Christian Heritage News

By Michael F. Haverluck - Posted at OneNewsNow: “Declining church loyalty – or what is sometimes referred to as ‘church hopping’ – is becoming a common feature of churchgoing,” Barna researchers revealed. To better understand Americans’ relationship with their churches, the latest research by the Barna Group revealed a number of key trends among practicing Christians and churched adults. It was discovered that "practicing Christians" – those who attend church at least once a month – constitute a quarter (25%) of Americans adults (63.5 million), whereas "churched adults" – who attended church at least once in the last six months – represent nearly half (49%) of American adults (124 million). Barna Group president David Kinnaman stressed the significance of each group of Americans. “In the first case, we’re talking about those who are the most church savvy adults, [while] in the second, we’re looking at all of those adults who are reasonably familiar w

Source: This Day in Presbyterian History Posted at This Day in Presbyterian History: As the Schaeffers were preparing to move to Europe, the following article was published in BIBLICAL MISSIONS, the newsletter of the Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions, under whose auspices the Schaeffers initially moved onto the European field, with the intent of planting theologically sound churches. The picture shown here is from the January 1949 issue of that same newsletter. Some will remember that this same title “Revolutionary Christianity” appears as the title of the last chapter of Schaeffer’s book, THE CHURCH AT THE END OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. The content of the 1948 article is entirely different, though it would be an interesting exercise to compare the two messages. Great minds are always building on prior accomplishments and advances, and I have to think that Schaeffer hadn’t forgotten this 1948 article when he so titled that last chapter of his book in 1970. Fo

By Barry York - Posted at Gentle Reformation: The first book published in colonial America was the Bay Psalm Book . According to the website of the Cambridge Reformed Presbyterian Church : The book was published in 1640 in what is now Cambridge, Massachusetts in a print shop now long gone, located in what is today Harvard Square...The preface to the Bay Psalm Book was written by John Cotton...(and is) an explanation and defense of the American Puritan understanding that the Book of Psalms is God's hymnbook for the Church. This is a belief that was shared by all Presbyterian churches until the 19th Century." One of the eleven existing copies of this work is on display as " America's First Book " in the Library of Congress. The Bay Psalm Book was used extensively throughout the colonies and went through many revisions and improvements. One copy of the Bay Psalm Book was sold for $14,165,000 in 2013. That emphasizes the truth found in Psalm 19:10, where t

Image Source: Arlington Parent Coalition Posted at Arlington Parent Coalition: The HRC & the public schools are at it again. Who are we kidding? They never stop. On Thursday, February 27, the Human Rights Campaign (the lobbying, fundraising, and activism organization that pushes LGB & TQ policies and interests into every aspect of national life) is holding its annual readings of I Am Jazz in public schools across the nation. If this sounds familiar, it may be that you remember last year’s debacle at Arlington’s Ashlawn Elementary School , as well as hundreds of other elementary schools across the country, where kindergarteners were treated to a reading (by a transgender person no less) of the transgender community’s holy book. I Am Jazz relates, in four-year-old language, the story of a boy who was hormonally and surgically castrated so he could impersonate a girl. The book fails to mention a number of important things, including the multiple surgeries “Ja

By Christopher David - Posted at DISRN : In the last couple of weeks, we have witnessed some distressing news about persecution of our brothers and sisters all around the world. Reports of terrorists killing people during a church service in Burkina Faso, churches in Sudan being burned down , a seminarian in Nigeria being kidnapped and murdered , an ISIS child soldier executing a Nigerian Christian student, a young Christian human rights activist arrested and beaten up in an Iranian prison — the stories flood our screens every day. What is merely news for us is a reality of life for many of our brothers and sisters around the world. Persecution, though vile and evil, is not something that is abnormal for the church. Persecution and attacks have always been the reality throughout the church's history. God, in his infinite, and sovereign wisdom allows such sinful atrocities to be perpetrated against his children whom he loves dearly. Why? I cannot give an answer that ful

Details: In this episode, Dr. Pipa addresses listener questions regarding ontological differences between men and women, the encroachment of feminism in Reformed denominations, heresy and error regarding the doctrine of the Trinity, demonology, best/biblical practices in worship, the second commandment, adult coloring books, and appropriate levels of political engagement for pastors. Link: https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?m=t&s=2142015184229 Dr. Joseph A. Pipa, Jr. 

