Living in Light of Two Ages
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Thursday, October 31, 2013 at 01:18PM 
One of the readers of this blog has an odd sense of humor (much as I do, apparently) and sent me the above picture. All I can say is "I have a face well-suited for radio" and not so much for the big screens.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013 at 01:59PM 
Any guesses as to what/where this might be?
No cheating! Answers go in the comment section, and I'll let you know what it is in a couple of days.
Kim Riddlebarger
This is a photo of Steve Jobs' bedroom in his parent's house taken in1976.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013 at 11:28AM 
The e-book edition of my book on the biblical doctrine of antichrist is being offered this week at a huge discount. The Man of Sin is on-sale for $3.99 at the booksellers listed below.
The Man of Sin, Amazon Kindle: Click Here
The Man of Sin, Barnes and Noble: Click Here
The Man of Sin, Christian Book Distributors: Click Here
Kim Riddlebarger
Just hit #1 on Amazon kindle books in "Eschatology"
A sincere "thank you" to all of you who purchased Man of Sin
Tuesday, October 29, 2013 at 08:47AM 
The Ninth in a Series of Sermons on Select Passages in Second Corinthians
No one wants to suffer. If there were some way for God’s people to avoid suffering, you would think that Paul would have figured it out. Paul experienced a number of extraordinary events that might have given him answers to the mystery of human suffering. Paul was taken up to the third heaven and heard things he was forbidden to tell. The resurrected Christ appeared to Paul while Paul was on his way to Damascus to hunt down and arrest Christians. People were healed because they merely touched Paul’s personal items. You would think that if there were answers to the mystery of why we suffer and how we could avoid it, Paul would have discovered them. And yet, Paul suffered horribly. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul tells us why.
As we make our way through the closing chapters of 2 Corinthians (chapters 10-13), Paul has learned that certain men, whom he identifies as false apostles, were wreaking havoc on the church back in Corinth, soon after Paul had departed from the city. Paul warns the Corinthians that these men are servants of Satan who masquerade as servants of righteousness. After reminding the Corinthians that these false apostles will get exactly what their deeds deserve (v. 15), in the balance of 2 Corinthians 11, Paul discusses his own suffering as an apostle. Throughout his spirited defense of his apostolic calling, we learn a number of amazing things about the Apostle’s own recent history of suffering and tribulation.
No doubt, the question of human suffering is a difficult one. In a number of places, the Bible addresses the problem associated with the apparent injustice of the suffering of God’s people, while the wicked seemingly prosper–often times at the expense of the righteous. Throughout the Psalms, and especially in the Book of Job, the Bible tackles the subject of suffering head on, revealing to all who will accept the answer that all human suffering ultimately traces back to the fall of our race in Adam. The Bible also gives us hope in the midst of suffering. We are told that God has a purpose in our suffering (even if that purpose is not known to us). God even promises to turn our suffering into good–cf. Romans 8:28-39.
Our own Savior is identified as the “man of sorrows.” Jesus suffered physical pain and spiritual anguish beyond anything we can imagine that Friday afternoon when he hung on a Roman cross, forsaken by his father, to save us from the guilt and power of our sin. Although we may not get the answer we want when we raise our questions about human suffering, at least it is clear from the doing and dying of Jesus that God is not some cruel sadist who delights in tormenting us. In the cross of Jesus Christ, we find a suffering Savior who knows firsthand what human suffering is like. Because the suffering servant died in agony, and yet was triumphant over death and the grave through his resurrection, we get a hint of God’s way of resolving the suffering of the saints–the suffering we experience in this life, will give way to a resurrection unto unspeakable glory in the next. Christ’s triumph over sin and death, will be our triumph.
To read the rest of this sermon: Click Here
Monday, October 28, 2013 at 10:26AM 
Sunday Morning (11/03/13): We return to our series on the Gospel of John and we come to John 13, and the apostle's account of the Last Supper. Our text this Sunday is John 13:1-20.
Sunday Afternoon: We continue to take up the "rejection of errors" section of the First Head of Doctrine of the Canons of Dort. Does God merely expect people to do their best with what they have? Our catechism service begins @ 1:15 p.m.
