Christian Heritage News

 By Timothy Cockes - Posted at Baptist Press : NASHVILLE (BP) – With the war in Ukraine continuing to make worldwide headlines, Joni and Friends, the ministry organization of Joni Eareckson Tada, is expanding its usual outreach to disabled persons by assisting them in evacuating the country. In written comments to Baptist Press, Tada said the devastation caused by Russia’s invasion has left disabled persons among the most vulnerable. “In-country senior services and disability support programs have been significantly damaged and special-needs families are struggling to survive,” Tada said. “The urgent plight of elderly and disabled Ukrainians is more desperate than ever.” Tada, founder and CEO of Joni and Friends , has herself been a quadriplegic since the age of 17 after experiencing a diving accident in the Chesapeake Bay. She established Joni and Friends in 1979 to minister to families affected by disability. Continue here...

 By Bill Muehlenberg - Posted at Culture Watch : These two are hugely influential – but only one leaves an everlasting legacy: If you asked 1000 people in Melbourne or Chicago or London who Anne Van der Bijl is, probably at least 99 per cent would not have a clue. If you asked the same 1000 people who Mick Jagger or Keith Richards is, probably at least 99 per cent would have a very good idea. While the former is largely unknown, and the latter are world famous and easily recognisable, just one has left a lasting legacy. While we all know about the Rolling Stones, Anne (or as he is more well-known: “Brother Andrew”) is in the eyes of the world a mere nobody. But older Christians at least would know all about him. Here I want to compare the pair, or rather, contrast the pair. And I do this for two reasons. A new three-part documentary on the Rolling Stones is airing now on television, while Brother Andrew has just passed away – on September 27, at age 94. Let me speak to each. Continue h

By R. Andrew Myers -  Posted at Log College Press: In the summer of 1780, five years into the American War of Independence, Major Patrick Ferguson of the British Army was assigned the task of organizing Loyalist militia forces and protecting the flank of Lord Cornwallis’ main force in the Carolina backwoods. A pivotal event in the Southern campaign of the war was the Patriots’ victory over Tory and regular forces at the Battle of Musgrove Mill In Laurens County, South Carolina on August 18, 1780. It inspired Patriots in the area to believe that the South Carolina backcountry was up for grabs. By September 25, Colonels Isaac Shelby, John Sevier and Charles McDowell, with their 600 Overmountain Men, had united with Col. William Campbell and his 400 men from Virginia in the territory of the Watauga Association at Sycamore Shoals near what is now Elizabethton, Tennessee, in preparation for what would become a major battle in the war at Kings Mountain in South Carolina. On September 26, 178

Written by Ligonier Ministries - Posted at The Aquila Report The fact that nearly two-thirds of U.S. evangelicals believe that humans are born in a state of innocence reveals that the biblical teaching of original sin is not embraced by most evangelicals. The Bible, however, makes clear that all humans are “by nature children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3). In other words, we are not sinners because we sin; rather, we sin because we are sinners. This truth is foundational for an accurate understanding of the gospel and of our absolute need for the grace of God in salvation. Orlando, Fla. (September 19, 2022): A new survey from Ligonier Ministries reveals that the overwhelming majority of U.S. evangelicals have accepted a view of human identity that aligns more with American society than the teaching of the Bible. Ligonier’s biennial State of Theology survey provides insights into the views of Americans on a wide range of Christian beliefs. This comprehensive report provides key findings on beli

 By Kevin DeYoung - Posted at WORLD : I don’t often agree with David Gushee, the liberal Christian ethicist whose “battles,” by his own description , have included “issues like climate change, torture, LGBTQ inclusion, and white supremacism.” But he spoke the uncomfortable truth when he observed years ago that when it comes to LGBTQ issues, there is no middle ground: “Neutrality is not an option. Neither is polite half-acceptance. Nor is avoiding the subject. Hide as you might, the issue will come and find you.” I thought of those words, written way back in 2016, in recent weeks as I read of Michael Gerson’s tacit approval of gay marriage and of Dr. Bradley Nassif’s claims that he was expunged from North Park University because he upholds traditional views of sex, sexuality, and marriage. These aren’t the first cases of a self-described evangelical or evangelical institution moving into the revisionist camp, nor will it be the last. I hope I’m wrong, but I have my mental list of wri

