You can get to all of these by clicking here or just follow some of the links below.
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sticking our neck out on a limb!
There's always a risk taken when trying to blatantly support or defend a particular person or ministry - the risk of looking like blithering non-thinking yes-men sycophants. We're up for that risk now as we tell you a little about a brother that few people in the church really know.
We are thankful that concerning the age of the earth and the universe, most everyone on our mailing list knows it is not a salvation issue. God will never say when we stand before him, "Forget about that saved-by-faith stuff. How long do you think it took me to make this place?... Huh? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"
So one of the amazingly weird things about modern-day American Christianity is the absolute insistence by a few that a belief in a 6-day-6000-years-ago interpretation of Genesis One is on the same High Plane of Importance as, say, the belief that Jesus rose from the dead. And that an old-earth interpretation also means 1) a belief in evolution (false), 2) a full-on compromising of the tenets of the Christian faith (really false), 3) a partnership with Satan (muy falso), 4) a seat next to Stalin, Hitler, and Clinton on the train to hell (extra large false with a side of fries).
Well, we're getting less and less patient with all the old-earth bashing rhetoric, so we're going to make an attempt this month to try and clear our name and the name of one particular brother, Hugh Ross.
We have this month a "message" by Pastor Jack Hayford of Church on the Way concerning Dr Ross. It is an introduction by Pastor Jack at a recent talk Dr Ross gave at Hayford's King's College. We have an mp3 of it here. (It is about 10 minutes long.) If you are fence-sitting when it comes to Dr Ross or an old-earth belief, give it a listen. We expect that much from you all, being the people of integrity you are, people of God who like to hear both sides of an issue before making decisions. Thanks! Which leads us to... |
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speak of the devil
This month's Charisma Magazine coincidentally features Hugh Ross the Boss himself - in a cover story no less - written by head writer Andy Butcher. Here's another chance to demythologize the man and say howdy-do to Reasons To Believe, Christendom's CalTech. Yours truly was interviewed by Andy for the article, but did any of my pithy YogiBerra-esque quotes make the article??? Of course not! I don't have a PhD like Fuz duz!!! ;) |
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the rabbit died!!
Sit down for this one. We are actually, seriously, in the blastula stage of making a video/DVD series of apologetics for youth/laymen. Really, no joke. In the last month we've "done lunch" with some "people" who know "people" who can "fund" the "megabucks," and "man" a project like "this."
We're going ahead as if it will happen, trusting that the Lord will open and shut doors along the way. If, ultimately, all doors shut, we'll be hurting, but so be it. But we really feel it will go. And hence, we need you.
The extremely tentative plans include 25-minute shows on all the basics - the resurrection, what truth is, cults, the deity of Christ, other religions, evil and suffering, etc. - done with high-end graphics and laced with the humor you all know and barely tolerate.
But what do you want to see? What ideas do you have?
PLEASE feel free to drop us a letter with your input put on it. We truly value your point of view! We'll keep you up-to-date as time passes and we all get older... and older... and older... |
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prolife powerpoint packs punch!
FYI: Of all the free powerpoints we offer, the ProLife ones are running away with the lead. In May both versions of A Womb With A View were downloaded for a total of more than 1000 times. (Which is one reason our site was shut down for the last couple days; we overused our bandwidth! (First we had to learn what "overused our bandwidth" meant, then our frowns were turned upside down.)
All this is great news for those of us who hold a strong prolife stance. Please feel free to download from here whatever powerpoints you want and use them to possibly save lives. Amen!? |
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conference crazy!
Live in Southern California or willing to take a risk travelling to this Land of Nuts and Flakes? Have we got some conferences for you!
One is the CS Lewis Summer Conference put on by the CS Lewis Foundation. It is in San Diego (oooh, pretty!) and features the likes of JP Moreland and Peter Kreeft and Dallas Willard along with other heavyweights (although it appears Dr Willard has trimmed down nicely). It is called A Celebration of Mere Christianity, and will be held June 19-22. Go here for details.
The other is the 2003 Reasons To Believe Conference on Who is the Designer? RTB goes that extra step ahead of the Intelligent Design Community in not just implying that there is a Designer to the Universe, but actually attempting to identify Him as no less than (cue dramatic music!) the God of the Bible!!! Their conference is June 26-28 in Cypress, CA. and includes Hugh Ross, Greg Koukl, Ken Samples, Walter Bradley, et al. You may even see Mark there. (He'll be the one dressed in sumo, sweeping up afterwards.) Go here for info. |
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we get letters!
Your booklet on apologetics has strengthened my faith so much! It's helped me be able to explain things to others, too. Your ministry is badly needed and very much appreciated! Thank you for allowing God to use your gifts to change lives!
MK
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Hey guys, I like most of the site, but it’s kinda grieving to see the way you slam young earth creationists (mostly on the basis of secular academic accomplishments rather than factual or biblical polemics). Even if you really believe young earth creation is a sham, What good does it do the unbeliever to see Christians slamming other Christians?
Yup. In Christ, Yo Bro Judah.
[FYI: Bro! We're slamming some self-righteous leaders of the movement, not our brother- and sister-YECs, and not by name. And we only "slam" in the YECCH site. And it's satire. Moreover, what does "polemics" mean?]
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YECCH [the satirical subsite on the swordandspirit site] is the greatest thing I've seen in a long time! I've been interacting (or at least trying) with some dogmatic YECs at the RTB Yahoo discussion group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RTB_Discussion_Group/ which is hosted by Answers in Genesis. Trust me, I fully understand everything on the satire site - it is so true! You guys obviously have had some experience dealing with these guys. I love the fact that you linked it to your site - it really is apologetics with an edge! I love it. Would love to work with you guys. Anyway, thanks for the laugh, it was much needed.
CW
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bottom line
* Shirts still available!
* Apologetics Booklets always available!
* Donations welcome!
* Prayer needed! (specifically for preparations for Spirit West Coast and the Apologetics DVD series and ability for us to discern healthy satire from "slamming")
* Confession! Loyal LA Kings fans that we are, we confess we are covertly routing for the Ducks to win the Stanley Cup. But tell no one! Our Kings friends would drop the gloves and clean our clocks. It would be messy. |
Thanks for your kind words of support and encouragement. We don't expect to please everyone with what we say and how we do it. So prayer and encouragement are always welcome. Thanks very much from the two three of us! |
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