PBS Discussion on the historical Jesus

Watch From Jesus to Christ: Panel Discussion on PBS. See more from Station Promos.

Via Zwingliusredivivus

Buying Christianity Today's book of the year

If you want to get into real biblical theology, let me commend you to buy the following book:
A New Testament Biblical Theology, A: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New by G. K. Beale.


If you click the link, you will be helping for the upkeep of this blog. 

Once again, on the subject of Guns and killings

Can the Church learn anything from Gangnam Style?

Apparently, Jelani Greenidge, thinks so.

I've been in both city and countries churches here in Australia, and they both suffer from the same problem, the want to hold on to their own culture desperately. Yet, the success of Gangnam Style, is because it has overcome the issues I have seen taking place in the Anglo churches I have ministered, both city and country alike.

1. Top-shelf entertainment is inherently cross-cultural. No longer is something limited in scope to boundaries of nationality, race, or even language. As a matter of fact, the best films and literature freely borrow and interpret from a variety of styles and cultures. Music is no different. Just as Americans have embraced the Japanese word and concept of “karaoke,” so too have plenty of Koreans adopted mannerisms from American pop culture, including hip-hop. And there are plenty of really good Asian emcees, including several who are Christ followers, like Jin (formerly of Ruff Ryders), and Korean-born Brooklynite HeeSun Lee.
This truth is pretty self-evident, however many creative Christians fall on either extreme of cultural myopia (only being interested in your own culture) or cultural appropriation (taking elements of the culture in an ignorant or disrespectful manner). Believers wanting their work to engage with their broader community should take this to heart. We can’t run away from other cultures, and we can’t be irresponsible with our cultural engagement.

I've been in the city, they want to force me to conform to their culture, I am in the country, I have to conform to their culture. True, but success now has been proven that a cultural success is not being "monocrome", but being more open to the different cultures surrounding a church.

2. Today’s pop culture is dominated by visuals. “Gangnam Style” is a perfect example of this. Without the video, the song, catchy as it is, would not be the juggernaut that it is. This is why, as an artist or a band, you can’t just have a certain sound, you’ve also got to have a certain look to go with it. This is also one of the reasons why church creative teams are beginning to invest more time and energy into set design, because the ambiance makes a difference.

A church that has no visual, or at least stimulates the mind while preaching, is a church doom to fail an die, and let me say it, they deserve it. I am sick and tired of hearing, "it's not the medium, but the message", but someone with a weak voice, will not proclaim the gospel as good as someone with a good, strong voice. What good is to say a great truth, that Jesus is Lord, yet, saying it like you don't believe it? Haddon Robinson has many good things to say about such preachers. But going back to visuals, yes, we need to have more visuals at church. That's the only way people will retain whatever it's being said, or done. So, yes, more to visuals!

3. Production values matter. I can’t say this enough. Many YouTube videos by Christians have clever ideas and funny concepts, but they’re marred by poor lighting and bad editing. A large part of the reason why “Gangnam Style” is popular is because it looks fantastic. PSY and his crew went to a lot of effort with the various outfits, locales, etc.

Can't emphasise this enough. Musicians, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Preachers, prepare, prepare, prepare. Sound system guys, please, have everything ready before the start of the service. Proyector people, please, have the right slides and the timing.
If you don't worry how the service it's going to look, why should the visitors worry to listen and pay attention in your service?

4. Audiences appreciate commitment. What sets this video apart from the millions of others like it is that it’s really funny. Improv coaches believe one of the keys to comedy is commitment. PSY didn’t just do a few silly things and call it a day. He went all out. Rapping in a tuxedo while confetti gets in his mouth. Or in a public bath (complete with uncomfortable elderly onlooker). PSY is not necessarily the most attractive, physically fit guy out there, but he’s likable in this video because of the lengths he’s willing to go to deliver his message. And because of that, many people received it.

If you want to stay conventional, you loose. And if people don't like it when you do something different, they loose. We love to take sudden trips, do things spontaneity, yet, we want to stick with the same thing over and over again at church. I am not suggesting for a radical change over, but to make a commitment to do something different, and when criticised, show your commitment by having a good explanation of your actions. If you can give a good explanation of your actions, and biblical, people will either appreciate that, or will shut up since they won't have anything to say back.

5. Great songs unify people.  I was reminded by this awhile back when Michael Jackson passed away. One of the downsides of this era we live in, with the proliferation of DIY pop stars and a million different TV channels, is that audiences are so heavily segmented that there are very few things that a LOT of people enjoy together. Thus, viral videos like “Gangnam Style” are filling the void left by top 40 radio and TV shows like Soul Train, American Bandstand, and, if you want to back even further, The Ed Sullivan Show.  “Gangnam Style” isn’t necessarily great music per se, but so much of the fun is that so many people love it. When my phone rings out “Gangnam Style” while I’m on the bus, I get knowing nods and grins. It’s like being in a secret club.

Yes, good hymns and songs unify the church. Get a song that will be like the representation of the vision of the church. When we sing national hymns, it makes us feel one people. I remember that song by QANTAS here in Australia during the Olympics, "I still call Australia home", that everybody liked. ANSETT, an airline that doesn't exist anymore, was the official Olympics Airline, yet, didn't attract customers because they didn't have a song that attracted the people. QANTAS profited more from the Olympics than the "official" airline, that ultimately went broke. The same happens with churches who don't find a common ground. Yes, I know, our unity comes from Jesus, but I guess that is for those of us who understand it, and eventually, not all will understand that. If they would, we wouldn't have church splits and that sort of divisions. So, let's start by uniting people at a human level, because not all of them will be united spiritually.

Well, I guess there are good things to gather from Gangnam Style and the likes. Even the early church did things that the world did (worship in Basilicas) so they could connect to people. The church that stops that, then it is doom to die, sooner or later.

Guns don't kill people... toddlers do. Right?

It looks like the Palestinians are not the only ones who give guns to their children to kill others, or kill themselves:

 A Tennessee toddler is dead after accidentally shooting himself.
Janice Atkinson, with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, told WRCB-TV that 2-year-old Brennan Nowell died late Thursday from his injuries.
Authorities have said the child was shot in the stomach with a firearm that belonged to his grandfather.
Neighbors told the station that the child found the handgun and was playing with it when he accidentally shot himself.

This is very sad. It just happens too often. Go and have a look at the source.

NRA's Hypocrisy at its best, but also stupidity.

NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre says that the worst type of violence are video games, which is the new type of "porn". 

However, he forgot to mention the NRA's own violent video game. 

A total fail on his organisation's part.

Here it's the proof:

via :zwingliusredivivus

USA is top of the G8 for unwanted reasons

French cheese is illegal in the US, but not high caliber guns

Jim West is right, having more guns is not the answer

Do you know what the stupidest argument being made is in the wake of the tragedy in Connecticut?   That if someone at the school had a gun everyone would be alive except the shooter.

Idiocy.   Ronald Reagan was shot by a gunman and he was SURROUNDED by secret servicemen WITH GUNS.

Those making this moronic argument need to pick up a history book.  It's both false and profoundly stupid.

Jim West. Theologian at large!!!

USA is number 1, in murders with a gun

For the Twilight fans. This is horrible.

Good on you Messi

What people really believe

A more appropriate song from St. Nicolas

Joel Osteen now wants you to play his game. As if some weren't already!!

Totally despicable:

Thank to Zwinglius Redivivus.

7 Requirements to Be a Leader Today

Ron Edmondson

To be a leader today requires more than knowledge...Especially today. Here are 7 requirements to be a great leader today:

1. You have to be adaptable - Things change fast these days. Real fast. You must lead a team that responds accordingly.

2. You have to be moldable - You must personally change fast too...or you'll be left behind. (This doesn't mean you have to change your values, beliefs or convictions. In fact, that will work against you these days. People would rather be on your team and disagree with you some...difference of opinion is more acceptable today...than for people to think you are whimsical in what you claim to believe. This is actually one culture change that can be a benefit for the Christian leader.)

3. You have to embrace a team approach - There are no Lone Rangers today. (By the way...he wasn't alone either. If I had a helper like Tonto and a horse like Silver...I'd have myself a winning team.)

4. You have to consider social responsibility - People want their individual work to make a difference. They also want the place where they spend their time, whether paid or volunteer, to make a difference.

5. You have to think bigger than today - Tomorrow is coming quicker than ever before and people are looking for leaders who can provide competent direction and consistent encouragement.

6. You have to be willing to serve others- People will no longer follow an autocratic leader. They are less loyal than ever. If you want to remain their leader, you must prove you care for them personally. Trust is more important than having all the answers.

7. You have to allow others to receive credit and assume authority - It's what attracts leaders to your team these days. They want to feel they are playing a part in the team's success.

The Jesus' wife debacle

Jesus' Wife Is Now Dead: The Role of Evangelical Scholars -- 

Justin Taylor

An interesting point from Peter Williams, warden of Tyndale House in Cambridge, England, reflecting on the increasing expertise and scholarship of evangelicals related to the technical analysis of ancient texts, with the Jesus Wife fragment-forgery as a test case:

. . . To her credit, from the beginning Dr. King released high resolution photos and the technical information she had. This enabled quick scrutiny. Had the person responsible for the fake been better at his or her job the story could have had yet more negative impact. As it was, it's noteworthy that British and British-educated scholars like Watson, Bernhard, and Goodacre mentioned above, along with evangelicals Simon Gathercole and Christian Askeland, played a significant role in exposing the problems with the manuscript and claims about it on blogs and in the media. Andrew Brown of The Guardian was commendably quick to notice and publish the doubts being raised.

It is worth reflecting on the progress here. Evangelicals now make up a significant proportion of those with the technical expertise to tackle a subject like this, and some of them had an intellectual firepower on the subject considerably exceeding that of the Harvard professor. I was contacted by Christians in touch with the media and was able to refer them to Simon Gathercole, a leading evangelical expert on apocryphal gospels. The rapid and informed response by Christians probably went a considerable way to deflating the story.

