Church Is For Messy People

We tend to get dressed up for church. Depending on your denomination, getting dressed up might look like wearing a suit and tie or a dress. Or, getting dressed up might look like wearing your best pair of jeans and a collared shirt. We clean up before going to church. We shower and we brush our hair. We want to, at the least, look like we have it together. For the most part, we don’t go to church wearing yoga pants or sweatpants. We don’t roll out of bed and go straight to church.

I distinctly remember one Sunday when a man said to me something like, “When I look around, I see all these people who have their lives together. Meanwhile, my life is a mess.”

MORE Church Is For Messy People

The Creation Debate in a Nutshell | Parchment and Pen

Here is a summary of what we taught at the Credo House for “Coffee and Theology” this past Tuesday night. I hope you enjoy.



1. Young Earth Creationism (YEC)

The Skinny:

Belief that the universe was created miraculously by God approximately ten thousand years ago (or less).

Explanation:

YECs often insist that their view is the only way to understand and remain faithful to the integrity of the Scriptures. For them, options which integrate evolution or an old earth paradigm compromise the clear teachings of Scripture and even the essence of the Gospel message.

MORE: The Creation Debate in a Nutshell | Parchment and Pen

Every Woman a Mother

Motherhood is a high calling for all women — whether single, married, fertile or infertile

In an August 2013 TIME feature, "The Childfree Life: Having It All Without Having Children," writer Lauren Sandler introduces a woman named Laura Scott. At age 14, Scott decided never to have children. She describes her mother as "bone tired," working long hours while raising Scott and her brother. It was a lifestyle Scott didn't want to mimic.

"My main motive not to have kids was that I loved my life the way it was," Scott explains.

Now at 50, Scott is married, has enjoyed a career as an author and filmmaker — currently working on a documentary called Childless by Choice — and says she is "fulfilled."

MORE: Every Woman a Mother

3 Statements on Assurance of Salvation | Challies Dot Com

Today I would like to make 3 statements about a subject that is always relevant to Christians: assurance of salvation. This is an area of great confusion for many believers and an area that can lead to great discouragement. I am going to make 3 statements about assurance and then, Lord willing, follow up tomorrow with a word about the true basis for assurance.

1. It is possible and even normal for the Christian to experience assurance of salvation. MORE: 3 Statements on Assurance of Salvation | Challies Dot Com

Reformation or Revolution? A Review of God and the Gay Christian | Canon and Culture

Imagine a book with a thesis that calls into question 2,000 years of established Christian theology and biblical exegesis. It recasts basic principles of biblical anthropology and human embodiment. It also puts two millennia of faithful obedience to divine revelation on the side of injustice and ignorance. Now, Christians are accustomed to either non-Christians or liberal Christians making claims of this nature, but not from individuals supposedly nestled confidently within the evangelical camp.

This week a book making such claims is hitting bookshelves written by a young author named Matthew Vines.

Reformation or Revolution? A Review of God and the Gay Christian | Canon and Culture

Firing Rome’s Canon - R.C. Sproul Jr.

I remain, even in these feel good days, a Protestant. What I protest is what my fathers protested—the folly of the Roman Catholic church. Such can get you in great deal of hot water these days. Everyone wants to go along to get along. Trouble is, Rome still teaches a false gospel, still calls for the damnation of people like me who preach the true gospel. Now I am happy to confess that explaining the nuances that separate infusion from imputation, distinctions between justification and sanctification can require a bit of theological training and historical understanding. I’m sorry to confess that Christians generally have precious little of either. If we can’t see what the big deal is with a little contemporary modalism, if we want to open the tent wide to welcome in those nice Mormons, what chance do I have for making the case that Rome is outside the pale?

  MORE: Firing Rome’s Canon - R.C. Sproul Jr.

