Paltalk Personalities

Paltalk is a chat program that has a voice feature. You can discuss many things freely because of the microphones and speakers of participants. A chat program that does not have a speaking feature often limits the participation, sometimes to soundbyte discussions. I frequent Paltalk under an anonymous name because it is not the safest site on the internet.

There seems to be a growing vehemence on Paltalk; or else it is just becoming clearer to me. I call this pugilistic group "The Anti-Calvinist Club". There are barrages from the ditch of non-Calvinists which causes the Calvinists to huddle in their own ditch. To find "the golden middle" on Paltalk is very rare.

The President of The Anti-Calvinist Club reminds me of the Peanuts character, PigPen. The President runs on emotions that swirl constantly around her feet. That swirl sucks in others, like a tornado sucking roofs off of houses; out of that swirl stones are thrown. Friends hurl rocks and boulders at one another. The tenseness of rooms intensifies once The President arrives on the scene and her devoted followers follow her from place to place. The President causes division of friends; maiming the whole body of Christ.

Jesus, heal your church.

Just Keep Swimming

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

Hebrews 12:2

N.T. Wright and His Current Book

Sound Familiar?

Any of you, dear readers, who have done any kind of apologetics should get a laugh out of this video. Enjoy!

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Party Time

On April 12, 2009 Christians all around the world will be celebrating Easter. Together, as Christ's beloved bride, we will look to His victory procured for our sake. We are purchased at a great price. That cost bought us Christ's righteousness, we are robed in His righteousness, it is what God sees when He looks at us. We have great reasons to rejoice on April 12. Do so with joy!

Further reading on the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Early Creeds

How many times, dear Reader, have you run into Latter Day Saints, or Jehovah's Witnesses, who tell you they are Christians? Do you have the wherewithal to challenge their statements of belonging to Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity? Does your church recite any of the creeds?

Defining a Christian as someone who follows Christ, is not how a Christian has been historically defined. There are many cults, unbelievers, even Buddhists who will tell you they follow Christ. What they mean, of course, is they like their own personal view of Jesus. It does not necessarily mean they have ever darkened the door of a church; nor opened a bible to read it honestly.

The creeds are a source for understanding how to define "Christian". The creeds address such things as the Who is Jesus; the Trinity; the two natures of Christ. All of these things cults do not affirm.

As an American living in a post-Christian culture, it is important that Christians learn about our creeds again. We do ourselves a great disservice by ignoring the works of the saints that have gone before us. At one time, it was common knowledge as parishioners of all faiths were catechized. If your church does not catechize, suggest one; if one still does not happen find a catechism class to join just for your own edification. You don't have to leave your church, just study with someone who is willing and learned, and a good teacher of church history.

Dear Reader, I encourage you to read the early creeds, so that you also may defend your faith.

The Necessity of Apologetics

"The church doesn't need apologists," is a statement I hear on occasion. It is often followed with statements such as, "Christians only need to be aware of the Truth in order to defend it." It is a strange hermeneutic. Reformed tradition uses a historic hermeneutic: First, foremost, and final say is Holy Scripture; second is philosophy, as we have been given a mind we are to use it; third, scientific reason, as limited as it is; lastly, experience.

January 31, 2009 we attended an event at Westminster Presbyterian Church in San Jose, California. While this congregation struggles to teach its members the historic hermeneutic, they called in Dr. Robert A. J. Gagnon to fly in from Philadelphia to speak for a little over one hour. The Saturday previous Pam Byers from Old First Presbyterian Church in San Francisco was a speaker at Westminster Presbyterian church. I was not in attendance to hear Ms. Byers' arguments.

Dr. Gagnon has done his homework on the issue of homosexuality and the Holy Scriptures. In his limited time at Westminster, he presented a very Biblical view. In his presentation, he used sources from outside Scripture. Even the self-labeled homosexual experts agreed with the Biblical assessment of homosexuality presented by Dr. Gagnon. Included in his evidence were also original source writings from ancient Greek and Roman writers and philosophers that do away with those who have not yet caught up with academia in their stance on this topic within the PC(USA).

I witnessed a proper use of Biblical knowledge and study; philisophical sources; scientific; and experience. It was all packaged in a truncated version of Dr. Gagnon's four hour presentation. Apologists and apologetics are needed within the body of Christ; they help us identify the antiChrists amongst us.