Prayer Request (08/31/05 - 0 Comments)
Steve Muse, whom you may know from his web site at Eastern Regional Watch, woke up this morning to find his wife unconscious. She is currently in critical condition in hospital. Please pray for Steve and his wife Katherine during this time. Steve is a friend and one of the few "Internet" friends with whom I've spent significant amounts of time talking on the phone. He has often shared his wisdom with me. So please pray! If you like you can send him an email to tell him that you are holding him up before the throne. His email is smuse@erwm.com.
Biblical Perspectives on Sex and Autoeroticism II (08/31/05 - 0 Comments)
In yesterday's article we built a framework in which to understand sex from a biblical perspective. We saw that sex is: a Gift From God; intended only for marriage; for giving and receiving pleasure; a means of building intimacy; intended for procreation. Today we will continue this discussion to encompass autoeroticism, the act of providing sexual pleasure to oneself.
Blindness, Baldness and Hairy Palms
I suspect my childhood is typical in that I heard many rumors about the physical effects of autoeroticism. I was told that people who did it went blind, lost their hair, grew hair on their palms or went crazy.
Biblical Perspectives on Sex and Autoeroticism (08/30/05 - 0 Comments)
I am not aware of a large number of children that read this site, but despite that I'd like to begin this article with a quick warning. What I am writing about in this short series deals with a subject that is best-suited for adults. So if you are still young, I'd prefer you had your mom or dad read it first and decide if this is something they would like you to read. Fair enough?
And by now the rest of you are probably curious. Today I would like to write about a subject I didn't ever anticipate I would research and post about on this site. It is a controversial subject and one that is often avoided within Christian circles.
15 Things I Learned At Saddleback (08/30/05 - 0 Comments)
Scott Hill, who blogs at Fide-O, wrote a short article called "15 Things I Learned at Saddleback." I can't quite decide if the article is hilarious or tragic.
"For my own integrity sake I took the opinion that if I was to speak with any authority on Saddleback Community Church then I would need to actually attend the church itself, and not just take other's word for it. Since moving to California five years ago I have attended Saddleback 12 or 13 times. I am by no means an expert on this church, but I did want to share with you a few things I learned in my trips to this church.
Question for RSS Readers (08/29/05 - 0 Comments)
I am beginning to wonder if the recent upgrade to Movabletype 3.2 has caused trouble with my RSS output. For those of you who read this site via RSS, can you let me know if the feed is working properly for you?
Challenges to the Church - Pragmatism (08/29/05 - 0 Comments)
This is the third article in a series that examines various doctrinal and societal challenges the Evangelical church must face early in the 21st Century. Previously we examined Relativism and the dangerous doctrine of Open Theism. Today we will examine pragmatism, which has become a dominant force in both the world and the church. I want to take a brief look at the history of pragmatism and then show how it has influenced the church.
Sunday Ramblings (08/28/05 - 0 Comments)
Over the past few weeks I've noticed more and more girls (and young women) wearings shirts that look suspiciously like lingerie. You may have seen them too. I don't know much about the world of fashion, so it's entirely possible that people have been wearing these shirts for years. Perhaps you know the shirts I'm referring to. They have very thin straps and generally have the little plastic loops and things that are usually found on bras. The top of the shirt has lace and it extends only just to the belt line, so that if the woman moves her arms, it lifts to expose her stomach and lower back. I guess these aren't a whole lot different from a standard tank-top shirt, except that they are obviously designed to look like lingerie. So what's with these things? Any why would anyone wear them to church?
Book Review - The Slumber of Christianity (08/27/05 - 0 Comments)
I have long-since learned that when an actress launches a career in music it is best to avoid her album. Similarly, when a musician tries her hand at acting the results are usually painful. It seems the same is generally true when an author of novels tries his hand at non-fiction. So it was with some trepidation that I opened The Slumber of Christianity, a book written by Ted Dekker, an author known for his heart-pounding thrillers. This represents his first attempt at writing a non-fiction book. Thankfully, it turns out that he is a gifted writer who is able to express himself in either genre.
Upgraded (Trackback Me!) (08/26/05 - 0 Comments)
I just finished upgrading to Movabletype 3.2. I've been looking forward to this version of the software as it allows some important new functionality. At the top of the list is trackback moderation, a feature that was sorely needed. It allows me to restore the list of trackbacks to the sidebar (a feature that I quite like but had to disable because of all the trackback spam I receive). The new Movabletype also allows some new plugins that I quite like.
Friday Frivolity (08/26/05 - 0 Comments)
Today I would like to regale you with a story about my daughter. It is a true story, of course, and seems just frivolous enough to post on a Friday.
One day a couple of weeks ago when we were on vacation it was nearly dinner time and my daughter really wanted a popsicle. My wife told her that it was too close to dinner time and that she would have to wait until after we had eaten. But then my daughter pulled the trump card. "But Anna has one!" (Anna being my niece).
Canadianisms - It's a Fact, Eh? (08/26/05 - 0 Comments)
Today we will look at Canadian use of the English language. We have already looked extensively at that little word "eh?" so today we will turn to other words.
Canadians employ an eclectic mixture of British and American spellings. Consider the term "Tire Centre" - a place you might visit to buy new tires for a car. Consistency would dictate that we should refer to it as a Tyre Centre (using British spelling) or "Tire Center" (using American). Instead we strike the happy median, taking one word from each.
August Giveaway Results (08/25/05 - 0 Comments)
Thanks to all who participated in this month's giveaway.
Before I reveal the names of the winners, I'd like to once again thank Monergismbooks.com for their ongoing support. At your request Monergism Books has deeply discounted several titles for everyone who wants them. They have been selected for their overall excellence in theology, scholarship and devotional richness. Visit the site to read about these amazing deals.
Why Not Tell Us What You Really Think, Ted? (08/25/05 - 0 Comments)
"The Christianity that attracts young people is the Christianity of earthly benefits, not the Christianity of an inheritance in heaven. Speak to many young people about our inheritance in heaven, and you'll get blank stares. They certainly won't dive into a mosh pit to express their delight with the prospect of Christ in heaven.
It's a Christianity more enamored with a good time on road trips and summer missions and great youth meetings filled with entertaining presentations of the same message being spoken in the main sanctuary than with a one-way ticket to eternity.
The Edge of My Faith (08/25/05 - 0 Comments)
Over the past few days I have been giving some thought to my faith: the things of God in which I have great faith, and those in which I have little faith or even no faith at all. This time of reflection has been both a delight and a sorrow; a joy and an embarrassment.
I have seen that my faith can be understood as something like a graph. Certain points along the Y-axis are very high and quite unshakeable.
Welcome to Ex Libris (08/24/05 - 0 Comments)
A couple of days ago I posted an article over at World's Blog to introduce myself to that group of readers. For those who didn't catch the news earlier and have no idea what I am going on about, I was asked to head up the Ex Libris section of World's blog. I included in my article a list of what I consider some of the best books of 2005. If you're interested you can read it here.
Radical Reformission (Part 3) (08/24/05 - 0 Comments)
This is the third article in a series about Mark Driscoll's book The Radical Reformission. You can find the first article here and the second here. Today we are looking at the fourth chapter which is entitled, "Elvis in Eden" and deals with culture. Do note that because of his use of proper nouns Driscoll was forced to properly capitalize this chapter heading. That must have been very disappointing.
John MacArthur and The Battle for the Beginning (08/23/05 - 0 Comments)
Seeing John MacArthur on Larry King Live tonight reminded me that the very first book review I ever wrote for this site (and to post at Amazon) was for his book Battle for the Beginning. I still count it as one of my favorite MacArthur books. It was a formative influence in my belief in young earth Creationism. What follows is my review, posted a little over two years ago.
John MacArthur wrote Battle For The Beginning primarily to address the world's origins from a Biblical viewpoint. The book is aimed at a Christian audience and is not so much a defense of creationism as it is a defense of a literal six-day creation.
John MacArthur on Larry King (08/23/05 - 0 Comments)
I just received an email saying that John MacArthur will be on Larry King Live tonight (9 EST) talking about Creationism. Other panelists will apparently be:
- Prof. Barbara Forest, Southern Louisiana University, author of Wedge of Intelligent Design
- Senator Sam Brownback, conservative (Kansas)
- Congressman Chris Shea (R)
- Depok Chopra (lunatic)
Book Review: Talking About Good and Bad Without Getting Ugly (08/23/05 - 0 Comments)
Abortion, gay marriage and euthanasia are just three of the issues facing our society at this very moment. As Christians we have strong opinions on each of these issues, believing them to be in direct contradiction with the will of God. So how do we go about discussing such difficult topics in our pluralistic society. The truth is that we often shy away from such discussions rather than risk offending others or appearing intolerant. Yet as Christians it is our responsibility to share what we know to be true. Talking About Good and Bad Without Getting Ugly, written by Paul Chamberlain, director of the Institute of Christian Apologetics and professor at Trinity Western University, offers a solution to this dilemma.
Challenges to the Church - Relativism (08/23/05 - 0 Comments)
This is the second article in a series that examines various doctrinal and societal challenges the evangelical church must face early in the 21st Century. Previously we examined the dangerous doctrine of Open Theism. Today we will examine relativism. Future articles will examine the Emerging Church, ecumenism, postmodernism, and a variety of other topics.
Relativism is a challenge every Christian must face, for it forms the very foundation for the morality (or lack thereof) of our culture.
Book PREview - The Deliberate Church (08/22/05 - 0 Comments)
One of the books I have most been looking forward to this year is The Deliberate Church by Mark Dever and Paul Alexander. Dever is author of the excellent 9 Marks of a Healthy Church and is known for his godly, biblical perspectives on church health and growth. I have been given the opportunity to read The Deliberate Church several weeks before it is widely available and thought I would provide a preview of what you can expect from this book.
Radical Reformission (Part 2) (08/21/05 - 0 Comments)
This is the second part in a series examining The Radical Reformission by Mark Driscoll. The first article, which you can read here, served as an introduction to the book. In the introduction to the book, Driscoll introduced himself in a brief biography and then provided three formulas that explain how different churches react to the competing forces of gospel, culture and church. He showed that Gospel + Culture - Church = Parachurch, Culture + Church - Gospel = Liberalism and Church + Gospel - Culture = Fundamentalism...
Desiring the Escstatic (08/21/05 - 0 Comments)
"Move over, politics. Americans are looking for personal, ecstatic experiences of God, and, according to our poll, they don't much care what the neighbors are doing." So says Newsweek in the first line of the feature article in the latest issue of the magazine. I think it would be safe to say that many professed Christians are seeking the same. "'Young people got tired of hearing that once upon a time people experienced God directly,' says historian Martin E. Marty of the University of Chicago. 'They want it to happen for themselves. They don't want to hear that Joan of Arc had a vision. They want to have a vision.'" Many forms of religion are only too happy to provide that type of experience. The article goes on to point to Catholicism, Buddhism, Islam, Kabbalah, Wicca and Pentecostalism. Each of these is able to provide the type of ecstasy that Americans are seeking after.
Reflections on Bachelorhood (08/20/05 - 0 Comments)
I never had a chance to be a bachelor. I started dating Aileen when I was still a teenager, got engaged at twenty and married at twenty-one. We both lived with our parents until the day we married. We had both lived at home through our college years. Over the past years of our marriage I have only rarely spent a night apart from her. I believe we were apart for almost a week about six years ago, but since then we haven't been apart for more than two nights, and even when she has been away, I've always had to keep the kids. So this week of solitude has been, well, different.
Books I Did Not Review (08/19/05 - 0 Comments)
I try to review every book I read. But sometimes I read a book that I feel does not merit a review, or I read half of a book before giving up on it. Today I'll present a wrap-up of books that either I have read and not reviewed, or that I have tossed aside when only partially complete.
I sometimes feel guilty about not finishing books, yet with a reading list as extensive as the one I have, I suppose I can afford to be at least a little bit picky.
Looking For Teen Bloggers (08/19/05 - 0 Comments)
I am trying to piece together a project involving teen bloggers. A glance at my RSS Reader shows that I regularly read only one blog written by a teenager, so I am a bit clueless here. If you are a teen and would like to learn more please feel free to contact me. Similarly, if you know of a teen who blogs and may be interested in participating, please let me know or have that person get in touch with me.
I believe I will try to work with only Christian bloggers at the moment. I would prefer teens who write substantive posts that go beyond, "Oh my gosh I, like, so hate my mom!"
A Marriage of Fiscal Convenience (08/18/05 - 0 Comments)
In what is destined to be a failed marketing tactic, the Toronto Sun, a Toronto newspaper (remember newspapers - those odd book-like objects we used to read before we had high-speed Internet access) has been dropping their Sunday edition on my doorstep. This is one of those tabloid-esque newspapers that culminates on the final page with a nearly-naked woman (The Sunshine Girl). The final interior page is always a picture of a bikini-clad woman along with a little bio to try to convince the reader that there is more to her than an airbrushed body.
O Canada - It's A Fact, Eh? (08/17/05 - 0 Comments)
Canada may be unique as a nation that has two official national anthems. I was too lazy to do the legwork to find if there are any other nations with two, but I suspect there are not. To add to the strangeness, both of Canada's anthems are entitled "O Canada." Many people erroneously spell "O" as "Oh." In reality the "O" is used as a vocative to apostrophize Canada and rather than as an exclamation. But most people prefer it as an exclamation.
It's A Fact, Eh? (08/17/05 - 0 Comments)
"It's A Fact, Eh?" is a new occasional series I am beginning today. In this series I will introduce various interesting and factual aspects of Canadian life and culture (and yes, both exist in this nation).
"And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, "Let me go over," the men of Gilead said to him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" When he said, "No," they said to him, "Then say Shibboleth," and he said, "Sibboleth," for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell" (Judges 12:5-6).
Web Hosting Offer (+ A $20 Amazon Gift Certificate) (08/16/05 - 0 Comments)
As a way of supporting the growing costs of this site, I am now offering web hosting through an affiliate program with the company that hosts my sites. Prices for a feature-laden hosting package begin as low as $6.95 per month! But to make the deal all that much sweeter, I am offering a $20 Amazon gift certificate to anyone who signs up through my site. And as an added bonus, I'll even install your choice of WordPress or Movabletype to this site (if you intend to use the site for blogging).
Radical Reformission (Part 1) (08/16/05 - 0 Comments)
I have just begun reading The Radical Reformission by Mark Driscoll. Mark is known as being on the Conservative fringe of the Emerging Church. He must at least somewhat orthodox because he invited John Piper to deliver several messages at the 2004 "Radical Reformission Conference." Don Elbourne listened to the audio and wrote, "John Piper, the key note speaker, delivered three sessions saturated with Christ-centered, God exalting, relevant, practical theology. I admit being already partial to Piper as a recent enthusiastic convert to Christian Hedonism, but I must say I don't think I've ever heard Piper more radically poignant...
Book Review - Mother Teresa: The Final Verdict (08/16/05 - 0 Comments)
Of the many biographies of Mother Teresa available to us, to my knowledge only two of them are largely critical in nature. The first, provacatively titled The Missionary Position examines Mother Teresa's faith and practice. Written by Christopher Hitchens, the book received a fair amount of recognition and formed the basis for a television documentary. The book is quite short and contains very little in the way of footnotes and documentation.
Human Predictability (08/15/05 - 0 Comments)
Most people know that when they set foot in a grocery store they are being manipulated. Grocery store merchandising has become something of a science. The stores know exactly what you need and how to convince you that what you came to purchase is not enough. They know how to encourage you to leave a few more of your hard-earned dollars in their tills.
August Giveaway (08/15/05 - 0 Comments)
After taking a month off (trust me, these giveaways are a lot more stress and work than you might think!) I'm launching another giveaway. This month I'll be giving away an autographed copy of Simplify Your Spiritual Life by Don Whitney along with The Vally of Vision CD set (7 CDs). If you want to know more, just click on over to the Draw Page.
Sunday Ramblings (08/14/05 - 0 Comments)
This is the last day of my vacation. In just a few hours I'm going to be heading back to the city and getting back to real life. How disappointing. Thankfully this was a good and relaxing week. Since I am not feeling too reflective today, I thought I'd ramble a little bit about what I accomplished did this week.
Book Review - Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God (08/13/05 - 0 Comments)
I felt a deep sense of deja vu as I read Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God. It took me only a few pages to realize that this book, in a condensed form, forms the basis for a chapter in Sex and the Supremacy of Christ (edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor (who?)). I had enjoyed that particular chapter of Sex and the Supremacy of Christ and felt certain I would likewise enjoy this lengthened version.
Book Review - Lady Jane Grey (08/12/05 - 0 Comments)
"Kneeling down on the hard wooden scaffold, Jane turned to Feckenham who stood by her. 'Shall I say this psalm?' she faltered. Overcome with emotion, the priest who had tried so hard to save Jane from this moment, could scarcely reply. After a moment's pause, he simply said, 'Yea.' Jane then began to repeat Psalm 51 in English, David's great prayer of contrition...A deep silence rested over the sad scene, nothing could be heard except for the quiet sobbing of her lady attendants. Hardened soliders who had witnessed brutality many times before stood without moving...Bracing her body to receive the impact of the blow, Lady Jane called out in a clear voice, 'Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit.' With a stroke, swift, sharp and terrible, Jane's short life was ended" (page 200-201).
Make No Provision for the Flesh (08/12/05 - 0 Comments)
Earlier this week I posted an article about Christians and movie-watching. The article garnered a fair amount of attention and there were plenty of comments and trackbacks. I was surprised to see that most people who commented actually agreed with me. A few took the other side. One called me a neo-puritan. I kind of like that, so feel free to call me that whenever you like. I've been called far worse!
Avoiding Evil (08/11/05 - 0 Comments)
I have been reflecting this week on the Apostle's admonition to "avoid evil." Heady stuff for a vacation, I admit! My need to more fully understand this concept arose as I wrote about movies and the Christian obsession with watching and enjoying them regardless of their content. It took me some time, but I realized that I had reflected on this in the past, though it was several years ago.
Book Review - Pure Gold (08/10/05 - 0 Comments)
Because of the surprise hit Chariots of Fire, the world knows the name Eric Liddell. Most people also know about the stand he made for his beliefs as he refused to run an Olympic race he was favored to win simply because the race was scheduled for Sunday. Those who have seen the movie know that it ends shortly after he wins an Olympic gold medal in an event in which he had barely trained. But in Pure Gold, a biography of Liddell weighing in at 333 pages, the race is complete by the ninety-eighth page. There is much more to Liddell than the movie portrays.
A Whole New World (08/10/05 - 0 Comments)
The secret is out. World Magazine has decided to add to their online presence by increasing the scope of their blog. Joe Carter, of Evangelical Outpost, has been asked to head-up this new venture. I have been asked to become editor of the Ex Libris section of the blog which will be dedicated to book reviews. My task sounds challenging enough. "This feature will certainly become the best place to find literary criticism from a biblical perspective." Naturally I consider this an honor and look forward to working with World. I trust this opportunity will allow more good books to get into the hands of more Christians.
Losing My Religion (08/09/05 - 0 Comments)
It is a mild, grey morning at the cottage. My daughter is still asleep, so I have been unable to dial-up and do my twice-daily email check (that's about all I do when I'm on vacation). So I've been passing the time by looking through directories of old articles. Among these I found the four articles that kick-started this site back in 2002. "Calvinism vs Arminianism" is dated October 10, 2002. "Mother Teresa" is dated October 28. Those articles were posted back when this site was only a repository for family photographs. Almost a year passes before it becomes a blog. A few months later there are articles about the band Evanescence and another examining my own propensity for evil. Those articles were really my first attempts at putting pen to paper, so to speak, and posting public articles. In October of that year I decided to get serious about blogging and haven't missed a day since November 1, 2003.
Amazing Grace DVD at an Amazing Price (08/09/05 - 0 Comments)
I wanted to make you aware of a great sale over at Monergism Books. They are offering Amazing Grace: History and Theology of Calvinism DVD for the lowest price you've ever seen - a mere $19.95, which is $10 off the regular price (and, I believe, $10 lower than you'll find it anywhere else). It is an excellent presentation and certainly well worth the cost. If you are interested in Christian theology, this video is definitely going to challenge you and open your eyes to some profound biblical truths.
Click here to read more.
A Little Leaven... (08/08/05 - 0 Comments)
I began my postsecondary education by concentrating on the study of English and history at McMaster University. After only a few months, I found myself increasingly frustrated with the English courses. It seemed to me that the courses were based primarily on what, in theology, we would refer to eisogesis. We would study an assigned story or a poem and read into it whatever we meaning we felt existed within. It seemed that the more wild our speculations, the more satisfied the instructor became. I eventually walked away from the courses, frustrated that instead of finding what the author was really saying, we pushed our agendas on their works, making these books or poems say what we wanted them to say.
Mark's Gift (08/07/05 - 0 Comments)
Mark was determined to die. And in retrospect there was nothing anyone could have done to stop him.
His first attempt came when he was 18 and it left him with scars running the length of his arms. His sister found him sitting calmly in the bathtub, a razor blade lying in the pool of blood. Help arrived in time to save him. When he was released from hospital his parents took him to the finest psychiatrists in the city. Each one of them diagnosed him with something different: one said he had a personality disorder and another schizophrenia. One even told him that he was "just a punk" who was bent on defying his parents and making their lives miserable.
Book Review - Christ Our Mediator (08/06/05 - 0 Comments)
Having written The Cross Centered Life, in which he exhorted believers to keep the gospel the main thing - the central focus of the Christian life - C.J. Mahaney now stops to reflect on Christ's sacrifice. Christ Our Mediator follows hard on the heels of many similar books timed to coincide with the popularity of The Passion of the Christ. Mahaney begins the book by asserting (correctly, it seems) that a visual presentation of Christ's crucifixion simply is not enough - we must also be told about the content of the story of the gospel. "The gospel message isn't visual; it's truth. It is truth to be believed, not simply a collection of images to be viewed" (page 10). Knowing that many people have seen the how of Christ's death, Mahaney sets out to bring sense to the why of it.
The Incremental Nature of Change (08/05/05 - 0 Comments)
I recently finished reading Talking About Good and Bad Without Getting Ugly, written by Paul Chamberlain, a professor at Trinity Western University (Langley, British Columbia) and director of the Institute of Christian Apologetics. This book discusses ways Christians can talk about difficult issues - abortion, homosexual marriage, euthanasia - in our pluralistic society. It was quite good and I will be reviewing it sometime in the next few days.
Book Review - Walking With Arthur (08/05/05 - 0 Comments)
Walking With Arthur is a spiritual memoir. It is one man's story of a friend God used to guide him to the Lord. As such it is a story not unlike many every Christian has heard. Yet I never grow tired of hearing how God brings His people to Himself, and the circumstances he saves them from.
1984 was a big year for James O'Donnell. It is the year his father died; the year his salary was cut despite great success in his field; the year he decided to divorce his wife; and the year he met Arthur.
Making Christianity Better or Rock N' Roll Worse? (08/04/05 - 0 Comments)
I used to watch a lot of the show "King of the Hill." For those who don't know it, it is an animated show targetted at adults (like The Simpsons and any number of other shows these days, most of which are not worth watching). The main character is Hank Hill, a proud, Republican Texan who has dedicated his life to selling propane and propane accessories. He loves country music, football, Willie Nelson, Sweet Lady Propane, and of course, God. His love for God is presented as real, but somewhat inconsistent, as we might expect for a Texan who has lived his life amidst one of the strongholds of institutionalized religion. While it is a fun and usually innocent show, I stopped watching it a few years ago.
