The Alpha & Omega Part Two--The Real Jesus

Somewhere along the way an artist really screwed things up for Christians. An artist commissioned to paint a portrait of Jesus confused a person from Nazareth with a Nazarite vow and gave Jesus long hair (not true). He (or she) then inexplicably gave Jesus blue eyes and fair skin because obviously the artist had never actually seen a person from Palestine. Thus, a tradition was born that taught Christians that their king, teacher, priest and savior looked like the lead singer of an '80's hair metal band. No wonder most Christians are wimps. They seek to model their behavior after a Jesus that they believe looked like Jon Bon Jovi circa 1987.

A few years ago a group of forensic archaeologists used 1st century Palestinian skeletal remains to reconstruct what a typical Jewish man in the time of Jesus looked like...hence, the bubba on the left. Yes, Jesus looked more like this than Axl Rose. Jesus looked like a guy who changes your oil, hunts deer, watches NASCAR and could actually take another dude in a fight. Indeed, Jesus grew up in a hick town and he worked a blue collar job for most of his life. The one who was, is and will come again was not a sweet wuss who wants to give everyone a hug but a man who will not blink twice before sending billions of unrepentant sinners to hell. Deal with it.

The Alpha & The Omega--Part One

The great 4th Century Christian thinker Augustine wrote that one day in class a fellow student asked the teacher what God was doing before He made the world? The teacher responded, "making hell for people who ask such questions!"

Well, I don't know what God was doing before He created the heavens & the earth (or even before he made hell for overly inquisitive seminary students) but I do know why He created it.

This weekend I am preaching on The Alpha & The Omega. According to the prologue to the Gospel of John, the world was created through and for the Son, i.e. Jesus. It was made for him and by him. It is his. Jesus is the Lord of all creation (including hell but more on that later this weekend). So, if you're in Portsmouth, Ohio this weekend (and who isn't!) then stop by Christ's Community Church on Saturday night at 5 or Sunday morning at 10:30 and I'll yell for thirty minutes about the Alpha and Omega. Will post more on the Omega this weekend but don't fear, I'm not a dispensationalist so no rants about Israel and Iran complete with charts, etc.

God is Good.

Nine years ago, the most beautiful woman in the world married me and and nearly five years later God gave us the most beautiful child in the world. God is good.

Here they both are at the Ritz in Laguna Niguel last year. Eat your heart out.

Building A Theological LIbrary--Part Three

What is Acacia wood? Who was Zadok and why did the Jews of Jesus time care? These are the burning questions that only a good Bible Dictionary can answer and the New Bible Dictionary, while becoming dated, is a good solid, evangelical choice.

If nothing else, buy one so that you can ask your pastor these type of questions unless, that is, your pastor is me. Try that I'll let everyone know how little you actually tithe.

Building A Theological Library for Christmas--Part Two

It still amazes me how little the average Christian knows about their own faith. I have worked in 6 churches in 4 states and have yet to find a large group of non-seminarian Christians who can accurately define key terms like "justification" or "righteousness." Well, now for the low, low price of $19.95 you can be the first disciple on your block to actually know what the Apostle Paul was talking about!

Mounce's Dictionary is a readable (if you're a raging geek like me, that is) and easily accessible tool for conducting word studies. Mounce, former prof at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the entrepreneur behind the Zondervan-Teknia Greek library, has updated Vine's Expository Dictionary and thank God for it. Vine's is so dated that if I dared cite it on a seminary paper then I was automatically docked a letter grade by my profs!

So, if you are one of the millions who can't really define "justification" then run and by this book the second a store opens on December 26th. Until then, have a great Christmas!

Joel Osteen...What a Tool!

This morning on Fox News Sunday, "Smilin' Joel" Osteen was asked by host Chris Wallace if he considered Mitt Romney, a Mormon, to be a Christian. Osteen said, "Yes" and explained that Romney had publicly stated that he believed Jesus to be "his savior", so that was good enough for him! Osteen then said that he didn't worry about "the details" (i.e., the stark differences between Christianity and Mormonism).

Wallace also asked Osteen about his critics' contention that his preaching is theologically shallow. Osteen replied that he doesn't dwell on "theology" or something like that. Thanks so much for once again proving your critics point, Joel!

UPDATE: Here is a portion of the transcript from Fox News:

WALLACE: And what about Mitt Romney? And I've got to ask you the question, because it is a question whether it should be or not in this campaign, is a Mormon a true Christian?

