In keeping with the journalistic tradition of looking back at the recent past, we present the top 50 stories of the year that were read on The Aquila Report site based on the number of hits. We will present the 50 stories in groups of 10 to run on five lists on consecutive days. Here are numbers 1-10.
In 2018 The Aquila Report (TAR) posted over 3,000 stories. At the end of each year we feature the top 50 stories that were read. The top story this year had over 11,600 hits.
TAR posts about 8 new stories each day, on a variety of subjects – all of which we trust are of interest to our readers. As a web magazine TAR is an aggregator of news and information that we believe will provide articles that will inform the church of current trends and movements within the church and culture.
In keeping with the journalistic tradition of looking back at the recent past, we present the top 50 stories of the year that were read on The Aquila Report site based on the number of hits. We will present the 50 stories in groups of 10 to run on five lists on consecutive days. Here are numbers 1-10.
They say the problem is not that pastors are avoiding or embracing certain sins as fine, but that they are figuring out how to talk to culture in the 21st century. That may be true in some cases, but in a growing number of cases it is not true at all. They are either scared to talk to the culture or they are fine with the culture. At a time the world is coming for the children in their church, they’re rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic avoiding the water coming in the boat. Tim Keller, as he really is, should be a solid model for how to talk about churches. But some pastors have embraced a mischaracterization of Keller to be more like him. The authentic Keller is a good model on this stuff.
To exalt Mary to such a status as mediator is truly misguided and we should shun any arguments to the contrary. Was she special? Absolutely. But she was still just a servant of God in need of a Savior just as much as we are in need of a Savior. We are not to look to her, or anyone else, other than the Triune God! To do otherwise is to exalt the creation over the Creator, and to join hands with those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18ff).
Ministers should never be protected simply because of their role or status. Every accusation should be taken seriously and dealt with in a prompt manner. I can’t even begin to relay to you how many emails I get from women in the local church who have been flirted with by their pastor inappropriately but have been dismissed by church leadership who did not believe them. Listen to people in your congregation if they are trying to tell you about clergy misconduct.
After a flurry of articles and blog posts, Crossway announced that the 2016 ESV text would not be permanent. While many were relieved to read this, some of us noted that nothing was said about the controversial change to Genesis 3:16 and 4:7. Would that be changed? To date, nothing has been said regarding changing these passages back. I know that published text takes time to be changed. As such, I expected that the ESV Bibles published last year would reflect the “contrary to” translation. And they do. This includes the big six-volume ESV Reader’s Bible.
I would like to offer Covenant College students something far better than what was conveyed to them in Mr. Tisby’s lecture, something that is much closer to the heart of what Reformation Day is all about. Instead of tying up heavy burdens and laying those burdens on their shoulders, I want to point them to the gracious offer of Jesus Christ when he said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…”
It was only after much prayer, study, and consideration that GRPC left the PCA. The Session started serious discussions about leaving the PCA more than 2 years ago. We kept our congregation informed of our concerns and our discussions within the Session and with others within the Presbytery. Altogether, we spoke with eight other pastors within our Presbytery about our concerns regarding the PCA General Assembly and about the idea of leaving the PCA. We invited these churches and their Sessions to meet with us informally to discuss what we should do about our concerns and where we would go if we were to leave the PCA.
But the problem we have today is that the ‘gay-Christian’ community refuses to acknowledge such desires are sinful. In fact, they profess that to expect individuals with homosexual desires to repent of them would be a destructive burden to them, tantamount to denying who they were created to be. Hence, these individuals have no problem embracing these desires which only fuels their identity as a ‘gay-Christians.’ They embrace it and do so proudly. They confess no need to neither repent for these desires nor pursue any efforts at mortification. And why would they if they are not sinful?
Why are we hosting this gathering? Because there are a lot of gay men and women becoming Christians—or who grew up in Christian homes—and found themselves attracted to the same sex. They aren’t always sure what that means for their sexuality or for their church life. They want to obey God, but they often feel like they don’t fit in the body of Christ. The goal of the conference is to help those who believe in the historic, biblical sexual ethic figure out how to thrive within churches that share those biblical commitments.
The New Testament contains no “magic bullet” verse to abolish one side or the other in this debate, although both sides sometimes act as if it does. The New Testament does not say, “You shall baptize the infant children of believers when they are 8 days old, just as Abraham had them baptized when they were 8 days old.” Nor does it say, “The infant children of believers must not receive the sign of baptism until they make a credible profession of faith.” Those verses simply do not exist. Biblically, this issue of baptizing the infant children of believers remains difficult, even upon close examination, and that is why good Bible teachers remain divided by it.
And the number one story on The Aquila Report for 2018 with over 11,590 hits:
Note the inclusive language on the website-“gay, lesbian, LGBT Christians.” My friends, must I state the obvious? Practicing homosexuals are no more Christians than are practicing fornicators, adulterers, drunkards, swindlers, or thieves (1 Cor.6:9, 10). There is no such thing as LGBT, gay, lesbian Christians. There is no such thing as a Christian drug dealer, a Christian stripper, a Christian thief, a Christian liar. Paul clearly states that all such people will not inherit the kingdom of God. There has never been a time in the orthodox Christian church where homosexuals have been considered Christians.
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