Critiquing Rob Bell’s Analogy of the Trampoline Spring

As I have made very clear many times, I am not supportive of the Emergent Church in regards to their attempts at remaking Christian doctrine.  Even so, I try very hard to read books by the leaders of the movement so I can fully understand it.  Rob Bell isn’t truly Emergent, but he is incredibly [...]

Velvet Elvis: A Review

Imagine if upon completion of the Mona Lisa everyone just decided art was finished. Imagine if we said “this is the best painting ever, so we’re just going to stop here”. Obviously that would be absurd. In the world of art we have to keep creating, keep stroking, keep mixing colors. So, says Rob Bell, [...]

Engaging the Emergent Church Part 2

Before I deal with the content of the next chapter of  Stories of Emergence, I want to voice a complaint I have with the emergent church as a whole.  I’m sure we’ve all heard exaggerated stories about spiritual happenings in the mainline Evangelical church… to borrow from Steve Furtick those stories that are like “I [...]

Engaging the Emergent Church Part 1

As the Facebook fast goes on, I find myself less motivated to write.  It’s easier to write on Facebook when I know I can garner a specific audience.  With this, however, I’m throwing my thoughts out there not knowing if anybody at all will read. At any rate, today I began reading Stories of Emergence, [...]

Jude and The Emergent Church

In the present day no person acquainted with the facts can deny that there are monumental shifts taking place inside of the Church.  America is basically following Europe in a move towards post-modernism.  At the same time the more traditional Church (by “traditional” I mean “the Church as we’ve known it up to this point”) [...]

A New Reformation

A review of Matthew Fox’s “A New Reformation” in which I critically analyze his major propositions.

Principles of Revival: Ezra Part 6

Looking at Ezra 4 through chapter 5 we find that those opposing the rebuilding of God’s Temple succeed, at least for a time.  It should be noted that they succeed through manipulation and making false charges (if the Temple is rebuilt, a revolt will ensue).  But we should expect nothing less from such people. Ultimately, [...]

Principles of Revival: Ezra Part 5

Moving from Ezra 3 to Ezra 4 we see the true beginning of the work of rebuilding.  It started with the altar, and the rest followed. At the end of Ezra 3, the people worship as the foundation of the Temple is laid.  Those who hadn’t seen the first Temple rejoiced and praised.  Those who [...]

Principles of Revival: Ezra Part 2

As we read in Ezra Chapter 1, there was a Divine mandate to rebuild the Temple of God.  What had been destroyed and ground to rubble was in need of rebuilding. We can look at this process in two phases:  First, the Jewish captives were set free.  Second, in their freedom the Jews returned to [...]

On What Basis?

At times I have a tendency to make assumptions.  With the title of this blog I’ve generally assumed that most Christians know there is something very wrong with American Christianity today.  In an article titled Religious Boredom A.W. Tozer says “That there is something gravely wrong with evangelical Christianity today is not likely to be [...]