STRIVING TOGETHER for the faith of the gospel

Be Alert: The Firestorm over Elephant Room 2

2012-02-11T21:07:00.000-08:00

(Cripplegate) With all the digital ink that’s been spilled surrounding The Elephant Room 2, it’s been difficult (and a bit wearisome!) trying to keep up with everything. I thought that I would give it my best shot to corral some of the most helpful, and some of the most telling, commentary on the whole situation into a single spot.

Because of the scope of the event, this post will be quite lengthy. Nevertheless, I hope it will be a benefit to those interested in the issues.
In Anticipation

Pretty soon after MacDonald came out endorsing “manifestations” as classical Trinitarian language (which comments have since been revised), Carl Trueman got the ball rolling by asking, “Is Nicene Christianity Important?” Surely not a sign of good things to come.

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Obamacare Expects Faith-based groups to Violate Consciences

2012-02-11T21:02:00.000-08:00

(CNS News)
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Monday that American women “deserve” to have their employers buy them health insurance plans that cover sterlizations and all FDA-approved contraceptives, including those that cause abortions, with no fees or co-pay, even if the employer is a Catholic or Catholic organization that adheres to the church teaching that sterilization, artificial contraception and abortifacients are morally wrong and that Catholics cannot be involved in them.
“I understand that there have been objections and that some people disagree with us and we are going to work with institutions that have concerns here,” Carney told reporters. “But I think it’s important to note here that we believe these services are important and that American women deserve to have access to that kind of insurance coverage regardless of where they work.”

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Response to Newsweek’s Cover Story on the Global War against Christians by The Muslims

2012-02-11T21:00:00.000-08:00

(Michael Horton)
Newsweek‘s current cover-story is “The Global War on Christians in the Muslim World,” by Ayann Hirsi Ali, who fled her native Somalia and served in the Dutch Parliament before taking a position at the American Enterprise Institute. As the article points out, widespread anti-Christian violence is exploding even in countries with Muslim minorities. How do we respond wisely as Christians to this growing threat?

1. Prayer

First, the crisis calls for concerted prayer on behalf of our brothers and sisters under the cross. More Christians have been martyred in the last several decades than in all of the centuries combined—including the early Roman ....
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Komen Caves: An Object Lesson for All of Us

2012-02-11T20:57:00.000-08:00

No doubt you’ve been watching the unfolding drama of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation’s decision to de-fund Planned Parenthood — and then its stunning reversal.
What you saw last week was a concerted, intentional effort by an ideological minority — the radical pro-abortion forces — not just to make their case in public, but to destroy the opposition. Using incendiary language, accusing Komen of endangering the lives of women, they made no pretense to pursue civil discourse.
And it’s a tragedy that Komen for the Cure caved. Because all of the rational arguments were on their side. (Chuck Colson)

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Homosexuality: A Biblical Response to ‘I was born this way’

2012-02-04T16:51:00.000-08:00

(Mike Goeke) MIDLAND, Texas (BP) -- Recently, I was talking with my young son about his behavior with a babysitter. He had done some things clearly against "babysitter protocol," and rather than own his error, he said: "Dad. I'm not perfect."

He was using his innate imperfection as some form of justification for his poor behavior. The next day, I met with a young man dealing with difficult issues in his life and making questionable decisions. His primary defense to his behavior was his belief that he was only acting in concert with how he had been born. He, too, was using his innate imperfection as a form of justification for his poor behavior. Another friend claimed that his "personality" somehow invalidated God's commands to us to love each other, forgive each other and live in community with each other. His response to challenge was: "That is just not how God made me." Somehow, we seem to think that God's Word only applies to us when it is easy, or when it feels natural. In our self-absorbed culture, we rationalize our behavior by blaming our biology.

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Does God really decide, and care who wins a football game?

2012-02-04T16:48:00.000-08:00

(RC Sproul Jr.) I began asking this question myself long before Tim Tebow was even born. I was a little boy, deeply committed to the Pittsburgh Steelers. I remember praying that they would beat the Oakland Raiders in an upcoming playoff game. When my prayer ended fear set in- what if there were a little boy just like me, somewhere in Oakland, praying that the Raiders would beat the Steelers? My father comforted me by explaining that no real Christian would ever pray for the Raiders. ...

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Gambling Insanity: Political Chicanery and Cowardice

2012-02-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

(Break Point - Chuck Colson)
A well-known expression attributed to Albert Einstein defines insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Well, if that’s insanity, then most state officials are quite insane when it comes to gambling: for more than two decades, they have looked to casinos, lotteries, slot machines, and video poker as a way out of their budgetary woes.
In virtually every instance, actual revenues fell far short of expectations: There was no pot at the end of gambling rainbow. Whatever added revenue was gained came at the expense of social problems associated with gambling....MORE...

Marriage Facts on its Redefinition

2012-01-13T16:18:00.000-08:00

(Harvard Journal of Law of Public Policy)

Do constitutional norms, particularly of equality and liberty, require the redefinition of marriage from the union of a man and a woman to the union of any two persons? In the present judicial contest over this issue, the real dispute is not over principles of law but about the facts of marriage. This Article identifies the marriage facts presented by those on each side of the debate and articulates each side’s responses to the other’s factual position. A critical examination of the two accounts reveals that the factual description of marriage advanced by proponents of man-woman marriage is more accurate. The Article then analyzes the widely held assumption that judicial selection of the standard of review—rational basis, heightened (but not strict) scrutiny, or strict scrutiny—determines the outcome in cases addressing the constitutionality of traditional marriage laws. That analysis concludes that the choice of marriage facts, not the standard of review, is ultimately dispositive.

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Why Homosexuality IS Different

2012-01-13T16:15:00.001-08:00

(Mike Goeke) MIDLAND, Texas (BP) -- For years, those of us doing ministry in the area of unwanted same-sex attraction and outreach to the gay community have worked diligently to help the church see that homosexual behavior is no different than any sin.

For those of us who struggled with same-sex attraction, the church's seeming placement of homosexuality at the top of some created "sin hierarchy" was frustrating and hurtful to us. And we worried that as long as the church treated homosexual behavior as the worst of all sins, people would continue to fear the church instead of finding hope in the church. MORE...

Internet Explosion over Tim Tebow’s 316 Yards

2012-01-13T16:14:00.000-08:00

(Time) It would have been more than enough for the polarizing Denver Broncos quarterback to simply lead his underdog team to victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in the AFC wild-card game. And Tim Tebow did, thanks to his 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime that left the Steelers and the watching world simply stunned.

But then the facts and figures emerged, and the Internet verily exploded: Tebow threw for exactly 316 yards in the 29-23 upset win, presenting an eerie allusion to the Bible’s John 3: 16 passage — whose number Tebow famously wore in the black under his eyes when he led the Florida Gators to victory in the 2009 collegiate national championship game. What’s more, that event took place exactly three years ago on the same day as his latest miracle comeback. And that wasn’t it for the coincidences: Tebow set an NFL playoff record with, you guessed it, 31.6 yards per completion and the TV rating on CBS peaked between 8.00-8.15pm ET with a rating of, say it ain’t so, 31.6. MORE...

Some of the Candidates on Same-Sex Marriage

2012-01-13T16:13:00.000-08:00

(Baptist Press)

MANCHESTER, N.H. (BP) -- Redefining marriage to include gay couples has negative consequences that rarely are discussed in the news media, Republican presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney say.

The two men made the comments during an ABC News/Yahoo GOP debate Saturday (Jan. 7) in New Hampshire leading up to the state's first-in-the-nation primary. Gingrich, Romney, Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman all were asked their opinions either on gay "marriage" or civil unions, with most of the questions centered on what they would say to the gay person who wants to be "married."

After several minutes of watching the back-and-forth between the ABC News moderators and the candidates, Gingrich pushed back. ... MORE...

Christian Principles for Realistic Politics

2012-01-07T21:28:00.000-08:00

(Kevin DeYoung) Voting for President of the United States begins today in Iowa. For the next ten months it will be hard to avoid hearing about politics. This is welcome news to political junkies and tiresome for everybody else. But whether you are into politics or not, you should care about the political process. And as Christians we should try to think Christianly about the issues and candidates before us.
This can be tricky. On the one hand, I’m concerned that some of us think there is a Christian position on every issue—as if the Bible determines the one and only God-honoring decision regarding rates of taxation or how to respond if Iran closes the Straits of Hormuz....MORE...

