bible

Harold Camping: My Bad

Looks like retirementville for our old pal Harold Camping. Camping, who failed to correctly predict the end of the world, has now admitted he was wrong. The radio preacher said that it “seems embarrassing for Family Radio.” However, Camping still proclaimed that he would “more carefully than ever” look to the Bible for his end of the world predictions. Upon final review, the ‘evangelist’ said “God is in charge of this whole business and we are not.”

Camping still leaves some room for the possibility for his predictions to return:

“I am checking my own notes more carefully than ever. There is other language in the Bible, and we still have to look at very carefully. … We should be very patient about this matter. At least in a minimum way, we are learning to walk more and more humble before God. We are ready to cry out and weep before God, ‘Oh Lord, You have the truth, we don’t have it.’”

The only full apology that he offered was about those who didn’t believe him:

Incidentally, I have been told that I had said back in May that people who did not believe that May 21 should be the Rapture date probably had not become saved. I should not have said that and I apologize for that.”

According to CNN, it is estimated that supporters gave $80 million from 2005 to 2009.

Harold, just say “my bad” and let everyone get back to their life. Stop flooding the news and making us Christians look crazy.

blog

VIDEO: I'm on a Bema!

Okay, so I’ve explained the usage regarding a “bema” and how it has been used through the centuries. Jews use the term “bema” regularly in their worship, but this snappy boytshik knows how to inform people about being ON A BEMA! Oy!

If you didn’t know, this is a parody of “I’m on a Boat”. If you don’t know what that is, well… a joke isn’t funny when you have to explain it.

On the Bema

blog

What the heck is a 'bema' anyway?

This blog has existed for over two years and often people ask, “What’s a bema?”

In worship, I often use the word “bema” to describe the elevated area of the sanctuary were the Word is read, preaching occurs, the choir sings, and other religious function occur. “Bema” is a foreign term to most low church goers and Baptists, but the concept is older than Christianity.

Baptists usually refer someone “preaching on the pulpit”. This terminology is incorrect. The pulpit is a piece of furniture where one holds notes, sermon text, Bible, etc… You preach from a pulpit. Therefore, you cannot “stand” on the pulpit. There is more to the space around the place where the Word is shared. The “bema” helps us understand that there is more room than just the place where a preacher preaches.

For thousands of years the “bema” or raised part of a church or synagogue, has been the place where religious ideas were shared. Throughout Christianity, the bema area was /is used as the place where the word and sacrament come together.

In the same light, On The Bema makes room and is the intersection for the sharing of ideas, trends, and culture that flow through Christianity.

On the Bema is refocusing into shorter ideas, stories, and trends that involve faith and culture. Yes, I’ll keep blogging, but you’ll also see polls, statistics, trends, pictures, and video.

Be on the look out for new post and don’t forget to subscribe via e-mail to keep up with all the latest posts – look to the right panel to subscribe.

Culture

Donald Trump: I am a Christian

As the 2012 presidential race heats up, many would-be candidates are launching and engaging in some serious presidential talk. Mitt Romney just announced that he formed an exploratory committee. Fox News contributor, Mike Huckabee is making the rounds and giving his thoughts on traditional presidential debate topics. Now, millionaire and reality TV show host, Donald Trump is testing the presidential waters.

Recently, Donald Trump sat down with Christian Broadcasting Network’s (CBN) David Brody and brought up something that he rarely talks about: his religion.

In this exclusive interview, Trump talks about his relationship with God, the church, the bible, being a Presbyterian, and his commitment to attending church.

Trump said: Continue Reading…

tech

Burned Out? There's an app for that

Feeling stressed out? Burned out? Or just down? Your iPhone can help you with that because… there’s an app for that. You can now download the “Holy Roller” app that finds encouraging scripture. The app profile says, “The Holy Roller is the best way to find the Biblical guidance to your everyday ups and downs. Simply scroll the Holy Roller to find what you are feeling, hit next or shake your iPhone, and your scripture will appear.”

