VIDEO: The Bible Project is Helping People Read and Learn the Bible Through Media
Posted on October 18, 2016 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
The Bible Project video series is teaching people the essential truths of biblical doctrine in a simple format that is easy to learn and understand.
I’m always looking for resources that can be used to better teach the truth of Scripture. I like things that can be used to help kids or adults better internalize the doctrines that are foundational to our faith.
To that end, I came across a video series being produced that is helping to accomplish the goal of teaching the essential doctrines of Scripture in a visual format.
The Bible Project is a non-profit ministry dedicated to helping people read and understand the Bible. Their website describes the ministry this way:
“The Bible Project is a Portland based non-profit that utilizes short-form, fully animated videos to make the biblical story accessible to everyone, everywhere. We create videos, podcasts, and study guides that explore the Bible’s unified story by focusing on its overarching themes and each book’s literary design. We are committed to understanding the Bible in its historical context and communicating its wisdom for the modern world.”
Take a look at the video below to learn a little more about the covenants of Scripture. The covenants are a matter of biblical history. God made these covenants with people like Noah, Moses, David, and the nation of Israel. The video creatively illustrates why God made these covenants and the how Jesus factors into them. It’s only a 5-minute video, but it’s fun and informative. Take a look and then go to The Bible Project website to see other videos. In all they have over 70 videos, with more on the way.
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A “Christian Feminist” Shares Thoughts on the Transgender Bathroom Issue
Posted on October 12, 2016 in Marriage, Public Policy, Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
The concerns over bathroom privacy are reaching far and wide. Christians need to be prepared to respond.
I recently read an article by Melanie Springer Mock, a professor of English at George Fox University. Mock is lamenting, from a Christian perspective, the effort to protect the privacy of women and children in public restrooms. Her lament comes from her own personal experience of being asked to leave women’s restrooms and locker rooms for not looking like a female. Mock says that her very short, curly hair and boyish body made her appear more masculine than feminine and, therefore, caused others to mistake her for a boy. She writes:
“For at least a decade, I was routinely mistaken for a boy and regularly banished from bathrooms. P.E. teachers and coaches assumed I was sneaking in to women’s locker rooms, or—even more inexplicably—trying to orchestrate an athletic advantage by playing on girls’ athletic teams. As a first-year student at a Christian university, I was sometimes kicked out of women’s dorms, including my own, because people assumed I was transgressing ‘floor hour’ rules. I could catalog a hundred times and more when I was humiliated by people who interrogated my gender-ambiguous appearance, to my face or behind my back, but almost always within hearing distance: Is that a girl? Is that a boy? It’s so hard to tell.”
After setting the stage by recounting a number of grievous experiences from her childhood and formidable years, Mock declares:
“I understand that people have principled reasons for disallowing transgender men and women into public restrooms corresponding with their gender identity. They want to protect their children from predators and are afraid that men, especially, will somehow use these rules to gain access to girls. I share the desire to protect children from assault…Nonetheless, I believe that bathroom bans are not the answer.” Continue reading…
How Much Do You Know About the (Racist, Eugenicist) Founder of Planned Parenthood?
Posted on October 11, 2016 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Most people don’t know that Margaret Sanger is the founder of Planned Parenthood. Fewer still know that her intention was to reduce the population of African American and minority people while creating a “better breed” of humanity.
Planned Parenthood is hailed in the media as a noble organization. Our president has repeatedly praised Planned Parenthood and given them more tax dollars than any president in history. Hillary Clinton has also praised the abortion merchant for their work in “women’s rights.” If elected president, she will give them more of our tax dollars and make it easier for Planned Parenthood to kill unborn children.
What many people don’t know, however, is about the racist, pro-eugenics founder of the Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger.
The American Life League is seeking to change that with the release of a new Life Studies Program called “Who Was the Real Margaret Sanger?” The video driven study series aims to educate people on the intentions behind the world’s largest abortion merchant. The things the media and Planned Parenthood don’t want you to know are revealed. A recent article comments on the content of each video: Continue reading…
Part 2: what Is the Church and What Does It Exist?
Posted on October 6, 2016 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Door Prizes At Church?
Now that we’ve established what the church is, we have to take a moment to look at the problem of advertising door prizes.
Our entire culture is designed to attract us to something and sell something to us. Corporations spend billions of dollars to learn exactly the right words to make you buy their product. Marketing and advertising is a billion dollar industry centered around attracting and selling. From television, to the Internet, to billboards, you can’t go an hour without seeing an ad for something. When the church engages in these tactics, it cheapens grace in favor of enticements.
The church is the most expensive purchase in all of history. The bible tells us that Jesus bought the church “with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). The grace that has been poured out on the body of Christ is priceless. When we seek to entice people through the doors of our church with cheap attractions (like door prizes), we cheapen that priceless grace and the Gospel of Jesus.
