Ignatius

Ignatius from travis hawkins on Vimeo.

BibleMap.org

Ever wondered where all the churches in Revelation 1 actually were? Maybe not...but if you did, you can now see their location on a satellite image of earth courtesy of BibleMap.org. Just type in the book and chapter of the Bible your reading and you'll see a map of locations found in that section of scripture....pretty cool huh?

Bulls & Bears

I thought that these videos of Peter Schiff were sort of funny (in a sad way). Peter Schiff was the economic advisor for Ron Paul and both of them were laughed at and ridiculed by the "experts" for their gloomy predictions about the "invincible" American economy.

Some of these videos of Peter Schiff go back to 2006 and you would think that he was actually able to go to the future and then come back and report what he saw. I mean everything that he said would happen, as far as I can tell, has happened and everybody thought that he was Chicken Little just running around screaming "The sky is falling".








8/28/2006 - Peter Schiff Predicts the US Economic Collapse with Unbelievable Accuracy

Peter Schiff vs Steve Forbes - Part 1

Peter Schiff vs Steve Forbes - Part 2

Obama's Call to Renewal

“(Obama's speech on faith) may be the most important pronouncement by a Democrat on faith and politics since John F. Kennedy's Houston speech in 1960 declaring his independence from the Vatican...Obama offers the first faith testimony I have heard from any politician that speaks honestly about the uncertainties of belief.”

— E.J. Dionne, Op-Ed., Washington Post, June 30, 2006

While we are on the topic of Christian politics I thought I would share some quick thoughts from a speech that Senator Barack Obama made back in June of 2006. I was ignorant of this speech until a couple weeks ago when I stumbled across it on Obama's campaign website. I was drawn into reading the speech because of the above mentioned quote that caught my attention. I think many times "Evangelicals" in America believe that all Democrats are liberal atheists with no faith at all, or at best, practice an unauthentic faith that is only put on to reel in Evangelical votes. I think overlooking an entire party when deciding who to vote for based upon religious stereotypes (whether it be the "liberal heathens" or the "hell-fire, fundamentalist conservatives") is the biggest mistake a voter can make.

This blog entry isn't intended to be an endorsement of Obama, but rather a discussion starter continuing on the topic of faith and politics. With that being said, I would like to share some quotes from Obama's speech on faith and politics. I hope you'll join the conversation and comment with your thoughts and whether or not you agree or disagree with anything mentioned. And if you are a Christian, does everything Obama say in this speech line up with sound Biblical Theology?

_______

"Indeed, the single biggest "gap" in party affiliation among white Americans today is not between men and women, or those who reside in so-called Red States and those who reside in Blue, but between those who attend church regularly and those who don't."


"This religious tendency is not simply the result of successful marketing by skilled preachers or the draw of popular mega-churches. In fact, it speaks to a hunger that's deeper than that - a hunger that goes beyond any particular issue or cause."

"And in time, I came to realize that something was missing as well -- that without a vessel for my beliefs, without a commitment to a particular community of faith, at some level I would always remain apart, and alone."

"Because of its past, the black church understands in an intimate way the Biblical call to feed the hungry and cloth the naked and challenge powers and principalities. And in its historical struggles for freedom and the rights of man, I was able to see faith as more than just a comfort to the weary or a hedge against death, but rather as an active, palpable agent in the world. As a source of hope."

"You need to come to church in the first place precisely because you are first of this world, not apart from it. You need to embrace Christ precisely because you have sins to wash away - because you are human and need an ally in this difficult journey."


"After all, the problems of poverty and racism, the uninsured and the unemployed, are not simply technical problems in search of the perfect ten point plan. They are rooted in both societal indifference and individual callousness - in the imperfections of man. Solving these problems will require changes in government policy, but it will also require changes in hearts and a change in minds."

"In fact, because I do not believe that religious people have a monopoly on morality, I would rather have someone who is grounded in morality and ethics, and who is also secular, affirm their morality and ethics and values without pretending that they're something they're not."

"Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all."

"Even those who claim the Bible's inerrancy make distinctions between Scriptural edicts, sensing that some passages - the Ten Commandments, say, or a belief in Christ's divinity - are central to Christian faith, while others are more culturally specific and may be modified to accommodate modern life. The American people intuitively understand this, which is why the majority of Catholics practice birth control and some of those opposed to gay marriage nevertheless are opposed to a Constitutional amendment to ban it. Religious leadership need not accept such wisdom in counseling their flocks, but they should recognize this wisdom in their politics."

________



Any thoughts?


