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The Bible in Public School

TBC What's New Feed - Thu, 01/16/2025 - 03:35
The Bible in Public School January 16, 2025TBC Staff

The article, "Bible Reading in Public Schools, History of Before and after Abington School District v. Schempp," gives a brief overview of how Bible reading was prevalent in school education to instill morality and a sense of good government and other things until the mid-twentieth century. A number of groups worked hard to eliminate Bible reading in school and were fairly successful by the mid-1960s. However, there are movements to bring Bible reading back into public education like "Texas proposal would give schools the option to use Bible teachings in lessons": 

Texas public schools could use teachings from the Bible in lessons as an option for students from kindergarten through fifth grade under a proposal that drew hours of testimony Monday and follows Republican-led efforts in other states to incorporate more religious teaching into classrooms.

Teachers and parents gave impassioned testimony for and against the curriculum plan at a meeting of the Texas State Board of Education, which is expected to hold a final vote on the measure later this week.

The curriculum — designed by the state’s public education agency — would allow teachings from the Bible such as the Golden Rule and lessons from books such as Genesis into classrooms. Under the plan, it would be optional for schools to adopt the curriculum though they would receive additional funding if they did so.

God's word is alive and active, as Hebrews:4:12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
See All... asserts, but it can also be reduced to being little more than lessons in being good neighbors and diminishing the central point and thrust of Scripture. Can children be brought to the place of seeing it as little more than a book of etiquette and simply become better-behaved sinners but never redeemed to eternal life?  It is a difficult question to answer.

https://mailchi.mp/d818d32242b2/social-justice?e=169825fd77

The Bible in Public School

TBC What's New Feed - Thu, 01/16/2025 - 03:35
The Bible in Public School January 16, 2025TBC Staff

The article, "Bible Reading in Public Schools, History of Before and after Abington School District v. Schempp," gives a brief overview of how Bible reading was prevalent in school education to instill morality and a sense of good government and other things until the mid-twentieth century. A number of groups worked hard to eliminate Bible reading in school and were fairly successful by the mid-1960s. However, there are movements to bring Bible reading back into public education like "Texas proposal would give schools the option to use Bible teachings in lessons": 

Texas public schools could use teachings from the Bible in lessons as an option for students from kindergarten through fifth grade under a proposal that drew hours of testimony Monday and follows Republican-led efforts in other states to incorporate more religious teaching into classrooms.

Teachers and parents gave impassioned testimony for and against the curriculum plan at a meeting of the Texas State Board of Education, which is expected to hold a final vote on the measure later this week.

The curriculum — designed by the state’s public education agency — would allow teachings from the Bible such as the Golden Rule and lessons from books such as Genesis into classrooms. Under the plan, it would be optional for schools to adopt the curriculum though they would receive additional funding if they did so.

God's word is alive and active, as Hebrews:4:12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
See All... asserts, but it can also be reduced to being little more than lessons in being good neighbors and diminishing the central point and thrust of Scripture. Can children be brought to the place of seeing it as little more than a book of etiquette and simply become better-behaved sinners but never redeemed to eternal life?  It is a difficult question to answer.

https://mailchi.mp/d818d32242b2/social-justice?e=169825fd77

Nuggets from Cosmos, Creator, and Human Destiny

TBC What's New Feed - Wed, 01/15/2025 - 10:00
Nuggets from Cosmos, Creator, and Human Destiny January 15, 2025Dave Hunt

Sir Arthur Eddington, when confronted with the question of a beginning to the universe, reacted as follows: “Philosophically, the notion of a beginning of the present order of nature is repugnant. . . . I should like to find a genuine loophole.” Clearly, however, there is no loophole through which the atheist can make any face-saving escape.

Andy Stanley - Redefining Immorality?

TBC What's New Feed - Wed, 01/15/2025 - 03:31
Andy Stanley - Redefining Immorality? January 15, 2025TBC Staff

In our 2023 article, "What’s Happening in the Church?"  we noted that Andy Stanley takes issue with adultery while affirming homosexuality and also "teaches “Gay Christians” More Faithful Than Straight Christians, We Must Learn From Them." More recently he has started the "Unconditional Conference." Alan Shlemon from Stand To Reason attended a conference to see for himself what is going on and being taught. He reports on it and how CNN is in turn, using the conference teachings to further advance the belief that sexual immorality is not condemned in Scripture. In "CNN Repeats Andy Stanley’s Conference Falsehoods" Shlemon writes:

“The first falsehood CNN repeats is that homosexuality and transgenderism are theologically neutral. The CNN article repeats a tagline from the conference: “In a world that makes us choose sides, experience a conference from the quieter middle.” This claim purports to suggest that there is a theologically neutral position on the morality of homosexual sex and satisfying transgender ideation. Greg McDonald emphasized this claim when he said at the conference, “We have no desire to change your theology.”

