Though I have never met him, Garry Gilley has had a signficant impact on my life. He was one of two people who was most influential in my decision to begin this web site and to review books. His many book reviews were very helpful to me and made me realize that if he could…
It has been quite a while since I changed the look of this site. In the first few months of the site’s life the look was changing constantly, but after a while I decided I would have to create a design I liked and just stick with it. And I did just that for quite…
More About Newsweek – The Newsweek article about the Christian origins of Christmas is creating a lot of buzz among believers. James White has promised to discuss some of it in detail in upcoming Dividing Line broadcasts. Jason Engwer of New Testament Research Ministries has a good response which is worth reading. As James White…
Because I design Web sites, I often have to spend time combing through lists and lists of photographs looking for the one that will make a site look just right. There is an incredible variety of photos available out there. I generally try to stick with iStockphoto because their prices are so reasonable, but sometimes…
The Birth of Jesus – The current issue of Newsweek has a lengthy article about Jesus, subtitled From Mary to the manger, how the Gospels mix faith and history to tell the Christmas story and make the case for Christ. Among the interested tidbits in the article is this statement. “A NEWSWEEK Poll found that…
I think I’m an old-fashioned Christian. I believe in the Bible, that it is complete, sufficient, true and without error. It says what it means. I don’t expect God to speak to me apart from it. I’m not waiting for still, small voices in my head or trying desperately to find God in the circumstances…
‘Defending the Faith’ Conference – Answers in Genesis (AIG) is sponsoring the “Defending the Faith” winter conference at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The conference will be held from January 31 to February 2. Some of the speakers include Dr. D. James Kennedy, Joseph Pipa, R.C. Sproul Jr, and Ken Ham. Though…
Lesbian Minister Defrocked – Like most Christians, I was happy to see the United Methodist Church enforce their rules about practicing homosexuals in ministry by Beth Stroud. Of course part of me wonders how much it really matters when that same denomination allows so many other violations of God’s clear laws, but at least it…
Last night our church held a special meeting to discuss, among other things, a relaunch of the vision of the church and the adoption of a lengthy set of formal bylaws. It was just one of those steps in the life of a church. Before the meeting commenced we enjoyed a time of worship and…
Dreads For Sale – How impoverished are some of the smaller Christian bands? Jeremy Thiessen of downhere is selling his dreadlocks to raise money to buy what I presume is an engagement ring. The dreads will be listed on eBay for a starting bid of $50 each. There are twenty of them available. If you…
I got a bee in my proverbial bonnet tonight and have decided to upgrade from Movabletype 2.661 all the way to 3.1. I’m terrified that it will mess up all the customizations I have done to the site, most notably the commenting system. However, I’m hoping (and I’ll even admit, praying) that it will all…
I recently heard someone say “I follow all 9 of the 10 commandments.” It is true, isn’t it, that we continue to regard each of the other 9 commandments as being integral to the Christian life, but have disregarded the fourth. A few years ago I read an article written by an unbeliever and published…
Two Ends of a Thread – There have been questions about just what Michael Card’s views of Mormonism are after he performed a concert for a mixed group of Mormons and Christians and asked both groups to join with him in worshipping God. According to the Deseret Morning News, which interviewed Card, he does not…
This was a busy day! I have a major project that needs to be completed tomorrow by 5:00 PM so I’m in crunch mode as I try to get that put to rest. It looks now like we’ll have to launch the site in a slightly stripped-down form, but it should still be functional. We’ll…
NOTE: Discerning Readership is now under new ownership (and I just happen to be the owner). The information below is now obsolete as the former owners no longer have anything to do with the site. The Discerning Reader was once considered the best place on the internet to buy Reformed literature. Almost all the books…
Who Is Lying? – A congressional staff analysis has found that many abstinence programs targetted at teens, 9 out of the 11 examined, give false and misleading information. They apparently overblow the danger of the AIDS virus, especially amongst gay males, and teach that 10% of women who undergo abortions become sterile because of it.…
Dr. Criswell, long-time pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, was once traveling by plane to attend a speaking engagement on the East coast. After boarding the aircraft and getting settled, he was thrilled to recognize the man in the seat beside him as a well-known Christian theologian. Criswell greatly admired this man and was…
Holiday Celebrations – Last night I received the joyous news that next Tuesday I will have to miss home church to attend my son’s holiday concert since he is in junior kindergarten at the local public school. When I was a lad we called these events Christmas concerts, but in this politically correct age, using…