Early in 2019, my friend and pastor Matthew Vander Els at Founded in Truth asked me to do a video honoring veterans, with emphasis on the centennial of the end of World War I. That became Warriors and the Story of Humanity, a short documentary intended to honor veterans of all wars. Soon after that, the Matt asked if I would consider preparing videos on current events which would go up on our YouTube channel on Thursdays. That’s how Current Events Simplified got started, and now they get produced about every other week. Hope you find these useful!
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- Isn’t This Election Over Yet?, December 31, 2020. We voted on November 3, 2020. It’s now January 2021. Why isn’t this election over? When will it be over – and how? Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that the start of 2021 will be just as weird as the year that has just ended.
- Enter the Dragon: Should I Be Worried About China?, December 18, 2020. There has been a lot of news lately about China – at least in some media outlets. The first question is, who is reporting about China, and who isn’t? Why the difference? More importantly, is there anything to be worried about regarding Chinese influence in American institutions?
- American Government
- Part 1: What Does the President Do?, March 5, 2020
- Part 2: How to Choose Good Leaders-Should Christians Vote?, October 15, 2020. America reinvents itself every four years. That’s the purpose of the election cycle as the Founders of our Constitutional Republic envisioned it. But since this nation is an institution created by humans – even though founded on a Judeo-Christian worldview – should the people of God participate in this process? If so, how?
- Part 3: What Elections Really Mean, November 5, 2020. We just voted, but we don’t know who won. We probably won’t know for quite a while. Such a thing has never happened before, right? Well, actually, it has. The real question is, how do the people of God deal with this issue -and with all the other issues wrapped up in it?
- Part 4: How Do We Really Choose A President?, November 19, 2020. Why don’t we have a president yet? The news says Joe Biden won the election, but Donald Trump says it’s not over. What are we to believe? Maybe if we take a look at the election procedures outlined in the Constitution we’ll have a better idea what’s really going on.
- Part 5: How Does Government By the People Work?, December 3, 2020. The Founders of the United States had specific ideas about how and why governments are formed, and what they are supposed to do. Our Creator, the ultimate Authority, gave responsibility for government of the earth to human beings. How has that worked out in the American experience? How is it working out right now, when we face an electoral crisis unlike any other we have seen in our history?
- The Abraham Accords: Giving Peace a Chance, September 17, 2020. Whenever something happens with Israel in the Middle East, questions arise about its relevance to the End Times. Such is the case with the Abraham Accords, the peace agreement signed by Israel with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and the United States. Is this a false peace? Is it a diplomatic breakthrough? What does it mean for region? What should we think about it considering the lessons of history and the promises of scripture?
- Israel, the UAE, and Statecraft, September 3, 2020. While the world was looking the other way, Israel pulled off one of the most astounding diplomatic coups of recent years. Peace with the United Arab Emirates will be very good for both countries and for the region, but there is more significance to this development than that. What does it tell us about the national leaders who made it happen, especially Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu? Are there lessons for life in this game-changing diplomatic move?
- V-J Day + 75, August 20, 2020. World War II ended on September 2, 1945 with the surrender of the Empire of Japan. How do you remember that war – or do you even think about it? Maybe there are some lessons from the Pacific War that still apply today.
- Why Care About Israel?
- Part 1: Because You ARE Israel, July 9, 2020. What is the big deal about Israel, and why should Christians care? This is more than an issue of supporting the Jewish people and the state of Israel; it’s actually a question of identity.
- Part 2: Because Redemption Does Not Happen Without Israel, July 23 2020. God has gone to great lengths to preserve the Jewish people – even through all the efforts of the world to eradicate them over the centuries. What we don’t realize is that those efforts to eradicate the Jews have often occurred with participation of, or at least acquiescence by, the church in its many forms.
- Part 3: Because God’s Reputation Depends on Israel’s Continued Existence, August 6, 2020. God says quite clearly that He will establish an everlasting covenant with Israel, and that He will bring Israel’s people back to the Promised Land. His name and reputation are at stake here. What does that mean for the Jewish people? What does it mean for Christians – both in the past, and right now?
- Lessons from the Little Bighorn, June 25, 2020. June 25, 2020 is the 144th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Is there any connection between the events of that fateful day in American history and the times we are now experiencing?
- Summer of ’68, June 18, 2020. What is going on with all the upheaval in America and the world? Have we been here before? Yes – and no. Let’s consider some lessons from our recent past so we can build a better future.
- The World in Transition
- The World in Transition, Part 1: How to Survive When the World Falls Apart, April 16, 2020
- The World in Transition, Part 2: The New Global Order, April 29, 2020
- The World in Transition, Part 3: And Then There Was One, May 14, 2020
- The World in Transition, Part 4: Tournament of Global Domination, May 28, 2020
- The World in Transition, Part 5: Collapse of America?, June 4, 2020
- Antisemitism, February 20, 2020
- Brexit, February 6, 2020
- The Peace Plan, January 30, 2020
- The Middle East, January 16, 2020
- World War 3, January 8, 2020
- Iran, January 7, 2020
- Warriors and the Story of Humanity, November 11, 2019
