What you probably will not see in Christian coloring books

Over at the Bible Thumping Wingnut program they just recently interviewed Christian blogger Fred Butler about many things and among them was the topic of Christians “Adult Coloring Books.”  Yeah, Adult coloring books.  “Christian” adult coloring books.

If you go over and look at the Christian Book Expo’s “Christian Bestsellers” list for March 2016 you will find that the top ten include books that aren’t necessarily strong on being biblical.  Sadly I would have expected that.  But how many of the top ten are coloring books?  There’s three among the top ten!

Here’s one picture I doubt we’ll see in Christian adult coloring books:

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Good video: Animated Explanation of God’s Holiness

Blogger Vincent S Artale Jr shared something today that I thought was totally amazing and worth sharing.  It’s an animated explanation of God’s Holiness made by the Bible Project.  It’s a six minutes video that explains very well the Holiness of God.  

Here’s the video:

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Dreadlocks, Discrimination and the Dreadful Defense that it’s Cultural Appropriation?

Let me say up front that this post is not against any race (I’m a ethnic minority in the US myself).  The issue is not about skin, it is about the sin of discrimination.  I saw on Social Media Tony Miano sharing this news story: Viral video of student confrontation over dreadlocks prompts investigation at SFSU.  In San Fransico State University a white guy with dreadlocks was confronted by two African American individuals about his hair, then the girl blocks him from leaving, grabs the guy’s arm and then accuses him of putting his hands on her when it was her that was holding him and he was trying to break free.  She even asked the person recording it why he was recording and grabbed his device.   See it for yourself here:

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How to Deal with Mean People: Southern Seminary Chapel Message

People are not always easy to deal with.  This sermon is titled “How to Deal with Mean People.”  This message is delivered by David O. Dykes, Pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas.  It was delivered at the chapel for Southern Seminary and the sermon is based upon Romans 12:17-21.  It’s more of an encouragement with the insight and experience of an older preacher than a detailed exegetical sermon.  But it’s worthwhile!

 

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Review: Faith Alone: The Doctrine of Justification by Thomas Schreiner

Thomas Schreiner.  Faith Alone: The Doctrine of Justification.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, September 15^th 2015. 288 pp.

This is the first book in “The 5 Solas Series” that is being published by Zondervan.   The book articulates and defend the classic Reformed doctrine of justification: that justification is forensic (as opposed to transformative) and accessed by faith alone (as opposed to works of the law).  If the rest of the series is just as promising as this one I am definitely going to purchase them.

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Resurrection Sunday: He is Risen!

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. ⁶ He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. ⁷ Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” (Matthew 28:5-7)

 

What a blessed Hope to know Jesus Christ is risen.  Everything we do for Him therefore is not in vain.

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Bible Contradiction? Did Herod think Jesus was John the Baptist?

Within the last six months I’ve looked at some alleged Bible contradictions in Luke 9.  I’ve considered “Did or did not the Samaritans receive Jesus?” and “Burying and Saying Bye to Parents in Luke 9:59-62.”

Here’s another question that allegedly shows a Bible contradiction: “Did Herod think Jesus was John the Baptist?”

Yes

Herod thought that Jesus was John the Baptist reincarnated.

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.  (Matthew 14:1-2)

But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead. (Mark 6:16)

No

People were saying that Jesus was John the Baptist who had risen from the dead, or Elijah (Elias), or one of the other prophets. But Herod didn’t believe Jesus was John the Baptist, saying, “John I have beheaded: but who is this?”

Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him [Jesus]: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead; And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him. (Luke 9:9)

Here’s my thought on this Bible contradiction:

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Good Friday Book Recommendation: Darkness and the Glory by Greg Harris

Greg Harris. The Darkness and the Glory.  Woodlands, TX: Kress Christian Publications, November 28^th, 2008. 209 pp.

This is an excellent book.  The author Greg Harris is a professor of Biblical Exposition at the Master’s Seminary and he is proof that Dispensationalists can do Biblical theology and Redemptive History and do it well.  I can only hope that with time his writings would become better known among Christians.

The subtitle of this book is “His Cup and the Glory From Gethsemane to the Ascension.”  While I enjoyed all the chapters in the book it was the first five chapters that focused on the last day of Jesus and his suffering that stood above the rest in my opinion.  I write this book review a year after I read it and after reading more books on Jesus and the Gospel my mind keeps on returning back to the first half of this book with its amazing insights Dr. Harris was able to gleam from the Scriptures surrounding the incredible work of Christ.  Harris demonstrate from Scripture that the suffering Christ had led up to the darkest moment of all when darkness descends upon the crucifixion scene and employing biblical theology Harris shows us what the darkness means (I won’t spoil it for you, it’s more than what most people think).

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Pray for Lexi

For those who may not be aware, a six-year-old girl was taken away by D.C.F.S from a family at Grace Community Church because she is 1.5% Choctaw Indian.  Does the thought that the other 98.5% matter?  We all know the foster care system is in bad shape, but to do this to a child seems heartless.  The reason she was placed in the foster system was because her father was a career criminal and her mother have her share of problems with drugs.. The family is broken and in tears as their beloved child is taken. Lexi has been living with her foster family for a few years now and to take her away now to live with extended family members is only detrimental to the child.  Why? because Lexi has bonded with the Page family for many years.  There has to be a better alternative than what transpired.   My heart breaks for this family. Here are some articles, posts, and videos you can take a look at for more information.  This case should get more news coverage.  Has D.C.F.S asked Lexi where she wants to stay?  The child of course wants to stay with the Page family because she has bonded with them. Let’s face it folks.  We have a broken foster care system.  In the name of human decency, this child needs love, not government officials who only make matters worse and cumbersome for a child’s life.  Lexi was crying for her family.  She did not wanted to be taken away.  The Page family were even told by court order that they were not allowed to tell Lexi what will happen to her before D.C.F.S comes.

