Lighthouse Faith – Details, episodes & analysis

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee calls the newest installment of the God's Not Dead film series a story made for this moment in history. He says it's a little like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington updated to this modern age where faith in God is not as publicly proclaimed and religious freedom totters in the wake of Woke political agendas. Huckabee plays himself in the film, and on this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, he jokes about getting his Oscar speech ready. But in all seriousness, this film, subtitled "In God We Trust", is meant to inspire millions of Christians, especially the 40 million who sat out last election, to make their voices heard at the ballot box this November. He says every vote counts. He also talks about why he, as an Evangelical Christian, still supports former President Donald Trump, and why even now, sees him as the best candidate to lead America... and why Kamala Harris is not. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pastor Max Lucado has never been an end times kind of preacher. It's just not a major factor in his preaching wheelhouse, which is why his most recent book, "What Happens Next: A Traveler's Guide Through The End Of This Age" seems at first a departure from his normal uplifting spiritual guidance. Predicting the end of the world has become a bit of a cottage industry of late. But prognosticators wouldn't pursue the subject if there wasn't widespread interest and attention given to it. Even though Jesus said no one but the Father would know the actual date and time, it hasn't stopped the forecasting. However, Jesus did tell His followers the conditions to look for when the end times will be upon us: "Wars and rumors of wars... famines and earthquakes." But Pastor Max says the 'when' of the end times is not nearly as important as the condition of our hearts, which is something we can address every moment of every day. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Pastor Max explains that the main point of his book is that, if you have clarity about the future, if you know what your ultimate destiny is, that allows you to be courageous about the here and now, and be able trust in the God who controls it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Stephen Strang says it's hypocrisy that mainstream media on the left skewers Donald Trump's Evangelical supporters, asking the question, 'How can believers in Jesus Christ support a man known for his philandering?'  Strang, who's also the founder of Charisma Media, says, "Did we hold Lyndon Baines Johnson or John Kennedy or Bill Clinton or a bunch of other people up to that high standard? I don't think so." On this episode of Lighthouse Faith, Strang, who's the author of "God And Donald Trump", and "Trump Aftershock: The President’s Seismic Impact On Faith And Culture", talks about Trump's legal woes, now that he's a convicted felon thanks to New York's District Attorney, and why Evangelicals still support him. He points out that when Trump was a New York billionaire Playboy, part of the social scene, attending Chelsea Clinton's wedding, for instance, he was the darling of the press. But when he got serious about life, protecting America's borders, joining the Republican Party, and getting serious about his faith, that's when the media turned on him. Strang is worried that many of the new Evangelicals are engaged in hero worship of Trump, but he says most of Trump's supporters are silent, wanting only the right choice for their communities and the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sixty years ago this week, on October 11, 1962, the Bishops of the Catholic Church gathered in Rome for a solemn ceremony to open what is known as Vatican II. Over four formal sessions during consecutive falls, they would discuss doctrine, and dialogue about how the Global Catholic Church should move forward. It was the most important gathering of the Holy See in half a millennium. What came out of it were sixteen documents that have had a tremendous effect on Catholicism; that Catholics would hear the mass in their own languages instead of only Latin, that there would be a new relationship fostered with non-Catholic religions, and a focus on religious freedom which "recognized that the altar-and-throne alliances of the past were not possible under modern political conditions." Some critics though say Vatican II was prompted by an antiquated Church body responding to a broader culture moving forward through the sexual revolution, feminism, civil rights, and a whole host of other post-modern philosophies skeptical of tradition. Sorting it all out is Vaticanista George Weigel. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Weigel, a Distinguished Senior Fellow of Washington’s Ethics and Public Policy Center and the author of several books on the Catholic Church including his biographies on Pope John Paul II, talks about his new book, "To Sanctify the World: The Legacy of Vatican II." He expands on its historical context and what's more, the intrigue behind the scenes of why this unexpected meeting was called by the most unexpected of Popes to do so, Pope John XXIII, who would not live to see its conclusion in 1965. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo's masterpiece of the biblical narrative detailed in color and motion adorns the walls and ceiling, is part of the tour of the Vatican Museum in Rome. Why does the Roman Catholic Church have a museum filled with works of art that include not just Christian art, but also those that are of pagan, pre-Christian and Jewish origin and more? Because the history of art and how artists interpret the world, is the history of humanity and God's relationship with His creation. And since the early 16th century, popes have strived to conserve these unique expressions of human existence. The museum itself has a separate entrance from the Vatican grounds, and thanks to Pope John Paul II who had it remodeled in the 1980's, it's a great deal more user friendly, accommodating some 35,000 visitors a day. Not just anyone can give tours of the museum; Dr. Elizabeth Lev is a professor of Art History and is one of the select few licensed to give tours in the museum. On a recent trip to Rome, I was privileged enough to take a tour with Dr Lev. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith, we talked afterwards about how and why art is very much a central part of Christianity and how connected the works are to the central theme of the Holy See's mission, which is saving souls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Vatican Observatory is located on a hill in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, the former summer residence of the popes. It's a physical reminder of the Catholic Church's commitment to science, and in particular the heavens - the universe, star formation, galaxies. Headquartered on the Apostolic Palaces fifth floor, it's roots go back to the 16th century when Pope Gregory VII reformed the calendar, aligning it more closely with the motion of the planets, giving us the much more precise Gregorian calendar. Fr. Richard D'Souza is one of several astronomer priests doing research at the Observatory, whose main offices are now in a new facility and updated telescopes are at the edge of the papal gardens and also in Tuscon, Arizona (Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope -VATT). With degrees in physics and a doctorate in astronomy from the University of Munich, this man of the cloth is also a man of science. His area of research is studying the formation and evolution of galaxies. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, recorded at the former Apostolic Residence in Castel Gandolfo, Fr. D'Souza talks about why the Catholic Church embraces science, and why it sees no conflict between the Holy Scriptures and Scientific discoveries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let's face it, most of us are a little bit sketchy when it comes to understanding who the Holy Spirit is and what He actually does. Yes, "He." That's one of the identifiers that trips people up these days, especially in this gender-bending, Star Wars influenced worldview culture. It's much easier to think of this third member of the Holy Trinity as some ethereal spiritual force, "Let the Force be with you," than a person with power. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Pastor Max Lucado explains who this person the Holy Spirit is, and how we can tap into His power. The Bible talks about how our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. So that means this powerful being is close to us, as close as we want Him to be. Lucado preaches through his new book "Help Is Here" that this power has always been here. Like Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz," you don't have to travel to some far-off land to find the refuge, strength and love you crave. It's here and now, right where you are. That's the power of the Holy Spirit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was one decision that made a world of difference in a plethora of lives. This is the underlying theme of the movie "Lifemark," now out in theaters, and starring Kirk Cameron. Cameron, who came to fame in the 1980's playing "Mike Seaver" on the sitcom "Growing Pains," is now producing and developing Christian based content for television and film. He's teamed up again with the Kendrick Brothers, who he first worked with on the movie "Fireproof," which is about saving a marriage. Lifemark is about saving a life. In this case it's about a young man who's adopted, who journeys to meet his biological mother. The story of course is very pro-life, but it goes deeper, fleshing out the complex relationships created when a mother elects NOT to have an abortion, and the lives that are changed for the better because of that decision. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Cameron talks about why he was moved to make this film. His own experience as the father of four adopted children and his wife Chelsea, who is adopted herself. The Grand Narrative of the film is that God has a tremendous purpose through adoption, and that life is the most incredible gift, even if it comes in the most unexpected ways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The unlikely pairing of faithful Christian and former television co-host Kathie Lee Gifford and Messianic Rabbi Jason Sobel seems almost like an act straight from the entertainment world. It's either that or one by Divine design. And I prefer the latter scenario. Gifford and Sobel's second book collaboration, "The God of the Way" is a companion to a new movie musical "The Way," which Gifford calls an oratorio in film form. [An oratorio is basically Scripture telling a story, mixed with musical presentations of that story.] But it's the content and purpose of their collaboration that flies in the face of what most people think about when it comes to Jews and Christians getting along. It's not about making peace even though we disagree. These two agree. Sobel is a Messianic Rabbi believing that Jesus Christ is THE Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. And there's plenty he's trying to teach Christians about the origins of their faith. One of the main themes is that there isn't an Old and New Testament, it is one Holy Scripture, one continuous narrative. And that so much of what Christians understand as the New Testament, are far clearer and more impactful when absorbed through the lens of the Hebrew Scriptures. Gifford is Sobel's mentee and student who's absorbed a lot of his knowledge, and their relationship has made it safe for Christians to understand Judaism, and Jews to understand Christianity. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Gifford and Sobel show how exciting faith can be in a community of shared insights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A patriot he certainly is. No one can question that. Lee Greenwood's song celebrating the love of country is also now proclaiming his faith, exploring how the Scriptures are integral to America's founding. Greenwod has created the "God Bless the USA" Bible, which is a King James translation of the Holy Scriptures with America's founding documents in the addendum, showing how the two are related. Greenwood opened the Fox Summer Concert series this year on Memorial Day weekend, and I was privileged to sit down with him then to talk about The Good Book, how America's foundations are tied to it, and why it's important we never forget it. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Greenwood also talks about the Uvalde shooting, which had just occurred, and why he and many of his fellow musicians opted to cancel their appearances at the NRA conference. While he supports the Second Amendment, Greenwood says the tragedy made it a no brainer to bow out of the conference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices