The Victory of Faith: How the Spirit of God Built Civilization and Transformed Your World “Give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the nations…” -Psalm 105:1-2 “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I consider the work of Your hands.” -Psalm 143:5 “History is the True Demonstration of Religion” -John Dalberg-Acton, Catholic Historian, (1834-1902) By: Andrew Alleman Its influence is all around us. Human dignity and compassion. Modern science and technology. Origins of human rights and religious freedom. Professional healthcare in every city. Abundant prosperity combined with voluntary charity. A world with nations in which the Spirit of goodness and compassion presides over the… read more

The Power of Scripture I've been witnessing a new movement cropping up in the more charismatic areas of the church that I can't help but pause and wonder about. I don't appreciate the church pointing the finger at others in the church, so I'll attempt to avoid doing it. Instead, I want to give a bit of a warning to those of you who are hearing these voices, and to ask you to discern whether it's a pathway that you feel you really should work down. I'm sure the movement is much older than I give it credit for, but I've noticed in the past couple years a new resurgence built of off the charismatic, Holy Spirit experience tangent of the faith. This idea impresses the importance of the rhema word, or active, new, living word of God. The rhema is the voice of the Holy Spirit, who… read more

Ever find yourself falling down a rabbit hole online? Is the sky blue? Of course. We all have. Our first reaction might be to believe that falling down a rabbit hole means coming across crazy conspiracy theories, like Elvis shot JFK or alien lizard people wrote Shakespeare. Thankfully, I will not be reporting to you about Hitler still being alive in Argentina or bases on the dark side of the moon. My rabbit hole goes deep into the labyrinth of helpful tips, tricks and outlooks on life. While doing research for a book I'm putting together, I rediscovered an idea that I thought was extremely helpful when working towards self-improvement (or personal development if you don't want to sound like a Tony Robbins infomercial). But my research naturally began to modify the… read more

I don't get to read enough in my life. Most of my time is spent in the educational realm, and this usually means I'm reading a lot of various informational pieces/books, or I'm doing research in order to build a case for a Podcast or presentation. Needless to say, when I sit down to read for “enjoyment”, I'd rather take in a book of fiction or at the very least historical fiction. However, when I do end up finally purchasing a book, I so often decide on something in the sphere of history or science. But the one that I find myself always on the look-out for is more akin to self-improvement. I love pouring over studies, theories, anecdotes and suggestions on improving everything from habits to deeply embedded character traits. Buying books like this as opposed to pleasure reading may … read more

I had a couple different topics to write about popping around my head. The theological ones, political ones, and even the fitness ones. For a moment, I almost embarked into the theological, considering a debate which seems to be kicking up on the graffiti-wall of Facebook. But I chose a different path. A lighter way and one that transcends the debates and winds of doctrine. The joy of what God has given us continues to be a favorite topic of mine. If you follow this blog at all, you'll probably remember my writings on the many tiny little blessings we get to experience each day. Not every moment is horrible. And if we are absolutely miserable, sad, and devastated 24/7, 365...then it's a heart issue that sorely needs to be checked and fixed. The joy in particular that I'm… read more