Misrepresented by Leading Pastor – Ken Ham Responds to Tim Keller

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , ,

Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis writes:

Tim Keller is pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, New York. He attended Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA.

He is known as a good Bible teacher and has a heart for evangelizing New York City. Redeemer Presbyterian’s Hope for New York outreach program seeks to satisfy the spiritual and material needs of those in the community. Hope for New York does sets a high standard for Christian participation in the larger community. But …

In a new article posted this past week, he has grossly misrepresented what I believe and teach. But first of all, let me give you some background.

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Why Aren't More Christians Provoked?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

A tragic result of the man-centered missions approach of the ill-fated Church Growth Movement, too many in church visible are seeking the approval of the world.

Apprising Ministries offers that apostasy is spreading as a result. In this piece we wonder why this and its idolatry is so easily tolerated today. View article →

Largest Protestant Denomination in America Considering a New Name

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙

The Southern Baptist Convention is going through a time of transition it appears with the proposal of a name addition, it being Great Commission Baptists. What are we to do with this idea of name changes?

Just changing a name doesn’t fix an image. This can apply across the board to many names that have a stigma attached to them. Take for example, the Walt Disney name. When Walt was alive, there was a family oriented sense to it and the theme parks were geared around that concept. Now Disney is synonymous with putting out films – even cartoon ones – with questionable material at best. The Little Mermaid, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules – all contain examples of risqué dress and promoting mythological figures for our children to look towards. If Walt Disney saw that his theme parks were turned into a money marketing plethora of these types of characters, we dare say he would not agree. They now support gay pride day at the parks in which his original innocent characters such as Chip and Dale are now paired up in a jaw dropping event. View article →

Bigoted and Un-American? Mitt Romney, Richard Land & Evangelical Politics

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , ,

Are Southern Baptists bigoted and un-American? On more than one occasion Richard Land, President of the Ethics & Religious Liberties Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention has stated that raising questions about a presidential candidate’s religion is both bigoted and un-American. Yet, most of the Southern Baptists whom I know are very concerned about this matter. It seems ungrateful at best for Land to take the contributions.

This is the  question that was running through my head when I recently attended a  forum at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, entitled, ‘The  Grindstone: Sharp, Theological Discussions On Topics That Matter’. The  topic for the evening was ‘The Christian and Politics’ and it featured  special guest panelist Richard Land.  View article →

Evangostrich

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Satire

Once again, with syncretism spreading we really do need new words in order to communicate in today’s church visible. Apprising Ministries continues to broaden your vocabulary in this piece.  View article →

Casino Culture and the Collapse of Character, By Albert Mohler

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion

The casino stands as the great and most visible monument to the massive scale of the Gambling Industrial Complex in America. Just look across much of the American landscape, and you will see the glaring and garish lights of the casinos that serve to attract gamblers. It was not always so.

Indeed, for all but the last decade of the twentieth century, casinos were basically non-existent, except for those found in the state of Nevada. All that changed when states began to license and draw revenue from casino gambling. As Earl L. Grinols of the University of Illinois has commented: “Most areas of America had no legal casino gambling before 1990.”  View article →

Battle Is Your Calling

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

Apprising Ministries with a short but compelling exhortation in this piece to get into the fight for Truth.

We particularly need soldiers who will wield the most powerful weapon God’s given us—the prayer of faithful saints. Soli Deo gloria! View article →

Campus Crusade group in university asked to cease activity because they have "offended other faiths"

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News

In the island of Singapore that promotes the idea of religious harmony, religious intolerance and hostility towards the Christian faith has increased. Recently, a by-stander was offended by posters put up by the National Univeristy of Singapore (NUS) Campus Crusade for Christ which is aimed at promoting short term missions to various countries of the world including Thailand and Turkey. The offence came about because the posters insist that people of other religions need Christ. As a result of this complaint and the subsequent publicity, the university (NUS) has ordered Campus Crusade to cease all its activities.

In light of this act of religious intolerance against Christianity, you are invited to contact the Singapore embassy and the university and voice your opposition to this deplorable action.

You can contact the Singapore embassy at singemb_was@sgmfa.gov.sg, and you can contact NUS at askiro@nus.edu.sg.

Are we all Catholics now, as Glenn Beck wishes us to believe?

