, “lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9).

We are saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.
And once saved, we are secure (John 10:28–29).

Spirit baptism places us into Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13), and water baptism pictures that reality.

In short, in this theological framework, being born again is salvation.

The Calvinist Distinction

Here is where the tension arises.

In Calvinist theology, being born again is not synonymous with being saved. It is the prerequisite to salvation.

Regeneration precedes faith.

In that system, one does not believe and then receive new life. Rather, one receives new life so that he can believe.

The terms are not interchangeable.

Yet when listening to a Reformed Baptist or Presbyterian preacher call sinners to repentance—to “seek and save the lost,” to “compel them to come in” (Luke 14:23)—you will often hear the same words:

“Ye must be born again.”

But here is my question: is that consistent with their theology?

If a Calvinist were to frame his appeal strictly according to his system, it might sound something like this:

“If you have been regenerated by God, you will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as evidence that you were chosen before the foundation of the world” (cf. Ephesians 1:4).

But that is not how the appeal is typically made.

Instead, the language used is almost identical to that of the non-Calvinist evangelist.

Where the Difference Shows

The greatest visible difference between the Calvinist and the non-Calvinist emerges in the appeal to the lost.

The non-Calvinist genuinely believes the lost man can respond. He urges him to repent (Acts 17:30), to believe (Acts 16:31), to receive the free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). He speaks to him as one who is spiritually dead but able—by grace—to respond to the gospel call.

The Calvinist, however, believes the lost man cannot respond unless first regenerated.

Yet the language in the pulpit often sounds the same.

My concern is this: if regeneration and salvation are not the same thing in one’s theology, should they be spoken of as though they are?

A Plea for Consistency

I write this with hope—not hostility.

If a professing Calvinist happens to read this, perhaps he might consider whether using one set of terms in one setting while defining them differently in another creates confusion.

At best, it may be inconsistent.
At worst, it may blur important theological distinctions.

We owe the lost clarity.
We owe our brethren honesty.
And we owe Christ precision in the proclamation of His gospel (Titus 2:7–8).

15 Signs You’re Not from Minnesota

I’m Giving In

Before I started recording on YouTube, I did a lot more writing.

And before I started creating content for video, I used to tackle issues of the day on a more regular basis.

Neither one of my YouTube channels have a format open to my thoughts on current events and complicated social issues. They are geared either to Bible study and/or preaching or watch-related material.

Nonetheless, here I can say what I really think. Here I am free to express my feelings more freely and with transparent honesty.

So, I am now giving in to the call of the commentary starved. Yes, even though nobody has asked for my opinion, I’m going to give it. How else are those hungry for more opinions going to survive?

The Crazies

Why is it that most of the country can look at what is going on in the State of Minnesota and see what those living there can’t? Do they not realize that they are becoming the very definitions of every kind of crazy one can think of?

Have you ever heard of the term “Walmartian”? That’s not Wal-Martian, like a price saving alien from Mars. No, it’s a name that has been given to the most stereotypical examples of Wal-Mart shoppers whose water has been tainted for generations.

You know a Walmartian when you see a Wal-Mart shopper that causes you to look away, then look back, then look away again only to tell your neighbor to look without looking. They ain’t normal.

Well, it seems that we have found the source of the polluted gene pool from which Walmartians drink – it’s Minnesota.

How to Tell You Are Not from Minnesota (and probably not a Crazy)

Early in my life I was little embarrassed of my country/hillbilly/redneck upbringing in the mountains of Tennessee. However, eventually I grew up and out of the culturally imposed shame. Now, because of Minnesota, I am thrilled to know where my ancestors copulated!

But how do I know none of my forefathers and foremothers ever drank of the same polluted water that’s obviously quenching the thirst of screeching gender-confused protesters out west? Easy!

Here are 15 Things I DO NOT DO that prove I, nor my America-loving ancestors, never came from Minnesota.

  1. I do not support relocating pirates to my hometown.
  2. I have never had the desire nor inclination to change my hair color to pink, purple, or blue.
  3. I do not consume illegal substances.
  4. I do not hire unsavory individuals to tattoo my face with offensive images or language.
  5. I do not put myself in harm’s way by intentionally entering into the danger zone where law enforcement officers are attempting to arrest a known criminal.
  6. I do not harbor criminals, nor do I assist them in fleeing from law enforcement.
  7. I do not threaten to start a second Civil War when I know how the first one turned out.
  8. I do not enter places of worship claiming it is my right to interfere with the rights of others.
  9. I do not use my vehicle to block roads.
  10. I do not use my vehicle as a weapon against law enforcement.
  11. I do not spit on other people, especially those who are allowed by law to use deadly force when threatened.
  12. I do not get into fights with police.
  13. I do not hate capitalism and propose to “tear down the system.”
  14. I do not have Trump Derangement Syndrome.
  15. I do not think Hillary Clinton should have been President.

I could have kept going, but the list would be too long to read in one sitting. Just know that what I didn’t include are automatically covered because I bathe regularly, worship a biblical Jesus, and have job that does not include community organizing.

So, Minnesota has been on my mind. Thankfully, I still have enough IQ points not deducted by listening to Tampon Tim and Ilhan Omar.