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[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Video: Why Children Have a Right to Mom and Dad (A Conversation with Katy Faust)

Our culture values the rights of adults over the rights of children, and as a result, children suffer. It's time to stop repeating the lie that "the kids will be alright." In this video, I talk with Katy Faust about her riveting and important book THEM BEFORE US.

Video: Why Did Jesus Come to Earth Exactly When He Did? With J. Warner Wallace

By the time Jesus came to earth, a great many people had already lived and died. Why did Jesus come at the exact moment in history he did? Why didn't he come sooner? J. Warner Wallace joined me at the MAVEN conference to unpack this question

Video: TikTok hypnotist vs Christian illusionist: Is faith a trick of the mind? Zach Pincince & Bryan Drake

TikTok star Zach Pincince lost his faith after developing a career in hypnotism and growing doubts about whether Jesus rose again. He engages with Christian evangelist and stage illusionist Bryan Drake on whether religious belief is down to our suggestibility and on the evidence for the resurrection.

Video: Should Christians Attempt to Transform Culture?

Should Christians attempt to transform culture? Watch this special message from ReformCon with Dr. Joseph Boot. Dr. Boot talks about the Gospel-centered mission to transform the world.

Video: David Robertson - Culture, Controversy and Christianity - Critical Witness

We're talking to David Robertson, the director of Third Space, a project of the City Bible Forum in Australia, having been the minister of St Peters Free Church in Dundee Scotland for 27 years.

Video: Freedom of Thought, Conscience, and Religion - Francoise Thonet

How much religious freedom do we have in Europe today? Looking at jurisprudence from the European Court of Human Rights can reveal a side of Europe that some choose to overlook. There are cases regarding the veil, the burqa, and the freedom to wear religious symbols in public, but also cases of Christians being accused of infringing anti-discrimination laws, which threaten the right to religious freedom. It seems that the scope of freedom of religion is wider than Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Video: Dr. Joe Rigney: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader


Video: Romans 10-11:18

 

[joe_zazen]

Thank you. How do i know which "sect" to choose? Orthodox or Protestant?

Also, do you recommend reading the Hebrew Bible first?

E.Orthodox is has much history and the rituals are fantastic, definitely worth looking into. I think Michael Heiser has some good advice overall:



The important advice starts at 7:15

Do not start with OT. start with Luke then Acts. Hebrew scriptures are hard work and really should be approached after getting a good understanding of NT. That doesn't mean don't read them at all, but it is a mistake to start there, imo.

 

[showernota]

Thank you. How do i know which "sect" to choose? Orthodox or Protestant?

Also, do you recommend reading the Hebrew Bible first?

Right now the best thing you can do is read the Bible, every answer to your questions will be in there. Read it, research the things you don't fully understand, and decide what you think. Falling into a denomination without first hand knowledge isn't necessary. I always recommend starting with the gospel of John, then Luke, followed by Genesis and Exodus. Continue through Acts and the rest of the New Testament from there, or wherever you feel compelled by the Holy Spirit to read.

Jesus is Christianity. As a 'religion' it is comprised entirely by our belief that He lived, died, and rose again in the flesh to pay for our sins and reconcile us with God. Understanding who He is, and developing a relationship with Him (through reading God's word and prayer) is the most important thing.

The Old Testament is entirely foreshadowing of Jesus, and His sacrifice for us. When Abraham was going to sacrifice his son Isaac, it was foreshadowing what God would do for us. Joseph was betrayed by his jealous brothers, enslaved, and eventually became a ruler second only to Pharaoh, and ended up forgiving and saving his family. When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness without water, God directed Moses to strike a stone and water came pouring out. The second time Israel needed water, God told Moses to ask the stone, but Moses disobeyed and struck it again. Just as Jesus was struck on the cross to to take away the curse of sin for all who believe in Him, we must repent and ask forgiveness when we stray. Not to mention the Passover lamb, and how Jesus fulfills that.

There's a good saying, "The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed." My point is that there are many things in the OT that will blow your mind if you completely understand the gospels.

Here's an example of the foreshadowing:

Numbers 21: 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.”
6 So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”
9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

And the fulfillment:

John 3: 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

I'll leave a few verses here.

John 11: 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Acts 16: 29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

1 John 2:
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Romans 5: 6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Acts 8: 34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?”
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.
36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

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

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Video: THE BOOKS OF HOMILIES: Book 1—VI. Of Christian love and charity


Video: God’s Providence in Christ’s Burial


Video: Which Old Testament Canon is Right? With John Meade

How do we adjudicate between different views among Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant Christians on the question of the Old Testament canon? Dr. John Meade lays out how Christians have approached this question historically, and how we know we have the correct Bible today.

Video: The Chosen Global Live Event: Season Two Premiere

“And so it’s time.” Season Two is here. We’re launching it with a global live-stream for you to experience with hundreds of thousands around the world.

Edited

 

[Chaplain]

Video: Fr. Vincent Lampert - Role & Definition - Necessity of Exorcists #1 of 5

Fr. Vincent Lampert gives his first talk of five at our conference on exorcism January 2020 on the need for and appointment of Exorcists in the Church, the nature of exorcisms, and how to distinguish the natural from the preternatural, and how we should be vigilant against the temptations of the Devil. He basis the talk on the scripture passage "Into Whatever City You Enter" Matt 10:11.

Video: Fr. Vincent Lampert - Armament for Spiritual Battle - Necessity of Exorcists #2 of 5

0:00 - Intro
03:20 - The catholic church affirms the existence of angels and demons (Bible, Magisterium, CCC)
06:30 - Hierarchy and creation of angels in Genesis pure intellect creatures
10:20 - A guardian angel, as a perfect angelic being is more powerful than Satan, an imperfect creature
24:20 - Jesus reconquests the world: cast out demons, heals and share this power with his disciples
28:30 - Satan fights against the Church: he tries to divide us. But he will lose (Revelation). Fighting the devil is done thru the Church to demonstrate our love and commitment to God
33:00 - Q/A: God wants us to be in community. We need both personal and communal relationship with God
39:30 - Q/A: The goal of a human person is to know and to serve God. Only on the 7th day, we will be complete human creatures, for now, we are still in the 6th day. Demons usually manifest themselves as animals
45:40 - Q/A: The Church is the vessel Christ gave us to make the journey back to the Tree of Life
56:30 - Q/A: The devil will not attack a person that goes to mass unless God permits it (it's a gift from God)

Video: Fr. Vincent Lampert - Entries & Remedies for Evil - Necessity of Exorcists #3 of 5

1:44 ties to occult (palm reading, mediums, ouija, pendululum, yoga, horoscope, reiki, witchcraft, 'knocking on wood.'
15:52 entertainment industry, movies, gadgets, harry potter, pokemon, pikachu, games, tv shows, computer games
24:54 curse, secret societies
41:40 abuse
47:00 life of habitual sin, addictive behavior (pornography)
49:22 inviting the demon in
50:04 broken relationships

Video: Fr. Vincent Lampert - Mary vs. Attacks of the Devil - Necessity of Exorcists #4 of 5

0:00 Intro
2:45 The more the devil win, the more the people lose their identity: created as the image of God. Tries to isolate people from family, friends, and God
3:45 Temptation: where do those bad feelings are coming from?
5:00 Deception: the devil lies, presents good as bad and bad as good, true as false, false as true. All those lies look to the future. Gratitude looks to the past. Love looks to the present.
Fear looks to the future: mediums, tarot cards. No place for hope and trust but fear and wish to control
6:00 Division: isolate people from others, from God, from themselves. The devil pushes for disunity (John 17), comparisons, anger, greed, addictions, infidelity. The goal is to unite our broken lives and then give them back to God. A life of unity, integrity, and coherence
10:00 Diversion: the main goal of the devil is to take us away from adoration of God. So he promotes idolatry. Absorbed in a task, or being completely out of the task. relativism: nothing really matters. no stable truth. Addictions. Distractions: fear, anxiety, offenses from others, distorted pleasures
16:00 Discouragement: stop trying. Mechacholy. I do not care anymore. No meaning in life.
18: 00 We bought the lies of the devil, we found our lives broken, we are not in the divine will, thus life has no meaning:
crossroads: Death or Discipleship
Could use some more time codes here (*any volunteers*?)
51: 20 What demons have been forced to confess during exorcisms :
51:30 Terror of hell. Her love for mortals is inconceivable.
51:35 She takes us from the devil more than everyone else and all the saints and angels together
51:40 Mary alone is a great army, God never refuses one grace of all those that she asks of Him
53:50 The devil is more afraid when the exorcist invokes Mary than when he invokes God himself because he is more humiliated being conquered by a simple creature than by God.
54: 30 The devil never touched Mary because "That one" always watched at her. Is "that one" her guardian angel the Holy Spirit?
54: 50 She is always praising God and we could hear her
1:00:10 The book of the complete exorcism: 80 pages.
1:05:00 How many angels or devils can be in the same place
1:07:00 Guardian angels inspire instruct and illuminate us if we call for help
1:11:00 How it can change the priest to be an exorcist

Video: Fr. Vincent Lampert - Peace & Joy, Christ is Victor! - Necessity of Exorcists #5 of 5

Fr. Vincent Lampert gives his fifth and final talk at our conference on exorcism in January 2020 on the need for exorcists in the Church where he describes the peace and joy we should have knowing that Christ has conquered in his redemptive act on the Cross and He will bring victory in our battle with Satan.