OSTEEN: Well, in my mind they are. Mitt Romney has said that he believes in Christ as his savior, and that's what I believe, so, you know, I'm not the one to judge the little details of it. So I believe they are.

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Building Your Theological Library (Part One)

After buying a good study Bible for yourself or someone else then you can take your Christmas cash and/or gift certificates and begin building a good theological library. Along with a good Bible, most pastors recommend a good concordance, which is a book listing the occurrence of every word in the Bible and where it appears. A concordance is a good way to begin doing word or thematic studies (more on this later). Thanks to good software (like Logos or Pradis) and websites like www.biblegateway.com, a concordance is no longer an absolute essential but is still handy.

It is important to buy a concordance that matches your main study Bible. Because the NIV is the most popular among Evangelicals, I recommend the Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance from Zondervan (who are head and shoulders above everyone else when it comes to basic Bible study tools). My favorite translation is the ESV and, unfortunately, there isn't a great concordance for it but the Crossway Comprehensive Concordance of the Holy Bible is pretty strong. The NLT Complete Concordance is a very good companion to the best thought-for-thought translation on the market. More later.

A Bible as a Gift for Christ's Birthday...Seem's Appropriate

As promised, check out the following charts to help find the right Bible.

http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/Bible/About+Bible+Translations.htm?QueryStringSite=Zondervan

http://www.tniv.com/about/docs/bible%20trans%20chart.pdf

Last Minute Christmas Gifts?

Need to snag a last minute Christmas gift? Try a Bible.

Okay, okay, so you don't want to be the "crappy Christmas gifts person" like one of your grandparents who buys you socks or that aunt who buys you sweaters with forest animals on them.

I'm not suggesting that you buy some cheap, imitation leather King James Bible with bad illustrations complete with a Jesus that looks more like the lead singer of an '80's hair metal band than a 1st century Jewish guy from a hick Palestinian town.

If you know someone who is a Christian or is thinking about becoming a Christian or at least doesn't gag when you say "Christian" then check out a Bible like the ESV Journaling Bible from Crossway (its what I want for Christmas...hint...hint). It has plenty of space for notes and comes in a cool package. I would definitely recommend engraving it because then you guilt trip them into keeping it rather than throwing it up on Ebay.

Also check out the NIV Archaeological Study Bible, The Holman Christian Standard Apologetics Study Bible, The ESV Literary Study Bible and the New King James (revised without the "thous" or "begots") Maxwell Leadership Bible. I'll post a translation philosophy chart and reading level chart for popular translations tomorrow to help you pick. Have fun fighting the other late shoppers at the Bible bookstore and watch out for the Nazarenes...they can throw down!!!

Have Faith In "Billy Ball"

I was raised by two Kentuckians who are rabid UK basketball fans. Despite the "handicap" of being born in Ohio, I also caught the UK B-ball bug at a young age. If any of you follow college basketball then you know that UK is off to its worst start in years and many blame the new head coach, Billie Gillespie but this is a mistake.

Former head coach Tubby Smith headed north just as he saw the once great UK program falling apart under his watch. Tubby is a fine man but he was a terrible recruiter, a poor disciplinarian and an awful offensive strategist. Coach Gillespie is simply playing the crappy hand he was dealt. The only bright light on the whole team is phenom Patrick Patterson who came to UK largely because of Billy G. I can't even imagine what kind of program it would be without Patterson and with Tubby! Yes, my fellow Wildcat fans, it will be a long season. In fact, it will be the worst since Pitino's 1st season when he took over a program under NCAA suspension but it will get better. Billy G. is a gifted recruiter with a gift for turning programs around (just look at what his Texas A&M team is doing right now!). Now, I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet (and I work for a non-profit) but although the immediate future is bleak, I predict that a great few years lay ahead of us! I am a believer in Billy Ball! We now return to our regularly scheduled blogs pertaining to theology and politics.

Heroes

I applied to law schools while attending seminary at Abilene Christian University's Graduate School of Theology (or ACU). I was invited to attend Cornell Law School and jumped at the chance (especially after being wait listed by Harvard!). After all, Cornell is an Ivy League School and I'm the grandson of Kentucky share croppers!

A year later I became the president of the Cornell chapter of the Christian Legal Society, and through it, came to know David French.