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion

In his piece “Why we are all Catholics now” Glenn Beck is making yet another attempt to mainstream the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints aka Mormonism.  Mormonism is not Christian, as Beck would have us believe. Rather the LDS Church is a theological cult.  Right off the bat Beck affirms,

I am a proud member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but today, I call myself a Catholic. Why? Because the state is telling the Catholic Church to violate its principles and teachings. So if you are a person of faith, you must call yourself a Catholic. View article →

Wisdom From the Spirit

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

Σοφίαν δὲ λαλοῦμεν ἐν τοῖς τελείοις, σοφίαν δὲ οὐ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου οὐδὲ τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου τῶν καταργουμένων·

1 Corinthians 2:6, NA27

But wisdom we speak among the mature, yet it is a wisdom not of this age or of the rulers of this age, the ones being brought to nothing;

1 Corinthians 2:6, Possessing the Treasure New Testament V1)

I was listening to Dr. James White’s The Dividing Line a few weeks ago and I heard him say something he has said several times, that is, every generation of genuine Christians must fight the battles for the truth and correct doctrine. Some of these “Truth Wars” as John MacArthur calls them, have been worse and longer than others, but the one we are in now has been especially ugly with outright defections from within what most would consider the bulwark of Christian leaders who have shown their true liberal colors. However, what has been most enlightening to this Christian has been the absolute faithfulness of our Lord in the building of his church in the midst of rampant apostasy, pop-culture so-called chrisitianity, the decimation of local churches on a huge scale with the proliferation of mega-churches that are seeker-sensitive and politically correct non-gospel man-centered fake churches. There are also the huge churches based on the personality of the pastor as if he is some sort of rock-star. I have contacts from all over the world who testify how hard it is for them to find a solid, Biblically based church in their area. Even through all of this carnage, our Lord is faithful and continues to build his church. View article →

Sex-changing treatment for kids: It's on the rise

Posted by ∙ ∙ In News

The Associated Press reports this deeply disturbing story:

A small but growing number of teens and even younger children who think they were born the wrong sex are getting support from parents and from doctors who give them sex-changing treatments, according to reports in the medical journal Pediatrics.

It’s an issue that raises ethical questions, and some experts urge caution in treating children with puberty-blocking drugs and hormones. View article →

Mystica Scriptura

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Satire

Apprising Ministries has been warning you of spiritual gurus and other evangelical superstitions which are growing in Christendom as contemplative mysticism becomes the rule.

So now unicorns and dragons and another foolish approach to God’s Word in the Bible. View article →

Got Meat? By Marsha West

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion ∙ , , , ,

Sue’s a self-professed Christian who attends church and a Bible study regularly and sings with the praise and worship team. Sue also practices yoga, consults a psychic medium, plays the Ouija Board game with friends and believes in reincarnation.

Sue and her boyfriend sleep together in the apartment she shares with two friends from church. No one questions what goes on behind closed doors. Sue and Tim, who’s an atheist, plan to marry someday so she believes God will overlook this “sin.” Her roommates are on the same page.

Because Sue is skilled at assessing a person’s character and motives—and she’s usually right—she boasts that she has the “gift of discernment.” Her roommates agree. View article →

Knowledge, Part 2

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching

χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη πληθυνθείη ἐν ἐπιγνώσει τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν. 2 Peter 1:2, NA27

May grace and peace be multiplied to you by the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter 1:2, Possessing the Treasure New Testament V1

Ambiguity and relativism, unfortunately rule our day within the “visible church.” In this post we will look 2 Peter 1:1-11, in which the Apostle speaks of precise doctrine, exact knowledge, not something vague and relative to each person’s experience. To Peter, Paul and the other Apostles the modern philosophies of “open-mindedness” and “tolerance” were foreign to their thinking and they should be expunged from the thinking of Christians today. Those who have ensnared into that deadly trap though have many fooled, but there is problem: μαρτυρῶ γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὅτι ζῆλον θεοῦ ἔχουσιν ἀλλ᾽ οὐ κατ᾽ ἐπίγνωσιν – for I bear witness to them that a zeal of God they have, but not according to knowledge. (Romans 10:2)

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Pentagon announces removal of all barriers preventing women from combat

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Opinion

The National Review has posted a piece entitled ‘Grace Under Fire’:

The Defense Department has announced the opening of some 14,000 new “combat related” roles to women in the military, another incremental win for those seeking to erode the protections that have long kept women out of the most dangerous assignments.

Supporters believe the move, and the eventual removal of all barriers preventing women from combat, represents a great advance in “equal opportunity.” That belief is dubious, but more to the point, it is irrelevant. The purpose of the military is to fight and win wars. Personnel policies should be based, first and last, on combat effectiveness. If putting female soldiers on the front line had even a small adverse impact on combat effectiveness, it would outweigh whatever other, political or symbolic benefits might accrue. View article →