 

[joe_zazen]

One of my favorite teacher/preachers died of covid two months ago. Give a listen if you ever feel like doing a verse by verse bible read with a teacher. https://versebyverseministry.org/

I just thought I'd mention it because I don't know if the ministry will survive without him, so the resources may disappear.

words from his last sermon, hope they are readable:

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Video: Is there meaning in the madness? Meaning and purpose in light of Covid-19

"A UK-wide survey reveals the extent to which the younger generation feel disillusioned, with the MAJORITY (89 percent) of 16-29-year-olds, claiming their life lacks purpose or meaning. This is compared to an average of 80 percent across all ages, but just half (55 percent) of the over 60s, signaling true contentment may simply come with age. In fact, as many as 30 percent of today’s youngsters believe they are stuck in a rut, with 84 percent claiming they are failing to “live their best life”."

Video: Dr. Peter J Williams - Can we trust the gospels? - Critical Witness

We're talking with Dr. Peter Williams, the Principal, and CEO of Tyndale House, Cambridge. He has an MA, MPhil and Ph.D. from Cambridge University in the study of ancient languages related to the Bible. He has had several teaching and lecturing positions over the years in Hebrew and Aramaic alongside being a research fellow at Tyndale House, Cambridge and Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Divinity in the University of Cambridge. He is a member of the Translation Oversight Committee of the English Standard Version of the Bible. Most recently he has been assisting Dr Dirk Jongkind in Tyndale House’s production of a major edition of the Greek New Testament. In short, he knows his stuff about the bible.

Video: Roundtable: Jordan Peterson and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Welcome to More Christ, where we seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions. In this forty-fifth episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by former guests and friends to discuss Jordan Peterson and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Video: The Best Exodus Movie EVER

The story of God freeing the Hebrew people from slavery is among the most commonly retold stories in cinema, each with their own perspective. In this video, Fr. Casey and Fr. Patrick discuss "The Prince of Egypt."

Video: This Egyptologist Has Strong Evidence for a REAL Exodus

In this interview, Dr. David Falk lays out several lines of archeological evidence that support a real Exodus event as recorded in the Bible.

Video: Grace Alone: A Complete Course on Salvation as a Gift from God | Carl R. Trueman | Session 1

Carl R. Trueman introduces his lecture series on sola gratia—the idea that we are saved "by grace alone."

[0:00] - Introduction
[4:49] - Why grace matters
[6:02] - Grace in the Bible
[7:39] - Augustine on grace
[8:25] - The Pelagian Controversy
[9:23] - Thomas Aquinas
[10:24] - Martin Luther
[11:20] - John Calvin
[12:58] - The church
[13:36] - The Word of God
[14:17] - The sacraments
[15:06] - Prayer
[15:41] - What grace should look like

Video: This Seat Is for You (The Power of the Gospel) - 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10 - Skip Heitzig

Welcome to Vision Weekend. Today I want to help renew our understanding of why we even exist as a church. I want us to see clearly what it means to be a redeemed society in the midst of an unredeemed culture—to be a welcoming committee for the downtrodden, lonely, lost, broken, and unsaved. To do that, we need to see how the gospel works in our lives, how it transforms us, and what our responsibility is once that has happened.

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Video: EP #111 / Activist Theology

The #LeaveLOUD movement is urging black evangelical Christians to exit white evangelical spaces, primarily on the basis that white evangelical Christians don't recognize or celebrate black evangelical Christians for who they are. But is such a movement biblical? On this episode of the Just Thinking podcast, Darrell Harrison and Virgil 'Omaha' Walker take a look at #LeaveLOUD through the broader lens of "activist theology," and Christians who see an activist gospel as a means to achieve a particular end within the Church.

Video: How to deal with dark times | Tim Keller

‘Prayers [like Psalm 88] indicate God’s understanding: he knows how people speak when they’re desperate; he identifies with us in our suffering.’

Video: Progressive vs. Evangelical: A Dialogue for Clarity

What are the key differences between evangelical Christianity and Progressive Christianity? How do they uniquely approach key issues like the nature of Scripture, the person of Jesus, and relationships? In this video, I talk with pastor/author Colby Martin about these issues and more.

 

[CloudNull]

In.

I was an atheist for most my life and got baptized back in 2016. It is great to see a OT here that is for the lord.

 

[Reality Czar]

Pop culture's obsession with social justice has really gotten me to re-evaluate my faith over the past year. It lead me to the question, "What is justice?". We see everything being re-defined before our very eyes these days, it's important to do a little searching and ask yourself what you understand of the world.

Ultimate, I realized that I have a Christian view of justice. It is not an arbitrary thing that humans invent. Good and evil are real objective things. Moral relativism is a lie.

Furthermore this objective Justice is nigh incomprehensible to humans. Very often we see evil things done in the world and people get away with it. We think they should be punished, that justice has not been done. Just as well, we are all sinners, and we tend to excuse our own sins, and give ourselves the benefit of the doubt when it comes to justice. It is hard to imagine a reason for an evil person to be alive, this is because we are not omnipotent. Perhaps there is a reason. Perhaps an even greater evil were to rise in his absence? Such a thought never enters the mind when we are considering "the Problem of Evil". When always ask how come things aren't better, when in all reality, they could be worse. For some reason God doesn't get the credit for making things better than they could have been. But He gets the blame when things are not as good as we would like!

I don't know, just thinking. It's fascinating to consider the secular cult around justice vs. the Biblical view. There seems to be no compassion, no hope of redemption in the secular cult. If you are judged as wicked, you will receive no mercy. Ask David Dorn, the black cop who was shot by BLM rioters. "Just not lest ye be judged", something they apparently never heard of.

The Christian view of sin is that we all are unworthy, we are all equal (before God). God is the bringer of justice and before him, every living human is equal, and it is through the gift of Free Will that we can choose to be good or bad. This is in sharp contrast to the woke cult. Whether or not you support the woke narrative is the decider of justice, something even having the correct melanin content will not save you from (ask Kanye).

There is no choice to be good or bad, the person themselves takes no responsibility for their actions, in fact such actions are not even allowed, you ether follow the CRT creed and behaviors or you are guilty.

It is anti free will. It is anti human. It is anti God.

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:



What If A White Police Officer Accidentally Killed Me?

One of the worst things about critical race theory or identity politics is that robs us from a love for our shared humanity. Critical race theory suggests my identity—and therefore my allegiance—is with Daunte Wright, not Kim Potter. But that’s not true. My skin colour isn’t more important than my humanity. Daunte Wright’s and Kim Potter’s skin colours aren’t more important than their humanity either.

Video: A Critical Reset | James Lindsay & Michael O'Fallon | Changing Tides Ep. 2

The sociopolitical tides are changing throughout Western Civilization. In this newly released interview, Michael O'Fallon and James Lindsay reflect upon their revolutionary discussions, their previous warnings, and the coming deconstruction of our nation as our world inches closer to a "Great Reset."

Video: When God Brought Hell to Earth


Video: The Greatest of All Spiritual Blessings


Video: Do Muslims & Christians worship the same God? Andy Bannister & Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon

It's often claimed that, despite their religious differences, Muslims and Christians still believe in and worship the same creator God. In his new book Andy Bannister explains why he believes the God of Islam and Christianity cannot be the same. In contrast, Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, who heads up Christian-Muslim interfaith work in Nigeria, believes that the two religions are working with different concepts of the same God.

Video: Mental Health, Pandemic, and Faith

A discussion between University of Delaware's Dr. Sophia Choukas-Bradley (Assistant Professor of Psychology) and Duke’s Dr. Warren Kinghorn (Esther Colliflower Associate Research Professor of Pastoral and Moral Theology; Associate Professor of Psychiatry) about how faith, worldview, and the COVID-19 pandemic affect the way we view and address mental health.

Video: Burning through Identity Transformations will Spark a new Monasticism Movement

The need for personal transformations is being prompted by the massive transitions we are undergoing as a culture due to technological disruption. This started in the Protestant Reformation where Protestantism replaced the monastic system in much of Europe and in the Americas with a vision for the city replacing the monastery. As Modernity recedes Protestantism goes into crisis. The path forward is likely a new monasticism as we're beginning to see in the church, but monasticism will only be part of the answer.

Video: The Biggest Problem Facing the West | Guest: Victor Davis Hanson | Ep 403

Today we have the honor of speaking with Victor Davis Hanson, a military historian and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. Hanson is an expert on postmodernism, its history, and how this progressive way of thinking is slowly but surely working its way into American society. Today he offers tools to spot and combat the lies this destructive philosophy represents.

Edited

 

[Reality Czar]

This is from Lincoln's second inaugural address, given only 41 days before his assassination. He gives a lot of thought to God and judgement in the midst of the still-raging Civil War. You can actually listen to the whole speech, which is quite wise and well written.

"Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces but let us judge not that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered ~ that of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offenses for it must needs be that offenses come but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh." If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which in the providence of God must needs come but which having continued through His appointed time He now wills to remove and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him. Fondly do we hope ~ fervently do we pray ~ that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword as was said three thousand years ago so still it must be said 'the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.' "With malice toward none with charity for all with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan ~ to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.""

Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address - Lincoln Memorial (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Yes, Bart Ehrman, Jesus is Yahweh

A few days ago, Ehrman published two blog posts (here and here) on his website, claiming that the idea that Jesus is Himself Yahweh is a recent doctrinal innovation, completely foreign to the New Testament and the ancient church. Ehrman even goes so far as to say that this is the view of only “some conservative evangelical Christians” and that “I’ve never even heard the claim (let alone a discussion of it) until very recently.”

Video: Extraordinary Claims Do Not Require Extraordinary Evidence (Featuring Dr. Tim McGrew)

Carl Sagan popularized the slogan "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." Skeptics use this phrase like a cudgel when arguing against historical miracle claims. But is this pithy slogan true?

Richard Dawkins Is Right: You Are What You Are

Richard Dawkins is no stranger to controversy. He is an atheist provocateur. And with 2.9 million twitter followers, his commentary gets noticed. In addition to religion, he has weighed-in on #MeToo, American and British politics, abortion and a variety of other subjects, usually to the rapturous delight of his fans. But not now.

Video: Spiritual Deconstruction: How My Faith Survived

Spiritual deconstruction is a huge movement right now. Here I share how I survived my own deconstruction process, and how it ultimately strengthened my faith.

Video: Suffering, Healing, and Meaning, with Philip Yancey and Julia Wattacheril

On Friday, April 23rd 2021 we were delighted to launch a new series on "Discovery and Doxology" in partnership with BioLogos and Church of the Advent. This series brings together leading scientists and theologians to discuss the relationship between science and faith. This, our first event in the series was with author and theologian Philip Yancey and Dr. Julia Wattacheril, discussing suffering, healing, and meaning. Yancey and Wattacheril help us to think through the meaning of our personal and national pain and how knowing the God who suffers with us can redeem such suffering, even transform it. We hope you enjoy!

Video: Nick Bostrom & Ros Picard • God, AI & the future of humanity: Is technology the key to immortality?

Prof Nick Bostrom, director of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University and Prof Rosalind Picard, director of the Affective Computing Research Group at MIT debate the philosophical and spiritual questions raised by AI. Could AI become conscious? Are we living in a simulation universe? Could technology be the key to immortality?

Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God

There are many differences in the kind of God that we believe in. But by far the biggest is the contrast between the Islamic doctrine of Tahweed and the Christian teaching of the Trinity. Islam teaches not only that there is but one God but that this God is oneness. They regard the Christian idea of distinctions within God – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – as blasphemous. It is the very heart of the Christian faith to follow Jesus Christ as Lord (God). It is the very heart of the Islamic faith to deny that. How then can it be logically or coherently argued that we worship the same God?

Video: Romans 12 - Skip Heitzig




Edited

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

The Adequacy Gap

It’s easy to buy into the lie that God calls and uses other people – the Christian celebrities (like John Lennox, Tim Keller, Amy Orr Ewing, or Rebecca McLaughlin) whose books adorn our shelves and podcasts are recorded on our phones. We don’t feel worthy or adequate to be God’s spokespersons. So we remain silent and under the radar.

The Bible for Today with John Stott

Billy Graham once referred to John Stott as “the most respected clergyman in the world.” In 2005, Time Magazine ranked him among the 100 most influential people in the world. Today Stott’s incredible theological and practical insights are available to you in The Bible for Today with John Stott. Giving you a fresh, clear, and true vision of the authentic Jesus, The Bible for Today balances high theology with practical Christian living in a way that compels every listener to soak in and live out the truth of God’s Word.

A Father’s Letter To His Daughter (About Living In a World That Degrades Women)

If we’re to live well as followers of Christ Jesus, we need to face up to the world as it is, not as we wish it would be.

The Sufficiency of Scripture: From Biblical Word-Views to Reformational Worldview

A social imaginary is a storied (and controlling) way of thinking. It is that taken-for-granted framework communicated by the metaphors and narratives people see through and live by. The sufficiency of Scripture is best understood as providing everything Christians need to know to inform, reform, and transform their social imaginary. It is not that the Bible provides the data for every academic discipline, but that it provides the metaphors and underlying story of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation that enables us to emplot any and all kinds of data into that bigger story.

Video: This is the show we all need right now - The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Review and Analysis

Falcon and the Winter Soldier just wrapped its first season! Tim and Graden share their thoughts on the latest Marvel epic.

Video: Happy Birthday Uncle John | The Life and Legacy of John Stott | Interview with Prof. John Wyatt

Today would by John Stott's 100th birthday. We talk to Professor John Wyatt, who called Stott a friend and mentor for 40 years.

Video: Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth- with Thaddeus Williams

How should Christians approach the topic of social justice? How can we confront injustice in our culture without compromising biblical truth or adopting unhealthy solutions? Thaddeus Williams joins us to talk about his new book, and take questions from the Alisa Childers Book Club.

Video: The Fight: Ancient and Modern - Jude 5-11

As Jude called his readers to fight for the faith, he wanted them to know that turning from the truth was not new, nor was it novel. The battle for truth has been unfolding since the very beginning—ever since another’s will was allowed to compete against God’s will. Jude reaches back into the historical record to fortify his warning to his audience. Three basic lessons emerge that will allow us to be successful as we engage in this ancient battle in modern times.

Edited

 

[Reality Czar]

Started listening to this guy. He does a lot of talks on symbolism and meaning. Fascinating stuff.



This one is a really fascinating look at modern pop Satanism through the Lil Nas X video and the WandaVision series. The combination of pride and victimization is a strong theme of both:

 

[Phoenix RISING]

Was looking to see if there was any discussion on exvangleicals, Beth Moore leaving the SBC, or Phil Vischer's recent work, but I'm not returning any hits in the search.

 

[showernota]

No ones discussed them. It's for the best, they're just three different types of attention seekers.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Wow didn't know this section existed here.



The above teachings are pretty much spot on to what I believe.

Nothing more important than understanding Salvation

 

[Chaplain]

 

[Reality Czar]

That slippery slope they warned us about decades ago has turned into a slide directly into prison.

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:




Video: Why the Bible makes sense of modern life • Tom Holland & Andrew Ollerton

"It's still the bestselling book in the world. But can the Bible speak to modern life in the way it has to past generations? Andrew Ollerton, author of 'The Bible: A book that makes sense of life', explains why he believes the Bible has a unique ability to speak to who we are as humans. He is joined by [agnostic] historian Tom Holland, author of books including 'Dominion', and editor of 'Revolutionary: Who was Jesus? Why does he still matter?' Tom talks about his own journey of finding a new appreciation for the Bible as a source of spiritual truth."

God’s Eagerness to Forgive

Christians have often wondered what the world would be like today if Adam and Eve had never eaten the forbidden fruit and brought sin into the world. It’s an enticing prospect—except that a sinless world would be a world that has never known the forgiveness of God. And that is an inconceivable scenario for our Creator, who earnestly desires to put His lavish forgiveness on full and glorious display to His people.

When Breaking Out of the Echo Chamber Doesn’t Stop Polarization

“Our mistake lies in how we select the sources we listen to. By default, we end up listening to people who initiate disagreements with us, as well as the public figures and media outlets who are the most popular representatives of the other side.”

Video: God of Justice & Mercy | Panel Discussion

We see riots in the streets, corruption in government, perversion in marriage, and then, of course, there is plenty of sin remaining in our very own flesh. The Reformer, John Calvin, taught that such things should turn our gaze to God. He wrote, “Indeed, our very poverty better discloses the infinitude of benefits reposing in God. The miserable ruin, into which the rebellion of the first man cast us, especially compels us to look upward.” We have all sorts of trouble down here because we have neglected to look up there. We are made in the image of God. But many have forgotten God, leaving the phrase “image of God” meaningless. Now is a time to know God and worship Him. Calvin also said, “Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” Man no longer knows himself. But there is no way to rediscover the truth about man without first coming to a true knowledge of God. This panel discussion with Jared Longshore, Tom Ascol, Virgil Walker, Darrell Harrison & Voddie Baucham was held on January 22, 2021 at the Founders "The Only God" national conference in Southwest Florida.

Video: A Greater Glory: Alistair Begg with Gavin Peacock

Alistair Begg chats with Gavin Peacock on his journey from pitch to pulpit ahead of the release of his autobiography, A Greater Glory.

Christianity Can Be the Safest Space for Truth-Seeking Intellectuals

You know it’s bad when atheist hero Richard Dawkins is disowned by an atheist organization (which explicitly defines its purpose as including advocacy for “freethinkers”) over a tweet where he (very cogently) questioned the new orthodoxy on transgenderism. Rather than engaging Dawkins’s entirely reasonable tweet on its own terms, the American Humanist Association saw it as grounds for retroactive cancellation. Nothing says “advocacy for freethinkers” like canceling someone for a thought that goes against the grain.