Read Obama's 'Call to Renewal'

Beliefnet Article with Video Clips

Rob Bell: Hippier-Than-Thou Pastor

Creative title huh? Well I can't take credit for it...Time Magazine released an article by the same title that is all about the culturally-savvy, megachurch pastor, Rob Bell. There is much discussion these days on the blogosphere concerning Rob Bell--1/3 love him, 1/3 hate him, and 1/3 can't decide what to think. I had the joy of hearing Rob speak at a conference several years ago and I will have to say that he is one of the best communicators I have ever heard. The message he delivered that day is one of the best sermons I have ever heard on many different levels. He hopped around the stage like a rapper with the mic, who was laying down a hot track, yet in the same manner he was able to passionately explain the Gospel message. If any one person fits all of the Evangelical "buzz words," (Emergent, Creative, Relevant, Emerging, Missional) that person would be Rob Bell. Some have claimed him as the heir to Billy Graham, while others have claimed him as a heretic. Love him or hate him, call him a hippy, a heretic, a genius, a geek, or a saint, Rob Bell is here to stay and is having a huge influence on the Church in America.


Check out the Time Magazine article: The Hippier-Than-Thou Pastor

Has anyone ever heard Rob Bell in person, read his books, listened to a podcast, or watched a NOOMA video? If so any, any discussion on the topic?

The Golden Compass: What's the Deal?

I will have to say that it was not until recently that I became aware of The Golden Compass, Phillip Pullman or the His Dark Materials trilogy. But after reading several articles online and several interviews with Pullman it is very clear that his agenda in these books is to destroy the Christian church and to debunk the idea of God. Just think of this trilogy as the polar opposite of Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. In fact Pullman described Lewis's work as "one of the most ugly and poisonous things I ever read."



So what's the deal? Should we protest, picket, hoot and holler, and raise a ruckus at the movie theater when The Golden Compass releases? Well, No....I don't think so...but I do believe that we should be informed. You should "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."(1Peter 3.15) It is quite possible that within the next week at work, school, church or the grocery store that this movie will come up in conversation as well as the subversive themes it portrays. And if that is the case then we need not be ignorant, rather we should be informed and ready to talk about the issues that come up. I can see the biggest challenge coming from uninformed parents and family members who take their kids to see the movie...the kids love the movie and then for Christmas the parents buy them the entire trilogy all the while not realizing that the books are about killing God, the idea of the Christian church and original sin.

So, if you are a parent I hope that you especially will do some research and become informed on Pullman and the trilogy from which this movie is based upon. I also hope that you will do some thoughtful consideration when deciding if your child should be allowed to watch this movie and even more so when it comes to reading the books. On another note, the movie should actually be good and for that reason I am excited about watching it....not to mention it has the new James Bond actor as a character and he was awesome!


"Atheists express their rage against God although in their view He does not exist." --C. S. Lewis

"A great many of those who 'debunk' traditional...values have in the background values of their own which they believe to be immune from the debunking process." C.S. Lewis--The Abolition of Man


The Golden Compass--A Briefing for Concerned Christians -- Albert Mohler

'The Golden Compass'--Does Not Point to True North -- Ben Witherington III

Is 'Golden Compass' selling atheism to kids? -- CNN Article

Religion Row Hits Pullman Epic -- UK Observer

"The Golden Compass" Sparks Protest -- The Catholic League

Church Protests Dead Marine's Funeral?

I ran across this article this morning about some crazy fundamentalist Kansas church that actually went to a dead Marine's funeral with signs that said, “God hates fags” and “Thank God for dead soldiers.” Oh, and the protest had nothing to do with that specific Marine. In fact, these wackos regularly "argue that U.S. troops are dying as punishment for America’s tolerance of homosexuality."

This type of stuff really makes me angry and at the same time it hurts because it's churches(hate groups) like this who are destroying the testimony of the Church as a whole. How in the heck could anyone think that something so screwed up as this brings any glory to God? In fact I think God probably wouldn't be so mad if someone punched them in the face for their stupidity...I know I'd sure like to...

Anyways, evidently I'm not the only one who thinks this is ridiculous because a jury awarded the family of the Marine $11 million in punitive and compensatory damages that the church, Westboro Baptist, will now have to pay after the family filled an invasion of privacy lawsuit. I couldn't agree more with this ruling and I think the church should face consequences for their actions...but that's just my opinion. What's yours? How do we as Christians respond or react to obviously false churches like this one? Do we sit back and be quiet while they destroy the testimony and image of the Church? Do we speak up and call them out? Let's hear what you think.


Baltimore Sun Article on Lawsuit
Wikipedia article on Westboro Baptist

Sermon Jams

Have you ever wondered what Alistair Begg, Joshua Harris, John Piper, Driscoll, Ravi and others sound like to music? Well now there is no need to wonder.

