Jonathan Carl

Interesting Bible Stats

From www.gotquestions.org Question: "What are some interesting facts & stats about the Bible?" Answer: Books in the Bible: 66 Books in the Old Testament: 39 Books in the New Testament: 27 Shortest book in the Bible: 2 John Longest book in the Bible: Psalms Chapters in the Bible: 1189 Chapters in the Old Testament: 929 Chapters in the New Testament: 260 Middle chapter of the Bible: Psalm 117 Shortest chapter in the Bible: Psalm 117 Longest chapter in the Bible: Psalm 119 Verses in the Bible: 31,173 Verses in the Old Testament: 23,214 Verses in the New Testament: 7,959 Shortest verse in the Bible: John 11:35 Longest verse in the Bible: Esther 8:9 Words in the Bible: 773,692 Words in the Old Testament: 592,439 Words in the New Testament: 181,253

John 9:4 "We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work." Psalm 144:12 "May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown,our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace"

Quote - St. Ambrose

"I call on you to repent. You can only atone for your sin by tears, by penitence, by humbling your soul before God. You are a man, and as you have sinned as a man so you must repent. No angel, no archangel can forgive you. God alone can forgive you, and He forgives only those who repent." Letter to a friend by St. Ambrose

Does Satan Exist? - ABC Nightline Faceoff

ABC Nightline produced a televised debate last night titled "Does Satan Exist?" The two most well-known debaters are Mark Driscoll, pastor of The Mars Hill Church, and Dr. Deepak Chopra a medical doctor and New Age/Thought leader/writer. It is worthwhile to watch the arguments develop and to hear both sides of the debate. If you haven't heard or engaged the philosophizing garbage that comes out of the New Age/Thought movement as well as the pluralistic/relativistic arguments, beware the deception. It is helpful to keep your Bible alongside as you watch/listen as well as to be willing to hit "pause" and explore the issues. Gotquestions.org is a great resource as well to quickly counter some of the arguments you hear and to test the teachings against the Word of God.

2 Corinthians 4:4 "In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

1 John 5:18-20 "18We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. 19We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life."

Quotes About the Devil

"The devil can cite scripture for his purpose." William Shakespeare "The devil is a better theologian than any of us and is a devil still." A.W. Tozer "The devil, the proud spirit, cannot endure to be mocked." Thomas More

Biblical Gender Roles in the Church & the Family - A Controversial Question

How does God define gender roles within His Word? Is it a cultural issue of the day and time in which the Bible was written? Or are the command and descriptions of gender roles rooted in the created order as God intended? Dr. Al Mohler's recent article, "A 'Stained-Glass Ceiling?' A Clarifying Look at a Controversial Question" helpfully deals with a long-debated issue concerning women's roles in ministry within the church. He engages a recently published op-ed column of USA Today, showing the fallacies underlying such a secular, feminist viewpoint. Some excerpts:

"Completely missing from her analysis is any concession that God might actually have ordered this pattern of leadership restriction for our good and His glory. Her perspective on the issue is fundamentally secular in approach. In this view, where men alone can hold positions of authority and responsibility, prejudice must be the cause and access to these positions for women must be the solution."
"Those who believe that the Bible is indeed the inerrant and infallible written revelation of God are obligated to perpetuate and honor the pattern of leadership ordered within the text of Scripture. Furthermore, we must see this pattern, not as evidence of human prejudice, but as God's revelation to us -- a revelation by grace that is for the good of both men and women and the pattern by which God brings glory to himself."

If you ever want to dive into this issue for a better understanding of the biblical texts and theology of biblical manhood and womanhood, here are some resources to check out: The Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood - proclaiming God's glorious design for men and women

"The mission of The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood is to set forth the teachings of the Bible about the complementary differences between men and women, created equally in the image of God, because these teachings are essential for obedience to Scripture and for the health of the family and the church."

What's at stake in considering this issue?

The authority of Scripture
The health of the home
The health of the church
Our worship
Bible translations
The advance of the Gospel

Core Beliefs: The Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood The "Danvers Statement" summarizes the need for the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) and serves as an overview of our core beliefs.

Some excerpts:

"Redemption in Christ aims at removing the distortions introduced by the curse."
"In the family, husbands should forsake harsh or selfish leadership and grow in love and care for their wives; wives should forsake resistance to their husbands' authority and grow in willing, joyful submission to their husbands' leadership (Eph 5:21-33; Col 3:18-19; Tit 2:3-5; 1 Pet 3:1-7). "
"In the church, redemption in Christ gives men and women an equal share in the blessings of salvation; nevertheless, some governing and teaching roles within the church are restricted to men (Gal 3:28; 1 Cor 11:2-16; 1 Tim 2:11-15)."

FREE BOOKS ONLINE.... Evangelical Feminism and Biblical Truth by Wayne Grudem

Fifty Crucial Questions: An Overview of Central Concerns About Manhood and Womanhood by John Piper and Wayne Grudem

"Fifty Crucial Questions is a booklet adapted from chapter two of Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by John Piper and Wayne Grudem.