 

[Reality Czar]

God has fashioned creatures in his image so that they might be joined in a perfect union with him in the rational freedom of love. For that very reason, what God permits, rather than violate the autonomy of the created world, may be in itself contrary to what he wills. But there is no contradiction in saying that, in his omniscience, omnipotence, and transcendence of time, God can both allow created freedom its scope and yet so constitute the world that nothing can prevent him from bringing about the beatitude of his Kingdom. Indeed we must say this: as God did not will the fall, and yet always wills all things toward himself, the entire history of sin and death is in an ultimate sense a pure contingency, one that is not as such desired by God, but that is nevertheless constrained by providence to serve his transcendent purpose. God does not will evil in the sinner. Neither does he will that the sinner should perish (2 Peter 3:9; Ezek. 33:11). He does not place evil in the heart. He does not desire the convulsive reign of death in nature. But neither will he suffer defeat in these things.

Providence works at the level of what Aquinas would call primary causality: that is, it is so transcendent of the operation of secondary causes—which is to say, finite and contingent causes immanent to the realm of created things—that it can at once create freedom and also assure that no consequence of the misuse of that freedom will prevent him from accomplishing the good he intends in all things. 11

Evil, Enlightenment and Easter - The Symbolic World

Happy Easter! In this article I explain how Easter makes the Christian narrative real and answers the problem of evil.

thesymbolicworld.com

Tried reading this yesterday. This is a pretty cool article on Easter, Christ, and the problem of evil.

It is very dense and academic and I don't understand a lot of the words but here it is nontheless!

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Enjoying God

Enjoying God is a biblical command, and it is also that for which God made us. Enjoying God glorifies God because it shows how valuable God is in our estimation. We enjoy God in at least four ways: intellectually, by knowing God; aesthetically, by admiring God in his beauty; emotionally, by delighting in God and his ways; with our wills, by dedicating ourselves to obeying his commands. Furthermore, delight in God is what enables Christians to live sacrificial lives, to continue to fight sin, and to remain steadfast in the face of persecution.

What Will Become of Atheism?

...if God exists then that is the single most important fact in the history of creation and nothing else can take its crown, ever. If a being exists, of whatever nature, who created reality, exists within all of reality, set reality’s physical and moral rules, watches over all of reality, judges all of us on how devout and moral we are, and determines reward and punishment based on that judgement, that clearly is the truth that trumps all other truths. Strange to let it slip out of the debate quietly in the night.

Facing Woke Religion, The Gospel Is Still Good News

The ideology of Critical Social Justice is best challenged not by secular liberalism but by the hope preached by Christianity for thousands of years.

How Far Back Can We Trace the Fourfold Gospel?

There has been a long-standing scholarly discussion about how far back we can trace the roots of the fourfold gospel. Even though the four gospels obviously existed in the first century, there is still debate about when Christians began to gather them together and view them as a unit.

Top Ten Discoveries in Biblical Archaeology in 2020

For over 150 years, archaeologists have been unearthing the lands of the Bible, and discovery-after-discovery has affirmed hundreds of historical synchronisms. Many discoveries help illuminate details in the biblical text. While there were numerous important discoveries made in 2020, one can only wonder what might have been if so many excavations had not been canceled. I’m hopeful that many of the digs that were planned for this year will proceed in 2021 and I look forward to seeing what discoveries will be made.

Video: A Conversation With Dr. Robert A.J. Gagnon

1. What is the biblical view of marriage? (1m-16m)
2. Given Jesus' love for outcasts and the fact that he didn't mention homosexual practice, wouldn't he have supported committed homosexual relationships? (17m-30m)
2. Why should we obey the prohibition of homosexual practice in Leviticus when we don't continue to obey the prohibition of wearing clothes made of cloth mixtures? (31m-39m)
3. Is every sin the same in the eyes of God? (39m-44m)
4. What advice would I give denominations that are thinking of approving same-sex marriages? (44m-52m)
5. How can one advocate for a biblical position on other-sex marriage while being loving? (52m-1h)
6. Is it loving to come someone by a preferred pronoun or to support a transition from one sex to another? (1h1m-1h6m)
7. Didn't Jesus tell us, "Judge not lest you be judged?" (1h7m-1h11m)
8. What about the woman caught in adultery? "Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone." (1h12m-1h20m)

Video: Gloom and Doom! - Jude 12-15

How’s that for a sermon title? It sounds like it comes right out of a 1950s black and white movie about the end of the world. But these two words describe the theme of the four verses in Jude we will cover today. As Jude describes the character and condition of the false teachers who were ruining the church (gloom), he then predicts what will happen to them and others like them in the future (doom). Jude calls out these apostates and assures his audience of a final reckoning.

Video: Practical Advice for Faithful Leadership



Video: God in our Darkest Hour - Voddie Baucham

 

[Phoenix RISING]

No ones discussed them. It's for the best, they're just three different types of attention seekers.

They are popular figureheads in Christendom who are doing a lot of great ministry work for a generation that is becoming increasingly "exvangelical" without their interventions.

But I can see that nobody is really discussing anything here anyway. Just posting to nobody.

 

[Reality Czar]

So you just popped into a thread to complain about it? Very valuable contribution.

 

[showernota]

They are popular figureheads in Christendom who are doing a lot of great ministry work for a generation that is becoming increasingly "exvangelical" without their interventions.

But I can see that nobody is really discussing anything here anyway. Just posting to nobody.

I'd be very interested in hearing why you consider their ministries to be 'great.'

I'm deeply concerned by 'exvangelicals,' considering they are in effect ex-Christians.

Considering 30% of evangelicals already don't believe Jesus is God, which is the entire basis for Christianity (and explicit in Scripture), there isn't anything good about drifting even further from the Gospel.

More than half of US adults, 30% of evangelicals believe Jesus isn’t God: study

More than half of American adults, including 30 of evangelicals, say Jesus isn t God but most agree He was a great teacher, according to results from the 2020 State of Theology survey

www.christianpost.com

 

[Phoenix RISING]

I'd be very interested in hearing why you consider their ministries to be 'great.'

I'm deeply concerned by 'exvangelicals,' considering they are in effect ex-Christians.

Considering 30% of evangelicals already don't believe Jesus is God, which is the entire basis for Christianity (and explicit in Scripture), there isn't anything good about drifting even further from the Gospel.

More than half of US adults, 30% of evangelicals believe Jesus isn’t God: study

More than half of American adults, including 30 of evangelicals, say Jesus isn t God but most agree He was a great teacher, according to results from the 2020 State of Theology survey

www.christianpost.com

Well, for starters, their ministries are not associated with prosperity gospel folks like Joel Osteen or TD Jakes.

I learned a lot about the OT from Vischer's What's in the Bible series. Then there's his Holy Post series on YT.

Beth Moore spent her career being a "Bible Teacher" for a denomination that doesn't believe women can preach. That's a big deal, especially for other women who want to get into/are in ministry.


As far as your link to CP, that's dated. You can see the actual survey here:

The State of Theology

thestateoftheology.com

I did not see " 30% of evangelicals don't believe Jesus is God." I saw 30% of evangelicals who strongly disagree that "The Holy Spirit gives a spiritual new birth or new life before a person has faith in Jesus Christ."

The stretch from the Spirit providing salvation before one has faith in Christ into evangelicals not believing in God is a stretch, unless you can find that extrapolation and I cannot.

So you just popped into a thread to complain about it? Very valuable contribution.

My contribution is that a conversation is actually happening now instead of people just dumping their proselytization materials in here like bookmarks. Remember that I came saying that I tried running searches on big names in ministry and didn't get results. Now there will be the next time someone tries.

​

 

[showernota]

Well, for starters, their ministries are not associated with prosperity gospel folks like Joel Osteen or TD Jakes.

I learned a lot about the OT from Vischer's What's in the Bible series. Then there's his Holy Post series on YT.

That's great you learned a lot from Phil. What part of it was good to reduce exvangelicals?

Fortunately there are a lot of good resources not tied to prosperity gospel or modalist heresy. Game Analyst does a great job posting them here.

Beth Moore spent her career being a "Bible Teacher" for a denomination that doesn't believe women can preach. That's a big deal, especially for other women who want to get into/are in ministry.

Does the SBC say women can't preach, or that they shouldn't be head pastors who also teach men?

As far as your link to CP, that's dated. You can see the actual survey here:

The State of Theology

thestateoftheology.com

I did not see " 30% of evangelicals don't believe Jesus is God." I saw 30% of evangelicals who strongly disagree that "The Holy Spirit gives a spiritual new birth or new life before a person has faith in Jesus Christ."

The stretch from the Spirit providing salvation before one has faith in Christ into evangelicals not believing in God is a stretch, unless you can find that extrapolation and I cannot.

You linked the exact same survey. Scroll down two paragraphs, the second bar graph.

Historically, evangelicals have affirmed the authority of the Bible and salvation by Jesus Christ. The Bible testifies often to the deity of Christ; He is God incarnate, the Word made flesh (John 1:1; 8:58; Rom. 9:5; Heb. 1:1–4). It may be unsurprising that the majority of the general U.S. population rejects the deity of Christ, but now almost a third of evangelicals agree that He was merely a great teacher.