God, the Gospel, and the Gay Challenge — A Response to Matthew Vines – AlbertMohler.com

Evangelical Christians in the United States now face an inevitable moment of decision. While Christians in other movements and in other nations face similar questions, the question of homosexuality now presents evangelicals in the United States with a decision that cannot be avoided. Within a very short time, we will know where everyone stands on this question. There will be no place to hide, and there will be no way to remain silent. To be silent will answer the question.

The question is whether evangelicals will remain true to the teachings of Scripture and the unbroken teaching of the Christian church for over two thousand years on the morality of same-sex acts and the institution of marriage.

The world is pressing this question upon us, but so are a number of voices from within the larger evangelical circle —  MORE:

God, the Gospel, and the Gay Challenge — A Response to Matthew Vines – AlbertMohler.com

Three Tips on Being a Friend of Sinners | Desiring God

Jesus was accused of being a friend of sinners. That was the word on the street in first-century Palestine.

The precise phrase — “friend of sinners” — is mentioned twice in the Gospels, in Matthew 11:19 and Luke 7:34. The naysayers of the day, the religious aristocracy, criticized Jesus as a “glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.”

MORE:  Three Tips on Being a Friend of Sinners | Desiring God

Easter Sunday is Over, Now What? - Easter (Full Article)

Perhaps you are asking that this week as you return to your day-to-day responsibilities.

If there’s one thing that the past few days’ focus on Christ’s cross did, it’s remind most of us how unfocused we’ve been on the death and resurrection of Christ. We look back with grief over the way we yet again allowed the blood of Christ to slip to the periphery of our lives and let many other lesser things in to replace it. Why did we let it happen again?

More importantly, how can I stop it happening again? Here are eight directions to help you live a cross-centered life:



1. Have Easter every week

MORE:  Easter Sunday is Over, Now What? - Easter (Full Article)

Good news in the fight against abortion | the Cripplegate

If Wendy Davis and Planned Parenthood are the face of the pro-abortion movement, then there may yet be hope that this is the last generation for legal abortion in the United States.



First some background: Yesterday the 5^th-Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling and allowed Texas’ new restrictions on abortions to remain in effect. This case will certainly be heard by the US Supreme Court, and is probably the most significant case in the struggle to end legal abortion.

The case started last year when abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell was found guilty of eight counts of murder for botched abortions. Essentially, Gosnell ran what was described by a grand jury as a “house of horrors” where young women were drugged, labor was induced, and if any babies were old enough to survive delivery, they had their spines cut with scissors. He continuously infected patients with STD’s, reused dirty instruments, and misused drugs. Cats roamed the halls, and the place was a urine and blood-soaked mess.

More: Good news in the fight against abortion | the Cripplegate

The Fault Lines Before the Evangelical Earthquake – Trevin Wax

The recent controversy surrounding World Vision USA’s decision to open employment to same-sex couples and the organization’s subsequent reversal reveals the fault lines in evangelicalism today.

For the evangelicals distraught by World Vision’s initial decision, the controversy was never about the legitimacy or worthiness of people with differing views of marriage doing good work around the world. We should applaud good deeds of relief and compassion wherever we see them and wherever they come from. No, this particular controversy was about the meaning of evangelical.

Can an institution with an historic evangelical identity be divided on an issue as central as marriage and family and still be evangelical? Related to this discussion are questions about the authority and interpretation of Scripture, cultural engagement, and institutional power. All sides of the debate recognize that the definition of evangelical is at stake, which is why some are now publicly casting off the term altogether.

More:

The Fault Lines Before the Evangelical Earthquake – Trevin Wax

A No Holds Barred Review of Noah : The Movie (2014) | Watch Your Life and Doctrine Closely…

All right.

Up until yesterday, I had heard a whole lot of hype about the Noah movie and honestly, couldn’t care less. It’s a Hollywood production and, like The Passion of the Christ, I thought it would be an attempt by some biblically illiterate celebrities (for example) and a theologically lobotomized director/producer (for example) to atone for all the trash that they’ve unleashed upon the world at 24 frames per second (or now 48). There’s a huge difference between films made by Christians and films made by “Hollywood Christians” (the difference being a biblical worldview vs. an explicitly pagan worldview hiding behind re-defined biblical terminology), and I generally ignore all the “Christian/religious” media that emerges from Hollywood. To use a biblical term, films made by “Hollywood Christians” are generally moronic. (For the sake of clarity, I use the phrase “Hollywood Christians” as a catchall for everyone who would self-identify as some form of “Christian”).

MORE:

A No Holds Barred Review of Noah : The Movie (2014) | Watch Your Life and Doctrine Closely…

The midrashiest midrash that ever was midrashed. . . . . [a spoiler-free “Noah” review] | Denny Burk

Shall I tread where angels fear to tread and give an evaluation of Darren Aronofsky’s Noah movie? Well, I guess it depends on what you mean by angels. In the movie Noah, the frilly feminine harp-stroking caricatures have given way to a cross between Ben Grimm, Peter Jackson’s Ents, and Gumby. I guess we can chalk that one up to the mystery of the Nephilim. But I digress. What about the movie? Is it any good? Should Christians go and see it? Should anyone go and see it?



Before offering my opinion, I should warn you that I think Jackie Gleason’s role in Smokey and the Bandit may be the finest performance in the history of cinema. I don’t think that tells you much about Smokey and the Bandit, but it does tell you something about me and my aesthetic sensibilities. So I can’t blame you if you take these reflections with a healthy grain of salt. Caveat lector!

MORE:

The midrashiest midrash that ever was midrashed. . . . . [a spoiler-free “Noah” review] | Denny Burk

Warm Yourself at the Fires of Meditation | Desiring God

We were made to meditate. God designed us with the capacity to pause and ponder. He means for us to not just hear him, but to reflect on what he says.

It is a distinctively human trait to stop and consider, to chew on something with the teeth of our minds and hearts, to roll some reality around in our thoughts and press it deeply into our feelings, to look from different angles and seek to get a better sense of its significance.



Warm Yourself at the Fires of Meditation | Desiring God

If All Religions Are True, Then God Is Cruel

The short film Most made its way onto the big screen more than 10 years ago. A brilliantly moving piece of cinema, the film tells the story of a single father who lives with his son in the Czech Republic. The pair share simple yet content lives together. The father works as a bridge engineer—he is responsible for raising and lowering a massive draw-bridge that allows ships and trains to pass at scheduled times. One day, the boy happened to be at the bridge with his father. As he's playing outside, he notices a train rapidly approaching the station.

It was an hour early. The bridge was up. And the train was heading right toward it.
MORE: If All Religions Are True, God is Cruel

World Vision Reverses Decision To Hire Christians... | Christianity Today

Only two days after announcing it would hire Christians in same-sex marriages, World Vision U.S. has reversed its ground-breaking decision after weathering intense criticism from evangelical leaders.

"The last couple of days have been painful," president Richard Stearns told reporters this evening. "We feel pain and a broken heart for the confusion we caused for many friends who saw this policy change as a strong reversal of World Vision's commitment to biblical authority, which it was not intended to be."

MORE: World Vision Reverses Decision To Hire Christians... | Christianity Today

Marriage, Divorce, and the Church: What do the stats say, and can marriage be happy? | The Exchange | A Blog by Ed Stetzer

Love is in the air, and that means church signs are awkwardly communicating the love of Jesus, teenage boys are cowering before their girlfriends' fathers, and married couples are waiting two hours for mediocre Italian food while their kids terrorize their babysitters.

However, for some, Valentine's Day isn't all chocolates and roses. It is a difficult day for some as it reminds them of a recent breakup or difficult divorce.

When it comes to marriage and divorce, people are drawn to shocking statistics.

But what do the stats really say? Do Christians divorce as often as the rest of the world or even more? Is happy marriage even possible? How can anybody actually be happy in marriage?