It offers an overview of the vision of manhood and womanhood presented in the larger volume by giving cogent summary responses to the most common objections to that vision. Because every effort to answer one question (on this important issue) begets new questions, the list of questions here is not exhaustive. Nonetheless, we hope to give enough trajectories that readers can track the flight of our intention to its appointed target: the good of the Church, global mission, and the glory of God. "

Recovering Biblical Manhood & Womanood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism Edited by John Piper & Wayne Grudem

Here are the chapter titles and authors of this book.... For Single Men and Women (and the Rest of Us) John Piper A Vision of Biblical Complementarity John Piper An Overview of Central Concerns John Piper and Wayne Grudem Male-Female Equality and Male Headship Raymond C. Ortlund Jr. Women in the Life and Teachings of Jesus James A. Borland Head Coverings, Prophecies, and the Trinity Thomas R. Schreiner "Silent in the Churches" D. A. Carson Role Distinctions in the Church S. Lewis Johnson Jr. Husbands and Wives as Analogues of Christ and the Church George W. Knight III What Does It Mean Not to Teach or Have Authority Over Men? Douglas Moo Wives Like Sarah, and the Husbands Who Honor Them Wayne Grudem The Valuable Ministries of Women in the Context of Male Leadership Thomas R. Schreiner Men and Women in the Image of God John M. Frame The Church as Family Vern S. Poythress The Meaning of Authority in the Local Church Paige Patterson Women in the History of the Church William Weinrich The Biological Basis for Gender-Specific Behavior Gregg Johnson Psychological Foundations for Rearing Masculine Boys and Feminine Girls George Alan Rekers The Inevitability of Failure: The Assumptions and Implementations of Modern Feminism David J. Ayers Is It Legal for Religious Organizations to Make Distinctions on the Basis of Sex? Donald A. Balasa The Family and the Church George W. Knight III Principles to Use in Establishing Women in Ministry H. Wayne House The High Calling of Wife and Mother in Biblical Perspective Dorothy Kelley Patterson Where's Dad?: A Call for Fathers Weldon Hardenbrook Women in Society: The Challenge and the Call Dee Jepsen The Essence of Femininity Elisabeth Elliot Charity, Clarity, and Hope John Piper and Wayne Grudem The Meaning of "Head": A Response to Recent Studies Wayne Grudem

May the Lord raise up more godly men to lead and teach their wives, children, and churches.

Quote - Thomas Watson

"The right manner of growth is to grow less in one's own eyes." Thomas Watson

Quote - Matthew Henry

"Wherever the fear of God rules in the heart, it will appear both in works of charity and piety, and neither will excuse us from the other." Matthew Henry

Cell Phone Monitoring - My Mobile Watchdog

Are you concerned about your child's use of their cell phone? Would you like to be able to better monitor their phone activity and text messaging habits in order to better protect and teach your teenager? Check out http://www.mymobilewatchdog.com/ How it works... Families setup safe contact lists online that help protect your children. The phone call contacts and durations are monitored. Most helpfully, all text messages are recorded and shared with the parents to help the parents monitor and protect their teenagers. There are also many other helpful features included.

From their website:

Why can’t I use my child’s existing phone with My Mobile Watchdog? Purchasing a My Mobile Watchdog phone is the leading solution for real-time monitoring and keeping your child safe. A special phone is required. In many cases we can get you a My Mobile Watchdog enabled phone at little to no cost. Call (800) 341-8385 today to find out if you qualify.

Can I keep my existing phone service? My Mobile Watchdog works on most US and Canadian carriers. Most people won't need to switch phone service. What if I'm not happy with My Mobile Watchdog? My Mobile Watchdog comes with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. You can cancel anytime within the first 30 days for a full refund of the setup and monthly service fees. How much does it cost? My Mobile Watchdog costs $9.95 per month with an initial setup fee of $25.

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

Christian Quotes - The Church - Part 2

"The Church is the one institution that exists for those outside it." William Tyndale "Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't." John Piper "Princes, kings, and other rulers of the world have used all their strength and cunning against the Church, yet it continues to endure and hold its own." John Foxe "Today's church wants to be raptured from responsibility." Leonard Ravenhill "A good example is like a bell that calls many to church." Author Unknown "Wherever we see the Word of God purely preached and heard, there a church of God exists, even if it swarms with many faults." John Calvin "The church is the great lost and found department." Robert Short "I believe there are too many practitioners in the church who are not believers." C.S. Lewis "The coziness between church and state is good for the state and bad for the church." G.K. Chesterton "As a fresh start, the church should give away all her endowments to the poor and needy." Dietrich Bonhoeffer "Everyone that hangs around the court does not speak with the king." Thomas Watson From: http://christianquotes.org

Quote - C.S. Lewis

"The enemy will not see you vanish into God's company without an effort to reclaim you." C.S. Lewis

Christian Missions, Evangelism, Service, and Volunteer Opportunities

Want to find missions, evangelism, service, and volunteer opportunities in the United States and across the world?

Check out:

The Task - This website is run by the International Missions Board of the SBC and is an interactive wesbite. It is especially geared towards projects for teenagers, youth groups, college students, and seminary students. It also helpfully connects people with the process of becoming a SBC missionary.

The International Missions Board - This website has a plethora of resources. One of the best is its search feature for adult groups of volunteers. It also explains the different mid and long-term options for adults willing to serve in the mission field.

The Bridge - This website, run by the North American Missions Board of the SBC, seeks to connect churches, groups, and individuals to mission trips and volunteer needs across North America. It also has a special section listing "urgent needs."

ChristianVolunteering.org - works like a job search site, only it is for volunteer opportunities across the U.S. and the world!

SEE - the need! Check out resources such as the "Global Status of Evangelical Christianity," "Explore People Groups in Google Earth," "Unengaged, Unreached People Groups," and "The Light of the World"

Pray - Can't go? Pray!

Deuteronomy 29:29

Deuteronomy 29:29 "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”