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Monday, April 24

On Women Deacons

The issue of whether women can serve as deacons is hot topic amongst folks. Andreas Kostenberger gives his thoughts and argument for women serving the church as deacons as seen in 1Tim 3.11.

Here is why he says "women deacons" is more likely:
        •        The absence of qualifications for overseers’ wives: why would Paul give qualifications for deacons’ wives but not for overseers’ wives?
        •        the phrase “in the same way” in 1 Tim. 3:11 most likely indicates a transition from one office to another, as it does in 1 Tim. 3:8 (from elders to deacons);
        •        the parallel sentence structure and similar characteristics in vv. 8 and 11 (including the lack of article before “women”) also suggest two distinct but related offices;
        •        the absence of qualifiers such as “their” in the Greek: note that “their” is added, e.g., in the NIV, suggesting that the translators felt this is needed in English.

Since being a deacon does not involve teaching or ruling, women as well as men are eligible to serve in this capacity...Many conservative churches are hesitant to appoint women deacons because deacons often have a governing role. They fear that having women deacons may suggest theological liberalism, since Scripture does not permit women to serve in governing positions (see esp. 1 Tim. 2:12; 5:17). However, the problem here is not women deacons but the unbiblical understanding of the role of deacon.

Pants So Tight Your Feet Are Blue?


My wife and I subscribe to Biblical Health Daily, which is a daily newsletter from the people at MakersDiet.com. A week ago or so the newsletter said this (FYI):

How to Get Sick: Wear Tight Underclothing
Keeping your lymph system healthy is crucial when it comes to fighting off disease. Your lymph nodes are the first line of defense against toxins, viruses, and bacteria.
        Wearing tight underclothing can compress or block lymph nodes, which may stop the lymph system from properly cleansing itself. It is conceivable that this may help contribute to the development or proliferation of cancer in the body.
        Choose loose-fitting underclothing in breathable, natural cotton. Your body will thank you for it, and not just because it will help you stay healthy. Lightweight, natural fibers will keep you cool and comfortable too.

Saturday, April 22

Primal Urges

This is now my favorite commercial.

[HT: Matthew Molesky]

Friday, April 21

Origin of the Terms "Emerging" and "Emergent" Church (Part II)


Dan Kimball has the second installment of his historical analysis. This time with a snazzy book from 1981 called...The Emergent Church.

Intelligent Design Under Fire

If you’re anywhere near La Mirada, CA on May 12 you must go to this event. ID scientists Michael Behe, Guillermo Gonzalez, Steve Meyer, Paul Nelson, Jonathan Wells will be grilled by skeptics regarding Intelligent Design at Biola University.

[HT: Intelligent Design the Future]

Update: Skeptics will include those from all over, the grilling will take place at Biola.

Raising Family in the Community of Believers...

The elders at Third Avenue have been blogging about how the church supports the parent in their role as parents. That is, how does one interact (and possibly correct) a child who is not yours when something happens right before your eyes? What does submission and obedience look like from a child? How does community function in this endeavor? And in his inaugural post as an elder, Sir Bruce Keisling offers up a good grid by which to think through first.

Thursday, April 20

New Template

As you can tell, I have moved from the dark side to the light. I was encouraged to change the colors so as to be easier to read and so as to not be too depressing. Anyway, I will be tooling around with it some more because I want to have the sidebar be a different color, but I can’t figure out how to do that. Any help would be much appreciated. Feel free to look at my source page and let me know what I can do. Also, let me know if you like this template better...What would make it better?

The Uber Da Vinci Resource Page

Any additions can be found in the Comments section.

Articles-Posts-Etc
Deciphering the DaVinci Code [Al Mohler]
The DaVinci Code [David Griffiths]
Dabears, Dabulls, Daaaaavinci [D. Griffiths]
Hays On Da Vinci Code [Mark Goodacre]
Not InDavincible [J.P. Holding]
The Da Vinci Code: Of Magdalene, Gnostics, the Goddess and the Grail [Leadership U]
Dismantling The Da Vinci Code [Sandra Miesel]
Crash Goes The Da Vinci Code [Ron Rhodes]
Christ: The Man Who is God [Alan Scholes]
Breaking The Da Vinci Code [Carl Hansen]
Debunking The Da Vinci Code [Elizabeth Lev]
The Truth Behind The Da Vinci Code [Carl Olson]
Da Vinci's Secret Christian Message [Interview w/Giuseppe Fornari]
Screwtape on The Da Vinci Code [Eric Metaxas]
Debunking Dan Brown's "Fact Based Fiction" [James White]
Planet envoy Critique of The Da Vinci Code [Carl Olson (Pt. 1)]
Planet envoy Critique of The Da Vinci Code [Carl Olson (Pt. 2)]
Jesus, Mary and Dud Vinci [Carl Olson]
The DaVinci Code [Amy Welborn]
Dismantling the DaVinci Code [Sandra Miesel]
Crash Goes The Da Vinci Code [Ron Rhodes]
Was Jesus Married? [Darrell Bock]
Mary, Mary, Extraordinary [Ben Witherington III]
Why the 'Lost Gospels' Lost Out [Ben Witherington III]
Cracking The Da Vinci Code [Brian Bethune]
The Code vs. History [Brian Bethune]
Book Review [Craig Blomberg]
The Da Vinci Code, Corrected [Craig Keener]
Weblog: Time Goes Gnostic [Rob Moll]
The Good News of Da Vinci [Darrell Bock]
Breaking The Da Vinci Code [Collin Hansen]
Thanks, Da Vinci Code [Chris Armstrong]
The Da Vinci Code and the Scriptures [Darryl DelHousaye]
Shaking the Foundations of Christianity

Books
The Da Vinci Hoax [Carl Olson and Sandra Miesel]
Breaking the Da Vinci Code [Darrell Bock]
De-Coding Da Vinci: The Facts Behind the Fiction of The Da Vinci Code [Amy Welborn]
The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code: A Challenging Response to the Bestselling Novel [Richard Abanes]
Rejecting the Da Vinci Code: How a Blasphemous Novel Brutally Attacks Our Lord and the Catholic Church
The Real History Behind the Da Vinci Code [Sharan Newman]
Da Vinci Code Decoded: The Truth Behind the New York Times #1 Bestseller [Martin Lunn]
Beyond Da Vinci [Greg Jones]
The Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction [Hank Hanegraaff & Paul Maier]
Da Vinci Codebreaker: An Easy-to-Use Fact Checker [James Garlow]

Evangelistic Ideas
Study Guide for The Da Vinci Code: A Quet for Answers [Josh McDowell (.pdf)]
Da Vinci Quest Ministry Ideas [.pdf]
Debunking The Da Vinci Code

Blogs
Jesus and Da Vinci: Who Was Jesus, Really?
The Life: The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code Discussed
Challenging Da Vinci

Audio
There's Something About Mary [James White (3 audio sermons)]
What About That Other Bible? [Erwin Lutzer (3 audio sermons)]
Deciphering the Da Vinci Code: A Symposium [Darrell Bock, et al.]
Exploring The Da Vinci Code [Mike Licona]
The Da Vinci Code: Was There a Plan to Suppress "Secret" Gospels? [Craig Blomberg (Part 1)]
The Da Vinci Code: Was There a Plan to Suppress "Secret" Gospels? [Craig Blomberg (Part 2)]

Related Topics
Holy Blood, Holy Grail Book Review [Michael Baigent, et al.]
Mighty Mithraic Madness [J.P. Holding]
Was the New Testament Influenced by Pagan Religions [Ron Nash]
Easter: Myth, Hallucination, or History? [Edwin Yamauchi]
Did Hinduism Influence the Christian Faith? [J.P. Holding]
Cracking the Bible Code [William Dembski]

Origin of the Terms "Emerging" and "Emergent" Church

Dan Kimball explains the roots of the Emerging movement and where the Emergent movement is distinct...Here.

Fitting In vs. Being Despised

So many Christians try to get in where they don’t fit in. Some have labeled themselves “post-evangelicals” because they see something they don’t like and don’t know what they do like - that is, know what they stand for in many cases. Here is a thought-probing article on integrity for a Christian as he engages the culture.

EXCERPT:
Part of the good news of the Kingdom is that we’ll suffer for the Name. Remember, Jesus endured the Cross for the joy set before Him. Paul craved sharing in the sufferings of Christ and repeatedly urged his letter readers to share and glory in his and their sufferings. It’s not that these grad student experts in impression management think they only want the benefits of the good news. Rather, they don’t believe that one of the benefits of the good news is being freed from the storyline of worldly respect.

How Many Darwinists Does It Take to Screw In a Lightbulb?

A bit of Thursday morning humor over at Cartago Delenda Est: The Great Debate

[HT: Uncommon Descent]

Wednesday, April 19

The DaVinci Resource Page [Version 1.1]

Update: Like I said, this is a work in progress. I have added some more useful resources on here for your perusal, including full names so you can know who it is without trying to guess with just the letter. Enjoy! And as always, let me know if there are some more additions you think would be helpful.

I have compiled a list of articles, reviews, etc. that will be helpful in preparing to give a defense for the reason you think the DaVinci Code is bunk. Not to sound too mean. I plan on watching this thing so that I can engage with the what is being said about it. I will wait for it in the $1 theatre or the DVD. If there are other resources you think should be linked...let me know. This is a work in progress:

Articles-Posts-Etc
Deciphering the DaVinci Code [Al Mohler]
"The DaVinci Code" [David Griffiths]
Dabears, Dabulls, Daaaaavinci [D. Griffiths]
Hays On da Vinci Code [Mark Goodacre]
Not InDavincible [J.P. Holding]
The Da Vinci Code: Of Magdalene, Gnostics, the Goddedd and the Grail [Leadership U]
Dismantling The Da Vinci Code [Sandra Miesel]
Crash Goes The Da Vinci Code [Ron Rhodes]
Christ: The Man Who is God [Alan Scholes]
Breaking The Da Vinci Code [Carl Hansen]
Debunking The Da Vinci Code [Elizabeth Lev]
The Truth Behind The Da Vinci Code [Carl Olson]
Da Vinci's Secret Christian Message [Interview w/Giuseppe Fornari]
Screwtape on The Da Vinci Code [Eric Metaxas]
Debunking Dan Brown's "Fact Based Fiction" [James White]
Planet envoy Critique of The Da Vinci Code [Carl Olson (Pt. 1)]
Planet envoy Critique of The Da Vinci Code [Carl Olson (Pt. 2)]
Jesus, Mary and Dud Vinci [Carl Olson]
The DaVinci Code [Amy Welborn]
Dismantling the DaVinci Code [Sandra Miesel]
Crash Goes The Da Vinci Code [Ron Rhodes]
Was Jesus Married? [Darrell Bock]
Mary, Mary, Extraordinary [Ben Witherington III]
Why the 'Lost Gospels' Lost Out [Ben Witherington III]
Cracking The Da Vinci Code [Brian Bethune]
The Code vs. History [Brian Bethune]
Book Review [Craig Blomberg]
The Da Vinci Code, Corrected [Craig Keener]
Weblog: Time Goes Gnostic [Rob Moll]
The Good News of Da Vinci [Darrell Bock]
Breaking The Da Vinci Code [Collin Hansen]
Thanks, Da Vinci Code [Chris Armstrong]

Books
The Da Vinci Hoax [Carl Olson and Sandra Miesel]
Breaking the Da Vinci Code [Darrell Bock]
De-Coding Da Vinci: The Facts Behind the Fiction of The Da Vinci Code [Amy Welborn]
The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code: A Challenging Response to the Bestselling Novel [Richard Abanes]
Rejecting the Da Vinci Code: How a Blasphemous Novel Brutally Attacks Our Lord and the Catholic Church
The Real History Behind the Da Vinci Code [Sharan Newman]
Da Vinci Code Decoded: The Truth Behind the New York Times #1 Bestseller [Martin Lunn]
Beyond Da Vinci [Greg Jones]
The Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction [Hank Hanegraaff & Paul Maier]
Da Vinci Codebreaker: An Easy-to-Use Fact Checker [James Garlow]

Evangelistic Ideas
Study Guide for The Da Vinci Code: A Quet for Answers [Josh McDowell (.pdf)]
Da Vinci Quest Ministry Ideas [.pdf]
Debunking The Da Vinci Code

Blogs
Jesus and Da Vinci: Who Was Jesus, Really?
A Slew of Other Articles
The Da Vinci Code Discussed [blog]

Audio
There's Something About Mary [James White (3 audio sermons)]
What About That Other Bible? [Erwin Lutzer (3 audio sermons)]
Deciphering the Da Vinci Code: A Symposium [Darrell Bock, et al.]
Exploring The Da Vinci Code [Mike Licona]

Related Topics
Holy Blood, Holy Grail Book Review [Michael Baigent, et al.]
Mighty Mithraic Madness [J.P. Holding]
Was the New Testament Influenced by Pagan Religions [Ron Nash]
Easter: Myth, Hallucination, or History? [Edwin Yamauchi]
Did Hinduism Influence the Christian Faith? [J.P. Holding]
Cracking the Bible Code [William Dembski]

Thursday, April 13

The DaVinci Resource Page

I have compiled a list of articles, reviews, etc. that will be helpful in preparing to give a defense for the reason you think the DaVinci Code is bunk. Not to sound too mean. I plan on watching this thing so that I can engage with the what is being said about it. I will wait for it in the $1 theatre or the DVD. If there are other resources you think should be linked...let me know. This is a work in progress:

Articles-Posts-Etc
Decoding The DaVinci Code [NT Wright]
Deciphering the DaVinci Code [A. Mohler]
"The DaVinci Code" [D. Griffiths]
Dabears, Dabulls, Daaaaavinci [D. Griffiths]
Hays On da Vinci Code [M. Goodacre]
Not InDavincible [J. Holding]
The Da Vinci Code: Of Magdalene, Gnostics, the Goddedd and the Grail [Leadership U]
Deciphering the Da Vinci Code: A Symposium [D. Bock (audio)]
Dismantling The Da Vinci Code [S. Miesel]
Crash Goes The Da Vinci Code [R. Rhodes]
Christ: The Man Who is God [A. Scholes]
Breaking The Da Vinci Code [C. Hansen]
Debunking The Da Vinci Code [E. Lev]
The Truth Behind The Da Vinci Code [C. Olson]
Da Vinci's Secret Christian Message [Interview w/Giuseppe Fornari]
Screwtape on The Da Vinci Code [E. Metaxas]

Books
The Da Vinci Hoax [C. Olson and S. Miesel]
Breaking the Da Vinci Code [D. Bock]
De-Coding Da Vinci: The Facts Behind the Fiction of The Da Vinci Code [A. Welborn]
The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code: A Challenging Response to the Bestselling Novel [R. Abanes]
Rejecting the Da Vinci Code: How a Blasphemous Novel Brutally Attacks Our Lord and the Catholic Church
The Real History Behind the Da Vinci Code [S. Newman]
Da Vinci Code Decoded: The Truth Behind the New York Times #1 Bestseller [M. Lunn]
Beyond Da Vinci [G. Jones]

Evangelistic Ideas
Study Guide for The Da Vinci Code: A Quet for Answers [J. McDowell (.pdf)]
Da Vinci Quest Ministry Ideas [.pdf]

Blogs
Jesus and Da Vinci: Who Was Jesus, Really?
A Slew of Other Articles
The Da Vinci Code Discussed

Audio
There's Something About Mary [J. White (3 audio sermons)]
What About That Other Bible? [E. Lutzer (3 audio sermons)]

Wednesday, April 12

Is All Scripture Inspired?

Phil Siefkes has a good post about reading Scripture in public. It is a discipline that is being neglected in more and more churches...not to mention lengthy passages.

EXCERPT:
So what should we do with those lengthier, "less exciting" passages of Scripture? I would suggest we simply read them out loud for all to hear. Let us not shy away from such passages. People need the discipline of listening to God's Word being read. Some people need to hear someone else read the Bible because they don't read well themselves. Some people need to hear the public reading of the Bible to learn the appropriate pronunciation of Biblical terms, names, cities, etc...
Never blah, blah, blah from the pulpit. ALL Scripture is inspired of God and is profitable for teaching, convicting of wrong, setting upright again, and training in righteousness. Read the entire passage. It is God's Word.

I would add:
1) When you read publicly, read with conviction. After all, it is God’s word.
2) Read the passage beforehand so as not to stumble over difficult words.
3) Find the main thrust of the passage and place emphasis there.
4) Pray and ask God to bless his people as a result of your reading of his Word.

Any other ideas on how to make the public reading of the Word a blessing to those who hear??

[HT: ESV Blog]

Why I Love My Church...

As I mentioned yesterday, my wife and I joined Third Avenue last August and have been exceedingly blessed. When I share the reasons why we joined 3ABC it is not to say that other churches don’t have these qualities. I know there are and I pray that there will be more...I am merely giving thanks to God publicly for his grace in our lives in hopes that it will be for your edification.

One of the main reasons that we joined Third has to do with the fact that they are bloggers. This may sound strange, but it is a blogging church because it is a progressive church.

Now it is not progressive in the traditional sense (yes, the contrast and play on ideas is intended). In fact, if you attend any Sunday morning you will think that it is anything but progressive...That is until you hear the preacher; until you talk with people afterwards; until you check out the website.

One of the main problems with congregations now is the denigration or abandonment of a robust theology for the sake of “reaching” the lost. I venture to say that the lost do not need to be entertained as much as they want to hear rock-solid Truth. Justification by faith, propitiation, expiation, sanctification, etc have been left in the annals of archaism and fluffy faith has taken their place.

Community is not something that can be taught, it must be the overflow of the theology that is affirmed (more on this later). At Third my faith is nurtured by friends like Jeremy Yong, Kevin Cuthbertson, Joshua Morrell, Joshua Vincent, Greg Gilbert, Aaron Menikoff, Keith Goad, Jonathan Leeman, et al.

Now that I have posted this and have affiliated myself with Third, I feel an extra burden to represent my family well. I am thinking of future posts I have and feel the weight of being honest, open, and Christ-like. Not that I wasn’t aiming at doing this before, but when people know that you go to a certain church, what you say and do reflects not only upon yourself but on your church.