Site Updates (08/04/05 - 0 Comments)
As you may have noticed, unless you're on of those people who only reads the site via RSS, I have done a fairly major revision to the layout of the site. While leaving the design much the same (if it ain't broke...) I added a new sidebar which contains all sorts of good information.
Summer Interview Series: Danny Oertli (08/03/05 - 0 Comments)
Danny Oertli is a singer, songwriter, musician and author, who encourages audiences around the world with his testimony to God's faithfulness. His latest album, Everything Inbetween, produced by Jason Burkum, was released last month. His book, Mommy Paints The Sky, was published last year by NavPress. After reading his book and listening to his album, I was eager to talk to him about his experiences. He was gracious to grant an interview which you can read below.
Book Review - Mommy Paints the Sky (08/03/05 - 0 Comments)
It seems that behind every sad song is a sad story. Behind an inspiring song is an inspiring story. Behind the song "Mommy Paints the Sky," there is both. With thanksgiving but sadness in his heart, Danny Oertli wrote a song for his daughter. "As the sun lays down to sleep / You ask me why she's gone / I don't know where to start / As the sunset lights your face / I see God knows how to heal little hearts."
CD Review - Everything Inbetween (08/03/05 - 0 Comments)
For many Christians, and perhaps even the majority, God's sovereignty is a doctrine of the head but not of the heart. Most of us never have our faith tested in such a way that we have to lean hard on the promises of God that He knows best, that He is in control, and that everything works for the good of those who love Him. I have been a Christian for many years, and while I trust that I would be able to rely on God's promises during times of great pain, I will not ever know for sure until I face a time of great difficulty.
The Death Knell for the Emergent Church Movement (08/02/05 - 0 Comments)
Ron Gleason, (pastor, doctor of something or the other, and all-around nice guy) who posts in the Community Blog has begun a series called "The Death Knell for the Emergent Church Movement." The first article in the series has been posted and the other parts will follow in coming days.
Book Review - Relativism (08/02/05 - 0 Comments)
It was the late, great Francis Shaeffer who spoke of a group of people "who have both feet firmly planted in mid-air." This phrase brilliantly describes people in our society who adhere, as much as anyone can adhere to such a system, to moral relativism. For one can only be planted so firmly on a system that has no foundation. Relativism, written by Greg Koukl and Francis Beckwith, critiques moral relativism and explores the myriad inconsistencies inherent in this position.
Book Review - Jack (08/01/05 - 0 Comments)
I have often expressed my love of biographies. I consider them to be among the most helpful of resources in helping equip Christians in their lifelong quest for Christ-likeness. We can learn much from the examples of those who have run the race before us. We can learn from what God taught them, learn from their triumphs and learn from the times they were defeated.
Summer Interview Series: Richard Abanes (Reflections) (08/01/05 - 0 Comments)
Little did I know when I posted my interview with Richard Abanes that it would soon cause such a ruckus. I feel that I know the blogosphere quite well, but still found myself blindsided by the reaction. I had quite a few people, including some whom I much respect, question my motives and ask why I would provide a platform for a person whose views differ so greatly from my own. My plan was simple - provide Abanes a platform and learn about his motivations, his heart. Give him an opportunity to respond to people (like myself) who found his book unconvincing and hear the things that were not or could not be published. If Abanes understood the truth in this matter, it would come out. If not, that would be equally obvious.
DVD Review - Journeys to the Edge of Creation (08/01/05 - 0 Comments)
David, whom the Bible tells us is a man after God's own heart, seems to have had a special awe of the cosmos. In Psalm 19 he writes, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1). He goes on to speak of the rising of the sun and its circuit above the earth. It seems from the Scriptures that God somehow reveals himself in a special way through the heavens. The vastness of space reveals the vastness of His power.
