The enemy is me...

Frank Turk on the Virginia Tech murders and the Gospel.

Don’t make “Cold Evangelism” an escape from your unsaved family and friends

Jesse Johnson at Pulpit Online discusses the pros and cons of “Cold Evangelism.”

“Many people try to hide their cowardice when it comes to proclaiming the gospel to their friends and family with the mask of cold evangelism. While they have never proclaimed the gospel to their friends, they are faithful to hit the streets every Sunday afternoon. Here at Grace Church, we do have street evangelism ministries. But before someone can be a part of this ministry we inist that he or she is faithfully serving in the church, and has demonstrated evangelistic faithfulness in everyday life.

Christians should be active in evangelism. There is a place for coordinated outings for cold evangelism. A church’s evangelistic health can be seen in conversions and baptisms. But evangelism is a practice, not a program. It happens in your life, not on Friday nights at 7 pm.

When pastors develop this holistic view of evangelism, their people will mimic it. Friends, relatives, the mail-carrier, and the dentist will hear the gospel from someone whom they know — someone in whom they’ve seen the gospel lived out. This is the foundation for effective evangelism.”

A New Religious Test for the Surgeon General?

Dr. Mohler comments on the recent nomination of Dr. James Wilson Holsinger, Jr., to the position of Surgeon General of the United States. In this article, Mohler addresses why so many Democrats are opposing his nomination due to Dr. Holsinger’s past written opinions on homosexuality. Dr. Holsinger wrote these opinions in the context of church discipline and as a Christian.

In other words, his opponents are not directing their attention to his medical experience or qualifications, but to his beliefs and responsibilities as a Christian and a member of the Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church.

Mohler rightfully points out that, under the Constitution, there should be no religious litmus test for public office. Yet, that appears to be exactly what is going on. Article VI states the following:

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

Where is this logic going in other areas of government?

Unity at all costs?

Here is a thoughtful post by Phil Johnson on determining as believers when it is appropriate to fellowship or fight?

Al’s picks -- Recommended Summer Reading

I can’t imagine a better recommended reading list than from the guy who has read...everything...

Nazi-era laws make it illegal to homeschool in Germany

Here’s a story that should cause some pause for some of you. Imagine the police swarming your house and dragging off your teenager for a psych evaluation and ultimately placing her in a foster home. Why? She’s being homeschooled.

Homeschooling is illegal in Germany. A Nazi-era prohibition, the ban grew out of Hitler's worry that too much parental control would supersede the state's influence. [Hmm...] According to the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), Germany has about 400 homeschooling families. Most teach clandestinely or are in court. Parents who homeschool face fines, imprisonment, and loss of custody of their children.

[HT: WMB]

Russell Moore Testifies to Senate on Global Warming

How does the Gospel engage such issues as the environment? As Dean of the School of Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Russell Moore testified before a Senate committee on the views of Religious Organizations regarding Global Warming.

(HT : BTW)

Don’t stop now...

The guys at the ESV Blog posts some free tools to help you keep up with your bible reading.

Age of Accountability?

Here’s a post by John MacArthur on the so-called “Age of Accountability.” As a parent, this is a crucial topic for me to grasp. I hope it is helpful to you as well.

"Is Christianity Good for the World?" - Chris Hitchens vs. Doug Wilson

For a clear demonstration of presuppositional apologetics and arguing from the worldview, check this debate out. Inconsistent Atheism meets ever-so-consistent Christianity - and it ain’t pretty for the atheist. There are six installments of this discussion. The links to all six are on CT’s website.

Beautiful, just beautiful.

Cent talks Celsius

Global Warming...pheh!

Sam Brownback’s thoughts on Evolution

Today’s Editorial Opinion of the New York Times features an article by Sam Brownback, Republican nominee for President in 2008. Sam addresses the false dichotomy between faith and reason often perpetuated on believers by using the litmus test of belief in evolution as the dividing line. It’s an interesting piece regardless of who your current favorite is for the campaign.

A Transgender Pastor in the Pulpit?

What if Fred showed up as Frederika? Read Romans 1. You tell me...what is happening in this country?

Psychologists puzzled by Humanity’s hardwire

Interesting article on Al Mohler’s blog. Surprised? This time Mohler analyzes a paper written by psychologists who claim that the difficulties scientists are having in selling evolutionary biology to the majority of the public has to do with how we are mentally hardwired. He quotes a portion of the paper.

The last several decades of developmental psychology has made it abundantly clear that humans do not start off as “blank slates.” Rather, even one year-olds possess a rich understanding of both the physical world (a “naïve physics”) and the social world (a “naïve psychology”). Babies know that objects are solid, that they persist over time even when they are out of sight, that they fall to the ground if unsupported, and that they do not move unless acted upon. They also understand that people move autonomously in response to social and physical events, that they act and react in accord with their goals, and that they respond with appropriate emotions to different situations.

These intuitions give children a head start when it comes to understanding and learning about objects and people. But these intuitions also sometimes clash with scientific discoveries about the nature of the world, making certain scientific facts difficult to learn. As Susan Carey once put it, the problem with teaching science to children is “not what the student lacks, but what the student has, namely alternative conceptual frameworks for understanding the phenomena covered by the theories we are trying to teach.”

These psychologists go on to lay the blame at the feet of a public who refuses to trust scientists more than any other of the social institutions - even religious.

The community of scientists has a legitimate claim to trustworthiness that other social institutions, such as religions and political movements, lack. The structure of scientific inquiry involves procedures, such as experiments and open debate, that are strikingly successful at revealing truths about the world.

