Did Anybody Else Watch This?

It is the custom in our home that on Christmas morning I get up early, build a rip-roaring fire, make the coffee, and get ready for the family Christmas (which I celebrate with my wife and two sons).

While I was enjoying the fire and waiting for the sleepy-heads to get up (we were all zonked from our Christmas Eve service and a late night at my mother-in-laws', and my sons just finished up their finals, so they were pretty fried), I made the mistake of turning on the TV.  I had heard about recent terrorist threats, so I wanted to check the news.  I turned on Fox news only to see Rick Warren at Saddleback.

Did anyone else see this?  It was absolutely awful.  Apparently, I've misunderstood the meaning of Christmas.  I thought it had something to do with the Incarnation and with Jesus coming to save me from my sins.  No, Jesus came to give me purpose and to give Rick Warren slogans.  Warren did not preach from a text.  He repeatedly turned gospel into law.  He spoke in clichés and referred to his "peace" plan over and over.  It was the worst bunch of self-promotion in a pulpit I have ever seen.  Don't even start me on the "worship service," or whatever that abomination was . . . 

And no, my objections are not that of the typical cranky Reformed guy looking down his nose on evangelicals.  There was no "evangel" at all.  Even the liberal Episcopalians doing "Lessons and Carols" (which I watched before I went to bed on Christmas Eve) came closer to the gospel and the true meaning of Christmas than did Warren, the "Bible-believing" evangelical pastor.  It was awful . . . 

I hope Fox news sticks with the news and doesn't ever do this again.  I reluctantly turned on CNN and then gave thanks that terrorists did not attack.

After I turned off the TV in disgust, we enjoyed our family Christmas!  No thanks to Rick Warren and Fox news.

Scary Christmas!

Saw this creepy photo in the news coverage of the Vatican Christmas Eve service.  Those poor boys were probably scared to death! Old Benedict XVI couldn't look more ghoulish if he tried.

Who Said That?

Who said that?

"Christ offers us the gift of salvation, and he will not go back on his word. But you and I are entirely capable of going back on our word by abandoning Christ and thereby forfeiting his gift of salvation . . . . Let's consider Saint John's . . . statement: No one can snatch out of Christ's hand those who whom the Father has given him. No external power is capable of wresting us out of Christ's loving embrace (Romans 8:28-29); but you can do it, if you decide to willfully rebel against God through mortal sin (1 John 5:16-17). If you die unrepentant in that state, you will have lost your salvation because you will have, in effect, snatched yourself out of Christ's hand."

OK, take a stab . . . Put your guess in the comments below. No google searches, please!

Update on Tuesday, January 2, 2007 at 11:05AM by Kim Riddlebarger

These truly remarkable words of will-worship come from Catholic apologist Patrick Madrid.  For those of you who guessed that these words came from an Arminian theologian, heed well the warnings of Toplady and others, that Rome and many Arminians, use the same biblical texts in the same way to attack monergism.

Lutheran Advent Calendar

I'll bet some of you are thinking, "I knew it."  (h.t. Rod Rosenbladt)

I'm thinking, "that's not a bad idea!"  All I need is some cardboard and a sharpie and I can really spruce up my little fridge in my study.

Sorry, but you Southern Baptists are out of luck . . .

Who Said That?

Who said that?

"The resurrection of Jesus cannot be an authenticating miracle on the basis of which a doubter can be secure in believing in Christ.  This is so not because as a mythical event--a dead person's returning to life in this world (and this is what is involved, since the risen one is perceived with the physical senses)--it is incredible, or because the resurrection cannot be established as an objective fact by ever so many witnesses, so that it could unhesitatingly believed in and faith would have a secure guarantee.  It is so because the resurrection itself is an object of faith; and one cannot secure one (faith in the saving meaning of the cross) by another (faith in the resurrection)."

Please leave your guess in the comments section below.  No google searches!

Update on Monday, December 18, 2006 at 03:28PM by Kim Riddlebarger

These words come from Rudolf Bultmann, ("The New Testament and Mythology" [1941]).  Although we have quickly forgotten Bultmann's legacy--the quest to demythologize the New Testament--he remains the patron saint of the Jesus Seminar and all anti-supernatural theological liberals since (i.e., Funk and Borg).

The Man of Sin Interviews

Time for Hope has just posted a brief snippet of part 2 of my interview with Dr. Crews. 

You can find part 1 (in its entirety) here.  Click here: Time for Hope: Registration.   You have to register, but you can see the entire program (part 1). 

I'm told that later this week, part 2 will be posted here as well. 

B. B. Warfield on Arminians and Evangelicals

My Academy lecture (from December 8), "B. B. Warfield, on Arminians and Evangelicals" has been posted on the Christ Reformed Infoblog.

All the fall 2006 Academy classes have been posted.  The Academy schedule for winter-spring 2006, will be posted soon.

Click here: Christ Reformed Info - MP3's and Real Audio (of Academy Lectures)

My TV Interview

Time for Hope has posted the schedule and stations for my recent interview with Dr. Crews dealing with my book, The Man of Sin.  The first program airs on December 6, the second on December 13.  It is on just about everywhere in the country, except in Orange and Los Angeles counties (drat!).

Funny, I look older and balder on TV than I do on radio . . .

Click here: Time for Hope: Show Schedule

Update on Tuesday, December 5, 2006 at 09:37AM by Kim Riddlebarger

Time for Hope is running a short clip from my interview, both this week and next.

Click here: Time for Hope: A Weekly Faith-Based Mental Health Talk and Interview Television Show

Update on Friday, December 8, 2006 at 10:35PM by Kim Riddlebarger

Time for Hope has posted the entire interview . . .  You have to register, but its free and you'll get the second blessing if you watch it!

Click here: Time for Hope: Registration

Who Said That?

OK, who said that?

"Sacred doctrine makes use of these authorities [philosophers and human arguments] as extrinsic and probable arguments; but properly uses the authority of the canonical Scripture as an incontrovertible proof, and the authority of the doctors of the Church [the theologians] as one that may be properly used, yet merely as probable.  For our faith rests upon the revelation made to the apostles and prophets, who wrote the canonical books, and not on any revelations (if there were any) made to other doctors."

This is old hat . . . Leave your guess in the comments section below.  Please no google searches!  Who said that?

Update on Monday, December 11, 2006 at 12:01PM by Kim Riddlebarger

Don't you just love it when the doctors of the church teach sola Scriptura?  As many of you correctly guessed, these words come from St. Thomas, from the opening chapters of the Summa (1. Q1. 8)