Morality vs. Holiness and other links
The Eclectic Web
We’ve been collecting links for some weeks now. Time to share them with our readers – some of importance, some perhaps just matters of curious interest.
Our list touches on these subjects:
- Christian standards (Morality vs. Holiness)
- Compromise and mysticism (Beth Moore, Osteen, et al)
- Canada’s Courts (Prostitution law)
- Football fanatics (Fantasy football taken too far)
- Hip hop and evangelicals (thoughts on Al Mohler)
- Catholicism and its new pope
- Dressing up or dressing down (standards for woship)
- Evolution and American Opinion
- Alcohol and alcoholism (interview by Ed Stetzer)
- Two illustrations (Lost at Sea, Twins separated by a year)
Brief thoughts on how to live a life well-pleasing to God without legalism.
Beth Moore Worships at Joel Osteen’s Church as Pastrix Christine Caine Preaches : Apprising Ministries
Hard hitting – but carefully consider the evidence that backs the judgement.
When someone tells you they’ve received a direct revelation from God that runs counter to Scripture and flies in the face of His Reformation we must judge it, even if it’s SBC darling Beth Moore. Shame on the SBC—the largest Protestant denomination in the United States—for they host what you’re about to see, and even charge a fee, for people to be taught the following demonic deception from Beth Moore.
Canadian Court Strikes Down Laws on Sex Trade – NYTimes.com
Citing a constitutional right of prostitutes to security, the Supreme Court of Canada voted unanimously on Friday to strike down the country’s laws governing the sex trade.
Crazed Fantasy Football Fans Threaten Violence, Scare Some Off Social Media « CBS Detroit
Ever get death threats over a bad day at the office? Thanks to Twitter, it happens to NFL players on a regular basis.
How healthy is our modern obsession with sports? What attitude should the believer take?
Contra Mohler: On Bach, Hip Hop, and the Lack of Discernment as a Virtue | Immoderate
while I respect and admire Dr. Mohler and his legacy of Christian teaching, I believe his response to this “HHH” dust-up to be wrong-headed, not only in its interpretation of Bach, but also in its abandonment of the New Testament mandate for discernment.
Radical Pope, Traditional Values – NYTimes.com
In less than a year in office, Pope Francis has certainly stirred things up. Eschewing the papal palace to live in a simple apartment, and mingling with ordinary people in St. Peter’s Square rather than staying cloistered with cardinals in the Curia, the pope, recently named Time magazine’s Person of the Year, appears to offer a sharp contrast to his recent predecessors.
Wrestling with a changing culture and tradition … but is it only tradition?
Of course, we don’t really know how the early church or Apostles dressed in worship. But the Apostles did call for orderliness and respectfulness that was conducive to solemnity and holiness.
One-third of Americans reject evolution, poll shows | Reuters
One-third of Americans reject the idea of evolution and Republicans have grown more skeptical about it, according to a poll released on Monday.
Dealing with Alcoholism: My Interview with an Anonymous Pastor and Recovering Alcoholic – Ed Stetzer
So, I recently was in a conversation with an old friend of mine. We’ve known one another for a long time, and I knew of his journey.
Over the years, he changed his view on alcohol, moving from an abstentionist position to a more moderationist one. But, he found that, like a consistent percentage of people who intend to drink in moderation, he could not. He would later call that “alcoholism.”
Illustrations
A Speck in the Sea – NYTimes.com
Lost at sea … a gripping story of survival.
Suddenly Aldridge was flying backward, tumbling across the deck toward the back of the boat, which was wide open, just a flat, slick ramp leading straight into the black ocean a few inches below. Aldridge grabbed for the side of the boat as it went past, his fingertips missing it by inches. The water hit him like a slap. He went under, took in a mouthful of Atlantic Ocean and then surfaced, sputtering. He yelled as loud as he could, hoping to wake Sosinski, who was asleep on a bunk below the front deck. But the diesel engine was too loud, and the Anna Mary, on autopilot, moving due south at six and a half knots, was already out of reach, its navigation lights receding into the night. Aldridge shouted once more, panic rising in his throat, and then silence descended. He was alone in the darkness. A single thought gripped his mind: This is how I’m going to die.
Toronto-area mom delivers twin girls on New Year’s: one born in 2013, the other in 2014 | CTV Toronto News
As partygoers were ringing in the New Year across the Greater Toronto Area, a Mississauga mom was busy giving birth to twin daughters. And though the twins were born eight minutes apart, they’ll share different birthdays – and different birth years.
Publication of links in The Eclectic Web feature does not imply endorsement of the viewpoint or contents of any of the websites linked. The links are provided as a matter of interest to Christians.
The Eclectic Web is compiled by Don Johnson. Don Johnson is the pastor of Grace Baptist Church of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.