Wednesday Night Bible Study (10/30/13): We are continuing our series, "Studies in the Book of Revelation." We have come to the third cycle of visions in Revelation (Rev. 8:2-11:19) and will be discussing Rev. 8:2-13. Bible study begins at 7:30 p.m.
The Friday Night Academy (11/01/13): Ken Samples continues his Academy series, "Responding to Islam." His third lecture is on Islamic anthropology and is entitled, "Do I Need a Prophet or a Savior?
For more information and directions, check out the Christ Reformed website: Christ Reformed Church
Sunday, October 27, 2013 at 03:28PM 
Here's the audio from this morning's sermon for Reformation Sunday, and in celebration of our eighteenth anniversary: Click Here
Sunday, October 27, 2013 at 03:18PM 
Here's the audio from Ken Samples' Friday night Academy lecture on responding to Islam. The lecture is entitled, "Theology: Where Can I Find a God of Love?"
Sunday, October 27, 2013 at 02:51PM 
God in the Galley
What is art and how does it relate to the world of theology and worldview? How is art different from entertainment? Is there a distinctively Christian approach to the arts? How should we think about modern art, in particular? On this program, Mike Horton discusses these questions with art historian Dan Siedell, author of God in the Gallery: A Christian Embrace of Modern Art. Click Here
Thursday, October 24, 2013 at 11:15AM 
One of our first trial worship services in Michael Horton's living room in Anaheim
Our first Sunday in the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Anaheim (our current location)
A picture taken on a recent Sunday (note: the banners and big screens belong to our hosts)
You are cordially invited to join us on Sunday (October 27th) as we celebrate the Protestant Reformation (our text is Galatians 1:1-9) and the eighteenth anniversary of the founding of Christ Reformed Church (there is a cake and coffee reception following our morning service).
Kim Riddlebarger
I did find a couple of pictures of the ELCA church property we leased for three years in Placentia.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013 at 01:33PM 
The thesis of Paul Ingrassia's recent book Engines of Change (2012) is the symbiotic relationship between American culture and sucessful automobile design.
Ingrassia selects fifteen automobiles as representative subjects of his study. As he describes the origins and histories of the auto manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and design engineers behind these fifteen automobiles, Ingrassia takes us from Henry Ford (and his Model T) to Hiroshi Okuda of Toyota (who pushed for the development of a revolutionary gas-electric hybrid which we now know as the Prius).
Among the fifteen automobiles Ingrassia selects are the Ford Mustang, the Pontiac GTO, the 1959 Caddie (with its massive tail fins), the WV Beetle, the Honda Accord (and Civic), the Ford F-150, the Jeep, the Dodge Caravan, and the Chevrolet Corvair. The latter Ingrassia ranks as the second most important car in American history after the Model-T--precisely because the Corvair was as innovative as it was terribly flawed. The Corvair not only greatly influenced Detroit's philosophy of auto design (in the early 1960's), but ironically gave birth to the contemporary consumer right's movement which has provided jobs for a entire generation of liability attorneys.
As a repeat Ford Mustang owner (I've owned the 1979 TRX Fox body, and now the 06 GT), I did not know that the 1964 1/2 Mustang was built on the 1963 Ford Falcon chassis almost as an afterthought. I'm glad the 2005 model reintroduction started from scratch. I'd hate to think my GT was a glorified Taurus.
I also did not know the story behind Honda building its large factories in Ohio (a point of great interest to me since one of my sons now works in advanced product planning at Honda in So Cal).
Ingrassia includes the story of the tail-fins war in the late 50s, the history of the discombobulated mess of a German motor company which is now BMW, as well as an interesting historical connection drawn by Ingrassia from the Corvair, to Ralph Nader, to the election of George W. Bush in 2000. Along the way, Ingassia describes the innovative genius and the flaws of men like John Delorean, Henry Ford, Harley Earl, Hiroyuki Yoshino (of Honda), and Lee Iacocca.
Nothing terribly profound or earth-shattering here. But this is a well-written, entertaining, and informative book. If you love cars, or are simply interested in American culture, and if you want an enjoyable and engaging read, you'll enjoy Engines of Change