My contribution is that a conversation is actually happening now instead of people just dumping their proselytization materials in here like bookmarks. Remember that I came saying that I tried running searches on big names in ministry and didn't get results. Now there will be the next time someone tries.

That's pretty unfair.
We've already determined that even 30% of evangelicals (again, look at your link) don't understand the basics of Jesus. We need more proselytization, even among 'Christians.' Besides, there are a variety of Biblical topics and subjects posted here.

 

[Chaplain]

New resources:

Sermon: Mother’s Day Message: “The Motherhood of God” (Isaiah 66:6-13, 5/8/21)

"6 A sound of uproar from the city! A voice from the temple— the voice of the Lord, paying back His enemies what they deserve! 7 Before Zion was in labor, she gave birth; before she was in pain, she delivered a boy. 8 Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day or a nation be delivered in an instant? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her sons. 9 “Will I bring a baby to the point of birth and not deliver it?” says the Lord; “or will I who deliver, close the womb?” says your God. 10 Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her, all who love her. Rejoice greatly with her, all who mourn over her— 11 so that you may nurse and be satisfied from her comforting breast and drink deeply and delight yourselves from her glorious breasts. 12 For this is what the Lord says: I will make peace flow to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flood you will nurse and be carried on her hip and bounced on her lap. 13 As a mother comforts her son, so I will comfort you, and you will be comforted in Jerusalem." (Isaiah 66:6-13)

Video: Is belief in the Resurrection reasonable? Trent Horn Vs Matt Dillahunty

Trent Horn will debate Matt Dillahunty on whether It is reasonable to believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then we'll be taking questions from patrons and super chatters.

Video: A Christian Response to Critical Theory – Cameron McAllister

We recognize that all people have questions, but very few spaces exist to have open, honest, and respectful discourse around the deepest questions humans ask.

Video: Lincoln in Private: Leadership Behind Closed Doors, with Ron White

Lincoln did not have a diary but he developed the habit of writing reflections and ruminations on little slips of paper. These notes, which Lincoln never intended for anyone to see, help us understand the depth of Lincoln’s character and thinking and introduce us to the private Lincoln behind the public Lincoln. In his new work Lincoln in Private, renowned historian and biographer Ronald C. White takes the reader through a tour of Abraham Lincoln’s private notes that illustrate the ways in which he struggled with the national, moral, and spiritual crises of his times, and reflected on the possibilities of God’s purposes during the Civil War. In doing so, White shows the struggles of leadership behind closed doors — and what can be learned from Lincoln’s example.

Video: Do Christians Harm LGBTQ+ People? | Progressive VS Conservative Christian (Part 3)

A progressive Christian and a conservative Christian conclude their conversation on God, the Bible, and human sexuality. Can they overcome the stigma and speak to one another with understanding?

Video: Hope for the Future and the Religion of the Apostles | with Fr. Stephen De Young

Fr. Stephen De Young is an Orthodox priest. He’s the host of the Whole Counsel of God podcast and a co-host of the Lord of Spirits podcast from Ancient Faith Ratio. He’s also the author of the Whole Counsel Blog. Today we are discussing Fr. Stephen’s new book “The Religion of the Apostles”. We talk about "the divine council”, what it means to exist, monotheism vs polytheism, atheism and materialism, postmodernism, the Book of Enoch, witchcraft, the judgement of God and hope for the future.

Video: Should Christians embrace the Enneagram? Todd Wilson & Marcia Montenegro

The Enneagram has become a wildly popular personality tool in secular and spiritual circles. But is it a theologically valid way of understanding human psychology? Pastor and theologian Todd Wilson, author of 'The Enneagram goes to church' believes the Enneagram can be a transformative tool for churches. Ex-new ager Marcia Montenegro, author of 'Richard Rohr and the Enneagram Secret' believes it is a spiritual deception.

The Fading of Forgiveness

"A culture promoting self-maximization, one that pits self-fulfillment against self-sacrifice, will usually produce revenge or withdrawal as a response to any mistreatment, while a counterculture teaching self-renunciation will much more likely produce forgiveness as a response. “Most of us have been formed by a culture that nourishes revenge and mocks grace,” the authors conclude. In such a therapeutic culture, forgiveness is seen as self-hating, and revenge and anger will be seen as more authentic, as long as you do not let the anger become too unpleasant for your inner psychological well-being." (Theologian Tim Keller)

Edited

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

This Mother’s Day, Let God Change the Narrative

On Mother’s Day, it’s all too easy to embrace the marketing mantras that we are entitled to feel significant and worthy through elaborate displays of appreciation. Instead of believing these messages (intentionally or otherwise), we need to hear God’s message through the prophet Jeremiah: “My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13).

Did the apostle Paul influence the Gospel of Mark?

This volume by Dr. Mar Pérez i Díaz (Facultat de Teologia de Catalunya) continues the conversation first begun by Martin Werner in 1923 about the possibility of Pauline influence upon the Gospel of Mark. Díaz believes that “Mark was strongly and comprehensively influenced by Paul’s theology” to the point that “the Gospel of Mark is a rereading of the traditions of Jesus inspired by Pauline theology as we know it from Paul’s letters” (245). Importantly, in her estimation, “Mark does not want to present Paul, but rather to interpret Jesus through a Pauline lens” (5).

Video: School chaplain reported to terrorist watchdog and forced out of job for sermon on identity politics

A Christian chaplain has launched legal action after being reported to the government’s terrorist watchdog and losing his job for delivering a sermon in a school chapel that encouraged respect and debate on ‘identity ideologies.

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Video: Episode 0101 - The Truth War

Host Darrell Harrison is joined by Phil Johnson to discuss John MacArthur’s 2007 book, The Truth War. The Truth Matters podcast is a production of Grace to You. In each episode, host Darrell Harrison sits down with a guest to discuss a resource from the Grace to You library—a book, sermon, or blog series from John MacArthur. Join them for a deep dive into why the resource was originally created, what it’s about, and what relevance it has for the church today.

Video: Tim Keller on How Culture is Changing and the Future of the Church

Tim Keller on Rethinking His Beliefs About Suffering, What Cancer is Teaching Him, How Culture is Changing and the Future of the Church Tim Keller shares some personal reflections about his recent battle with pancreatic cancer and how it's causing him to rethink his beliefs about God and suffering, drawing him even more deeply into truths he used to only partially understand. Tim also reflects on what a year of crisis has done to the church, and shares some thoughts on the future of the church, how culture has changed in the last year, and what needs to happen next.

Video: The Life of the Church and the Mission of God || LIVEcast 10 May 2021


Video: Arsenokoites: Be Bold, Be Accurate, Be Truthful


How We Got to the Equality Act

The LGBT movement was shaped by the animosity of populist evangelical rhetoric and tactics.

Video: Does (Saving) Faith Imply Belief? | Talbot School of Theology

Dr. Craig gives a virtual lecture for students at Talbot School of Theology on the nature of faith.

Video: Q&A Session | Does (Saving) Faith Imply Belief? | Talbot

Dr. Craig gives a virtual lecture for students at Talbot School of Theology on the nature of faith. Upon viewing the lecture, students from Talbot engage with Dr. Craig in a question and answer session.

Edited:

 

[Chaplain]

Video: NT Wright & Douglas Murray • Identity, myth & miracles: How do we live in a post-Christian world? (5/13/21)

In this live conversation chaired by Justin Brierley, social commentator Douglas Murray engages theologian NT Wright on whether Christianity still makes best sense of the world in a post-Christian age, and how to address the growing meaning and identity crisis in the West.

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Heroes of the Faith: Francis Schaeffer

Francis Schaeffer left a rich legacy. The work of L’Abri continues in different ways across the world. Most of Schaeffer’s books remain in print and many of them are still relevant. Schaeffer could see the big picture. His solemn warning that the West’s departure from its Christian foundations would take it into a perilous moral vacuum has sadly been fulfilled. Schaeffer also had a tremendous influence on individuals and many people, including some distinguished academics, view him as their spiritual and intellectual father.

Church and State under siege

The 150th anniversary of the Paris Commune is being marked by Covid-restricted cultural events from Saint-Denis to the Rue de la Fontaine, site of the final barricade. It is also providing an opportunity to reflect on a brief but savage experience that still stirs bitter emotions. The sudden emergence of the Commune, in March 1871, just four years after Europe’s crowned heads had descended on Paris for its Exposition Universelle of fashion, business, and technology, shocked the Continent.

Video: One Skeptic's Journey Back to Christianity

Later today, at 7pm Eastern time, I am going to be in conversation with my friend Michael about his intellectual journey from Christianity to atheism and back to Christianity again. You can tune in here! (Jonathan McLatchie)

Video: Dr Ian Paul - Is the book of Revelation relevant to today? - Critical Witness

Today we are talking with Dr Ian Paul about the book of Revelation, its relevance to today. We'll be looking at how it is often misused and misread but also discussing his new book on how to access Revelation without requiring a degree in theology.

