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[Cutty Flam]

Luke‬ ‭6:35-36‬ ‭KJV‬‬ “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”

This is how I can tell Jesus was no mere man. Forgiving one’s enemies has to be one of the toughest decisions in life. But when I have thought about it, it makes the most sense. Life is precious and even to take away just one life, even the life of your enemy, it will probably devastate further than we can calculate, I believe. It’s such a tough lesson to understand, it’s not a natural lesson that makes sense in this world, but Jesus is not of this world nor are we according to scripture, so it’s likely the right way to live no matter what is felt or thought

Very important scripture to be pondered deeply upon often. It seems impractical to be followed 100% no matter what the situation, in this age in this time at least, though. For example, if the U.S. does not carry out strikes on certain individuals, those very same individuals may claim the lives of those in the U.S. or Britain, France, elsewhere. But the bottom line I think is its powerful message in saying that life, even that of your enemy, is better spared than taken if there is a way to make it so. Maybe it is because it is not the man who is your enemy, but his thinking and the actions against you that took place that are the real enemy. A seed planted that should have never taken root. Or it could be something else

A lot to think about, I’m always just brainstorming when I delve into the Bible. Praise Jesus and I thank the Lord for all that I have

Sometimes when I read the bible or even think of the bible and certain blessings I am overcome with emotion. This book is beyond words, Jesus’s words seem to be life and truth the same every time I read them

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

It's encouraging to hear your takeaways from the Bible Cutty Flam . I often feel as though I am in a "dead church" but this thread picks up my mood.

Maybe it is because it is not the man who is your enemy, but his thinking and the actions against you that took place that are the real enemy. A seed planted that should have never taken root.

Echoed in Ephesians

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.​

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Isn't the Bible Sexist?

In a culture where the idea of women travelling around with a group of men, or having the status of disciple was seriously questionable, Jesus has a number of women who are included in his travelling circle who also contributed financially to the needs of the group. In fact, when Jesus is told that his mother and brothers are waiting outside to see him, he points to his disciples and says, "Here are my mother and brothers." This statement is unthinkable unless there were women among his disciples.

Why would Christians support religious freedom?

...Thomas Jefferson said, “The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god.” Religious freedom is critical for human flourishing because it preserves for every person the right to decide for themselves the things they hold as sacred.

Audio: Historian Dustin Benge– The American Puritans

On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Dustin Benge discuss the contribution the American Puritans made to the American church, what writers can learn from the American Puritans to help them grow as writers, and advice to ministry leaders navigate challenges on social media, along with his book with Nate Pickowicz, The American Puritans (Reformation Hertige, 2020).

Video: Has Liberalism Failed? – Bishop Barron Presents: A Conversation Featuring Dave Rubin

Friends, it is my pleasure to share the latest “Bishop Barron Presents” discussion, featuring author and podcaster Dave Rubin. In our conversation, we uncover the underlying issues fueling today’s partisan politics and the culture of contempt. Further, we discuss how to engage in constructive dialogue for the sake of the common good.

Video: A Pre-Modern Reflection on the Modernist Roots of Postmodernism

This lecture will engage with art, music, song lyrics, film and architecture, as well as philosophy, as we trace the logical and historic line of descent from a pre-modern Christian culture through scientistic modernism to nihilistic postmodernism. We will explore the ways in which the modernist rejection of God creates an inherently unstable and disintegrative form of spirituality and see that the more consistent with this spirituality one tries to be the further one sinks into the mire of postmodernism.

 

[Bolivar687]

Today is All Souls Day. Remember to pray for the souls of your departed loved ones, as Judas Maccabeus and his soldiers prayed for the purification of the souls of their fallen comrades, in hope of the resurrection, in a different time of cultural warfare. (2 Mac 12:40-46).

In the regular mass readings for today, the Psalm is a very short prayer:

Psalm 131
A song of ascents. Of David.

1 My heart is not proud, Lord,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted myself,
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content.
3 Israel, put your hope in the Lord
both now and forevermore.​

I think this is really relevant for us today, on the eve of an election, as many of us have likely been praying for our country, this election, the outcome, and for peace. Here, though, it seems to be a virtue to not concern yourselves with such things greater than your station. Each of us have a right to vote, so it behooves us to make an informed decision in accordance with our faith, but we probably shouldn't be obsessed with politics all the time. Our Lord was rejected by the rulers but thanked his father for revealing him to the little ones (Mt 11:25). Imagine how much better our society would be if every person instead sought to make their own local orbit around them better. Regardless of the outcome, we still go back to the daily work of our own holiness and the salvation of those around us. We should fight to have a just society, but ultimately our true master is God.

I also think this teaches that our regular prayer life should not be overly emotional, but calm and content like a weaned child.

 

[mcz117chief]

Today is All Souls Day. Remember to pray for the souls of your departed loved ones

I do that everyday myself. I think it is one of the most important prayers you can make.

 

[Bolivar687]

 

[showernota]

Powerful worship for anyone feeling overwhelmed by life.

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

How do we find significance in a world of billions?

One of our greatest fears as human beings is to be unseen, to be invisible. But in a world with so many people, not everybody, we reason, can be a somebody. That, in essence, is the problem: nobody wants to be a nobody but not everybody can be a somebody; nobody wants to be a nobody but in a world of seven billion not everybody can be a somebody. Where does that leave us? It leaves us in competition, with everybody.

The best response to Islamism is Christianity

Christian freedom of conscience results in the value of free speech; to say what is in our minds and hearts — within reason. Equality, as a value, arises from the Judaeo-Christian teaching that all human beings have a common origin and equal dignity because they have been made in the divine image. It was just this view that led to the Dominican bishop Bartolomé de Las Casas’s brave struggle against the enslavement of the indigenous populations of Latin America, a struggle which gave birth to the language of human rights in Europe. The Christian idea of natural human dignity provided the slogan ‘Am I not a man and a brother?’ for the largely Evangelical-led campaign against the slave trade and then against slavery itself. The radical Enlightenment, on the other hand, ended in the massacres of Robespierre’s Reign of Terror.

Video: CS Lewis' Miracles, Relevance Realization, Non-reductive Physicalism

JP Marceau wrote a paper on the intersection of CS Lewis's book Miracles and John Vervaeke's non-reductive physicalism which he posted on the Symbolic World. Because Lewis' book has been important in my life we got together to talk about it.

