Culture, Current Events, Denominations, Evangelism, SBC News, Theology

Will Evangelism Cure the SBC?

From James Grant:

I finally got around to reading iMonk’s rant on the ten year focus on evangelism in the SBC. It is well worth the read. I agree with him. The last thing the SBC needs to do is focus on evangelism. There are a lot of other things the SBC should be focusing on, and Spencer mentions some of them. For example,

  1. We need to have healthy churches.
  2. We need to have a clear Gospel message.
  3. We need meaningful church membership.
  4. We need pastors who can grow disciples.
  5. We need Christians on mission in the world where God’s placed them.
    We need to love people.
  6. We need to live authentically human lives.
  7. We need a missional mindset for going into the world.
  8. We need to see our prevailing sins, like materialism, classism, racism and involvement in the prosperity Gospel.
  9. We need to repent of our pragmatism, because it’s not true that if just one walks forward, everything we did was right.

I agree 100% and would add several other problems. But Spencer goes on to say, “We’re like a hospital with real problems. Doctor problems. Staff problems. Quality problems. Effectiveness problems. People aren’t getting well. Some are getting a lot worse. Some aren’t making it. And we are concerned……about getting more patients.” Take a moment and read his whole rant.

Culture News, Current Events, False Religion, Prayer Requests

Clay Aiken Comes Out of Closet, Confirms He’s Gay

Well, this is always sad news, but it’s even worse when the person coming out of the closet says that they are a confessing Christian and don’t believe that homosexuality is in conflict with God’s prescription for human sexuality. Please pray for Mr. Aiken and ask God to change his heart. God’s done greater things before, so don’t think it cannot happen. May God have mercy on Clay Aiken and show him the truth!

Clay Aiken appears on stage in his role as Sir Robin in Monty Python's "Spamalot"

Excerpt from news article:

The 29-year-old former “American Idol” runner-up, multiplatinum recording artist and Broadway star credits his son, conceived by in-vitro fertilization with friend and producer Jaymes Foster, with making him realize that he could no longer hide his homosexuality from the world.

“It was the first decision I made as a father,” Aiken told the magazine, which arrives on newsstands Friday. “I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things. I wasn’t raised that way, and I’m not going to raise a child to do that.”

Aiken, who rose to fame on “Idol” in 2003, has long been subject of rumors and tabloid fodder that he was gay, but usually refused to acknowledge them. In an interview with The Associated Press two years ago, he said of the talk: “I don’t really feel like I have anybody to answer to but myself and God and the people I love.” . . .

The magazine cover features Aiken holding his son, born in August. Aiken, who considers himself a born-again Christian, said he knows he may turn off some fans — known as Claymates — with his admission and his decision to have a child outside traditional marriage.

“I’ve never intended to lie to anybody at all,” he said. “But if they leave, I don’t want them to leave hating me.”

Gay groups applauded Aiken’s public admission.

Apologetics, Atheism, Debate, Evangelism, Evolution, False Religion, Mp3s, Promotionals, Reforming, Theology, Trinity

Free Apologetic MP3 Downloads from Doug Wilson

1 Comment

If you’ve never heard Doug Wilson debate, now is your chance and best of all… it’s FREE! Pastor Wilson is a very important figure in the ongoing debate with the “New Atheism” that has so loudly proclaimed itself as the truth in recent years. Thankfully, Canon Press is now offering several mp3s and a new book where Pastor Wilson has debated these atheists. See the information below for what they are offering. But first, I would like to draw your attention to the free mp3 they are offering on why Doug Wilson would even attempt to debate an atheist. You can download that mp3 from my web site here or listen to it from the player in this post. Enjoy!

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Here is the info about the free mp3s:

Apologetics, the Why and the How

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…” (1 Peter 3:15, ESV)

For most Christians, Peter’s words present a daunting challenge. Unless you’re a pastor, or an evangelist, or someone else similarly gifted and accustomed to preaching the Gospel, giving a defense of your faith tends to be a messy enterprise. Answers rarely come easy. Objections, on the other hand, come like a mighty river, and they’re often difficult to refute and turn aside. And often, Christian apologetics seems to be a futile exercise—we can’t argue anyone into the truth, and sometimes it looks like our efforts only make unbelievers more stubborn in their resistance to the Gospel.

Over the past year-and-a-half, Pastor Wilson has written several books attacking the “New Atheism” movement, but debating atheists is not a newfound hobby for him. Wilson has debated atheists Eddie Tabash and Dan Barker—each of them twice, no less—in the past fifteen years. And in this CRF Lecture, Why Debate an Atheist, he explains what good can come of such debates and why he has taken the time to participate in them. For those who question debates’ worth, or who would simply like to know what they can learn from them, this lecture provides answers.

To celebrate the release of Is Christianity Good for the World?, we’re offering this talk as a free MP3 download. Please visit the item page to download the talk, and please share it with your friends: it is a wonderful introduction to and defense of Christian apologetics, particularly since we face the ongoing attacks of New Atheism.

And speaking of Is Christianity Good for the World?, we have been very pleased with the reception it has received thus far. Not only has it sold well on Amazon and other online retailers, but it is also being featured on front tables in Barnes & Noble stores across the country. (Please feel free to point your friends or your blog links to ischristianitygoodfortheworld.com: not only can they see a good-sized picture of the book, but they can choose where they would like to purchase a copy.)

Current Events, Debate, False Religion, History, Islam, Politics, Prayer Requests

Great Britain IS under Sharia Law in less than a year

Well, I didn’t want to believe it. I hoped that I was wrong. But I wasn’t and it did not even take 8 months… Britain has now adopted Islamic Sharia into it’s court system for Muslim cases! This is a very sad time for Great Britain. It’s so sad that I don’t even want to call them “Great” anymore. Please pray for this situation and pray that things do not get taken too far with this for the sake of all those who live in Britain and don’t want to be under Sharia law themselves.

Here is an excerpt from the news article I linked to above:

Islamic law has been officially adopted in Britain, with sharia courts given powers to rule on Muslim civil cases.

The government has quietly sanctioned the powers for sharia judges to rule on cases ranging from divorce and financial disputes to those involving domestic violence.

Rulings issued by a network of five sharia courts are enforceable with the full power of the judicial system, through county courts or the country’s High Court, a part of its Supreme Court system.

Previously, the rulings of sharia courts in Britain could not be enforced, and depended on voluntary compliance among Muslims.

Politicians and church leaders expressed concerns that this could mark the beginnings of a “parallel legal system” based on sharia for some British Muslims.

Dominic Grieve, the shadow home secretary, said: “If it is true that these tribunals are passing binding decisions in the areas of family and criminal law, I would like to know which courts are enforcing them because I would consider such action unlawful. British law is absolute and must remain so.”

Apologetics, Debate, Evangelism, False Religion, Historical Jesus Debate, History, Islam, Promotionals, Theology, Videos

Was Jesus Resurrected or Rescued?

This was the formal Muslim-Christian Debate held at UC Davis on November 30, 2006. Ali Ataie and Michael Licona debate whether Jesus Christ was resurrected or rescued.

NOTE: This youtube player is setup with a playlist for all 14 parts of the debate. The playlist will pop up whenever a video finishes or whenever you move you mouse across the bottom of the video area. You can select what ever part of the debate you want to watch with this playlist feature. Enjoy!

Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life."

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