10:31 Sermon Jams has put together sermon excerpts from all of those guys and put them to music. Relevant revolution also has some as well.

Alistair Begg is quickly becoming one of the pastors I love to listen to and learn from. I think it is a combination of his accent, humor, frankness, theological clarity, and his sense of urgency and seriousness when it comes to the Gospel. It kind of stinks that he comes on the radio in Charlotte when everybody is supposed to be in the bed.

Here are some notable sermon jams to check out:
Alistair Begg - Careful
Mark Driscoll - Idols
John Piper - Check Yourself
Josh Harris - Cross Centered
Ravi - Pride

Joel Osteen on 60 Minutes

60 minutes has just aired a TV special on America’s most popular pastor. With a church membership of approximately 47000, Lakewood Church in Houston Texas is the largest church in America. Osteen's services are broadcasted all over the world with millions tuning in every week. And oh yeah by the way, he can bench press 300 lbs and cry on demand.

I thought the reporter did a good job, I don’t think he was buying all the stuff Osteen was yapping about. It seems like the reporter understood Christianity well enough to figure out the problem with Osteen. He kept pointing out the similarities between Osteen’s teaching and the teaching of Dr. Phil or Oprah. He also could spot the dangers in telling everyone that they will be rich and happy.

I was also glad 60 minutes brought on somebody like Michael Horton; it is very rare shows like this bring on someone of his caliber. Too bad he only got like 30 seconds of show time with 20 seconds showing him walking up stairs. But I think what they showed of Dr. Horton was good, I am surprised that they showed what they did. He was able to squeeze out a few phrases such as cotton candy gospel, fortune cookie, easy listening, and heresy. Dr. Horton is a professor at Westminster Seminary, he is also the editor of Modern Reformation magazine, and part of the White Horse Inn radio talk show.

None of this changes the fact that he is still deceiving millions with his distorted Gospel, and making millions if I might add. I am starting to think that he knows exactly what he is doing. He knows there is lots of money to be made from new age self help as well as Christianity, so why not combine them. When you need to talk about self help topics draw from your new age sources, and when you talk about something that can be supported from the Bible, use that.

The Internetmonk has a good article on the 60 minutes piece as well, so take a look at it if you can.

Is Yoga OK for Christians?

I recently ran across a video from CNN where they asked if yoga is ok for Christians. They brought on John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church, and Doug Pagitt, pastor of Solomon's Porch and member of Emergent village to debate this.

Just a little side note: If you are ever asked to come on CNN to debate an issue and you find out John MacArthur is on the other end, don't go, you will lose! I am a big fan of John MacArthur and I have watched him time and time again defend the biblical Gospel on live TV and it is always the same result. He constantly and relentlessly makes a stand for biblical truth. After seeing many Christian leaders sink back and flounder, MacArthur never misses a chance to present the Gospel with clarity and conviction.

You can't deny that yoga is becoming extremely popular in America as well as the Church. So what is its place in the lives of Christians? Is it off limits? Use it for exercise only? I took a few classes in college on eastern spirituality and we talked about yoga and the different types in depth. It is hard to separate yoga from its history and background, which are bottom line anti-Christian, so I urge to be careful when it comes to things like this.

I also urge you to be extremely cautious when it comes to the emergent movement and some of its authors and leaders. Some of these people are associated with the emergent movement, some are loosely associated, and some you just need to be on your toes :). Brian McLaren, Doug Pagitt, Tony Jones, Leonard Sweet, Shane Claiborne, Spencer Burke, Rob Bell (no he didn't), Don Miller (that's two strikes now), Tony Campolo, etc. I am not telling you don't read books by them, because some of them have good things to say, but I do want to say be careful and exercise a little discernment when it comes to books, instead of reading the latest and coolest books out there and believing they are true simply because they come under a Christian heading.

New Shane and Shane CD!

I am excited to announce that finally, after about 3 years, the new Shane and Shane CD is out.

If you haven’t ever heard anything by them, I suggest you go and buy every CD they have made, you won’t be disappointed. They are just flat out on a whole different level than all of the “stuff” going on in Christian music. A lot of their music comes directly from the Psalms and other scriptures and is saturated with the Gospel. I am a person who loves the Gospel, I love to learn about it and sing about it, and in a Christian subculture surrounded by “prom songs to Jesus” which are devoid of substance and hardly mention sin, grace, Jesus, or atonement, Shane and Shane are definitely refreshing to hear.

