What Luke Actually Wrote – An answer to Bart Ehrman’s most recent challenge to biblical accuracy: “The gist of the problem is that Luke claims that the first tax when Quirinius was governor of Syria was at the time of Jesus’ birth – around 4-2 BC. The Jewish historian Josephus, however, records that the first tax under Quirinius’ administration was in 6 A.D., after Jesus’ birth. There’s no reconciling these reports, unless we actually look back at what Luke wrote and at some historical data.”
Over the Counter Birth Control – Randy Alcorn explains why the proposal to make birth control available over the counter is a a reason for concern.
Daily Faith – This iPhone/iPad app offers daily devotionals from Spurgeon’s “Faith’s Checkbook.” It is available for free until the end of the month.
Coping with Affliction – Joel Beeke goes back to the Puritans to find wisdom on coping with affliction.
Safeguarding Against Abuse in Church – Jared Wilson: “Yet another story in the news about a church that botched report of sexual abuse on its premises. We are hearing about more and more, and there are still more besides, as the problem is certainly more prevalent than just what we see reported. Quite often in retrospect these cases reveal not simply mistakes made but systemic dysfunctions in a church community and a church’s discipleship culture. Below is a list of safeguards: some are obvious bare minimums, others are harder to implement and run deeper than superficial processes and procedures, but all are ways to help establish a church community as a safe place.”
The primary qualification for a missionary is not love for souls, as we so often hear, but love for Christ.
—Vance Havner
