Lighthouse Faith – FOX News Radio

Christmas is a time for caroling, and there’s hardly a more known writer of Christian music than Keith and Kristyn Getty. Each year they have a Christmas Concert tour, “Sing! An Irish Christmas” that has grown to be one of the largest and most popular Christmas concerts in the country.  This year’s concert is part of his larger movement called ‘Sing’ to bring caroling and hymn singing back to churches. Music has the power to heal the wounds of the soul like no other salve there is. Keith will take you to the depths of music’s power and give you a new understanding to the sounds of music.

A miserly old man who hates Christmas is Charles Dicken’s classic story that has been made into a myriad of film, stage and TV adaptations. But the narrative of Ebenezer Scrooge’s redemption is filled with Christian symbolism that most versions miss or just cut out. Pastor Cheryl Kincaid shares the details of her research for her book, “Hearing the Gospel Through Charles Dickens’s ‘A Christmas Carol” showing the biblical meaning of Scrooge’s first name, Tiny Tim’s illness as a social commentary, and how the three ghosts who visit Scrooge on Christmas Eve animate the Church’s Advent Lessons about the true meaning of Christmas. Scholars have debated whether Charles Dickens was really a Christian, but Kincaid lays that controversy to rest. She also talks about how it was Tiny Tim’s words that helped her after a car accident rendered her partially paralyzed. She says, “He thought it might be pleasant if people saw him in church, that they might remember who made the lame people walk and blind people see. And it touched my heart because he wasn’t asking to be healed. He was asking for God to use him where he was at.”  It was those words that sent her on a journey to discovering the hidden meaning of “A Christmas Carol.”

Renowned theologian and pastor Dr. Timothy Keller takes a look at the well-known story of Jonah and the Whale in his new book, The Prodigal Prophet. The narrative of Jonah in the Old Testament is an account of a the prophet who was swallowed whole by a great fish. The story seems improbable, until its deeper spiritual meaning is exposed. Jonah’s running from God, according to Keller, is a universal understanding of rebellious anger at God, lessons about racism, nationalism, self-righteousness, and political power. This is not your Sunday School take.

The Catholic Church is in crisis mode as it looks to solve the clergy sex abuse scandals. It’s become a global problem. But art historian Elizabeth Lev, a provocative and intellectually gifted academic professor based in Rome, has a solution: Art. It’s what helped keep the faith alive following the Protestant Reformation more than 500 years ago. And many experts are drawing parallels between then and now. We discuss her amazing book, “How Catholic Art Saved the Faith: The Triumph of Beauty and Truth in Counter Reformation Art.”  The title is a mouthful, but Lev breaks it down for the untrained mind, and makes art history sound like an action film. Some of the incredible works Lev discusses and includes in her book are:

No matter our religious beliefs, we can all celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. But there’s far more benefit to giving thanks than we ever imagined. Even scientists have discovered the good that being grateful brings to our minds, our bodies and our spirit. Diana Butler Bass, the author of “Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks”, talks about the healing we can have personally when we give thanks, but also, how we can heal a divided world by becoming a “thankful society.”

This week I covered the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Fall General Meeting in Baltimore. In this podcast, hear my reflections on the abrupt change of plans, when Pope Francis told the Bishops not to take action on two crucial issues concerning the clergy abuse crisis. It was frustrating for Bishops because they wanted to at least appear to be taking charge and moving forward on finding solutions. Many felt the pope had essentially hog tied them, crippling their efforts to take decisive action. But now all eyes will focus on Rome, when the heads of all the bishops’ conference around the world will meet with the Holy Father, to find global solutions to what has become a global problem.