David had been a professor at Cornell the year before my wife and I arrived in Ithaca, New York. He was a David Lipscomb alum (a church of Christ school like ACU. In fact, we shared a great prof in Randy Harris) and a graduate of Harvard Law School. At that time he was working for a law firm in Lexington, Kentucky. Later, he would run FIRE (a religious 1st Amendment organization) and then joined the Alliance Defense Fund (or ADF for short).

I went looking for David because a friend had an important 1st Amendment question and he recruited me to join ADF as an allied attorney. The first time we met in person was last summer at an ADF training session. David then told me this story. He had served on the admissions committee the year I applied to Cornell. My application package had been shipped to the committee to review. David scanned it and wondered why I had not been automatically admitted but then he noticed the comments from Cornell personnel: "Too conservative"; "Don't need a member of the god squad"; "a Bible thumper!" David boldly proclaimed to the committee that they were discriminating against me because of my religious beliefs. They backed down and 3 years later I graduated from Cornell Law in the top half of my class (missed the top 1/3 by .01).

This past week, I accepted an offer to work full-time for ADF but while I prepare for orientation in beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona, the man who went to bat for me is bravely serving our country in Iraq (hence, the picture).

David and his wife Nancy support former Governor Romney's presidential bid (as do I) and Nancy is one of the frequent contributors to the web page Evangelicals for Mitt. This week Nancy asked for help in collecting care packages for David's squadron. I plan to do all I can and encourage you to do the same for the brave man who stood up for me and all the selfless men and women who are standing up for all of us everyday. Check out the link and sign on now!

http://www.evangelicalsformitt.org/

What The...?

Abilene Christian University's Graduate School of Theology (my Alma mater) recently hosted University of Chicago prof Margaret Mitchell to lecture on "The Christian Right in Modern America." I listened to the lecture this morning on my way to a hearing several hours away and I nearly spit coffee all of the windshield and lapsed into a fit of profanity that would rival the leader of a Turret's Syndrome support group.

First of all, Ms. Mitchell, like many liberals who purport to objectively study the Christian Right either has no idea what she is doing or is so biased going into her "study" that the outcome has already been determined. As a former congressional staffer during the Gingrich years who worked with groups like the Christian Coalition (during the Ralph Reed years no less) and Concerned Women for America, I don't even recognize the"Christian Right" she claims to have surveyed. And heck, I wasn't even a Christian at the time! I was just "Right." Like Robert Jewett and other wingnuts on the "Christian" Left, Ms. Mitchell carefully selects the sources which fit into her preconceived notions and ignores truly influential and careful thinkers like Richard Neuhaus at First Things or Professor Wayne Grudem at Phoenix Seminary or Retired Yale Law Professor Robert Bork, etc. It's sad that this type of drivel passes for scholarship.

Second, what in the *%@# is ACU doing hosting such a liberal quack? Beyond the faux scholarship, have my former profs truly lost sight of their audience and, more importanty, their benefactors? This is the kind of thing that will certainly take a zero off my annual alumni check!

For those of you who truly want to read careful, thoughtful leaders from the "Christian Right", check out the journal First Things at http://www.firsthings.com/. Members of the Christian left might want to consult a conservative to explain the "big words" to them.

Pastor-in-Chief?

Ok, Romney's slow downward spiral in the polls due in part to his religious beliefs may be old news to most of you but mind if I ask if we are electing a President or a Pastor-in-Chief? Personally, I don't understand Mormonism but the faith hasn't prevented the man from excelling at everything he has done (business, overseeing the Olympics, the state of Massachusetts, etc.).

I understand that many conservatives object to Romney's so-called primary eve conversion to the pro-life position but, as many commentators have noted, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush and even Ronald Reagan experienced similar conversions and proved faithful stewards.

I wouldn't mind a Huckabee or even a Thompson presidency but, at least on paper, you have to admit that Romney is impressive and many evangelicals have taken note. For example, check out the following link: http://www.evangelicalsformitt.org/

Wright Said...

Bishop Wright was interviewed by Said at Southern.com after his series of lectures at Asbury College last month. I finally found time to listen to it (as I'm nursing a cold...or worse). As always, very interesting and challenging but, by and large, he dismisses many of his critics out of hand (as he has done again and again). At some point, Wright needs to counter his critics at a linguistic as well as a historical-systematic level. Still, well worth listening to. http://saidatsouthern.com/nt-wright-interview-mp3/

Where Did Huckabee Come From?

