I am constantly amazed at the claims that Christians make concerning the Word of God. There is no doubt in my mind that God’s wisdom speaks to many, many things regarding our lives that can be verified by science, research, and experience. However, I have also heard many a Christian leader cite discoveries and statistics in their zeal to add credibility to the Bible’s teaching only to see that credibility dissolve into some unfounded claim made by a religious zealot.

No zealot that i am aware of makes bolder claims that Ron Wyatt. Ron’s claims span from finding the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, to discovering the remains of Noah’s Ark, to digging up the Ark of the Covenant. This self-described archaologist has been debased as many times as he had made claims, but his zealous rantings continue to find their way into the lives of well-meaning Christians.

At the end of the article, I’ll leave you with a few key postings regarding these discoveries, but let me end primarily with this point: Honest zeal is a good thing. Desire to discover things is also powerful. But unwillingness to listen to or answer your critics, and outright deception are appauling. I am afraid for men like this…not for what the world will do to them, but for what God will hold them accountable to at their judgment.

Concerning Ron Wyatt:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Wyatt

Concerning the Ark’s Discovery:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v14/i4/report.asp

A decade ago, the internet was viewed as a nusance…now it is the information and entertainment center of the developed world.

A few years ago, and unknown pastor and his church in a little-known suburb of Oklahoma decided to pioneer the use of this medium to create a relevant online worship experience, where people could hear the gospel, and visit church without having to leave their homes. Here’s the result…

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/3387278[/vimeo]

Thank you, LifeChurch, for ignoring the critics and paving another channel for the effective proclamation of the gospel!

www.lifechurch.tv

While I am not an expert on social networking, it appears to me that there are conflicting understandings of the use of Facebook within the church. Why is it that church people assume that people join Facebook in order to create a vain image for themselves online?

I’m certainly not a part of Facebook in order to see any sort of celebrity status. I’m a part of it because it gives me a window into the lives of people that I have a relational connection with all over the country. Since I have moved to Dallas, it has been my main point of contact to know what is going on in the lives of my friends from that city. In the past 6 months, those “silly” status updates have allowed me to celebrate and contribute to lives of people who have purchased homes, signed up to lead missions trips, and had children. It allows me to recognize birthdays and encourage ministers. It tailors my prayers for my sister, who recently moved to Nashville to pursue a career.

Would another technology have allowed me to have such a knowledge of my friends and family? I think not. Sure a phone call is more personal. An email is more direct. And no one would consider me vain for sending a text message. But they’re just not effective in establishing widespread communications.

I think if we wish to attack technology for allowing expressions of vanity, we would do much better to focus our attention on internet portals like MySpace, Second Life, and online gaming. They allow for a lot more expression concerning our sinful drive for celebrity status and superiority over others.

What do you think???

When I found Typealyzer, I was quite skeptical. How can a computer determine my personality by looking at my website? but sure enough, the analysis of this site was consistant with other results from the Meyer’s Briggs personalities. I’m ISTJ, what are you?

human3rror posted a great story on his blog a few weeks back about how a person’s online presence often leads others to church. I for one am glad to have a concrete example of this process, because I believe that our social networking tools are doing this more often than we realize. Everything from our Facebook status to our in depth blog thoughts are windows into the life we live as salt and light for this world. My encouragement is to take advantage of the technologies that fit your life, and cast your heart for God to the world. Shine bright…and realized that there are opportunities to shine to the world that have never been more effective.

Your online life may be the most effective ad for Christ people ever see.

http://human3rror.com/2009/02/22/blogging-someone-to-church/