 By Dr. R. Scott Clark - Posted at The Heidelblog: When the theonomy movement initially began to gain steam, Jimmy Carter, a Southern Baptist who had campaigned as a “born again” Christian, was part way through his first and only term in the White House. Three years before that, the Supreme Court of the United States had fabricated out of whole cloth a virtually limitless right to end the life of a baby in the womb. “Born again” was a new expression to a lot of Americans but in the year he took the White House (1976) over a doomed Gerald Ford—no Republican was going to win the White House that year— Newsweek magazine had Carter on the cover with the words “Born Again” on October 2 and an October 25 cover devoted to the “born again” phenomenon.1 It was the era of Jerry Falwell and the Moral Majority. This was the context in which the theonomy movement coalesced around a single volume by Greg Bahnsen (1948–95), Theonomy in Christian Ethics (Craig Press, Nutley, N. J., 1977). The broader

By Kyle Borg - Posted at Gentle Reformation: I wasn’t even ten years old when I first saw the truth of abuse. One evening a policeman showed up at our door. After talking to my mom and dad I was brought into the dining room. The officer gently explained that our neighbor — who ran a daycare out of her home — was in trouble. He opened a manila envelope and hastily showed me pictures. The pictures were of a boy younger than me covered in bruises. The officer was clearly uncomfortable. He knew he was exposing my ignorance to a harsh reality. He didn’t want me to look but he needed to know if I had heard or seen anything. He knew that to bring light to the situation I needed to see the darkness. In the end, seeing those pictures was more important than not seeing at all. This is the world we live in. It would be nice if we could close our eyes and leave unseen the sin in, toward, and around us. But that kind of naivety isn’t proper for Christians. It’s not appropriate for people characteri

 By Talia Wise - Posted at CBN News: The Michigan Department of Education has adopted a new program that pushes gender fluidity to elementary school students and encourages teachers to "facilitate the sexual transition of minors without parental consent," according to a new report. In a City Journal report, videos and internal documentation obtained from the state's training program pushes the basic narrative of queer theory with presenters claiming the West is trying to oppress racial and sexual minorities by pushing the notion that "gender is binary." It also adopts tenets from critical race theory to "dismantle systems of oppression." "We've been conditioned and we've been acculturated in this particular culture that gender is binary," trainer Amorie Robinson argues. Continue here...

By Milton Quintanilla - Posted at Christian Headlines: Published September 16, 2022 California launched a publicly funded website earlier this week to promote the state's abortion services for undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens living inside and outside of California. According to CBN News , the website officially went live on Tuesday after it was announced by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsome. The website features information on different types of abortion and how to obtain one. The site also has a section for out-of-state residents and undocumented immigrants, explaining that federal policies keep immigration officials out of health care facilities. A list of clinics is included on the website, along with links to help with travel expenses and lodging. Additionally, there is a section informing teenagers in other states that they can get an abortion in California without parental consent. There are 166 abortion clinics across California, including Planned Parenthood offices.

 Posted at Truth Over Tribe: My name is Rosaria Butterfield, and I choose the truth of Biblical Christianity over the tribalism of Side B/Revoice theology. What Is Truth? The Bible is Truth, both in word and in substance. When one passage of scripture may seem unclear to us, we interpret it in light of the clarity of God’s unified Biblical witness.[1] There are no problem passages in scripture. In His image, God created human beings ontologically as men or women. Our sexual difference is part of our origin and eternity. We bear the image of God in purposeful pattern. “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them’. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.’” Genesis 1:26-28 This magisterial passage, known as the Creation Ordinance, reveals that God established men and women for the normative and