Video: Richard Playford - Philosophy, Christianity and learning from other religions

Today we are talking with Dr. Richard Playford, a lecturer in religious studies and the programme lead for the BA (Hons) in theology, religion and ethics and the BA (Hons) in theology and religious studies at St Mary’s University. His research interests include ethics, bioethics, metaphysics and philosophy of religion.

Edited

 

[BigBooper]

I have a question for any of our Catholic brothers or sisters. I was reading this article in a Catholic website about a child that was healed from a disease where they were expected to be stillborn.

Couple says miracle child's Down syndrome a 'blessing' for family - Catholic Review

Reflected in Mikey's miracle are the Knights' dedication to respecting life in all its stages, the order's support for people with intellectual and developmental delays, its support for families, and the example of Father McGivney for all parish priests,

catholicreview.org

In the article, there are two quotes regarding investigation into the miracle and a statement the family made in response.
"The tribunal also asked how they knew the cure was the result of Father McGivney’s intercession and not that of Our Lady of Fatima. "
“There are so many coincidences, how can you look at this and not know it was Father McGivney,”

I am not very well versed in Catholic teaching, but I have been investigating it a lot more this year. Is the kind of belief that seems to be presented by this family, that the praying to a specific deceased Christian for intercession is required for the prayer to be answered, a commonly held Catholic belief?

 

[mcz117chief]

I am not very well versed in Catholic teaching, but I have been investigating it a lot more this year. Is the kind of belief that seems to be presented by this family, that the praying to a specific deceased Christian for intercession is required for the prayer to be answered, a commonly held Catholic belief?

You can ask anyone for intercession basically, your deceased gramma or 12th century pope, it doesn't really matter. At that point really it is just a matter of faith and sadly sometimes even business and optics. Sainthood has been often times used as a political tool so I have some mixed feelings about it. The only saints I recognize 100% are verified martyrs like my confirmation patron Paul Miki. When it comes to others I don't go around saying they aren't saints because I can't prove it one way or the other really so I'll just leave it up to personal preference. I honestly don't know how common it is for people to pray to saints, I myself do it only very rarely and only to my baptism and confirmation patrons (archangel Michael and Paul Miki). After all is said and done though there is no better intercessor than Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ.

 

[showernota]

The Lord led me to this Scripture last night, and I have to share it.

Romans 8
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

A few of us probably grew up with Billy Graham playing at our grandmas' houses (I did, never really listened though). But if anyone hasn't, there's a reason God made him so well known. I recommend giving his sermons a listen.

 

[Bolivar687]

I have a question for any of our Catholic brothers or sisters. I was reading this article in a Catholic website about a child that was healed from a disease where they were expected to be stillborn.

Couple says miracle child's Down syndrome a 'blessing' for family - Catholic Review

Reflected in Mikey's miracle are the Knights' dedication to respecting life in all its stages, the order's support for people with intellectual and developmental delays, its support for families, and the example of Father McGivney for all parish priests,

catholicreview.org

In the article, there are two quotes regarding investigation into the miracle and a statement the family made in response.
"The tribunal also asked how they knew the cure was the result of Father McGivney’s intercession and not that of Our Lady of Fatima. "
“There are so many coincidences, how can you look at this and not know it was Father McGivney,”

I am not very well versed in Catholic teaching, but I have been investigating it a lot more this year. Is the kind of belief that seems to be presented by this family, that the praying to a specific deceased Christian for intercession is required for the prayer to be answered, a commonly held Catholic belief?

No, it's not required. During the mass, for example, we just pray to God in Jesus' name. I've personally received graces I've prayed for in this way. However, this is a common way in which the Church identifies miracles in the cause to canonize Saints. Another American clergyman, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, also had a recent miracle involving a stillborn baby whose heart began beating after 61 minutes just before the doctors were about to call it: https://osvnews.com/2019/07/22/the-miracle-that-will-make-archbishop-fulton-sheen-blessed/

The Church does teach that God has decided that all graces are to be distributed at the hand of our Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, so prayer for her intercession is especially important and moral.

 

[showernota]

A long dormant Facebook friend of mine shared this today. I've never heard of John Kilpatrick, but a quick search shows he's a full gospel revivalist.

He has an incredibly power message; it's not exactly fire and brimstone, but more a diagnosis and prognosis of the world we're living in right now.

Please watch if you've felt even one of these symptoms since 2020 began:

• You feel overwhelmed by almost everything
• Even simple tasks seem bitterly impossible
• Heaviness and hopelessness make you feel God has never helped you in the past, and never will in the future
• You feel completely ineffective
• You feel you want to stay in bed and sleep, tuning everyone and everything out

Your first reaction is probably "No duh," but for the whole world to feel that way, there is more to it. Give it a listen, it will help you.

Could This Be Jezebel's Last Stand Part 1

Content from Church of His Presence

subsplash.com

 

[mcz117chief]

Please watch if you've felt even one of these symptoms since 2020 began:

Well, I'm glad I never felt any of those, at least I don't recall that I was THAT much under the weather.

 

[Chaplain]

Today's resources:

How Tim Keller Seeks to Pray Without Ceasing

Calvin points to the exhortation to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17) and says that, of course, every Christian should aspire to pray to God constantly through the day. But, he adds: “Since our weakness is such that it has to be supported by many aids, and our sluggishness such that it needs to be goaded, it is fitting each one of us should set apart certain hours for this exercise.” Calvin taught that we should designate set times, though brief, during which “all the devotion of the heart should be completely engaged.” He proposed five times: when we wake in the morning before we begin work at midday meal after the meal (or after the day’s work) when we are getting ready for bed at night He immediately adds, “This must not be any superstitious observance of hours—as “paying our debt to God” and forcing him to hear us (3.20.50).

When You Say Nothing at All

You may think, I hear you, but the issues are too important. Christians can’t sit on the sidelines as the world argues about the important issues of our day. Fair enough. But consider: is posting your quick thoughts on the daily news cycle really the best way to make a long-term difference? Why not slow down and read some books and comment on those? Or write something online that goes back to first principles? Or write a book if you have opportunity? Or invest in liberal arts education that draws from the best of our Western tradition? Or simply and gloriously disciple young believers to know their Bibles, bear the fruit of the Spirit, and be committed to their local church?

Lessons from the US presidential election for the worldwide Church

The endless cycle of news about the US presidential election will hopefully now be coming to an end. We will get back to endless Covid stories and more culture wars. Although President Trump is still challenging the result, it seems as though there is little prospect of it being overturned and so we wait for President Biden in January. We pray for him and for the whole of the US.

