While many people were distracted by the GOP primary in South Carolina and by the death of Joe Paterno, President Obama issued an order that in effect declares war on religious liberty in the United States. The President rolled out a regulation that will force religious organizations to pay for abortions. The regulation is all a part of Obamacare, and it requires faith-based hospitals and universities to provide birth-control without a co-pay. Many Christian groups (especially Roman Catholics) have religious objections to birth control, but those groups will now have to pay for it. What is worse is that some of the birth control methods that will be covered are…
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Why John Piper Isn’t a Millionaire
John Piper preached a sermon yesterday on giving that I hope everyone will listen to. It is the only time I have ever heard him talk with specificity about how he spends his own money. He acknowledges the risk of sharing his own story but rightly concludes it is worth the risk to share. Piper says that he gives away all of the copyrights to the books that he writes to the Desiring God Foundation. So he gets none of the royalties from his books. Why does he do this? Because he knows he would be a millionaire if he didn’t, and he doesn’t trust his own heart with those…
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Voddie Baucham Explains His Absence from The Elephant Room and Beyond
Voddie Baucham explains why he declined the invitation to participate in The Elephant Room 2 and why James MacDonald cancelled Baucham’s appearance at men’s conference this past weekend. I really appreciate Voddie’s heart in this, and I think it would be well worth your time to read his take. He writes:
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D. A. Carson on the State of the Church in England
D. A. Carson offers a counterpoint to Mark Driscoll’s remarks about the state of the church in England. D. A. Carson is responding to an interview that you can download here or listen to below. [audio:http://media.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/a2f28d73-4770-4e0b-b255-7ac5ef1ec0e0.mp3] Driscoll’s response to the interview is here.
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Would You Have Aborted Her?
Ashley McMillan grew up in my hometown. When she was born, the doctor informed her parents that “there’s something wrong with her.” She was missing an arm. Ashley is now grown, married, and the mother of four children. Reflecting on her life and pondering Psalm 139:13-18, she asks a simple question:
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Some Thoughts on the Elephant Room
Two days ago the chatter coming out of The Elephant Room seemed to indicate that T. D. Jakes had alleviated all concern about his orthodoxy. I counted that as a good report and was certainly eager to hear it for myself. I had a chance last night to watch the session that featured Jakes and the discussion about Trinitarianism. There are some good things in this session (Jakes’ affirmation of one God and three persons), but there are also some not-so-good things. At the end of the day, I thought too much was left undone. Coming into this event, Jakes has been widely known as a modalist, and I saw…
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Collin Hansen on Joe Paterno’s Legacy
I don’t know how I missed this a couple of days ago, but Collin Hansen has written an excellent article on Joe Paterno’s legacy. It’s titled “When Good Isn’t Good Enough,” and I highly recommend it.
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Spielberg To Direct New Moses Movie
Here’s the scoop: The two-time Oscar winner is closing in on a deal with Warner Bros. to direct “Gods And Kings,” which is described as a “‘Braveheart’-ish version of the Moses story” mixed with the “gritty reality” of “Saving Private Ryan.” Warner Bros. has been courting Spielberg for the project since last September, and now it appears they are close to nabbing him. That in itself is an accomplishment: the notoriously busy Spielberg always has a full dance card, but will have time for “Gods And Kings” next spring. The director just finished “Lincoln” and will soon start on “Robopocalypse”; “Gods And Kings” would hope to begin lensing in March…
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Hymn To God the Father
One of my favorite poems of all time is “Hymn to God the Father” by John Donne. If you are not familiar with this poem, you need to be. Donne composed this piece near the end of his life when he was facing death (circa 1631). As he contemplates his demise, he is overcome with a sense of his own sinfulness, and he wonders how he will stand at the judgment. Donne evokes all the anguish of the “wretched man” in Romans 7:24 before he sounds a final note of hope that Jesus will rescue him at the last day. There is a wonderful play on the word “done” in…
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Gingrich: Life Does Not Begin at Conception
Wesley Smith highlights an interview that Speaker Gingrich gave to ABC News last month. In a conversation with Jake Tapper, Speaker Gingrich said that he did not believe that life begins at conception. Here’s the exchange: