“It is supremely fitting that every man should approach the infant Jesus upon his knees.”
By Rev. Mark H. Creech
Christian Action League of North Carolina

In Bethlehem, the Church of the Nativity originally built by the Christian Emperor Constantine during the fourth century is located above a cave that legend holds is the place of Christ’s birth. It’s impossible to know whether the spot truly is where the Virgin Mary delivered the Son of God. Nevertheless, one interesting fact about the Church is that all pilgrims who venture to see the supposed place where the holy child was laid in a manger must first enter through The Door of Humility.

The Door of Humility is a small rectangular entrance that was created during Ottoman times to prevent carts from being driven in by looters, and to force even the most prominent of visitors to dismount from their horses before entering. Famed Bible commentator William Barclay once noted of the door: “There is something beautiful in the symbolism that the church where the cave is has a door so low that all must stoop to enter. It is supremely fitting that every man should approach the infant Jesus upon his knees.” Read the rest of this entry »

By Rev. Mark H. Creech
Executive Director
Christian Action League of North Carolina

According to a recent article in USA Today, there is one thing the nation’s most successful CEOs have in common — they received their share of spankings as children.

Although the article stated that “[m]ost CEOs believed spankings played little or no role in their success,” the CEOs also acknowledged that the practice taught them valuable life lessons. David Haffner, chief executive officer of Leggett & Platt, said the spankings he received as a child made him “disciplined, detailed and organized.” Joe Mogolia, with TD Ameritrade, said he learned from his parents that “tough love is better than soft love.”

Also cited in the article is a recent study by sociologists Eve Tahmincioglu, titled: “From the Sandbox to the Corner Office: Lessons Learned on the Journey to the Top.” Chapter One of the book is called “Less Carrott, More Stick.” And in the book, Tahmincioglu contends spanking taught the 55 executives she interviewed “to respect authority.” “They feared their parents, but loved them as well. Their parents would follow through with a spanking when the children misbehaved. Today there is no follow-through,” she argued. Read more of this editorial.

By Rev. Mark H. Creech

(OneNewsNow.com) – Some may have heard that time-worn story about a citizen who once admonished a politician that the office should seek the man and not the other way around. “Well, I guess that’s all right,” said the politician, “but I gave it plenty of time and it seemed rather bashful.” [1]

It’s most unfortunate the ambitious lengths candidates will often go to achieve power. Great leaders, however, do not seek power for selfish ends; instead they use it to serve.

In the Gospel of St. Matthew, chapter 4, is recorded the temptation of Christ. In the wilderness, Jesus was faced with what means he would employ in winning men to God. What method would he use to convince others he was the Messiah – the anointed leader of Israel? One commentator asked it this way: “How was he to turn the vision into actuality, and the dream into fact?” [2] The methods Jesus rejected in his temptation speak volumes to what is standard fare for most political campaigns today. Read the rest of this entry »