MORE: Marriage, Divorce, and the Church: What do the stats say, and can marriage be happy? | The Exchange | A Blog by Ed Stetzer

TGC Mobile | Article | 9 Things You Should Know About Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church

The nearness of God is my good,” says the psalmist.

Though the wicked prosper, though evil carries on, though the circumstances of God’s people are bleak, everything makes sense in God’s presence (Psalm 73:17). There the embittered soul is revived. The beastly attitude is tamed. “Nevertheless,” the psalm goes, “I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me into glory” (Psalm 73:23–24).

From start to finish, God is with his people. It’s what makes us distinct (Exodus 33:14–16). Where we go, he goes. Always. The nearness of God is our good (Psalm 73:28).

But then there is Psalm 74.   MORE:

TGC Mobile | Article | 9 Things You Should Know About Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church

Ten Thousand Things We Can’t See | Desiring God

The nearness of God is my good,” says the psalmist.

Though the wicked prosper, though evil carries on, though the circumstances of God’s people are bleak, everything makes sense in God’s presence (Psalm 73:17). There the embittered soul is revived. The beastly attitude is tamed. “Nevertheless,” the psalm goes, “I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me into glory” (Psalm 73:23–24).

From start to finish, God is with his people. It’s what makes us distinct (Exodus 33:14–16). Where we go, he goes. Always. The nearness of God is our good (Psalm 73:28).

But then there is Psalm 74. MORE:  Ten Thousand Things We Can’t See | Desiring God

Refusing to Photograph a Gay Wedding Isn't Hateful | Denny BurkDenny Burk

Conor Friedersdorf does not agree with Christian views on sexuality. He doesn’t think homosexuality or premarital sex is a sin. He supports legal gay marriage. Nevertheless, he believes it is wrong to accuse Christian business owners of being bigots for refusing to participate in gay weddings. He also defends Ross Douthat against such ugly accusations. Writing for The Atlantic, Friedersdorf argues that “Refusing to Photograph a Gay Wedding Isn’t Hateful.”


This is the kind of fair-mindedness that I hope we see more of from the other side of this debate. It seems that voices like his are becoming fewer and fewer. In the excerpt below, notice once again that the Christian photographer was happy to photograph gay people. She just didn’t want to participate in a same-sex wedding ceremony. Friedersdorf writes:

 MORE: Refusing to Photograph a Gay Wedding Isn't Hateful | Denny BurkDenny Burk

Taking a Back Seat at CPAC | Web Exclusives | First Things

Pot was in and social conservatism was out. That is the best single sentence summary I can give after three exhausting and sometimes mind-numbing days at last week’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

The gathering is a media favorite partly for its colorful characters. One tall attendee—wearing Wrangler jeans, a cowboy hat, and a shirt boldly emblazoned with “Ask Me Why Cops Say Legalize Pot”—was known as the Lone Reefer, but he was hardly alone. The CPAC straw poll inquired about marijuana attitudes, and 41 percent of the 2,459 participants favored its legalization for recreational use, with another 21 percent for medicinal purposes. In the poll’s main event, a question not on pot but on the next POTUS, the libertarian leaning Kentucky Senator Rand Paul dominated with 31 percent of the vote (Ted Cruz was a distant second at 11 percent).

 MORE: Taking a Back Seat at CPAC | Web Exclusives | First Things

Prayer is Ridiculous | The Responsible Puppet

I say it again, prayer is ridiculous.

What is prayer? Prayer – especially the supplication kind, requires the belief that
(1) You, a finite, short-lived, self-focused, fallible, mortal being with little knowledge,
(2) by uttering (or even just thinking!) some request out into the expanse of the universe
(3) somehow might be heard and comprehended
(4) by a more-knowing, less-imperfect and more-powerful Being (to whom you are directing the request), and that this
(5) may cause the Being to take some action that will

MORE:   Prayer is Ridiculous | The Responsible Puppet

What will be the terms of our surrender? | Denny BurkDenny Burk

Ross Douthat has penned what I believe to be the most insightful analysis of what has happened in our country over the last week. He correctly observes that the debate over gay marriage in our country is all but over. Despite some regional holdouts, majority public opinion has moved in favor of recognizing gay marriage. And it’s only a matter of time before a majority of the holdouts—primarily in the South—move that way as well. The Supreme Court’s Windsor decision last summer ensures that legal gay marriage in all fifty states is a fait accompli at this point. MORE:

What will be the terms of our surrender? | Denny BurkDenny Burk

Jesus, Friend of Sinners: But How? – Kevin DeYoung

Everyone who knows anything about the gospels—and even those who don’t—knows that Jesus was a friend of sinners. He often drew the ire of the scribes and Pharisees for eating with sinners (Luke 15:2). Jesus clearly recognized that one of the insults hurled against him was that he was “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” (Luke 7:34). As Christians we love to sing of this Pharisaical put-down because it means that Jesus is a friend to sinners like us. We also find ourselves challenged by Jesus’ example to make sure we do not turn away outsiders in a way that Jesus never would. MORE: Jesus, Friend of Sinners: But How? – Kevin DeYoung

SSM round-up | the Cripplegate

Yesterday I wrote about three obvious questions from the recent scrap about gay marriage. Today’s post is for those that have been sleeping for the past week and missed the controversy all together. If you suffer from gay-marriage-controversy overload, you may have missed the newest twists and turns, which is a shame because you missed some really good writing. Today I want to give a round-up of what others have written, and direct you to some of the better posts on this issue.

But first a little history: in the past few months gay “marriage” has been legalized in 17 states. Most of these saw marriage legalized by judges, and a few saw the turn at the ballot box. Since then there has been a tidal wave of additional lawsuits in the remaining 33 states that ban it. Every indicator is that those bans will fall as well.  MORE.... SSM round-up | the Cripplegate

Caesar, Coercion, and the Christian Conscience: A Dangerous Confusion – AlbertMohler.com

Several states are now considering legislation that would provide explicit protections to citizens whose consciences will not allow an endorsement of same-sex marriage. The bills vary by state, as do the prospects for legislative passage, but the key issues remain constant. Millions of American citizens are facing a direct collision between their moral convictions and the demands of their government. MORE:

Caesar, Coercion, and the Christian Conscience: A Dangerous Confusion – AlbertMohler.com

Why People of Faith Can Embrace the 'Noah' Movie

There has been no shortage of headlines in recent weeks about Paramount Pictures' upcoming feature film Noah – with a fair amount of the coverage speculating about how closely or loosely the movie adheres to the story of the title character as found in the Bible.

Unfortunately, those who have felt compelled to criticize the film in these stories haven't actually seen it – so it's difficult to understand what exactly they're criticizing. I have seen Noah – in fact, I've been working on it for the last two years as the filmmakers' biblical adviser.  MORE:

Why People of Faith Can Embrace the 'Noah' Movie

Since Jesus Ate With Sinners, Do I Have to Eat at the Strip Club’s Buffet? – The Gospel Coalition Blog

Do you know that strip club down by the airport? You've probably never been in there. You likely have no interest in going in there. The only reason you even know about it is because your uncle, the one you have to pick up from the airport every Thanksgiving, makes a joke about the sign that says they have an all-you-can-eat buffet. (It's a lame joke made lamer by the fact that he tells it the same way every year.)

There's something you probably don't know about that buffet: Jesus would have no qualms about sitting at the bar eating scrambled eggs. In fact, Jesus probably wants you to go in there and join the patrons eating cold bacon.

You might be thinking to yourself, "Um . . . what?" Yeah, I was surprised too. But that is the argument many Christians have been making lately. Oh, they don't make that argument directly. But that is the implication of their argument (whose logic they often fail to follow to its conclusion).