“But is there a middle ground on this topic? No. A basic law of logic is the law of excluded middle. It states that, for any proposition, either the proposition or its negation is true. In other words, a claim is only either true or false. Homosexual sex is sin or it’s not. I’ve argued that Scripture teaches that homosexual sex is sin. It’s possible I’m mistaken (though that would need to be argued and not just asserted), which would mean it’s not a sin. But there’s no middle ground. Someone is mistaken.

“This does not mean that people who disagree on the topic shouldn’t be gracious towards each other. I wholeheartedly support a kinder tone towards people who are on opposite sides of this issue. That’s very different, though, from claiming theological neutrality.”

The pressure by Progressives outside and inside the church is great. For a growing number of celebrity Christians, organizations and publications are increasing, and Andy Stanely, who disconnected from the Old Testament, seems to be one of the leading Pied Pipers in reimaging biblical teachings in general to help many in "Embracing the Journey" toward their sin of choice.”

https://mailchi.mp/09bad725e3b6/why-christians-need-to-talk-about-video-games?e=169825fd77 

Andy Stanley - Redefining Immorality?

TBC What's New Feed - Wed, 01/15/2025 - 03:31
Andy Stanley - Redefining Immorality? January 15, 2025TBC Staff

In our 2023 article, "What’s Happening in the Church?"  we noted that Andy Stanley takes issue with adultery while affirming homosexuality and also "teaches “Gay Christians” More Faithful Than Straight Christians, We Must Learn From Them." More recently he has started the "Unconditional Conference." Alan Shlemon from Stand To Reason attended a conference to see for himself what is going on and being taught. He reports on it and how CNN is in turn, using the conference teachings to further advance the belief that sexual immorality is not condemned in Scripture. In "CNN Repeats Andy Stanley’s Conference Falsehoods" Shlemon writes:

“The first falsehood CNN repeats is that homosexuality and transgenderism are theologically neutral. The CNN article repeats a tagline from the conference: “In a world that makes us choose sides, experience a conference from the quieter middle.” This claim purports to suggest that there is a theologically neutral position on the morality of homosexual sex and satisfying transgender ideation. Greg McDonald emphasized this claim when he said at the conference, “We have no desire to change your theology.”

“But is there a middle ground on this topic? No. A basic law of logic is the law of excluded middle. It states that, for any proposition, either the proposition or its negation is true. In other words, a claim is only either true or false. Homosexual sex is sin or it’s not. I’ve argued that Scripture teaches that homosexual sex is sin. It’s possible I’m mistaken (though that would need to be argued and not just asserted), which would mean it’s not a sin. But there’s no middle ground. Someone is mistaken.

“This does not mean that people who disagree on the topic shouldn’t be gracious towards each other. I wholeheartedly support a kinder tone towards people who are on opposite sides of this issue. That’s very different, though, from claiming theological neutrality.”

The pressure by Progressives outside and inside the church is great. For a growing number of celebrity Christians, organizations and publications are increasing, and Andy Stanely, who disconnected from the Old Testament, seems to be one of the leading Pied Pipers in reimaging biblical teachings in general to help many in "Embracing the Journey" toward their sin of choice.”

https://mailchi.mp/09bad725e3b6/why-christians-need-to-talk-about-video-games?e=169825fd77 

The Message of Good News is Before All Peoples

TBC What's New Feed - Tue, 01/14/2025 - 03:26
The Message of Good News is Before All Peoples January 14, 2025TBC Staff

The message of good news of great joy is for all the peoples. There is nothing surprising about the inclusion of all the nations of the world when Christ is worthy to be praised by every tongue, except that this was the expected King of the Jews. This invitation has always been for the nations, but prophesies of a Kingdom that will one day invite all peoples into the Promised One’s work of redemption have now been made fully realized in Christ coming as a baby. 

The wise men came eager to worship the Christ, because they knew He was born for them, but there could not have been anyone less suitable to come before the King. 

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 
And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother,
and they fell down and worshiped him” (Matthew:2:10-11 [10] When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. [11] And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
See All...).

These pagan magi from the east represent those who live in spiritual darkness. They were Gentiles and of those who were most unlikely to be welcomed in. And yet maybe that is exactly why Matthew rejoices to proclaim that on them the light has shone! The Lord’s desire for the nations is woven throughout the narrative of Scripture and displayed specifically in the story of the incarnation.  

—Missionary on a foreign field (name and nation withheld due to a “sensitive” area)

Nuggets from Cosmos, Creator and Human Destiny—The Atheist’s Achilles Heel

TBC What's New Feed - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 10:00
Nuggets from Cosmos, Creator and Human Destiny—The Atheist’s Achilles Heel January 13, 2025Dave Hunt

John Lennox wrote, “[Friedrich] Engels made a very perceptive comment on the issues at stake: ‘Did God create the world? Or has the world been in existence eternally? . . .” Obviously, it has not always existed because although, according to the first law of thermodynamics, energy cannot be destroyed, the second law, the law of entropy, declares that it deteriorates until it becomes utterly useless. This tells us that the universe had a beginning, or energy would have degraded to the point of total uselessness.

Lennox continued, “Stephen Hawking adopts a similar view: ‘Many people do not like the idea that time has a beginning, probably because it smacks of divine intervention.’” In spite of reluctance to accept the consensus that the cosmos had a beginning, the evidence cannot be denied.

The Most Basic Fact of the Gospel

TBC What's New Feed - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 03:49
The Most Basic Fact of the Gospel January 13, 2025TBC Staff

Christ’s death for our sins is the most basic fact of the gospel. But, millions of people have died throughout history. In fact, every person who has ever lived has died or will die, with just a few exceptions. Many also were crucified. On the day Christ died on the cross, two other men were crucified, one on each side of Him. What, then, is significant about the death of Christ? Simply, it is that He died for our sins.

We call this concept “substitutionary atonement.” Christ died instead of us. He didn’t die for Himself; He died in our place, as our substitute, to atone for our sins and allow us to enter into a right relationship with a holy God.

The death of Christ as our substitute is the heart of the gospel. It’s not just that He died, but that He died for our sins.

The next phrase in 1 Corinthians 15:3 says that Christ died for our sins “according to the Scriptures.” Paul was not referring to any particular Scripture, but to all the Old Testament Scriptures that emphasize God providing a Savior who would die and pay the penalty for sin.

Earlier in this letter, Paul alluded to one such Old Testament passage when he said, “For Christ our Passover has been sacrificed” (1 Cor. 5:7). The death of Christ was our Passover lamb being sacrificed.

The concept of a Passover lamb refers back to the Old Testament Book of Exodus. The nation Israel was in bondage in Egypt, and God was going to slay the firstborn of every family in Egypt. He told the Jews to kill a lamb, and then to put the blood of that lamb over the doorposts and on the lintel of the house. Later that night, when He went to slay the firstborn, if He saw blood on the doorposts and lintel of a home, He would pass over it. He would accept that blood as an indication that a death had occurred to take the place of that family’s firstborn (see Ex. 12).

This event foreshadowed the time when God would provide His Son as our Passover lamb. When John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the nation Israel, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). His announcement declared that Jesus is that ultimate sacrificial lamb, the only One who can pay the penalty for sin. Therefore, all the sacrifices of the Old Testament looked forward to the coming of Christ.

The theme of the Book of Hebrews is the superiority of Christ in replacing all the Old Testament systems, sacrifices and ceremonies. The Old Testament sacrifices, under the Law, were a reminder of sin year by year (Heb. 10:3).

Hebrews 10:4 says, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Clearly the problem with the sacrifice of animals was that they couldn’t take away sin.

Because of this, the next verse states: “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, But a body hast thou prepared me” (Heb. 10:5). The writer, in a fitting summary, explained that Jesus Christ was born into the human race so that He could bear the sins that the animals could not. He is our Passover Lamb.

The purpose of Jesus’ death could not be any clearer. The message resounds throughout the Old and New Testament. He died in our place to provide atonement and forgiveness and pay the penalty for our sins once and for all.

—Pastor Gil Rugh (The focus of Pastor Rugh’s ministry is systematic, verse-by-verse teaching of the Bible).

Nuggets from Cosmos, Creator, and Human Destiny

TBC What's New Feed - Sat, 01/11/2025 - 10:00
Nuggets from Cosmos, Creator, and Human Destiny January 11, 2025Dave Hunt

In these first five words of the Bible, God has issued a challenge. We are still waiting for atheists and today’s scientists to provide a substantive response. In his new book, very lucidly and convincingly written, Why Evolution Is True, Jerry Coyne attempts to respond to the Creator’s challenge. As one might have suspected, however, this highly acclaimed book doesn’t even have a reference in its index to this key element: origins.

Nuggets from Cosmos, Creator, and Human Destiny

TBC What's New Feed - Thu, 01/09/2025 - 10:00
Nuggets from Cosmos, Creator, and Human Destiny January 9, 2025Dave Hunt

If that is not plain enough, this law says there is zero possibility that life could arise out of a universe that has been totally sterilized by a huge ball of fire that evolutionists call the Big Bang. Dawkins can multiply zero possibility of life by as large a number and in as tiny steps as he can conceive, and the result will still be zero possibility of life. Surely, an Oxford professor knows the elementary mathematical fact that zero times infinity is still zero!

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