 

[48086]

Not sure if anyone is a Voddie Baucham fan, but I highly recommend his new book on CRT and social justice.

Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism's Looming Catastrophe: Baucham Jr., Voddie T.: 9781684511808: Amazon.com: Books

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

A Book Review on the Topic of Christian Nationalism

In the years since, evangelicals in the U.S. have fought over the degree to which our churches have wedded our faith to the flag and white American interests. Mr. Hill was one who stood against what he considered an idolatrous merging of Christianity with American patriotism and white interests, and he paid a price for it. I was fortunate to have arrived at the church in the mid-1970s when, despite my parishioners being deeply conservative people, the leaders had largely embraced Mr. Hill’s warnings and example. One elder told me “We don’t go in for that ‘God and America’ Christianity. It’s more American than Christian.” That was one working-class Christian’s analysis of a complex phenomenon, but it was percipient.

Video: How Christians Can Speak Biblical Truth into a Toxic Cancel Culture, with Erwin Lutzer

Erwin Lutzer joins me on today's podcast to discuss how Christians can live out our convictions in a growing tide of hostility. In a culture of outrage and victimhood, how can we recognize and reject the toxic responses secular culture disguises as solutions while continuing to publicly testify the truth of the gospel?

Video: The Acts of the Apostates - Jude 16-19

You’ve probably heard me refer to the book of Jude as the Acts of the Apostates. Apostasy is turning away from Christ by leaning on the rationale of worldly philosophy and personal preference. After going back to the Old Testament and citing examples of apostasy from Jewish history, Jude sums up the current crisis in the church and says that even Jesus’ apostles predicted it would happen. In this summary statement, Jude gives three categories of their activity.

Video: Peter J. Williams: Integrity Matters (Judges 13-16)

The book of Judges is filled with stories about idolatry, sexual violence, and war. It shows us the bleak situation of society without god and matches much of what we see around us today. In the third of four talks, Peter J. Williams discusses the importance of following Jesus's example by maintaining integrity in our actions.

Video: The Mythical Constantinople | with Dr. Mario Baghos

In this interview Mario and I discuss the importance of Constantinople, the “second Rome”, as the first city founded upon a Christian vision of the cosmos, by Saint Constantine the Great after his conversion to Christianity. We discuss the legends around the founding of the city, its forgotten spiritual and cultural influence, its connection with Troy and role in the universal history as well as the preservation of ancient pagan texts and statuary and their place in a Christian hierarchy.

Video: Genesis 1:1-2 "The Big Beginning" - Dr. Steven J. Lawson


Video: Politics, Power, Prayer & the Great Delusion. The Feast of the Ascension 2021. Gavin Ashenden.

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Video: Reading Jane Austen: A Novel Approach to Virtue with Karen Swallow Prior

As Prior notes in her introduction to our Reading, Austen offers a trove of wisdom to anyone who desires to live and love more fully and truthfully. As a "clever satirist, insightful moral philosopher, and a deeply Christian thinker," Austen's humorous writing, complex characters, and insightful observations on human behavior disarm our defenses and demonstrate the power of the virtues of humility and prudence, and the balance of reason and passion, perception and perspective. Speaking of Austen's Christian faith, Prior says, "Hers was the restrained, quiet, and personal faith of her Anglican tradition. Her novels are less altar calls than liturgies of ordinary life." Austen's world may feel quite removed from ours, but her focus on such everyday liturgies illustrate the importance of the seemingly mundane and illuminate the path towards repaired and rightly ordered relationships.

Video: Ravi Zacharias Abuse: Lessons Learned from Abdu Murray

Author and speaker Abdu Murray has been in leadership at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries since 2017. Along with co-writing a book with Ravi, and speaking alongside him, Abdu is one of the most publicly recognizable figures at RZIM. Although the official report chronicling the sexual abuse of Ravi was released in February, Abdu has decided to speak out now. In this interview, Sean and Josh McDowell discuss some of the difficult lessons Abdu has learned through this tragedy and what the church can do moving forward.

Video: What's REALLY Going on in the Israel/Palestine Conflict? (2021)

As a guide to Israel for the last 20 years, New Testament Scholar Dr. Marc Turnage is intimately familiar with the land and people of Israel. In this interview, he explains what's really going on in the 2021 Israel/Palestine Conflict.

Video: The Pilgrim's Regress, by C. S. Lewis | Mark Hofman, R. Dan Hamilton, and David C. Downing, Part 2/2

This insightful video presents Part 2 of the discussion of the story of the pilgrim John and his odyssey to an enchanting island that creates in him an intense longing—a mysterious, sweet desire. John’s pursuit of this desire takes him through adventures with such people as Mr. Enlightenment, Mr. Mammon, Mother Kirk, and Mr. Sensible and through such cities as Thrill and Eschropolis—and through the Valley of Humiliation. Though the dragons and giants here are different from those in Bunyan’s "The Pilgrim’s Progress," Lewis’s allegory performs the same function of enabling the author to say with fantasy and simplicity what would otherwise have demanded a full-length philosophy of religion. It remains a witty satire on cultural fads, a vivid account of spiritual dangers, and an illuminating tale for generations of pilgrims old and new. In Lewis’s skillful hands this fable becomes as effective a Christian apologia as Bunyan’s.

Video: Scholar Don Carson on Praying for Power

All new believers, he taught, learn to pray through imitation—by hearing and practicing the prayers of the more mature believers around them. His admonition to his listeners was that believers also imitate the Pauline prayer found in Ephesians 3:14-21, specifically focusing on two petitions and the final doxology found in the prayer.

Video: Being The Bad Guys: Webinar with Stephen McAlpine

"Being The Bad Guys: How to live for Jesus in a world that says you shouldn't" Webinar with author Stephen McAlpine, hosted by Andy Bannister.

Video: 1 Samuel 2:22-4:22

This teaching is from the series 09 1 Samuel - 2021 with Skip Heitzig from Calvary Church.

 

[teezzy]

I could probably use a little holiness in my life these days tbh

 

[Chaplain]

Resources:

Video: A Protestant With Tons of Questions Visits a Beautiful Orthodox Church

I've had little contact with Orthodoxy over the years and, whether we think all the same things or not, learning about it now has been like unwrapping a present I didn't know I had. Thanks to Father Paul and to Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in Salt Lake City, Utah for the hospitality and patience with all my questions!

You’d Be a Spiritual Orphan without Pentecost

The Bible never denies the reality of deep loss and trauma in this world. Nor does it promise us immunity from such loss the moment we become Christians. Instead it promises us something in the midst of this loss––something more precious than anything else in this world, and which itself can never be lost––the presence and love of God within us, by the Holy Spirit.

The Art of Lying

“A 2015 study with more than 1,000 participants looked at lying....Children initially have difficulty formulating believable lies, but proficiency improves with age. Young adults between 18 and 29 do it best.”

Audio: Honesty

“Honesty in the raw is always perverted by the insanity of sin.” Now, I first thought when I read that in the essay it was in by my colleague, David Powlison, 10 years ago was, “Wait? What? What do you mean honesty in the raw is a bad thing? Aren’t we supposed to be honest? Isn’t it a good thing to be honest and immediate and to say what we really think and to be authentic?” Well, my goal for today is to let that little spark of a question, the little mental pebble in my shoe for the last 10 years, lead us into a brief consideration of what really is biblical honesty. What really is honesty that the Scriptures would encourage us toward?

Video: Give Me an Answer - The Gospel is Foolishness to Those Who Are Perishing


Video: The Truth is Stranger Than You Think! (5/22/21)


Video: Don Carson | What Is the Gospel?

"For some Christians, the gospel is a narrow set of teachings about Jesus and his death and resurrection which, rightly believed, tips people into the kingdom. After that, all the real training and life transformation and discipleship and maturity take place. This is a far cry from the emphases on the Bible which understands the gospel to be the embracing category that holds much of the whole Bible together and takes Christians from lostness, condemnation, and alienation from God all the way through conversion and discipleship to the consummation to resurrection bodies and a new heaven and a new earth. Other voices identify the gospel with the first and second commandments: to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength and your neighbor as yourself. These commandments are so central that Jesus himself insists all the Prophets and the Law hang on them, but they’re not the gospel. A third option today is to treat the ethical teaching of Jesus found in the canonical gospels as the gospel. Yet, it is often the ethical teaching of Jesus abstracted from his passion and resurrection. This approach depends on two disastrous mistakes. First, it overlooks the fact in the first century there was no gospel of Matthew or gospel of Mark or gospel of Luke. Nobody used that terminology in the first century. In the first century, it was the gospel according to Matthew, the gospel according to Mark, the gospel according to Luke. That is, there was just one gospel according to these various witnesses. When you see, then, what is common in the canonical books we today call Gospels, you run from the beginning of Jesus right through his teaching and miraculous power, the shutting down of the powers of darkness through to his death and resurrection, including his commission. That constitutes the gospel. It is the one gospel according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John."

 

[showernota]

This is an unpopular perspective, but I completely agree.

2 Timothy 3:
10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance,
11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Review: The Making of Biblical Womanhood

"The greatest strength of the book, it’s historical narrative, is also its greatest weakness. Barr argues against a doctrine of Scripture, not with Scripture itself, but with history and personal experience."