Tuesday, April 11

A Long-Time Coming

My wife and I joined Third Avenue Baptist Church in August of last year. We love this congregation of Christ-followers and look forward to each Sunday and Wednesday we get to spend together. They are our family and we are thankful.

I must admit, I was a little convicted that Matthew Hall posted on our church’s website before I did. I have been meaning to for a while, but have been waiting for it to be 100% operational. We have been working with a website designer and want to have a separate page for the blog...which brings me to this post.

The elders at Third Avenue are blogging (and have been doing so for a couple months now). It is a fine blog that deals with culture, ecclesiology, politics, and fashion. I have enjoyed the reads thus far and check it quite often. Hopefully we’ll get an RSS feed before too long...be looking for that!

I am sure that I will lose readers because of Third’s blog - they are much better than me at it I promise you. But to the faithful, thanks for sticking with me.

The Case for the Resurrection

Over at the LTI Blog, they have a quick post on some points you can brush up on in order to share your faith in the coming week with those who doubt the Resurrection of Jesus.

Its five points are summarized as such:
(A) Christian resurrection differs radically from Greek thought about the afterlife.
(B) Christian resurrection builds on Jewish traditions, but differs from them.
(C) Christian resurrection differs significantly from the dying and rising Gods (cyclical) of ancient mystery religions.
(D) Christian resurrection differs from the alleged resurrection stories about Alexander the Great.
(E) Even if the NT accounts of resurrection were similar to a given ancient legend that alone would not prove them wrong.
EXCERPT:The minimal facts generally accepted by a majority of both liberal and conservative scholars include: 1) Jesus died due to crucifixion. 2) Jesus was buried. 3) The disciples despaired after the crucifixion. 4) Jesus’ tomb was found empty. 5) The disciples had real experiences that convinced them of a risen Jesus. 6) As a result of these real experiences, the disciples were completely transformed. 7) The disciples proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus early, in the very city where he was crucified. 8 ) The early gospel message centered on the death and resurrection of Jesus. 9) Paul and James—initially skeptics—become Christians based on what they thought were real experiences of the resurrected Jesus. Given the majority of scholars accept these minimal facts, it’s difficult to see why the question of origins is even relevant. The better question is, “Given these facts—all with multiple attestation—what’s the best explanation for them?”

Witnessing to Jehovah's Witnesses

A friend of mine has published a tract to share with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Check it out here. It’s called: “Who’s Knocking At Your Door?”

Spanking

One of the things I love about the blogosphere is the interconnectedness of information. One of my friends from The Bethlehem Institute, David Griffiths, has summarized an article I have been meaning to for weeks. Paul Wegner wrote an article for the latest JETS on spanking. As many of you know I had a series of posts on this past October (links below) and want to continue to tweak my understanding. In the mean time check out David’s On Spanking: Quotes and Comments.

Before you go there, though, I want to make a couple comments: Levels one and two should be switched...Information should be imparted before it is encouraged. Also, I did not understand what Wegner was saying from Dave’s summary until I supplied a definition of “physical harm”. I think, in order for the stages to work effectively that Wegner is saying that “physical harm” means lasting physical impairment (i.e. cutting off a hand). Does this make sense in light of the eight stages?

I enjoyed this quote from the article: “"The purpose of discipline is remedial with the hope of saving the child's life from an early demise due to rebellion.” So many times people think of discipline as only spanking and as negative. I am thankful for Wegner’s showing that nurture and admonition are more than spanking...Even when it comes to corporal punishment, the quote above must be remembered.

My Previous Posts:
Before I Continue
Soft Bottoms Lead to Hard Hearts {1}
Soft Bottoms Lead to Hard Hearts {2}
A Temper to the Rod
The Child and Folly
Loving By Hurting
Parents Carry God's Rod
The Discipline of the Lord
Closing Remarks...from Jonathan Edwards

Monday, April 10

Applied Calvinism

Chris Ortiz offers a needed reminder to seminarians and anyone else who might love to live in the abstract world. We must constantly seek out ways to make theology applicable and show why it is important. Otherwise, Christians who want to make a difference in their communities will sacrifice good Bible teaching for the sake of doing something.

EXCERPT:
It is a serious mistake to see theology as an academic exercise. The word theology means God's word; it begins with the presupposition that Scripture is the word of God, and the duty of the theologian is to understand it and to apply it to every area of life and thought.

Theology belongs in the pulpit, the school, the work-place, the family, and everywhere. Society as a whole is weakened when theology is neglected. Without a systematic application of theology, too often people approach the Bible with a smorgasbord mentality, picking and choosing that which pleases them.... For me theology means the total mandate of God through His word. What I have written only scratches the surface; it is an introduction to the subject, and it is written to move men to faith and action.
(R.J. Rushdoony, Systematic Theology, Vol. I, p.xv, xvi)...

Herein lieth the purpose for Christian Reconstruction: applied Calvinism. It's the recognition that since God is wholly other, and superintends all things through creation and providence, then we are dependent upon His infallible revelation as creatures a part and distinct from His eternal being. And, knowing that the primary intent of His written revelation is to teach us "what we are to believe about Him, and what it is He requires us to do" (WCF Larger Catechism, Q.6), then we must move beyond abstract discussions of His anomalies and move ourselves to Christian action. We have spent much time on the first aspect of the catechism in determining what we believe about Him. Now let us discuss what it is He requires us to do.
[Full Article]

Friday, April 7

Hugh Hefner's Legacy

CawleyBlog points to a good article in the Wall Street Journal on the life and coaxing of Hefner. Check it out here.

EXCERPT:
One might have thought that the woman, in life, had enough trouble with users and operators. But of course Hef, an exploiter to the end, doesn't see himself that way, and what's clear from all his legacy projects is that he wants to be remembered as anything other than what he is. We're to think of him as Hugh Hefner, social philosopher and cultural revolutionary. Hugh Hefner, entrepreneur and Charity Events Man of the Year. Hugh Hefner, friend of Marilyn. Hugh Hefner, luckiest cat on the planet. Anything, please, but the truth about Hugh Hefner, pornographer.

[...]

One hesitates to speak harshly of an old man, who somewhere along the way must have done a few worthwhile things. But as to the public legacy of Hugh Hefner, he should have no illusions. All of us have our share of faults and sins to account for. But the lowest of vices and "strangest secret of hell," as G.K. Chesterton called it, is the desire to pervert others, to coax and corrupt them and drag them down with you. And any man who at the age of 80 has that to answer for is by no stretch the luckiest cat on the planet.(full article)

Left Behind Video Game...Buy It Before It Flies Away

“In one cataclysmic moment, millions disappear.” So the title to the new Left Behind video game goes. I don’t hold to a pre-tribulation rapture. As I was writing my paper on Revelation this semester, I was amazed at how much people want to cling to a pre-trib rapture view. One of the commentaries I read said something to the effect, “Although Revelation does not talk about a rapture, we know that Paul does so we should chapter 20 in this light.” What!?!? I will share more on my paper later as I think it has helped me in my view of Rev. In any case, check out the link to the video game and drop your jaw...

The Gospel and Two Thieves

        Tertullian said that there are two thieves alongside the Gospel of Christ’s Grace. The thief of legalism threatens to steal the grace of the Gospel and the thief of relativism threatens to steal the truth of the Gospel.
        Legalism devalues the grace poured out on the Cross and the fact that all was accomplished on the Cross. Relativism waters down the gruesomeness of the justice poured out on Jesus for our sin. They say that God accepts us just the way we are.
        The Gospel says, “because I am accepted I will obey.” Better, “because I have been given a new heart, how can I not want to obey.” There is an inner-reality that is worked out in the life of the believer that works itself out through love and good deeds. The true Christian knows that whatever he does, he will not merit the acceptance he has in Christ. However, he also knows that “children obey your parents” is not just a helpful admonition, but a command. We, as children, are born unto a living hope as it manifests itself through obedience. It is not the root, but the fruit of the seed sown in the soil. Christ’s work is the root and our working is the fruit.
        There is a great article by Tim Keller that deals with this topic as it relates to the Gospel in the postmodern culture. Here is a quote from it that was especially impacting:

The gospel produces a unique blend of humility and boldness/joy in the convert. If you preach just a demanding God, the listener will have "low self-esteem"; if you preach just an all-loving God, the listener will have higher self-esteem. But the gospel produces something beyond both of those. The gospel says: I am so lost Jesus had to die to save me. But I am so loved that Jesus was glad to die to save me. That changes the very basis of my identity--it transforms me from the root. Legalistic churches reform people's behavior through social coercion, but the people stay radically insecure and hyper-critical. They don't achieve the new inner peace that the grace of God brings. The more relativistic churches give members some self-esteem and the veneer of peace but in the end that is superficial too. The result, Archibald Alexander said, is like trying to put a signet ring on the wax to seal a letter, but without any heat! Either the ring will affect the surface of the wax only or break it into pieces. You need heat to permanently change the wax into the likeness of the ring. So without the Holy Spirit working through the gospel, radically humbling and radically exalting us and changing them from the inside out, the religion either of the hard or soft variety will not avail.