It seems that if there’s a word that describes the mood of modern times, it’s anxiety. If you’ve got a job, you’re worried about keeping it or moving forward in it. If you’re single you worry about whether you’ll ever find the right mate. If you’re married, some of you are unhappy or worried about keeping him or her. And if you have children, you may be anxious about their struggles. It really doesn’t matter what it is, there’s a level of anxiety that seems to be creeping into our lives more and more, and is there any relief? Pastor Max Lucado is a master at breaking down our problems and giving them a spiritual solution. His book, “Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World,” shows how what we believe about God is directly tied to our level of anxiety. If God is real, then the answer to ‘finding calm’ is found in Him.

Depression is the leading cause of disability for people ages 15 to 44. Sadly, it’s a condition that people of faith have long ignored believing that it’s strictly a spiritual problem, not a medical condition. But Pastor Tommy Nelson, senior pastor of Denton Bible Church, a mega church near Dallas, is on a campaign to enlighten people that mental health is a real problem. He’s brutally honest about his own dark times of severe depression and anxiety. In this podcast Pastor Nelson talks about a conference he’s leading this week in Washington, D.C. on faith and mental health, called “Journey Through Depression.” He wants to dispel the stigma of seeking help through science. But also to show that God’s hand is still in the mix.

It’s not politics as usual for Dr. Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention.  Although the ERLC is the policy arm of the nation’s more than 16 million Southern Baptists, Moore is a man of deep faith and has written a book about how that faith can shape family and home.  But we also talked about the current political fight over the confirmation hearings of Judge Brett Kavanaugh and the accusations against him by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. The podcast recorded before each testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, but Moore’s comments shed light on how people of faith should respond.

One of the age old debates is whether or not God exists. And the other debate is whether or not you can prove it. Very few, if any of us approach the question of God with an open mind, or as Professor Edward Feser says, a blank mind. Even the atheist can’t prove definitively there’s no God. He or she can believe there’s no God, but God’s existence is not dependent on your belief.  But Feser, a writer and philosopher, is one of the powerful minds in the world today who have looked at the arguments about the existence of God. In his book, “Five Proofs of the Existence of God,” the young professor reaches back to the ancients to make his point that there is far more proof that God exists than not.

She was born with a severe club foot, a common, but debilitating birth defect. But Chloe Howard’s parents told her it made her special. Her pride though turned to despair when at 14 years old and a freshman in high school, classmates bullied and assaulted her because of the deformity.  All of a sudden she felt ashamed of the part of her that made her feel exceptional. A legal fight ensued against the perpetrators, but ultimately Chloe’s faith was stronger than her fears, and it helped her heal the brokenness. Now she works to make sure other young people are never made to feel isolated and alone. Inspired also by meeting U2’s front man Bono, Chloe created a movement called Stand Beautiful.

Twenty years ago airline pilot Steve Scheibner wrote a life objective. It begins with the words, “To seek trust, and glorify God…” Three years later on September 11, 2001 he was scheduled to co-pilot American Airlines flight 11, but a more senior pilot bumped him from the assignment. That plane flew into the World Trade Center in the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. Scheibner now lives his life with a sense of urgency, knowing that somebody died in his place.  With the 17th observation of 9/11 just a week away, Scheibner joined forces with the American Pastors Network (APN) to help tell the stories that show how God’s hand was indeed present that fateful day, even in the midst of incredible turmoil and tragedy. Hear his story on this very special Lighthouse Faith Podcast.

It’s been more than sixty years since that racially charged day when nine black students, protected by several national guardsmen, integrated the all-white Central High School. Most of us have only seen pictures and archive video of this iconic event in 1957, but Melba Pattillo Beals lived it.  At just fifteen she was one of nine African American students to integrate Central High School in segregated Little Rock, Arkansas. Only her faith saw her through the  hatred, anger and death threats she endured. Beals remembers that day with clarity. She writes about the journey of faith that gave her strength and courage to take on what must have seemed like the whole world. “I Will Not Fear,” is her book that lives out for us all, Psalm 23.