Since Jesus Ate With Sinners, Do I Have to Eat at the Strip Club’s Buffet? – The Gospel Coalition Blog

Baptist Press -Moore: Gay marriage issue dominating - News with a Christian Perspective

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Same-sex marriage's dominance is growing rapidly even in surprising places, so much so that churches that refuse to endorse such unions soon will be considered bigoted, Russell D. Moore has told Baptist state leaders.

Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), addressed gay marriage and other cultural issues in a Feb. 12 question-and-answer session with Baptist state executive directors and editors. The joint session took place during the annual meetings of the Fellowship of State Executive Directors and the Association of State Baptist Publications in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Moore, who answered questions via Skype, was scheduled to be at the meeting but was unable to attend because weather problems resulted in cancellation of his flight.

Same-sex marriage commanded much of the attention during the session.

Baptist Press -Moore: Gay marriage issue dominating - News with a Christian Perspective

How Many Motivations Are There for Godliness? – Kevin DeYoung

Is there just one proper gospel-centered rationale for holiness? Should we, in speaking about sanctification, avoid threats and warnings and coming judgment and focus simply on our acceptance in Christ? How many motivations does the Bible have for godliness?

I see at least twenty. In the three chapters of 2 Peter alone. MORE:

How Many Motivations Are There for Godliness? – Kevin DeYoung

9 Things You Should Know About Marriage in America – The Gospel Coalition Blog

This week Americans celebrate National Marriage Week, a collaborative campaign to strengthen individual marriages, reduce the divorce rate, and build a stronger marriage culture. Here are nine things you should know about marriage in America: MORE:

9 Things You Should Know About Marriage in America – The Gospel Coalition Blog

Five Lies About Your Body – The Gospel Coalition Blog

The time for New Year's resolutions has come and gone, but many of us still have plans to fix this or that. And if you're a woman, there's a good chance making changes to your body is at the top of your to-do list.

How we view our bodies will determine whether our plans to change them are God-honoring or self-elevating. Do we see our bodies the way our Maker does?

With that in mind, here are five lies our culture tells us about how we should perceive our bodies—and five truths from Scripture to help shift our perspective. MORE: Five Lies About Your Body – The Gospel Coalition Blog

Leaving the church means leaving Christ | Denny Burk

Yesterday you read an article by Denny Burk regarding Donald Miller's reasons for leaving the church. Here is a response to his reaction to the post.

Donald Miller has written a lengthy follow-up to his original post explaining why he has left the church (to which I responded yesterday). In this second posting, he doubles down on his original position that Christians need not involve themselves in a local church. They can attend if they want, if it helps them. But it is not necessary. It is certainly not a norm that should be imposed on all Christians everywhere.

Because Miller’s essay is so long (over 3,000 words!), I will not attempt a point-by-point rebuttal. Nevertheless, a response is in order since he takes issue with my contention that leaving the church is “spiritual suicide.”



Under point #8, He writes: MORE: Leaving the church means leaving Christ | Denny Burk

Donald Miller’s prescription for spiritual suicide | Denny Burk

I just read a rather stunning admission from Donald Miller. In a short blog post, he says that his learning style is not conducive for learning in traditional worship services. He doesn’t “connect” with God in singing praises or in listening to the preached word. On the contrary, he feels most connected to God when he is working to “build his company.” As a result of all this, he makes this confession:

MORE:

Donald Miller’s prescription for spiritual suicide | Denny Burk

Share in the Glory of the Winter Games | Desiring God

Don’t just watch the Olympics. Be a part.



The Christian can enjoy the Games with more substance and depth than anyone. Here’s a call to Olympic viewing with spiritual significance.



Our God and his Book give us unmatched capacities to experience the Olympiad — to share in the experience of the Winter Games in Sochi without making a costly and frightful trip to Russia. The only prerequisites are a television and faith in the true Savior of the world.  MORE:

Share in the Glory of the Winter Games | Desiring God

Why I Am a Continuationist – The Gospel Coalition Blog

I am not writing on this topic because I have the final answer on spiritual gifts, for the matter is difficult and Christians who love God and the Bible disagree. Readers should know that Sam Storms and I are friends. We love one another, even though we differ on a secondary or tertiary issue, while at the same time upholding the importance of truth. Over the years I've become convinced that some of the so-called charismatic gifts are no longer given and that they aren't a regular feature of life in the church. I am thinking particularly of the the gifts of apostleship, prophecy, tongues, healing, and miracles (and perhaps discernment of spirits).

More: Why I Am a Continuationist – The Gospel Coalition Blog

Why I Am a Cessationist – The Gospel Coalition Blog

I am not writing on this topic because I have the final answer on spiritual gifts, for the matter is difficult and Christians who love God and the Bible disagree. Readers should know that Sam Storms and I are friends. We love one another, even though we differ on a secondary or tertiary issue, while at the same time upholding the importance of truth. Over the years I've become convinced that some of the so-called charismatic gifts are no longer given and that they aren't a regular feature of life in the church. I am thinking particularly of the the gifts of apostleship, prophecy, tongues, healing, and miracles (and perhaps discernment of spirits).  MORE: Why I Am a Cessationist – The Gospel Coalition Blog

Obamacare and Abortion: Forcing Individuals to Fund Elective Abortion Coverage

Because of legislative loopholes and onerous mandates, Obamacare will entangle taxpayer funds in abortion coverage offered on state exchanges and could force many Americans to unwittingly pay an abortion surcharge with private dollars. Additional taxpayer fund­ing and mandates on insurers could also provide increased funding and coverage for abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. To truly protect taxpayers, individuals, and families from subsidizing health plans that include coverage of abortion, Obamacare must be repealed in its entirety. Americans deserve health care reform that allows individuals and families to choose health care that meets their needs without violating their beliefs or subsidizing life-ending drugs and procedures.

MORE:

Obamacare and Abortion: Forcing Individuals to Fund Elective Abortion Coverage

Roe v. Wade's Days Are Numbered | Christianity Today

Forty years after the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Roe v. Wade decision, a leading pro-life legal expert believes the decision has never been more vulnerable to being overturned.


In his new book, Abuse of Discretion: The Inside Story of Roe v. Wade, Clark Forsythe, senior legal counsel at Americans United for Life, details what he uncovered in examining the private papers of the justices, their case files, and oral arguments. After 20 years of research, Forsythe found that:

•The justices decided to hear Roe under a misunderstanding that it concerned state criminal prosecutions, not a constitutional right to abortion.

•They arbitrarily expanded fetal viability from 12 weeks to 28 weeks with little discussion or medical knowledge.

•The Court's majority relied heavily on popular, but unproved, '70s-era evidence that there was an urgent need for population control in the United States.

Since Roe, there have been 50 million abortions in the United States. Currently, there are about 1 million per year. But public opinion has slowly been shifting toward ending abortion on

MORE: Roe v. Wade's Days Are Numbered | Christianity Today

9 Things You Should Know About Planned Parenthood – The Gospel Coalition Blog

Today, President Obama will give a speech at Planned Parenthood Federation of America's 75th anniversary gala, making him the first sitting president to address the group. Here are nine things you should know about the nation's largest abortion provider.

1. Planned Parenthood Federation of America has 95 affiliates and 865 health centers, according to its latest annual report, which covers the 2008-09 fiscal year. They require that at least one clinic per affiliate must perform abortions. PP performs over 320,000 abortions a year.

2. The motto for this year's gala is "Our past is our prologue." Part of the past the organization will be celebrating includes its founding by the notorious racist and eugenicist Margaret Sanger. Sanger wanted to control the reproduction of immigrants, the poor, certain religious groups, and anyone else she thought was from an "unacceptable" heritage. Sanger referred to such people as reckless breeders who were "unceasingly spawning a class of human beings who never should have been born at all . . ." In 1939 Sanger started the "Negro Project" and attempted to get Christian ministers to aid her effort. As she wrote in a letter to a fellow eugenicist, "we do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members."