I love what Mohler says in response to this accusation.

So we are supposed to see modern science as holding “a legitimate claim to trustworthiness” that other authorities -- including religious authorities -- lack. In the end, they propose that scientists combat resistance to science by convincing the public that scientists are worthy of trust.

I am not a scientist, but I would suggest that this falls short of a winning argument. The attorney who asks a jury, “What are you going to believe, my argument or what you see with your own eyes?,” has a fool for a client.

A fool indeed.

From Russia with Love...

Define irony.

One country goes through revolution to set up an atheistic state. It murders its king and “purges” the land of god. The new leadership sets up the state as god.

After almost one hundred years of oppression, murder, political and religious persecution, an economy in the toilet, and destroyed credibility as a super power, the atheistic one-party government is instrumental in reuniting the Orthodox Church and “bringing back God to the people.” Of course, the form of godliness without power that is the Russian Orthodox Church is an anemic move to the religious. Nevertheless, it signals a recognition for something more than Communism.

Another country, we won’t name names (United States), also goes through revolution. Severs ties with its king. Actively develops a government based upon the biblical concept of the fallen nature of man that needs checks and balances. Conducts the “great experiment” of creating a nation built upon the tenets of Christian Scripture. It has an economy that increases exponentially where the poorest among them live like kings compared to the vast majority of the rest of the world. Yet, after three hundred years of Disney Land, said country secularizes and rejects Christianity for “unfettered sex” and seeks to “purge” the nation of God.

Those who do not know history are doomed to be beaten by it.

Worldviews rehashed...there is nothing new...

Why study Church history? Doug Wilson posts some great thoughts on the necessity for lay Christians to be familiar with the ideas denounced by the Church in the past in order to confront those of the present.

Little Johnny can’t read! Quick! Send money!

World Magazine cites a study suggesting that ages 2-3 are devolopmentally critical for the overall productivity in education. Splintering families do not help with that process.

Remember sacrifice?

[I wrote this post last August for This Bread Always. I thought it would be good to bump it over here for Memorial Day weekend.]

Today’s editorial in the Chicago Tribune pays tribute to Joe Rosenthal who passed away this weekend. Mr. Rosenthal is the photographer responsible for capturing the image of five Marines and a Navy corpman preparing to raise a second, bigger, flag at the island of Iwo Jima in the closing stages of World War II. With the click of a button, Mr. Rosenthal captured more than an image of a flag raising, he memorialized the longing of a nation for victory and the sacrifice they made to obtain it.

“The action he captured -- a fleeting one-400th of a second -- became the best-known, most enduring photograph of World War II. The image of muscles straining, of hands letting go as the 100-pound pole rose, of a breeze filling Old Glory, inspired an America eager for World War II to conclude. The photo drew power from its composition--its triangles project strength and stability--but especially from its faceless Marines: To their countrymen they were the unknown, individually undistinguished soldiers who were triumphing over tyranny.”

“The fight for Iwo Jima cost nearly 7,000 Americans--and most of the Japanese defenders--their lives. Joe Rosenthal, who died Sunday outside San Francisco at age 94, never confused his role as chronicler with that of the American heroes who captured one of their enemy’s best-fortified strongholds. ‘What I see behind the photo is what it took to get up to those heights--the kind of devotion to their country that those young men had, and the sacrifices they made,’ Rosenthal once said. ‘I take some gratification in being a little part of what the U.S. stands for.’”

If someone were to take a snapshot of the Church today, would it capture the endurance, the sacrifice, the wisdom and zeal of the great saints before us? There is no picture to memorialize the deaths of the apostles. All of them were martyred except for John.

No one captured on film the violent deaths of Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin, and the many forgotten faces of those whose lives consisted of “persecution above ground and prayer below ground.” We have no video documentary of the toil, anxiety, and tears of Athanasius and Augustine fighting to defend the faith once delivered to all the saints.

There is no footage of the persecutions of John Wycliffe, the burning of John Huss, or the cry to Heaven by William Tyndale, “Lord! Open the King of England’s eyes,” as the flames consumed him. Nothing on the sufferings of Martin Luther or John Calvin as they worked to fan the flames of Reformation fueled by the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit, jealous for the glory of the one Mediator between God and man and the free grace bought by His single sacrifice on the cross.

What of the great missionaries of the 18th and 19th centuries: William Carey, Adoniram Judson, John G. Paton, and the myriad of nameless soldiers who carried the gospel of Christ from Europe and America to India, Burma, the South Pacific, and launched the exponential growth in the universal Church? There is precious little video or photographic documentation of work going on today across the globe by those hearts sing with Martin Luther, “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also. The body they may kill. God’s truth abideth still.”

It continues today. Christians sacrificing at home and on foreign soil, for what?

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Mt 24:14

However, I fear that the vast majority of the visible Church is failing to proclaim the “gospel of the kingdom.”

We quickly proclaim the gospel of our traditions. We zealously fight for the gospel of our feelings, the gospel of the heart’s imaginations. If we sever our lives from the root of Scripture and attack others based upon our own sense of right and wrong, we will wither and die.

None of the saints mentioned above fought for their feelings. They knew the testimony of Scripture concerning a person’s trust in their heart.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? Jer 17:9

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. Eccl 9:3

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Ro 8:7-8

They fought for the truth of the Word of God, this gospel of the kingdom. Against the Church that clings to and preaches that revealed gospel, even the gates of Hell will not prevail, and that is worth remembering.

Prayer Requests

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:17-18

These are the current prayer requests in our class as of May 27, 2007.

• Pray that God would be glorified in each of our lives - at home, at work, at church.


• Pray also for the children of the families in our class that the Lord would open their hearts to the gospel, or if they are already in Christ, that He would grant them wisdom and understanding in their knowledge of Him so that they might grow in His grace and know the hope of His calling.


• Pray for the Hamiltons as Robyn’s mother, Louise Peguese, has passed away. Pray also that the Lord opens the hearts of family members to receive His grace. Pray especially for Robyn’s father who has just lost his wife of 49 years.


• Pray for Jill’s dad, Joe Huey. He is bed ridden and requires constant care.


• Pray for the Brazier family. Josh and Christy Brazier were in a bad auto accident and each are in a coma. It is feared that they will not survive and placement of their three children is uncertain if the parents pass away.


• Pray for Kim’s great aunt, Nancy, as she faces the difficulties associated with breast cancer.


• Pray for Melanie’s brother, Tim, as he goes through family struggles.


• Pray for Dawn’s cousin, Scott, who has been diagnosed with cancer and has three young children. Also pray for the two friends of the McClarrys who have breast cancer.


• Pray for our church, Pastor Fred and the staff. Pray for wisdom of those involved in the selling of a portion of the property. Pray for unity, humbleness, broken worship, and a hunger for the Word of God in the people of our church.


• Pray for John Mills and his father, Jimmy Jenkins, as Mr. Jenkins recovers from a triple bi-pass surgery.


• Pray for Brent Nelson’s sister, Lola, who is having surgery due to a congenital heart defect.


• Also, pray for Jay and Joy Youngblood as they continue to struggle with Joy’s trials of illness. Pray that the doctors will have wisdom to figure out why her liver enzymes are elevated.

John MacArthur and the practical importance of doctrine

On Pulpit Magazine, John MacArthur discusses the importance of preaching and teaching doctrine.

People often ask why I emphasize doctrine so much. Now and then someone tells me frankly that my preaching needs to be less doctrinal and more practical.

Of course, practical application is vital. I don’t want to minimize its importance. But if there is a deficiency in preaching today, it is that there’s too much relational, pseudopsychological, and thinly life-related content, and not enough emphasis on sound doctrine.

The distinction between doctrinal and practical truth is artificial; doctrine is practical! In fact, nothing is more practical than sound doctrine.

The pastor who turns away from preaching sound doctrine abdicates the primary responsibility of an elder: “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9). We teach truth, we teach error, or we teach nothing at all.(emphasis mine)

As true as that is for adults, I am convinced that it is vitally true for our children and young adults. Tammy and I have been convicted about not being intentional enough in fulfilling that duty to impart the faith.

“Don’t lie!”, “Don’t steal!” doesn’t cut it. They need to be taught why those things are wrong. They need to know why our thoughts and actions should reflect God’s glory. They also need to know how our thoughts and actions can show rebellion against God’s sovereignty. What does Scripture teach about who God is? How are we saved? From where or, more correctly, Whom does our assurance of salvation come?

We’re using “Truth and Grace” memory books with our girls. (Nathaniel only chews on the corners of the books, so we’re waiting with him...) They are a great way to work on Bible verses, doctrinal questions and answers, and even some hymns at the dinner table in a way that is age specific. And, at $15 for all three, you just can’t beat ‘em.

At three, Audrey is taking off with the Q&A and memory verses. Emma...well, you know...she’s wanting to study Greek with me...(sniff) She’s my little geek in training... I’m sure Audrey will be there soon.

How do you teach doctrine to your children? How are you imparting the faith to them at home? I’m interested in your ideas.

Prayer

Please pray for the Mills as John’s father is in the hospital for heart surgery this morning. Please also pray for Brent Nelson’s sister who is having surgery for a congenital heart defect.

The Boys of Summer

Al Mohler recommends a Dangerous Book for Boys.

The Iggulden brothers believe that boys need to get away from the computer screen, go outside, and learn to enjoy the world and make their way in it. “Boyhood is all about curiosity,” they advise. Boys need to know how to build a treehouse and how to find north in the dark -- and they need to know that they know these things. As the brothers explain:

How do latitude and longitude work? How do you make secret ink, or send the cipher that Julius Caesar used with his generals? You'll find the answers inside. It was written by two men who would have given away the cat to get this book when they were young. It wasn’t a particularly nice cat. Why did we write it now? Because these things are important still and we wished we knew them better. There are few things as satisfying as tying a decent bowline knot when someone needs a loop, or simply knowing what happened at Gettysburg and the Alamo. The tales must be told and retold, or the memories slowly die.

They need to fall off things occasionally, or--and this is the important bit--they'll take worse risks on their own. If we do away with challenging playgrounds and cancel school trips for fear of being sued, we don't end up with safer boys--we end up with them walking on train tracks. In the long run, it's not safe at all to keep our boys in the house with a PlayStation. It's not good for their health or their safety.

A rival publisher took the book home to his eight-year-old son, who promptly jumped up from in front of the television and talked his dad into testing paper airplanes long after bedtime. “That’s the good news,” the dad said. “The bad news is that he now expects me to build him a treehouse.”

Jane Friedman, Chief Executive at HarperCollins and herself the mother of two sons and two stepsons, is sticking by the book. There is no plan for a girls’ version, she said. “Boys are very different,” she observed.

Yes they are, Ms. Friedman, and that is why books like this are important. Boys want to be taken seriously as boys, and taught how to become men.

Temper, temper...

McCain has been getting a lot of press during his presidential bid, but not all of it is good. This incident reminds me of that verse in Proverbs,

Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. Proverbs 16:32

There are, of course, many others: Proverbs 14:29; Proverbs 15:1; Proverbs 15:18; and Proverbs 19:11, to name a few.

Intentional Early Retirement

Retirement is not in the vocabulary of the Bible.

For Fred...

ESV Reverse Interlinear New Testament is a Christian Book Award finalist. Just to let you know...the Eminently Superior Version does it again. Also noted is the Archaelogical Study Bible, which I likewise highly recommend.

Forced abortions spark riots in China

So-called “population crackdowns” are ocurring in China. The government is imposing a social child-raising tax on anyone who gets pregnant without permission from the government and refuses to have an abortion. If they refuse to pay the tax, the government destroys the villagers’ property. In response, villagers are rioting.

Compare this willingness to sacrifice property for the sake of having a child with American priorities and parenting, especially the gleeful willingness to abort an inconvenient pregnancy.

Blinders among the beloved...

Controversy in the Church is often shunned like the plague. However, every major orthodox doctrine of the Church has been the subject of controversy. Phil Johnson posts this excerpt from a sermon by J. Gresham Machen on controversy.

Again, men say that instead of engaging in controversy in the Church, we ought to pray to God for a revival; instead of polemics, we ought to have evangelism. Well, what kind of revival do you think that will be? What sort of evangelism is it that is indifferent to the question of what evangel it is that is to be preached? Not a revival in the New Testament sense, not the evangelism that Paul meant when he said, “Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.” No, my friends, there can be no true evangelism which makes common cause with the enemies of the Cross of Christ. Souls will hardly be saved unless the evangelists can say with Paul: “If we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel than that which we preached unto you, let him be accursed!” Every true revival is born in controversy, and leads to more controversy.

If it is true, it is worth fighting for.

Is Paula Abdul a Calvinist?

The face of providence has been frowning on Paula Abdul.

Paula Abdul broke her nose over the weekend after she fell while trying to avoid stepping on her Chihuahua, her publicist said Monday.

Abdul was recovering from the mishap and will appear on ‘American Idol’ Tuesday and its season finale Wednesday, publicist David Brokaw said.

‘She’s a little sore, but is doing fine,’ he said.

As distressing as this news is, what piqued my interest was this...

Abdul told the syndicated entertainment TV show “Extra” she tore cartilage in her nose and fractured her toe.

“I took a nasty fall ... trying not to hurt my dog. I bruised myself on my arm ... my chest, my waist all the way down to my hip. All from my little chubby Tulip,” Abdul said.

See...it must be true...Why else would she name her dog Tulip?

It’s late...

What do you make of this?

Check out this survey of American Muslims. I’m curious about your reactions to the findings.

My thought as a believer is this: their being here saves me the cost of a plane ticket to there for missions. Do you agree?

Rome and the Reformation in Review

I want to highlight a great series that has been posted on Pulpit Magazine on the theology of the Roman church, namely the sufficiency of Scripture and the doctrine of faith alone. The articles by John MacArthur are great, but I specifically want to point you to the comments under each post where Papists weigh in with their rebuttals.

Read their rebuttals and read also the responses from Protestants in the comments. It may take a while, but it’s worth it to get a full orbed understanding of this discussion and arguments for evangelizing those of the Roman bishop’s persuasion. Here are the links to this series.

• Rome in Review
• Scripture, Tradition, and Rome (Part 6)
• Scripture, Tradition, and Rome (Part 5)
• Scripture, Tradition, and Rome (Part 4)
• Scripture, Tradition, and Rome (Part 3)
• Scripture, Tradition, and Rome (Part 2)
• Scripture, Tradition, and Rome (Part 1)
• Mother Church?

Many of us have friends that are currently in the Roman tradition or are flirting with “crossing the Tiber” into that tradition. We need to be prepared to defend the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

Selective Reduction - Still Grasping to be as God Is

Al Mohler comments on what he calls “The Revenge of Conscience.” If you have not heard of selective reductions and their use by fertility doctors, be warned. Is this where unbridled freedom takes us?

Have we now reached a point of no moral return? Mundy’s article forces us to face the fact that we have become a society that considers ‘selective reduction’ just part of what is necessary, given the power of new reproductive technologies. We will become killers even as we become givers of life. A needle is inserted into one baby in order to kill, another needle in yet another baby in order to save.

The cold, clinical, calculating nature of the decisions reported by Liza Mundy takes us to the heart of the human problem. The essence of sin is the ambition to be as God.

The appearance of these articles, published in major American newspapers in a span of mere days, tells us something important. So does the fact that each of these articles reflects a sense of moral disquiet. Mundy reports that many women develop intense moral disquiet and persistent depression after undergoing the procedure. A source cited by Mundy explained that ‘psychoanalytic interviews with women who underwent [selective reduction] describe severe bereavement reactions including ambivalence, guilt, and a sense of narcissistic injury, all of which increased the complexity of their attachment to the remaining babies.’

Read this post and the articles it references closely. This holocaust must stop.

Just to follow up...

I thought this post was a good follow up to Fred’s sermon this Sunday. Here’s a quote:

…It’s hard to know how to respond to stories of Christian persecution abroad. Of course it is easier to be a Christian in the United States. Ordinarily that would be a good thing; in important ways, our system works. Religious freedom is guaranteed and, in most cases, is protected. That is the way it should be, but the flip side of our religious freedom, of course, is that American Christians, by and large, do not experience the persecution for their faith that is the constant companion of our brothers and sisters elsewhere, along with the powerful spiritual growth that no doubt follows as a result.

…I suspect if we Christians really lived out our faith we would be just as unpopular in the United States as anywhere else.

Read the article and tell me what you think.

Is parenthood boring?

This seems to be a recurring theme in blogdom and the other media these days...any comments? Moms, are you bored with your kids?

John Stott Says Farewell

Yet another era ends...

How to Raise a Biblical Theologian - starting at 3...

Justin Taylor has some ideas on “How to Raise a Biblical Theologian.”

For bald men only...

Frank Turk gets a good conversation going about current scientific research for the folically challenged...there’s some theology in there too...really.

Melinda Doolittle exits ‘American Idol’

I’m only linking this because I went to Belmont...and, she was the best singer...

Memorization Tip

Here’s a piece of advice on memorizing Scripture: pick a translation and stick with it. Confusion can set in very quickly if you get the paraphrase mixed up with the essentially literal.

Although I own more Bible translations than I care to count, I really only use NIV, KJV, and ESV with any regularity -- ESV being my preference when possible. Even limiting my exposure to three versions, ask me to quote a very famous Bible passage. What you'll get is an amalgam of two or three translations that never appears together in any one translation...

If you are in any position that requires you to read, recite, study, or teach the Scriptures, Confessions, or any other translated document— and that should cover pretty much everyone—keep translations in mind. If possible, try to use one translation of a text for a long period of time (decades, if possible).

Of course, memorization is encouraged frequently on this blog. See here, here, here, and here.

[HT - ESV blog]

Umm...yeah...

Some ideas are just better left unsaid...

Islamophobia Worst Form of Terrorism, Islamic Foreign Ministers Say

One wonders if there are certain pharmaceuticals used as part of Muslim ritual...

Phil Johnson on Defense of the Faith within the walls of the Church

Phil Johnson discusses the clarity of Scripture and the means by which it is guarded within the Church at Pyromaniacs.

Partial Reversal of Roe? Does it matter?

The interesting thing about the latest Supreme Court opinion is the seeming rejection of Roe by the liberals as much as the conservatives. This creates for some interesting speculation on the future of abortion in Supreme Court jurisprudence.

“Ginsburg complained that the partial-birth abortion ban ‘cannot be understood as anything other than an effort to chip away’ not at Roe, but ‘at a right declared again and again by this Court—and with increasing comprehension of its centrality to women's lives.’

Ginsburg’s dissent should remind pro-lifers that their target is not Roe, but the widespread view of children as a burdensome infringement on autonomy—a burden that can be acceptably lifted by killing the child, even as he or she emerges from the birth canal.

The strength of the partial-birth abortion ban is that it works toward changing that view. As Ginsburg correctly noted, ‘The law saves not a single fetus from destruction, for it targets only a method of performing abortion.’ But it has already changed the conversation about abortion, horrifying even the pro-Roe Kennedy with the procedure’s near equivalence to infanticide.”

Divine irony?

This is interesting...because it’s worked so well for the sales of rap CDs bearing similar warning labels.

Are American Christians Persecuted?

How do you define persecution? Does America fit the bill? If you’ve got an opinion, get in on the coversation.

Flynt on Falwell?

Frank Turk posts about the reactions to Falwell’s death, good and bad.

Missionaries in Northern Virginia

This article by Michael Gerson of the Washington Post highlights some very interesting developments among those in the liberal churches of America. If you recall, a Nigerian conservative archbishop of the Anglican church has installed a missionary bishop in Northern Virginia. This has not been received well by the Episcopal Church here. I found this assessment of the situation interesting.

“Some American religious conservatives have embraced ties with this emerging Christianity, including the church I attend. But there are adjustments in becoming a junior partner. The ideological package of the global south includes not only moral conservatism but also an emphasis on social justice, an openness to state intervention in markets, and a suspicion of American economic and military power. The emerging Christian majority is not the Moral Majority.

But the largest adjustments are coming on the religious left. For decades it has preached multiculturalism, but now, on further acquaintance, it doesn’t seem to like other cultures very much. Episcopal leaders complain of the threat of ‘foreign prelates,’ echoing anti-Catholic rhetoric of the 19th century. An activist at one Episcopal meeting urged the African bishops to ‘go back to the jungle where you came from.’ Not since Victorians hunted tigers on elephants has the condescension been this raw.

History is filled with uncomfortable turnabouts, and we are witnessing one of them. Serious missionary work began in Nigeria in 1842, conducted by a Church Mission Society dedicated to promoting ‘the knowledge of the Gospel among the heathen.’ In 2007, the Nigerian outreach to America officially began, on the fertile mission fields of Northern Virginia. And the natives here are restless.”

Mohler’s tribute to Dr. Jerry Falwell

The Legacy of Dr. Jerry Falwell as penned by Dr. Albert Mohler.

The end of an era?

Television evangelist Jerry Falwell dies at 73.

Mohler on Larry King Live

Here is the transcript of the panel discussion regarding Politics, Religion and the 2008 Election. Al Mohler was one of the panelists.

25 Ways to Help Kids Love to Read

Noel Piper on tips for helping your kids to learn to love to read.

Child Abuse to an Atheist

I’ve been following a debate between atheist Christopher Hitchens and theologian Douglas Wilsom on the Christianity Today website.

However, Wilson has also bee critiquing Hitchen’s book, God is not Great. His comments on this chapter were very interesting. If militant atheists have their way, we are in for difficult times.

What are we to make of the Nightline debate featuring Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron?

I have not watched this debate as of yet. I’m going to try to sit down and focus on how it went sometime this week. I like Comfort’s approach to the law first, gospel second in evangelism. However, I’m uncertain how this works in a debate format.

Here is one blogger’s analysis. What did you think?

Markers

Find out what this monument is and why it is important...

Can you see yourself in this story?

Josh at Unbound posts his “true confessions” on the first time he got to preach. Somehow, it rang familiar...

Sentimental theology

Thoughts on grounding our doctrine in the Word and not our feelings. This is a challenging post with application to current events in the Evangelical world.

Giuliani Expected to Clarify, Bolster Abortion Position

Hmm... and hmm...

Parents Launch a Crusade for Life

“We want them to talk to us,” say parents of Down syndrome children to mothers who are contemplating aborting babies diagnosed with potentially being afflicted with the disease. Al Mohler comments on the plea of these mothers and fathers for the lives of the unborn.

As rank-and-file church members, we are often not involved in the struggle for lives of the unborn. It is to our shame. I pray the Lord will stir us up as a church to champion these children wherever and whenever we can.

There is a website I have linked to over at This Bread Always called “Abort73” and it is a powerful apologetic against abortion. It is not easy fathom the depth of evil to which we have sunk as a nation. Money, ease, selfishness all take priority over the most helpless of those among us. However, apathy is the church’s worst enemy.

Hate Crimes Legislation

[Rebecca informed me that my link to the statute had expired. I have updated to another link that I believe will be more permanent. Let me know what you think.]

Here is the hate crimes legislation referenced yesterday. I am still looking into why this would affect pastors teaching the biblical position on homosexuality. I just don’t see it.

Hate crimes legislation is a waste of time, surely. Just prosecute the crime committed. It is nothing more than a politcal nod to special interest groups. However, I do not think this legislation rises to the level of limiting religious speech. I can see how it could be a step toward that agenda.

Feed your need for bloggage...

At the bottom of the page, I have placed two buttons. One is for NewsGator, the feed reader I use. The other is for AddThis, which will get you to just about any feed reader out there.

I hope this will help you get updates on this blog, and others you might enjoy, online rather than wait for me to send you an email on the updates.

Here’s a button that should get you to any feed reader you want:



Enjoy!

Bibliology 101

Here is a link to a class by James White on Bibliology, or the study of how we got the cannon, what is inspiration, etc. Hope you enjoy...the link contains audio and written materials. How cool is that?!

John MacArthur on Heaven

As I mentioned before, it seems that our church is certainly undergoing its share of grief. When Rome fell in the 4th century a Bishop named Augustine wrote City of God to remind the believers of that time that our hope rests in the Christ of Heaven, not in the professed security built by Man.

From time to time we need to be reminded of the reasons for the hope that is within us. I recently found this series on Heaven by John MacArthur. Here are the links to each part. I hope it is an encouragement to you.

(1) What Heaven is

(2) What Heaven is and What it is Like

(3) The New Jerusalem

(4) What We Will be Like

(5) How We Will Relate to One Another

(6) How We Will Relate to God

(7) What We Will Do--Part 1

(8) What We Will Do--Part 2

"The Army We Have"

Parents of boys should read the rest of this article by Dr. Mohler.

The emergence of a generation of boys and young men who have never been told “no” by an adult who meant it, who include a large percentage who had no father in the home, who were put on Ritalin instead of taught and disciplined, tells us a great deal about ourselves as a society.

The Army’s challenge is to transform several thousand young men from this generation each year, turning them into soldiers. The future of the nation, to a significant degree, rides on those young men. The Army faces new and daunting challenges in the recruitment and training of these young men. As Mockenhaupt makes clear, thousands of these young recruits and soldiers go on to make their nation proud. Clearly, the Army is doing something right.

How about the church? How is the Church faring in its own challenge to reach this generation of young men -- the same generation described by Colonel Shwedo above? Are we reaching the boys and young men in our own churches? Are we seeing them transformed from boys into men, from followers into leaders, from undisciplined young males into faithful disciples of Jesus?

Richard McClarry submitted this prayer request...

Please pray for a co-worker of Richard. His father had a stroke about a week and a half ago. He is still at Baylor Hospital in the intensive care unit. Reggie Kelly’s dad is still having some occasional minor strokes and is on life support at the moment. Pray for Reggie as he travels and as he tries to lift up his Mom during this time.

Tabletalk Magazine discusses Grief

This magazine, published by Ligioneer Ministries, focused its April 2007 issue on Grief in response to the shootings at Virginia Tech. I thought they would be helpful for other situations as well.

We seem to have an overflowing cup of grief in our Body right now. May the God of all comfort be a comfort to those who are hurting...

John Hendryx on Hidden Idolatries

John takes a simple, common situation and shows how our typical reactions to circumstances can reveal hidden idolatries. Extrapolate this to more serious circumstances...we define sin too narrowly, I think.

So, you’re thinking of being a pastor?

Joe Thorn gives practical advice for those thinking of entering the pastorate. Point number 1?

1. Don’t.

If you can do anything outside of the pastorate and find satisfaction in it - do that. Full time, vocational ministry - and the pastorate in particular - is difficult and places unique pressures on your life, marriage and family. Even those who are called by God to serve in this way must be very careful to manage one’s life and house well.

I post this for no one in particular...really...read the rest of it here...

The Children's Study Bible

Here is an idea on something to do for your child before you give them a Bible.

12 Ways to Love Your Wayward Child

Abraham Piper writes on dealing with a wayward child from experience. Not as a parent, but as the lost son. I hope this is helpful.

Public, Private, or Home-School?

Here is an interesting post and discussion on the merits of Public, Private, or Home-School.

George Will on the Education of Educators

Why Johnny can’t read, but knows what he should vote when the time comes.

Read the Bible in a Year: Start Anytime

Yeah, I know...I'm a geek. I even read blogs put out by Bible translation publishers. Here's a post on reading through the Bible in a year starting anytime.

King Herod's Tomb

Does this mean there will be another documentary on the Discovery Channel?

Pray for the Halls

This morning Becca received news that her step-father passed away unexpectedly. Pray for the Halls as they travel to attend the funeral and comfort Becca’s mother.

The death of the death of God

Comments on the religious trends in the West. I don’t know what to make of this. Just because the society is recognizing the bankruptcy of materialistic naturalism doesn’t necessarily translate to a return to Christianity. The plurality of tolerant religions was at its zenith in the first and second centuries. Yet, the exclusivity of Christ’s claims in the Gospels set Christians apart for some of the most intense persecutions the World has known.

The cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to we who are being saved it is Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God...1 Cor. 1:18-31.

Want to know more about the Church Fathers?

Here are some suggestions on beginning your study of the early Church Fathers.

The Oprahfication of politics

Well then...I guess it’s over...

Anglican "Missionary" Bishop Named for America -- The Schism Arrives

Al Mohler comments on the arrival of the Nigerian Anglican archbishop to appoint one of his bishops as a missionary to the United States. Although begged not to come by the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church USA, Katharine Jefferts Schori, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, the Nigerian Archbishop has come anyway, clearly demonstrating his belief that communion with the liberal Anglican faction has been broken. Read Mohler’s comments on this latest development.

"Hate Crime" Legislation Passes in the House, President Bush Promises Veto

“Hate Crime” legislation seems to have passed our Democratic controlled House of Representatives. This bill is purported to attempt to limit pastors who openly state the Bible’s views on homosexuality. I have not read the bill at this time. Stay tuned...

Are Mormons in the Mainstream?

Are Mormons in the Mainstream? is the latest question addressed by Dr. Al Mohler on the On Faith series. Read the comments after you read his answer. Always interesting...

Never Tire of the Gospel by Martin Luther

Martin Luther addresses our constant need to be reminded of the gospel.

What would you preach at your father’s funeral?

Here’s what John Piper preached.

...Priceless

Justin Taylor posts on a recent Reuters report that estimates the value of a Stay-at-Home Mom.

May Fellowship

Remember that May 12th is the date for the fellowship over at the Goode’s. Please contact Christi and Marty for details.

"The Fetus is Squirming, and So Are We"

As science marches on, the logic sustaining the brutal murder of the unborn is vanishing. Al Mohler comments on an article in Slate magazine, of all places, entitled, "The Fetus is Squirming, and So Are We".

Florida making steps toward ultra-sounds prior to abortions

Is this a beginning?

Apply directly to the forehead...

Here is a sweet excerpt from a sermon by Charles Spurgeon on the preservation of the saints. We are in His hand. No one, no thing, no circumstance will pluck us out.

Does Smoking Impede the Gospel?

Well, no...unless coughing keeps you from witnessing, I guess. But, here is an interesting article on the costs of Bibles being linked to none other than Chinese smoking. A butterfly flaps its wings...

Miller Family Adventures

You can read about the Miller family’s adventures in Vietnam. They’ve been blogging periodically since they arrived.

Moms and careers

Interesting...

Tell Stories Like Life Depends on It - a plea from the Desiring God blog

Here is encouragement from those at Desiring God to not skip over any of the facts contained in the Bible with your kids, regardless of their seeming significance.

Let the Python Eat Its Tail...

John Piper on the recent Supreme Court Decision concerning the Partial Birth Abortion ban.

What's in a Name above all names?

Al Mohler writes about the gender-neutral movement in liberal churches and specifically focuses on the push to remove use of the name “Lord” from the Church.

Children Desiring God - First Plenary Session

Here is the first post from the Children Desiring God conference. The First Plenary Session features a sermon by John Piper and some free resources to boot.

Defendant Released on Bond After Reciting 23rd Psalm

The real issue here is which version did the judge use. The HCSB, ESV, NIV? Inquiring minds want to know.

John MacArthur speaks on the VT shootings

John MacArthur offers insight to the tragic events at Virginia Tech.

The Missionary Heart

John Piper posts an epitaph written by a missionary in the event of her own death. It was found after she was killed by unknown assailants while a missionary in Iraq.

Paternalism from a Female Bishop?

Al Mohler discusses a recent interview by the Boston Globe of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of the Episcopal Church USA. In the interview, Ms. Schori asserts that the African Churches who oppose the unbiblical ordination of homosexual clergy are living in the dark ages. However, time, she claims, is on her side.

Between Two Worlds: Nancy Pelosi on Partial-Birth Abortion

I found this at the Between Two Worlds blog. Here is a quote from Nancy Pelosi on Partial-Birth Abortion.

“This is about a procedure that any parent would want her daughter to have access to if she needed it. And to frame it as an abortion issue is doing a disservice to medicine and to our young women and our country. So I hope we can get the focus back on the fact that this Supreme Court is deciding what medical procedures are necessary for child-bearing women.”

You can read the full article in the San Francisco Chronicle here.

Texts to Pray for Our Children

Jon Bloom at the Desiring God blog posted a list of texts to pray for our children.