By Alan Giles - Posted at The Heidelblog: Evangelistic Judo “Reformed evangelism.” I used to think this was an oxymoron, that Arminians ask people to choose, and that Calvinists let the Arminians do the work of the evangelists. I thought that the Calvinists would teach converts the doctrines of the faith once they have read their bible, left their Arminian church, and come to us for the real meat and potatoes of scripture. I am not saying those were correct assumptions, but these were the foundational assumptions from which I started for many years. Then something happened. I began to question this set of assumptions. I began to ask God to give me a heart for those who have never tasted and seen the Kingdom of God. I began to intentionally build relationships with non-Christians, not for the sake of evangelizing them, but solely for the sake of getting to know them so that I could better pray for them and, perhaps, even someday, even minister to them. What if our view of ev

By David Qaoud - Posted at Gospel Relevance: Recently, I had an opportunity to speak with a widely recognized theologian at a conference. He left an impression on me with his words. After his lecture, me and some friends approached him to strike up a conversation. Our conversation was mostly surface level, mixed with a few jokes. I was happy to be in the circle. When you’re standing next to an influential person, you don’t care what’s going on. You’re just glad you’re there. But I grew discontent. And time was ticking; I didn’t know how much more time I would have with him or if I would ever see him again. I’m not one to miss out on learning opportunities. So I decided to ask a question. Before he left our circle I put my hand on his shoulder and asked, “How do you cultivate a spirit of humility in light of all the success God has entrusted you with?” Continue reading...

Source: Wikipedia By Warren Cole Smith - Posted at Ministry Watch: The Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy protection early today. The long-anticipated move is the latest in a long series of legal and financial troubles for the youth organization. The Chapter 11 filing took place in Delaware Bankruptcy Court overnight. In 2010, the Boy Scouts lost a $20-million child sexual abuse case, and that case revealed the existence of a so-called “perversion file,” a list of who were barred from being Scout leaders. However, critics of the Boy Scouts say that list was not made available to local councils. That failure resulted in the sexual abuse of yet more boys. Today, the BSA faces dozens of lawsuits, with many more likely on the way. These cases could result in hundreds of millions of dollars in damages against the BSA. Tim Kosnoff, an attorney who has tried thousands of child abuse cases, including many against the Boy Scouts and the Catholic Church, told USA Today : “Th

Posted at  Femina Sola Gratia: Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, It is with a heavy heart, for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, and because of His grace that I sit down to write you. I’m writing for myself and for my sisters in Christ who suffer under the heavy hand of domestic abuse. You might think that you don’t know anyone who is married to an abuser and so what I’m about to say doesn’t really apply to you. Please don’t think that. You probably do know someone who is being abused; you just don’t know it yet. There are many of us. It’s probably hard to understand where I’m coming from. If you haven’t lived through it, it’s difficult to relate. Maybe you wonder is there such a thing as an abusive Christian marriage–how could such a thing be? There can be and are abused Christian wives, yes; but a Christian man who abuses his wife? No. A man might have many issues and still be a Christian, but he will be working on those issues, repenting of his sin, always longing to p

http://conservativebaptistnetwork.com/ By Brandon Showalter - Posted at the Christian Post: Amid growing concern that the nation's largest Protestant denomination is increasingly "woke" and drifting from biblical orthodoxy, a new network has formed to emphasize evangelism and the sufficiency of Scripture within the Southern Baptist Convention. The Conservative Baptist Network , which is being launched Friday [February 14, 2020], describes itself as a grassroots effort to maintain the proclamation of the Gospel at the center of SBC life, in addition to prioritizing fidelity to Scripture and all of its implications, including presenting a vibrant, biblically-informed witness when engaging culture. The network fully affirms the longstanding beliefs of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. Those involved in the network's formation, many of whom spoke with The Christian Post, say their efforts are needed given the direction and perceived future of the Convention