The Government is wrong to endorse 'suicide tourism'

Alistair Thompson responds to the news that British people seeking support with assisted suicide overseas are exempt from lockdown restrictions

Video: Visiting a Church for Felons, Junkies and Saints

Freedom City Church is an Assembly of God church in Springfield, Missouri and it's very different from any church I've visited so far. Their pastor is a former prisoner and heroine addict and the church is built around the Gospel and connecting with people in similar situations.

Video: How do we respond to the problem of evil?

The Programmer is a regular in the chat of our live streams and he decided to drop London Theist in it with one of the biggest questions theists wrestle with. We give our responses over a few minutes with regards to the problem of evil and how Christians respond to suffering. This is by no means an exhaustive response but hopefully it helps give some idea as to how we think about a good God when there is evil around us.

Video: The Deconstruction of Christian celebrities and what we’re missing

Former Cru colleague of Rhett and Link, Shelby Abbott joins me on today's podcast to talk about the phenomena of Christian celebrity deconstruction and what key factors we might be missing in the conversation.

Video: The Power of Story in the Grip of Suffering

Glen Scrivener and Paul Feesey discuss the power of story to drive us during our darkest hour. We take a look at Wendy Alsup's testimony of how Jesus walked with her at her lowest moments.

 

[Chaplain]

New resources and news:

Video: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB) - Round Table Discussion with John MacArthur

Pastor John MacArthur discusses the new Legacy Standard Bible with the translation team. Learn more, including how to pre-order the LSB New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs at LSBible.org!

Video: Dr. John Lennox - Has Science Buried God?

 

[showernota]

That woke preacher clips twitter is overwhelming lol

 

[Chaplain]

That woke preacher clips Twitter is overwhelming lol

I know. lol

 

[showernota]

The newly discovered fortress dating back to around the 11th to the 9th century BCE adds a rare “piece to the puzzle” of Golan archaeology, Tzin told AFP.

“This phenomenon might be more widespread than we know. Golan research is not yet at a high level … We’re only beginning to rediscover the Golan now,” he said.

King David-era fortress unearthed in Golan Heights

Israeli archeologists unveiled what may be the earliest fortified settlement in the Golan Heights from the time of King David about 3,000 years ago.

nypost.com

 

[#Phonepunk#]

A long dormant Facebook friend of mine shared this today. I've never heard of John Kilpatrick, but a quick search shows he's a full gospel revivalist.

He has an incredibly power message; it's not exactly fire and brimstone, but more a diagnosis and prognosis of the world we're living in right now.

Please watch if you've felt even one of these symptoms since 2020 began:

• You feel overwhelmed by almost everything
• Even simple tasks seem bitterly impossible
• Heaviness and hopelessness make you feel God has never helped you in the past, and never will in the future
• You feel completely ineffective
• You feel you want to stay in bed and sleep, tuning everyone and everything out

Could This Be Jezebel's Last Stand Part 1

Content from Church of His Presence

subsplash.com

i feel like all of these points could be simply diagnosed "media overdose". if you are Always Online and plugged into social media culture, you are being fed pure outrage 24/7. if you are just on the internet, you are getting info from so many new sources and their echo chambers, you are constantly barraged with negativity and cynicism and anti-Christian attitudes. you are being told that the world is ending so often, you are overwhelmed by information. at no point in human history have we had so much knowledge coming to us at such a pace. not only that but the media is constructed to sensationalize everything, and current media is not above broadcasting real videos of deaths, further desensitizing violence, dehumanizing others, alienating us from one another, reinforcing these racial and political narratives, the meme-like trends that act as real world Death Cults, extracting human life for their extremist ideologies. the media is an arm of the liberal Death Cult, that much has been clear, watching it's treatment of the events of 2020. it is designed to make you feel all these things. it is ridiculous, even if you try and read TV or video game reviews, the woke author will spend paragraphs complaining about the state of the world and how hopeless everything is. you are supposed to feel that way, the Death Cult prizes cynicism, not optimism. if you hear non stop cynicism from these Death Cultists all the time, it is going to affect you. i advise cutting toxic media sources out of your life. i have decided to boycott the news. right now it's particularly toxic, and after the election, when i realized we wouldn't know for sure who was president until the EC voted on December 14th at the earliest, i decided to remove all that nonsense out from my life. it is literally pointless noise designed to agitate me and for more than a month is entirely pointless to even listen to. they are all merchants of lies.

 

[Chaplain]

"Atheist philosopher Julian Baggini and Christian author Skye Jethani discuss whether the ethics of Jesus can be separated from his claim to be divine?" (11/13/20)

 

[Chaplain]

Live today at 1 PM and tomorrow at 1 PM PST: "The Great Divorce - A virtual Presentation for the Fellowship Circle"

"C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce has been delighting—and puzzling—readers ever since its 1945 publication. The title is enigmatic. The “divorce” from what? And what is so “great” about it? The novel is a response to the popular view expressed in William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell where the poet tried to imagine a point at which the differences between good and evil will somehow be resolved. That prompted Lewis to write of their final divorce. Blake’s “belief I take to be a disastrous error,” he wrote in his preface to the book. “You cannot take all luggage with you on all journeys...Evil can be undone, but it cannot ‘develop’ into good. Time does not heal it… If we insist on keeping Hell (or even Earth) we shall not see Heaven.” To express this view in his novel, Lewis draws some of his most extraordinary characters and places them on a bus trip from the outskirts of Hell to the outskirts of Heaven. As we go along for the ride, he poses a most challenging question: Given the freedom to choose Heaven or Hell, what will we really do? Are the gates of Hell locked from the inside? In this production, we have the narrator of the story—a clear stand-in for Lewis—and three additional actors bringing more than 20 characters to life, each making a case as to why they choose what they choose."

Saturday link:



Sunday link:



Edited

 

[Chaplain]

Video: Why atheists become Christians and Christians become atheists - Jana Harmon and Joel Furches

"Justin talks to Jana Harmon about her Ph.D. research on adult atheist conversion to Christianity and presents stories from her new ‘Side B Podcast’. Joel Furches, who is researching de-conversion, also joins the conversation."

Audio: The Side B Podcast

Episode: The Side B Podcast - Jordan Monge

Raised to think critically, Jordan Monge began to question her own atheism at Harvard University when she was intellectually challenged to investigate the grounding of her worldview.

