Pastor's Circle - Dr. Jerry Horner

Strengths of Church in America?

There's an ebb and flow. And you'll find that God does have a movement, a personality for every generation.

And God always has somebody to stand in the gap.

The weakness has been, I think, in the refusal...of the church in standing up for basic Christian values - the biblical worldview.

Where there is compromise there is always weakness.

The strength is that there are people who know biblical values. They do take a stand. There is a voice. There are leaders who are coming to the fore.

Our churches are deluded with a worldview that is totally contrary to a biblical one.

I honestly believe out of chaos, God does bring a resurrection. And out of ruin there can be something stronger.

In the national life..trials bring strength. And when we endure, there are lessons learned.

Our country, unfortunately, doesn't learn much from history.

Why do we compromise?

It's subtle, because Satan is very keen. It's like the proverb about opening the door a little crack and elephants come in.

Sometimes when we think we're being tolerant..when we open the crack just a little bit, then the tide rushes in.

I think sometimes it's a fear of being branded.

You can't lie down with the rattlesnake, and cuddle up to a rattlesnake. There is a room for intolerance. Jesus was very intolerant..when it comes to two things...ethics and doctrine. And there can be no compromise whatsoever.

Is the young generation headed in the right direction?

I'm very encouraged, because I see dedication among young people. Sometime that dedication can be positive, sometime it can be negative.

It was my joy for almost fifty years to be associated with college-age students. Here they are frequently teaching, living out, and modeling a biblical worldview.

Key to good families?

The key there is the father as the priest in the family. The father taking his biblically-appointed role...setting the example, doing the teaching.

In the larger context of the kingdom of God. It is a living fellowship based on the common belief in redemption in Jesus.