It is now well known by many who are not believers that there is a vigorous conspiracy-theory industry propagandising against the Christian faith. If Christians are seen as standing on history while others follow spin, even what seems like adverse publicity will ultimately end up glorifying God's name.

God must live in China. Why?

Is President Obama the Problem?

Which are the world's most influential countries?

HO RULES THE WORLD? THE TOP 20 IN FULL From MailOnline

1. Great Britain

The Olympic opening ceremony reminded the world of Britain's influence around the globe and achievements such as the National Health Service and the internet. It 'united the nation', 'restored pride in the Union Jack' and was 'a brilliant advert', the magazine said. There have also been continuing sporting and cultural successes this year, whether it be Andy Murray winning the US Open or the new James Bond film.

2. United States of America

Continues to lead the world in investment in world food and health initiatives, plus tackling climate change. But overseas occupations and unmanned drone strikes, plus an insular outlook during the recent election, lost the US its top spot.

Insular: The American presidential election, won by Barack Obama, left America looking inwards rather than to the world, Monocle said

3. Germany

Enormous business strength and economic leadership in Europe, academic prowess through institutions such as the Goethe Institute and the popularity of the Bundesliga, the football top flight, make Germany the 'undisputed leader' of the EU. However, with this comes a reliance from other, ailing countries to prop up the Eurozone.

4. France

Remains the world leader in arts galleries, museums and cuisine but plagued by economic uncertainty and a new President struggling to make an impression on the world stage. 

5. Sweden

Viewed in a positive light around the world as a friendly and functional country, plus reaping the benefits of a growing base of entrepreneurs. Still struggles to get past stereotypes like ABBA and IKEA, however, in international perceptions. 

6. Japan

Is becoming less insular and gradually opening up to the world in fashion, retail and food markets. Japanese pop music is also a big export and its craftsmen are more in demand than ever. 

7. Denmark

Massive popularity of television series such as Borgen has added to existing strengths in music, art, architecture and design. 

8. Switzerland

Continues to be reliable and capable of doing the dull stuff well. The world leader in investments and banking, and a producer of professional people. 

9. Australia

Increasingly influential in Pacific affairs but need to hone its diplomatic skills to appear friendlier to the outside world. Also needs to tone down attitudes to migrants. 

10. Canada

A resilient economy that has weathered the worst of the global crisis. Also flexing its military muscles more. 

11. South Korea

Now known for more than just good technology, the emergence of K-Pop, as exemplified by Psy's Gangnam Style, is a ready-made export.

Worldwide influence: The Korean singer Psy (right) and his Gangnam style was enjoyed the world over, even by UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon

12. Norway

Won worldwide respect for its dignified reaction to the murders of Anders Behring Breivik and also for its responsible re-investment of oil wealth. 

13. Finland

With Helsinki named as the world design capital, Finnish architects have been shouting from the rooftops. Great reputation as a nation of problem solvers and an increasingly important air hub for Europe.

14. Italy

Home to the best fashion designers in the world and excellent cuisine, but handicapped by continuing economic jitters.

15. Holland

Dutch embassies are finally starting to project the country as a place of attractive contemporary culture.

16. Spain

Spain's sunshine, cinema and food remain popular with people the world over, but the Eurozone crisis has struck hard.

17. Brazil

Greatest strength is its 'welcoming' and 'fun-loving' people who are driving an economic surge. Still troubles with corruption, however.

18. Austria

Record breaking jumper Felix Baumgartner has helped shed Austria's old-fashioned image this year. 

Moderniser: Felix Baumgartner's record-breaking jump from the edge of space helped shed Austria's old-fashioned image

19. Belgium

'Does the dull stuff well' - for example, politics and diplomacy - but may not exist in ten years given the momentum of Flemish independence movements. 

20. Turkey

Businesses have been attracted by Istanbul, while its airlines continue to expand. In a difficult geographical position with the ongoing conflict in Syria though.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2234726/Britain-tops-global-soft-power-list.html#ixzz2CfFvHfJ2
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Glenn Beck wants America destroyed because his side lost the election.

What Hubris!!! He wants to see the country go down because the election didn't go his way.

Jesus the Promised Prophet

Priest denies teen confirmation for supporting gay marriage. Good on him.

If you are a Roman Catholic, you must follow what your church teaches, or else, get out of it. If you see your faith as a club, that you can do and believe whatever you want, even there, in a club, are guidelines and expectations from members. So, don't complain if you are rejected confirmation.

One Catholic teen's Facebook post reportedly cost him his confirmation last month after a picture of him holding a sign urging people to vote for "equal marriage rights" was spotted by his priest at a Minnesota church.
Rev. Gary LaMoine of the Assumption Church in Barnesville, Minn., allegedly denied Lennon Cihak the religious rite of passage after seeing him online holding a sign altered to criticize the Minnesota Marriage Amendment, the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead reports. The amendment would have changed the state’s constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman.

 If you go against your church position regarding mariage, why do you want to be confirmed in such a church? Either you want to destroy it from the inside, which is reason enough to be denied confirmation, or you don't understand your faith, and should be denied confirmation until it is proven that you have a proper understanding of it.