The Next Billy Graham Might Be Drunk Right Now

2012-01-07T21:26:00.000-08:00

(Russell Moore) Whenever I start to get discouraged about the future of the church, I remember a conversation I had a few years ago with evangelical theologian Carl F. H. Henry on what would turn out to be his last visit to Southern Seminary before his death.
Several of us were lamenting the miserable shape of the church, about so much doctrinal vacuity, vapid preaching, non-existent discipleship. We asked Dr. Henry if he saw any hope in the coming generation of evangelicals. MORE:

Resources for Keeping your Resolutions

2012-01-07T21:18:00.001-08:00

(Tim Challies) Did you make any resolutions this new year? If you didn’t, Burk Parsons’ Tabletalk article from a few years ago may persuade you to think again. Burk argues that the Bible gives us good reasons for making resolutions, as long as we make them sensibly, dependently, humbly, and for Christ’s sake. The beginning of a new year is a logical time to consider some resolutions. MORE:

Two Helpful Book Reviews on Real Marriage by Mark & Grace Driscoll

2012-01-07T21:06:00.000-08:00

TIM CHALLIES: It must be intimidating to write a book on marriage. Store shelves are groaning under the weight of titles that claim to have the key to a happy marriage, or a biblical marriage or a gospel-centered marriage. To rise above such a crowded field a book needs to offer something different, something unique, something that distinguishes it from the pack. Mark and Grace Driscoll have jumped into the fray with their new book Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship, and Life Together and the distinguishing feature of their book is its gut honesty, its sheer vulnerability. The Driscolls invite the reader deep into their own marriage and attempt to answer difficult, intimate questions—More....

DENNY BURK: I am no connoisseur of marriage manuals, but Mark and Grace Driscoll’s recent contribution to the genre has to be one of the most provocative treatments ever penned for and by evangelicals. In Real Marriage: The Truth about Sex, Friendship & Life Together, Mark and Grace share candidly about the significant sexual brokenness that afflicted the early years of their own marriage and about how the Lord delivered them from it. They also discuss in graphic detail the questions that couples frequently ask them about the marital bed. MORE....

Applying Scripture When It Doesn’t Speak Directly to You

2011-12-30T16:13:00.001-08:00

(David Powlison) Here is a core dilemma for Bible readers. On the one hand, we are told that “whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). Likewise, we believe that “all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” But sometimes it is hard to see how. As David Powlison says, “Most of the Bible does not speak directly and personally to you.” He lists some examples: MORE

5 Signs You’re Borrowing Too Much

2011-12-30T16:12:00.000-08:00

(Time) They’re ba-ack. Like the ghosts in Poltergeist, shoppers have returned this holiday season and they are threatening to stir up a familiar demon—debts they can’t repay.

Black Friday sales set records. Cyber Monday sales were torrid too. Personal spending accounted for the vast majority of third-quarter growth, and spending has been up three of the past four months, reports the Wall Street Journal. The savings rate has fallen to 3.5% from 5.3%. MORE

Intense Bible Reading: 10 Chapters a Day

2011-12-30T16:10:00.000-08:00

(Professor Horner) ve shared here before that I often find it difficult to find real joy and freedom in my personal devotions. At times things go very well, but then inevitably it seems that difficulties creep in and I find that I come to dread my time spent reading and praying. What is at some times delight is at other times the most difficult of duties.

Over the years I have often tried programs, structures to keep me in some kind of reading plan. I’ve tried the plans that take me through the Bible in a year (or two years or…) and always I’ve found them difficult. If I make it through the Pentateuch I fall apart in the prophets. I’ve never successfully completed one. MORE

Tim Tebow: Too Big to Fail?

2011-12-30T16:09:00.000-08:00

(Mark Mellinger) Despite losing to the New England Patriots on Sunday, Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow continues to be the talk of the NFL and all of professional sports. Since taking over the starting role a few weeks into what was looking like a lost season, Tebow has led the resurgent Broncos to a 7-2 record that now has them sniffing the playoffs. MORE

Flying Right: A CEO’s Moral Stand

2011-12-16T22:03:00.000-08:00

(Breakpoint)
Many Americans — from Main Street to Occupy Wall Street — have been shocked at how some corporate CEOs have made out like bandits after flying their companies right into the ground. Other chief executives have done extremely well after breaking their word to stockholders, the general public, and the people who work for them. MORE...

Need to Evaluate Your Charities?

2011-12-16T22:02:00.000-08:00

Go here

5 Ways Husbands Can Sanctify Their Wives

2011-12-16T22:01:00.000-08:00

(Jared Wilson) Ways Husbands Can Sanctify Their Wives

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
-- Ephesians 5:25-27

1. Put Her First
Sacrifice is in view here, as is the understanding of "sanctify" in the sense of "setting apart for special use," as in consecration. Husbands honor their wives not among others, but before and above others.

2. "Gospel" Her
Yes, I know it's not a verb, but you get my meaning here. The passage says Jesus sanctifies the church by "washing" her with the water of the word. The understanding of "sanctify" as "cleanse" is in view here, and a husband who wants to sanctify his wife will share with her the word of God, speak to her the word of God, remind her who she is in Christ, forgive her sins, give her the opportunity to forgive his in word-driven repentance, and in general make sure she is gently, lovingly covered in the Scriptures.

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A Brief History of Christmas

2011-12-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

(Doug Wilson)

A Brief History of Christmas

Liturgy and Worship - Church Year

Written by Douglas Wilson

Saturday, December 10, 2011 8:13 am

INTRODUCTION:
We celebrate the birth of Christ, and we are able to do this because we have seen what His rule has accomplished in the world. Jesus told Thomas once that there was a blessing for those who would believe without having seen the risen Christ, as Thomas had (John 20:29). On this principle, our place in history gives us access to a greater blessing because we have not seen Christ with our eyes. But it goes the other way also. Those at the time of Christ had not yet seen what His rule would do in history (as we have). And so they are more greatly blessed looking toward the future—the same way that we will be blessed by looking forward to what Christ has yet to do (1 Cor. 2:9).

The History of the Sign Gifts

2011-12-01T09:34:00.000-08:00

(Michael Patton)
The following is part of a discussion (not debate) between two friends, Sam Storms and C. Michael Patton, about the charismatic gifts of the Spirit. Sam is a Charismatic. Michael is not. If you have come in late, you can access the entire series here.
BTW: After Sam and I respond to each other’s post on history, we both have a short conclusion then this series is tetelestai!
Sam, I have often admitted how important personal experience is to my understanding of this issue about the continuation of the spiritual gifts in question. I try not to hide behind some presumption of objectivity, as if I can read the Scriptures and ignore my own experiences. The best I can hope to do is recognize and harness their influence on me. However, I don’t think I am, even in an ideal world, expected to ignore them. Ronald Nash talked about this in his work Life’s Ultimate Questions. He gives four tests by which we must evaluate a proposed worldview. One of these tests is the test of “practice.” In what he calls “the laboratory of life,” a given worldview must be evaluated by this question: “can people who profess that worldview live consistently in harmony with the system they profess?” (28). As Scripture is my ultimate guide and I remain unconvinced that it speaks clearly to this issue, I have to ask myself this question: If I were to convince myself that the gifts of tongues, prophecy, and healings were continuing and normative (or “normal” as you , Sam, would rather put it) in the church today, does my experience affirm or deny this belief? At this point, as you know, I have not had a definite experience of these gifts, much less in any normative way. Therefore, I would be forced to live in a bit of cognitive dissonance were I to become charismatic. My said beliefs would play tug-a-war with my experience and greatly weaken the reality of such beliefs. MORE

Handling the Conflict of God and Suffering

2011-12-01T09:33:00.000-08:00

(Byron Yawn)
And then sometimes the opportunities simply fall in your lap. Case in point. My wife and I were eating lunch at a Mediterranean restaurant we frequent here in Nashville. By frequent I mean – I no longer need to order. The owner, a gracious Arabic lady, automatically prepares my plate when she sees me walk in. I’m greeted with a “Byron!” every time. (Sounding more like “Baroon!” filtered through the heavy Lebanese accent.) She and I know each other pretty well. Well enough for her to inquire about my family. “How are the kids?” So I tell her the latest. My oldest son recently shattered his lower leg and will be semi-home bound for several months. Upon hearing, she stops – dollop of hummus suspended in midair – and asks one of the more profound questions a human can ask. (This is word for word.)
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The Naughty or Nice Retailers List

2011-12-01T09:31:00.000-08:00

Naughty or Nice? AFA's 2011 listing of top retailers and how they recognize Christmas - check it out! (AFA) MORE

Federal Spending Cuts You Would Choose

2011-12-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

Freedeom Works -- A chance for you to prioritize the spending...
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What Christians Really Believe: “I Must Try Harder”

2011-12-01T09:25:00.000-08:00

(Ed Welch) Hello, I am a moralistic therapeutic deist.” That’s the word from a number of evangelical teens.
I really liked that phrase when I first read it, though it seemed a little clunky. It was introduced by the 2005 book, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. After listening to about 3,000 interviews the authors suggested that evangelical teens describe their beliefs this way:

God created
God wants us to be happy
God waits around until we have a problem then jumps in to help
Good people – people who are nice – go to heaven

In other words, they are moralistic therapeutic deists. MORE

Why Did a Leading Company Pull Out of Embryonic Stem Cell Research?