Garrison Keiler has an interesting article on the sudden and wholly unexpected rise of Mike Huckabee in the polls. Check it out--

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped1128keillornov28,1,3683042.column?ctrack=2&cset=true

Tim Keller Mania

Tim Keller mania has hit Reformed circles hard over the last few years and for good reason. Keller took Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan from a few old fogies in the late eighties to a megachurch that has planted dozens of churches throughout NYC. Keller is also one of the finest preachers working today. Unfortunately, Redeemer does not post his sermons on iTunes but there are a few free ones out there and you should download them RIGHT NOW. Like Fred Craddock before him, you can bet that these sermons are being "re-preached" in pulpits around the world. The following link is a mildly amusing homage to "Keller mania":

(http://jollyblogger.typepad.com/jollyblogger/2007/12/judge-rules-in.html).

Christianity Today's Response to "Unchristian"

The Editors of Christianity Today have posted an interesting assessment of Lyons' & Kinnamman's book "Unchristian." On the one hand, CT warns the church not to craft their theology based purely on the views of the unchurched, as history has taught us that this is a disastrous move, but, on the other hand, they caution:

"While we think we're standing for righteousness, we often come across as judgmental. While we think we're trying to apply Christian ethics to the social scene, it comes across as mere politics. While we think we're paragons of virtue, others see deep moral flaws in us. These are not merely image problems, but character issues that get to the core of what the church is and should be."

It is true that a number of outspoken Christians need to soften their rhetoric and remember that, according to Scripture, the harshest criticism is reserved for those within the church. That being said, it may be impossible to stand for the unborn and not appear to many as "political" and and the only Christians I know who see themselves as a "paragons of virtue" are arrogant, liberal emergents rather than orthodox Christians who, by and large, see themselves as nothing more than sinners saved by grace.


http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/december/23.21.html

Scholar Frauds Are Coming To Town!

New Testament Professor Darrell Bock has a good article over at Christianity Today Online about how to react to the annual holiday spate of wing-nut theories on "the real Jesus." Check it out:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/december/22.40.html

Whoever Hates His Brother Is Still In Darkness

According to media accounts, Matthew Murray was home schooled by faithful parents, briefly attended a missions training program and has a brother at Oral Roberts University where he himself considered recently applying to, but then, last weekend, Matthew Murray took the lives of four followers of Christ in Colorado because, according to Fox News, "he hated Christians."

Why did Matthew Murray walk in darkness and reach out from it to rob good families of their loved ones and his own family of their reputation and, most importantly, their child?

Murray either quit or was thrown out of the missions training institute where he killed two young people and then, apparently still filled with rage, drove 65 miles to Colorado Springs to the campus of New Life Church, which has already had a turbulent few years, and took two more lives before being gunned down by a volunteer security guard.

Murray's parents are said to be in shock. Who can blame them? Of course, the media will comb through their trash for "warning signs" but what parent looks into the eyes of their own child and sees "a killer"?

There are no real answers to be found here--only the reality of the darkness.

The great pulpiteer Fred Craddock tells the story of a Native American woman who once wrote a weekly column in broken English for a newspaper in Oklahoma. After the assassination of President Kennedy she wrote, "I have no words today. I have no words to say. I walk around the house all day saying (painful sigh)." Craddock said that it is a sin to put words into the mouths of those deeply aching and he was right but, regardless, all I can think of is:

"How long, O Lord? How long?"

May God wrap these families in comfort until the trumpet sounds and time and tears are no more.

Down with NPP

For the last 10 years I have read the Bible through every year in a different translation (NIV, NKJV, RSV, NRSV, NEB, NASB, JB, ESV, The Message, and the NLT). Next year, however, I think I'm going to try something a little different.

I am going to focus solely on Paul's Epistles and simultaneously read widely on both the New Perspective on Paul (NPP) and the classical Reformed perspective in order to nail down the pros and con on each side as well as to memorize the Book of Romans.

I will not enter this "Year with the Apostle" objectively. I have serious issues with the idea that church is just now getting the doctrine of justification right (See N.T. Wright) and that first century Judaism was just as much a religion of grace as Christianity is (See E.P. Sanders) but I will commit myself to taking these arguments seriously.

I have already read quite a few of the works in the NPP field but I'm going to slowly read them again along with Luther's lectures on Galatians, Calvin's commentaries and modern tomes by Moo, Piper, Westerholm, etc.

Should be a fun year.