The United Methodist Report describes the app:

Users start by accessing one of two lists: “Burdens” such as frustration, worry or doubt, or “Blessings,” such as friendship, family or health.

By tapping on the topic, the user receives one or more relevant Bible verses. For example, if the burden is “Frustration,” Hebrews 10:36 pops up on the screen: “For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.” Or, if you’re looking for the blessing of “Inner Peace,” a few taps on the screen will take the user to Psalm 23: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Apparently, this $2 app is popular. Over 1,000 downloads already at the iTunes store.

REMEMBER: All this week you can enter to win two free books.

marriage

Debunking ‘The Debunking of Biblical Marriage’

Recently, a fellow American Baptist wrote a challenging article concerning marriage in the Bible. After reading it, I decided to respond by debunking, “Debunking ‘Biblical marriage’: Why the Bible can’t dictate today’s sexual morals” by Jennifer Wright Knust. Knust recently posted a column for the Washington Post’s On Faith blog where she basically throws out many key understandings of marriage and sexuality in the Bible.

Much has already been said about the fading of marriage in this country and around the world. Many Christians have sought to understand where Christian marriage fits in today’s culture. Is it an outdated institution?

Jennifer Wright Knust is an Assistant Professor of Religion at Boston University and an ordained American Baptist. She is bright and logical, but her conclusions on biblical marriage are not faithful to understanding scripture. She says:

Bible

How to Throw Away a Bible

How do you throw away a Bible? After some saints of my church decided to clear out our Sunday School storage area (who wants to do that job?), an unusual question was posed. “What do we do with damaged Bibles?” I was not quite sure how to answer the question. I figured we could donate the Bibles to the Salvation Army or another religious non-profit.

After the damaged Bibles sat in a box outside of my office for a week, another church member asked about the Bibles. I told her that we were going to donate the Holy books. She picked up one of the Bibles and pages started fall out. “We are going to donate these? How do we through away a Bible?” The look on her face told me that these Bibles were not worthy to give to anyone and she was right. How can you tell others about Christ when the end of the book of Luke is missing?

How do you throw away a Bible? That question just seems wrong. I believe the proper question is, “How do you properly dispose of damaged Bibles?” You cannot just burn them. I think. That just evokes images of Nazi Germany and book burning. A nutty pastor recently created a controversial event, “Burn a Koran Day.” Not the route we want to go here folks.

After some research, I discovered the answer to the question, “How do you properly dispose of damaged Bibles? The answer is:

God

Is God Moody?

Time recently published an article by Robert Wright, which tries to sort out how “the God” of the three Abrahamic religions could start off as violent and then moved to be more graceful. Wright gives the impression that God is somehow moody. Wright also attempts to bring together the Christian Old Testament, the Hebrew Torah, and Islam’s Koran. I found this article to be inaccurate and misleading because the author tries to make sense of God from a logical stand point and not a theological stand point. Below are five statements from the article and my five reactions.

“The Bible isn’t the only Scripture with such vacillations between belligerence and tolerance. Muslims, who like Christians and Jews worship the God who revealed himself to Abraham, are counseled in one part of the Koran to “kill the polytheists wherever you find them.” But another part prescribes a different stance toward unbelievers, “To you be your religion; to me my religion.”

My Beef: If you want to understand God, you must understand God theologically. To understand God and compare the God of Christianity to another religion is like trying to compare apples and oranges. These three religions say three very different things about God. Most religion professors would tell you that.

“But the fluctuations aren’t really random. If you juxtapose the Abrahamic Scriptures with what scholars have learned about the circumstances surrounding their creation, a pattern appears. Certain kinds of situations inspired tolerance, and other kinds inspired the opposite. You might even say this pattern is a kind of code, a code that is hidden in the Scriptures and that, once revealed, unlocks the secret of God’s changing moods.”

Continue Reading…

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