Albert Mohler Blog: “Halloween and the Dark Side — What Should Christians Think?”

In his recent Blog Essay, “Halloween and the Dark Side — What Should Christians Think?,” Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. discusses how Christians, particularly Christian parents, should engage with Halloween. Mohler writes:

“The issue of Halloween presses itself annually upon the Christian conscience. Acutely aware of dangers new and old, many Christian parents choose to withdraw their children from the holiday altogether. Others choose to follow a strategic battle plan for engagement with the holiday. Still others have gone further, seeking to convert Halloween into an evangelistic opportunity. Is Halloween really that significant?”

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A Few More Reformation Resources

Reformation Day celebrates the supremacy of Scripture and reason in theology

WINTERY KNIGHT

The Ligonier Ministries web site has a summary of the event that kicked off the Reformation.

Excerpt:

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther tacked up 95 theses on the church door at Wittenberg. With this act, he hoped to provoke a discussion among the scholars about the abuses of the indulgences by the Roman Catholic Church. He was not trying to create a public furor by any means, but within a fortnight, these theses had spread through the country like wildfire. The last thing Luther had in mind was to start some kind of major controversy, but nevertheless major controversy did begin.

From the discussions at Wittenberg, the disputations began to accelerate and escalate. Copies of the theses reached Rome and critical meetings were scheduled with the young monk. In these debates, Luther was maneuvered into proclaiming publicly that he had questions about the infallibility of church councils and also that he thought that it…

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Happy Reformation Day!

ON REFORMATION DAY

Samuel at Gilgal

On October 31, 1517, a young monk in Wittenberg, Germany posted 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church. His intention was to begin a discussion with other scholars in the Catholic Church over the abuse of Scriptures by the church. Little did Luther know that God had chosen him to hammer out the beginnings of what came to be known as the Reformation. Scripture (Sola Scriptura), not tradition, was to be lifted up once again as the true and only word of salvation provided by God.

As the Reformation spread over Europe, the Protestant reformers summarized their basic theological principles into five Latin phrases. These phrases or slogans are known as the Five Solas. They stand in direct contrast to some of the medieval teachings of the Catholic Church. The Five Solas are: “Sola Scriptura” (Scripture alone); “Sola Gratia” (Grace Alone); “Sola Fide” (Faith Alone); “Solus Christus” (Christ…

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My Annual Reminder: Today is ‘Luther’s Reformation Day’, Not Reformation Day

Zwinglius Redivivus

‘Reformation Day’  Nope!’

‘The Reformation’ is a misnomer if ever there were one, for in fact there was no ‘one’ Reformation any more than there was just one Reformer. ‘The Reformation’, when used by students and the general public, usually refers to the Reformation of Martin Luther which commenced at the end of October in the year of our Lord, 1517.

Even then, though, Luther’s intent wasn’t as earth-shattering as later ages took it to be. For Luther, the placement of a series of theses in Latin on the Church Door at Wittenberg Castle was nothing more than an invitation to debate. In other words, Luther didn’t see his act as the commencement of a revolution; he saw it as an academic exercise.

‘The Reformation’ is, then, little more than a label derived from historical hindsight gazing mono-focularly at a series of events over a period of time across a…

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Happy Reformation Day!

Zwinglius Redivivus

Or as I like to call it- Second Reformation Day Initiated by the Third Reformer, Luther, Who Wasn’t the First Reformer (That Was Zwingli, Already in 1515) or the Brightest Reformer (That Was Calvin).  But that’s an awfully long title and it hasn’t really caught on.  Though in order to be historically accurate, it should.

At any rate- Happy Day to all those children of the Reformers!

