The Virtual Church

The time has come where mankind will attend the virtual church, also known as the "Church of Fools". The name speaks for itself. Read the news article for more details.

2006 Desiring God National Conference

This year's theme for the Desiring God National Conference:

Theme: Above All Earthly Powers: The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World
Date: September 29 to October 1, 2006
Speakers: David Wells, D.A. Carson, Timothy Keller, Mark Driscoll, Voddie Baucham and John Piper

Visit the Desiring God website for more details.

The Emerging Church Movement

Here's a sermon from the TMS Faculty Lecture Series in response to the Emerging Church movement. Click here to listen to the MP3.

Contending for Our All

John Piper came out with a new book titled, "Contending for Our All", which explores the lives of Athanasius, John Owen and J. Gresham Machen and their battles in defense of the truth. There are doctrines in the Bible that are worth dying and living for. More information available on the Desiring God website.

Tulipedia

An online resource of the five points of Calvinism: Tulipedia.

Does Christianity Squash Women?

Mary Mohler's review of the book on biblical womanhood titled, "Does Christianity Squash Women?" by Rebecca Jones:

Mrs. Jones readily admits that she is not a theologian. That is actually encouraging to those of us who, like the author, consider ourselves to be diligent, intelligent Christian women but do not hold theological degrees. Such credentials are not necessary to articulate a Biblical view of womanhood. While we certainly appreciate the work of both men and women who have studied the languages and earned terminal degrees, women who have been dedicated wives and mothers at home need not shy away from stating boldly and proudly what we believe. We are not on the lecture circuit to expound on our views but we hold them with deep conviction nonetheless.

(Source: Reformation 21)

Cut to the Heart

Reformissionary on evangelicalism, homosexuality and the emergent church:

What about Peter (Acts 2) preaching to the crowds and saying YOU crucified this Jesus, and they were cut to the heart and responded, "What shall we do?" Maybe many homosexuals aren't asking, "What shall we do?" because they aren't cut to the heart. And maybe they aren't cut to the heart because we have equated being non-committal with being "pastoral."

The most pastoral thing we can do for someone who run with down the avenue of homosexuality (just like any sin) is help them be cut to the heart in a God-intended way, through the truth of their sin in comparison with truth of God's law...

... The answer for "emerging leaders" is not a moratorium on deciding, but boldness to take the Scriptures at face value and to approach sinners with a firm kindness that will lead them to repentance.

The complete article can be read here.

Hall of Contemporary Reformers

The Monergism website has posted caricatures of contemporary Reformed theologians.

(Source: JT)

Holding Hands, Holding Hearts

P&R Publishing came out with a book by Richard and Sharon Phillips titled, "Holding Hands, Holding Hearts: Recovering a Biblical View of Christian Dating."

(Source: Reformation 21 Blog)

Children of the Secret State

Originally shown on the Discovery Times Channel, here is a documentary made on the orphans in North Korea, a convicting reality of the hunger epidemic in the world's most secret state. Please take some time to view it entirely.

Topics for prayer:

1. Immediate aid for the orphans and people who are literally dying from hunger, many who have not heard the gospel (N. Korea is a communist country). Sadly, the aid that the U.S. and American Red Cross has been providing for the past few years is getting redistributed to the party elite and/or is being sold on the black market (for those who are able to afford it).

2. Change within that country; that God will prepare the groundwork for the gospel and missions.

3. That God would awaken the hearts of His people with a heart of compassion and a desire to proclaim Christ and His glory to those that desperately need it.

(Matthew 9:36-38; James 1:27)

50 Most Influential Christians in America

For what it's worth, here's the list of the Top 50 Most Influential Christians in America, published by the Church Report.

A review and analysis of this list can be read here.

Caution Towards Fundamentalism/Legalism

Reformissionary has posted a letter to fellow SBC students regarding the dangers of fundamentalism/legalism in the Southern Baptist Convention:

We need to be better evangelists who aren't looking to repackage for the Gospel but rather looking to better understand and live the Gospel. I think we need to remember that we are to truly be in culture, not looking down on it, and not avoiding it. I think we need to remember that working for justice is a biblical idea, not a liberal one. I think we need a resurgence of love for and creation of art as reflecting the imago dei. I think we need better seminaries that aren't just telling us what we should think, but rather are teaching us how to think through Scripture and know The Spirit. I think we need an ethic based on biblical boundaries and biblical liberties. As Derek Webb has sung, it's much easier to follow a new law rather than be sanctified through learning to live out our freedoms and liberties.

For the complete letter, you can read it here.