How influencers have legitimised anti-Semitism

Social media has turned it into a contagion, normalising anti-Semitic tropes and attacks. Following the recent outbreak of violence in the Middle East, the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism found “17,000 tweets which used variations of the phrase, ‘Hitler was right’” in just one week. Likewise, anti-Semitism has ferociously spread across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. This is in large part due to a group of popular “influencers” who — along with their thousands of young, impressionable followers — use their platforms to highlight the Palestinians’ plight. No doubt they think they are fighting a just cause. What they may not realise, however, is that they are inadvertently harming Jews, including those living in the West.

Video: Richard Dawkins & Brendan O'Connor: The Rights, the Wrongs and What We All Assume

The 20 minute interview has become famous for the way the conversation developed towards the end. But here Glen Scrivener and Paul Feesey discuss the entirety of the conversation which ranged over some fascinating terrain.

Video: From Progressive Christianity to the Gospel: Discipleship in a culture of deconstruction

When Dave Stovall, formerly of the band Audio Adrenaline met Pastor Bobby Harrington, Dave was a progressive Christian who had already been through deconstruction. Pastor Bobby took an interest in Dave, and began discipling him, eventually leading him back to the historic gospel. Dave and Bobby will join me to talk about what that journey looked like, and take your questions live.

Video: How to Stand When Others Fall - Jude 20-23

If you have ever tried to walk straight while aboard a ship being tossed by the ocean’s waves, you know how hard that is. The motion around you challenges the strength and the stability within you. If the New Testament repeatedly warns against falling away (see Matthew 13:1-9, 24-30; 1 John 2:18-19), if the apostles predicted that many would “depart from the faith” (1 Timothy 4:1; see also 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 2 Timothy 3:1-14), what are we to do? Jude gives his audience a five-fold corrective for when people around you (even in the church) seem to be dropping like flies, carried by the current of this world.

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

Let Us Reason Together About Complementarianism

It’s not surprising, given the volatile nature of sex in our world, that the divinely designed complementarity of men and women is a disputed topic. On the one hand, we want to be humble before the Lord and before each other, acknowledging that we can make interpretive mistakes. On the other hand, we don’t want to undermine practical biblical authority by declaring that all we have are “interpretations.” The existence of rival interpretations does not preclude that one of them is right or at least more correct than another. “Come now, let us reason together” is necessary advice for God’s people today as much as it ever has been (Isa. 1:18). With that in mind, let me address a number of common objections to complementarianism.

3 scientific discoveries that call for a God hypothesis

Dawkins and other “new atheists” have long insisted that science has excluded the possibility of a Creator or has, at least, rendered it unnecessary. Turns out this belief might be scientifically out of date. According to a new book, the biggest discoveries of the last century challenge a materialistic worldview and call science back to its theistic roots.

Social media promises equality and diversity - except for Christians

A great deal is said about 'cancel culture', with the fear being that everyone is in danger of getting 'cancelled' if they say anything that offends anyone. But this fear is misplaced, because the situation is far worse. At least if everyone were in danger of getting cancelled it would have the appearance of fairness, but the reality is that the social media giants do not operate on a basis of equality and diversity. In the words of George Orwell's Animal Farm, "some pigs are more equal than others."

Thinking Christianly about Goods and Rights with Florida’s “Big Tech” Bill

If we have no concept of the good (even if modestly consented to) behind our rights, we do not have a nation but only a loosely organized band of autonomous agents. Rights, as they are devised, should aim at goods, which then inform the exercise of such rights. When we think about a political order workable for all, it means that government will have to balance the rights claims of all parties.

Audio: Episode 12 - How to Fight Well on Social Media

Christians are in a tricky situation on social media today. On the one hand, they risk getting into trouble for sharing views which are now deemed out of step with contemporary society. As anyone who's been "beaten up" by a Twitter mob knows, controversial debates not only waste lots of time, but might also put your reputation, or even your livelihood, on the line as a result. Yet on the other hand, retreating from speaking up on controversial issues may gives away more ground in the public sphere. If Christians don't put up some kind of a fight on certain issues, it may come back to haunt them in more ways than they know.

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

The Ark of the Covenant in its Egyptian Context

The Ark of the Covenant as we know it from the Hebrew Bible is steeped in the culture and context of its time (Late Bronze Age, c. 1500–1200 B.C.E.). The people of that age believed in angelic snake spirits spitting fire, entrapped demons, and gods wandering the land. Into this milieu, Moses introduced the Ark of the Covenant, which takes many of these concepts and flips them on their head to create new religious meaning.

Removing The Bedrock Of Liberalism

Every university that denies a place to someone because of their race is violating fundamental principles of liberal learning. Every newspaper and magazine that fires someone for their sincerely-held views, or because their identity alone means those views are unacceptable, is undermining the principles of liberal discourse. Every time someone prefers to trust someone’s subjective “lived experience” over facts, empiricism and an attempt at objectivity, liberal society dies a little.

Video: Same-Sex Unions: EVERYTHING the Bible Says About It

This video is one of the most in-depth and biblically-focused teachings on same-sex unions that you may find. With over 3 hours of content, in a very careful and methodical manner, Dr. Darrin Synder Belousek and I discuss the biblical case for natural marriage and respond to the most pressing revisionist arguments.

Video: Heralding the Voice of Christ || Expositors Collective Podcast || Glen Scrivener and Mike Neglia

What would it be like if God showed up at church? What would it be like to hear the living voice of Christ? That is the promise of preaching. Mike Neglia interviews Speak Life director Glen Scrivener for the Expositors Collective podcast. They discuss Christ-centered preaching from the word of God, and why Jesus can speak to a congregation through a pastor's words.

Audio: Decades Serving China’s Church

“Uncle Monnie” has worked alongside Chinese Christians for decades. He says the pressure and persecution Christians face there today is even worse than during the Cultural Revolution. Listen as Monnie shares about the changes he’s seen in China and the response of believers he’s trained to face persecution and continue to advance the gospel. Some of those Monnie helped train now serve Jesus in restricted Muslim nations in the Middle East and around the world. Learn how you can pray for Chinese Christians, and how persecution is teaching Christians from different backgrounds to work and minister side-by-side. Finally, Monnie will provide an update on current events in Myanmar.

Video: 1 Samuel 5-6:9 - Skip Heitzig






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[Shaqazooloo]

Just want to say I really appreciate the posts and work you do for this thread Chaplain , I know it's not too active here and I just lurk but I do read and watch what you post here and it really helps someone like me who doesn't know of where to look for this stuff.

 

[Chaplain]

Just want to say I really appreciate the posts and work you do for this thread Chaplain , I know it's not too active here and I just lurk but I do read and watch what you post here and it really helps someone like me who doesn't know of where to look for this stuff.

You're welcome, bro!

New Resources:

Many physicists have pointed out the extraordinary ‘fine tuning’ of the physical laws of the universe that have allowed life to develop within the cosmos. Luke Barnes believes it gives evidence for a designer behind the cosmos, whereas Sabine Hossenfelder disagrees, questioning whether we can even speak of ‘fine tuning’ as a phenomenon.

I'm a Protestant and I'm learning about the Orthodox Church from Father Paul of Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Lee Strobel joins me IN-PERSON to discuss the practices he's developed to investigate life's biggest questions.

Jude was a fighter. And he told his audience that they needed to get in the ring and fight, too (see v. 3). But those who fight against the truth (the apostates) are powerful enemies and many well-meaning victims have fallen from their blows. Jude assured his beloved readers that our Coach and Trainer anticipated this fight, and He has us covered. He closed his little letter by pointing us back to God and by encouraging us to praise Him. He is our Savior, our Sustainer, and our Sponsor.

Why is the statement, "I am a man trapped in a woman's body" considered coherent and meaningful today? What are the historical and philosophical roots that led us to this cultural moment? In this interview, I talk with Carl Trueman about these questions and more.

“Wisdom is knowing the right thing to do in the 80% of life situations in which moral rules don't provide clear answers.”

