Mirrors 8th November 2013


  1. Greek scholars admit to inventing Ancient Greece. This funny spoof is a great way of exposing how silly a lot of the Jesus myth conspiracy theory stuff that gets trotted out. Did you see that latest one? New evidence ‘Roman creed’ that demonstrates that the Romans invented Jesus… what was the ‘new evidence’? The Works of Josephus!?! Sigh.

  2. Challies interviews John MacArthur about the anti-charismatic ‘Strange Fire’ conference. MacArthur says some sensible stuff, including answers to people who say that he should’ve had more ‘forums’ and ‘heard from both sides’:
    Our decision not to host a debate at the Strange Fire Conference was intentional. Debates are rarely effective in truly helping people think carefully through the issues, since they can easily be reduced to sound bites and talking points. By contrast, a clear understanding of biblical truth comes from a faithful study of the Scriptures. Our hope is that the conference sparked a renewed desire for that kind diligent study on this important issue. I also expect continuationists to respond in writing to the things I have written in the book. I welcome that kind of interchange. It allows people to think carefully, over a prolonged period of time, about the arguments on both sides of the issue. It has always been through the written word that theological disputes like this have been grappled with in church history. That requires the kind of devotion and effort that brings serious discussion to the fore. I have taken those pains in Strange Fire, and would hope that others would interact on that same level.


  3. Simone shares a new theory on different kinds of expository preaching that suit different temperaments of people. I think she’s onto something.

  4. An interview on the Harvard Business Review Ideacast that states the obvious: working fathers struggle with work-life balance as much as working mothers. Along the way it makes the observation that white-collar men sometimes transfer machismo to working long hours, instead of having big muscles and being able to fight fires. It also reminds us that the idea of man going ‘off to work’ and leaving woman ‘at home’ as a relatively recent construct.

  5. How a late-person thinks. I posted this on my Facebook and it caused a comment flame war. Seems that early-people don’t have a sense of humour after all :-P It’s a silly little article, but I think it captures the outlook of the late-person. These differences do exist, even if you work on them. I have disciplined myself to become punctual. And yet I am STILL more likely to be mildly late, in contrast to an ‘early person’.

  6. I recently preached on guidance and decision making at our final ‘Citywide Gathering’ for the year.






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