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Category Archives: Religion
Why I don’t watch “The Chosen” TV Show
I don’t watch much television these days, and don’t tend to keep up with what is new or popular on TV. One show, however, has caught my attention because of its notoriety, and its subject matter. The Chosen, which has been on air for a few years now, seeks to depict the life and ministry of Jesus Christ in the form of a television series. The series has been met with rave reviews, with thousands of professing Christians lending their support for the series, and a 90%+ rating on major review sites. I have only heard about it because of the success it seems to be having within the church, as more and more Christians talk about it. However, I find this new excitement over The Chosen concerning, and would warn Christians from watching the show for the following 3 reasons.
The Chosen Violates The 2nd Commandment
Christians ought to make quick work of discerning whether or not to watch The Chosen by simply recognizing that it violates the 2nd Commandment. For reference, here is the 2nd Commandment given in Exodus 20:4-6:
Continue readingYou shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Exodus 20:4-6 ESV
Bible Reading Plans for 2024
This is the Daily Bible Reading Plan that is published in the ESV Study Bible by Crossway. Similar to many plans, it provides for reading the NT and Psalms twice a year while reading the OT in a year. The plan is broken up into 4 sections:
- Gospels and Devotions
- Chronicles and Prophets
- Psalms and Wisdom Literature
- Pentateuch and History of Israel
Every day of the year, the reader will read a chapter or so from 4 different sections of the bible. The list is numbered rather than dated to accommodate for a missed day or needing to take a break.
Continue readingWhat were the crusades?
The Crusades were a series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims started primarily to secure control of holy sites considered sacred by both groups. In all, eight major Crusade expeditions—varying in size, strength and degree of success—occurred between 1096 and 1291. The costly, violent and often ruthless conflicts enhanced the status of European Christians, making them major players in the fight for land in the Middle East.
By the end of the 11th century, Western Europe had emerged as a significant power in its own right, though it still lagged behind other Mediterranean civilizations, such as the Byzantine Empire (formerly the eastern half of the Roman Empire) and the Islamic Empire of the Middle East and North Africa.
However, Byzantium had lost considerable territory to the invading Seljuk Turks. After years of chaos and civil war, the general Alexius Comnenus seized the Byzantine throne in 1081 and consolidated control over the remaining empire as Emperor Alexius I.
In 1095, Alexius sent envoys to Pope Urban II asking for mercenary troops from the West to help confront the Turkish threat. Though relations between Christians in the East and those in the West had long been fractious, Alexius’s request came at a time when the situation was improving.
Continue readingLatin superstar Daddy Yankee tells fans he is leaving music to evangelize the world for Jesus
The music superstar quoted scripture, asking the crowd, ‘What good will it be for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?’
Global Latin music star Daddy Yankee recently bid farewell to his music career and announced he will be dedicating his life to evangelizing the world “for Jesus.”
During the final show of his farewell tour in Puerto Rico on Sunday, the “Gasolina” and “Despacito” star said a tearful goodbye to his fans and claimed that he would be giving the rest of his life to Christ, as he has found committing to Christianity much more meaningful.
Continue reading261 Georgia congregations leave the United Methodist Church over a divide on LGBTQ issues
The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church voted Saturday to accept the decision of 261 congregations to leave the denomination over a divide on LGBTQ issues.
“I realize how sad this time is for many, including myself,” said Bishop Robin Dease, the leader of the conference. “I just hate that those who are leaving us, I will not have the opportunity to meet or to be with.”
The churches are breaking from the UMC after a 2019 decision by the national United Methodist Church to allow congregations to leave by the end of 2023, “for reasons of conscience regarding a change in the requirements and provisions of the Book of Discipline related to the practice of homosexuality or the ordination or marriage of self-avowed practicing homosexuals.”
Continue readingChurch of England backs plans for trial blessings of same-sex weddings
General Synod’s narrow vote in favour means services to celebrate gay marriages could be held within weeks
Dedicated church services to bless the weddings of same-sex couples could be held within weeks, after a narrow vote at the Church of England ruling body.