Lennon's mother, Shana told, the Forum that she was shocked to hear of the decision after she was called into a private conversation with the priest, according to the outlet.
However, the priest has since told the Associated Press that the teen was not in fact denied confirmation, but declined to explain, calling it an "internal and pastoral" matter.

The mother just doesn't care what her son believes, as long as he is given this rite of passage, and he is happy.

My admiration to this priest, who has a pastoral heart, and wishes for this teen to grow in the fear of the Lord.

Yes, they should not be in the Union

Didn't vote, wife runs husband downs blaming him for Obama's win

Conservatives, take a close look at how far some are willing to go to complain their lost at the 2012 Presidential Election.

Christian Zionism worships Israel not Jesus

Listen to Hagee saying in min. 3 that Israel is the focus of the Bible.

Is he a Christian anymore? Not even Jews think that, they consider God the focus of the Bible, and Jesus taught his followers that he is the focus of the Bible, Luke 24:27; John 5:39.

Well, if you don't believe me, listen to this heretic teacher yourself. 

More statistics on the US 2012 Election

I know it's a bother, but there must be a kind of reason why the Republicans are turning out to be the party of the whites and old too.

I offer you what the Washington Post has researched about the American electoral demographics.

HISPANICS
17 percent of U.S. population
Share of 2000 vote: 7 percent
How they voted for president:
Gore: 62 percent
Bush: 35 percent
Share of 2012 vote: 10 percent (up 3 percentage points)
How they voted for president:
Obama: 71 percent
Romney: 27 percent
___
BLACKS
12 percent of U.S. population
Share of 2000 vote: 10 percent
How they voted for president:
Gore: 90 percent
Bush: 9 percent
Share of 2012 vote: 13 percent (up 3 percentage points)
How they voted for president:
Obama: 93 percent
Romney: 6 percent
___
WHITES
63 percent of U.S. population
Share of 2000 vote: 81 percent
How they voted for president:
Bush: 54 percent
Gore: 42 percent
Share of 2012 vote: 72 percent (down 9 percentage points)
How they voted for president:
Romney: 59 percent
Obama: 39 percent
___
SINGLE WOMEN
26 percent of U.S. population age 15 and older
Share of 2000 vote: 19 percent
How they voted for president:
Gore: 63 percent
Bush: 33 percent
Share of 2012 vote: 23 percent (up 4 percentage points)
How they voted for president:
Obama: 67 percent
Romney: 31 percent
___
MARRIED WOMEN
25 percent of U.S. population age 15 and over
Share of 2000 vote: 33 percent
How they voted for president:
Bush: 49 percent
Gore: 48 percent
Share of 2012 vote: 31 percent (down 2 percentage points)
How they voted for president:
Romney: 53 percent
Obama: 46 percent
___
WHITE MEN
31 percent of U.S. population
Share of 2000 vote: 38 percent
How they voted for president:
Bush: 60 percent
Gore: 36 percent
Share of 2012 vote: 34 percent (down 4 percentage points)
How they voted for president:
Romney: 62 percent
Obama: 35 percent
___
WHITES WITHOUT FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE DEGREES
46 percent of U.S. population age 25 and older
Share of 2000 vote: 46 percent
How they voted for president:
Bush: 57 percent
Gore: 40 percent
Share of 2012 vote: 36 percent (down 10 percentage points)
How they voted for president:
Romney: 62 percent
Obama: 36 percent

So there you go, population shifts do have an impact on how to target an audience.

You don't need to be Blasphemous to bring more customers

And that's exactly a cafe in New Zealand has done:

With a name like Chapel Bar & Bistro, one can assume its advertisements would take on a religious motif. What some may interpret as clever allusion, others may interpret as blasphemy. 

Chapel Bar & Bistro, located in Ponsonby, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, is celebrating its seventh anniversary. In honor of "seven years of almighty nights," Chapel released an ad depicting "Jesus" and "Mary" in a compromising position.

And apparently this is not the first time they show their idiocy:

Chapel has used religious imagery in its advertisements before. Previous ads showed Jesus and Mary in stained glass with pizza pies as halos and dinner and drinks deals written in scripture scrolls.

But those who are asking for liberty of expression, whatever the expression may be, are also awarding the depiction of the Christian's saviour in such a manner:

The shocking ads may be working. Owner Luke Dallow says Chapel has been"creating miracles since 2005," with a string of devoted celebrity and local fans, and various awards to its name, according to Voxy.

Those who want liberty to advertise, should be more bold. Put Mohammed in a compromising position, and watch your establishment burn the next day.

Christians are easy targets, and don't have any protection from the government. But hey, some of us are so much into defending others, that we forget to defend our own. We deserve it, in a way.

Congratulations to Barak Obama on his re-election

The Christian Hope of the Resurrection

When Christ Returns, He Will Reign in Jerusalem, and Missour, according to Romney

I was dismayed when Billy Graham took of Mormons from his heretics lists.

I wonder if he now agrees with Mormons regarding their eschatology?