A wealthy Texas oil man, a controversial Pope, and a female archaeologist should have had nothing in common, but when it came to discovering the site of the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle, it took all three. Best-selling author,  John O’Neill, tells one of the greatest theological stories of the century of one of the most significant finds since the Dead Sea Scrolls: Peter’s crucified bones. It is the same Peter whom Jesus told, “Upon this rock, I will build my Church.” In 2013 Pope Francis confirmed that Peter’s crucified bones were buried underneath the altar of the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. But the intrigue and drama of how they were discovered has never been told… until now. Listen to the interview and be sure to check out John’s book here.

From the destruction of drug addiction and hopelessness, to the triumph of redemption, Christian artist Joseph Rojas credits music with helping him see the light of salvation.  He’s on the road most of the year, performing hundreds of concerts in front of thousands of people. More than 100,000 people have made decisions for Christ at his concerts. His group, Seventh Day Slumber is, as he says, about “being real, and connecting with people where they’re at.” He talks openly and frankly about his struggle with weight, and as a keynote speaker inspires audiences at concerts, conferences, youth groups, festivals, and various events. Sharing with others his message of hope and restoration, which he has experienced firsthand.

There’s no profession that has captured the imagination more than the entertainment world. It has a huge influence on culture, attitudes, worldview. Success in Hollywood is what a lot of young people dream about, but if you’re a person of strong faith, how can you make it in an industry that’s more known for its decadence than decency? DeVon Franklin knows. He’s a successful film producer and is a faithful Christian. Franklin talks frankly about how he may have learned his professional skills in Hollywood, it didn’t take away his faith. His book, “The Hollywood Commandments: A Spiritual Guide To Secular Success,” is a how-to guide to keeping your faith while climbing the ladder of success.

Are we closer to the End Times? Fascinating, yet scary if true. Biblical prophecy of the End Times and warnings of a coming judgment are a big part of what draws people to and away from the Bible. It’s one of the most questioned parts of the Judeo-Christian Holy Scriptures. Some of the signs are wars, terror, murder, general tumult. But how bad does lawlessness and disorder have to be to signal that we are living in the End Times? Phil Hotsenpiller is a noted theologian whose specialty has been talking about End Times. We talk about his recent book that takes a look at whether or not these are the worst days.

With the recent celebrity suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain,  Lauren takes a look at suicide from a religious point of view with College of Holy Cross religion professor, Mathew Schmalz. He wrote an article called, “Why the Religions of the World Condemn Suicide”, which basically explains why the vast majority of faiths, even with their differences in doctrine, agree on this subject that your life is not your own. But then the question remains, why the increase in suicides? Is it because of a corresponding rise in the number of people with no faith? We take a look at the issue of how our fractured, fast-paced and goal-oriented lives have contributed to the rise in suicides, which has become epidemic, and why faith communities can help turn the tide.

What people believe is a powerful part of being human, beliefs shape our thoughts and our actions. But what if those beliefs are not based on what’s true and good? Christian author Abdu Murray says we actually live in what’s called a “post-truth” world, one that puts feelings ahead of facts. In his new book, “Saving Truth,” Murray says that because we’ve lost sight of truth, we actually live in a culture of confusion. He says, “What happens if my preferences conflict with someone else’s preferences? And if truth doesn’t decide who’s right and who’s wrong, what decides who’s right and who’s wrong won’t be truth, it will be power.”

The future of religious freedom around the world weighs heavily on U.S. Ambassador Sam Brownback. Since February of this year the former Kansas Governor, U.S. Senator and congressman has been the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom.  Thousands of people in the world today are being persecuted for their faith, and much of it is done legally through government anti-blasphemy and anti-conversion laws; case in point, the trial of American Pastor Matthew Brunson. The ambassador talks about the latest on him as well as the upcoming Ministerial on Religious Freedom, which he and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will lead. It’s the first of its kind in the world; an international gathering of leaders from around the globe in Washington, D.C. that will promote religious freedom as a path to economic empowerment.