I was able to go to their concert in Charlotte about a week ago and I was blown away. There wasn’t anything special about the concert, no big show with lights and all of that, just the music. When most artists are writing man-centered songs that hardly mention anything Christian, Shane and Shane were surprisingly God-centered. It was refreshing to see musicians and their music consumed and passionate about the Gospel and unashamed to share it. So, I highly recommend checking them out.

"Excellence in All Things and All Things to God's Glory" -- The Legacy of Dr. D. James Kennedy

Dr. Mohler has a good post about the passing of Dr.D. James Kennedy.

Also, Justin Taylor over at Between Two Worlds has a post with some good links.

Governor Huckabee on Creationism

Governor Huckabee in my opinion pretty much hits a homerun on his response to a Creationism question during a Republican debate. Check it out!

Crisis of Faith or Real Faith?

New Information Sheds Light into the Personal Faith Life of Mother Teresa.

Hey Guys,

I have not posted in a long while. I read this article on Mother Teresa and found it encouraging and also sad that we all face times of doubt and loneliness in our walk with God. Like Mother Teresa many of us put on a smile in public and count our tears in private. Like many of the psalms we have our highs and lows, a schizophrenia of emotions in our Christian walk, but we must also realize God is the one walking alongside of us through our journey.

Check out the article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20070823/wl_time/motherteresascrisisoffaith;_ylt=AsApQ8Y57LzR7PsOj4BZ9Vqs0NUE

British Girl Sues for Right to Wear a Purity Ring

I ran across this article over on the New York Times about a British girl who was punished in school for wearing a "purity ring" because it violated school dress codes. The student claims that the ring is an expression of her Christian faith and that she is being discriminated against. Since when can you not wear rings to school? Anyways, if you are familiar with "True Love Waits" or in her case the organization is called "Silver Ring Thing" then you get the basic gist of why she was wearing the ring. But is that really an expression of her faith? Is the government suppressing her Christian beliefs? The article raises some interesting questions...so if you have a minute check it out:

British Girl Sues for Right to Wear Chastity Ring: New York Times

Virtual Church

I ran across some cool technology stuff today that I had not seen before...LifeChurch, known for its amazing use of technology and online church campus has recently gained some attention from MSNBC with its online virtual 3D world campus on Second Life. Second Life (a newbie to me) is a 3D virtual world with millions of users who wander around and...yeah I don't know much about it but the best I understand it...it is similar to a RPG game like EverQuest, but it's not a game. Anyways it seems cool...people attend their "virtual" church on Sunday's and are participating in the services with their "virtual identity," even if they never step foot into a church building. I'm not sure how effective this type of ministry is, but as long as the gospel is being proclaimed in a Christ-centered way, it can't be bad...right?

Want to know more? Why don't you just check out the article on MSNBC or the video segment on the story. Leave your opinion in the comments.


LifeChurch speaks on the virtual evangelism issue: "Why Second Life?"

Why Hate Should Not Be a Crime

For those of you interested in where hate crime legislation is heading in this country, here are a few links to check out.

H.R. 1592

USA Today

Stand to Reason

AFD

Christian News wire

GovTrack

World Net Daily

A Good Soldier

I ran across this video on Mark Driscoll's blog that has to do with the issue of church planting. Evidently the video was too hardcore for the church planting conference it was to be distributed at, because after the showing of the video it was criticized from stage because it didn't refer to women church planters. It was to be distributed to the 1,500 plus church planters in attendance but because of the criticism from a keynote speaker, it was never distributed. What do you think...should a woman be a church planter? Check it out and leave comments.

See Mark's original post here.

BlogRoll

Seeing how the blogosphere and it's followers seem to be growing everyday...here's a list of some of our recommended daily reading material:

• PerryNoble.com
• Mark Driscoll
• Mark Batterson
• Internet Monk
• Monday Morning Insight
• Out Of Ur
• Steven Furtick
• Bible Belt Blogger
• Desiring God Blog
• Ben Witherington III
  
• Between Two Worlds
• Reformation 21 blog
• Stand to Reason blog
• Challies dot com
• Christian Research Network
  
• Green Baggins
• Riddleblog
• Jesus Creed
  
• Founders Ministries
  
• Triablogue
  
• Dr. Albert Mohler
• Team Pyro

If you have any other recommendations for the list...leave comments with the links.

Podcast coming soon!!

Hey guys, I've been staying up late each night this week trying to get us a sweet podcast up and running and I'm proud to announce that it should be up and running by the end of this weekend hopefully...so stay tuned. The new podcast will feature it's very own site and dowloadable feeds and files of recent sermon audio, Jonny's House original songs, and various other live recordings. So get ready, start downloading iTunes or some other podcatcher because thefoundationpodcast.com will be coming soon!!!