How about you Christians who are so sure to vote for this Mormon? Do you think his beliefs are going to be left at the door of the White House? We have seen that Obama didn't do that, why should Romney do it?

Open your eyes, you still have time.

"Evangelical" churches way of using Halloween

Speechless:

                   
                   
                   
                   

Is this a fitting hymn, ejem, song, to start your Easter celebrations?

The Museum of Idolatry, once again, has out done themselves reporting how some "churches" are attracting new converts.

Here is opening hymn praise song ummm "number" for Easter 2009 at New Spring Church.
Come on all you Christians...Sing Along with the praise song leader...here are the lyrics. Certainly Christians can sing this song without any guilt on Easter Sunday because this applies to Christians...Right?

The need to mend relationships. Philemon 1:8-22

Your Pastor is Spider Man. No way!! FAILED!!!

I always wanted to be Spider Man. When I married and had children, my family members said that "Spider Man is making little spiders".

Well, I am not going to use my church to fulfil some childhood dream of becoming Spider Man, or the Man of Steel, or the Cape Crusader. Emergent Church people, sometimes feel like they are using Church to do this very thing.

People, don't use church tu fulfil your unfulfilled dreams. If you are not Spider Man, or an actor, don't pretend to be.

This is how somebody reported this crazy act:

Pastor or more accurately wannabe Broadway sensation David Hughes of Church Circus by the Glades, this past Sunday decided that it was time to recreate the famous kiss scene from the Spiderman movie during church.

And  here it's the video to see it:

Haddon Robinson on Preaching

Robinson is spot on.  He is one of the best preachers I've ever heard. His preaching way more than compensates for his looks.

Listen to him, and learn from a master of preaching. I wll post one of his sermons another day.

52 tips about Apologetics

These are not originally mine, rather, they are from Brian Auten, from apologetics315.com

I hope these help you in your apologetics endeavours.

1. Be first a person of prayer with a goal to know the Lord.

2. Be a continual reader.

3. Know both sides of the issues.

4. Listen to as many good lectures as possible.

5. Listen to every debate you can get your hands on.

6. Learn from the best debaters.

7. Learn from the worst debaters. (what not to do)

8. Find a mentor if you can.

9. Apologetics is not a boxing match; it’s walking along side another in dialogue.

10. You’re not in it to win arguments; you are in it to win people.

11. Be mindful of your spiritual life above your apologetics studies.

12. Allow your apologetics studies to be worship unto the Lord.

13. Your wife doesn’t want to hear about your online debates.

14. Don’t talk about apologetics at the dinner table, unless you are with apologetics buddies.

15. Find like-minded friends to fellowship with and reflect on apologetic issues.

16. Get input and feedback from other apologists and mature Christian peers.

17. Pray for the people you are interacting with. If you don’t pray for them, what do you expect to accomplish?

18. Never respond to blog comments in an emotional state. Cool off first and pray.

19. Remember, you don’t have to win the whole world.

20. Study how Jesus interacted and communicated with people.

21. Remember that you have the truth.

22. Pray all the time.

23. Spend time with your family.

24. Enjoy worship at your church.

25. Get away from the apologetics stuff for a while regularly.

26. Avoid taking extreme views and ignoring other options.

27. Study logic and critical thinking; it will help you more than you can imagine.

28. Get into public speaking and learn communication skills. And learn to spell.

29. Always seek first to win the person.

30. You don’t have to respond to every possible objection.

31. Study theology alongside or before you get into apologetics.

32. Study and understand different apologetic methodologies and don’t defend your method to the death.

33. Read Pascal’s Pensées.

34. Read stuff that challenges you to think hard.

35. Be humble; you know so little.

36. Draw from the expertise of others.

37. Specialize if you can.

38. Understand the spiritual condition of those you are interacting with.

39. Understand the psychological reasons people have for holding their views.

40. Admit it when you are wrong.

41. Realize that there is no end to the subject; get in it for the long haul.

42. Don’t rush your studies.

43. Don’t be a hypocrite. Stay pure.

44. Poor character will destroy your apologetics.

45. An apologist is ultimately an evangelist; so first know how to share the Gospel well.

46. In evangelism, start with the Gospel and use apologetics only if the need arises.

47. Realize that not everyone at your church is going to be as excited about apologetics as you are.

48. Apologetics is about loving people; remove the love from your apologetic and you fail.

49. You don’t have to know every answer, just where to go to get the answers.

50. Apologetics can bolster faith and dispel doubt, but it cannot bend the will.

51. The results are up to the Lord.

52. At the end of the day, are you walking with Jesus?

What would you add?

Sermon on Philemon chapter 1:1-7

Another one who couldn't handle fame, and went off the rails

I never liked the guy, always felt that he was using his church to get ahead in life.

Well, now we know, and another one bites the dust.

Chart topper Guy Sebastian has spoken in favour of same-sex marriage.He also revealed he has changed many of his religious beliefs since being painted as the poster boy for church during his Australian Idol days (Herald Sun 11/10/12 p7). Please pray for Guy.

Some thoughts on the Church

Many Christians treat the church not like their mother, but like their mistress.  They visit her only when they want something. 

