How God Became Jesus—and How I Came to Faith in Him
Bart Ehrman’s narrative suggests the more educated you are, the less likely you are to believe. My life proves otherwise.
Some have great confidence in skeptical scholarship, and I once did, perhaps more than anyone else. If anyone thinks they are assured in their unbelief, I was more committed: born of unbelieving parents, never baptized or dedicated; on scholarly credentials, a PhD from a secular university; as to zeal, mocking the church; as to ideological... Continue Reading
Michael Bloomberg: “I’ve Earned My Place in Heaven”
Many people believe that if their good works outweigh their bad works, then they will have eternal life.
The New York Times reports: But if he senses that he may not have as much time left as he would like, he has little doubt about what would await him at a Judgment Day. Pointing to his work on gun safety, obesity and smoking cessation, he said with a grin: “I am telling you... Continue Reading
Same-Sex Marriage and the Future
In some form or another, your church will have to address the marriage revolution
Look at the empty cathedrals of the Episcopal Church, the vacated pews of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and right down the line. Let me be clear. Even if embracing same-sex marriage—or any other endorsement of what the Bible calls sexual immorality—“worked” in church-building, we still wouldn’t do it. If we have to choose between Jesus... Continue Reading
Sola Experienca is For Real
Today our personal experience and personal interpretation of that experience is the unquestionable authority that all must submit to
We have a culture awash in a neo-gnosticism that gobbles up personal experience like samples at Costco. We cannot resist them. Then we have people everywhere telling their own stories and then interpreting them with authority. And of course we have a church that goes right along with it to reinforce sola experiencia to the thousands who... Continue Reading
Legal Complaint Filed in Vision Forum Case
The possibility of a messy trial brings important reminders about Christian clarity
The complaint filed yesterday alleges Phillips committed “inappropriate, unwanted, and immoral sexual acts” against Torres-Manteufel. The complaint graphically alleges sexual incidents, but not sexual intercourse, and it doesn’t allege sexual contact when Torres-Manteufel was a minor. In the April 5 issue of WORLD, we reported on the closing of Vision Forum Ministries (VFM), and the fall of... Continue Reading
The Fountainhead of Satanism
To be a follower of both Rand and Christ is not possible
Many conservatives admire Rand because she was anti-collectivist. But that is like admiring Stalin because he opposed Nazism. Stalin was against the Nazis because he wanted to make the world safe for Communism. Likewise, Rand stands against collectivism because she wants the freedom to abolish Judeo-Christian morality. Conservative Christians who embrace her as the “enemy-of-my-enemy”... Continue Reading
I Have Authority to Lay It Down and I Have Authority to Take It Up Again
The hired hand loves his life more than the sheep, but Jesus loves his sheep more than his life and he lays it down for his sheep
Christianity is not merely being saved from sin and death and judgment; it also means having a living shepherd to guide you and feed you and heal you and protect you and help you love. The words of verse 14 are astonishing, if you’ve ever dreamed of a deep, deep, deep relationship: “I know my... Continue Reading
Propositional Truth Meets Personal Encounter
The biblical canon is the completed foundation, but the preached Word is the primary means of the Spirit’s ongoing building project
Immediately I noticed the words, truth, He will speak, He will tell, declare, and declare again. This Helper that we have as believers ministers to us by the Word. In Reformed circles, we love to say that Christ accomplishes and the Spirit applies. But how does he do this? Through the Word! And the apostles were inspired by the Spirit to... Continue Reading
Hobby Lobby’s Steve Green Launches A New Project: A Public School Bible Curriculum
The Mustang, Okla., school board voted to adopt the Museum of the Bible Curriculum, a four-year public school elective on the narrative, history and impact of the Bible
He describes the program as “robustly unique.” It divides its topic into three areas: the Bible’s narrative; the history of its composition and reception; and its impact on human civilization. The spine of the first-year program (the only text completed so far) is a 400-plus-page book, currently spiral-bound, featuring 108 chapters divided into five-day-a-week lessons.... Continue Reading
A Response: Did The Reformers Reject All Images?
Although they objected to the iconographical use of art in worship, Calvin and Zwingli were not against the use of art in other venues
Reformation iconoclasm was taken to the extreme by some of the lesser-known Reformers that took to violence against Roman Catholic churches, smashing stained-glass windows, burning reliquaries, diptychs, triptychs, whole altars, and mutilating religious art. But none of the major Reformers promoted or approved this activity. In fact, as documented above, they did not disapprove of... Continue Reading