Thursday, April 6

Hypocrisy of the Modern World

"The special mark of the modern world is not that it is sceptical, but that it is dogmatic without knowing it. It says, in mockery of old devotees, that they believed without knowing why they believed. But the moderns believe without knowing what they believe - and without even knowing that they do believe it. Their freedom consists in first freely assuming a creed, and then freely forgetting that they are assuming it." -G.K. Chesterton

Are People Free to Choose?

A question that plagues the honest Bible reader. Our culture reacts by saying, “Of course!” However, the Bible gives a different picture. If God is God then he is free to do as he wills, how he wills. The problem for people is accepting the fact that they are shot through with sin and only a supernatural work can save them...not their intellect or moral striving. In an excellent article, Doug Wilson treats this question (it takes about five minutes of your time and is well worth it!!).
EXCERPT:
Now the reason we have a problem with God’s control of free actions is that we do not want to say that men are nothing more than puppets. But the assumption of "puppetry" is a false inference. When one creature acts on another creature, his use of freedom displaces the freedom of the one he is acting on. When Hamlet kills Claudius, the freedom of Hamlet removes the freedom of Claudius. But when Shakespeare acts on Hamlet, this does not remove Hamlet's freedom, it rather creates it. In other words, the actions of Shakespeare on the characters does not have the same effect that the actions of one character have on another character. In the same way, the relation of God's will to my actions is not a relation that is bound by the rules of the universe because it is the relationship of the Creator of that universe with a creature within it. I cannot displace someone else's choices, and leave him in full possession of those choices at the same time. To try to explain it would be to try to explain a contradiction. But the error that is made when this is assumed to be true of God's relationship with us is the error of making God tiny, as though He were simply the biggest subset within the universe. But He is not.
[HT: Jim Hamilton]

Are Facts Obsolete?

If you are like me, you get pretty ticked off by the mainstream media in the things they report on. Sound bites seem more important than news. Political ties bleed into the facts and people are confused (and manipulated) to believe whatever is sprayed across their flat screen...Thomas Sowell probes this question in his latest Townhall article...worth reading.
EXCERPT:
 Crimes against homosexuals, blacks, or the homeless are big news to be dramatized, repeated, and denounced. Crimes committed by homosexuals, blacks, or the homeless are not -- and are often passed over in silence by much of the media. The net result is that the public gets filtered facts, which can create an impression the direct opposite of the truth.
 We learn from the media's filtered facts that there are countries with stronger gun-control laws than ours which have lower murder rates. We seldom, if ever, learn from the media about countries which have stronger gun-control laws than ours and whose murder rates are two or three times higher than ours.
 The media also filter out facts about countries where gun ownership is far more widespread than in the United States -- and who nevertheless have lower murder rates.The net result is a student population that does not even know enough to know what needs to be looked up, much less how to analyze facts, so as to test opposing beliefs -- as distinguished from how to gather information to support a preconceived notion that happens to be fashionable in the schools and colleges.

Tuesday, April 4

"Inappropriate Sexual Behavior" Among Kindergarten Students

A.B. Caneday has a good post on the above topic.

Axis of Islam: Verses of Hate

Although I agree that there are many branches of practice in Islam, I can’t get past verses like the following. I spoke with a friend of mine today who is a Muslim from Senegal and he told me that Senegalese Muslims are not like Middle Eastern Muslims, they are much more tolerant.

I loved our conversation today, but I am intrigued by the verses below that seem to contradict a passive/tolerance of non-Muslims. Help me understand. I am not trying to propagate hatred of Muslims, but am trying to inform what the Qu’ran teaches.

A lengthy post at Pedestrian Infidel is helpful in understanding what the Qu’ran does teach (well worth the time to read).

Sampling of verses found at Pedestrian Infidel’s site:
Qur’an 9:123 “murder them and treat them harshly”
Qur’an 3.28 Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of (the guardianship of) Allah, but you should guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully; and Allah makes you cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and to Allah is the eventual coming.
NOTE: By ‘guarding carefully’, a Muslim should deceive the infidel. Acting as a friend is fine as long as it is to benefit the Muslim and protect Islam.

Qur’an 3:56 “As for those disbelieving infidels, I will punish them with a terrible agony in this world and the next. They have no one to help or save them.”

Qur’an 4.89 They desire that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you might be (all) alike; therefore take not from among them friends until they fly (their homes) in Allah’s way; but if they turn back, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or a helper.

Qur’an 5:51 “Muslims, do not make friends with any but your own people.”

Qur’an 5:72 “They are surely infidels who say; ‘God is the Christ, the Messiah, the son of Mary.”