For an introduction to the NPP, check out the largely pro-NPP The Paul Page (http://www.thepaulpage.com/) and more critical links at Monergism.com (http://www.monergism.com/directory/link_category/New-Perspective/).

Should be an interesting year.

Nativity Flap and The Real Meaning of the 1st Amendment

Here in southern Ohio over the last week there has been a serious fuss over the removal of a nativity scene at the Shawnee State Forest Lodge. Management received a single complaint from an atheist in Columbus that the "holiday display" represented only one faith. The self-proclaimed "offended atheist" wanted to add a Hindu Swastika, among other things, to the scene. Instead of fighting, management simply took down the nativity scene altogether which prompted an uproar from local citizens. Governor Ted Strickland, to his credit, ordered the state lodge to put the nativity scene back up immediately.

The controversy reminded me how far we have strayed from the vision of our nation's founders and how poorly most of us know the history and meaning of our own Constitution. One of the best resources online is Wallbuilders, which is a ministry dedicated to fighting revisionist historians. Check them out at http://www.wallbuilders.com/ and their radio show www.wallbuilderslive.com which is only 30 minutes and one that I listen to every day. Be sure to hit the archives and download the shows from October 24-25 as they focus on the so-called "separation of church and state." All of their presentations are culled from original sources (i.e., the very debates over the Constitution or letters from the founding fathers, etc.). Great stuff and very informative.

Emergent Village Idiots Part 4--Rob Bell on Tour

Christianity Today Online's Out of Ur blog recently focused on Rob Bell's latest "sermon on steroids" tour entitled "The Gods Aren't Angry." I listened to Bell speak about the tour a few weeks ago on the XXX Church podcast. Bell's main argument appears to be that despite mankind's long, intuitive sense that God (or the gods) are "mad at us", Jesus came to teach us that this is not true.

But Bell is only half right. The Bible clearly teaches that God is angry at us (Psalm 5:5; 7:11; 11:5; Hos. 9:15). God hates sin (Proverbs 6:16-19) and considers the unrepentant sinner his enemy (Rom. 5:10) BUT that the propitiation (hilasmos Rom. 3:25; Heb. 9; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10, etc.) of Jesus Christ appeased His anger towards those who have placed their faith (i.e., belief, trust and loyalty) in His son. However, the wrath of God remains on those who do not place their faith in His son (John 3:36).

Funny that man who teaches at a place called Mars Hill BIBLE Church tends to ignore...the BIBLE!

Because God Can Do Anything...

Remember the media buzz over the life and slow death of Terry Schiavo? Why didn't the media pick up on this?


ADF attorneys help reverse hasty decision to end hospitalized war veteran’s lifeInjured man is responsive, will be transferred from hospice care to rehab facility

PHOENIX — Jesse Ramirez will have an opportunity to recover after attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund helped reverse a hasty decision that would have ended his life. "Everyone deserves a chance to recover from an injury, and now Jesse has that chance," said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Byron Babione. "Jesse put his life on the line for us during the Gulf War. The least that should be done for Jesse and his family is to give him a chance to recover."

ADF attorneys helped secure the restoration of food and water to the Gulf War veteran earlier this month after he suffered multiple injuries in a car accident on May 30. After just 10 days in an intensive care unit, his food, water and antibiotics were withheld and remained so for five days. Food and water was restored shortly after ADF filed a lawsuit, and now Ramirez will be transferred to a rehabilitation facility. Jesse was recently examined by a neurologist. The guardian at litem stated in open court Tuesday that Jesse is now responding to voice commands, knows who he is, and knows who his family is. "The decision to withhold food and water was hasty and wrong under Arizona law. Jesse had only ten days--about 240 hours--before his feeding tube was removed," said Babione, who argued before an Arizona judge on behalf of Ramirez’s sister, Marlene, on June 14. The hearing Tuesday in the case Ramirez-Oliva v. Ramirez was held at the Superior Court of the State of Arizona in Maricopa County.

UPDATE: Mr. Ramirez walked into the ADF offices to thank everyone last week!

By The Time I Get To Arizona...

I'm jumping on a plane to Arizona this afternoon and won't be back until Thursday night, so probably no posts for a few days.

In the meantime, check out some great audio links over at Faith By Hearing (http://faithbyhearing.wordpress.com/) including a great sermon/lecture on imputed righteousness by John Piper at the last Evangelical Theological Society meeting.

