Taylor’s response to Rob Bell’s book has received a quarter of a million hits since Saturday, according to a report on CNN’s religion blog. Obviously, this is an unusually enormous response to a blog post. I think it speaks both to the influence of Taylor’s own blog, but also to the wide following that Rob Bell has—which is all the more reason that a pastoral response like Justin’s was needed. No one should relish controversy for controversy’s sake. But that is not what is happening here. On that note, if you haven’t done so yet, you need to read Kevin DeYoung’s follow-up piece on the Rob Bell brouhaha. He argues…
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Rob Bell Outs Himself
False teachers are often described as wolves in sheep’s clothing. Eventually, every wolf loses the disguise. It looks like that is exactly what Rob Bell has done in his new book set to be released next month, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. I have had the opportunity to read the preface and the first couple of chapters, and it appears that Bell has embraced some form of universalism—the belief that every person eventually inherits eternal life. Perhaps he is leaving the door open for some kind of annihilationist perspective. In any case, he has jettisoned the doctrine of hell…
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Darth Vader Sings Justin Bieber
James Earl Jones recently appeared on the Gayle King Show and as a gag read a few lines from a Justin Bieber song (see below). Not long after, someone took the audio and reworked the ending of “The Empire Strikes Back.” The result is the softer side of Darth Vader. You are going to like this one.
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Said Musa Has Been Released
International Christian Concern (ICC) is reporting that Said Musa has been released from his captivity in Kabul, Afghanistan. He had been imprisoned for converting to Christianity from Islam, a crime punishable by execution. Thankfully, aggressive international diplomacy behind the scenes paid-off, and I could not be more grateful to receive this news. Thank you, Lord, for answering our prayers. From the ICC report:
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Obama Administration Will Not Defend Federal Marriage Law
In 1996, Congress passed the “Defense of Marriage Act.” This law defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The law also says that no state, territory, or possession of the United States is required to treat as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state. The “Defense of Marriage Act” is an act of Congress, and it is the law of the land.
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Update on Said Musa
Bob Smietana of The Nashville Tennessean reports that things are looking up for Said Musa, a Christian imprisoned in Kabul, Afghanistan who is under threat of execution for his conversion to Christianity (read my earlier post). Smietana says that Said’s wife and children have already fled the country, that Said has been moved to a safer prison, and that the Afghan authorities are feeling the pressure from American officials to release Said himself. Smietana’s report appears in this morning’s edition, and here’s the latest on Said’s situation:
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Addicted to Technology
I’m looking forward to the release of Tim Challies’ new book The Next Story: Life and Faith after the Digital Explosion, which which you can pre-order now from Amazon.com. The publisher Zondervan has put together a video to promote the book, and it lampoons our addiction to technology. I think this is really clever. See above. (HT: Tim Challies)
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Tim Keller on “Morning Joe”
“Morning Joe” is my favorite talking-head program, and Tim Keller is one of my favorite pastors. So I was glad to see that Keller made an appearance on the program Friday morning. Keller discussed idolatry and the sermon that he is preparing for Sunday morning. One interesting tidbit: Scarborough is a Southern Baptist by tradition (as I am), but he reveals in the clip above that he attends Keller’s Presbyterian church from time to time. I am grateful for Keller’s faithful ministry in NYC. God is using him in a difficult field. [Keller appeared at least one other time on “Morning Joe.” It was two years ago, and you can…
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Pray for Said Musa
If you haven’t done so already, please pray for Said Musa who awaits execution in a prison in Kabul, Afghanistan. His crime? Converting to Christianity from Islam. Said Musa is married and the father of six young children. He has been a Christian for eight years. Compass Direct News reports: “In the two-page letter, a copy of which Compass received in late October, Musa addressed Obama as ‘brother’ and pleaded with the international community: ‘For [the] sake [of the] Lord Jesus Christ please pray for me and rescue me from this jail otherwise they will kill me because I know they [have] very very very cruel and hard hearts.’
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Catherine Clark Kroeger (1925-2011)
I just read the sad news that Dr. Catherine Clark Kroeger passed away on Monday. Dr. Kroeger was a noted egalitarian scholar and author who founded the organization Christians for Biblical Equality. She is preceded in death by her husband Richard Clark Kroeger, and she is survived by her five children and ten grandchildren. Memorials have already appeared at several places online: The Boston Globe, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Mimi Haddad (for CBE). RIP.