Episode: The Side B Podcast - Mike Arnold

In today's episode former atheist Mike Arnold suffered an unspeakable childhood tragedy which suddenly catapulted him into atheism. After twenty years, he was given cause to reconsider not only God's existence, but God's goodness as well.

Joel Furches' article on de-conversion: Why do Christians Become Atheists? A Case Study

So how does deconversion happen? I propose a five stage model of what a person goes through when they deconvert. The five stages are these:

• Setting Conditions - What is the religious experience or background of a deconvert? What sorts of religious experiences do they have in common?
• Stressors - People don't change their lives for no reason. And most people don't change their mind for one reason overnight. Deconversion is a process, and there are a lot of events that happen between being Religious and being Atheist.
• Trigger - There comes a point where a person has to tip over the edge from holding certain beliefs and discarding those beliefs. Getting rid of the beliefs can be gradual, but something happens that makes a person want to look at their beliefs critically.
• Processing - Once a person makes the decision to take a long hard look at what they believe, it's not easy, and the ideas they've built their lives upon don't die easily.
• Deconversion - There comes a time when a person is ready to make the stand and let their friends, family, and themselves know that they are now an Atheist.

Edited

 

[swampconcept]

Proud Christian here. Jesus saved me many times.
If you are not a Christian, I recommend you let him into your heart.

 

[Chaplain]

Sermon: "Once Dead, Now Alive!" Ephesians 2:1-7 (11/15/20)

Trespasses and sins "express a whole social value-system which is alien to God. It permeates, indeed dominates, non-Christian society and holds people in captivity. Wherever human beings are being dehumanized—by political oppression or bureaucratic tyranny, by an outlook that is secular (repudiating God), amoral (repudiating absolutes), or materialistic (glorifying the consumer market), by poverty, hunger, or unemployment, by racial discrimination or by any form of injustice—there we can detect the sub-human values of “this age” and “this world”." (Theologian John Stott, The Message of Ephesians)

"Satan has chosen to bring the world and humans to death is sin; and sin is the rebellion of humankind against the vocation to reflect God’s image into the world, the refusal to worship God the Creator, and the replacement of that worship and that vocation with the worship of elements of the created order, and the loss of image-bearing humanness which inevitably results." (New Testament Scholar N. T. Wright, Evil and the Justice of God, 109)

"Hell is God's great compliment to the reality of human freedom and the dignity of human choice." (Philosopher G.K. Chesterton)

"Looking back on my own life as a Christian, I can see that a turning point came when I realized that the cross of Christ couldn’t change me unless I allowed it to. I used to think that being a Christian meant believing that certain things were true; for example, believing that the cross of Christ really happened in history. I didn’t realize that the cross of Christ could affect me personally. I didn’t understand that this event in history could turn my own history inside out, and make it “his story”, that is, “God’s story”. Since then, I’ve noticed that many people seem to have the same difficulty. They think of the cross as something that happened long, long ago and far, far away. When I was in a situation like that, I found it valuable to close my eyes and imagine that I was there, standing amid the crowd near Calvary and watching Christ die. I imagined that I was asking myself: “Why did this wonderful Man have to die?” Gradually the crowd faded away, and I was the only one left. A voice said to me, “You are the reason that Christ had to die. So what was God doing on the cross? The real question that each of us needs to ask ourselves are: “What did God do on that cross for me?” And, “Have I accepted it, and made it my own?” Until that happens, the work of God on the cross remains unfinished in our lives." (Theologian Alister McGrath in Cross - Why Did Jesus Die?)

"...when Satan stands up at the Last Day and asks again the question that he asked Job, is God worth living for? God will be able to say ‘Look at this multitude that no man can number. None of them are here because they deserve it. If it were up to them, they would be enduring the just condemnation of a righteous God; but, in them I have displayed My love, My grace, My mercy, My kindness. They are the evidence that I am worth living for. I'm worth everything. They are the display of My grace. They are the evidence, the public witness and testimony that I am a God of grace and mercy.’ And so God will be exalted by this display of His grace and mercy, and that's what we are. We are living, breathing, walking, talking tokens of His grace and mercy. None of us deserve God's mercy. We are living testimony that God is merciful even to sinners like ourselves. I love the story that John Stott tells in his commentary on Ephesians. It's a story about one of his professors at Cambridge who was honored on his retirement by the board and faculty of his college with a beautiful portrait that had been done of his likeness that would be hung in the hall where he had taught for most of his life. And when Dr. Gibson was giving his words of thanks and appreciation at the unveiling of this beautiful portrait, Dr. Gibson said this: “In the future, when people see this painting they will ask the question, not ‘Who is that man?’ but ‘Who painted that portrait?’” It was an expression of his appreciation for the artistic skill of the portrait maker. He had done such a wonderful job that his work would draw attention to itself. But it's also a beautiful picture of what God is doing in us. God's grace has been manifested to us not so that we are the center of attention, and that people are asking ‘What about that man? What's his name? What about that woman? What's her name?’ but ‘Who did that work of grace in him? Who did that work of grace in her? Who saved that woman? Who saved that man?’ We are the display of His workmanship in salvation." (Scholar Jennings Duncan)

"The differences arise in what religions have to say about how you relate to God or the gods...the Christian message is very different. It does not consist in a merit-based acceptance by God at the final judgment. Christianity teaches something utterly radical at this point. It tells us that we can be accepted at the beginning of the path. It teaches that the initial step is not a rite or ritual or ceremony performed on an infant or adult, but it is a step of commitment to a person, Jesus Christ, that involves believing that he is God incarnate, who has come into the world to give his life as a ransom for our sins, which alienate us from God." (Oxford professor John Lennox, Can Science Explain Everything?)

Video: How to Escape the Cult of Self-Affirmation, with Allie Beth Stuckey (11/15/20)

In this podcast, Allie Beth Stuckey joins us to analyze the popular ideas promoted by self-help gurus like Jen Hatmaker, Glennon Doyle, Rachel Hollis, and Brene Brown. We discuss questions like, am I enough? Do I have to love myself before I can love others? What is the cult of self-affirmation? What is "meology," and why is it such a popular way to interpret the Bible? Allie also tells us about her new book, You're Not Enough and That's Okay, and its message that runs contrary to some of these other popular teachers.

Edited

 

[Chaplain]

Video: What REALLY Happened at The Council of Nicea?

"I got the great privilege to sit with my friend and brother in Christ, Wesley Huff, and ask him to talk about this. I would consider Wesley to be an expert on this sort of topic, so I find what he has to say on this topic to be very compelling and hopefully will be to you too.' (11/16/20)

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Video: Carl Trueman | The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self | Gospelbound

A recent article in New York Magazine included this bombshell, “Roughly 30% of American women under 25 identify as LGBT. For women over 60, that figure is less than 5%.”Now, I can't find anyone who believes this number can really be that high. To acknowledge such a dramatic shift in such a short period of time would be nothing short of a world changing revolution. But, we know about rapid onset gender dysphoria among adolescents and teens. We've seen the prevalence of social contagion in our Instagram age. So, is such a revolution in human sexuality so unthinkable? This revolution may be sudden if it's actually happening, but it's no more dramatic than what we've seen unfold in the west in the last 60 years. Historian, Carl Trueman covers that ground in his new book, “The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution,” published by Crossway.

Video: Supernatural Seminar | Dr. Michael Heiser // Session 1

Session 1 of our Supernatural Seminar from Dr. Michael Heiser, Author of Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches About the Unseen World - and Why It Matters.

G.K. Chesterton and the Value of Tradition

The modern world is full of the old Christian virtues gone mad. The virtues have gone mad because they have been isolated from each other and are wandering alone. Thus, some scientists care for truth; and their truth is pitiless. Thus, some humanitarians only care for pity; and their pity is often untruthful […] they have parted [Christ’s] garments among them, for His vesture they have cast lots; though the coat was without seam woven from the top throughout.

Audio: What's wrong with rights?

The concept of ‘rights’ tends to provoke a strong response from people today: some hold them in quasi–religious esteem, while others consider them responsible for selfish individualism and social fragmentation. Nick Spencer talks to Nigel Biggar, Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of Oxford, about his new book 'What’s wrong with rights?', which takes a critical look at the language, logic and implementation of rights today.

Fetal Tissue and The COVID-19 Vaccine

The short moral equation to consider are the issues of (1) Procurement; (2) Cooperation; (3) Appropriation. It seems the best case scenario will mean that vaccine development will occur with some degree of illicit procurement looming in the background, yet individuals who utilize the vaccine are not guilty of cooperating with or perpetuating intrinsic evil, and, finally, a prior or antecedent intrinsically unjust act could be appropriated for proportionately beneficial ends. We can concede the ethical validity of vaccine use, while not making total peace with the means of its development.

4 Reasons Why I Believe in God: #1

Is faith in God blind? Vince Vitale takes us through four reasons why he believes in the existence of God, and contrasts them against counter-arguments for a robust discussion on this topic.

Audio: Are We Just Our Brains?

What exactly is a human being? Are we primates, machines, souls confined in a body, or something more? In this episode of Ask Away that originally aired last fall, RZIM Itinerant Speaker Sharon Dirckx joins Vince and Jo to talk about her faith journey and how God and science work together to give us a complete picture of our identity.

 

[Newly Vacant]

I missed this thread during my ban bet, and the notifications got lost in ether. Now, I come back to a wealth of knowledge. Thanks Chaplain and everyone else for continually adding to the thread.

 

[Chaplain]

Thanks Chaplain and everyone else for continually adding to the thread.

Your welcome!

More resources:

Video: Don Carson and Tim Keller | What Did Paul Mean by ‘I Do Not Permit a Woman to Teach’?



Video: Manhood and Affluence - Max Jeganathan

Manhood is discovered in and through a personal relationship with our Creator, through the person of Jesus Christ, the perfect Man, the ultimate manifestation of manhood.

Video: The Beautiful Story

The Beautiful Story is a 30 minute film that explains how a biblical vision for human sexuality is good for individuals, the church and society as a whole. It is intended to galvanize and support discussion in local churches around sexuality and relationships and to provide the case for what many call a traditional Christian viewpoint.

The Fury of the Fatherless by Mary Eberstadt

The explosive events of 2020 are but the latest eruption along a fault line running through our already unstable lives. That eruption exposes the threefold crisis of filial attachment that has beset the Western world for more than half a century. Deprived of father, Father, and patria, a critical mass of humanity has become socially dysfunctional on a scale not seen before.

 

[AJUMP23]

It is nice to see a thread like this on the boards where people can ask questions and be encouraged.

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Video: The Problem is Enmity, Not Ethnicity | Darrell B. Harrison

The vast majority of the Protestant Church and Catholic Church are claiming that there is a pressing need for “racial reconciliation” to accomplish the mission and purpose of the church. Darrell Harrison explains that this proposition embraces the false promises of collectivism which will only lead to continued division. “Ethnicities don’t reconcile, hearts reconcile” states Darrell Harrison as he explains that “the problem is enmity, not ethnicity.”

Video: The State of Resurrection Research: Discussion with Gary Habermas and Mike Licona

How good is the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus? How has resurrection research shifted over the past few decades. In this interview, we discuss the latest book RAISED ON THE THIRD DAY and cover near-death experiences, the Shroud of Turin and more.

Video: How is the Intelligent Design Movement Doing? Interview with William Dembski

Was the ID movement a success? What did it get right, and how has it changed? In this video, I interview one of the leading intelligent founders, William Dembski. He reflects back upon the movement and offers suggestions for moving forward.

Video: The Brain and the Bible: Everything you always wanted to ask about faith and mental health

We are delighted to feature Dr Rob Waller from The Mind and Soul Foundation to discuss mental health and faith

Video: Life in the Shadow of Death with John Lennox & John Wyatt (11/19/20)

"Many of us have come face-to-face with the inevitability of death in a new and frightening way. As COVID-19 has swept across our world and through every aspect of our lives, many of us have been left searching for understanding and questioning where we can find real hope. Internationally-renowned Professor John Lennox speaks honestly in this compelling conversation with his friend Professor John Wyatt. Listen in as they both share struggles from their own experience and engage with the big questions about science, the pandemic, suffering and the case for hope in Jesus."

Video: Losing Hope? A Discussion on God & the Reality of Suffering | Alister McGrath & Alan Lightman (11/19/20)

"Dr. Alan Lightman, Author and MIT Professor and Physicist, and Dr. Alister McGrath, Oxford Professor of Science and Religion, discuss God and the Reality of Suffering."

Video: RE-IMAGINE Truth | Tanya Walker & Penny Hicks (11/19/20)

In a post-truth, #mytruth generation we have championed our right to define ourselves and our reality. This is reflective in the news we read, watch and listen and in the social media posts we engage with. But there are costs we might be unwilling to pay. Together we will explore the significance of truth to a flourishing life.

Edited

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Video: Reason, Purpose and the Middle Voice Sacrifices Necessary for a Meaningful Life

We debate about the philosophy of agency but we demand and assume it to just live regular lives. Please decide to use yours.

Video: The Resurrection of Jesus and the Sign of Jonah

There were three major reasons that the early Christians gave for believing the Resurrection: 1. The empty tomb 2. The appearances of the risen Jesus 3. The fulfillment of Scripture The problem with number 3, the fulfillment of Scripture, is that there is no explicit prophecy in the prophets that says that the Messiah will be raised on the third day, yet many of the New Testament writers say that Jesus was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. So what exactly are they talking about? The answer is in the book of Jonah, which Jesus himself alludes to in Matthew 12 when he says “for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40). So why does Jesus allude to Jonah as a sign of his resurrection?

Tim Keller on a Fishy Story

Jonah is fascinating. It’s considered a prophetic book despite containing only one preaching sentence. (Out of its 48 verses, 47 are narrative.) Jonah is also the Bible’s only prophet sent to the Gentiles. Others speak about the Gentiles, but only Jonah is deployed to them.

Video: Was the Universe Designed by God? | Dr Vince Vitale



Video: Judges 14-16 - Skip Heitzig



Video: John Lennox's New Doc "Against the Tide" With Kevin Sorbo On Theological & Scientific Proof Of God

John Lennox talks about his experience working on the new documentary, "Against the Tide," which unpacks theological and scientific evidence of God.

Is the Book of James Really Christian?

To put it bluntly, the book of James sounds like law when we, as evangelicals, are trained to want gospel. It can sound like an inappropriate holdover from the era of the Old Testament. Unfortunately, this skepticism of James is born out of a misunderstanding of both the Old and New Testament eras. Let’s say a quick word about each.

Video: John Lennox || Science And Faith Are Not Enemies || Creation | RESET (11/20/20)

In this episode, Glen Scrivener talks to John Lennox, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at Oxford University. He has debated and been in dialogue with many of the New Atheist thinkers like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. In this interview, they discuss how Professor Lennox has reconciled his faith with science.

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Video: "I am a Christian - Now What?" (Romans 8:12-17, 11/22/20)

Once you decide to repent from your past, say yes to Jesus Christ, and invite Him into your heart, you begin a lifelong relationship with Him. Nothing stays the same. Paul wrote, “Those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT). Conversion is the gateway to transformation. Let’s consider four clear experiences that happen in the life of everyone who believes.

I. Position: Adopted into a Family (vv. 14-16)
II. Progress: Victory Over the Flesh (vv. 12-13)
III. Proof: Increase of Fruit (v. 16)
IV. Promise: Glory in the Future (v. 17)

Video: Is Faith in God Delusional | Dr. Vince Vitale | Skeptics Night at Brooklyn Tabernacle 2020

Is faith in God antirational? Is it too extraordinary or too unscientific to believe? Is faith blind and only for people who don't think hard enough? Vince Vitale considers reasons for belief and shares his journey to faith at the Brooklyn Tabernacle.

Video: The Kitzmiller-Dover trial and Intelligent Design 15 years on - Mike Behe & Joshua Swamidass

In 2005 a high-profile trial saw the Dover School District taken to court for promoting Intelligent Design (ID) as an alternative theory to evolution in classrooms. 15 years on Mike Behe a prominent biochemist and ID advocate who took the stand as a defence witness, talks about what the case meant for the ID movement. Joshua Swamidass is a biologist and Christian who is strongly critical of ID. He engages with Behe on the Kitzmiller-Dover case and the ID proponent’s most recent book ‘Darwin Devolves’ which critiques evolutionary theory.

Video: Online Conversation | Rebuilding our Common Life, with Yuval Levin

On November 20th we welcomed author and scholar Yuval Levin to discuss the themes in his recent book, "A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream." Levin believes that in our current moment of tension, division, and disillusionment what we need is renewed faith in and commitment to the institutions that support our common life and flourishing. He writes, "Americans are hungry for hope and renewal. All of us, on every side of all political divides, are increasingly aware that the status quo is not sustainable." Levin asks us to "consider the problems we face in the context of institutions" and to become builders and rebuilders that will work within institutions to make them trustworthy and serve the common good.

Video: How to Spot the Danger Signs of Progressive Christianity in Your Church



Video: Depression, Lincoln's Melancholy, Our Brains, And The Bible (Dr. Richard Winter, Professor Emeritus of Counseling)

"Depression is a complex experience of varying depth and causation. It varies from "feeling blue" to the awful interior pain of "clinical depression." We will look at the many factors that contribute to its onset: biological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual, using examples from the life of Abraham Lincoln. We will examine the relationship between abnormal brain function, our thoughts and feelings, and biblical teaching about sin—the fall and our responsibility. We will discuss ways to reduce our vulnerability to depression."

Video: What Is Assemblies of God? (Feat. The Guy In Charge of Assemblies of God)

I wanted to learn more about the Assemblies of God Church, so I went to their headquarters in Springfield, Missouri and met with their General Superintendent Doug Clay. I had a lot I wanted to ask about the AG Church and about Pentecostalism, and Doug didn't balk at any of my questions.

Jesus in the Torah: A Response to John Walton’s Lost World Ethics

Taking Jesus’ declaration in Matthew 5:17–20 as a hermeneutical starting point, I will show that the Law was fulfilled, not by universalizing the particulars of Torah code which were limited to Israel’s relational-covenant with God, but, contra Walton and Walton, by affirming the Torah was grounded in the universal nature of YHWH which was manifest through the incarnate person of Jesus Christ. This Christocentric hermeneutic allows for application of the Torah in modern cultures—not as an impersonal system of moral principles—but as a new covenant; given freely by God’s grace, received through faith, and sealed by the Holy Spirit who indwells each believer.

Edited

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Video: NEW! Shroud of Turin: The Mantle of Jesus 2020 Video



Video: Mike Licona: Historical evidence for Christianity



Critical Race Theory, Part 1

Critical race theory is not only a bundle of beliefs and ideas and ways of thinking (about race and about other important things); it has also become a relationally destructive means of defamation. And that is what I want to talk about first — the way Christians treat each other and talk about each other when it comes to this issue: race, or more specifically, critical race theory.