 By Dewey Roberts - Posted at Vanguard Presbyterian Church: Sharon James [1] , a friend from London, sent me a podcast by an atheist, James Lindsay, a couple of weeks ago on the topic of Critical Theory. Critical Theory is the Marxist view from which Critical Race Theory is derived. What is interesting about Lindsay’s podcast is that he understands what is happening in the seminaries and churches better than 95% of the pastors. He understands clearly that this is a Marxist plot to destroy the West and to promote the idea of the inevitably of ascendancy of Marxism. Listening to that podcast, I could not get out of my mind the words of a former professor at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia who wrote me and acknowledged that CRT has Marxist roots, but he thinks that is okay as long as the church tries harder to mend racial tensions. The answer to racism is not Marxism. People who naively think that it is have never seen the ugly face of Marxism—as I have. They do not have

 By Al Baker - Posted at Forget None Of His Benefits : “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.” -Titus 3:4,5 I recently watched a twenty minute documentary called “Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Avenue, What Happened Today, August, 2021?” There is no commentary, only film footage by someone driving along the street. Trash is everywhere and hundreds of people are sitting or lying down on the sidewalks. There are also many people bending over at the waist for long periods of time. I found out later that the cause is a new street drug called Xylazine which is to be used for sedation, anesthesia and muscle relaxation in horses and cattle. It is not meant for human consumption yet it is the new drug of choice on the streets. The people meander about in a stupor. In watching this docume

 By Kyle E. Sims - Posted at Gentle Reformation: “District won't allow prayers over PA” was the headline article in our local paper. At odds were the school district administration and a state legislator over whether the school district could allow ministers to have prayer before a football game over the official Public Address system. This conflict spilled over onto social media. Many see it as an attack against freedom of religion, while others argue the First Amendment anti-establishment clause. Many of us grew up with this invocation being a regular part of the pre-game ceremonies. In recent years, I have seen this done before games at state universities such as Clemson and the University of South Carolina. Our school district stopped this practice in 2003 when the US Supreme Court upheld a legal challenge to the practice of official prayers at public school sporting events over the Public Address System. As you can imagine, there have been some strong opinions about this issu

 By Dr. Jim Denison - Posted at Denison Forum/ The Daily Article : The Emmy Awards were held last night. Among the honorees: Zendaya won best lead actress in a drama series for HBO’s Euphoria , which is so sexualized and graphic that even Common Sense Media’s review is forced to use descriptions I will not repeat here. The same goes for their review of HBO’s The White Lotus , which won for outstanding limited series. I could go on. When a political leader claims that drag queens are “what America is all about,” transgender characters are increasingly featured in video games and on television, and a Texas teacher tells students to refer to pedophiles as “minor-attracted persons,” it is clear that our moral compass is not just broken but nonexistent. Australia’s Margaret Court, winner of twenty-four Grand Slam singles titles, made news during the recent US Open when she disclosed that she has become a persona non grata in the tennis world because of her Christian beliefs. She oppo

 By Kyle Borg - Posted at Gentle Reformation : Published September 10, 2022 With the death of Queen Elizabeth II the United Kingdom and a watching world are preparing for a lot of royal pageantry. It's a pageantry that comes with a lot of history and even a little bit of theology. This morning in London, according to an old tradition dating back centuries, King Charles III was officially proclaimed King in the presence of the Ascension Council. For the first time in history people were able to view the event and the simple but profound process by which this is done. With impressive activities and ceremonies the proclamation of the new monarchy will be made throughout the country. One of the first things King Charles III did — and it was his stated intention to do so at the first opportunity — was to make a formal oath to the security of the Church of Scotland. He did so in the following words: I, Charles the Third, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Nort

By Milton Quintanilla - Posted at Christian Headlines: Published September 8, 2022 A church in Memphis, Tennessee, is mourning the loss of a young woman who was recently kidnapped while jogging and later murdered. Eliza Fletcher – a wife, mother of two and kindergarten teacher – was kidnapped by a man at around 4:30 am last Friday (September 2) while jogging near the University of Memphis campus. According to Church Leaders , her husband, Richard, called the police when his wife did not return home from her run. After a long and intensive search, Fletcher's body was found on Monday. The suspect, later identified as 38-year-old Cleotha Abston Henderson, was taken into custody and has been charged with first-degree murder, premeditated murder and first-degree perpetration of kidnapping. According to Commercial Appeal , Henderson was released from prison in 2020 after serving nearly two decades for kidnapping. After her body was found, Fletcher's church, Second Presbyterian Churc

 Posted at Mission America: Updated for School Year 2022-23-- Warning-- graphic content [NOTE: We have updated with the information we have at present. Please check back for additions in the next months as some events firm up their dates.] Are you sick of your children being subjected to incessant, inaccurate and dangerous messages enlisting their support for—or worse, their involvement in -- homosexuality or gender deviance? And often now, this indoctrination will be interwoven with racism lessons, as if sexual immorality is similar. Many schools allow or even celebrate these reckless, inaccurate messages on certain days and weeks during the academic calendar. Your children in class will usually have no choice except to endure rainbow posters, library displays, cafeteria tables, special speakers/ assemblies, classroom lessons and school announcements promoting the following events. See list below. What can you do? 1. Remove your children and teach them at home or in Christian schools.

 By Rev. Brian Schwertley - Posted at Sermon Audio: Our topic: transgendered. Transgendered, what does the Bible say and we have multiple texts and I'll get to those in a minute. Very popular movement in our day. Currently in the United States, the United Stated federal government, many large corporations, Hollywood, the entertainment industry, as well as the mainstream media has been advocating a new philosophy regarding sexuality called the transgendered movement or the transgendered rights movement. The basic idea is that what one really is regarding one's gender or sex is not determined by one's physical gender or sex at birth. For example, one is born either a male or a female, male chromosomes, hormones, biology, sex organs, etc., or female, female genetics, hormones, physiology, sex organs, etc. But rather one's true sex or gender is something that one thinks or determines autonomously in his or her own mind. You could be some masculine man but if you think you&#

 By Elizabeth Prata - Posted at The End Time: AIMEE BYRD is a woman that has been in spiritual decline for a few years. At least, public evidence of a decline has been observed for a few years, the inward decline was probably a lot longer. Her 2020 book, Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: How the Church Needs to Rediscover Her Purpose was a huge red flag. ‘There are significant problems with Byrd’s interpretation of the important passages about biblical manhood and womanhood, passages she does not even address in the book. Worse, the entire thrust of Byrd’s book is in the direction of feminism”, as this reviewer (and many others!) noted. A month after her book was published, her long-time broadcast/podcast partner, Reformation 21, announced they had dropped her from the podcast. Continue here... See also: Markers on the way-station of downgrade: Exhibit A, Aimee Byrd – The End Time (the-end-time.org)

By Dr, Jim Denison - Posted at The Denison Forum President Joe Biden delivered a speech last night from Independence Hall in Philadelphia. I have been where he stood and was deeply moved by the experience. It was here, at the “ birthplace of America ,” that the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Eleven years later, in the same room, delegates to the Constitutional Convention created the United States Constitution. In many ways, their work defined what the president called the “soul” of the nation, which he defined as “the breadth, the life and the essence of who we are.” In his view, that “essence” is under threat from what he called “MAGA Republicans” who “are determined to take this country backwards, backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love.” He added that they “promote authoritarian leaders, and they fanned the flames of political violence that

 By Nathan Eshelman - Posted at Gentle Reformation: What is Christ doing in his church? What are the ways that we should interpret the--sometimes dark--providences of God in building, reforming, censuring, or comforting the church? We are not as skilled as we ought to be in judging the work of Jesus in our midst; and that's always been the case. Isaiah 53:4b says, "..yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted." This verse demonstrates that when each of God's people first look upon Jesus, we misjudged the work. You saw the savior stricken of God, and yet it was for your salvation, because of your transgression. Meditating on this verse, James Durham (1622-58) said that this verse stands as a great application, or use, when considering what Jesus is doing in his church. Sometimes we see things that are not there and we misinterpret what Christ is doing among us... Continue here...