Reading Puritans

If you've ever wanted to read some of the Puritan writers, but weren't sure where to start, here is a great plan for reading one classic a month for a year.

My Son

Here's a little video of my son.

Isn't he cute?

Megachurch Map

Ever wonder where all those megachurches are?

Probably not, I know.

But now you can find out.

Rob in Time

Our friend Rob is in Time Magazine this week. I had to cringe while reading this article.... it sounds like the reporter bought the hype.

Cut Your Time in Purgatory

Don't be left out!

Indulgences are available again for a limited time...

If you'd like to reduce your days in purgatory, you might want to consider a trip to France next year.

Huck-a-Who?

Huckabee is first in the nation, according to the latest daily Rasmussen poll.

If you haven't heard about him before...now is the time to learn.

Mike Huckabee 20%

Rudy Giuliani 17%

John McCain 13%

Mitt Romney 13%

Fred Thompson 10%

A Common Word

Tim Challies has an excellent and thoughtful critique of the recent response by notable Christian leaders to A Common Word, a letter signed by 138 Muslim clerics seeking dialogue with Christianity. Challies notes:

Perhaps most shockingly, the documents takes for granted that the God of Christianity is the god of Islam. Nowhere in this document would one come to believe that the God of the Bible is different than Allah of Islam. Nowhere in the Bible do I find Jesus telling us to find common ground with other faiths—with people who chase false gods and who are wholly committed to the downfall of the Christian faith. Nowhere do I see the Apostles, as Christ’s representatives, engaging in dialogue or seeking common ground in which to pursue God together. Rather, I see the promise of division and hatred. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth, “says Jesus.” “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”

I have to agree with Challies here. In a recent class I taught at Corinth, we discussed this very question. Is the "god" of Islam and the God of Christianity the same? Beyond the generic understanding of God as creator, we could find nothing specifically similar about the two understanding of God. Even the notions of "love" and "love for neighbor"--which are the basis for the "common word" signed by these Christian leaders--must be specifically defined in light of Christ.

I would find it difficult to believe that Muslim leaders would accept a definition of love that involves the Incarnation and substitutionary atonement of God's Son for our sin. If we fail to define love in light of the cross of Jesus Christ, we have redefined the Christian definition of love. If "love for neighbor" does not involve sharing the gospel of Jesus with them, then can we truly say we have loved them?

Tony Jones on Truth

OldTruth.org has a new post on Tony Jones, one of the leaders of Emergent...

Tony Jones was recently asked about the concerns being expressed by some - that Emergent has no doctrine or a statement of faith. His response: "I'm even more concerned that people [do] have statements of faith. Statements of faith are about drawing borders, which means you have to load your weapons and place soldiers at those borders. You have to check people's passports when they pass those borders."

It's frightening that people like this are considered leaders in the church. I mean...think about what he is saying here. What does it even mean to have faith, if you can't make a statement about it? I'm beginning to think that Tony Jones and his friends must have faith in faith itself (which is meaningless). It certainly isn't faith in Jesus, if you can't even make a statement about Jesus.

Full Caspian Trailer

The full trailer for Prince Caspian is now online.

It's even better than I'd hoped. Sweet.

Good Week for Huck

Wow. In case you haven't been paying attention, this was a pivotal week for the Republican candidates. With a little over a month until the primaries kick off, things are changing up a bit!

As of today, Mike Huckabee, a virtual unknown to many people...has bumped ahead a bit in the polls and is now in 2nd place nationally! According to the December 1 Rasmussen Poll:

Date	Giuliani	Thompson	Romney	McCain	Huckabee
12/01/07	24%	14%	10%	13%	15%