Why Suffering?

Why didn't God create a very different world? When this world fell into ruin, why didn't God give up on it and start over? Well, it depends on what God was after. It depends on what God values. And what if one of the things God values, values greatly, is you, and the people you love, and each person you see walking down the street?

Why God Hides His Will for You

God’s will is that we be sanctified; that by ever-increasing measure we become more and more like He is: holy (1 Peter 1:15). A significant component of that is therefore resisting all sexual immorality. Any move toward sexual sin (mental or physical sin) is a direct contradiction of God’s will. As we take in God’s word, we gain a better understanding of what He’s like, and what He likes. Or take Romans 8:29: “Those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn of many brothers.” What’s God’s will for you? That you become more like Jesus, and that many others become more like him too. Anything that leads us toward that end is God’s will.

#LockdownHoliday

The Lord commanded the Israelites to commemorate their history, to tell the stories of their national heroes to their children and of their deliverance, and to reflect upon all that the Lord had done for them. A nation dies when its history, its mythology, its symbols are no longer passed from one generation to the next. We now have multiple generations of Americans who have been inculcated with ideas that are antithetical to the principles—largely Judeo-Christian principles, mind you—upon which this great nation was founded, and if they are not opposed, they will destroy all that was bequeathed to us.

Audio: IRAN: COVID is the Catalyst

2020 has been eventful everywhere! But it has been especially eventful for the people of The Islamic Republic of Iran. But in the midst of great challenges—health, economic, political—God is moving! “Ali” is sharing the gospel inside Iran. Listen as he shares how God is even using the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst to spread the gospel and grow the church. Ali will share how God answered prayers for new strategies for gospel workers to use in the midst of the pandemic and national lockdowns. He’ll also share how Jesus miraculously healed two church leaders hospitalized with COVID-19.

Leading Through the Wilderness: What the Book of Numbers Teaches Us About Navigating COVID-19

When COVID-19 brought our lives as we knew them to a screeching halt in March 2020, my current research project had me immersed in the book of Numbers—and I had a growing sense of how relevant its message was for the present situation. Numbers, of course, is a record of the people of God for the instruction of subsequent people of God, and if we attune our ears properly, we can hear it echo through the centuries to speak to us today.

A Beginner’s Guide to the Argument from Meaning

The American psychologist Roy Baumeister, in a very helpful and influential book, once noted that the reason humans struggle with questions like “the meaning of life” is because it’s too big a question. Better to break it down into four simpler questions::[6] the questions of identity (Who am I?); of value (Do I matter?); of purpose (Why am I here?); and of agency (Can I make a difference?). Does Alom’s cake-orientated-approach-to-meaning help the angst-ridden atheist here?

Edited

 

[deafmedal]

I don’t read this thread and I am not a “practicing” Christian. I am crude, prone to sarcasm and nihilism and my ability to offend knows no bound. That said, I know that I am blessed and my relationship with the Father has never come into question nor faltered. I have been “silent” so to speak for decades, living and letting live but my soul hurts and I am worried for this beautiful world and the amazing wonder of life we have been gifted.

I feel compelled to testify and shall obey. I pray that all of us find our way through these turbulent times. May the Father continue to bless us and give us strength through the darkness I fear we are entering. Hold steadfast my brother and sisters, His light shall always shine upon us.

 

[mcz117chief]

I don’t read this thread and I am not a “practicing” Christian. I am crude, prone to sarcasm and nihilism and my ability to offend knows no bound. That said, I know that I am blessed and my relationship with the Father has never come into question nor faltered. I have been “silent” so to speak for decades, living and letting live but my soul hurts and I am worried for this beautiful world and the amazing wonder of life we have been gifted.

I feel compelled to testify and shall obey. I pray that all of us find our way through these turbulent times. May the Father continue to bless us and give us strength through the darkness I fear we are entering. Hold steadfast my brother and sisters, His light shall always shine upon us.

The most liberating feeling is not being afraid to say who you are, never stay silent and evangelize whenever it is appropriate, read the scripture and THINK about it all.

 

[deafmedal]

The most liberating feeling is not being afraid to say who you are, never stay silent and evangelize whenever it is appropriate, read the scripture and THINK about it all.

I haven’t read scripture since I was a teenager but I’ve started to feel that yearning. Thought and fellowship have never been an issue, but it’s been kept internal and only with those close to me. Our souls are the most precious thing we possess, truly the only thing we “own”. My eyes cannot ignore what I see, the signs are there and the cost of losing is too great to ignore.

 

[Ornlu]

I don’t read this thread and I am not a “practicing” Christian. I am crude, prone to sarcasm and nihilism and my ability to offend knows no bound. That said, I know that I am blessed and my relationship with the Father has never come into question nor faltered. I have been “silent” so to speak for decades, living and letting live but my soul hurts and I am worried for this beautiful world and the amazing wonder of life we have been gifted.

I feel compelled to testify and shall obey. I pray that all of us find our way through these turbulent times. May the Father continue to bless us and give us strength through the darkness I fear we are entering. Hold steadfast my brother and sisters, His light shall always shine upon us.

I haven’t read scripture since I was a teenager but I’ve started to feel that yearning. Thought and fellowship have never been an issue, but it’s been kept internal and only with those close to me. Our souls are the most precious thing we possess, truly the only thing we “own”. My eyes cannot ignore what I see, the signs are there and the cost of losing is too great to ignore.

I won't pretend to know your life story, but I'd say based on what you've posted here, that you and I are very similar. I grew up in an extremely "anti-God" environment, but I've always felt a connection to God. As a kid I kept it to myself, read the Bible on my own, but outwardly didn't show what I felt inside. Faith was something I found great comfort in, when the other facets of my life weren't good.

Entering adulthood, I had no real connection to other Christians, but little by little found myself turning toward a religious path. It's been a very good thing to happen in my life, and in the lives of my kids. I strongly encourage you to start taking small steps in your life toward becoming a more "active/practicing" Christian.

 

[deafmedal]

I won't pretend to know your life story, but I'd say based on what you've posted here, that you and I are very similar. I grew up in an extremely "anti-God" environment, but I've always felt a connection to God. As a kid I kept it to myself, read the Bible on my own, but outwardly didn't show what I felt inside. Faith was something I found great comfort in, when the other facets of my life weren't good.

