Tommy Mann

For those of you who like to read, here are some of the best books I read in 2012: All Pro Dad by Mark Merrill This is a great book for dads and young men. By This Name by John R. Cross This book teaches the art of chronological evangelism, beginning with Moses. What You Need to KnowAbout Bible Prophecy by Max Anders The title is obvious, and this book gives a well-rounded overview of prophecy. Grace by Max Lucado Again, an obvious title, but grace is something we all need to keep in our minds. Twelve UnlikelyHeroes by John MacArthur A look at 12 people in the Bible who did great things. Voddie Baucham’s 3 books, Family Driven Faith, Family Shepherds, and The Ever-Loving Truth Three great books for parents, especially dads, that focus on instilling a Christian worldview in your children. Esther or Delilah by Angela DeSouza A great book for girls and young ladies. What are you using your beauty for? Real-Life Discipleshi...

One of the greatest blows to Christianity has been the assessment that we are responsible for all the wars in the world. “If your God is so loving, then why have more people died in Christian wars than in all other wars put together?” The Crusades and Inquisition have also been a black mark on our history. But let’s take a closer look at those claims. Adolf Hitler is perhaps history’s best-known villain. During his Holocaust Hitler murdered 6 million Jews and another 5-10 million others. That number does not include all the lives lost worldwide during World War II, which he should certainly be blamed for. Was Hitler a Christian? Hardly. He was a pagan that believed in the ancient gods. Joseph Stalin is not as well known as Hitler, but he murdered far more people. An estimated 40 million people lost their lives at the hands of Stalin, who was anything but a Christian. Stalin closed 90% of the churches in the Soviet Union. Mao Tse-tung is not nearly as famous as the oth...

I often hear people say that Christianity is not about a bunch of do’s and don’ts, meaning that there is nothing expected of us. I understand one part of that concept. We are not saved based on what we do. Salvation is a free gift from God that we did nothing to earn, and we do not have to perform to a high standard in order to keep our salvation. But we cannot ignore the do’s and don’ts. To say that the Bible does not give a list of things to do and things to not do is absurd. Listen to how Randy Alcorn puts it in his book The Purity Principle, “The Christian life is more than sin management. It’s divine transformation and enablement to live righteously. Yet Scripture commands us to do and not do certain things…(p.56)” I went through just one book of the Bible, 1 Peter, and made a list of the commands. In addition to the commands that Peter gives, remember that Paul does the same thing in each of his letters, and Jesus Himself gave frequent commands, especia...

In 1973 the United States Supreme Court made their controversial decision known as Roe v. Wade, which made abortion legal in this country. The young lady, known as “Jane Roe,” was said to have conceived after she was raped, and she wanted an abortion, which were being performed illegally at the time (called “back alley abortions”). Ms. “Roe” (Norma L. McCorvey) has since come out and admitted she lied about having been raped, and that the child she conceived was her third out of wedlock. She is now a pro-life advocate, and her case McCorvey v. Hill (2005), sought to overturn Roe v. Wade, but was denied by the Supreme Court. The fact that the little lady who started the big war (to use the language of President Lincoln) has been on both sides of the issue serves to typify the fact that the country itself is split. Where should Christians stand on this matter? I personally believe that the Bible teaches that life begins at conception. In my most recent book Asleep in Heave...