We might be tempted to think that this is just the world we live in, this is the way things work. But the church of Jesus is supposed to be “in the world, not of the world.” When we resort to the same tactics used by corporations seeking monetary profit, we no longer stand out, we’ve blended in. An old adage says “what you save them with is what you save them to.” If we seek to reach people with the Gospel using anything more than Jesus we are in danger of presenting a false Gospel that will produce false converts. Continue reading…
Part 1: What Is the Church and Why Does It Exist?
Posted on October 5, 2016 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Church Sign: “Back to Church Sunday. Door Prizes.”
As I drove down the road to an appointment, this sign jumped out at me from its place in the yard of a small local church. The date for “Back to Church Sunday” was given, but nothing else. No explanation, just an advertisement seeking to entice former and current members of the church to be there on a particular Sunday.
Statistics relating to church attendance are well documented. The average American church has fewer than 100 members. This well-known statistic sits adjacent to another well known statistic: some 65% of Americans self-identify as “Christian.” This means, simply, that many people calling themselves Christian don’t attend church regularly.
But numbers are not the primary concern facing the American church. A clear lack of understanding of what the church, and why it exists is a clear and present danger to the American church.
What is the church?
I posted the church’s sign on social media with my encouragement for people to run far away from such a church. That started a conversation with friends from all over about the intentions of the church and whether having door prizes was a good idea. Some viewed this as a good way to “attract” people to church so they could hear the Gospel. The thought was, get them in the doors and share Jesus with them. If they get saved then it was worth it. The opposing thought was that this church was cheapening grace and the Gospel with enticements. Continue reading…
Heartbroken Mother Reminds Us The Unborn Are Valuable Humans
Posted on October 4, 2016 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Father Frank Pavone, a pro-life stalwart with the Catholic Church, has often said “American will not reject abortion, until America sees abortion.”
I agree with Fr. Pavone’s statement. I also believe that people will not begin to be convinced that the unborn are truly human until they see just how human an unborn child is. Even among pro-life advocates there is still work to be done proving that the unborn are human from their earliest stages. The story and photos shared by a mother that recently lost her 17 week-old unborn daughter to miscarriage further proves without a doubt that the unborn are human.
Miranda shared her story with LifeNews.com in order to help others. She wanted people to see just how human her daughter was, even at just 17 weeks. LifeNews.com shared the biological facts that prove Miranda’s daughter is a valuable member of the human race:
“At 17 weeks, her major organs were in place and functioning. Her heart had been beating for months. She already had her own unique fingerprints in place, and her teeth were beginning to develop inside her gums. Inside the womb, she probably yawned and hiccupped, and she may even have sucked her thumb.”
Take a look at the precious photos of Miranda and her daughter and be reminded that “a persons a person no matter how small.” (photos appear after the break) Continue reading…
If You Want to See “Freedom of Worship” – Look to Russia!
Posted on September 28, 2016 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
The difference between “freedom of religion” and “freedom of worship” is very distinct. The fact that our president says he believes in “freedom of worship” over “freedom of religion” is a warning to be taken seriously.
A group of Pentecostals were meeting in a home church group when the local police came and said they would drive them from the home in accordance with a new law. That new law allows “freedom of worship” but severely restricts “freedom of religion.”
Recently in Russia, a proposed law received overwhelming support from lawmakers and was approved by president Vladimir Putin. That law put restrictions on missionary work, teaching, preaching, or seeking to “recruit” people into a religious organization. The law also restricts people from sharing their faith in their home, online, or anywhere outside of a church building.
This is important because so often we hear our own president declare his support for “freedom of worship” and then explain that people should always be free to worship and express their faith at church without fear. This might sound promising but, in reality, it is a concerning choice of words. The difference between freedom of religion and freedom of worship is critical and should be understood by every Christian. Continue reading…
This NFL Player Speaks about Abortion and Race Relations – Hits the Nail on the Head
Posted on September 27, 2016 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Benjamin Watson has been a professional tight end for more than a decade. Watson has played for the Patriots, Saints, and now with the Baltimore Ravens. But being an NFL player is only part of who Ben Watson is.
When you think of the NFL, you typically do not think about outspoken Christians regarding moral and social issues. And yet, that is a perfect way to describe Benjamin Watson. Watson has been an outspoken Christian throughout his career and continues to speak up for biblical truth concerning some of the most pressing issues of our day.