Prayer Request for Hamiltons

Please pray for the Hamilton family as Robyn’s mother passed away today.

Wow...all I can say is...Wow...

Perhaps we should take up a donation for Brother Fred. Perhaps not. Here’s one approach to stewardship, I guess.

God is Unchangeable

Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end. Psalm 102:25-27

Nehemiah and Lay Ministry

Phil Johnson discusses how the book of Nehemiah is a biblical model of lay ministry.

"Laden With the Power to Devalue Human Life"

Al Mohler comments on the recent Supreme Court decision to uphold the legislative ban on partial birth abortion.

Banjophoria

If you ever wanted to pick up the Banjo...here may be a reason to wait...too much phoria can be hazardous to your health.

Lay People: Servants Not Spectators

Here is a challenging article by John MacArthur concerning the role of lay persons in the Church as servants not spectators.

Are the Atheists Winning?

Dr. Mohler is apparently recovering well enough to comment on Richard Dawkins’ new book, The God Delusion. Examine yourself. Do you fit into the category of Christians discussed in these articles?

Al Mohler’s thoughts on Crisis and Grace

Many of you may remember the prayer request in Sunday school for Dr. Albert Mohler, the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Thankfully, Dr. Mohler is out of the hospital and recovering from his very intense medical ordeal. Take a look at the lessons he learned...I don’t know that I would have gained this much from that experience.

40 Key Verses for Evangelism

One of the great things about Southern Seminary is the willingness of the professors to assist lay people. I recently heard a lecture by Dr. Timothy K. Beougher on evangelism in which he told of a study he developed for neighborhood outreach based on the idea that unchurched people would be more likely to attend a study about the Bible rather than a Bible study. In his experience, many of his neighbors were intimidated by a Bible study because they did not want to look ignorant in front of others when they knew so little about the Bible.

Dr. Beougher was kind enough to send me a rough outline of his 5-6 week study on an overview of the Bible, Old and New Testaments. One of the helps he sent me was a list of 40 key verses for evangelism to memorize. I post them here in the hope that you will study them and use them to prepare to share Christ when one of those “chance” conversations with unbelievers happens.

40 KEY VERSES FOR EVANGELISM
(you may memorize these verses in any translation,
but I have listed them in the ESV)

GOD

The heavens declare the glory of God,and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Psalms 19:1

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Revelation 4:11

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38

“Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” Leviticus 19:2

REBELLION

but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. Isaiah 59:2

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
Hebrews 9:27

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28

ATONEMENT

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 1 Peter 3:18

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. John 3:36

CONVERSION

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, John 1:12

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:31

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Luke 13:3

let the wicked forsake his way,and the unrighteous man his thoughts;let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:7

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” Isaiah 1:18

For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

ETERNAL LIFE

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. John 6:37

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:12-13

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, Romans 8:16

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. John 5:24

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. 2 Timothy 1:12

Ten ways to raise a nonreader/reader

Tammy recently purchased a book entitled “Honey for a Child’s Heart” by Gladys Hunt. The focus of the book is to give parents guidance on selecting reading material for their children. Mrs. Hunt lists both classics and current literature for suggested reading. I don’t agree with every suggestion in the book, but do agree with quite a lot of it and am impressed by many of the ideas she suggests for developing young readers and lovers of God’s Word. Here are a couple of thought-provoking lists to ponder as a parent.

Ten Ways to Raise a Nonreader

1. Have the television on at all times. Make sure you put a television set and a computer in every room. (Don’t forget the kitchen!)
2. Keep the place neat - no books or literary magazines in sight.
3. Never let your children see you read a book.
4. Never take your kids to the library.
5. Never read stories aloud past age two.
6. Never talk about ideas while eating meals.
7. Keep the lights down low. Buy only forty-watt lightbulbs.
8. Schedule your children for every activity you can think of so they won't be bored.
9. Never play any table games together.
10. Absolutely no reading in bed or good lamps to make it easy to do so.

Ten Ways to Raise a Reader

1. Restrict television watching drastically.
2. Keep the computer under control and where it can be monitored. Don't allow too many hours on pointless computer games or in chat rooms.
3. Have books and other good reading material within easy reach, an enticement to read.
4. Let your children see you reading.
5. Read books aloud together regardless of age.
6. Talk about books together; play games together.
7. Have well-lit rooms with comfortable chairs that invite reading.
8. Balance activity schedules with reading time. Let your kids know the library is as important as the gymnasium.
9. Encourage reading in bed with good lights to do so.
10. Visit the library often, and listen to books-on-tape when traveling.

Now, why is this relevant for a Sunday school blog? God did not reveal Himself through video, pictures, or music. He revealed Himself through words in the Scripture. The ability to reason, follow a flow of argument, and take ownership of ideas from reading a text is uniquely human and part and parcel to the image of God in which we were first created. Reading good books forces the mind to engage in critical thinking - what is the author trying to say? - rather than the emotion-dominated - what does that mean to me? - thinking that permeates our video game, T.V. saturated culture. The Bible is literature. It has history, poetry, legal arguments, etc., each word divinely inspired. Yet, each type of literature has been written to be read “literally” in the sense that poetry should be read as poetry, history as history, etc.

By instilling in our children a love for reading all of these types of literature, we build within them a greater ability to read God’s Word with understanding of Its objective meaning, not their subjective preference.

Noel Piper on “Hunting” through God’s Word

I found this excerpt by Noel Piper interesting on how she finally read through the Bible in a year and what helped her do it...joyfully...