Also, be sure to click on to Bethinking.org and peruse their library of apologetics resources including a couple of new lectures by Tim Keller. (http://www.bethinking.org/index.php)

God bless,

The Alliance Defense Fund

One of the organizations that I am proud to affiliate with is the Alliance Defense Fund. I have been one of the volunteer allied attorneys for a year and a half.

Recently the Alliance Defense Fund (or "ADF") has won a couple of important victories around the country. For example, the ADF successfully filed an injunction in the state of Washington to forbid the state government from forcing pharmacists to dispense abortion-inducing drugs. The ADF also recently helped vindicate a Georgia man who was arrested for passing out religious tracts. The Georgia officials claimed the man was violating a "parade ordinance" which required individuals to obtain a permit before engaging in such activity. The ADF led the charge to have the law repealed as unconstitutional.

The ADF has even been busy in my own backyard. Recently in Boyd County, KY a student was reprimanded for stating that he believes homosexuality is wrong. This was after the school system required students to engage in "homosexual diversity training."

The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the ADF and overruled the school noting that the student had a Constitutional right to state his opinion as long as it wasn't interrupting school business and that kids do not have to attend diversity training if their parents object.

Many of my younger Christian friends believe these kind of actions are misguided. They do not think Jesus would "fight for his rights." Yet, it is important to note a couple of things--(1) It is Biblical hermeneutics 101 that you must address changes in context. You cannot blindly apply Jesus' teaching (such as the Sermon on the Mount) to oppressed Jews in the 1st century who had virtually no rights under Roman law to a democratic republic where all have equal say. If you try then you must also forbid a woman to speak in church (1 Cor. 14:34) and demand that she cover her head while she prays (1 Cor. 11: 5-6). Why don't churches command women to be quiet and cover their heads when they pray? Because we recognize the difference in contexts; (2) The Apostle Paul (who was Jesus' own "chosen instrument" Acts 9:15-16) did not hesitate to invoke his own rights as a citizen (Acts 22:25-29; 25:8-12), so why shouldn't we? I won't get into a detailed discussion of hermeneutics (but I encourage you to pick up a book like "Grasping God's Word"), but the difference in contexts here is much slimmer and easier to apply today.

So check out the ADF at http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/.

Podcasts

I get a lot of questions about podcasts. There are so many on iTunes now that many have a hard time finding those worth listening to, so, in my opinion, here are a few that are well worth your time:

1) Andy Stanley at North Point. I don't always agree with him and prefer expository preaching but generally he is very good at taking fairly difficult concepts and converting them into sermons that nearly anyone can understand. Few dislike him and seminary nerds like me can learn from his approach and style.

2) Mark Driscoll at Mars Hill. Driscoll is Reformed, Evangelical and direct. He preaches through books of the Bible and his sermons last for an hour or more but its great stuff.

3) John Piper at Desiring God. Piper is the man. Passionate and intelligent. A true pastor/scholar (he has a Ph.D. in New Testament from a respected German University and taught Biblical theology at Bethel Seminary for more than 5 years). Check it out. He yells almost as much as I do!

4) Ravi Zacharias at Let My People Think. A half-hour weekly podcast normally part of a lecture series from the master Christian apologist. I love it.

5) Allister Begg at Truth for Life. Great Scottish preacher. Half-hour podcasts posted daily. Check it out.

There are many others worth perusing like Francis Chan at Cornerstone, Erwin McManus at Mosaic, Matt Chandler at the Village, Joshua Harris at Covenant, etc. But the first five are good places to start. Enjoy and may God bless,

Album of the Year

My favorite album of the year by far is Demon Hunter's "Storm the Gates of Hell." I received the deluxe edition CD a few weeks ago and have not stopped listening to it.

The guys in Demon Hunter are an interesting lot. They are gothed out and tatooed up. They are also MTV2 Headbanger's Ball faves (did you even know that Headbanger's Ball still exists?). In fact, they look like the last dudes you would want to run into late at night.

However, they are actually deeply committed Christians. Some members even engage in prison ministry.

Check them out at http://www.demonhunter.net/ and as friends on my MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/mrrrawlings (the extra "r" is for righteous!).

They also grace the cover of the latest HM magazine (i.e., Heaven's Metal. Do you have a subscription?...I do!).

If you grew up with Metallica in your tape player, wore black tees, ripped jeans and dangly earrings but have repented from looking as though you do all your shopping at Spencers yet still crave metal then check out Demon Hunter.