By Jim West. 

Why I don't follow Dispensationalism

Dinesh D'Souza accused of adultery

I don't like these types of news, since a good friend of mine, was accused of rape by a young girl, that turned out to be false. But if we stay quite about this, then we are blamed by our enemies of turning a blind eye.

So, here it's the news from Huffington Post.

NEW YORK — A conservative scholar behind a high-grossing documentary that condemns President Barack Obama is under investigation by the evangelical college he leads over a report he took a woman who is not his wife to an event on Christian values. 

The King's College board announced the review on Tuesday, the day the conservative Christian newsmagazine WORLD reported event organizers had confronted Dinesh D'Souza about sharing a hotel room with a woman he introduced as his fiancee. D'Souza filed for divorce from his wife, Dixie D'Souza, a few days after the conference, California court records show.

I have had another friend, who made a similar mistake. But in D'Souza's case, he was separated, however, still not divorced. So this may had been a terrible lapse of judgment.

In a brief telephone interview with The Associated Press, Dinesh D'Souza, who became president of The King's College in 2010, said he and his wife have been "living in a state of separation for two years." He denied sharing the hotel room with the other woman. 

"Obviously, I wouldn't have introduced her as my fiancee if I thought we were doing anything improper," D'Souza said, adding they have called off their engagement. 

The college, which was located in the Empire State Building before moving this year to lower Manhattan, aims to shape young Christians as future leaders in all sectors of society.

 Well, this shows that no matter how good a debater you are, we are not beyond temptation, or acting stupid. He has filed for divorce, and may even get divorced soon, but this is a strong hit against the apologetics community. But this is also a warning shot, that being a good apologists does not mean you are a saint.

I pray for D'Souza and those who are hurting because of this incident. May there be grace and repentance of all the ones involved.

Good definitions of what Systematic and Biblical Theologies are

Nine Marks of a False Prophet, according to Zwingli

You may know of 9 Mark Ministries, the ministry emphasises on those 9 marks that the church needs to show in order to be a healthy church.

However, in this entry, I offer to you 9 marks of false teachers, penned by Zwingli.

I hope they may resonate with you, and help you to discern those who are false and those who are true shepherds.

1. All who do not teach are nothing but wolves, though they might be called shepherd, bishop, or king. See in this connection how many teaching bishops there are.2. Those who teach their own dreams rather than the word of God are wolves.3. Those who teach the word of God, yet not to the honor of God, but for themselves and their head, the Pope, for protection of their fabricated high station, are harmful wolves, coming in sheep’s clothing.4. Those who teach already and teach even with the word of God, but do not, however, disturb the greatest aggravators, the leaders, but allow their tyranny to grow, are flattering wolves or traitors of the people.5. Those who do not practice with works what they teach with the word are nothing among the Christian people, destroying much more with their works than they build with their words.6. Those who do not pay attention to the poor but let them be oppressed and burdened, are false shepherds.7. Those who wear the name of shepherd, yet rule in the worldly sense are the most evil werewolves.8. Those who gather riches, filling sack, purse, storehouse and cellar are true werewolves. And finally, those who do other things with doctrine than undertaking to plant the knowledge, love and childlike fear of God among the people are false shepherds. They must soon be removed from the sheep or they will devour them entirely.9. Therefore it is easy to understand that all those are false shepherds who lead from the Creator to the creature. 

The USA is not a Protestant nation anymore

This was long coming. The USA has embraced multiculturalism like Australia has, and therefore, have no backbone in the faith the helped the country.

AP starts its news piece this way:

For the first time in its history, the United States does not have a Protestant majority, according to a new study. One reason: The number of Americans with no religious affiliation is on the rise.

So, it's not that they are turning to Catholicism as some have suggested, but those who are not affiliated with a historical church, or those non-denominational churches, are not considered Protestants at all.

The percentage of Protestant adults in the U.S. has reached a low of 48 percent, the first time that Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has reported with certainty that the number has fallen below 50 percent. The drop has long been anticipated and comes at a time when no Protestants are on the U.S. Supreme Court and the Republicans have their first presidential ticket with no Protestant nominees. 

Among the reasons for the change are the growth in nondenominational Christians who can no longer be categorized as Protestant, and a spike in the number of American adults who say they have no religion. The Pew study, released Tuesday, found that about 20 percent of Americans say they have no religious affiliation, an increase from 15 percent in the last five years.

Just as Europe is turning more and more secular, the USA has also adopted the same approach, and this is alarming for those who have always considered that the USA is an exceptional nation, because it is, as they say, a Christian nation:

Growth among those with no religion has been a major preoccupation of American faith leaders who worry that the United States, a highly religious country, would go the way of Western Europe, where church attendance has plummeted. Pope Benedict XVI has partly dedicated his pontificate to combating secularism in the West. This week in Rome, he is convening a three-week synod, or assembly, of bishops from around the world aimed at bringing back Roman Catholics who have left the church.

As this trend continues, it is sure to affect the politics of the the USA.