2011-12-01T09:23:00.000-08:00

(Geron) LOS ANGELES (BP) -- In a surprising move, the company that launched the nation's first government-approved embryonic stem cell trial is halting further research due to funding -- a shift that pro-life leaders say confirms long-held doubts about the value of embryonic stem cells.

Geron, which launched the first FDA-approved embryonic stem cell trial in 2010 with much fanfare, said Nov. 14 it will stop funding its stem cell trials and move that money to cancer research, a move it said is necessary in the "current environment of capital scarcity and uncertain economic conditions."

The shift is effective immediately. MORE

Jesus the Botanist: Musings About the Biblical Heart

2011-12-01T09:22:00.000-08:00

(Deepak Reju)

I’m not a botanist. I can barely tell the difference between most trees. I am generally ignorant about the intricacies of gardening. But did you know that Jesus occasionally talked about trees? That’s right—He was a botanist of sorts. Recall His words from Luke 6:

No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks (Luke 6:43-45).

99% of Adults with Down Syndrome Report Being Happy in Life

2011-11-19T15:36:00.000-08:00

(Life News)

The worst statistic that is floating around these days is the one that upwards of 90% or more of Down Syndrome children are aborted after prenatal testing. I am convinced that this is because parents are pressured into abortion by their health care providers.
In a totally backwards world, parents are told that they are selfish and evil if they DO NOT kill their special needs child. And with a new, early, non-invasive genetic test on the horizon, the pressure on parents to “get rid of” their Down Syndrome child will only increase. I refer to this quote more often than I should, but I believe it is so important to understand what is being said in doctor’s offices about those with Down Syndrome: ... MORE

11 Scientists Who Experimented on Themselves

2011-11-19T15:35:00.000-08:00

(Laura Garrison)
Would you inject 50 hookworms under your skin for your job? Or steam in a vomit sauna for a few hours? Hopefully we non-scientists will never have to answer questions like these. But for the 11 brave souls on this list, experimenting on themselves was all in a day’s work.

1. Benjamin Franklin ....MORE

R.I.P.: Rest in Peace?

2011-11-19T15:33:00.001-08:00

(Barnabas Piper) A wake-up call.” That is how we often refer to death, especially when the person who died was close to us or when the individual’s death receives significant attention in the news. But what is this call awakening us from? And, even more importantly, what are we being awakened to?
Many people, when they see death, are simply faced with the fact that people die. Few people like to dwell on this fact, and those who do are considered morbid. When people see death, they are “awakened” from the delusions and fog of a comfortable life to the reality of mortality. This type of awakening is often short lived and leads to no real life change. It isn’t so much an awakening as it is a rolling over and shifting of positions on the metaphorical pillow of life. MORE

Is “Living the Gospel” an Acceptable Term?

2011-11-19T15:32:00.000-08:00

(Joel). The term “living the gospel” has become a popular one in the past few years, being used by people such as Tim Keller, J.D. Greear, David Platt, and many others. Many variations on the term exist: “living out the gospel,” “living in light of the gospel,” “being the gospel,” and so on. While most people probably hear the terms and skip right past them without a second thought, there are others who have repeatedly and loudly declared opposition to all such uses of the term. MORE

The High Costs of Marriage Absence

2011-11-11T08:06:00.000-08:00

(Phyllis Schlafly) Most Americans are unaware that about $700 Billion a year of federal taxpayers' money is handed out to non-taxpayers allegedly below a poverty line (in addition to $250 Billion a year given out by the states). After Barack Obama became President, he increased federal welfare spending by a third because, as he promised during his campaign, he wants to "spread the wealth," knowing that promotes dependence on government and votes for the Democrats.
This federal welfare apparatus consists of 69 means-tested programs: 12 programs providing food, 10 for housing assistance, 10 for social services, 9 for educational assistance, 8 programs giving cash, 8 for vocational training, 7 for medical assistance, 3 for energy and utility assistance, and 2 for child care and child development. MORE....

Which Political Party is Better Connected to Church

2011-11-11T08:03:00.000-08:00

(Gallup) (CNSNews.com) - A majority of Democrats—52 percent—say they seldom or never go to church, according to Gallup data published Monday. That result is based on Gallup’s daily tracking polls conducted between June 1 and Aug. 31 of this year. In addition to the 52 percent of Democrats who told Gallup they seldom or never go to church, another 20 percent said they go to church nearly weekly or monthly, and 27 percent said they go weekly. On Oct. 28, Gallup reported that its daily tracking polls between June 1 and Aug. 31 showed that 38 percent of Republicans said they seldom or never go to church, while 21 percent said they go to church nearly weekly or monthly, and 40 percent said they go weekly.
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The Cost of Commuting

2011-11-11T08:01:00.000-08:00

Click image to enlarge

Via: Streamline Refinance

The World’ #1 Need

2011-11-11T07:59:00.000-08:00

(Ronnie Floyd) SPRINGDALE, Ark. (BP) -- Research suggests that only 11 of every 100 people in the world claim Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. About 50 percent of the world's population presently has no realistic opportunity to hear the Gospel and the percentage is growing. Every minute, 120 people are born, likely to live their entire lives and never hear the name of Jesus, not even once. MORE...

In the World, But Not of the World? Gospel, Church and Culture

2011-11-06T20:47:00.000-08:00

(James Grier)
A practical form of atheism has settled over western culture. The residue of Modernity with its coconspirators of secularism and technology are still present. The influence of the social pragmatism of Postmodernism continues to increase unabated as its paradigm progresses in the universities, the media and the political process. Multiculturalism, with its educational agenda, challenges the possibility of ultimate truth or values and replaces it with the socially constructed truth and values of each culture. Diversity has taken on new dimensions as social pragmatism continues to secure dominance in the intellectual life of the west.
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The Benefits of Sorrow

2011-11-06T20:46:00.000-08:00

(Zack Eswine)
“To be cast down is often the best thing that could happen to us.” (Charles Spurgeon)
It is rarely wise and often unkind to say what Spurgeon says while someone vomits from the chemo, showers off from bodily assault, exit interviews for their lost job, or weeps by the graveside of their child. In such moments, we learn from the best practice of Job’s friends. We say nothing. We sit in the ashes. We weep with those who weep. We talk more to God about them than we talk to them about God. We need not declare in these early horrid moments what grace and time in God’s hands can prove without our saying a word. So, we speak Spurgeon’s sentiment sparingly and in time, but nonetheless we learn to embody it daily. I say, “we learn to embody it” because we know full well that Spurgeon’s statement is not automatic. We know full well how sorrows can negatively change a person–it can harden us, embitter us, shatter our faith in God and make us cynical about people.
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Grace-Based Parenting vs. Fear-Based Parenting

2011-11-06T20:44:00.000-08:00

(Tim Kimmel)
From Tim Kimmel’s chapter “The Freedom to Make Mistakes” in his book Grace-Based Parenting:

Legalistic parents maintain a relationship with God through obedience to a standard. The goal of this when it comes to their children is to keep sin from getting into their home. They do their best to create an environment that controls as many of the avenues as possible that sin could use to work its way into the inner sanctum. . . . It’s as though the power to sin or not to sin was somehow connected to their personal will power and resolve. . . . These families are preoccupied with keeping sin out by putting a fence between them and the world.

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Mohler, Wallis Debate Social Justice, Gospel

2011-11-06T20:42:00.000-08:00

(Baptist Press)

Evangelical leaders Jim Wallis and R. Albert Mohler Jr., in a debate over the church's role in social justice, agreed that Christians have a duty to care for the poor but disagreed whether that task is part of the Gospel itself.

The debate hosted by Trinity Evangelical Divinity School's Henry Center for Theological Understanding was cordial and saw the two men agree on several issues but disagree on the debate's core question: Is social justice an essential part of the mission of the church? Wallis, president of Sojourners, took the "yes" position while Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, took the "no" position. MORE...