Entering adulthood, I had no real connection to other Christians, but little by little found myself turning toward a religious path. It's been a very good thing to happen in my life, and in the lives of my kids. I strongly encourage you to start taking small steps in your life toward becoming a more "active/practicing" Christian.

I will dive a little more deeply into this when I have a bit more time, perhaps later in the day. I’m a bit cold and tired and ready to head in and sleep... I feel a wall o’ text a brewin

 

[mcz117chief]

I won't pretend to know your life story, but I'd say based on what you've posted here, that you and I are very similar. I grew up in an extremely "anti-God" environment, but I've always felt a connection to God. As a kid I kept it to myself, read the Bible on my own, but outwardly didn't show what I felt inside. Faith was something I found great comfort in, when the other facets of my life weren't good.

Entering adulthood, I had no real connection to other Christians, but little by little found myself turning toward a religious path. It's been a very good thing to happen in my life, and in the lives of my kids. I strongly encourage you to start taking small steps in your life toward becoming a more "active/practicing" Christian.

Man, you remind me of those great stories how people from irreligious backgrounds feel a strong connection to God which helps them to turn their life around without anyone else's influence. A great counter argument to people who say that religious people only come from religious backgrounds or societies but not organically. I have read many stories like yours, some even more extraordinary, but I have to say I feel very happy for you, my own path wasn't that much different from yours.

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Video: An Attitude of Gratitude - Charles R. Swindoll

Dr. Charles Swindoll, chancellor of Dallas Seminary and senior pastor of Stonebriar Community Church, shares with us that the word thanksgiving when applied to God's grace has an entirely new meaning.

Video: Tim Keller who speaks about living out God's gospel

"Christianity gives you the only salvation that's not based on your performance"

Video: The Road to Serfdom | Rod Martin

The new progressivism is the same old lies of Marx, Lenin, and Mao whose revolutionary form promises to give “power to the people” but in fact transfers all power and control to top-down technocratic elites. In the Neo-Marxist push of the “woke” movement, the tired play of “three steps forward, two steps back” is utilized to gradually, over time, move the center further and further left to prevent societal push-back. Rod Martin, CEO of the Martin Organization, explores the current state of affairs and offers concrete solutions to overcoming our current ideological and theological crisis.

Video: The 10 Christmas Passages No-One Preaches (23rd November 2020)

On this week's LIVEcast, Glen and Paul suggest 10 passages you could use to speak of Jesus this Christmas.

Video: The Wife of Yahweh: How the Prophets Enrich a Key Biblical Theme - Peter Mead

Too many of us, for too long, have viewed the Bible as a manual for effective living, a source for theological reflection, or a supplement for spiritual health. In this session, we will engage with God’s greatest illustration throughout the Bible and consider how feeling God’s story from His perspective can stir heartfelt application, worship-stirring theological reflection, and overflowing spiritual health.

Critical Race Theory, Part 2

In my understanding, critical race theory is worth talking about not only because it is causing divisions among Christians at points where I don’t think divisions need to exist, but also because, in its mainstream expression — not every use made of it, but in its mainstream expression — it is another manifestation of the age-old enslavement of the fallen human heart to self-deification (“I will be my own god”), and self-definition (“I will define my own essential identity”), and self-determination (“I will decide my own truth and my own morality, without deference to any authority outside myself”).

Video: Sex, Purity Culture, Marriage, and Singleness: Is the Church Getting it Wrong? With Sean McDowell



Video: Two Skeptics' Journeys to Christ | Open Forum with Abdu Murray and Vince Vitale

Dr. Vince Vitale and Abdu Murray share their spiritual and intellectual faith journeys at a Zoom event hosted by the Christian Union at Yale University. Vince and Abdu talk about their skepticism, rigorous examination of, and later conversion to Christianity, followed by a Q&A session.

 

[Chaplain]

 

[Newly Vacant]

Christianity in the west is going to feel pressure it hasn't felt in centuries. Pray for us all.

 

[Chaplain]

Christianity in the west is going to feel pressure it hasn't felt in centuries. Pray for us all.

I agree. Christian Disneyland is over in the West.

 

[BigBooper]

You can still come to the US. At least for now. Welcoming people in search of religious freedom for 500 years. We may be the last stand in the west.

 

[showernota]

Progressive and new age Christianity will lead to the great apostasy.

2 Thessalonians, 2 Peter, and Jude are especially important books nowadays.

 

[Chaplain]

Video: AI and the Future of Humanity: Andy Steiger's Interview with John Lennox (11/13/20)


9 Things You Should Know About Thanksgiving

"Tomorrow, Americans celebrate a national holiday set aside to give thanks for the blessings of the preceding year. But there is more to Thanksgiving than you may realize. Here are nine things you should know about the holiday (and the attitude) of Thanksgiving:" (11/25/20)

Can the Christian faith fix lost connections?

Markus Persson is a legend in the world of gaming. The creator of Minecraft, one of the most popular and successful computer games in history. He sold it to Microsoft for $2.5billion. Months later he sent the following Tweet, “hanging out in Ibiza with a bunch of friends and partying with famous people, able to do whatever I wanted, and I’ve never felt more isolated” ... If we were to measure human life on the scales of global celebrity and world influence, then, according to an article published in Time magazine in 2013, Jesus of Nazareth is the most significant person who has ever lived. Speaking once to a crowd of people, Jesus asked them the following penetrating question: ‘what good is it for someone to gain the whole world yet lose their soul?’

Missionary Myths and the Roots of Democracy

Christian missionaries have been deemed racists, imperialistic, and intolerant, but the truth of the efforts of missionaries has some very interesting seemingly unintended consequences: liberal democracies to name just but one. While many might view the modern Christian missions movement as an intolerable effort against multiculturalism leading to the exploitation of people groups by proselytizing efforts social indicators has deemed the efforts positive in multiple accounts.

Audio: Responding to a Second Lockdown (11/25/20)

Pray, protest, write, worship and file lawsuits. Joe Boot articulates five approaches that Christians should be bringing to the current lockdown persecution – and it is persecution.

Edited

 

[TastyPastry]

what's the christian answer to the question if your pets are going to heaven after they die?

 

[mcz117chief]

what's the christian answer to the question if your pets are going to heaven after they die?

Ephesians 1:10 "...as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, which are in heaven and on earth."

 

[Ornlu]

what's the christian answer to the question if your pets are going to heaven after they die?

That's a hell of an intro question!