Kenya needs our prayers

Kenya is in turmoil as a result of its recent presidential elections. Churches were once considered sacred, but the Red Cross reports an incident of 50 people, including women and children, burned alive in a church where they were seeking refuge. Please pray for God's peace to descend upon the country, and its deliverence from the evil one who is at the root of all the horrors being carried out upon its people.

For a recent article written for Baptist Press by a journalist in Kenya, click here.

Useful tools for sharing our Jesus and our Creator

As born again believers we need to know what we believe and why we believe it. Our faith is not a blind faith, but faith based upon evidence.

The Lord has provided a number of men and women who can steer us to apologetic resources that will assist us in telling a lost and dying world about Jesus. The resources available are too numerous to list, but I want to highlight a couple that I wholeheartedly recommend. these are videos based upon best selling books: The Case for A Creator, and The Case for Christ.

Both books are written by Lee Strobel, and he was instrumental in bringing them to video. I suggest you get the DVDs, view them, and use them as a tool to share Christ with those skeptical souls who need more details about our Jesus and our Creator.

Logan, the Sky Angel Cowboy

If you have not already seen or heard this, it is worth the time to do it now. The gospel is so simple, but we struggle mightily to allow it to pass from our lips. Not so for this 13 year old cowboy.

Two great reference guides for commonly asked questions

Looking for a quick reference guide to some of the most commonly asked questions that plague believers and nonbelievers? Two great resources are the Bible Answer Book and The Bible Answer Book - Volume 2, both by Hank Hanegraaff, President of the Christian Research Institute, and otherwise known as "The Bible Answer Man."

Deepen your bible knowledge through the WorldReach Bible Institute

As I travel and talk to born again believers, I consistently hear an expressed desire to have a deeper understanding of the bible. Many want to make certain they know what they believe and why they believe it so they will be better equipped for ministry. Some of the people are men called to be bi-vocational pastors or preachers. Others are people who lead bible studies. And some are those who want to be able to read the bible for all it is worth so they can have a deeper relationship with God.

According to a Barna Group survey in 2005, 78% of Christians lacked a high level of maturity in bible knowledge. In fact, one out of four surveyed believed their bible knowledge was either not too mature or not mature at all.

At WorldReach we recognize this need among evangelicals. In order to equip the church for global missions we partnered with the Bible Training Centre for Pastors and Church Leaders to develop WorldReach Bible Institute. This conservative evangelical bible institute uses the same material we use to equip pastors and church leaders in other countries.

The WorldReach Bible Institute offers a certificated program that consists of six courses. Each course uses the bible as its central text, and is supplemented by a study guide. Bible Study Methods and Rules of Interpretation; Old Testament, New Testament, and Bible Doctrine Surveys; Personal Spiritual Life; and Missions, Evangelism and Discipleship are the course subjects covered in the two year program.

These courses are not just another way to soak up learning. Because in addition to increasing your level of bible knowledge, you are challenged to live according to the principles you are taught. Upon the successful completion of these courses you will be equipped to teach others and influence the world for Christ.

Perhaps God has been speaking to you recently about deepening your understanding of His Word. Or perhaps you have a desire to lead a bible study or disciple others but sense you are just not ready. Maybe you long to be more involved in missions but do not believe yourself to be properly equipped. Or it could be that God is calling you into full time Christian ministry and you do not have the time or resources to obtain a theological degree. What’s going to change? The courses offered at WorldReach Bible Institute are designed to equip you for such situations and service.

Our next semester begins February 4th, with late enrollment allowed until February 11th. All classes are held on the campus of Prince Avenue Christian School in Bogart, Georgia and are open to men and women from all denominations. Because of the level of the material covered, the youngest students allowed are college age.

For more information about how to enroll in WorldReach Bible institute, visit us on the World Wide Web at worldreach.us or call us toll free at 888-540-6534.

What is Wicca?

The North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention has a wonderful Christian apologetics web site 4truth.net. My youngest son and I had a discussion about Wicca, and I found a very enlightening article about it on the 4truth web site written by Bill Gordon. The following post heavily incorporates parts of the 4truth article. For the complete article, go here.

Walk into any secular bookstore and you will find a section on new age religions. Within the rows of books there is inevitably a section on Wicca. Ask most people to tell you what it is and they attach to it Satanic worship. It not being influenced by Christ automatically relegates it to a satanic influence, but not in the same manner as those who worship Satan.

The name Wicca is the old English word for wizard. While in old English the term was a masculine noun, modern witches use the word to refer to both male and female followers of witchcraft. While some Wiccans proudly refer to themselves as witches, others do not use the term because of the negative connotations associated with it.

Wicca is an attempt to revive the pre-Christian nature and fertility religions of Western Europe. It is a neo-pagan religion that believes in supernatural magick, worships a male and female deity, and practices rituals that revolve around the cycles of nature.

While Wiccans often claim a historical connection with the ancient religions of the pre-Christian pagans, the movement actually started in the mid-twentieth century.

Since Wicca is both anti-dogmatic and anti-authoritarian it has no central leadership or organization. There is also not uniformity of doctrine. There is a wide variety of beliefs and practices found within Wicca, although there are some basic assumptions that are accepted by most Wiccan groups.

Evidence indicates that Wicca is one of the fastest growing occultic movements in North America. While both males and females of all ages practice Wicca, it is teenage girls who are most attracted to it.

Many of the beliefs of Wicca are also found in the New Age Movement. Wicca accepts an occultic understanding of reality. Wiccans worship a mother goddess and a male horned deity (her consort). Three major beliefs of Wicca are animism, pantheism, and polytheism.

Animism is the belief that everything, even inanimate objects, have a soul or spirit. Wiccans believe that not only do plants have a soul or spirit, but also the wind, the rain, and even rocks.

In addition to holding to some form of animism, many Wiccans also adhere to pantheism. Pantheism is the belief that everything is divine. It understands deity as one with nature. Since everything is deity, they believe that humans are also divine.

Polytheism is the belief that there is more than one god. As defined by many witches, however, polytheism is not merely the belief in diverse deities, also the belief that there are an infinite number of levels of meaning and reality. This polytheistic premise is expressed in beliefs such as, "there is no one way or right religion for all," and "there is no one truth."

Wiccans claim to be able to perform occultic magick. They and other neo-pagans often add the letter k to the word magic in order to differentiate their spell casting from slight of hand magic.

Some practice a form of channeling where they allow themselves to be possessed by another entity. This entity may be thought of as the Goddess, the force that permeates the universe, or something else, but not all Wiccans practice channeling.

In addition to casting spells, many Wiccans also practice various forms of divination. Some of the more popular forms they employ are astrology, numerology, palmistry, runes, and tarot cards.

Christians should be bold in sharing the good news of salvation through faith in Christ with Wiccans, but we are to balance our boldness with a spirit of love and self-discipline. You can be bold without being overly aggressive. Also, treat Wiccans with respect. Nothing will end a witnessing opportunity faster than being disrespectful to a Wiccan.

Finally, when you share the gospel with your Wiccan friends trust the Holy Spirit to convict them of their need for salvation that comes only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.