When God Pulls the Rug Out
“Why, O Lord?” is a recurring question in Scripture
Some problems are universal, but this one is for those who are spiritually mature. It happens to people who are earnestly seeking God, and only the mature do such things. And though anger toward God might flash occasionally, it isn’t the real issue. The real problem is that you feel you no longer know him
Family Religion
The Bible is the story of a faithful, covenant-keeping God who uses faithfulness within families.
I recently was privileged to speak at an ancient country church. It was a rural church, the kind with a fine graveyard, an old bell in the steeple, a formal “ladies parlor,” and a nice family in the fellowship hall making pecan pie for those gathered at midweek Bible study.
Even as PCUSA declines, EPC seeks to grow a new presbytery
“As a result there will be 1,000 EPC churches in the U.S. and throughout the world,”
Although congregations give a variety of reasons for leaving, most say the root of dissension rests with what they call an erosion of Scriptural authority following several controversial shifts within the PCUSA.
Does Jubilee Involve Redistribution of Wealth?
Jubilee keeps land and wealth in exactly the same place they started.
There was no redistribution of permanently owned houses in the cities. There was no redistribution of wealth gained through leasing land. The profit from bountiful harvests remained in the hands of the leaser. Only land in the country was returned to its original owners
Mennonites: we are willing to die rather than betray girl to court-appointed lesbian ‘mother’
Pastor already been convicted of helping Lisa Miller and Isabella to flee
“The fact is that suddenly we find ourselves having to choose between obeying God and man made laws,” they write. “We have chosen to obey God. We are willing to give up our rights, go to jail, or even die, for the cause of helping anyone become free from a sinful life and helping that person to live in obedience to God’s Word.”
The Church’s Antipathy to Popular Music
Parts 3/4 of the Christian church's history in relation to popular entertainment
The most infamous bonfire took place in 1497 when thousands of objects like cosmetics, art, books, mirrors, clothing, playing cards, musical instruments and even (heaven forbid) manuscripts of secular songs were collected and publicly burned in Florence, Italy 500 – 1500AD *Boethius (480 – 525), the Italian poet, philosopher and politician, governed musical thinking... Continue Reading
Restless Heart
This St. Augustine biopic is memorable more for its subject's merit than its own.
One would expect a dramatic film to take historical liberties, but Restless Heart's biggest fabrication is an egregious one. Augustine's famous conversion in Milan comes, in the film, shortly after a massacre of Christians which Augustine at first publically defends for the sake of career ambitions. But this particular killing, let alone Augustine's public identification with it, never happened.
Christian Values Cannot Save Anyone
Far too many church folk fail to recognize that their own religion is only cultural Christianity — not the genuine Christian faith
Declarations of adolescent unbelief often are exactly what Hax argues they are not: rejections of “church or family or tradition or virtue.” Hax does offer some legitimate insights, suggesting that honesty is to be preferred to dishonesty and that such adolescent statements are often indications of a phase of intellectual questioning or just trying on a personality for style.
What I’ve Been Reading – Creationism Is Evolving
Creationism is an apologetic approach which attempts to integrate the doctrine of creation with the current understandings of the natural sciences
1 - Virtually all early fundamentalists and evangelicals held to an ancient earth. 2 - Young-earth creationism (YEC) did not ascend to prominence until the early 1960′s. 3 - Young-earth creationism (YEC) originally was called “scientific creationism.”
ACLU sues a Utah city for restricting free speech
Claims Christian church being banned from passing out fliers near Mormon temple
Main Street, which describes itself as a Bible-based church with a presence in Brigham City since the 1960s, believes Mormonism falls outside of orthodox Christianity. The church planned to distribute literature -- including some pointing out differences between the LDS Church and its own beliefs