Tim Ellsworth

Good thoughts from Cal Thomas:

I am shocked and appalled over a newly published survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. It finds most Americans believe there are many ways to salvation besides their own faith. Most disturbing of all is the majority of self-identified evangelical Christians who believe this.

Apparently they must think Jesus was a liar, or mistaken, when he said: “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man comes to the Father but by me.” Look it up.

This theological ignorance is a product of several things. It is surely a product of biblical illiteracy by people who don’t read, or selectively read scripture. It is also fallout from the political correctness vice that says you are intolerant if you believe anything to be true, because people who have another truth, or no truth, might feel bad and experience rejection.

If they feel rejection now, wait until they hear “away from me, I never knew you.”

Hat tip: Owen

Still catching the excitement.

No more fence-sitting for Bradford
Baylor pitcher named to U.S. national team
HPU’s Daniels wins top ASC honor
Former CBU players pursuing their baseball dreams

Union University student Matt Brewer has posted his thoughts about “God in the Whirlwind.”

Also, on Amazon the book is showing up as temporarily out of stock. Supposedly the publisher is working on this. For now, I’d recommend purchasing the book at Christianbook.com, where it’s actually in stock and cheaper than Amazon.

John MacArthur has some helpful advice on when you should leave your church:

If heresy on some fundamental truth is being taught from the pulpit (Gal. 1:7-9).

If the leaders of the church tolerate seriously errant doctrine from any who are given teaching authority in the fellowship (Rom. 16:17).

If the church is characterized by a wanton disregard for Scripture, such as a refusal to discipline members who are sinning blatantly (1 Cor. 5:1-7).

If unholy living is tolerated in the church (1 Cor. 5:9-11).

If the church is seriously out of step with the biblical pattern for the church (2 Thess. 3:6, 14).

If the church is marked by gross hypocrisy, giving lip service to biblical Christianity but refusing to acknowledge its true power (2 Tim. 3:5).

Hat tip: Challies

Interesting interview at On Faith with Baltimore outfielder Luke Scott. Interviewer Kathy Orton seems befuddled about the idea of a Christian:

A. hunting; and

B. owning a gun.

Scott provides a great response:

I rely on guns for protection in life. God does not say, ‘This is la-la land.’ God doesn’t say, ‘Welcome to Earth. Everything’s perfect. There’s no crime. There’s no murder. There’s no death.’ The world is imperfect, and you have to be on guard. If you’re not, you can be a Christian, ‘Oh, I have a personal relationship with God,’ you go in the wrong neighborhood, it doesn’t matter. When you get shot and killed and you go to see Him, ‘Lord, I thought you were going to protect me.’ He’ll probably be like, ‘Well, you can’t go walking into a freakin’ war zone.’

In case you missed them, here are a couple of BP Sports stories about Scott:

Scott thankful for new opportunities with Orioles
Astros outfielder benefits from dad’s discernment

My book “God in the Whirlwind” is now listed on Amazon. It’s showing that the book is temporarily out of stock, but that Amazon will ship it when it becomes available. I don’t know when that will be, and am waiting to hear back from the publisher with that info.

If you’ve read the book, feel free to post a review of it on Amazon.

From Albert Mohler:

A recent court decision in Canada should send chills down every parent’s spine. The ruling is so out of bounds that the news story sounds like a parody — but it isn’t. A Canadian judge ruled that a 12-year-old girl was “excessively” punished when her father told her she could not go on a school camping trip because she had broken rules for use of the Internet.

I was tempted to say that some judges need to be slapped senseless. But apparently that has already happened to this whack-job of a judge.

U.S. Senator Benjamin Wade on U.S. Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase, who had aspirations for the presidency in 1864:

“Chase is a good man, but his theology is unsound. He thinks there is a fourth person in the Trinity.”

– From “Battle Cry of Freedom,” by James M. McPherson

Hochevar committed to walking with God every day
Tyree’s conversion recounted in USA Today story
UK’s Harris, Carter return from AIA trip to Africa
MBU’s Dill signs with Washington
Joshua Cooley: Dead horses and the gospel

Albert Mohler has a good article today commenting on a New York Times Magazine piece about “equal parenting.”

Mohler observes that this emphasis on “equal parenting” doesn’t amount to much equality, for good reason.

The Christian, operating out of a biblical worldview, must see this as an affirmation of the fact that men and women are assigned complementary, and not identical roles. As fathers, men are called to loving leadership in the home, and this will mean an active and loving engagement with his children. The Christian father will love his children no less than the Christian mother, but his role will not be the same.

There is certainly no shortage of men who are lazy, unfaithful, and disengaged from family life, but this does not answer the question The New York Times Magazine is asking. The idea of “equal parenting” is not just unrealistic, it is unreal. Reality can be a hard thing to accept, but it is also a hard thing to resist.

For anyone who’s interested, I’ll be on a couple of radio programs this afternoon to talk about the book.

At 3 p.m. Central time, I’ll be on Supertalk 97.7 with Steve Hilton. At 4 p.m., I’ll be on WIGH with Hap Fowler.

You should be able to listen live via both links.

Came across a great blog post on The Sporting News with one guy’s listing of 25 movies that make men cry. Here are his top 10:

1. Field of Dreams
2. Old Yeller
3. Brian’s Song
4. Braveheart
5. Rudy
6. Pride of the Yankees
7. Saving Private Ryan
8. The Green Mile
9. E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial
10. The Passion of the Christ

Does he get it right? Time to swallow your pride and fess up. I don’t know if I can rank the movies in any kind of definitive order, but Hoosiers, Remember the Titans, The Rookie and We Are Marshall would probably have to be on my list, and they are absent from his.

Scott thankful for new opportunity with Orioles
Westbrook out for season
3 from DBU selected in MLB draft
5 from Baylor taken in draft
Samford’s Marseco drafted by Brewers