MORE:
9 Things You Should Know About Planned Parenthood – The Gospel Coalition Blog

2013: Clinics close, abortions drop, an industry retrenches

MORE: 2013: Clinics close, abortions drop, an industry retrenches

January 2, 2014 (NRLN) - Despite the current occupant in the White House and the dominance of abortion sympathizers in the U.S. Senate, 2013 was a year of some notable successes for the pro-life movement.

Cruel and callous practices of the abortion industry were exposed, several clinics were closed, and media popularity campaigns notwithstanding, significant regulations and important pieces of pro-life legislation were passed. Confirmation of a considerable drop in the number of abortions arrived courtesy of the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

This hardly passed by unnoticed by the abortion industry. Losing customers, losing public support, and losing significant legislative battles, the industry fought back with media campaigns of its own. It created new celebrities, developed new marketing strategies, published slanted studies, and made some significant adjustments to its business model.

Despite the current occupant in the White House and the dominance of abortion sympathizers in the U.S. Senate, 2013 was a year of some notable successes for the pro-life movement.

Shutterstock

Though it wasn’t until May that Kermit Gosnell was officially convicted on three counts of first-degree murder, news of the barbarity that went on at his Philadelphia abortion clinic had already gradually seeped out. While media coverage before and after the trial was underwhelming, the public learned something about what goes on in the abortion industry. Not just filthy, appalling clinic conditions tolerated by local and state authorities (not to mention industry groups that were supposed to uphold basic health and treatment standards) but also of the general callous disregard one of the nation’s preeminent abortionists had for the welfare of his patients—mother and child.

MORE: 2013: Clinics close, abortions drop, an industry retrenches

Should a Woman Marry a Man Who Has a Problem with Pornography?

This question is an urgent one given the importance of marriage, and the pervasive problem that pornography is in our culture. Many women have been concerned about this problem, and many more are sure to follow in their footsteps. I want to respond to this question in three ways: with a short answer, with a long answer, and by posing a more helpful consideration. First, the short answer. There is a clear and... MORE

A "Gospel" that Almost Killed Me | 9Marks

I’m in a bathtub. I can’t get up. I feel like I’m about to die. Mercury poisoning.




The water in the tub has grown cold. Maybe that’s why I feel so cold. I’ve been marinating in my own soup stock for the past two hours. I’m floating in and out of consciousness. Whenever I can concentrate I begin to pray.

“Jesus, please, save me. Please, heal me. I repent, I put my whole heart into prayer right now, and I cast out any doubt or fear. I know you can heal me. Please heal me!”

My mom’s keys are rattling in the doorknob now, and I hear the door thud shut in the distance. I hear her purse sliding across the counter and her keys landing next to it. I barely recognize her figure as she tries with all of her wiry might to pull me out of the tub. I spend the next two days in the hospital. My mom wants to know why I didn’t let her know, why I didn’t want to go to the hospital, why I didn’t do something.

MORE...A "Gospel" that Almost Killed Me | 9Marks

Is Recreational Marijuana Use a Sin? – The Gospel Coalition Blog

Last November, citizens of Colorado voted on Amendment 64, an amendment to their state's constitution that would allow the "personal use and regulation of marijuana" for adults 21 and over, as well as commercial cultivation, manufacture, and sale, effectively regulating cannabis in a manner similar to alcohol. The first stores selling marijuana for recreational use officially opened on January 1, 2014.


While the new legislation applies only to Colorado (Washington state passed a similar measure, though marijuana is still illegal in all other states and at the federal level), Americans across the nation are beginning to examine questions related to the use of marijuana. For Christians, one of the most pertinent questions is whether the recreational use of marijuana is sinful.

Is Recreational Marijuana Use a Sin? – The Gospel Coalition Blog