Qur’an 8:12 cp. 8:60 “Instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers”; “smite above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them”

Qur’an 2:191 “...kill the disbelievers wherever we find them”

Qur’an 9.33 He it is Who sent His Apostle with guidance and the religion of truth, that He might cause it to prevail over all religions.

Qur’an 2:193 “And fight with them until there is no persecution, and religion should be only for Allah”

Qur’an 8:71 And if they intend to act unfaithfully towards you, so indeed they acted unfaithfully towards Allah before, but He GAVE YOU MASTERY OVER THEM

Qur’an 8:55 Surely the vilest of animals in Allah’s sight are those who disbelieve.

Qur’an 22:19-22 “fight and slay the Pagans, seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem” “for them (the unbelievers) garments of fire shall be cut and there shall be poured over their heads boiling water whereby whatever is in their bowels and skin shall be dissolved and they will be punished with hooked iron rods”

Qur’an 48:13 Those who “believe not in Allah and His Messenger, He has prepared, for those who reject Allah, a Blazing Fire!”

Qur’an 3:54 “‘Lord, we believe in Your revelations (the Torah and Gospels) and follow this Apostle (Jesus). Enroll us among the witnesses.’ But the Christians contrived a plot and Allah did the same; but Allah’s plot was the best.”

Qur’an 8:12 “Your Lord inspired the angels with the message: ‘I will terrorize the unbelievers. Therefore smite them on their necks and every joint and incapacitate them. Strike off their heads and cut off each of their fingers and toes.”

Qur’an 8:58 “If you apprehend treachery from any group on the part of a people (with whom you have a treaty), retaliate by breaking off (relations) with them. The infidels should not think they can bypass (Islamic law or the punishment of Allah). Surely they cannot escape.”

Qur’an 8:7 “Allah wished to confirm the truth by His words: ‘Wipe the infidels (non-Muslims) out to the last.’”

Qur’an 8:39 “So, fight them till all opposition ends and the only religion is Islam.”

Qur’an 8:59 “The infidels should not think that they can get away from us. Prepare against them whatever arms and weaponry you can muster so that you may terrorize them. They are your enemy and Allah’s enemy.”

Qur’an 8:60 “Prepare against them (non-Muslims) whatever arms and cavalry you can muster that you may strike terror in the enemies of Allah (non-Muslims), and others besides them not known to you. Whatever you spend in Allah’s Cause will be repaid in full, and no wrong will be done to you.”
Qur’an 9.29 Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.


[HT: eyesallaround]

Islam's Imperial Dreams

EXCERPT:
When satirical depictions of the prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper sparked a worldwide wave of Muslim violence early this year, observers naturally focused on the wanton destruction of Western embassies, businesses, and other institutions. Less attention was paid to the words that often accompanied the riots--words with ominous historical echoes. "Hurry up and apologize to our nation, because if you do not, you will regret it," declared Khaled Mash'al, the leader of Hamas, fresh from the Islamist group's sweeping victory in the Palestinian elections:

This is because our nation is progressing and is victorious. By Allah, you will be defeated. Tomorrow, our nation will sit on the throne of the world. This is not a figment of the imagination but a fact. Tomorrow we will lead the world, Allah willing. Apologize today, before remorse will do you no good.

As a historical matter, the birth of Islam was inextricably linked with empire. Unlike Christianity and the Christian kingdoms that once existed under or alongside it, Islam has never distinguished between temporal and religious powers, which were combined in the person of Muhammad. Having fled from his hometown of Mecca to Medina in 622 c.e. to become a political and military leader rather than a private preacher, Muhammad spent the last ten years of his life fighting to unify Arabia under his rule. Indeed, he devised the concept of jihad shortly after his migration to Medina as a means of enticing his local followers to raid Meccan caravans. Had it not been for his sudden death, he probably would have expanded his reign well beyond the peninsula.

[Full Article]

Monday, April 3

Prophetic Prayers Over the Television

I was watching Pat Robertson today when he and his wife began praying for healings for people they ‘felt led’ to pray for. They went on to pray for a busted knee, a crushed face, a person coughing up blood. Does anyone know where this kind of prophetic-type praying came from? I would be interesated to hear your thoughts on this. Try not to be too negative about it - talking about Robertson’s other issues. I am concerned about the whole televangelist idea of believing God for healings that can’t be confirmed.

American Heart Association Study on Prayer

What did it find? Intercessory prayer seems to have benefits. Although the confident Christian might answer, “Of course it works,” I wonder if such a study should be done. That is, there are so many presuppositions that guide the people who are studying. It seems even by the name of the study that it is seeking to show the positive effects of prayer for the mind. Can there be more said as regards prayer and healing?

Find the article here.
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