Church Discipline is Not a Dirty Chore

2011-10-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

(9 Marks)
For some reason, doing the dishes vexes my wife. I think the process feels futile to her: there’s always something else getting dirty, something more that needs to be put away.
For me, dishes are no big deal. I’m more than happy to do them. But I’m much less sure-footed when it comes to some other, fouler-smelling messes around the house.
Most of us put some chores on our “dirty” list. These are the things that make us hold our nose and look the other way. Things we would swiftly delegate if we could.
When it comes to life in the church, I think that many of us treat church discipline as a dirty chore. From private rebuke to public exclusion, we can resent the whole process. We hold our nose and look the other way as we go through the motions, eager to be done with all the mess. MORE...

Hacked: Keep An Eye on Your Email

2011-10-30T16:27:00.000-07:00

(The Atlantic) On April 13 of this year, a Wednesday, my wife got up later than usual and didn’t check her e‑mail until around 8:30 a.m. The previous night, she had put her computer to “sleep,” rather than shutting it down. When she opened it that morning to the Gmail account that had been her main communications center for more than six years, it seemed to be responding very slowly and jerkily. She hadn’t fully restarted the computer in several days, and thought that was the problem. So she closed all programs, rebooted the machine, and went off to make coffee and have some breakfast.
When she came back to her desk, half an hour later, she couldn’t log into Gmail at all. By that time, I was up and looking at e‑mail, and we both quickly saw what the real problem was. In my inbox I found a message purporting to be from her, followed by a quickly proliferating stream of concerned responses from friends and acquaintances, all about the fact that she had been “mugged in Madrid.” The account had seemed sluggish earlier that morning because my wife had tried to use it at just the moment a hacker was taking it over and changing its settings—including the password, so that she couldn’t log in again. The bogus message that had just gone out to me and everyone else in her Gmail contact list was this: ....MORE...

The Truth About Income Inequality

2011-10-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

(The American)
As if ordered up directly by the Obama White House and Occupy Wall Street, the Congressional Budget Office has produced a timely report looking at income inequality. The CBO found that between between 1979 and 2007, average real after-tax household income grew by 275 percent for the top 1 percent of households, 65 percent for the next 19 percent, just under 40 percent for the next 60 percent, and 18 percent for the bottom 20 percent.... MORE...

Arizona Abortion Consent Act is Saving Lives

2011-10-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

(Christian Post)
The Arizona Department of Health Services recently made public to the Center for Arizona Policy the department’s statistics for abortions in the state over the last year. There was a precipitous drop in abortions over the last two months – just after the August 11 decision of the Arizona Court of Appeals affirming the constitutionality of the Abortion Consent Act in a case argued by the Alliance Defense Fund along with the state attorney general and the Speaker of the House, and Planned Parenthood’s ensuing August 18 announcement that it was ceasing chemical (“RU-486”) abortion services in seven clinics statewide.

From August 2010 to August 2011 there were 15,632 reported abortions in the state, or an average of 1,202 per month. In August – when the last two weeks were under the newly implemented restrictions and Planned Parenthood had shuttered its chemical abortion procedures in all but three clinics – there were 1,069 abortions, or 133 fewer lives lost in the second half of that month compared with the monthly average. Naturally, there .... MORE...

The Sin of Counting

2011-10-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

(John MacArthur)
I’ll admit to being weary, to the point of irritation, whenever I hear ministers of the gospel reporting their statistics as external evidences of success. And I know I’m not the only one. (The first minute-and-a-half of this video makes the point.)

Enough already.
I’m not saying I’m less tempted than the next guy to hope for big numbers and stats, the apparent signs of God’s blessing on my ministry. I am. But I’ve seen the focus on numbers as a temptation to be resisted, not something to be embraced. And when preachers find a way to mention the numbers in public, and often, it comes across as bragging; it’s worldly and unbecoming of Christians who are to be characterized by humility and meekness.
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Study: Facebook Friend Count Linked to Brain Density

2011-10-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

(Mashable)
All those hours you spend on Facebook may be adding grey matter, signifying greater density, to the part of your brain linked to social skills. Or, perhaps, people with larger areas of the brain for social skills may just have higher than average Facebook friend counts.

That’s the chicken-and-egg problem researchers at University College London are grappling with after finding a connection between brain structure and Facebook activity. The study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, was based on MRIs of a group of 165 adults who were asked to report the number of Facebook friends they have. (The study doesn’t delineate what is considered “high,” though it refers to Dunbar’s Number, which postulates 150 friends is the limit of the average person’s social circle.)

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How I Wish The Homosexuality Debate Would Go

2011-10-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

(Trevin Wax)

Host: You are a Christian pastor, and you say you believe the Bible, which means you are supposed to love all people.

Pastor: That’s right.
Host: But it appears to me that you and your church take a rather unloving position when it comes to gay people. Are homosexuals welcome to come to your church?
Pastor: Of course. We believe that the gospel is a message relevant for every person on the planet, and we want everyone to hear the gospel and find salvation in Jesus Christ. So at our church, our arms are outstretched to people from every background, every race, every ethnicity and culture. We’re a place for all kinds of sinners and people with all kinds of problems.
Host: But you said there, “We’re a place for sinners.” So you do believe that homosexuality is sinful, right?
Pastor: Yes, I do.
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Gospel or Justice: Which?

2011-10-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

(Russell Moore)
Some evangelicals talk as though personal evangelism and public justice are contradictory concerns, or, at least, that one is part of the mission of the church and the other isn’t. I think otherwise, and I think the issue is one of the most important facing the church these days.
First of all, the mission of the church is the mission of Jesus. This mission doesn’t start with the giving of the Great Commission or at Pentecost. The Great Commission is when Jesus sends the church to the world with the authority he already has (Matt. 28:18), and Pentecost is when he bestows the power to carry this commission out (Acts 1:8).
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Courageous: A Movie, A Movement

2011-10-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

(Thom Rainer)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- I had the opportunity to view the movie "Courageous" a few times before it opened in theaters across the country. I was not alone in sensing that this movie was special, that it might very well become the beginning of a movement to restore and bring health to millions of families.
The movie premiered last weekend. I waited with anticipation to hear early results and feedback. My expectations were greatly exceeded. MORE

FAQ on Differences Between Mormonism & Christianity

2011-10-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

(Justin Taylor)
The following is adapted from the section on Mormonism (or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) in the ESV Study Bible article on religious cults [1]. The attempt is to be concise yet still accurate. I’ve added questions in bold to break it up a bit.

What do Mormons believe about apostasy and restoration? Mormons claim that “total” apostasy overcame the church following apostolic times, and that the Mormon Church (founded in 1830) is the “restored church.”
What’s the problem with this understanding? If the Mormon Church were truly a “restored church,” one would expect to find first-century historical evidence for Mormon doctrines like the plurality of gods and God the Father having once been a man. Such evidence is completely lacking. Besides, the Bible disallows a total apostasy of the church (e.g., Matt. 16:18; 28:20 [2]; Eph. 3:21; 4:11–16 [3]), warning instead of partial apostasy (1 Tim. 4:1 [4]). MORE

Is Romney’s Mormonism a Problem?

2011-10-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

(David Murray)
Although most of my life has been spent in the UK, ever since the Reagan years I’ve also taken a keen interest in American politics. I must have read close to a hundred different biographies of various American Presidents, VP’s, Secretaries of State, Generals, “spin-doctors,” and political journalists. And of course there are the daily visits to realclearpolitics, politico, etc. And after all that research, I’m looking forward to when I hope to be able to cast a ballot in a few years time. So allow me to make one of my rare forays into commenting on American politics with this simple question:
Why are the mainstream media almost completely silent on Mitt Romney’s Mormonism? MORE

Mormonism, Democracy and the Urgent Need for Evangelical Thinking

2011-10-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

(Al Mohler)
Predictably, Mormonism is in the news again. The presence of two members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints among contenders for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination ensured that it was only a matter of time before Evangelicals, along with other Americans, began to talk openly about what this means for the nation, the church, and the stewardship of political responsibility in the voting booth. MORE

Video: 180: Viral Pro-life Argument and Evangelism Movie

2011-10-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

(Ray Comfort)
180 Movie (MOVIE)

A shocking, award winning documentary - 33 minutes that will rock your world.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED: The “180″ movie includes graphic footage both from the Holocaust and the abortion clinic. Children should not watch this film without the permission of their parents.

What is a Gay Christian?