The General Synod backed a plan to hold standalone services of blessings for same-sex couples on a trial basis.
It means that gay Christians will be able to invite family and friends to a special service, which could be held on Saturdays, to bless and celebrate their weddings. Music, readings, confetti and other features would mean such services could look very similar to a standard church wedding.
The proposal for standalone services on a trial basis came in an amendment to a motion that noted progress made by bishops on the divisive issues of sexuality, known within the C of E as Living in Love and Faith. The amendment scraped through by one vote; the amended motion passed by 227 votes to 203.
Steven Croft, the bishop of Oxford, who proposed the amendment, said the “experimental” standalone services would be voluntary and no member of the clergy would be obliged to offer such services.
Last month, bishops agreed to commend special prayers of blessing for same-sex couples for use in existing church services. These are likely to begin before Christmas.
Is Anglicanism Growing or Dying? New Data.
IS ANGLICANISM GROWING OR DYING? NEW DATA
The Rev. Dr. David Goodhew February 22, 2022 Analysis, Church of England
The membership of the Episcopal Church (TEC) has halved since 1970. During the same period, the Anglican Communion’s combined membership has doubled. It is now heading toward 100 million. The result is a massive shift in the center of gravity of the Anglican Communion. Is the Communion growing or dying? It is growing and, in parts, it is dying too.
Members of TEC (and the wider Communion) urgently need to assimilate these patterns of growth and decline, especially as we approach the 2022 Lambeth Conference.
This article draws on the work of the widely respected scholars Todd Johnson and Gina Zurlo and the Center for the Study of Worldwide Christianity based at Gordon Conwell, as well as other materials. Johnson and Zurlo now provide data for the entire Communion up to 2015, which constitutes an updating of their groundbreaking work in the volume Growth and Decline in the Anglican Communion which also appeared in an earlier article on Covenant.
Global Anglicanism, 1970 to 2015[i]
1970 2015
Africa 7,718,000 56,947,000
Asia [ii] 358,000 891,000
Europe 29,367,000 24,922,000
North America 4,395,000 2,549,000
Latin America [iii] 775,000 929,000
Oceania 4,781,000 4,533,000
Global Total 47,394,000 90,771,000
The data for 2015 are the latest figures we have for the whole Communion. Individual provinces have more recent data. Since 2015 the Communion has grown further. Notwithstanding COVID, the Anglican Communion is now at least double the size it was in 1970. Those who would write Anglicanism off, please take note.
Continue readingSay it to their faces…
Schuyler ESV Wide Margin in marbled mahogany
The best selling Schuyler ESV Quentel Bible is now available in a Wide Margin format. This Bible is identical to the current Schuyler Quentel ESV with the following exceptions: 1. Slightly smaller text size: 9.5 instead of 11 point font. 2. Heavier paper – 40 GSM Bible paper. 3. Semi-yapp cover. 4. 32 pages of lined note paper. 5. Last, but not least, wide margins. Outer Margin: 35 mm; Inner Margin 33 mm; Top Margin: 25-30 mm; Bottom Margin: 31-36 mm. This format will extend to the Schuyler Quentel series, and is already available in the Schuyler Canterbury KJV and and Schuyler Quentel NASB.
ESV Text Edition: 2016
Marbled Mahogany Calfskin with full leather linings (dark brown)
Page Size: 6.8″ x 9.4″ x 1.7″ (173 mm x 238 mm x 42 mm)
Outer Margin: 35 mm; Inner Margin 33 mm; Top Margin: 25 mm; Bottom Margin: 31 mm.
9.5 pt. Milo font
Line Matching to avoid “see through”
40 GSM Paper (Finland)
Smyth Sewn
Double Column, Paragraph format
Black Letter Text
3 x 1 cm Ribbons: Dark Brown, Gold, Dark Brown
Art-Gilt edging (red under gold) with gilt line (gold line inside the cover)
Gold embossing on the Spine.
Raised Spine Ribs
Smyth Sewn
More than 80,000 entry cross references
Concordance
Presentation pages
Extensive Schuyler Bible Maps