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.

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

How Pornography Works: It Hijacks the Male Brain – AlbertMohler.com

We are fast becoming a pornographic society. Over the course of the last decade, explicitly sexual images have crept into advertising, marketing, and virtually every niche of American life. This ambient pornography is now almost everywhere, from the local shopping mall to prime-time television.
By some estimations, the production and sale of explicit pornography now represents the seventh-largest industry in America. New videos and internet pages are produced each week, with the digital revolution bringing a host of new delivery systems. Every new digital platform becomes a marketing opportunity for the pornography industry. MORE:
How Pornography Works: It Hijacks the Male Brain – AlbertMohler.com

10 Facts About The Transforming Global Religious Landscape

The Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life conducted a comprehensive demographic study of over 230 countries and territories in 2012, and some of their results might surprise you.

Here are ten things that you should know about the current state of religion in today's world.

1. Religious 'Nones' Are Third-Largest Group
Religiously unaffiliated people are the third-largest "religious" group worldwide, behind Christians and Muslims. Roughly one-in-six people around the globe, 16.3%, are religious "nones."

MORE: 10 Facts About The Transforming Global Religious Landscape

Baptist Press -FIRST-PERSON: Kirk Cameron's 'Unstoppable' faith - News with a Christian Perspective

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP) -- I'm not sure I could take the slings and arrows Kirk Cameron has had to dodge or endure.

Cameron is famous and talented but add devotion to your Christian walk and there’s a huge target on your back. The star of the sitcom "Growing Pains," the "Left Behind" apocalyptic series, the breakthrough faith-based drama "Fireproof" and the insightful documentary "Monumental" is paying a price for his gifts and resolve.
MORE: Baptist Press -FIRST-PERSON: Kirk Cameron's 'Unstoppable' faith - News with a Christian Perspective

75 Astonishing Things that Happen at Conversion | Counseling One Another

What words could we use to describe God’s grace toward sinners like us? Amazing? Yes. Extravagant? For sure. Astonishing? Absolutely!
The apostle Paul was a man who never got over the grace of God…and neither should we. As the Holy Spirit guided him along, he edified the believers at Ephesus by expounding on “the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:7). I want to do the same in today’s post.
Recently, I spent some time thinking about all that God accomplishes in an instant, at the moment of conversion, and what He continues to work to its ultimate completion in the day we see Him in glory (Phil 1:6). The result was a list of 75 amazing works of God. With a list that long, and interconnected, categorizing them into smaller chunks was quite a challenge. But I finally had to decide on a manner of grouping, inadequate as it may be.
MORE: 75 Astonishing Things that Happen at Conversion | Counseling One Another

Five Common Expressions I’ve Never Understood

Five Common Expressions I’ve Never Understood

Common sense may be more common than sense. There are any number of shorthand aphorisms in the world and in the church that shape our thinking, but don’t stand up to scrutiny, at least right away. Below are five common expressions that might fit under the banner of common sense, that I just can’t make sense out of. There may be good arguments behind all or some of them, but that is rather a far thing from being a self-evident truth.

1. We shouldn’t judge people. This one we hear from both the world and the church. With the church it even comes complete with a proof-text, Matthew 7:1. While Jesus warns us to not be too quick to judge, to judge with charity, to judge in a manner we would like to be judged, even He is in this very text calling us to judge, but to judge well. A blanket condemnation of all judging is, well, condemning, and therefore judging. It is hoisted on its own petard.

MORE: Five Common Expressions I’ve Never Understood

PCUSA rejects popular hymn “In Christ Alone” | Denny Burk#more-25243#more-25243

 Timothy George explains why the Presbyterian Church USA has recently rejected the hymn “In Christ Alone” from its new hymnal:

Recently, the wrath of God became a point of controversy in the decision of the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song to exclude from its new hymnal the much-loved song “In Christ Alone” by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. The Committee wanted to include this song because it is being sung in many churches, Presbyterian and otherwise, but they could not abide this line from the third stanza: “Till on that cross as Jesus died/the wrath of God was satisfied.” For this they wanted to substitute: “…as Jesus died/the love of God was magnified.” The authors of the hymn insisted on the original wording, and the Committee voted nine to six that “In Christ Alone” would not be among the eight hundred or so items in their new hymnal.

There is no surprise in this news. Although not all PCUSA churches are theologically liberal, the denomination by and large is. Liberalism and wrath go together like oil and water; they don’t mix. And historically speaking, one of them eventually has to go. When wrath goes, so does the central meaning of the atonement of Christ—penal substitution. At the end of the day, the cross itself is the stumbling block, and that is why the PCUSA cannot abide this hymn.

MORE: PCUSA rejects popular hymn “In Christ Alone” | Denny Burk#more-25243#more-25243

4 Goals to Pursue in Parenting by William Boekestein | Ligonier Ministries Blog

Near the end of Colossians 3 God speaks his will to people who play a role in six different relationships; Wives, husbands, children, fathers, bondservants, and masters. Only to fathers does God NOT speak a positive command. He simply says, “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged” (Col. 3:21). Perhaps by doing so, God is accentuating the uniquely devastating problem of parental provocation. Still, Ephesians 6:4 teaches us that there is a clear alternative to provocative parenting. MORE: 4 Goals to Pursue in Parenting by William Boekestein | Ligonier Ministries Blog

SBTS Resources » The Challenge of Islam—A Christian Perspective

The issue of Islam is never far from our headlines. Early in his administration, President Barack Obama put the issue of Islam front and center on the international stage. His visits to Islamic-dominated lands and his public statements to the Muslim world have raised a host of questions at home and abroad.


In a speech to the Turkish parliament, President Obama declared: “The United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam.” He went on to say that “our partnership with the Muslim world is critical not just in rolling back the violent ideologies that people of all faiths reject, but also to strengthen opportunity for all its people.”

But the President also spoke of his “deep appreciation for the Islamic faith.” Here is the statement in context:
(MORE): SBTS Resources » The Challenge of Islam—A Christian Perspective

Baptist Press - Survey: Mature Christians unashamed of faith - News with a Christian Perspective

NASHVILLE (BP) -- While not all churchgoers are particularly transparent or open about their faith, mature Christians are consistent in character and identity around non-believers, LifeWay research reveals.

The survey of Protestant churchgoers identifies "unashamed" as one of eight attributes of discipleship that consistently show up in the lives of maturing Christians. Being unashamed connotes a boldness to stand for one's beliefs in conversation and lifestyle, LifeWay Research director Scott McConnell said.
MORE - Baptist Press - Survey: Mature Christians unashamed of faith - News with a Christian Perspective

The Family | Challies Dot Com

s you know, I often post favorite Puritan prayers on Sundays. Here is one entitled “The Family.” It is drawn from The Valley of Vision. I think any Christian family member can pray this prayer with sincerity!
O Sovereign Lord,
Thou art the Creator-Father of all men, for thou hast made and dost support them;
Thou art the special Father of those who know, love and honour thee,
who find thy yoke easy, and thy burden light,
thy work honourable,
thy commandments glorious.
MORE: The Family | Challies Dot Com

Ed Stetzer - Love Your Neighbor-- Even the Muslim Ones, An Expanded Version of My Column in USAToday

For many Americans, their knowledge of Muslims is what they see on television news rather than what they know from experience. Yet, forming a view of any group based solely on what one sees on the news is a bad idea.
When the Boston Marathon bombing occurred, many Americans were quick to assume it was the work of Muslim extremists, even before it was confirmed. The connection of terrorism to radicalized Islam is no secret. Yet, far too many take it further, leading me to ask, why do some people assume that all, most, or even many Muslims must be terrorists?
In addition, I wondered why so much hate is directed at Muslims today-- the vast majority of whom are peaceful people and, when living here, love their country.
Simply put, too many people make decisions about a group based on what they see on television news--and that's a bad place to make sweeping conclusions.
But this connection happens more than with terrorism and Muslims.
More: Ed Stetzer - Love Your Neighbor-- Even the Muslim Ones, An Expanded Version of My Column in USAToday

Mary Eberstadt: In Battle Over Christianity, Orthodoxy Is Winning | TIME.com

Small wonder, given the harrowing times recently, that news about a long-running property fight over a picturesque church in northern Virginia escaped most people’s notice. But the story of the struggle over the historic Falls Church is nonetheless worth a closer look. It’s one more telling example of a little-acknowledged truth: though religious traditionalism may be losing today’s political and legal battles, it remains poised to win the wider war over what Christianity will look like tomorrow.

On April 18, the Virginia Supreme Court upheld an earlier court decision that a breakaway Episcopalian congregation (now called the Falls Church Anglicans) did not have rights to the historic church there. Instead, the court ruled, the property belongs to the same mainline denomination — the Episcopal Church — that the Falls Church Anglicans had voted to leave in 2006. What’s striking here is not so much the legal outcome, for earlier cases involving other breakaway congregations had also ended without any clear advantage to the rebels. It’s that this episode is exquisitely emblematic of today’s Christian moment.  MORE:  Mary Eberstadt: In Battle Over Christianity, Orthodoxy Is Winning | TIME.com

Jackie Robinson and the Pattern of Jesus - Desiring God

It was 1948, during Jackie Robinson’s second season in Major League Baseball, when some bigots in Cincinnati were really giving him the business.
Just the previous year, Robinson had been the one with the monumental courage to break the color barrier as the first African American of the modern era to play in baseball’s highest league. He had endured unthinkable cruelty and injustice for de-segregating the game, and he was succeeding on the field and off. Not only did he bat just a shade under .300 in 1947, and was named Rookie of the Year, but he was holding his tongue, and fists, and not fighting back.
But now, in his second campaign, some still weren’t convinced. Eric Metaxas tells the story of the “signature moment” that happened in 1948. MORE: Jackie Robinson and the Pattern of Jesus - Desiring God

Baptist Press - FIRST-PERSON: History Channel begets a (good) Bible series - News with a Christian Perspective

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP) -- "Just think about all the people who don't know the Bible," said Roma Downey, co-executive producer of the miniseries "The Bible," which will air on the History Channel beginning Sunday (March 3).

"The Bible," a five-episode, 10-hour special, was the dream child of Downey (star of "Touched by an Angel") and her husband, Mark Burnett (producer of "Survivor"). At a press interview in New York last November, I found the husband-and-wife producing team enthusiastic, nearly giddy as they neared the completion of the production.
MORE: Baptist Press - FIRST-PERSON: History Channel begets a (good) Bible series - News with a Christian Perspective

The Church is Christ’s Bride, Not His Baby Mama

(the gospel side) In case you are not up to speed on the last decade’s slang, a baby mama is someone with whom you made a baby, but have no commitment to and little contact with. In other words, someone objectified, used, abandoned, and now mocked for being dumb enough to think the guy would actually be faithful to her.
If you are a Christian does that remind you of anything?
I hear similar attitudes towards the church expressed in Starbucks every week. People waxing eloquent about how into ‘Jesus’ and ‘spirituality’ they are, but not so much ‘religion’ or the ‘Church.’ It is why 24 million people watched Jefferson Bethke’s spoken word video “Why I hate religion but love Jesus” last year.
I am most amazed when I see Christian leaders encouraging people to use the church as their ‘baby mama’ – for their own desires and preferences, and when she no longer ‘does it for me’ to ditch her for a younger, sexier model. What I am whining about exactly? Here are a few examples:...MORE

Why Are Christians Such Bad Tippers?

(Her-menuitics by Karen Swallow Prior) If you are a Christian and want to serve Christendom well, you can start by not going out to eat—unless you're willing to love your neighbor the restaurant server as yourself.

Last week's story of pastor who instead of a tip left a snarky note for her waitress—"I give God 10 percent why do you get 18?"—made news because of what followed the otherwise commonplace event: a photo of the receipt was posted online and went viral, the server was then fired, and finally, after her stinginess found her out, the pastor issued a public apology.  MORE