Recently, Watson was giving an interview with the Turning Point Pregnancy Resource Center, based in San Diego. During the interview, Watson shared some thoughts on how abortion and race relations go hand in hand. He said:
“I do know that blacks kind of represent a large portion of the abortions, and I do know that honestly the whole idea with Planned Parenthood and Sanger in the past was to exterminate blacks, and it’s kind of ironic that it’s working. We [as minorities] support candidates, and overwhelmingly support the idea of having Planned Parenthood and the like, and yet, that is why she created it…We are buying it hook, line, and sinker, like it’s a great thing. It’s just amazing to me and abortion saddens me, period. But it seems to be something that is really pushed on minorities and provided to minorities especially as something that they should do. In the public, it seems to be painted that when minorities get pregnant they need to get abortions, especially when it comes to teen pregnancy. It’s like when black girls are pregnant, it’s like a statistic, but when white girls get pregnant, they get a TV show.”
Apparently, Watson knows his history. He is familiar with the fact that Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger was a racist that believed in eugenics. She desired to reduce the population of blacks in America through sterilization and abortion. And, like Watson pointed out, her plan is working very well. Planned Parenthood markets to minorities in America and positions their abortion centers in heavily minority areas. Coincidence? I doubt it.
Read the rest of Watson’s interview, it’s worth a few minutes of your time. Share it with others so people will begin to realize the deceptive and devious mission of Planned Parenthood.
If You Want to Make a Difference Concerning the Bathroom Bill – Read This
Posted on September 21, 2016 in Public Policy, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
The momentum caused by a federal judge blocking the Obama Administration’s bathroom policy is having a positive impact. People are mobilizing to put a permanent end to this terrible policy. For anyone who has ever wondered “what can I do” about such a bad policy as the bathroom bill, take a look at the suggestions from a top family advocacy group and determine which of these action points you can do.
The Family Policy Alliance works to defend traditional values with its network of advocacy groups across the United States. Recently, they published an article with four ways you can get involved in the fight to defend privacy against the bathroom bill.
What I like about the suggestions in this article is that there is something for everyone. Whether you want to take action on a large, statewide scale. Or, if you prefer to do something locally, there is something you can do to take part in protecting the privacy and dignity of our students.
One simple suggestion is for parents to “get informed” by reading several key pieces of data on the issue. For example, you can read the Obama administration’s “Dear Colleague Letter” for yourself here. Once you’re done with that, you can read a legal analysis rejecting the administration’s guidelines here. That document will share the fact that “Both federal and state courts have almost uniformly rejected arguments suggesting that Title IX requires schools to give students access to opposite-sex restrooms and changing areas.”
For those that would like to speak to school or college officials about the rights of their students, be sure to read up on the legal rights of K-12 students here, and college students here. And you can find many free resources at TrueTolerance.org.
The point is that you can do something. You can take action and seek to make a difference. If you have a child or grandchild in a school, you owe it to that child to say something. Even a letter makes a difference to a principal weighing the issue, or a school board member seeking to cast a vote. You’ve got the tools you need so now it’s time to do something.
VIDEO: Planned Parenthood Uses Funny Math to Report 3% Abortion Stat
Posted on September 20, 2016 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Someone has finally explained the funny math of the Planned Parenthood abortion business, which allows then to say abortion is only 3% of the services they offer. Wait till you see this.
To anyone that knows what Planned Parenthood is and what they do, the fact that they say abortion is only 3% of the services they offer is a conundrum of the highest order. Abortion is the #1 service at Planned Parenthood. It is what they are known for and what they are most proud of. How could anyone at Planned Parenthood (or their supporters) say that abortion is only 3% of what they do (and keep a straight face)?
A new video from Live Action is making the math make sense for the millions of Americans that reject the abortion culture being fed by our culture. The simple explanation is that Planned Parenthood uses tricky statistical reporting to get to their oft-repeated 3% number. The actual number is around 30% for abortions and far less for the other “women’s services” Planned Parenthood says they offer. Live Action gave an accurate report of the numbers in a recent post.
Here’s the numbers:
- Planned Parenthood’s U.S. market share for Pap tests is 0.97%. It performed 271,539 tests in fiscal year 2014-15, out of 28.1 million tests nationwide (source)
- Planned Parenthood’s U.S. market share for clinical breast exams is 1.8%. It performed 363,803 exams in fiscal year 2014-15, out of 20 million exams nationwide. (Note: These are physical exams, not mammograms. Planned Parenthood does not perform mammograms.)(source)
- Planned Parenthood’s U.S. market share for abortions is 30.6%. It committed 323,999 abortions in fiscal year 2014-15, out of approximately 1.06 million abortions nationwide. (source)
- Planned Parenthood aborts 160 children for every one child it refers out for adoption. (source)
Watch the video. Share the video. More people need to understand exactly what Planned Parenthood is and what they are all about: abortion. Not women’s health. Not women’s services. Not adoption or life. Abortion.
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