The trend also has political implications. American voters who describe themselves as having no religion vote overwhelmingly for Democrats. Pew found Americans with no religion support abortion rights and gay marriage at a much higher-rate than the U.S. public at large. These "nones" are an increasing segment of voters who are registered as Democrats or lean toward the party, growing from 17 percent to 24 percent over the last five years. The religiously unaffiliated are becoming as important a constituency to Democrats as evangelicals are to Republicans, Pew said. 

There was a belief that the USA was different from Europe, because of its religiosity, that although it was a wealthy nation, it still had a faith to rely on. Well, as the Guardian Newspaper reports, that's only an illusion:

Researchers have been struggling for decades to find a definitive reason for the steady rise in those with no religion. The spread of secularism in western Europe was often viewed as a byproduct of growing wealth in the region. Yet among industrialised nations, the US stood out for its deep religiosity in the face of increasing wealth.

Both news sources point to the fact that there are no Protestants in the Supreme Court, and that the Republican presidential candidates, both are not Protestants. That, in the party that is considered the bastion of Protestantism.

Is this a sign that Protestantism as an experiment has failed? Catholics have not done well either. It is very interesting that such a study comes in the month when Protestantism celebrates its birth!!

Regardless of the final assessment we give to this finding, it shows that the thought of the USA as a Christian nation, is now just a myth.

A bit "presidential" humor. A hair cut is everything.

Cambridge Journals Online - Fulltext

Here it's an example of a good scholarly article.

I hope you can have a look, and appreciate this find New Testament Journal. It always has something good to offer.

Cambridge Journals Online - Fulltext

Atheists do crazy things too. Like running naked declaring there is no god.

Atheists always blame us Christians for doing crazy things, such as believing there's a God we believe in.

But if we just take a closer look at them, they also do crazy things in the name of their weird beliefs, or rather, unbeliefs. Take a look a this.

A math professor at Michigan State University allegedly stripped naked, ran naked through his classroom and screamed "There is no f*cking God!" before police apprehended him, according to several reports.
The professor's name has not yet been released, but online, students said he was "eccentric," and that they "could probably have seen this coming."

And from one of the students a the University, listen to his side of the events:

Background story: I was in Calc 1 at Michigan State University, and my teacher was always pretty eccentric, but today he went overboard. Half way through class, he started screaming at us -- swearing left and right. He then started slamming his hands on the window and pressing his face against it, still screaming. Eventually he walked out and down the hallway to the end, all while screaming. He then came back into the classroom and took off his clothes, except for his socks. You know someones crazy when they leave their socks on lmao. At this point everyone in class ran out. We were literally scared for our lives. The police took about 15 minutes to get here, and during this time he continued walking around screaming. 

So there you go, atheists also act crazy, and do delusional things.

A new, sick way to get drunk. Through your butt

Guess what? In order to get drunk faster, people are not taking it through the mouth, but through their butts!! The Washington Post reports.

Early Saturday morning, an unresponsive University of Tennessee student was dropped off at a medical center with a blood alcohol content that local police say was “well over .40,” the point at which death can occur. How did the 20-year-old student get that dangerously drunk?
Campus police went to the student’s fraternity house, Pi Kappa Alpha (aka Pike), to find out. They found at least three males passed out — and this scene, as described by a Knoxville police spokesman in a Monday statement that was obtained by The Post: “Upon extensive questioning it is believed that members of the fraternity were utilizing rubber tubing inserted into their rectums as a conduit for alcohol as the abundance of capillaries and blood vessels present greatly heightens the level and speed of the alcohol entering the blood stream as it bypasses the filtering by the liver.”

A new way of getting drunk? Wait and see a lot of people dying out of this new, and sick way of getting drunk.

And what's the name of this new way of getting wasted?

The act of getting wasted in that way is also referred to as “butt chugging,” “alcohol enema” and, well, “completely idiotic.” 

And to top it all, the father is mad, not at his son for almost getting killed by doing such a stupid thing, but he is mad a the reporting of the incident:

The student’s father is irate that news of his son’s trip to the hospital has made headlines and told the student newspaper, the Daily Beacon, that there “are significant errors that have been reported and we will correct them.” The father did not elaborate on what those errors were, but told the paper that his son is back in class and “livid with the defamation of his character.” 

So he is more worried about his character, than his life. Total crazy dad.

Well, this blog didn't make it in the top 200. You want to know who did?

If you blog, you may do it out of love for the church, or just because you enjoy letting others know what you think.

This is the list of the top 200 blogs that have to deal with religion, specifically Christianity.

If you want to know how things are going on in the blogosphere, you may want to take a look.

Posting in Facebook could land you in jail

This is one example. Although the lady was drunk, and should have been sent to jail anyway, this is an example of how putting dumb things on Facebook may land you in jail. So be careful!!!!!

Facebook Posting Lands Woman A Contempt Of Court Charge 

Posted: Sep 10, 2012 6:03 PM 

A common acronym for "laugh out loud" on the internet is "lol." But a Woodford County judge wasn't laughing over comments a woman posted on her Facebook page regarding a serious DUI crash. A crash, police say, she caused. Now, the judge has held the woman in contempt of court. 

Woodford District Judge Mary Jane Phelps warned Paula Asher over her Facebook postings about a serious DUI crash that happened on July 20. Asher didn't listen, and ended up in jail. 

Police say Asher drove drunk and t-boned another car with four people in it, then left the scene of the accident. The crash landed her in hot water, but so did her Facebook comments. "I didn't think 'lol' would put me in jail," said Asher. 

After the crash, Asher posted the following on her Facebook page: "my dumb (expletive) got a dui and I hit a car...lol." 

Some parents of the teenagers in the other car read the comments and told the court. That's when Phelps ordered Asher to close her Facebook account, but she didn't. "I really wasn't trying to make fun of (the crash)," claims Asher. 

The judge found asher in contempt of court and put her in jail for two days when she ignored the order and kept her Facebook account. "I had to go pull my time in," said Asher. "I did and they said I'm not allowed to have Facebook." 

Asher says she's learned her lesson. "I apologize to everybody," she said. "i apologize to the judge. I didn't mean to hurt anybody." 

Asher will face the judge again September 27 on all the charges, including possession of a controlled substance.

Two examples how Islam raises kids to hate all else

This is what happened in Sydney in the last couple of days.

Today, the mother had to go to the police in order to inform if the child is doing well. I wonder if the child even knows how to read, and was just given the placard to carry.

All the violence in Sydney points out that the second generation muslims here in Australia just don't assimilate as well as our failed multiculturalism claims. 

Here it is the link if you want to to follow up this news.

Why Christianity became the Roman Empire's religion

Christianity became the Roman Empire’s designated religion in less than 300 years from Christ’s resurrection. Its success came from opposing abortion and female infanticide, treating women almost equally and giving them more opportunities, loving neighbours and caring for the sick and poor, and having courageous martyrs (Herald Sun 17/9/12 p20, 21).

Scalia calls Roe v. Wade a "lousy opinion"

Calvinsim: more like Schmalvinism!

Written by: Simon on 23/06/2012.

Calvinism must be one of the most overused and abused terms going around in church circles. Much of what I say below I really mean, but it is rather tongue-in-cheek. Also, the way I box people into categories is very fluid, as I will explain later. Finally, I should also apologise to anyone who goes by the name Schmalvin; any confusion is completely unintended.

There are quite a number of streams of Calvinism. Each of the groups I describe below all locate themselves in the theological heritage of the French Protestant reformer, John Calvin. It is very confusing. I hope this helps.

You have the New Calvinists: John Piper is like the grandfather, Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler and co. are the hipsters who tow the line behind him and a few other grandfather figures. They are the world’s biggest fans of the TULIPacronym. You may have heard the phrase “5 Point Calvinism” thrown around. Most of these people say they are Calvinists, and then you usually discover that they are “4 points Calvinists,” or “4-and-a-half-point Calvinists.” John Piper is a 17 point Calvinist, I think. I suppose that the MacArthur-peddling boys at Team Pyro would fit into this category as well. They tend to be Baptists. Their books get endorsed by D. A. Carson, J. I. Packer and Albert Mohler.

Then you have the Neo-Calvinists. The confusing thing about that title is that “neo” means “new” and so you have two types or Neo-Calvinists floating around. It’s like R. C. Sproul, and R. C. Sproul Jr. More on them later. These Neo-Calvinists descend from the Dutch Calvinist stream, whose figurehead isAbraham Kuyper. Modern exponents include Douglas Wilson, philosopher Nick Wolterstorff, R. C. Spoul Jr, and less explicitly, Tim Keller. They like to use snappy catch-phrases like “All of life under Christ” and use crazy terminology like “sphere sovereignty.” They also emphasise having a Christian worldview, Christian education, and the story arc of the Bible being “Creation-Fall-Redemption-Consumation.”

There are also those whom I enjoy labeling Grumpy Calvinists. I include folk like D. G. Hart, Michael Horton and the White Horse Inn guys, and Carl Truman in this lot. These folk enjoy pointing out everyone else’s shortcomings as Calvinists/Reformed Christians. They tend to freak out about the Neo-Calvinists being too interested in politics and cultural engagement, and they get annoyed by the New Calvinists being not really that Calvinist. They quote the Westminster Confession a lot, and talk about Two-Kingdom theology like it is their theological grid for everything. They also like quoting J. Gresham Machen.

Finally, there’s all of those people who follow the thought of Calvin who either don’t realise it, don’t make a big fuss about it, or don’t care. I would call them the Comfortable Calvinists. They don’t tend to feel the need to prove their ‘Reformed-ness” by arguing with everyone else about how un-reformed they might be. I would say that people like Kevin de Young, the lads over at theCalvinist International, R. C. Sproul, John Frame, and J. I. Packer could be included here.

All of that being said, some of these parties overlap, and individuals who sit under one banner might also happily sit under more than one banner. It is also worth noting that even though these camps might have a dig at each other, they often share the podium at conferences and dialogue about various issues very helpfully. They have more in common than it appears. I have learnt a stack from all of the above-named people, and others within each of the Calvinist camps.

That’s it. Enjoy continuing to be confused.