1 John 3:22-24 - What is a confident and effective prayer life founded on?

"‘The soul casts itself upon Jesus Christ; faith rests on Christ’s person. Faith believes the promise; but that which faith rests upon in the promise is the person of Christ: therefore the spouse is said to ‘lean upon her Beloved.’ ... Faith is described to be ‘believing on the name of the Son of God,’ 1 Jn 3:23, viz., on his person. The promise is but the cabinet, Christ is the jewel in it which faith embraces; the promise is but the dish, Christ is the food in it which faith feeds on. Faith rests on Christ’s person, ‘as he was crucified.’ It glories in the cross of Christ. Gal 6:14. To consider Christ crowned with all manner of excellencies, stirs up admiration and wonder; but Christ looked upon as bleeding and dying, is the proper object of our faith; it is called therefore ‘faith in his blood.’ Rom 3:25." (Puritan preacher Thomas Watson)

1 John 3:17-21 - The true test of Christian love

"The modernist church of the early twentieth century reduced gospel ministry to social ethics and social action. The quaint saying “preach the gospel; use words if necessary” fits in with this idea that the gospel is basically “a way of life” and that gospel ministry is “making a better world.” But this not only contradicts the Bible’s teaching that the gospel must be verbally proclaimed and responded to in repentance and faith. It essentially denies the gospel of grace through God’s saving acts in history and replaces it with good works and moral improvement." (Theologian Tim Keller)

1 John 3:16 - How Does God's Love differ from the World's Definition of Love?

"One of the purposes of authentic Christianity is to take people out of themselves, to provide them with the means to overcome self-centeredness and distorted self-love." (Professor James Hitchcock)

1 John 3:13-15 - A Soul-Destroying Vice

"When he called his society together Jesus gave its members a new way of life to live. He gave them a new way to deal with offenders—by forgiving them. He gave them a new way to deal with violence—by suffering. He gave them a new way to deal with money—by sharing it. He gave them a new way to deal with problems of leadership—by drawing on the gift of every member, even the most humble. He gave them a new way to deal with a corrupt society—by building a new order, not smashing the old. He gave them a new pattern of relationship between man and woman, between parent and child, between master and slave, in which was made concrete a radical new vision of what it means to be a human person." (Ethicist Stanley Hauerwas)

1 John 3:12 - Cain's desire for autonomy and power

"The ideology of sin functions to deny both the act and the responsibility for it, preferably with a touch of humor. Yet the “ideology of sin” is rarely simply an instrument of evasion, designed to silence the outside voice that accuses; perpetrators employ it also as an instrument of self-deception to hush the conscience inside." (Theologian Miroslav Volf)

1 John 3:10-11 - Differentiating Between Sin And Righteousness

"When we really love truth we love even the unpleasant truths." (Philosopher G. K. Chesterton)

1 John 3:7-9 - Belonging to God vs. Belonging to Satan

“Christ did not come to make bad men good, but to make dead men live.” (Theologian Michael Green)

1 John 3:4-6 - Can a Christian live in continual sin?

"These verses teach the utter incongruity of sin in the Christian. To see and know Christ, the sinless Saviour of sinners, is to outlaw sin; to sin is to deny Christ and to reveal that one is not abiding in him." (Theologian John Stott)

1 John 3:2-3 - Why is the Christian hope rooted in Christ's resurrection?

"Whenever we do good to another self, just because it is a self, made (like us) by God, and desiring its own happiness as we desire ours, we shall have learned to love it a little more or, at least, to dislike it less. . . . The worldly man treats certain people kindly because he “likes” them: The Christian, trying to treat everyone kindly, finds himself liking more and more people as he goes on— including people he could not even have imagined himself liking at the beginning." (Theologian C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 130–131)

1 John 3:1 - The privilege of being called God's child

"The doctrine of Adoption means that the true and living God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, by grace has made believers members of his family with all the rights and responsibilities that go with that status." (Gavin Ortlund)

How the Gospel Should Shape Our Political Posture

Instead of degrading the people on the other side of the political aisle by demonizing them, questioning their motives, and caricaturing their arguments, the Bible instructs us to speak the truth in a way that communicates Christian concern and respect. We should represent our debate partners accurately, not misrepresent them. We should recognize the good in their lives and their arguments, not glorify ourselves and demonize them. In other words, we must cultivate a public demeanor that is worthy of the Lord whose name we carry (2 Cor. 4:10). If the gospel message is true—and if it truly transforms—then gospel-minded Christians should expect to be radically different in every arena. As those convinced of the gospel’s truth, it is right and proper for us to defend it in public. However, the manner in which we defend it can either defraud or reflect its truth. Truth without grace makes us political bullies and jerks. Grace without truth makes us political non-entities and wimps.

Balancing Our Uneasy Relationship with Technology After the Pandemic

In his book Disruptive Witness, Alan Noble says technology alters our perception of the world around us, especially how we go about knowing and sharing truth. In a time of rampant individualism, it is easy for each of us—including our churches—to treat the truths of the gospel and the nature of the church as yet another option among many and to downgrade the transcendent realities of God to just another piece of programing on TV or online video. Noble highlights Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor’s concept of the “buffered self,” where we as individuals essentially cut ourselves off from being affected by the transcendent by simply treating everything in materialistic terms. We order our lives as mere individuals living in a world of options and personal choices, where transcendent truths like the gospel become more about personal or fashionable choices that have little impact on our daily lives.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian church that, “a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” (I Cor. 16:9). “Brother Aaron” says Paul’s ministry description could have been written about Christians in the restricted nation of Pakistan in 2021. Listen as Aaron shares how Christian persecution is “like the air” in Pakistan—something that’s always present and almost taken for granted by people there. He’ll also explain how the church prepares believers—especially young people—to be strong in their faith and ready to withstand societal pressure and persecution. Aaron will also talk about the types of persecution faced by former Muslims who leave Islam behind to follow Christ. Finally, he’ll equip listeners with specific ways to pray for Pakistan and the church there.

Edited

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

With his new addition of The Dust of Death, Guinness discovers the origins of America’s ruling class in the turbulent countercultural radicalism of the 1960s. Between the revolutionary ideas, riots, and political purges, the parallels are undeniable, and Guinness’ timeless book could not be any more pertinent. The solution to this political chaos, he concludes, is a distinctly Christian alternative materializing in true leadership – “We need a Lincoln.” But we don’t have a Lincoln. How can “our side” return to the biblical roots America’s founding and rediscover the intellectual heritage of the reformation? That’s exactly what Os Guinness’ new book, The Magna Carta of Humanity, offers, applying the revolutionary faith found in the book of Exodus to our own history. From Sinai, through the American founding, to our modern political trials, Guinness outlines the Christian alternative to the progressive mob.

00:45 - Introducing the Magna Carta of Humanity.
01:05 - The Dust of Death and the "third way."
02:37 - How the 60s created on oligarchy.
08:42 - We need a Lincoln.
10:26 - We need Reformation. Why don't Christians have influence?
12:35 - On the work of Rene Girard
15:58 - The Madness of Crowds
17:30 - Putting the Protestant intellectual heritage to use.
20:00 - Cultural Marxism affecting Christianity.
25:33 - The "populist instinctive revolt" against the elite.
28:16 - Is there a danger from the right as well as the left?
32:14 - Cultural climate change.
33:24 - Who can lead us?
35:25 - Conservatism of blood and soil versus the conservatism of ideas.
38:42 - Patriotism versus Nationalism.
41:20 - "Generationalism."
42:58 - Returning to Hebraic roots.
47:10 - "A little less Plato, and a little more Moses." Hellenic philosophy in Christianity.
49:00 - Covenantal societies - How the Covenant sparked the Constitution.
51:09 - Christianity and social justice. Why we can't give up on Evangelicalism.
56:10 - Christianity is both conservative and progressive.
58:33 - It's no longer morning in America - Christians need to wake up.

Let me tell you what forgiveness does: it ends self-pity. “I don’t take this thing personally; it’s not important to me. If he’s caused sorrow, he’s caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree – in order not to say too much – to all of you. I’m sorry for you having to deal with this; but don’t think you need to defend me by heaping severe punishment and unforgiveness on this man.” Forgiveness ends self-pity. And then forgiveness grants mercy. Look at verse 6: “Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority. He’s already been disciplined, he’s already been confronted, he’s already repented; that’s enough. The majority have agreed; don’t let a minority keep inflicting pain on him, the pain of unforgiveness.” The punishment was enough. So forgiveness ends self-pity, and forgiveness grants mercy.

At the cross, God displayed the richness of His generosity. He was bruised and broken to redeem us back to Him. That good news transforms us and fuels our own generosity. In this message, Pastor Ben Courson considers a sevenfold, holistic, integrated redemption manifested by the generosity of Jesus. His generous love at the cross reached the downtrodden, lonely, lost, broken, and unsaved. His generous love reached you.

 

[Cutty Flam]

Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:

 

[showernota]

Find you a Proverbs 31 type of woman:

10 Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
15 She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From [e]her profits she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.
25 Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.

 

[Chaplain]

New Resources:



















Edited

 

[Chaplain]

“The Legacy of a Godly Dad,” Deuteronomy 6:1-9, June 19/20, 2021

Do Christians believe in Jesus just because of where they were born, or their upbringing, culture, or peer group? Solas speaker Gareth Black, who himself grew up in the very religious context of Northern Ireland, explains why this common claim rebounds on atheism — and helps us think about how we can really know if our beliefs are true.

On June 18th in partnership with The Center for Public Justice and AEI's Initiative on Faith and Public Life we were honored to welcome renowned scholars Mark Noll and Vincent Bacote to discuss “The Challenge of Christian Nationalism.” As the lines between faith, politics, and patriotism have become, in some quarters, increasingly blurred, it is increasingly important to understand the origin, ideas, and consequences of Christian Nationalism — what it means, why it matters, and how best to respond. We hope you enjoy this conversation!

Dr Gunter Bechly is a palaeontologist who became convinced that Darwinian evolution cannot explain the fossil record. He debates Intelligent Design with computational biologist Dr Joshua Swamidass who affirms an evolutionary account.

Edited