2011-10-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

(Denny Burk)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- I recently read of an interview with a "gay Christian," and at once I was struck again by the use of this peculiar phrase. For some people, this term will appear immediately to be an oxymoron. For others, it represents a view of Christian morality that has moved beyond the heterosexual norm of Scripture to embrace all manner of sexual expressions. But what does this phrase really mean? When you hear it spoken or read it in print, what do people mean by it? And is it a helpful term for Christians to use?

We can observe at least two definitions of the phrase gay Christian -- the descriptive and the culturally normative:...MORE....

You Thought You Were Only Shopping: Culture Wars Online

2011-10-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

(Chuck Colson)
Did you know that shopping online could be considered a homophobic activity? Neither did I.

Imagine that your laptop finally gives up the ghost. You have several options: You can drive to the store and buy a new one, or you can shop online.
If you choose the latter, you have another option: You can buy it from an online retailer, or you can connect to a retailer via a portal. Why? Because some portals, like CGBG, split its share of the profits with a charity of your choice.
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Science and Humility: Rewriting Physics?

2011-10-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

(Chuck Colson)
One of the most potentially exciting -- or confounding -- scientific discovery happened recently. It depends on your point of view.

The expression “physics envy” refers to the way that the social sciences try to emulate the mathematical precision and certainty of physics.
It’s easy to understand the envy: No one argues with Newton’s Laws of Motion. Physics is authoritative in ways that economics and even biology can never hope to be. But “authoritative” isn’t the same thing as “omniscient” — when it comes to studying creation, humility and an appreciation of mystery are indispensible
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Can Your Theology Handle the Book of Lamentations

2011-09-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

(Ordinary Pastor)
Do you find yourself apologizing for God?
You may not articulate it in the words, “I’m sorry that my God is like this.” However, there is some indication that the sharp edges of the character of God are better ignored, diluted, or otherwise recast so as to make his actions more acceptable. Don’t misunderstand, I am not talking primarily to liberals here but rather to evangelicals. Mr. or Mrs. card carrying evangelical, are you quietly ashamed of some of God’s tirades of judgment in the Old Testament?
Can your theology handle a book like Lamentations? MORE

Some Thoughts On Ministering to the Sick and Dying

2011-09-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

(Kevin DeYoung)
I am no expert in ministering to people in suffering. It is a privilege to be with the sick and dying, but it can also be scary, hard work. I have great respect for chaplains, calling pastors, solo pastors, and other believers who spend a lot of their time comforting the sick and suffering with the gospel.
As you minister to the sick and dying–and we all will have opportunity to do so–here are some things to keep in mind.
1. Be patient. Ask lots of questions. Don’t assume you know what they are thinking or feeling. Ask them.
2. Ask direct questions. I have found especially with older generations that they don’t respond well to some of the “jargon” questions like “how is your walk with the Lord?” They are not used to thinking of Christianity in these terms. Ask more direct questions like “How is God helping you?” or “What Bible verses or hymns have come to mind?”
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Galatians, Gospel Indicatives, and Gospel Imperatives

2011-09-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

(The Gospel Coalition)
At last week’s 9Marks @Southeastern conference, our conference host and seminary president Dr. Danny Akin delivered an overview sermon on the entire book of Galatians. Get this: the sermon had two major divisions with 42 subpoints! Don’t try this at home kids!
Essentially, Akin walked us through the book of Galatians commenting on the 29 indicative statements Paul makes about the gospel and the 13 imperatives that flow from them. If you’ve been following the blog discussion of the relationship between indicatives and imperatives then you might be interested in this talk and the panel that followed. Akin makes it plain that out of the “done” (indicatives) there flows a “do” (imperatives).
For those that are curious, here are the 29 gospel indicatives and 13 gospel imperatives Akin highlighted:
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John Piper: I Was Racist

2011-09-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

(Christianity Today)
I was born in 1946 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and from the time I was six months old, I grew up in Greenville, South Carolina. I left for college eighteen years later and spent four years in Wheaton, Illinois; three years in Pasadena, California; three years in Munich, Germany; and the rest of my life in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. But those early years in South Carolina are the roots of my racial burden.

The population of South Carolina in 1860 was about 700,000. Sixty percent were African Americans (420,000), and all but 9,000 of these were slaves. That's a mere 150 years ago—only fifty-nine years before my father was born. On December 20, 1860, South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union, largely in protest over Abraham Lincoln's election as an anti-slavery president and the implications that had for states' rights. Three weeks later, the Civil War began in Charleston, South Carolina. MORE

Grudem's Essay

2011-09-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

"Are Only Some Words of Scripture Breathed out by God?"
Crossway has generously granted me permission to post a free copy of an important essay by Wayne Grudem:

“Are Only Some Words of Scripture Breathed Out by God? Why Plenary Inspiration Favors ‘Essentially Literal’ Bible Translation”
This essay was published in Translating Truth: The Case for Essentially Literal Bible Translation (Wheaton: Crossway, 2005) 19–56. Grudem’s thesis is in the sub-title of the essay: Why Plenary Inspiration Favors ‘Essentially Literal’ Bible Translation.

Grudem writes:

‘I will argue in this chapter (1) that the Bible repeatedly claims that every one of its words (in the original languages) is a word spoken to us by God, and is therefore of utmost importance; and (2) that this fact provides a strong argument in favor of “essentially literal” (or “word-for-word”) translation as opposed to “dynamic equivalent” (or “thought-for-thought”) translation.’ MORE...

Five Ways to Redeem Your Ride to Work

2011-09-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

(Kingdom People) According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, Americans now spend more than 100 hours a year commuting to work. The nationwide average drive-time is about 24.3 minutes, which tops the average two weeks of vacation time (80 hours) taken by many workers during a year.

Rather than bemoaning the time we spend going back and forth from work, we would be better served by thinking of ways we can redeem this time and use it for God’s glory. Here are five ways you can redeem your ride. Use the time…MORE...

The Smell of Sweet Success

2011-09-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

(Carl Trueman)
It is now some sixteen years since the disaster that was `The Nine O'Clock Service.' This was the name given to an Anglican church in Sheffield which had started as a signs and wonders gig, gone Anglican, morphed into an odd fusion of Anglo-Catholicism and ecological mysticism and finally gone bust amidst allegations that the vicar, Chris Brain, had been having sexual relations with women in the church. In the process, the church grew from 10 to over 600 mainly young people. Its sacramental life centered on the memorably entitled and utterly mad `Planetary Mass' which Brain celebrated wearing the actual robe Robert DeNiro used in the film The Mission. He also formed a personal bodyguard of young, attractive women. You could instantly recognize them: they were the ones wearing the black catsuits. They were also the ones he was sexually enjoying on a regular basis. MORE...

Is Sanctification Monergistic or Synergistic? A Reformed Survey

2011-09-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

The Gospel Coalition (Kevin DeYoung)
Recently, in a leadership training class at our church, a spirited discussion broke out on whether sanctification is monergistic or synergisitic. No, this is not what every class is like at University Reformed Church. But this one was. I wasn’t there, but I was told the discussion was energetic, intelligent, and respectful. I’m glad to serve at a church where people know and care about this level of theological precision. (More...)

9/11: A Decade of Studying Islam

2011-09-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

(Mark Coppenger)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- Since 9/11, we've all been in school, studying up on Islam.

But we've been to two different schools. In a nutshell, one says that Islam is a great religion with awesome accomplishments, now wounded by misfortune and embarrassed by extremists who've perverted its basically wholesome message.
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Sadly…The Cohabitation Revolution

2011-09-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

(Rick Lowry)
The great divorce revolution of the 1960s and 1970s has faded. The great cohabitation revolution has begun.