• Here is the legal document from the Office of Appeals decision regarding how the ICWA law should consider best interests of a child:
  • court order
• Here is the petition to help bring Lexi home:
  • Petition
• Six minute explanation concerning ICWA from an expert attorney:
  • Attorney’s Explanation
• Here is the disturbing video that some perceive to be judicial abduction:
  • https://www.facebook.com/TroyTheLocator/videos/10156683291610029/

 

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Prayer Requests: Teaching Theology Overseas

I will be teaching theology overseas sometime in April in an undisclosed country.

If God leads you, please pray for my preparation and studies and that God will use the teaching to equip the leaders of God’s people.

 

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Limited Time Free on Kindle: Blood Work by Anthony Carter

There is a limited time free offer from Reformation Trust of a free Kindle book by Anthony Carter titled “Blood Work.”  Here’s the book’s description:

Evangelical Christians often sing and preach about the blessed blood of Christ and the wonderful things it accomplishes for believers. To the uninformed ear, such language can convey the idea that Jesus’ blood had semi-magical qualities. Actually, Jesus’ blood was normal human blood, but the Bible refers to it in metaphorical terms to portray the many benefits that come to Christians because of Jesus’ death. In Blood Work: How the Blood of Christ Accomplishes Our Salvation, Anthony J. Carter traces this theme through the New Testament, showing how the biblical writers used the powerful metaphor of the blood of Jesus to help Christians grasp the treasures Jesus secured for them in His death on the cross. In doing so, he provides a fresh perspective on the atonement Jesus made.

Here’s the link.

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Presuppositional Apologetics: Third Week of March 2016

Here are links related to Presuppositional apologetics that was online from March 1

1.) God must be back of everything

2.) Why You Should Believe Atheism is Impossible

3.) Postmodern Poem

4.) INTRODUCTION TO THE THOUGHT OF CORNELIUS VAN TIL: THE ALL-SUFFICIENT GOD

5.) RECENT WRITINGS TO DO WITH SCIENCE

 

6.) Stinkin’ Thinkin’: No absolutes and math?

7.) Video: What’s Your Worldview? By James Anderson at Ligonier 2016 National Conference

8.) Reformed Forum Interview: Christian-Theistic Evidences

 

Miss our previous round up?  Here’s a link to a friend’s reblog of the last round up!

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#keeplexihome and the folly of Contemporary Racial Laws

If you are on Twitter you might notice the hashtag “#keeplexihome.”  There’s a petition on Change.org with the following description:

There is a 6 year old little girl who is going to be ripped away from the only family that she has ever known. Her name is Lexi. The first year of her life she moved from foster placement to foster placement. Lexi has been with a loving, stable family for nearly five years and is thriving and a happy, healthy little girl. To Lexi this family is her everything – her mommy, daddy and brother and sisters. Unfortunately, since Lexi is 1.5% Choctaw, the state of California and LA County have allowed the Indian Child Welfare Law to devastate this family and will be pulling Lexi from her Mommy and Daddy on Sunday to move her to Utah to live with a non-blood related family who aren’t even members of the tribe. I’m pleading with you to please sign our petition & pass this around to everyone you know. LA County & California need to know that Lexi’s rights, stability and permanence matter!

At this very moment on Monday morning the California Supreme Court is hearing this case and I’m praying for God’s mercy upon the girl and the family.  If you are led to, please pray as well for God’s mercy with the magistrates.

The family attends Grace Community Church and even their head pastor John MacArthur has tweeted about this.

There’s a lot to the case but here in this post I want to focus on the folly of contemporary racial laws.

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When the going gets tough at Church, don’t quit on Sundays

One of practical wisdom during a class in Pastoral Ministries when I was in seminary was a professor’s exhortation to future Pastors not to quit the ministry on Mondays.

I think this general principle is helpful not only for Pastors but the rest of the members of the church as well.

I imagine there are those who are reading this who can be quite discouraged and beaten up with serving the Lord in the church.  You might even have the case of Sunday blues after the service/fellowship is over.  You might have all kinds of heartaches and legitimate grievances.

May I encourage you to never quit church or the particular local church you are in on Sundays.  Sometimes a few days later as you think about things with more calmer emotions, you might realized that’s not the decision you should take.

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Weekend Fun Read: The California Gold Rush and the Coming of the Civil War by Leonard L. Richards

After yesterday’s post on how the Gospel and the Christian worldview shapes all that we do should be for the glory of God, I thought I share a more fun read that I finished a few weeks back.  We must read also for the glory of God, even with historical reading.  I will give first a review of the book itself and provide in the end a brief Christian reflection so that the Christian reflection doesn’t take away from my review of the book.

Leonard L. Richards.  The California Gold Rush and the Coming of the Civil War.  New York, NY: Knopf, February 13^th, 2007. 304 pp.

This turned out to have been quite a fun read largely because the author was able to present a non-stop account of the many interesting personalities during an interesting time period of American history’s pre-Civil War days.  The book is about California’s influence upon the sectional divide between the States and also how the people and interests of the different parts of the United States shaped the politics and direction of California.  Before this I never really thought much about how California’s role in the undercurrent that led to the Civil War.

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