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A Fool and His Folly

Possessing the Treasure

by Mike Ratliff

10 Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, 11 knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.. (Titus 3:10-11 NASB)

Secular humanism, relativism, pluralism, et cetera are worldly philosophies that have invaded the visible Church. These ways of the world when applied to the Church are some of the things that “stirs up division” within the Body of Christ. Other things that cause this would be majoring in minors such as taking things from the Bible that are not explained in detail enough to be taken literally because they are given to us in an arbitrary fashion. Some take these minor points and make them major points in the gospel stirring up division. Also, some simply want to argue. They hate the truth and are not interested in it being explained to them in detail. These are the ones Paul…

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If the Obama team is this hostile to Israel before the elections, how bad will things get after Tuesday? Will the President turn against Israel & appease Iran? Analysis.

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

Obama v. Netanyahu and Israel — what happens after the mid-term elections?

Just days before the mid-term elections, with Democrats poised to suffer serious losses, tensions between the Obama White House and the Netanyahu government remain sky high.

A senior Obama administration official openly used vulgarity with a reporter to mock and disparage the Israeli leader.

And the administration appears set to cave in to Iranian demands over its nuclear program in talks to conclude at the end of November.

If the President and his team feel this comfortable being this hostile to an Israeli leader before an election, imagine how hostile the President could be when he’s a lame duck and not facing the voters again ever.

As I noted yesterday, a train wreck in U.S.-Israel relations is now in motion.

“Very publicly, very nastily, and very worryingly, we are witnessing the collapse of an alliance,”wrote a leading Israeli news editor.

The…

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Facts & Trends: Americans Believe in Heaven, Hell and Heresy

Source: http://factsandtrends.net/2014/10/28/americans-believe-in-heaven-hell-and-heresy/

For most Americans, heaven and hell are real places, it’s the getting there that’s a bit shaky.

A LifeWay Research study commissioned by Ligonier Ministries sought to check the theological temperature of the people in the pews and the streets to see what beliefs hold sway over the public.

They found 67 percent of Americans believe heaven is a real place, while 61 percent say the same thing about hell. But 45 percent of Americans believe there are many ways to heaven and only 18 percent believe even “small sins” are worthy of damnation.

Those weren’t the only issues where the views of the public diverged from the teaching of the Bible.

But I Can’t Feel God

by Pastor J.D.
If you think being filled by the Holy Spirit means an endless series of miracles, burning bushes, still, small voices, warm fuzzies, and sensations of peace that pass all understanding, then you are going to be disappointed. Read more

Harvard poll: majority of youth likely voters favor Republicans this election

WINTERY KNIGHT

I’m not sure if I really believe this Harvard Institute of Politics poll because young people seem to be so disinterested in moral issues, economics and national security these days. But I guess even young people know whether they have jobs, whether they like living with their parents and whether they want to have their heads chopped off. Right?

Right:

More than half – 51 percent – of America’s millennials who say they will “definitely be voting” in November prefer a Republican-run Congress, with only 47 percent favoring Democrat control, according to a Harvard Institute of Politics poll.

This marks a significant departure from the institute’s findings before the 2010 midterm elections, when America’s 18-29 year olds who were definitely voting favored Democrats 55 percent to 43 percent.

Institute director Maggie Williams described the youth vote as “politically up for grabs” and a potential “swing vote” for control of Congress in a conference…

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Free ITunes University Lecture: The Reformation by Carl Trueman

The Domain for Truth

Earlier this month Westminister Theological Seminary has made available for free online on ITunes University their historical theology lecture series on the Reformation.  It is taught by Dr. Carl Trueman.  I am half way through the series and it is pretty good!

Dr. Trueman is a capable scholar and also one who teaches history in a way that is not boring.  He’s conversant with the material at hand, insightful and funny.

One of the things I really got out of the series thus far is the further appreciation for the historical context in which the Reformation took place.  I thought Trueman was also insightful in his observation that Martin Luther was really a Medieval man even as the age of modernity and the Reformation was dawning with Luther as the leader.

You can access the lectures on Itunes by clicking here: The Reformation

Or if you want to access it…

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Those Pesky Emotions!: Part 2—Bringing Biblical Balance to Our Emotions

You’re reading Part 2 of a two-part blog series by Sherry Allchin on emotions. Yesterday in Part 1, Sherry explained biblical principles for handling our emotions maturely. Today, Sherry explores biblical principles for bringing biblical balance to our emotional life. Continue reading →

Should I chase dreams, visions, experiences and miracles to know more about God?

Watch Your Life and Doctrine Closely...

I wrote the following tonight as a response to a Facebook discussion, and since time is quite precious, I’ll post it here as well.  I’m learning to double-dip that way.

The post gave this quote :

“There is no vision, no experience, and no miracle that will tell you more about God than he has already told you about himself in the pages of scripture.”

The post then asked for responses, and there were plenty…but they weren’t as helpful as I would have hoped, which really disappointed me.  Facebook usually doesn’t let me down in this regard.  If I had a dime for every time I struggled to sort through a complex issue and found a consistent and well-reasoned argument or a piece of sage biblical wisdom on Facebook, I’d have…uh…about this much.

Here’s my response to the quote:

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J. Warner Wallace: important differences between Christianity and Mormonism

WINTERY KNIGHT

Here’s a podcast featuring J. Warner Wallace. This is an after action report from Wallace’s recent missions trip to Utah to evangelize Mormons.

The MP3 file is here. (74 minutes)

Topics:

• Mormons disagree with Christians about the nature of God, Jesus and salvation
• The differences are so dramatic that the two religions are completely different views
• Mormons try to portray themselves as a denomination of Christianity
• The Utah missions trip: how Christians were trained to engage with Mormons
• Mormonism is a works-based religion – you earn your way to eternal life by doing works
• In Christianity, eternal life is a free gift from God to anyone who accepts Jesus as their leader and redeemer
• Mormons believe that doctrines can change from generation to generation (progressive revelation)
• Mormons commonly make the case for a works-based theology by appealing to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount
• Mormons believe that you have to…

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Start a Reformation Day Tradition

Polemics Report

JD will challenge you on Friday’s program, and will mention this article, to start a new Reformation Day tradition. Keep in mind that some people call this holiday “Halloween” and it has something to do with costumes – or so we hear. For those who prefer a candy-infused celebration that doesn’t involve dressing up as demons or promiscuous nurses in fishnet stockings, perhaps a Christ-centered holiday is for you.

Celebrating Reformation Day began in 1567, fifty years after Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. This began the Protestant Reformation, which kicked off perhaps the greatest move of the Holy Spirit post the Apostolic Age. Call us crazy, but we think it seems more worthy of celebration than the Great Pumpkin or whatever it is that Halloween is about.

Ligonier summarizes the events leading up to Reformation Day as follows…

“An heir of…

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STR Blog: Survey Reveals a Whole Lot of Heresy in Evangelicalism

Christianity Today reports on a survey commissioned by Ligonier Ministries to assess Americans’ theological beliefs:

Most American evangelicals hold views condemned as heretical by some of the most important councils of the early church.

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International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted – Nov. 2

Webcasts will set the tone for intercessory prayer

Open Doors USA is inviting the public to join a live interactive webcast on Saturday (November 1), while churches are invited tojoin a special webcast designed for their Sunday night services on November 2.

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Also to be observed on Nov. 9 Don’t Stand in Silence – International Day of Prayer – World Evangelical Alliance
Prayer Alert: 2 Years on- Remembering astor Saeed Abadini – International Day of Prayer

Challies: 7 Marks of a Deeply Deadly Sin

Not all sin is the same. While every sin places you under the wrath of God, and while any sin is sufficient to create an eternal chasm between God and man, not every sin is identical. In chapter 9 of his work Overcoming Sin and Temptation, John Owen wants you to think about that besetting sin in your life to consider if it is an “ordinary” sin, or if it is one that is particularly deadly and that, therefore, requires something more than the usual pattern of putting sin to death. The deadliness of a sin is not related so much to the category of that sin, but to how deeply-rooted it is in your life, and to how you have responded to God as he has revealed it to you.

Here are seven marks of a deeply deadly sin.

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