The divorce rate for married couples with children is almost back to the levels of the early 1960s, before the run-up that crested in the early 1980s. Considering the decades of social turbulence buffeting the institution of marriage between then and now, this is a notable restoration.
But it only means that marriage is unraveling in a different way. According to a new study by the Institute for American Values and the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, cohabitation has increased 14-fold since 1970. About 24 percent of children are born to cohabiting couples, more than are born to single mothers, while another 20 percent experience a cohabiting household at some time in their childhood.
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Discounting Charity: Google New Treatment of Religious Nonprofits

2011-09-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

(Breakpoint)
To Google, it appears that some nonprofits are more equal than others.
For years, Google has made its office software and Gmail programs available to individuals for free and to qualifying nonprofits — including religious organizations — at a discount.
Now, however, Christianity Today reports those days are over for some. Google has grouped several of its tools into a “Google for Nonprofits” program — and “schools, political think tanks, so-called proselytizing groups, churches, and organizations that take religion or sexual orientation into account in hiring,” are excluded from free or discounted access.Christianity Today says that one reason for this “some-nonprofits-are-more-equal-than-others” treatment of churches is due to a fear of offending potential customers.
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Not Good…More Americans Tailoring Religion to Preferences

2011-09-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

(USA Today)
If World War II-era warbler Kate Smith sang today, her anthem could be Gods Bless America.
People take part in a National Day of Prayer gathering in San Antonio in May. Polls show that in 1991, 24% of U.S. adults hadn't been to church in the past six months; today, it's 37%.
People take part in a National Day of Prayer gathering in San Antonio in May. Polls show that in 1991, 24% of U.S. adults hadn't been to church in the past six months; today, it's 37%.
That's one of the key findings in newly released research that reveals America's drift from clearly defined religious denominations to faiths cut to fit personal preferences.
The folks who make up God as they go are side-by-side with self-proclaimed believers who claim the Christian label but shed their ties to traditional beliefs and practices. Religion statistics expert George Barna says, with a wry hint of exaggeration, America is headed for "310 million people with 310 million religions."
"We are a designer society. We want everything customized to our personal needs — our clothing, our food, our education," he says. Now it's our religion.
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All That Terror Teaches: Have We Learned Anything

2011-09-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

(Al Mohler)
We are living in dangerous times, but far too many Americans seem to have forgotten this unforgiving fact. How can so many forget the unforgettable?

Terror is a tragic teacher, and the memories of September 11, 2001 haunt us even now. The images of planes crashing, towers collapsing, and bodies falling will be forever seared into our memories. Just to say “9/11″ is to invoke a flood of remembrance and the bitter taste of tragedy.
More than three years after 9/11, what have we learned? The immediate aftermath of the terror attacks in New York and Washington was widespread confusion. What had happened? Who was responsible? How awful is the damage? How many have died? Is more to come? The confusion gave way to the even more terrifying clarity. The carnage was just too much to imagine–but too real to deny.
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The Sinful Tragedy of Boredom

2011-09-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

(NW Bingham)
“Dad, I’m bored.”

How many times have I heard one of my girls say that? And how many times has that statement been a cause for my patience and self-control to be tested?
Why do such cries test my patience? Because I know what my children are saying to me beneath the words, “I’m bored.” Firstly, they’re telling me they’re not satisfied with what I’ve given them. They want more, whether that’s more stuff or more stimulation. Secondly, they’re inadvertently telling me that they’re blind to what I’ve already given them, and what’s at their disposal. They have enough toys, books, dress-ups, etc., and they have that secret ingredient…imagination. Yet, they fail to see what’s there before them, and they cry bored.
A Problem We Don’t Grow Out Of
If you’re a parent, then you probably nodded in agreement to much of what I wrote above. You’ve heard the cries of boredom, you’ve experienced the frustration. But do you hear the same cry in your heart? ... MORE:

Jesus on Homosexuality

2011-09-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

(JD Greer)

"We can be sure that Jesus viewed homosexuality as a sin. How do we know? 3 ways:

1) Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but fulfill it. There were dimensions of the Jewish law that do not carry over into Christianity. But Christ told us He fulfilled the law, not reneged on it. As He explained, He heightened its morality (Matt 5:17-20); fulfilled its signs, made good on its promises and gave substance to its shadows (Luke 24:46-47). He did not come hat in hand conceding that Old Testament God was backwards and uninformed. Leviticus says that God finds homosexuality “detestable” (Lev 18:22). God did not change, morally, in the New Testament. What God finds detestable one day He does not suddenly find agreeable the next. Now, if anything, Jesus says, we have a morality that now supercedes, and not contradicts, the moral law (Matt 5:17-21). Certain ceremonial shadows and social codes were fulfilled in Christ, but He did not, in any way, come to revise the God behind the law.... MORE

Behind the Mission to Land a Bible on the Moon

2011-09-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

(Fox News)

"It was one small step for man -- and for some astronauts it was a big leap of faith, too.
Rare artifacts and trinkets from the history of NASA are going to auction in the upcoming week-long Space & Aviation Autograph and Artifact Auction from RR Auction starting September 15th. The auction will feature a letter from Neil Armstrong about his first words on the moon, Armstrong’s training glove, and other exceptional items from the history of space flight and aviation.
But one of the more unique items up for bid? A full King James Bible that has journeyed all the way to the moon’s surface.
A treasure trove of more than 800 unique and amazing historical space objects -- including many created or used by Buzz, Neil and Alan -- will go on sale in a September space auction.
“It’s an inch and a half by an inch and a half,” Bobby Livingston, VP of sales marketing with RR Auction, told FoxNews.com. “You need a microscope to really read it, and it’s more symbolic than anything. But it’s all there. The entire King James Bible is there.”....... MORE:

The Most Dangerous Threats to the Gospel Today

2011-09-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

(9Marks) It’s impossible to answer what’s “most” dangerous to the gospel today without God’s knowledge of everything. But here are some prominent threats that loom on the horizon:

1.The prosperity “gospel.” The belief that the gospel is about God making us rich is a lie. Jesus came to save us from sin and reconcile us to God (Rom. 5:10-11; 1 Pet. 3:18), giving us every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3) and promising us suffering in this life and glory in the next (Acts 14:22, Rom. 8:18).

2.The attack on penal, substitutionary atonement. Many people reject the idea that on the cross God punished Jesus for the sins of his people. But to reject this is to reject the heart of the gospel itself (Rom. 3:21-26).

3.The rejection of the wrath of God. People today are extremely uncomfortable with the idea of a holy God who will punish sin. But if we reject the wrath of God we lie to ourselves about the fundamental problem the gospel saves us from (John 3:36; Rom. 1:18; 1 Thess. 1:10). MORE...

Pornification Part 2: Not That There is Anything Wrong with That

2011-09-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

(Ed Stetzer) Last week I began a series entitled "The Pornifcation of American Culture." You can read the first post of this series here. These posts come from a lengthier article I wrote for the Assemblies of God Enrichment Journal. The entire issue is worth your time and you can access it here. In this part, I deal with changing views of sexuality and inceased sexualization.

Here is more of the text from that article:
The issues of human sexuality are impacting evangelical churches in a profound way. The church must recognize and address the changing sexual mores of the world. Sex and sexuality outside of marriage has been around for millennia but the current is moving to new places.

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Culture Watch: TV viewing can shorten Life

2011-09-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

(Australian Researchers) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Watching TV literally takes the life out of people, Australian researchers say.

The British newspaper The Telegraph reported on the results of a study indicating that every hour spent watching TV may reduce a person's life by 22 minutes. Those who watch six hours of programming a day, for example, are at risk of perishing five years sooner than others who are less sedentary.
"TV viewing time may have adverse health consequences that rival those of lack of physical activity, obesity and smoking...," researchers from Australia's University of Queensland stated. MORE..

Ex-Homosexual - Thanks for Offending me with the Gospel

2011-09-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

(Mike Goeke)

MIDLAND, Texas (BP)--As a pastor and as someone in ministry to churches and people across the country, I have seen a growing trend over the last several years.

It seems that we, as the church and as individual Christians, spend a lot of time pulling back the outward expression of our faith for fear of offending people. Churches sometimes water down theology and their message to make sure no one leaves offended. People ignore the destructive, sinful behavior of their friends to make sure their friends are not offended. People seek community that is intentionally non-confrontational so that they will not personally be offended. MORE

The Adam & Eve Controversy

2011-08-27T14:58:00.000-07:00

(Al Mohler) "EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first article that R. Albert Mohler Jr. plans to write on denials by some scholars of an historical Adam and Eve as the first parents of all humanity and as the solitary first human pair.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Each generation of Christians faces its own set of theological challenges. For this generation of evangelicals, the question of beginnings is taking on a new urgency.
In fact, this question is now a matter of Gospel urgency. How are we to understand the Bible's story, if we can have no confidence that we know how it even begins?
In terms of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the most urgent question related to beginnings has to do with the questions related to the existence of Adam and Eve as the first parents to all humanity and to the reality of the Fall as the explanation for human sinfulness and all that comes with sin." More:

Mormons Using Web to Control Image

2011-08-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

(The Washington Post) "Try this. Type “church,” “Old Testament” or even “friend” into Google, and the Web site of the LDS church, the Mormons, pops up near the top of the list. In the age of the Internet, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has found a way to dominate what is arguably today’s most important information source: the search engine.
.It’s all about Mormons controlling their own image, church officials say. They’ve been doing that for a century or more. And now, with two of their own vying for the Republican nomination in the 2012 presidential race, and a Broadway hit and reality television generating huge interest in the denomination, much is at stake." More:

Beer, Bohemianism and True Christian Liberty

2011-08-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

(John MacArthur) "If everything you know about Christian living came from blogs and websites in the young-and-restless district of the Reformed community, you might have the impression that beer is the principal symbol of Christian liberty.
For some who self-identify as "Young, Restless, and Reformed," it seems beer is a more popular topic for study and discussion than the doctrine of predestination. They devote whole websites to the celebration of brewed beverages. They earnestly assure one another "that most good theological discussion has historically been done in pubs and drinking places." They therefore love to meet for "open dialog on faith and culture" wherever beer is served—or better yet, right at the brewery. The connoisseurs among them serve their own brands and even offer lessons in how to make home brew.
It's clear that beer-loving passion is a prominent badge of identity for many in the YRR movement. Apparently beer is also an essential element in the missional strategy. Mixing booze with ministry is often touted as a necessary means of penetrating western youth culture, and conversely, abstinence is deemed a "sin" to be repented of..." MORE

The Pornification of American Culture

2011-08-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

(Ed Stetzer) "recently wrote a journal article for the Assemblies of God Enrichment Journal. I will be turning that into a series here at the blog. The entire issue is worth your time and you can access it here.
Here is part 1: Introducing the Issue.
The world seemed shocked by the Tiger Woods scandal. The media feasted on the stories, rumors, and drama that surrounded Tiger's life of undisputed sexually infidelity. But who created Tiger Woods? From American hero worship to a dysfunctional childhood and everything in between, multiple factors contributed to Tiger being Tiger. His saga has emerged as one of the most sad and shocking stories in American sports history. But one thing is for sure--Tiger's story is only a symptom of our sex-obsessed, pornified culture. Even greater, our obsession with Tiger's story may be an indicator of where we are as much as where he is. Sexual deviance is now the norm, not the exception. More:

Does Joel Osteen Promote Witchcraft?

2011-08-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

(Jared Wilson)
"The other day Joel Osteen -- or whoever runs his Twitter account -- tweeted this: "The more you say what God says, the more you'll experience His best. Remember to speak life over your situation today!"

I re-tweeted this statement, adding this comment: "This is witchcraft."
A few people asked me what was up with that. What he said might be a little "out there" or "un-helpful" (as one guy put it), but witchcraft? Really?
Yes.
Defenders of the Word of Faith-type preachers and "prophets" often point to verses like Proverbs 18:21:
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Aside from the hermeneutical shakiness involved in building an entire theology out of a proverb, Word of Faith'ers misunderstand this verse. It is not saying your tongue holds supernatural power to speak matter or circumstances into existence. It is saying that it's possible to talk yourself into trouble. In the context of what other things the book of Proverbs says about the tongue, what this guideline means is that we ought to be careful what we say, sometimes be silent, and remember that we will be held to account for our words.
There are three biblical ways words can bring life: ...." MORE....

Abortion Abatement: Keep Up the Momentum

2011-08-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

(Chuck Colson)
"Pro-choice activists and the liberal media are hopping mad. Find out why you should be jumping for joy.

During the Clinton years, 56 percent of Americans described themselves as pro-choice, while only 33 percent of us self-identified as pro-life. But in just a decade and a half, the numbers have completely shifted.
According to the most recent Gallup polling, pro-lifers edge out those in favor of legal abortion by 47 to 45 percent. Half of all Americans agree that abortion is morally wrong.
And the news gets even better. Following a ground-breaking Nebraska law last year that bars late-term abortions because of the risk of fetal pain, five other states have passed measures outlawing nearly all abortions after five months of pregnancy. Legislatures in Kansas Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, and Oklahoma this year have enacted abortion bans after 20 or 21 weeks. The laws allow for exceptions when the mother’s life is at risk or she faces severe physical impairment...." MORE:

The Root Cause of the London Riots

2011-08-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

(Paul Brewster)
"MADISON, Ind. (BP) -- It seems that the societal ills that plague inner cities everywhere are no respecter of nations. Britain is presently being rocked with social unrest that is quite out of step with what was once viewed proudly as the stodgy national character.
In any culture, revered traditions can only hold back disorder so long when young people are uneducated, impoverished and without opportunity. Prime Minister David Cameron has pointed out that Britain has created an atmosphere that is characterized by "children without fathers, schools without discipline, reward without effort, crime without punishment, rights without responsibilities [and] communities without control." He failed to add that Britain has also created a culture in which men have no souls..." MORE...

Ask RC (RC Sproul Jr.)

2011-08-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

(Founder, Chairman and Teacher of Highlands Ministries, Teaching Fellow at Ligonier Ministries and Professor at Reformation Bible College)
August 16, 2011

Given tough economic times and Wall Street’s screaming roller coaster ride, what ought Christians to do?

There is certainly a biblical injunction that we discern the times. God calls us to do this, however, not so we will know the right move to make at the right time, but so that we will remember what the right move always was. Circumstances don’t change our calling, though they can wake us up to our calling. Such is the case here.

Christians should do what Christians are always called to do. First, we should be looking to our own sin. Why is that that Christians are up in arms politically during a time of shocking deficits, high unemployment and a moribund real estate market, but have been comparatively content over almost forty years of abortion on demand? What does that say about us and our priorities?

The obvious answer is this- money is an idol to us. We think because money seems to be even more important to Gordon Gekko, or Donald Trump, that we are therefore free from seeing it as an idol. We think that having less than somebody else is proof we’re not greedy. But when what we have, whether large or small, is threatened by hard times we find out what a priority wealth is to us.
Money becomes an idol less when we simply want more, and more when we look to it as God. To the Gordon Gekkos of the world, money is their reason for being, and in that way is a god. To us, however, it is our security, and therefore is a god.

It is a good and wise thing to consume less than you produce, to save and invest. And it hurts when our savings take a hit from inflation, and our investments suddenly drop in value. But in good times and bad we are to remember that Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” When James warns us against thinking we can simply plan our future profits- "Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow (James 4: 13-14) he is not only talking about travel plans. A perfectly fitting application in our day might be, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will invest in our 401k, buy and sell, and make a profit.’” Sufficient unto the day is the bread thereunto. And He is our provider, not Morgan Stanley.

What we need to do then is to ask God to provide for us, and to trust that He will. His provision may not match our daydreams. It may not match what we think of as normal. But He will provide. What we need to do is to not spend more than we make. What we need to do is pay, joyfully, our tithes, if only as a confession that we do indeed trust Him to provide our daily bread. What we need to do is to love our neighbor, not ask the state to tax him to finance our plans. What we need to do is go to bed confident that we are living a godly life, while praying for the peace of Babylon. What we need to do is what we have always needed to do.

God is, as always, sending judgment to a nation that thinks it can forget Him, that thinks it can borrow its way to prosperity. That judgment will touch and is touching our lives. But we are safe in the palm of the scarred hand of Jesus. His wrath is not aimed at us for that was spent 2000 years ago. Whatever is coming it will not undo His promises to us. Invest in the gold streets of the New Heavens and the New Earth, where neither rust, nor moth nor thieves, not politicians can enter. Not only is it the safest investment you can make, but it will also have the greatest return.

Evangelicals and the Gay Moral Revolution

2011-08-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

(Albert Mohler) "The Christian church has faced no shortage of challenges in its 2,000-year history. But now it’s facing a challenge that is shaking its foundations: homosexuality.

To many onlookers, this seems strange or even tragic. Why can’t Christians just join the revolution?
And make no mistake, it is a moral revolution. As philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah of Princeton University demonstrated in his recent book, “The Honor Code,” moral revolutions generally happen over a long period of time. But this is hardly the case with the shift we’ve witnessed on the question of homosexuality.:The Christian church has faced no shortage of challenges in its 2,000-year history. But now it’s facing a challenge that is shaking its foundations: homosexuality.
To many onlookers, this seems strange or even tragic. Why can’t Christians just join the revolution?
And make no mistake, it is a moral revolution. As philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah of Princeton University demonstrated in his recent book, “The Honor Code,” moral revolutions generally happen over a long period of time. But this is hardly the case with the shift we’ve witnessed on the question of homosexuality...." MORE....

Preparing to be an Older Man or Woman

2011-08-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

(Christian Communications Worldwide) "Like it or not, if you continue to live, you’ll get old. As you look around at all those ancient people in the grocery store, the golf course, the retirement village and the nursing home, don’t be smug—you’ll be there soon enough. It will do you well to prepare to make those years the best they can be for the glory of God.
It’s not uncommon for God to use older people. Take Caleb who fought giants as an octogenarian. Or Moses, who led a cantankerous people up to the promised land at 120. Remember Anna, the widow, who served God with prayers at the temple in Jerusalem. God delights in doing this, because it makes clear that the power for living and doing the will of God isn’t found in mere human capacity, but in God Himself. Is it possible that God could use you even more in your latter years than in the earlier ones? There is nothing to say otherwise, as far as God is concerned.
Here are some suggestions:..." MORE...

My Help

2011-08-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

(The Gospel Coalition Blog) "Callie lived in a manufactured home that backed up to I-65 about 30 minutes down south of Birmingham. I grew up in a five-bedroom brick home in the wealthiest hamlet in the great state of Alabama. Callie’s and my lives intersected at my grandparents’ farm. (My Midwestern husband’s grandmother jokes that it can’t even be called a “farm,” since it only grew swimming pools and tennis courts. But I think the horses count.) Callie was my grandparents’ cook. When I’d go to the farm to play on the hay bales or cut down the family Christmas tree, Callie was there. She’d also babysit my sister and me when my parents vacationed in Cabo or Aspen. She was a soft, warm black woman in her 50s. Her generous laugh was sweeter than a songbird’s tune.
Though Callie was a cook, I can’t remember a single dish that she made. What I remember is how she asked what was going on in my life. And she really meant it. She knew more about me growing up than my own family did. She told me I was kind, smart, and important. But the most important thing she taught me was the gospel..."
More

The Unholy Pursuit of God in Moby Dick

2011-08-14T07:47:00.001-07:00

(R.C. Sproul) "It seems that every time a writer picks up a pen or turns on his word processor to compose a literary work of fiction, deep in his bosom resides the hope that somehow he will create the Great American Novel. Too late. That feat has already been accomplished and is as far out of reach for new novelists as is Joe DiMaggio’s fifty-six-game hitting streak or Pete Rose’s record of cumulative career hits for a rookie baseball player. The Great American Novel was written more than a hundred and fifty years ago by Herman Melville. This novel, the one that has been unsurpassed by any other, is Moby Dick.
My personal copy of Moby Dick is a leather-bound collector’s edition produced by Easton Press under the rubric “The Hundred Greatest Books Ever Written.” MORE...

The Effects of Reading Scripture

2011-08-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

(Huffington Post) "What daily practice may help American Christians become more concerned about issues of poverty, conservation and civil liberties? Reading the Bible. The answer may come as a surprise to those locked into viewing religious practices in ideological boxes. However, a new study by Baylor University researcher Aaron Franzen found frequent Bible reading predicted greater support for issues ranging from the compatibility of science and religion to more humane treatment of criminals." MORE...

Daughters and Dad’s Approval

2011-08-11T09:28:00.000-07:00

(Wall Street Journal) "It's no secret that the past few decades have transformed traditional gender relationships. Both men and women are operating by a whole new set of rules.
Given the depth of the change, you might expect a dramatic alteration in one of the most fundamental male-female relationships: the one between dads and daughters.
In my research into the lives of some 75 high-achieving, clearly independent women, I knew that I would find a powerful connection between them and the first men in their lives. Many other studies have confirmed it. What surprised me was how deep (and surprisingly traditional) the bond is, how powerful it remains throughout their lives, and how resilient it can be—even when a father has caused it grievous harm..."
MORE...

Waiting for God's Will

2011-08-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

(Steven Furtick) "A couple of days ago I started a short series on four signs that we still don’t get it. On some of the elementary things that are keeping us from launching into a whole new dimension in our relationship with God and the calling He has placed on our lives.
Today we pick up with the second sign. Since I did a promo post for our Easter worship experiences yesterday, I’ll do a special Friday post with the final two signs tomorrow.
Here’s the second sign that you still don’t get it:..." More:

5 Early Warning Signs Your Shields Should be Up

2011-08-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

(Kingdom People) Jean Luc Picard frustrates me. Not only do women find him more attractive than me despite the fact that he’s old, bald, and has a pointy nose, but he also has one really annoying habit: He never puts the shields up in time! If you’ve seen many Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes, you know what I’m talking about. Faced with a terrifyingly dangerous situation, the Enterprise will be sitting there with it’s shields still down. Only after some alien vessel has actually blown a hole in the side of the Enterprise, will Picard finally yell, “Shields up!” And, it always leaves me thinking, “Um, couldn’t you have done that a bit earlier? You know, before people started getting killed.”

Having your shields down at the wrong moment can be very dangerous. The same is true in theology....MORE

Dating: When Words and Choices Clash

2011-08-03T12:25:00.000-07:00

(Pyromaniacs): Coarse but pointed joke-that-you've-all-heard-anyway alert in 3... 2... 1....
So this iconic guy's talking with an iconic girl, and asks whether she'd be willing to engage in carnal acts for $1 million. She considers, shrugs, says, "For a million dollars? I guess." "Would you do it for $5?" he follows up. She is shocked, and deeply offended. "What do you think I am?" she rages. His classic retort: "Oh, we've already established what you are. Now we're just haggling over price."
And now, a moment's pause while Pyro readers wonder where this could possibly be going. Play the overture from Handel's Messiah in your head. Daaaa.... da-daaaa.... MORE:

Pondering Norway's Darkest Hour

2011-08-03T12:22:00.000-07:00

(Challies) Norway has experienced a nightmare—3 hours of abject terror. On Friday afternoon, right around 3:30, thirty-two year-old Anders Behring Breivik ignited a bomb outside government offices in Oslo, killing at least 7. As the bomb exploded, he was on his way to Utoya Island, about 20 miles from Oslo, the location of a youth camp run by a political party. Dressed in a police uniform, he asked to address the group (there were some 700 people at the camp) before opening fire on them. He killed at least 86, gunning them down in cold blood. By 6:30 PM Breivik was in police custody, having taken almost 100 lives in 3 short hours. In the meantime, the eyes of the whole world had shifted to Norway and millions were wondering just who would do something like this, and why. MORE

It Only Takes One Generation for a Church to Die

2011-08-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

(Gospel Coalition) Sean Lucas, drawing on some of the lessons he is learning while researching the history of the First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, MS, writes: "As part of the research work that I’ve been doing, I’ve tracked down various churches that are mentioned in biographical sketches or represented in various events. Just today, for example, I tried to find information about Point Breeze Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh (where Harold Ockenga ministered); Central Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga (where Wilbur Cousar pastored); United Presbyterian Church in Wheeling, WV (where John Reed Miller served for a time) and Central Presbyterian Church in Jackson (where R. E. Hough pastored). What do these congregations have in common? They were all thriving, large, significant churches, pastored by conservative, talented men: and they no longer exist today...." MORE

Ladies: An Appetizer for the Feast (Noel Piper)

2011-07-22T21:25:00.000-07:00

Go ahead. Ask me what would make me happiest if I had a totally free day. I’d tell you that during such a dream day I’d be by myself, probably with a book. Right at the front of my personality assessment is a capital I that means “introvert.” It could also stand for “I want to be alone—a lot.”

Over the years, when my husband and I have tried to untangle some of the snarls in my life, sometimes he’s ventured to ask, “Noël, don’t you think it might help to have some women around you to offer other perspectives and to pray for you and maybe give some helpful suggestions?”
I knew he must be right because King Solomon said the same thing, and his wisdom was so phenomenal it left the Queen of Sheba breathless (1 Kings 10:1–13). His writings in the Bible are even called Wisdom Literature. So I thought it probably would be wise for me to pay attention when Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 4:9–10a that it’s good to have friends because they support each other....MORE

The Most Risky Profession (Christianity Today)

2011-07-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

It's refreshing news to hear of pastors taking a leave of absence not over sexual or financial misconduct, but over pride. Such was the case with John Piper last year, and this week with C. J. Mahaney. Mahaney has been president of the church planting network Sovereign Grace Ministries, which according to its website now includes "about 95 churches," mostly on the East Coast. He is the founder of the megachurch Covenant Life Church, which he handed over to Joshua Harris after pastoring there for 27 years. He is also one of the leaders of the Together for the Gospel Conferences, and one of the most popular speakers in the neo-Reformed circuit.

The story behind his leave of absence is still unraveling. But he has publicly acknowledged that he has succumbed to "various expressions of pride, ... MORE

Reparative Therapy, Homosexuality and the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Al Mohler)

2011-07-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

Each U.S. presidential election cycle brings its own set of unexpected issues, and the 2012 race already offers one topic of controversy that truly sets it apart — a debate over forms of therapy that attempt to change an individual’s sexual orientation.

Known as reparative therapy or sexual orientation conversion therapy, these approaches seek to assist individuals in changing their sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual. The cultural and political debate over reparative

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